Polluter Harmony

Comedy has to be based on truth. You take the truth and you put a little curlicue at the end. ~Sid Caesar

Demonstration on Public Square W-B Tues (tomorrow) to inform Tom Corbett

MEDIA ALERT from Paula Chaiken

WHO: Residents concerned about the effects of natural gas on the environment, health and community.

WHAT: Demonstration

WHERE: Wilkes-Barre’s Public Square

WHEN: Tuesday morning at 9:30 AM

WHY: To show visiting Gubernatorial Candidate Tom Corbett how concerned local residents are about natural gas drilling.

Gas Drilling Awareness Coalition To Host Informational Meeting – Press Release from GDAC

On Wednesday, October 27, 2010 at 7 PM at the American Legion Post in Kingston, 386 Wyoming Avenue, the Gas Drilling Awareness Coalition will be hosting an informational meeting for all interested residents of the Wyoming Valley. The evening will include a presentation by Gas Drilling Awareness Coalition founder Dr. Thomas Jiunta and a question and answer session. It is free and open to the public.

“We organized this meeting to alert residents in the Valley that the gas drilling occurring in the Back Mountain will have an impact on them, as well. Water, air, property values, roads, and quality of life may all be negatively impacted,” states Dr. Jiunta.

The Gas Drilling Awareness Coalition includes Luzerne County citizens concerned about the many problems horizontal fracturing  (“fracking”) will bring to this populated and developed area. Concerns include polluted water supplies, toxic waste, radioactive mud, dirty air, depleted water habitat, noise, eminent domain, loss of farmland, loss of tourism, higher crime rates, more drug use, more traffic, more accidents, lowered property values, and increased taxes. Their goal is to protect Wyoming Valley communities and the environment from exploitative gas drilling.

Other groups interested in holding informational meetings can contact the Gas Drilling Awareness Coalition to schedule at 570.266.5116 or gdacoalition@gmail.com.

For more information, call 570.266.5116, log onto www.gdacoalition.org or email gdacoaltion@gmail.com.

“wake up” citizens and property owners – by Carol Caughill

get involved, grow a spine, go to the meetings, e-mail, call, write to your senators and representatives – let them know how strongly you feel – march, if necessary – scream, holler, shout at the top of your lungs to be heard – DO NOT sign leases – put out signs that protest “fracking” and let the people in Harrisburg know that we know where their money is coming from – vote for anyone that actually cares about how we feel about the environment and our right to clean air and clean water – speak your mind to anyone who will listen – protest the eco terrorism – call it what it is – vote the people that support the gas companies out of office – elections are right around the corner! – use your brains and think – stop being sheep – for what? a few dollars that will be gone in a few years, along with the gas companies after they have destroyed this beautiful state – i say again – WAKE UP!

MARC 1 PIPELINE – The end of the Endless Mountains?

Here is an urgent article from RDA. The comment period ends October 25th.:

MARC 1 PIPELINE
The end of the Endless Mountains?

Central New York Oil and Gas L.L.C., a subsidiary of Inergy L.P., has applied to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) for certification to build a pipeline named MARC 1 through Sullivan County. This would connect interstate gas transmission pipelines running east-west across the state though the counties of Lycoming, Clinton, Tioga, Bradford, Susquehanna, and others.

Permission for this line must be granted by FERC. If granted, pipeline construction that includes the right of eminent domain becomes a reality in the heart of the Pennsylvania’s Endless Mountains. This large pipeline also guarantees “development zones” along its path, and thousands of gas wells with thousands more gathering lines will be constructed to meet up with MARC 1.

This project means an end to the Pennsylvania Wilds and Endless Mountains as we know them. Individual property owner’s rights, ecosystems, sustainable tourism revenue and jobs, and the quality of life for those who live in, travel through, and visit this region are at stake.

For example, one landowner along the route expressed concern over the fate of a 300-year-old tree. “Don’t worry,” a company representative told him. “We’ll pay you for the wood.”

