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So much has happened since our last issue! First Up, RDA's Ralph Kisberg shares some interesting insights on the confirmation hearing for John Quigley, Governor Wolf's choice for DEP Secretary. Next, an invitation to grab your photo ID & head to Barbours on Monday, June 8th for SRBC's informational meeting on Chief Oil & Gas's request to withdraw 2 million gallons a day from the Loyalsock Creek. Show up and show your Loyal-ty to the 'Sock.
Continuing on, Maryland recently took a solid stance against fracking with the passage of a moratorium. Vera Scroggins could really use some help in her legal battle against the gas industry. And this issue closes out with a recently released report from the Multi-State Shale Research Collaborative on Shale Boomtowns: the Economics and Social Impacts of Gas Drilling.
Onto the sidebar: A last piece of late-breaking news: the EPA has just released its study of the impacts of hydraulic fracturing for oil and gas on our drinking water resources. More information on this report kicks off "In Other News," which is jam-packed with other news and information. There are also a number of new "Action Points" worthy of your attention.
Thank you for caring and staying informed.
Sincerely,
Brooke Woodside
Managing Editor
Visit our website at: www.rdapa.org
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by Ralph Kisberg, RDA Working Group, Contributing Editor
Don't have 97 minutes to waste on listening to the dronings of Lycoming County's Gene Yaw or Venango County's Scott Hutchinson? You can read excerpts below & more by clicking here.
Watching the video allows you to see the facial expressions, the thinly veiled contempt, the nastiness, and the frequent ignorance behind the mangled syntax. Seeing the action gives you a much clearer picture. Here are some lowlights:
Check in for a minute or two at 92:23 for a quick look at Senator Yaw's primary concern: making sure the Governor and DEP are on board with offering up the Clarence Moore tracts in the Loyalsock State Forest to his gas industry and local ancillary business constituency; the pad and road builders, quarry and crane operators, hoteliers, water truck owners, and white pickup purveyors who aren't content with all the private and public land already lined up for development. Yaw reminds Quigley:
Mr. Quigley, I would like to make some comments, um, you said all the right things and it's encouraging from your comments that I don't think, at least my take is that, uh, you don't think that the environment and economics are mutually exclusive terms, that they can work together. Um, I, my thought about it though, and it, it's come up several times during this, is that some of the things that you have commented on, ah, there is, does, seem to be somewhat of a negative perspective on some business and the gas industry or coal, ah, which comes forward. I know that Senator Hutchinson, ah, mah, asked the question or you mentioned timber. I'd just like to tell you that, you know, Pennsylvania hardwoods was produced as a result of clear-cutting, um, so I'm not saying that everything has a positive impact like that and there's one area that I can't help but think about in my area where there's, ah, ah, you know people want to preserve, quote, the "Old Logger's Trail." I mean how did the Old Logger's Trail get there? It got there by logging. Now it's become, it's almost like a national resource.
Yes, Senator, it is a national resource. One with surface natural resources belonging to the Commonwealth. Yes, the Old Logger's Path's original CCC builders utilized some of the logging roads and railway pathways previously carved out of a wilderness far beyond the imagination of most of us when they began building it in the 1930's, after there was no virgin timber left to harvest. Perhaps, with the help of the public, the Governor will recognize his fiduciary duty to at least attempt to protect those common wealth assets. Perhaps he will invest political capital to encourage the gas rights owners and holders to continue to keep off the surface of that Commonwealth land as they make strides in the reach of horizontal drilling and the effectiveness of fracking. Perhaps he will utilize legal argument to do so if necessary.
The Senator's 2 percent for the local 1 percent theory, viewable at 14:09, belies his lack of interest in anything beyond short-term economic benefits:
One of the comments you made about the impact on the environment, my recollection is, the leasing that you did in 2009 or 10 when you were the Secretary of the DCNR, the actual amount of land that's been disturbed by that leasing, both roads, pipelines and well pads is around 2% of the total forest land. So that is a situation where the sum of impacts are, hopefully, and I think accurately proved by the facts that this is a fairly minor, uh, disturbance.
