Marcellus Shale Gas Drilling
I'm very concerned about the Marcellus Shale gas drilling that is going on in our area, not only because of the environmental problems that it produces, but because of the health problems that go along with it, for people and animals alike. Wherever shale gas drilling has been done across the United States (in 32 states, I believe), people have been reporting a variety of health problems, ranging from skin rashes and asthma to adrenal gland tumors, cancers and neuropathies. There have been problems with drinking water contamination, especially in areas where the people rely on well water, and also air contamination from the enormous amount of off-gassing that the well sites, compressor stations, cryoplants, frac pits, and water impoundments produce. I personally know of farmers that have lost many cattle, people who have lost pets, and residents who have experienced everything from skin lesions to seizures. Despite all the promotion of the gas industry as something that will help the economy, these health problems are truly not worth it.
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Comment by D. Bassett on June 8, 2010 at 12:12am -
Yes, I attended the screening last Saturday. It was phenomenal. The film was great, the panel very informative and the audience response to it all was incredible. Gasland will be showing on HBO starting on the evening of June 21. You should be sure to see it. It not only talks about the problems that people have been having (e.g. health problems, loss of property value/control over their property, etc.), it also talks about the highly political nature of this whole thing. It will show a few more times over the following couple of weeks, but as I recall, most of those times are at odd hours (like 9:30AM, for example).
A couple of other things you might want to check out in the meantime. See if you can get a copy of the film "Split Estate." (Check out http://www.splitestate.com. This film tells of a lot of the problems with shale gas drilling out west. (A split estate is when one person owns the surface rights and someone else (usually a gas company) owns the mineral rights below the surface.) This provides a good introduction to many of the key issues involved with shale gas drilling. Also, check out Common Cause Pennsylvania's report entitled, "Deep Drilling, Deep Pockets," about campaign contributions to Pennsylvania officials from the gas industry.
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Comment by Tim Lessick on June 7, 2010 at 11:49am -
I definitely agree with you here, the effects from the drilling are certainly not worth the economic gains. Your post prompted me to look into the issue more and especially the film documentary that you posted as an event over the weekend. Browsing quickly I didn't find too many resources out there regarding the toll that the drilling is taking on the environment and the people in the area, but in looking for more information about that film I found a good deal about what's going on. This article has a great description of the film, as well as details about the effects that the drilling has on residents who live in the Marcellus Shale areas. I'm sorry I missed the film screening at the Byham over the weekend, were you in attendance? I'm sure hearing the filmmaker's account of the situation and of the making of the film was fascinating.
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