PToprotecting Communities and Special Places
  e-Newsletter  November 8, 2013

Responsible Drilling Alliance
              
               quote"Organizing changes the world.

                Showing up changes the world."

                                                       ~ Josh Fox                                                   
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UPCOMING EVENTS
"Shale: The Drilling Treadmill"

Deborah Rogers

November 14, 2013
7:30 p.m.

Susquehanna
University

Deborah Lawrence Rogers, executive director of Energy
Policy Forum, will present Susquehanna University's Sigmund Weis Partners Lecture  at 7:30 p.m., Nov. 14. 
The event, held in Faylor Hall of Susquehanna's Fisher Hall, is free and open to the public. It is sponsored by the university's Sigmund Weis School of Business.

Click here for more information

--------------------------------
My Name Is
Allegany County

Saturday,
November 23, 2013

The Pajama Factory
Williamsport, PA

A true and inspiring story of community resistance to nuclear waste dumping in Allegany County, NY

Potluck at 6:30 p.m.
Film screening at 7:00
Discussion at 8:30
Food, drinks, and music will follow!

Presented by Marcellus Shale Earth First!

Find more details here   

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Shale Drilling and Public Health:

A Day of Discovery

Saturday, 

November 23, 2013  

9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

 

Heinz History Center, 1212 Smallman Street Pittsburgh PA 15222 (5th Floor)

 

This conference/health fair features nationally known experts including Dr. Anthony Ingraffea and Dr. Michelle Bamberger, DVM.   

   

Sponsored by the League of Women Voters of Pennsylvania

 

FREE

but you must register
to attend. 

Register here or call 1-800-61-SHALE (800-617-4253

___________________ 



Research on Shale Gas Extraction Symposium

November 25 - 26

Duquesne University
Power Center Ballroom
Pittsburgh, PA

Join us for a two-day symposium that will explore the challenges of unconventional shale gas extraction.

Presenters include:

Dr. John Stolz
Dr. Paul Ziemkiewic
Dr. Benjamin Stout
Dr. Brady Porter

Free and open to the public, but registration is required.  

 

Campus map and driving directions 

Register online 

actionTAKE ACTION!
Help Protect the Loyalsock State Forest!

Rep. Greg Vitali intends
to introduce a Resolution, HR 500,
that would urge Governor Corbett to do everything in his power to prevent drilling operations from occurring on the Clarence Moore tracts in the Loyalsock State Forest.
 
The 25,621 acre Clarence Moore Tract is currently under the threat of unconventional gas development by Anadarko Petroleum Corporation. This development would degrade the environmental and recreational value of the land.

Call, send an email, or send a letter to urge Rep. Garth Everett and other members of the General Assembly to cosponsor this important resolution!

Find contact information here for Rep. Everett

Find other Representative information here

  

newsIN THE NEWS 

Fracking Wastewater

May Get Sent
Down the River


Millions of gallons of hydraulic fracturing wastewater may soon be allowed to travel by barge according to a proposed policy recently published by the U.S.Coast Guard.

Shipping wastewater by barge appeals to the oil and gas industry because it represents lower costs.

Shipping wastewater by barge horrifies those who realize what one accidental spill could do to a river.

The Coast Guard is accepting public comment on the proposal for thirty days from the announcement.

The closing day for public comment is
November 29, 2013.

To submit a comment on this proposal,
click here.




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Contact us for details.
 
As a 501(c)(3)
non-profit
organization, RDA
relies on donations
for the important work we do. In order for
RDA to continue its valuable education
and advocacy
outreach in 2013, please consider
a tax-free contribution  
to our efforts.






mobilizeMobilizing to Defend the Loyalsock
                                                      By Ann Pinca

"I've lived here my whole life and the wild places here ... are sacred to me," said Danielle, a young woman speaking at the Marcellus Shale Earth First! rally held on November 1 in the Loyalsock State Forest. The rally, billed as the Mobilization to Defend the Loyalsock, was organized by Marcellus Shale Earth First!  to coincide with the first possible date that oil and gas activity could begin in the Clarence Moore lands of the Loyalsock State Forest. 
Anadarko Petroleum Corporation and Southwestern Energy share the subsurface mineral rights of this area.

 

Marcellus Shale Earth First! (MSEF!) is a regional network of Earth First!ers united against hydraulic fracturing. Committed to a "NO COMPROMISE" approach to end drilling everywhere, Earth First! is often described as a "radical environmental advocacy group,"  but what I found last Friday was not a group of raging radicals, but instead, an energetic force of organized, dedicated, mostly young people who care deeply for our natural world and who want to keep it that way for them- selves, their children, and for future generations.

