Wharton Valley and Turnpike Pennysaver Ad Sponsors
We have been joined by our concerned neighbors from the following towns as sponsors of the ads in the Wharton Valley and Turnpike Pennysaver. These individuals and advocate groups contribute money to pay for the ads.This makes it possible for us to reach a wider audience with information about the impacts of fracking on people and the environment. If you would like to donate to help support these ads please contact:
- Concerned Burlington Neighbors, PO Box 56, Burlington Flats, NY 13315, cbneighbors2011@yahoo.com
- Advocates for Morris, PO Box 177, Morris, NY, onceyouknow.morris@gmail.com, advocates-for-morris.blogspot.com
- Protect Pittsfield, protectpittsfieldyahoo.com
- Advocates for Springfield, Harry Levine, President, PO Box 25, Springfield Center, NY 13468
- ___________________________________________________________________
GAS DRILLING - "INDEPENDENT STUDIES" DISCREDITED
According to National Public Radio, "a University of Texas study that says hydraulic natural gas fracturing is safe has been withdrawn, and its author has retired and left the university." This happened "after an independent review of national experts found it scientifically unsound and tainted by conflicts of interest." Dr. Charles Groat, the author of the study, also sat on the board of a natural gas company and received more than a million and a half dollars in compensation. Dr. Raymond Orbach – head of the U of T Energy Institute – has resigned his position in the wake of the scandal. http://www.npr.org/2012/12/07/166755886/positive-fracking-study-was-funded-by-gas-companyThe Toronto Globe and Mail quoted the panel as saying, "In studies of controversial topics, such as the impact on public health and the environment potentially stemming from shale-gas hydraulic fracturing, credibility hinges upon full disclosure of any potential conflicts of interest by all participants and upon rigorous, independent reviews of findings. This study failed in both regards."Dr. Groat’s report “is similar to a fracking study at SUNY Buffalo, which was also recently withdrawn because of questions about its credibility." In addition to the questions of quality and independence in Texas and Buffalo, a similar study was canceled "after professors at Penn State University refused to participate." In 3 months, 3 studies linked to the Oil & Gas industry have been discredited. http://license.icopyright.net/user/viewFreeUse.act?fuid=MTY4NzEzMTU=If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.These ads are paid for by your neighbors in the towns of Burlington, Edmeston, Morris, New Lisbon, Pittsfield, Roseboom & Springfield. Find us at: http://www.concernedburlingtonneighbors.blogspot.com/ PO Box 56, Burlington Flats, NY 13315 607-965-8564GAS DRILLING – FRACKING SPOILED FARM’S HAY FIELDSThe oil and gas industry apparently believes its own propaganda – that modern drilling techniques are environmentally friendly. Maybe it’s time the true-believers at the Independent Oil and Gas Association of New York stop by my small farm in the Town of Arcade, NY and see, first hand, the mess made by one of their drillers.Before the drillers arrived two years ago, my land produced excellent quality hay, feed for my livestock. Then the state Department of Environmental Conservation gave the company permission to level eight acres of land for a drilling rig next to my hay fields.Down the drill bit went to the Theresa sandstone 6,000 feet below. Up came tens of thousands of gallons of toxic drilling fluids to fill a pond built for that purpose. But, when four days of heavy rain washed out the small poly-lined pond, guess where all of those toxic fluids ended up? Yep, in my fields and an adjoining neighbor’s field.How could this happen if the drilling is environmentally friendly? Well, first of all, the drillers did not care enough to protect my land from a natural downpour, a commonplace event. Perhaps to save a few construction dollars and fatten their bottom line?Next, the DEC failed to inspect the drilling operation to make sure my land was protected. If the DEC has the authority to issue the drilling permit, doesn’t it also share the responsibility to protect my land and, when things go wrong, share the blame? Can we count on the state to do its job? Apparently not.I asked the Wyoming County Soil and Conservation office to look at my hay field. Its agent described the