RDA will be hosting an informational lecture for the residents of Fairfield Township who will be effected by the Shaheen Well Site. Please notice the date change. More details to follow.

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Urge President Obama to halt the approval of LNG Export Terminals

CLICK HERE

to take action

Right now, communities across the country are facing air, water, and climate pollution at the hands of natural gas companies. And the stakes have gotten even higher -- the potential for more fracking so the natural gas industry can export LNG to other countries.

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Request a Moratorium on Further Leasing of Our State Park & Forest Lands

CLICK HERE

to take action

Our state forests are rare places that provide respite and recreation for our citizens. The proposed lift on the moratorium of gas leasing will lead to further drilling that will jeopardize fragile ecosystems. Our state forests and parks should be set apart, protected and held in trust for the future.

We need your help to stop additional gas leasing of state park and forest land. We urge you to please take action by sending a message to your legislators so the General Assembly will not open the door to additional leasing.

A CLOSER LOOK AT A FRACTURING EVENT

From MarcellusGas.Org

Our review of fracturing events shows the highest
water usage recorded was nearly 19 million gallons.

February 15th, 2012

The DCNR 595 6H well in Bloss Township, Tioga County, operated by Seneca

Resources Corp, used 18,754,176 gallons of water
for a fracturing event.

That is enough to fill over

2,340 tanker trucks.

Remember... this is only ONE fracturing event! Think about all the fuel burned in those tanker trucks as well as the enormous amount of water used for this ONE event.

The fracturing report for the DCNR well indicates
the following items were included in the fracturing
mixture:

AMOUNT, PURPOSE, INGREDIENT

2,301,243 gals., Propant, Silica

17,702 gals., Acid, Hydrochloric Acid

4,332 gals., Friction Reducer, Hydrotreated Light Distillate

677 gals., Biocide, Sodium Bromide (partial list)

516 gals., Corrosion Inhibitor, Ethylene Glycol, (partial list)

Complete report details, including additive
concentrations, total concentrations, and
ingredient trade names can be viewed by members at:

www.MarcellusGas.Org/freports

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need of help for special events, publicity, research, and other projects. Contact us for details.

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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 2014, please consider a tax-free contribution to our efforts.

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The following is an inspiring article highlighting the efforts of one woman and her partner that triggered a wave of protective action for numerous municipalities in New York state. Local zoning can truly be used to protect communal rights as long as people stand together and demand action. Local power will become more and more important in helping to protect and uphold the Environmental Rights Amendment of the state constitution as the industry continues to expand throughout PA. This Amendment guarantees Pennsylvanians the right to clean air, pure water, and to the preservation of the natural, scenic, historic and esthetic values of the environment. It also states that Pennsylvania's public natural resources are the property of all the people, including generations yet to come, and that the Commonwealth (the trustee of these resources) will conserve and maintain them for the benefit of all the people.

Standing with communities: New York Attorney Wins Goldman Environmental Prize for fracking work

by Nadia Steinzor, featured online at earthworksaction.org, April 28, 2014

That people are willing to work hard to save the places they know and love has long been a pillar of the conservation movement. So it's no wonder that this principle also figures in efforts to prevent the damage caused by oil and gas development - and one of this year's winners of the venerable Goldman Environmental Prize, attorney Helen Holden Slottje, has been saying it since the Marcellus shale boom began.

Credit: Goldman Environmental Prize

Already in 2009, just as New York State was launching its study of fracking's environmental impacts, Helen and her legal partner (and husband) David Slottje saw the writing on the wall. They dug into the state's oil and gas laws and saw a gaping hole: the right of communities to say no. Then they got very busy launching the Community Environmental Defense Council, Inc. (CEDC), a pro bono, public interest law firm based in Ithaca, New York.

