Recent Gas Drilling News (04-21-10 9:30PM EDT): NY & PA:
"Power Shift Rallies College Activism: "...Tsuchiya told fellow panelists about Cornell’s transition to a Combined Heat and Power Plant (CHP). This transition will cut carbon emissions by one-third, eliminating coal in favor of natural gas..." " (The Cornell Daily Sun)- http://www.cornellsun.com/node/42395 "Drilling waste not wanted" (Letter to Editor, Elmira NY)- http://www.stargazette.com/article/20100421/VIEWPOINTS03/4210307/1121/Drilling-waste-not-wanted "Parking Lot Makeover: "...According to the Chemung County Public Works Director, plans are in the works to turn the parking lot into a triple purpose parking area...The third use would be a place for natural gas drilling trucks to fill up on water..." " (Elmira NY)- http://www.wetmtv.com/news/local/story/Parking-Lot-Makeover/0NHzABG_QkCb7Ji-WEO6gQ.cspx "Gas Rush Pauses in Dimock" (PA, WBNG TV) (Video- http://www.wbng.com/news/local/91758144.html?video=YHI&t=a )- http://www.wbng.com/news/local/91758144.html "DEP sets meeting with drilling companies: "...Department of Environmental Secretary John Hanger announced April 20th that he has called a meeting of oil and gas companies with permits to drill in the Marcellus Shale to discuss what steps the industry must take to prevent gas migrating from wells and polluting Pennsylvania’s natural resources.." " (PA)- http://www.wayneindependent.com/news/x43866079/DEP-sets-meeting-with-drilling-companies "State eyes Marcellus shale gas drillers: "...Mr. Hanger issued the strongly worded invitation to the May 13 meeting in Harrisburg yesterday. It comes on the heels of last week's action by DEP assessing fines totaling $240,000 against Cabot Oil & Gas Corp. for allowing gas from its wells to contaminate groundwater and the drinking supplies of 14 homes in Dimock Township..." " (PA)- http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10111/1052000-28.stm & http://www.tradingmarkets.com/news/stock-alert/cog_state-eyes-marcellus-shale-gas-drillers-926055.html "Well testing offered to residents near drilling site: "...Residents near a planned natural gas well site in Lake Township were advised Tuesday to take advantage of an opportunity to have their private wells tested..." " (PA)- http://citizensvoice.com/news/well-testing-offered-to-residents-near-drilling-site-1.738187 "State DCNR chief wants Marcellus monitoring: "...Although there are only nine producing Marcellus wells on state forest land at the moment, Quigley said the number is expected to jump to as many as 6,000. And state land accounts for only 10 percent of the drilling activity in the state..." " (PA)- http://www.centredaily.com/2010/04/21/1926709/state-dcnr-chief-wants-monitoring.html "DEP decision will affect CMA plans: "...The Clearfield Municipal Authority still has no firm commitments for a private business partner to treat "frack" water at the CMA's planned wastewater treatment facility..." " (PA)- http://www.theprogressnews.com/default.asp?read=22117 "North Central touts Greenways plan: "...Regional factors such as the impact of Marcellus shale gas drilling and land use tools are also being considered..." " (PA)- http://www.theprogressnews.com/default.asp?read=22122 "Residents worry about gas drillers contaminating water: "...Encana Gas and Oil spokeswoman says company would be required by the state to correct problems..." " (Lehman Twp PA)- http://www.timesleader.com/news/Residents_worry_about_gas_drillers_contaminating_water_04-21-2010.html "Harveys Lake OKs Sunshine Act-case lawyer: "...Pending litigation about an alleged violation of the state’s Sunshine Act and concerns about gas drilling topped the agenda at Tuesday night’s council meeting...Another resident, wishing not to give her name, attended a Back Mountain Partnership meeting on gas drilling and learned that 50 acres within the borough have been leased. She asked if the borough could prohibit the gas companies from coming through the use of noise or zoning ordinances..."Local authorities cannot do anything," he said. "All we can do is bond the roads for weight limits." Council attorney Charles McCormick said the Pennsylvania Oil and Gas Act precludes all local ordinances." " (Harvey's Lake PA)- http://www.timesleader.com/news/Harveys_Lake_OKs_Sunshine_Act-case_lawyer_04-21-2010.html "Cabot Oil & Gas Corp. Fails to Fix Gas Migration into Ground Water and Wells: "...Until Cabot fulfills its obligations, the DEP has suspended review of any pending permit applications for new drilling activities