damage caused by the drillers in a blistering five-page report. At last, I had some hope that the drilling company would do the right thing and offer to pay for removal of the toxic wastes covering my hay field. Nope. The company did not move. And the county has no legal authority to force drillers to fix anything.Then, to my surprise, an engineering firm hired by the drillers stopped by. His conclusion agreed with the Wyoming County study. My hay field was ruined by the company’s own drillers. The engineer’s recommendation: Build a storm retention pond and release the water slowly through the new roadway. The storm water retention pond was never built.Finally it dawned on me. No one would help me. Not the drilling company. Not the Oil and Gas Association that represents the drilling company. Not my own town government, not even the state agency that gave the driller a license to ruin my hay field.Now I am buying hay at $8 a bale for my cattle – many times more than the costs to grow my own hay. I have hired a lawyer and I am suing the drillers.The next time you are tempted to believe the oil and gas industry propaganda, stop by my farm for a dose of reality. http://www.buffalonews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=%2F20121015%2FCITYANDREGION%2F121019518%2F1074Published in The Buffalo News, author John Peters runs a small farm in the Town of Arcade, NY.These ads are paid for by your neighbors in the towns of Burlington, Edmeston, Exeter, Morris, New Lisbon, Pittsfield, Roseboom & Springfield. Reach us at: http://www.concernedburlingtonneighbors.blogspot.com/ 607-965-8457 PO Box 56, Burlington Flats, NY, 13315_____________________________________________________________GAS DRILLING – AND RADIUM TOO!A recent report by Ivan White, a staff scientist for 30 years with the National Council on Radiation Protection, states that fracking could “result in the production of large amounts of waste materials containing Radium-226 and Radium-228 in both solid and liquid mediums.” The hydrofracturing process can bring large quantities of naturally radioactive substances to the surface that will remain toxic for thousands of years.Doug Wood, of Grassroots Environmental Education and editor of the report, noted, “Once radioactive material comes out of the ground along with the gas, the problem is what to do with it. The radioactivity lasts for thousands of years, and it is virtually impossible to eliminate or mitigate. Sooner or later, it’s going to end up in our environment and eventually our food chain. It’s a problem with no good solution—and the DEC is unequipped to handle it.”Wood said “We must say no to fracking—and implement the use of sustainable forms of energy that don’t kill.” https://www.commondreams.org/view/2012/11/09-3Please visit our website for additional information.These ads are paid for by your neighbors in the towns of Burlington, Edmeston, Morris, New Lisbon, Pittsfield, Roseboom & Springfield. Find us at: http://www.concernedburlingtonneighbors.blogspot.com/ PO Box 56, Burlington Flats, NY 13315 607-965-8564_________________________________
GAS DRILLING – Farming and Fracking Don’t Mix
The future of agriculture in Otsego County may well be
tied to the future of fracking in New York. While some people claim that mining
the resource is the only way to help farms survive, according to Penn State,
“Natural-gas development appears to be associated with falling dairy production
in Pennsylvania's Marcellus Shale region.” http://live.psu.edu/story/58174
Meredith, NY, farmer Ken Jaffe is concerned about air
pollution. He says that without healthy pasture his cows won’t grow and his
beef won’t sell. Greg Swartz, an Upper Delaware River Valley farmer said, “I’ve
already heard from a couple of customers that they’re concerned about the
location of a drill site near my farm – in terms of the quality and safety of
my food… There very well may be a point where I am not comfortable selling
vegetables from the farm anymore because I’m concerned about water and air
contamination issues.”
Very little research has
been done on the effect of fracking chemicals on animals and crops. Wes
Gillingham of Catskill Mountainkeeper says, “It’s a serious issue in terms of
potential contamination getting to market and nobody knowing about it…It’s an
important piece of research that needs to be done.” One problem is that lack of
money and time make documentation difficult.