 

The rally, located in a shale pit gouged out of the forest--a stark indicator of what could come--began with an introduction that defined MSEF!'s framework and mission.  Accented with large banners and signs fluttering against a bright blue autumn sky, the rally's opening comments included a history of the Native Americans who once lived on this land and also offered agreements made within the movement to keep everyone safe and comfortable in their actions. 

   

Several speakers presented passionate and inspirational messages to the dozens gathered for the rally.  Shale Justice organizer Wendy Lynne Lee said this about the Loyalsock State Forest:

 

"If we allow fracking here, we have literally no ground upon which to take a stand anywhere. And anywhere matters. Anywhere includes the farms, the forests, the game lands, the parks, the communities, and our homes everywhere."

MSEF! Member George Hayduke, a former Texas native, related his experience with drilling in Texas and emphasized the message of the day--that the fight to preserve Pennsylvania is not over, but that communities need to stand up and work together.  Hayduke brought home the fact that by standing united, we can "make sure at no point in the future of this forest does Anadarko or Southwestern, or anybody else, get to destroy what is precious and sacred."

 

The rally also featured a pleasant array of vocal and instrumental music, plus a presentation by RDA member Mandy Maurer, who gave the history of RDA's actions concerning the Loyalsock State Forest, including ongoing efforts through the Keep It Wild campaign. 

 

Following the rally, several hikes were led by MSEF! members, who took hikers to some of the areas targeted for well pads, compressor stations, and water impoundments--industrial  infrastructure that was unimaginable on this beautiful  fall day in the forest. After the hikes, an informal shared dinner was held at the site of the week-long educational action camp also hosted by MSEF!, where a tangible sense of community prevailed.

 

As the day ended, golden sunlight skimmed the top of a mountain next to the group campsite at the former lumber mill company town of Masten, where tents dotted the forest floor under tall evergreen trees. Seated beneath these trees planted in straight rows long ago by human hands attempting to rebuild the forest they had cut down, the message of the day rang clearly in my mind. This memorable event was billed as the Mobilization to Defend the Loyalsock, and MSEF!'s promise was summed up well in Danielle's closing words:

  

"I will be here when the trucks come...  We are in the forest. We are waiting. We are here and we are not going anywhere."  

  

The question is: Who else will stand in the forest with Danielle and the Marcellus Shale Earth First!ers if the trucks arrive?

 

View Wendy Lynne Lee's speech and photos on Facebook

View Richard Karp's photos here

All images in this article by Ann Pinca 

 

 

 

 

 

  

   

 

 



hikeKeep It Wild at Rider Park

Hike # 11
November 10 at 11:00 a.m.

Join us this Sunday for a family friendly hike close to home. Rider park has over 15 miles of trails and offers hiking for every fitness level. Bring the kids and explore this local treasure that has "history" with RDA!

A legacy of local businessman and civic leader Thomas J. Rider, the park was created from land and funds given by Rider so that citizens of Lycoming County could enjoy outdoor recreation on its 867 scenic acres. But in fall 2010, RDA members Jim and Jenni Slotterback discovered survey stakes marking a well pad in the park. Their decision to take action and stand up for the park they loved brought about the eventual passage of a resolution by the park's governing board to ban gas drilling within the park's boundaries.

Had the Slotterbacks not spoken up, Rider Park could look like so many other "wild" areas today, pockmarked with well pads and sliced by pipeline right of ways. As you hike and enjoy Rider Park, remember that it took someone to stand up and take action for it to remain as it is today.

Watch the Earthjustice video created to tell the Slotterback's story about Rider Park.
Finding Their Way 
houseHouse Committee To Vote on
Controversial Endangered Species Bill


A hotly debated bill is scheduled for a House committee vote next week. House Bill 1576 and its Senate companion bill SB 1047 have created a firestorm of controversy since they were first proposed respectively by Rep. Jeff Pyle (R-Armstrong) and Sen. Joe Scarnati (R-Jefferson).

A news conference was held Thursday for opponents of the bill to again express their opposition. The lines are clearly drawn between industry supporters of the bill and environmental groups sided with the affected Fish and Boat and Game Commissions.

