Road damage in Greene County

I was driving with a friend on route 221 through Greene County on Sunday to go bicycling on the Greene River trail near Rices Landing, and we found ourselves behind a brine water / residual waste truck -- presumably full of frack waste -- between Dunn Station and Ruff Creek.

Three problems:

1. The truck had no license plate!  The side of the truck said Curry Supply.

2. The truck often took up most of the road, creating a hazard for oncoming traffic.

3. There was severe road damage on route 221, perhaps from these wide, heavy frack trucks.  When I biked this road about two years ago, the edges of this road were not crumbling like this.  Damaged roads can cause a) crashes for bicyclists or motorcyclists, b) damage to car tires and suspensions, and c) additional safety problems as cars & trucks swerve to avoid holes in the road.

See photos:

https://picasaweb.google.com/pheckbert/FrackingGreeneCounty#

I'd like to visit Greene County again to go bicycling on its (formerly) nice roads but these safety issues make me think twice.  The gas industry should pay for their share of this road damage, since this appears to be so far beyond normal road wear.

 

-Paul

Pittsburgh

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Permalink Reply by Tom on June 4, 2011 at 7:03am
I don't bring my tractor to your cul-de-sac, don't bring your bicycle to my narrow, bicycle unsafe, crooked country roads.
Permalink Reply by Kathleen Elsie Gibbs on June 4, 2011 at 8:50am
Went to ACE Hardware today and on RT 136 there were four cyclists in the middle of my lane. Now this part of the road is 45 mph and heavy traffic . They not only slowed us all down they turned left onto the Covered Bridge road right in front of a truck. These idiots have no idea how long it takes a truck to stop they sure are not those little "green smart cars".
0jw0dsu4txfuvPermalink Reply by 0jw0dsu4txfuv on June 4, 2011 at 8:59am
I am a motorcycle rider and I have seen bicycle riders do things I would never think about doing. They do idiotic stunts that are foolish and downright stupid.
Permalink Reply by Tom on June 5, 2011 at 12:20am
The government has spent a lot of money for "Rails to Trails" so that people have a place to walk and ride. There are miles and miles of former railroad routes that are open to bicyclists. They are well maintained and "big" trucks don't drive on them and as an added bonus, they won't put a drilling rig on one.
Permalink Reply by Kathleen Elsie Gibbs on June 5, 2011 at 12:24am
That is where we usually go. Also on bike trails at the parks. Love the peace and quiet as they don't allow quads on them.
Permalink Reply by mark ayers on June 6, 2011 at 10:58am

Hey Jim,

 

I'm glad we are able to find some common ground, I'm a builder also, 2nd generation and now my son works for me  and my older customers think its neat to have had 3 generations work on their homes. I have maintained all along that we need good leadership at the local, state and fed level that this is to important to blow it, we will only get one chance to do this right. With the way the world (and country ) seems to be headed the nat gas can act as an insulator for this part of the country, Ohio now included. As this play develops we have to find ways to use it here. Right now there is only one export point in the U.S. and that is in Alaska,(that goes to Japan) but in 5 years or less there will be others. Does anyone know who has the most cng cars in the world?  Pakistan, and number 2? Argentina, and get this Iran is number three. That  burns my a$$(pun intended).  

 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Compressed_natural_gas. 

Honda has the only cng powered car in the U.S available to individuals, why?  Big Oil, Auto Co.

Government, I dont know.  Where did this hatred of nat gas come from in such a short time? Is there more to the story than meets the eye? There are big forces a work and the last thing we need is dishonest or worse dumb leaders.

Permalink Reply by Mike Knapp on June 6, 2011 at 11:57am
Look at who stands to lose big time from the widespread production of American natural gas.   OPEC is trembling, getting ready to increase production to try to keep us addicted.   Gazprom, the state owned gas monopoly of Russia has been spending a LOT of money in Europe to push the "perils" of fracking.
Permalink Reply by Kathleen Elsie Gibbs on June 7, 2011 at 1:13am

OK this is off topic.