This is a fine example of reductionist thinking by a man who has no interest in concepts like forest fragmentation; no concern for a PA Wilds experience that doesn't include industrial noise, traffic, spill risk and air pollution; no thought for the value of core forests, indicator species and others that need these ecosystems to thrive. This includes those humans without access to private forest land who need a respite from civilization, a chance to breathe fresh mountain air, to hear only forest and wildlife sounds, and to share that with their children and grandchildren.
Watch Senator Hutchinson, at 49:42, a career politician, a conventional oil and gas representative who apparently has never seen a problem with an abandoned well, let alone a study of methane leakage from these wells. Here is another legislator who apparently has no idea of the former magnificence of the forests destroyed by the lumber era, nor, as Mr. Quigley pointed out in his response, the incredible amount of erosion and sedimentation during that era, the topsoil lost and the repercussions of that on the economically valuable yet still recovering and now-becoming-health-challenged northern tier forests of today:
Before I get to my question, I do have to respond to something that you, that you started out with. And as a Senator who represents the northern tier of Pennsylvania, I take exception to the fact that you somehow see negative, you talk about negatives, ah, caused in this Commonwealth by previous waves of development, uh, namely coal, oil and timbering. Coal, maybe there is some and those are the only examples you used, the other two industries you threw in and I, with no examples of lasting impacts, lasting negative impacts, but if you look on the ground today, the, the beautiful forests, the exceptional value streams, all those kind of things are in the northern tier. The trees are, are far more abundant there than anywhere else in this Commonwealth. We have had oil and gas drilling there for 150 years, and, and to somehow say there is some lasting impact, the only other impact I can think of that's a lasting impact, other than the beautiful surroundings we have today in that area is, there are some remaining logging roads and oil and gas roads that are available and guess what, most of those are now trails of one sort or another for, for hikers, uh, snowmobilers etc. That's, that's the lasting impact and it's not a negative impact. So I wish you wouldn't throw everyone in with problems caused in the past and I took exception to that but my questioning is going to tribulate to a more current occurrence and that's surrounding the Chapter 78 regulations that are being developed...
Hang in there a few minutes longer for Secretary Quigley's response to these and other thoughts of Senator Hutchinson. It begins at 53:36 and resumes vigorously at 61:21.
Secretary Quigley's nomination was confirmed yesterday by a 44 - 4 vote of the full Senate. Senator Yaw voted for his confirmation. Hutchinson did not. There will be citizens with opposite perspectives from those two who will be unsatisfied with the Secretary's testimony and any enthusiasm for his confirmation given just his opening statement line, "I believe that DEP's mission statement is all about balance." But they would have a hard time proving he is not by far simply the most qualified and best possible person in the Commonwealth for the job of Secretary of the DEP at this time. All concerned need to remember, as he put it at 22:20, ".... I now have a boss. And his name's Governor Wolf."
It is up to the people of the Commonwealth who believe it to persuade the Governor that the path we are on with shale gas development needs to be re-examined, re-imagined and re-designed before it is too late. So far, the people of shale gas country keep electing legislators like Gene Yaw and Scott Hutchinson by overwhelming margins and often without any opposition at all. What does that lead a Governor from an off-the-shale county with an opposition-party-controlled legislature to think?
One thing is certain, John Quigley has big challenges ahead in the arena of environmental protection. He's going to need all the help he can get.
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Proposed Water Withdrawal -
Loyalsock Creek, Forksville Borough  |
The Susquehanna River Basin Commission will be hosting an informational session on the proposed water withdrawal project by Chief Oil and Gas, LLC from the Loyalsock Creek in Forksville Borough. The meeting will take place at the Plunketts Creek Township Volunteer Fire Department, 327 Dunwoody Road, Barbours, Pennsylvania, on Monday, June 8, at 7:00 p.m. Staff from the Susquehanna River Basin Commission will explain the application review process and project requirements for the proposed water withdrawal and answer questions about the water withdrawal application.