Industry supporters of the bill, including the Marcellus Shale Coalition, claim the new legislation will ensure accountability through greater consistency and transparency, while eliminating construction delays now encountered when endangered or threatened species may be present. Environmentalists say the bill will gut current laws in place to protect wildlife in Pennsylvania.

A new twist to the discussion is an amendment that Game and Fisheries Chairman Rep. Martin Causer (R-McKean County) plans to offer, which first became available for review on Thursday. The amendment appears to mitigate some of the objections that have been raised, but not enough of them to resolve the situation.

A recent letter to the editor from the Lycoming Audubon Society states what most of those opposed to the legislation agree upon, that HB 1576 is geared to benefit industry, especially the gas industry, at the cost of Pennsylvania's wildlife.

The bill's sponsor, Rep. Pyle, admitted in a September interview that
"it was 'fair' to say that the proposed changes to the species listings process would most benefit the Marcellus Shale gas drilling industry." Couple that statement with the almost $49,000 in campaign contributions that Mr. Pyle received from the oil and gas industry, and the real reason for HB 1576 seems more evident.

The House Game and Fisheries Committee is scheduled to consider
HB 1576 on November 13. Contact your Representative now to express your opinion on HB 1576.



 

powerPower Shift 2013

  

Approximately 7,000 youth leaders gathered in Pittsburgh on October 18-22 for Power Shift 2013, a conference that brought together young men and women for training in grass-roots organizing, workshops, and protest strategies for climate change issues. The last day of the conference featured a 1,000 person march through Pittsburgh in protest of fossil fuel reliance and an economy based on social injustice.

IMAGE: POWER SHIFT 

 

Though seven protesters were arrested when they refused to exit a building after being ordered to leave, the march was described by Pittsburgh police as peaceful and orderly. And that was the point--it wasn't about breaking the law, it was about showing up to be heard.   

 

Gasland creator Josh Fox was one of the many speakers at Power Shift 2013. His message emphasized that action is necessary, that people need to stand up for what is important. Below is an excerpt from Fox's Power Shift speech: 

 

"You have to be a foot soldier. You have to show up. When Bill McKibben and Naomi Klein told me come and show up in front of the White House and get arrested to stop the Keystone XL, I showed up.  

 

And when the great organizers of this movement call upon us to stand in Illinois, to stand in front of the drilling rigs before they roll in, when we pledge to defend that home state of Obama and make it an issue for him, we have to show up.

 

When our democratic candidates in the state of Pennsylvania, we have 6,000 gas wells in Pennsylvania and 1,000 families petition to the DEP with water contamination, and not a single democratic candidate running right now for governor supports what 62% of Pennsylvanians support, which is a moratorium on all gas drilling and fracking in the state of Pennsylvania, when those democratic candidates don't stand up for the majority of the people, when the organizers call upon you to bird-dog those candidates, those men and women seeking to represent Pennsylvania, you bird-dog them until they support the moratorium."   

                                                                                           (sic)  

Because if we are not in the streets, we aren't anything.

 

I know movies don't change the world. Our own individuality is a small part of this.  

 

Organizing changes the world. Showing up changes the world.

  

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

 

Watch Josh's Power Shift speech, beginning at 38:27

Power Shift 2013 - FRIDAY
Power Shift 2013 - FRIDAY

RDA Newsletter

Ann Pinca, managing editor
Ted Stroter, RDA Board of Directors editor
Ralph Kisberg, contributing editor
Robbie Cross, President - RDA Board of Directors
Jenni Slotterback, Secretary - RDA Board of Directors Barb Jarmoska, Treasurer - RDA Board of Directors
Mark Szybist - RDA Board of Directors
Roscoe McCloskey - RDA Board of Directors
Jim Slotterback - RDA Board of Directors

This weekly e-letter is written and designed by the RDA consultants and Board of Directors and sent to RDA members/subscribers. Every effort is made to assure complete accuracy in each issue. This publication and the information contained herein is copyrighted by RDA and Ann Pinca and may not be reproduced without permission.
All rights reserved. Readers are invited to forward this newsletter in its entirety to broaden the scope of its outreach. Readers are also invited to comment to the managing editor regarding contents and to submit articles to be considered for publication in a future issue.      
Please note: The RDA newsletter includes reporting on a variety of events and activities, which do not necessarily reflect the philosophy of the organization. RDA practices only non-violent action in voicing the organization's beliefs and concerns.
Donations may also be sent by mail to: Responsible Drilling Alliance, P.O. Box 502, Williamsport, PA 17703 
Thank you for your support!
    
Responsible Drilling Alliance