Environmental Group Addresses
Marcellus Shale Drilling Concerns
By ANNE HOLLIDAY
WESB/WBRR News Director
One of the problems with current regulations for gas well drillers is that the drilling companies control the pre-drilling testing.
That was one message from Brady Russell, Eastern Pennsylvania Director of Clean Water Action, during a teleconference Tuesday morning to introduce a report from Penn Environment that makes recommendations to address concerns in areas where Marcellus Shale drilling is, or will be, taking place.
PennEnvironment Clean Water Advocate Erika Staaf said the policy should act as a blueprint for regulators and state officials. It includes keeping some areas off limits to drillers, creating mandatory minimum penalties for drillers that pollute, strengthened clean water laws, and more funding for DEP for expanded enforcement.
As for the pre-drilling testing, Russell said an independent third party should be doing that. The third party should do baseline sampling of water, then do more sampling as the drilling continues, he said.
He said the cost for a homeowner to do that himself would be about $300, which is "a lot."
Russell said homeowners can do it after they start getting money from the drillers, but there's no baseline after that.
"What's crazy about this whole Marcellus Shale development is it's the only industry that we can imagine … that generates a significant amount of highly polluted wastewater that no one is forced to make a plan for dealing with that wastewater before they got their operations underway," Russell said.
"If a new chemical treatment plant came in, we would never let them turn the machines on if they didn't know how they were going to deal with their wastewater," he said.
“Drilling for gas in the Marcellus Shale reserve began here just over three years ago, and already too many local drinking water supplies and waterways have been contaminated because of this drilling,” Staaf said. “The faster Pennsylvania’s leaders work to pass comprehensive policies and regulations on this type of gas drilling, the less likely we’ll be to see yet another gas leak or wastewater spill, and the safer we’ll all be.”
State Representative Greg Vitali agrees with PennEnvironment's recommendations.
He says one of the most frightening facts he's heard is that there are only several Marcellus Shale wells in operation now, but in upcoming years there will be several thousand.
"If you think there are problems out there now, increase that a thousand-fold," Vitali said.
“PennEnvironment’s policies ideas should serve as a blueprint for Pennsylvania’s leaders. If the legislature implements the policies, the state will be on its way toward allowing safe drilling while protecting public health and preserving our natural heritage for future generations of Pennsylvanians,” Staaf said.
WESB/WBRR News Director
One of the problems with current regulations for gas well drillers is that the drilling companies control the pre-drilling testing.
That was one message from Brady Russell, Eastern Pennsylvania Director of Clean Water Action, during a teleconference Tuesday morning to introduce a report from Penn Environment that makes recommendations to address concerns in areas where Marcellus Shale drilling is, or will be, taking place.
PennEnvironment Clean Water Advocate Erika Staaf said the policy should act as a blueprint for regulators and state officials. It includes keeping some areas off limits to drillers, creating mandatory minimum penalties for drillers that pollute, strengthened clean water laws, and more funding for DEP for expanded enforcement.
As for the pre-drilling testing, Russell said an independent third party should be doing that. The third party should do baseline sampling of water, then do more sampling as the drilling continues, he said.
He said the cost for a homeowner to do that himself would be about $300, which is "a lot."
Russell said homeowners can do it after they start getting money from the drillers, but there's no baseline after that.
"What's crazy about this whole Marcellus Shale development is it's the only industry that we can imagine … that generates a significant amount of highly polluted wastewater that no one is forced to make a plan for dealing with that wastewater before they got their operations underway," Russell said.
"If a new chemical treatment plant came in, we would never let them turn the machines on if they didn't know how they were going to deal with their wastewater," he said.
“Drilling for gas in the Marcellus Shale reserve began here just over three years ago, and already too many local drinking water supplies and waterways have been contaminated because of this drilling,” Staaf said. “The faster Pennsylvania’s leaders work to pass comprehensive policies and regulations on this type of gas drilling, the less likely we’ll be to see yet another gas leak or wastewater spill, and the safer we’ll all be.”
State Representative Greg Vitali agrees with PennEnvironment's recommendations.
He says one of the most frightening facts he's heard is that there are only several Marcellus Shale wells in operation now, but in upcoming years there will be several thousand.
"If you think there are problems out there now, increase that a thousand-fold," Vitali said.
“PennEnvironment’s policies ideas should serve as a blueprint for Pennsylvania’s leaders. If the legislature implements the policies, the state will be on its way toward allowing safe drilling while protecting public health and preserving our natural heritage for future generations of Pennsylvanians,” Staaf said.
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