Helen and David determined that New York's "home rule" provisions give municipalities the legal authority to use zoning and other land-use laws to prohibit "high-impact industrial uses"-first and foremost, fracking. They looked beyond the control over roads and taxes presumed to be the only basis for local jurisdiction and found the right of communities to decide whether they want to keep oil and gas development out entirely.

Helen and David took their message on the road, speaking to activists, local officials, attorneys, and policymakers. They crafted a model for communities in New York, and beyond, on which to base fracking bans. First it was tested close to home, as the towns of Ulysses, Danby, and Ithaca pursued bans. Then came Dryden and Middlefield - towns that launched a precedent-setting case to be definitively settled this summer by New York's highest court.

Relying on the engagement of communities, the Slottje's pioneering work certainly fits the Goldman Prize's recognition of leaders for efforts "where positive change is created through community or citizen participation in the issues that affect them." It also fulfills the Goldman's goal to "inspire others to emulate the examples set." As New York's anti-fracking movement has grown, it's held off shale gas drilling in the state and can currently boast 75 bans and 102 moratoria.

The gas industry has responded to such local success by trying to quash local rights -though that's looking increasingly like a losing battle. There was passage in Pennsylvania of the industry-backed Oil and Gas Act (known as Act 13) gutting municipal zoning rights-until the state Supreme Court ruled [parts of] it unconstitutional. There was Dallas' [Texas] de facto ban telling drillers right in the heart of oil country that they have to stay further away from homes. And Colorado's wave of local democracy launched by the bold city of Longmont, despite ongoing legal threats by industry and powerful political backers. Most recently, Los Angeles became the nation's largest city to say no to fracking unless it can be proven safe.

These and many other declarations in the U.S. and around the world make it clear that communities won't be strongarmed into accepting fracking whatever the cost. As Helen and David Slottje figured out years ago, local governments have not only the right, but also the legal muscle, to defend their health, their environment, and quality of life. With the selection of Helen Slottje as a 2014 winner, the Goldman Environmental Prize has declared that putting the interests of communities first, ahead of industry's, is a winning strategy now and for the future.

CLICK HERE to read the full article with clickable sources, or to find more information on this topic.

Make the Switch to Renewable Energy... TODAY!

by Brooke Woodside, Managing Editor

Want to truly live by what you stand for? Then get off of the fossil fuels wherever possible and make the switch to renewable energy today! Choosing a different electrical supplier used to take a lot of painstaking research. On top of that, renewable energy options were not nearly as abundant and therefore, used to cost more. Fortunately, certain organizations have done the homework for us and made it a whole lot easier to be more proactive.

PPL just sent out a round of customer mailings providing a very convenient way to switch to a renewable electricity supplier. A "sign & switch" form and a self-addressed, pre-paid envelope were included in the mailing. Customers were given the choice to switch to Ethical Electric, whose renewable electricity comes from 100% wind and solar sources. The electricity will still be delivered through the same utility company (in this case, PPL) no matter what renewable energy supplier is chosen.

If you ignored your PPL mailing or would like to take a quick glance at some different options available here in PA, Penn Future has made that possible. CLICK HERE for a detailed list of PA's renewable energy suppliers. The list describes which suppliers can be delivered through your electrical generation company, what type of energy they supply, and even where the energy is sourced from. You can also visit PA Power Switch for a "price-to-compare" between your preferred suppliers. Use the sites to narrow down your preferred supplier, contact them directly to sign up & they will take care of the rest through your current utility company. Happy shopping!

LNG... What is it Exactly?

Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) is methane in the form of a bubbling, super-cold liquid. (By contrast, Compressed Natural Gas is highly pressurized methane vapor.) Chilling natural gas to its liquid state shrinks its volume by a factor of 600 and allows for its transportation to places where pipelines do not run. LNG is the form that natural gas takes when it is exported overseas on tanker ships. To a lesser extent, LNG is used as a vehicle fuel in, for example, long-haul trucks.

