Gas Well Explosion in West Virginia

Now, for the second time within a week, we have a gas well explosion. The first one was in Clearfield County, Pennsylvania, which last week had a blow out and spewed gas and untreated (read chemical and brine-filled) water into the air for 16 hours. Then, early this morning, yet another gas well exploded when a crew drilled through an abandoned coal mine near Moundsville, West Virginia (55 miles southwest of Pittsburgh), and hit a pocket of methane gas. The explosion sent flames 70 feet into the air. Seven workers were injured and were taken to the West Penn Burn Center in Pittsburgh.

Is this REALLY something we need in the Pittsburgh area? Do we really need money THAT much? Imagine how many people would have been injured if this had happened in our area. We have coal mines running underground all around here. Folks, it's time to step up against this and call for a moratorium. For those of you who think you're safe because you're not living in the suburbs or rural areas, well, the gas industry is trying to buy up leases in Lawrenceville. See the article found at http://pittsburgh.bizjournals.com/pittsburgh/stories/2009/04/13/sto...; It describes the efforts to get Lawrenceville residents to sign gas leases, talks about companies approaching the Allegheny Cemetery to get them to sign a lease to allow drilling there (!), and companies who have approached city council to get permission to drill in the Pittsburgh city parks.