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Observer-Reporter Letter: There’s Another Side To The 'Shale Gas Revolution'

By Cathy Lodge, Washington County

The following article was published in the Observer-Reporter on October 3, 2024 in response to a series of articles being published by the newspaper on the 20th anniversary of shale gas fracking in Washington County, specifically the first article-- Shale Revolution: A Look Back At 20 Years of Gas Drilling In The Region.

Rick Shrum should have gotten both sides for his story “‘Shale Revolution’: A look back at 20 years of gas drilling in the region,” in the Sept. 22 edition.

Speaking with Mount Pleasant Township residents who have been negatively impacted by shale gas development would have painted a different picture.

From the beginning of the boom, residents have been misled. Representatives of oil and gas companies pressed leases on farmers, telling them that fracking was harmless.

When the community began to see and question harms, nuisances, and decreased property values, Range Resources pushed back, using intimidation tactics.

They sent letters to Mount Pleasant Township leaseholders threatening to pull out of the township.

Elected officials were pressured to remove protective ordinances that industry felt hindered fracking activity.

Locals trying to object to activity were not granted standing in their own community.

The industry effectively divided the township.

Over the past 20 years, cancer incidents in students in the Fort Cherry School District living near fracking facilities have made headlines.

Residents’ contaminated water and land and their exposure to benzene from shale operations were reported on.

Containers labeled with radioactive waste sat on properties in the township.

Property values near shale development have decreased.

A study from the University of Pittsburgh and the Pennsylvania Department of Health showed ill effects from the industry.

And yet, residents continue to fight to have the industry abide by Mount Pleasant Township ordinances.

Focusing on the Chamber of Commerce’s view of economic prosperity does not show the industry’s threat to Mount Pleasant Township’s right to clean air, water and the preservation of the environment’s natural value.

Shrum’s article is one-sided.

-- Cathy Lodge, Bulger

Observer-Reporter Series:

-- Observer-Reporter: ‘Amity And Prosperity’ Book By Eliza Griswold Thrust Fracking [And Its Environmental & Health Impacts In] Washington County, Into National Spotlight [PDF of Article] [Part 5]

-- Observer-Reporter: 20 Years On, Fracking’s Potential Health Impacts Eyed [PDF of Article] [Part 4]

-- Observer-Reporter: Marcellus Shale Has Wealth Of Natural Gas And More [Royalty Payments, Act 13 Drilling Impact Fees] [PDF of Article] [Part 3]

-- Observer-Reporter: Local Officials Have Had To Grapple With Fracking Since It’s Arrival - Cecil Township, Washington County [Part 2] [PDF of Article]

-- Observer-Reporter: ‘Shale Revolution:’ A Look Back At 20 Years Of Gas Drilling In Southwest PA [Part 1] [PDF of Article]

PA Oil & Gas Industry Public Notice Dashboards:

-- PA Oil & Gas Weekly Compliance Dashboard - October 5 to 18 - Conventional Well Owners Issued 767 Violations For Abandoning Their Wells - So Far, More Than Double Number In 2019; Leaking Gas Storage Area Wells [PaEN]

-- PA Oil & Gas Industrial Facilities: Permit Notices, Opportunities To Comment - October 12 [PaEN]

-- PA Oil & Gas Industrial Facilities: Permit Notices, Opportunities To Comment - October 19 [PaEN]

-- DEP Posted 87 Pages Of Permit-Related Notices In October 12 PA Bulletin [PaEN]

-- DEP Posted 57 Pages Of Permit-Related Notices In October 19 PA Bulletin [PaEN]

Related Articles This Week:

-- Pennsylvania Voters Overwhelmingly Support Stricter Regulations On Fracking, New Poll Finds [PaEN]

-- Saint Vincent College Study Finds Counties With Shale Gas Fracking Wells Using Chemicals That Target Certain Hormones Have Greater Incidence Of Pre-Term Births, Low Birth Weights [PaEN]

-- Beaver County Residents Invited To Join An Oct. 23 In-Person Tour Of Shale Gas Fracking Sites & Infrastructure In Washington County And Discover Its Costs [PaEN]

-- Observer-Reporter Letter: There’s Another Side To The 'Shale Gas Revolution' [PaEN]

-- Sen. Bartolotta, Sen. Yaw Announce Bill To Withhold Gas Drilling Impact Fees To Municipalities That Set More Protective Standards On Natural Gas Development Than State Law, And While There Is a Legal Challenge To Local Restrictions [PaEN]

-- Observer-Reporter Guest Essay: Why Politicians Want You To Pay More For Natural Gas - By Patrick McDonnell, CEO of PennFuture, Former Secretary of DEP [PaEN]

-- PJM Interconnection Winter Outlook: Adequate Power Supplies Available Under Normal Conditions; PJM Delays Next Power Auction After Prices Spike [PaEN]

-- The Derrick: PUC Judge Issues Emergency Order Appointing Aqua Pennsylvania As Temporary Operator For 6 Rhodes Estate Water Companies [Serious Community Impacts Continue From Conventional Oil Well Spill In Venango County] [PaEN]

-- DEP Begins Accepting Applications For New Methane Reduction Grants To Plug Conventional Oil, Gas Wells Oct. 16 [PaEN]

-- Evangelical Environmental Network Delivers Over 36,000 Comments From Pro-Life Christians To Gov. Shapiro, DEP In Support Of Strong Oil & Gas Industry Methane Emission Controls [PaEN]

-- Beaver County Marcellus Awareness Community Receives Grant To Strengthen Communications and Community Engagement Initiatives [PaEN]

-- Susquehanna River Basin Conditions Trigger Low-Flow Water Use Restrictions At 9 Shale Gas Water Withdrawals In Bradford, Susquehanna, Tioga Counties [PaEN]

-- DEP Invites Comments On Proposed Air Quality General Permit (GP-16) Covering Gaseous Fuel-Fired Spark Ignition Internal Combustion Engines [Copy Of Documents ]

-- Team PA & Clean Air Task Force Convene Leaders To Discuss Challenges, Opportunities Of Industrial Decarbonization; DOE Provides Update On Decarbonization Investments In PA [PaEN]

-- Beaver County Marcellus Awareness Community Urges EPA To Move Forward With Strong Regulation Of Vinyl Chloride Under Federal Toxic Substances Control Act, While Calling For A Ban [PaEN]

-- EPA Files $4.2 Million Settlement Of Air Pollution Violations For 2019 Philadelphia Refinery Explosion, Fire; Public Comments Invited [PaEN]

NewsClips:

-- The Energy Age Blog: ‘Amity & Prosperity’ By Eliza Griswold Thrust Fracking In Washington County, PA Into The National Spotlight