LNG is made through a cryogenic process called "liquefaction," where methane is turned to liquid at -259 degrees F. An LNG export terminal typically requires its own power plant to generate the immense energy so required to achieve this ultra-low temperature.

Contained in Thermos bottle-like tanks, LNG stays cold through insulation, refrigeration, and evaporative cooling. As the liquid methane inside slowly warms up, some of it vaporizes. This gas is vented to maintain the remaining liquid at -259 degrees F and to prevent explosions. That is, LNG tanks leak methane gas by design. Smaller tanks sweat methane directly into the atmosphere. Some larger tanks are engineered to capture the boiled off gas and reuse it, but this is not a leak-proof process.

Photo Courtesy of the Sierra Club

Before it is used or sent down a pipeline, LNG must be re-vaporized in a regasification terminal. Regasification is also very energy intensive, requires massive infrastructure, and includes periodic methane flaring to control pressure.

If LNG spills into water, it explodes, If LNG spills on the ground, it turns into rapidly expanding clouds of vaporizing methane that can asphyxiate by displacing oxygen and flash-freeze human flesh. If ignited at the source, these vapors become flaming "pool fires" that burn hotter than other fuels and cannot be extinguished. Drifting in the wind, an ignitable vapor cloud can threaten large populations. Highly volatile LNG cannot be odorized, so there is no warning of a leak. The ongoing prohibition on LNG facilities in New York State was the result of a deadly explosion in 1973 that blew apart an empty LNG tank in Staten Island and killed 40 people.

Check out more facts about LNG including those contained above with fully-cited documentation HERE.

CLICK HERE for more information on LNG brought to you by the Sierra Club. Thanks to the Sierra Club, you can also CLICK HERE to submit a letter to President Obama, urging him to halt the approval of any proposed LNG terminals.

We here at RDA will do our best to stay on top of what's happening with any new LNG export developments, and let you know of any other actions you can take to help prevent this monstrosity. The exportation of LNG will undoubtedly increase the price of natural gas for Americans and burn more fossil fuel as part of the processing from gas to liquid and back to gas, as well as the enormous amount of fuel used for transportation to countries across the ocean. There are also large amounts of natural gas (methane) lost as fugitive emissions during the processing and transportation and these emissions are more than 30 times stronger than carbon dioxide as a greenhouse gas. One of the most interesting things about this whole scenario is that it exposes the industry's marketing myth that fracking is intended to help relieve our country's dependence on foreign oil.

"Gas got your Trail?"

Fractracker.org

"Run off your right-of-way by an industry employee or truck? Concerned about the quality of the water you're putting in your canteen? Riled about the forced relocation of your favorite trail? If unconventional oil and gas drilling and its associated activities have put a rut in your trail adventure, we want to know! It is time to collect the stories and experiences of hikers and trail users everywhere to better understand the impacts of the oil and gas industry and outfit trail advocates to address these issues and seek remedies."

Fill out an online form submission at http://www.fractracker.org/projects/logbook/ .

Check out their handy iphone apps as well!

LCWA Tire & Trash Cleanup Day was a success!

The Loyalsock Creek Watershed Association and Clinton County Cleanscapes facilitated the removal of a large amount of the remaining Hurricane Lee flood debris from the west bank of the Susquehanna River last Saturday (4/26). RDA members assisted to clear trash and a whole lot of tires from just above the Butternut Grove swimming hole. Although we could not clear everything, we removed about three large dumpsters & definitely had a very positive impact on the site. Thank you to everyone who helped with the effort!

RDA Newsletter

Brooke Woodside, 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 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. There is a forward link below. Readers are also invited 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.

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Contact RDA with questions and comments using either the address below, by email at responsibledrillingalliance@gmail.com or by phone at 888.332.1244 (toll free).

For more information, visit the RDA web site, or like us on Facebook.

Donations can be sent by mail to: Responsible Drilling Alliance, P.O. Box 502, Williamsport, PA 17703

Thank you for your support!