Hydrofracking. Marcellus Shale. It's a big deal in Pennsylvania. Leasing land to drillers is allowing my parents to build their dream house - a reconstructed 18th century log cabin. The payments from drilling are keeping farmers from bankruptcy in an era of economically insolvent agriculture markets. My current employer is lining up its' contractors, preparing for a windfall of environmental restoration and clean-up required by drilling companies. But the environmental health concerns and the impact on nature from ground water pollution are significant and need to be taken into account.
The NY Times wrote a very extensive piece that I quote:
"Pennsylvania, which sits atop an enormous reserve called the Marcellus Shale, has been called the Saudi Arabia of natural gas.
This rock formation, roughly the size of Greece, lies more than a mile beneath the Appalachian landscape, from Virginia to the southern half of New York. It is believed to hold enough gas to supply the country’s energy needs for heat and electricity, at current consumption rates, for more than 15 years.
The Times also found never-reported studies by the E.P.A. and a confidential study by the drilling industry that all concluded that radioactivity in drilling waste cannot be fully diluted in rivers and other waterways.
(In Pennsylvania), of more than 179 wells producing wastewater with high levels of radiation, at least 116 reported levels of radium or other radioactive materials 100 times as high as the levels set by federal drinking-water standards. At least 15 wells produced wastewater carrying more than 1,000 times the amount of radioactive elements considered acceptable."
Finally, our governor's approach to natural gas drilling is really quite concerning. Not only is he opening state land to drilling, he argues "against a proposed gas-extraction tax on the industry."
"I will direct the Department of Environmental Protection to serve as a partner with Pennsylvania businesses, communities and local governments," Gov. Corbett states, "it should return to its core mission protecting the environment based on sound science."
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