The Armstrong County Conservation District is providing a free series of workshops on Marcellus Gas Drilling for rural homeowners with private water wells and springs used for drinking water supplies, concerned citizens, county watershed associations, and property owners considering leasing their gas rights.

The workshops will be held at the Crooked Creek Environmental Learning Center, 124 Kerr Road, Ford City.  Bryan Swistock, Water Resources Extension Specialist from Penn State University will be presenting the workshops at 6:30 p.m. for the following dates--

-- September 12: General Water Resources Issues Associated with Marcellus Gas Drilling. This workshop focuses on a general discussion of how shale gas wells are drilled including the hydraulic fracturing process.  Water use and water withdrawals are explained along with state regulations governing water withdrawals.  Particular attention is given to the various regulations and industry practices meant to protect surface and groundwater during the drilling process. 

-- September 19: Protecting Private Groundwater Supplies from Natural Gas Drilling.  This workshop will briefly introduce the permit and drilling processes that are used to protect individual groundwater supplies. Detailed information will focus on water testing strategies near Marcellus drilling activity including both pre-drilling testing conducted by drilling companies and voluntary testing by landowners. 

-- September 26: Water Test Interpretation.  This workshop discusses basic management of private water supplies before focusing on water testing practices, drinking water standards, interpretation of water test reports and various strategies to solve pre-existing water quality problems.  Attendees can bring copies of individual water test reports to receive one-on-one help in interpretation of the results.

The workshops are funded by the DEP Environmental Education Grants Program.

Registration is free, but space is limited. Please RSVP by September 9.  Contact Chelsea Walker by sending email to: cdwalker@co.armstrong.pa.us or call 724-545-3658 to sign up for one or all of the workshops.

8/12/2013