RDA and other advocacy groups have thus far been unsuccessful in obtaining large numbers of people who care enough to make their voices heard. Join with us as we meet that challenge and speak out with a growing voice of outrage.

Comment period on permission for the pipeline ends on October 25th. We continually hear from RDA members asking, “What can I do?” Do this.

1. Contact FERC and express your concern over the environmental impact this pipeline will have on Pennsylvania’s ecosystems. (FERC’s involvement is only in the area of environmental risk assessment and only for this interstate line)
2. Forward this message to your friends and family and ask them to do the same

When contacting FERC, refer to Docket # :    CP10-480-000

Visit the FERC website by clicking here, then click on the orange e-Comment link.

You will be asked for your name and email and a capcha verification. Submitting that information will generate a message to your inbox providing a link to the comment section. You will need the Docket # to submit your comment.

If preferred, you may phone your comments to (202) 502-8258.

Request that this permit BE DENIED due to the impact that construction of this pipeline will have on the environment and ecosystems in Pennsylvania’s northern tier. You do not need to be an expert on the subject or to say more than that.

PLEASE – MAKE A DIFFERENCE TODAY.

UPDATE: Please follow the directions above.  They make you jump through hoops to file a comment but do persevere.

Good job GDAC, Good job Tom

Tom Jiunta at Lehman Meeting (Times Leader)

Tom Jiunta and the Gas Drilling Awareness Coalition have been working tirelessly to advance a petition in support of an ordinance which would protect the water supply of Lehman Township. Tonight they presented the ordinance which is similar to one recently passed by the the Licking Township (Pennsylvania) Board of Supervisors. The Lehman ordinance was  drafted by the Community Environmental Legal Defense Fund Defense Fund.

The proposal presented to the Lehman Township Board of Supervisors, would make it unlawful:

“for any corporation to import water into Lehman for use in the extraction of subsurface natural gas or to deposit waste water, “produced” water, “frack” water, brine or other materials, chemicals or by-products of natural gas extraction into the land, air or waters within Lehman Township.”

per the CELDF website.

Here is the early online edition from the Times Leader: Lehman supers hold off vote on anti-drill law

This initiative is about citizen’s rights and the heart of a democratic society.  We share the air and the water.  Collectively, we have a constitutional right to clean air and water.   Any sane society would insure that.   No individual, or corporation has the authority to usurp these basic human rights.

Although advised otherwise, the Supervisors insisted on keeping the venue at the Lehman Township Building instead of larger venues in the immediate area.  Consequently some citizens left because they could hear nothing from the entrance hall.  That is, they were not allowed to participate in the process due to venue constriction.  It is an age old strategy of those who want to impede the democratic process rather than support it.  The Supervisors’ obstructionist behavior is not a surprise given the reality that two of them were found to be ethically compromised by  the state ethics commission.

(And thank you to the Community Environmental Legal Defense  Defense Fund for your statewide efforts to bring power back to the people.)

The supervisors refused to take action on the proposal, citing a fear of law suits and a lack of authority,the Gas Drilling Awareness Coalition and the CELDF will continue to put this issue forward. See the Citizen’s Voice coverage here: Lehman Twp. supervisors take no action on drilling ordinance

“natural” gas is NOT “clean energy”

From the Safe Water Movement’s petition to support a total ban on gas drilling in low-permeable deposits in New York State:

1. With a failure rate of between 2 to 8 percent, horizontal drilling and hydrofracking pose an unacceptable risk to our drinking water and the quality of groundwater, aquifers, lakes and streams.