Photo identification is required to enter the meeting.
If you have any questions regarding the above information, you can contact Todd Eaby, Manager, Project Review at 717-238-0423, extension 1234 or by electronic mail at teaby@srbc.net.
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Loyalsock Creek - Photo Credit: Barb Jarmoska
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Maryland says "NO" to Fracking
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On May 29th, a two and a half year fracking moratorium became law in Maryland. Over Memorial Day weekend, Gov. Hogan let it be known he would sign the bill, which passed in March with veto-proof majorities in each house.
This critical moratorium was made possible by a coalition of more than 100 community and grassroots advocacy groups that spoke out in opposition to unconventional gas drilling and in support of clean energy. More than 100 Maryland health professionals expressed concern about the unknown long-term health effects of fracking on human and environmental health. These activists made Maryland legislators aware of the evidence for the potential short and long-term health effects of fracking, evidence that continues to grow.
RDA congratulates our neighbors in Maryland for this wise, precautionary, and forward-thinking decision, and for putting public health and safety above private interests and corporate profits.
Click here for more information.
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Photo Credit: dontfrackmd.org
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Vera Scroggins... Grandmother and Activist Videographer
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If you've heard the name Vera Scroggins, it was most likely because of something she captured on camera. Vera took investigative reporting into her own hands soon after the gas industry moved into town. She wanted to see and to document what was truly happening to her neighborhood and to our public lands. Along with documenting since 2008, Vera has led journalists, filmmakers, legislators and citizens on tours to view the industrialization of rural Susquehanna County.
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Photo Credit: Durango Herald
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Sadly, the industry has been fighting
to silence her. Vera is in an ongoing battle with Cabot Oil & Gas and the company seems to have the judge right in their pocket. According to Vera, in the last round, the judge believed one Cabot witness over three Scroggins' witnesses and slapped her with a $1,000 fine. Vera could be sent to jail if she does not pay the fine.
We are accepting donations for Vera's defense fund. She has not been heard justly by the presiding judge, and will need some financial help to move the case to a higher court and/or keep her out of jail. Click here to read Vera's entire statement of what's been happening in the courtroom. The following was taken from her statement:
"We have a Wall of Silence in our county... don't tell and don't look and you don't have to do anything about it and let the pollution and contamination continue as it increases throughout our county; We have seven townships that I know of with private water wells that are contaminated from nearby gas drilling. We have a board member of the Farm Bureau who now has contaminated water from gas drilling and we have a former, School Superintendent with contaminated water from Cabot and now suing Cabot in federal court in Scranton for damages.
We have lawsuits throughout our county for years now against several gas companies in our midst. Cabot is now up to almost 600 DEP Violations and millions in fines/penalties/settlements... many have settled and have gag orders and [are] afraid to speak out to the media and let the world know of the damages and harms." -Vera Scroggins
To see more from Vera, click here to access her YouTube videos.
Checks can also be mailed to RDA, PO Box 502, Williamsport, PA 17703-0502.
Summer Solstice Wake Up! Concert & Fundraiser
This event will honor and support the anti-fracking work of Vera Scroggins in
Ithaca, NY on Friday, June 12th at 7:30 pm.
Answer the Muse will perform, and the event will take place at the Sacred Root
Kava Lounge & Tea Bar located at 139 West State Street (Corner Geneva).
Entry is $10, and kids get in for free.
Vera will be coming to the event to speak about her experiences
just before she heads back to court the following week.
This is more than a concert.....wake up to saving our planet!!!
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Shale Boomtowns: The Economics and Social Impacts of Gas Drilling
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Some areas of Pennsylvania are ground-zero for natural gas drilling.
