Sunday, April 14, 2013
As the Marcellus Shale industry expands in western Pennsylvania—and individual property owners start to benefit—issues often become controversial, especially when it comes to the environment.
Marcellus Shale is here to stay. Like its natural resource predecessors—coal deep mining and strip mining, natural gas and oil wells, and logging—Marcellus Shale drilling brings jobs and a source of energy for businesses and consumers. Like its predessors, Marcellus Shale drilling also brings and will most likely leave behind environmental concerns. Today, there's mine insurance today for those who own homes and businesses above areas that were mined for coal 100 or more years ago. Reclamation efforts were mandated in 1977 to restore areas destroyed by strip mining and why there's always a danger of an oil or gas well fire or leak into waterways. Reforestation replaces trees lost to the logging industry. Already, Marcellus Shale has raised…
Saturday, January 5, 2013
The movie, filmed in the Pittsburgh area, digs into the debate over fracking.
Troy Bogdan, an organic farmer living in Bridgeville, says he caught the “acting bug” after a back injury sidelined him from working on his Crawford County farm last year. An audition for a role as an extra last May has snowballed into a flurry of acting parts in several movies filming around western Pennsylvania, including the major production of Promised Land, which opened in theaters Friday morning. “I’ve been a fan of movies all my life, but I never thought I would be working for them,” Bogdan said. “It’s a hobby and we’ll see where it goes. I don’t have any expectations of being a movie star, but maybe it can lead to part-time income to supplement the farm income. I’ll do it as long as I’m still having fun.” The work started after …
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
Residents and council members voiced strong concerns at Monday’s meeting.
At the regular Peters Township Council meeting Monday night, there was much talk about the recent passing of the Marcellus Shale Bill (House Bill 1950) and its potential effects on the community. Peters Township previously adopted a zoning ordinance requiring sites to operate within a 40-acre area in residential zoning districts and meet required setback distances from structures. Under the new law, signed by Gov. Tom Corbett, gas drilling operations will be regulated by a permitted use ordinance, suggesting that council has no power to establish drilling site parameters and current ordinances may not be enforceable. The previously required 40 acres has now been reduced to only 4 acres and the setback is only 500 feet from structures. The …
Monday, October 24, 2011
The group made more than 100 recommendations regarding Marcellus Shale operations in the state—including a moratorium on drilling on state game lands.
The Citizens Marcellus Shale Commission on Monday released a 95-page final report on its findings regarding the state of drilling in Pennsylvania—and made more than 100 recommendations regarding operations in the Commonwealth. "Pennsylvanians believe that gas drilling in the Marcellus Shale has moved too quickly and that public officials need to do a better job protecting their communities and the environment," according to the final report of the Citizens Marcellus Shale Commission. The report is the culmination of a two-month effort to give residents a voice on improving drilling policies and protections. Spokesmen for the commission said during a conference call Monday that recommendations made by the Governor’s Marcellus Advisory …
Tom Barchfeld
8:38 am on Thursday, April 18, 2013
Mike, the EPA head herself could not find 1 instance of pollution in 60 years of fracking history. more ›