13.Recent preliminary assessments reveal that “natural” gas is not “clean energy” but rather just another polluting, non-renewable fossil fuel contributing to global warming”

Links about dirty gas:

The Dirty Truth Behind Clean Natural Gas (from the National Wildlife Federation)

Gas is dirty energy and may be dirtier than coal ( regarding Australia)

The Dirty Truth Behind Hydrofracking (from Environmental Graffiti )

The Dirty Truth Behind The New Natural Gas ( from Kentucky Rural Water Association) ( a comprehensive overview )

The Dirty Secret of Shale Gas (from Motley Fool)

Public Health Impacts of Oil & Gas ( from No Dirty Energy )
(Take the PLEDGE)

Cornell’s Howarth Warns EPA… (good links )

Faces of Dimock – October 15

There will be a public meeting,  “Faces of Dimock “, held at the Kingston Township Municipal Building, 180 E. Center Street, Shavertown. It starts at 7pm on Friday, October 15th. The guest speaker will be Craig Sautner, who has been seen at many events with his gallon jug of “Dimock Lemonade”, drawn from his contaminated well. He will talk about the events of the last two years, and their effects on his family. Those who attend will see and hear what it is like to live next to a “frack farm”, from a video interview taken at Ron and Jean Carter’s home. Parking is available at the rear of the building, and across the street at the athletic field.

fracadelia

The amount of gas drilling vehicle violations in the Northern Tier were no surprise to many.  “Operation FracNET“ was a three day, five county State Police enforcement initiative that inspected 1,135 trucks with a reported focus on  residual waste trucks.  The results:  959 citations, 208 trucks placed out of service, 64 drivers taken out of service.   “The most common problems involved faulty brakes, exterior lighting issues and hauling permit violations.”  Glad to see the industry has been on top of things. 

By any management metric, these are sadly laughable results.  The three day enforcement was a brief and thin view into the daily complex operations of the gas play .  Do the same compliance rates exist throughout this industrial system? 

It is chaos.  It is bedlam.   Trucks upon trucks of traffic, blasting here, drilling there, fracking there, and there.  A thousand critical details go by each day without sufficient oversight. 

This  State Police initiative is welcome and appreciated.  It certainly makes a case for the lack of control the industry has on its transportation sector.  One can only extrapolate this dismal record to other aspects of  management’s purview.

Please note, there have been previous initiates with much the same disheartening results. Guess we taught them a thing or two. They won’t dare violate the law again…
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The corporation is not a person, it is a machine, it reads only numbers. It is fueled by numbers. It is run by numbers. It will die by numbers.

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This severance tax debate is comical. Some legislators applaud it as a hedge against environmental calamity. It is like getting a cancer injection and crying out  “Hooray! I have medical insurance!”

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“The gas industry wants the Senate to give them all  Pennsylvania properties which now have no gas leases.”   

– Clearville’s Blog

Clearville says:  Contact PA Senators before October 12, 2012, the gas industry wants properties with NO GAS LEASES!

STOP FORCED POOLING!
 

Senate emails:

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“If you love the Creator, you’ll love His Creation”

– Jonathan Meritt

some important events:

 

Thursday, October 7 at 7pm
State of Pennsylvania
The WILK Talkers
Marcellus Shale Drilling, Whom Do You Trust?
At the WVIA 
100 WVIA Way, Pittston, PA 18640
570-826-6144 | 570-344-1244
 Call for reservations

Friday October 8 at 7 pm
Room D001 Academic Center
Lycoming College, Williamsport, PA

An exceptional educational opportunity co-sponsored by RDA and the Clean Water Institute. Speakers:

Professor Anthony Ingraffea, P. E. and Ph.D. in Rock Fracture Mechanics. Head of Cornell Univesity’s Rock Fracture Group and Dwight C. Baum Professor of Engineering at of Cornell. Dr. Ingraffea’s research concentrates on computer simulation and physical testing of complex fracturing processes.

Professor Michael C. Boufadel, P.E., Ph.D. and Hydrologist. Chair of the Department of Environmental and Civil Engineering at Temple University. Head of the University’s Center for Natural Resources Development and Protection (NRDP). Dr. Boufadel focuses on large-scale studies of water and air quality accompanied with advanced modeling to provide the best available technology.

Bring along a pro gas development friend for a lively post presentation discussion. Free Admission.

 Friday October 15 at 7 pm
At Kingston Township Municipal Building
Public Information Meeting on Gas Drilling
more info to come