At recent forums in Pennsylvania, the Multi-State Shale Research Collaborative has presented its findings from studies looking at how intense levels of drilling activity impact the communities that host them. The following is a summary of the findings as well as links to the Collaborative's website and appropriate documents.
Shale Boomtown Trade-Offs
The Upside - Employment and income up in high-drilling activity counties.
The Downside - Higher rates of crime, sexually transmitted diseases, and traffic fatalities; increased housing costs and homelessness; boomtown communities ill-prepared for busts.
Employment
- Jobs related to gas drilling make up only 0.4% of all PA jobs.
- Employment gains concentrated in the six high drilling counties.
- No real shale-related job gains elsewhere.
Crime
- Violent crime increased by 17.7%, 130 more incidents of violent crime in high-drilling counties.
- Violent crime was down in non-drilling counties.
- Property crime increased by 10.8% in high-drilling counties.
- Drug abuse increased by 48%, all other counties saw increases by only half that amount.
- DUI offenses were up by 65% in high-drilling counties; up by 42% in rural non-drilling counties.
Sexually Transmitted Diseases
- All counties with drilling reported increases of 24% to 27% in the rate of chlamydia infection.
Truck Accident Fatalities
- Fatal truck accidents spiked by 499% in Bradford County and 99% in Susquehanna County.
Housing
- Rents increased between 7.6% and 12.3% in high-drilling counties.
- Tioga County rents doubled or tripled.
- Homelessness increased in Tioga and Greene counties.
- Fourfold increase in homeless Head Start families in Tioga County.
- Threefold increase in kids in foster care due to inadequate housing in Greene County. Bust in Tioga County.
Click here for more information.
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In Other News
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This Just In... EPA Releases Study Regarding Impacts of Fracking on Drinking Water
The EPA has just released its study entitled "Assessment of the Potential Impacts of Hydraulic Fracturing for Oil and Gas on Drinking Water Resources." RDA has not yet had time to review or comment on the report.
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What Can We Do About Climate Change?
This interview, the fourth in a series on political topics, discusses philosophical issues that underlie recent debates about climate change. My interviewee is Dale Jamieson, a professor of environmental studies and philosophy at New York University. He is the author of "Reason in a Dark Time: Why the Struggle to Stop Climate Change Failed - and What It Means for Our Future." - Gary Gutting
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Drexel University Researchers: Methane Emissions Rising in PA's Marcellus Shale Reason
On May 19, a team of researchers from Drexel University in Philadelphia released findings of a two-month mobile air quality monitoring campaign in the southwest and northeast parts of Pennsylvania where shale gas drilling is taking place. Among the study's more significant findings is that methane emissions were higher than reported in previous studies.
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Chevron to Pay $5 Million toSettle Wrongful Death Suit
Chevron Corp. has agreed to pay $5 million to settle a wrongful death suit involving Ian Robert McKee, a worker who was killed at an explosion at a Marcellus Shale well site in Greene County last year.
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Governor Wolf Announces Creation of Pipeline Infrastructure Task Force
PA may soon be home to over 30,000 miles of new pipelines that will transport fracked gas from the Marcellus to domestic and overseas markets. This week, Governor Wolf announced the creation of the Pipeline Infrastructure Task Force (PITF) to facilitate the construction of pipeline infrastructure in Pennsylvania. Among others,
the PITF will include representatives from state agencies, the legislature, federal and local governments, the pipeline and natural gas industries and environmental groups. Anyone interested in serving on the task force can find information to apply here . Acting DEP secretary John Quigley will chair the PITF.