statewide..." " (PA) (InjuryBoard)- http://newyorkcity.injuryboard.com/toxic-substances/pa-dep-takes-aggressive-action-and-fines-240000-after-cabot-fails-to-fix-gas-migration-into-ground-water-and-wells.aspx?googleid=280522 "Tougher gas drilling regs right approach" (PA)- http://standardspeaker.com/opinion/tougher-gas-drilling-regs-right-approach-1.736569 "Marcellus Shale infrastructure inadequate, energy exec says: "...A lack of pipelines, storage capacity and processing plants could seriously limit natural gas production in Pennsylvania's Marcellus Shale region, industry experts said Tuesday..." " (PA)- http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/business/s_677379.html "Shale Shame: Cabot fined heavily for Dimock water contamination: "...On Monday, April 12th, gubernatorial candidate Joe Hoeffel, along with local press and two Philadelphia-based reporters toured Dimock, PA. Dimock, a small town in northern Pennsylvania, has experienced some of the worst effects of Marcellus Shale gas drilling in the state. Hoeffel has called for a moratorium on new permits for shale gas drilling in Pennsylvania until new clean water regulations are in place statewide..." " (PA)- http://www.weeklypress.com/default.asp?sourceid=&smenu=1&twindow=&mad=&sdetail=1896&wpage=1&skeyword=&sidate=&ccat=&ccatm=&restate=&restatus=&reoption=&retype=&repmin=&repmax=&rebed=&rebath=&subname=&pform=&sc=2392&hn=weeklypress&he=.com National & Canadian: "Replacing Coal With Natural Gas: "...Coal is by far the dirtiest power source in the U.S., but it is also the most abundant. Natural gas has a leg up in a clean energy economy... " " (The Atlantic)- http://www.theatlantic.com/special-report/the-climate-report/archive/2010/04/replacing-coal-with-natural-gas/39257/ "Louisiana Well Blowout Forces Hundreds From Homes: "...Hundreds of people have been evacuated from their homes in rural western Louisiana after a natural gas well blowout contaminated a drinking water aquifer there on Monday..." " (ProPublica)- http://www.propublica.org/feature/louisiana-well-blowout-forces-hundreds-from-homes "Tainted wells raise more questions than answers: "...Somehow natural gas leaked into the aquifer those residents are tapped into. However, natural gas "is not toxic to the human body," Otis Randle, a Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality official, said..." " (Louisiana)- http://www.theadvertiser.com/article/20100421/NEWS01/4210306 "Natural gas contamination: testing the water in S. Caddo" (Louisiana)- http://www.ksla.com/Global/story.asp?S=12346178 "Ohio County Schools Latest to Seek Deal From Gas Companies" (West Virginia)- http://www.theintelligencer.net/page/content.detail/id/536952.html "County Moving On Drilling Plan: "...After discussing the matter behind closed doors, commissioners voted unanimously to allow Stewart to move forward with agreements to lease land for gas drilling purposes at three different sites, including The Highlands, the Ohio County Poor Farm and the Wheeling-Ohio County Airport..." " (West Virginia)- http://www.theintelligencer.net/page/content.detail/id/536951.html?nav=515 "Denton residents suggest strict drilling ordinances: "City officials have been mulling over implementing tougher gas drilling restrictions as residents fume over wells at the Razor Ranch development...Since then, independent air quality tests around the Rayzor Ranch site have found cancer-causing benzene and a host of sulfides above levels the state sets for safe short- and long-term exposure, along with high levels of methane..." " (Texas)- http://www.pegasusnews.com/news/2010/apr/21/denton-residents-suggest-strict-drilling-ordinance/ "City eyes tougher gas drilling rules: "...We either need to make sure we get this done quickly, or we need to find a way to forestall or to slow down what we’re going to be approving before we get something in place that is more consistent with what the council and the community are desiring..." " (Texas)- http://www.dentonrc.com/sharedcontent/dws/drc/localnews/stories/DRC_Denton-Drilling_0421.26a0ce21e.html "Arlington council approves natural gas drilling under Randol Mill Park" (Texas)- http://www.star-telegram.com/2010/04/20/2129901/arlington-council-approves-natural.html _______________________________________________ For more information about sustainability in the Tompkins County area, please visit: http://www.sustainabletompkins.org/ RSS, archives, subscription & listserv information for: [email protected] http://lists.mutualaid.org/mailman/listinfo/sustainabletompkins Questions about the list? ask [email protected] free hosting by http://www.mutualaid.org