In my not so humble opinion we need a lot less government and more responsibility from everyone and I don't mean just the drilling. This should be from dog catcher on up including teachers and civil servants.

Permalink Reply by Jim Litwinowicz on June 6, 2011 at 3:30pm

Mark, its is the environmentalists that are against nat gas the most . While they will tell you it is about fracinga nd protecting water (which is true for local antis) there is more to the story. If nat gas becomes a major player in the transportation and electrical generation field, it will displace the conversion to the much more expensive solar and wind sources.  These are the favored energy sources of the greenies and they hate that nat gas will delay it by fifty years or more. And these so-called green sources have great political clout with crowd currently in charge in DC.

Its a shame because these so-called green sources aren't all that clean.  Solar cells production requires all sorts of toxic, polluting chemicals. Read http://www.treehugger.com/files/2008/03/solar_pollution_china.php   And that is just part of it.  I have seen experts on PBS state that it takes more energy to make a solar cell than  the cell will produce in its lifetime.  Wind also has tons of problems.

 

Local people that are against it have some legitimate concerns but the global leadership is just angry their selected favorites are about to be displaced. And the saddest part is that nat gas may be the bridge fuel buying us time until solar, fusion, or some other form of energy  becomes developed enough to be our main sources of energy.

Permalink Reply by Kathleen Elsie Gibbs on June 7, 2011 at 1:20am

Watch the greens scream bloody murder when their electric cars, latte machines, and all the other must haves don't work in black-outs or even brownouts. Individual homes might be able to provide enough power on a long term basis, but then they are not the all electric gadget homes most envision.

Permalink Reply by Jim Walters on June 7, 2011 at 3:48am

I truly believe it would be smart business for the gas companies to get off their high horse and show a little respect like Kathleen said. 

 

You remember the days when we used to bend over for the homeowner? Does anybody even realize how hard it would be to stop a speeding water truck if your dog or kid was in the road?

 

I'm not so sure about the hatred aspect of natural gas . . . I am against stone walling, truth bending and arrogance . . .  more than anything else.

 

I understand capitalism (I also understand that we are now experiencing a perverted version form of the capitalism that once made this country great) and are expected to swallow it with gusto . . . . 

 

I am personally having a problem with the 'rush' aspect of this whole thing. If we have this great source under our feet then (IMO) it behooves us to take proper stewardship over it by making damn sure whoever wants it . . . takes it carefully, safely . . . and respectfully. The stuff has been down there a zillion years, why the rush?

 

Now it's a given that there are some environmentalist who are so far left all they see is a pristine environment and nothing will change that,

 

just like there are people from the Right with this crazy drill baby drill . . .

 

no matter which end you choose . . . both ends of the spectum are out of touch with reality IMO and no amount of talk will change their minds . . .

 

BUT there is a very large number of the rest of the population who may differ on the particulars, but in the long run all see the necessity for self dependence and the reality of what lies beneath our feet . . . 

 

Like I said before I see the little guy in awe, wearing dollar signs for eyes. . . . It would do well for everybody to do an in depth study of corporate America before getting into bed with ANY segment of it. . . . 

 

As to building . . . I built mostly in Alaska and NE Ohio . . . and am now retired. Never got rich, but am in a position where I don't need any gas co. money. I know it's a bit different for a lot of these folks . . .  

0jw0dsu4txfuvPermalink Reply by 0jw0dsu4txfuv on June 7, 2011 at 6:01am

People,

 The Operator I work for and most all the others try to work with the public and the

state agencies. In my tenure in the NE people in general poeple are rude and obnoxious

to me and oilfield workers. I am from the south and I was raised to be respectful and

nice to people. I have meet some very nice people and in these forums I have tried to

tell you folks how it is. Sure there are instances were landowners and the public are

mislead and for that we deserve scrutiny . In a perfect world we are going to have to

to get along. To me as far as politic's I say get them all out.

 

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