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PA Natural Gas Drilling Permits Issued
The following were discovered through the Sky Truth website:
5-22-15 - Drill & operate well permit Issued - Lewis Twp, Lycoming County (Range Resources Appalachia LLC)
5-22-15 - Drill & operate well permit issued - Jackson Twp, Lycoming County (Range Resources Appalachia LLC)
5-22-15 - Drill & operate well permit issued - Cogan House Twp, Lycoming County (Range Resources Appalachia LLC)
The following Drill & operate well permits were issued 5-22-15 for the same well pad in Cogan House Twp, Lycoming County to Range Resources Appalachia LLC. Click on the well name below for more info:
5-05-15 - Drill & operate well permit issued - Cascade Twp, Lycoming County (Anadarko E&P Onshore LLC)
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Monday, June 8, 7 pm
Plunketts Creek Fire Hall
327 Dunwoody Road
Barbours, PA
The Susquehanna River Basin Commission will explain the application review process and project requirements for the proposed water withdrawal and answer questions about the water withdrawal application.
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Today, under the EPA's Clean Power Plan to limit carbon pollution from power plants, Pennsylvania has an unprecedented opportunity to transition away from dirty fossil fuels and towards a cleaner, healthier future based on renewable energy and energy efficiency. By developing a strong plan to comply with the Clean Power Plan, Pennsylvania can save thousands of lives while creating jobs, lowering electric bills, and preventing the worst effects of climate change.
Tell Governor Wolf to protect the health and future of all Pennsylvanians by developing a plan that promotes zero emitting renewable energy and energy efficiency.
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Tell Congress: America's Public Lands are Not for Sale
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This latest assault on America's public lands is at the hands of Sen. Lisa Murkowski, the new Republican chair of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee. Her amendment, which passed by two votes and is now a part of the Senate's official budget, would fund state efforts to seize America's public lands and then sell them off to the highest bidder.
Under state control, these public lands would likely be sold off for real estate or fossil fuel extraction. Hundreds of millions of acres of pristine public lands in the American West that are the cradle of future national parks, monuments, and preserves would instead be sacrificed to dirty oil drilling and fracking companies.
According to New Mexico Sen. Martin Heinrich, who stands in opposition to these attacks, "selling off America's treasured lands to the highest bidder would result in a proliferation of locked gates and no-trespassing signs in places that have been open to the public and used for generations."
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PA: It's Time the Gas Industry Paid Its Fair Share
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Gas drillers are enjoying big profits by pulling resources out of the ground in Pennsylvania. Every other state makes them pay-Pennsylvania can too.
Governor Tom Wolf has proposed a reasonable tax on drillers, modeled after those in neighboring states like West Virginia, that will provide critical support for solar and wind power and energy efficiency as well as much needed funding for our schools.
The gas drillers are vehemently opposed to the tax even though they pay it everywhere else. Pennsylvania legislators need to hear that voters want the drillers to finally pay their fair share, and the Union of Concerned Scientist has prepared a letter to customize and send.
Click here to send a letter to tell your Pennsylvania state legislators that you want more clean energy and a tax on natural gas.
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Sign Up/Make a Donation
We welcome your active participation and are in need of help for special events, publicity, research and other projects.
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 2015, please consider a tax-free contribution to our efforts.
Membership levels:
Adventurer..................$10
Explorer......................$20
Woodlander................$50
Guardian..................$100
Naturalist..................$500
Preservationist.......$1,000
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RDA Newsletter
Brooke Woodside, RDA Working Group, Managing Editor
Barb Jarmoska, Treasurer - RDA Board of Directors, Editor
Ralph Kisberg, RDA Working Group, Contributing Editor
Ted Stroter, RDA Working Group, Chemical Advisor & Contributing Editor
Jim Slotterback, President - RDA Board of Directors
Robbie Cross, Vice President - RDA Board of Directors
Jenni Slotterback, Secretary - RDA Board of Directors
Mark Szybist - RDA Board of Directors
Roscoe McCloskey - RDA Board of Directors
Dianne Peeling - RDA Board of Directors
This biweekly e-newsletter 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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Phone: 888.332.1244 (toll free)
Please mail donations to: RDA, PO Box 502, Williamsport, PA 17703 |
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Copyright © 2014. All Rights Reserved.
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