These ads are paid for by your neighbors in the
towns of Burlington, Edmeston, Exeter, Morris, New
Lisbon, Pittsfield, Roseboom & Springfield. Reach us at: http://www.concernedburlingtonneighbors.blogspot.com/ ________________________________________________________________
GAS DRILLING – They Call This Enforcement?
Earthworks Oil and Gas Accountability Project
recently released an eye-opening report entitled: "Breaking All the Rules: The
Crisis in Oil & Gas Regulatory Enforcement”
Among
their findings in Pennsylvania:
· Pennsylvania recommends at least five
inspections of each well during the drilling and completion stages, and at
least one inspection per year thereafter for producing wells.
· According
to PA DEP data, in 2010 the agency’s 84 inspectors inspected 8,565 wells. More than 82,000 (or 91%) of the state’s active wells were not
inspected at all. At that
rate, it would take ten and a half years to inspect all currently existing
active wells in Pennsylvania.
· When inspections did uncover rule
violations, they were often not formally recorded – and that decision was often
left up to the discretion of the individual inspector.
· When violations are recorded,
they result in few penalties.
· When penalties are assessed, they provide little incentive for companies
to not
offend again. http://www.earthworksaction.org/files/publications/FINAL-US-enforcement-sm.pdf
Why would anyone think that
New York will do better?
These ads are paid for by
your neighbors in the towns of Burlington,
Edmeston, Exeter, Morris, New Lisbon, Pittsfield, Roseboom &
Springfield. Reach us at: http://www.concernedburlingtonneighbors.blogspot.com/
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GAS DRILLING – THEY CAN'T AFFORD TO DO IT RIGHT!
“A
regulatory system cannot work if it is against an industry that refuses to
accept the obligation to be a good neighbor.”
Al Appleton, former Commission or the NYC Dept. of Environmental
Protection, explains, “This is an industry that grew up used to it’s privileged
place in American society...an industry that grew up exempted by Dick Cheney
from federal regulation....an industry that believes that as long as it gets
out the product, it is meeting the national interest...an industry that, quite
frankly, no one ever got promoted into senior management for being good with
communities or good with the environment. They only got promoted because they
got the product out.”
“This is not an industry that goes out to deliberately
pollute, but the truth of the matter is that this industry has given no
evidence that it cares. That it cares about being a good neighbor, that it
cares about anything but production.”
“This
is an industry that can’t afford to do it right. To do shale gas fracking
right, to take care of the waste water, to deal with the air emissions, to
mitigate the transportation impacts, to drill, to design and manage pipelines
and compressors stations that do not bleed methane into the environment. To
make sure that the well casings are done properly would be enormously
expensive. This is an industry that is not making back it’s cash flow. This is
an industry that can’t afford to do it right.” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tGTrRQAEPs4
These ads are paid for by your
neighbors in the towns of Burlington, Edmeston, Exeter, Morris, New Lisbon, Pittsfield, Roseboom & Springfield.
Reach us at: http://www.concernedburlingtonneighbors.blogspot.com/ PO Box 56 Burlington Flats, NY 13315 607-965-8564
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GAS DRILLING – “THE PUBLIC BE DAMNED”
Al Appleton hasn’t always believed that shale gas fracking should be
banned in NY State. In the 1990’s he was the DEP Commissioner for NYC and the
Director of the NYC Water and Sewer system where he developed and implemented
regulations to protect the watershed. “I have some
knowledge of what’s involved in regulation and it’s not a pretty picture.”
“I could, with the right set of people sit down and on paper write a set
of regulations that would supposedly protect the environment. But I know as a
person who had to create such regulations and make them stick… that there is no
way in hell that those regulations would ever be carried out. No government to
my knowledge is going to be willing to tell the gas fracking industry, ‘You
have a 15 million dollar well here and you must stop it, because you are
violating something environmental.’ No
government that I know of, is talking about building the size of enforcement
staff, the hundreds and hundreds of people, the inspectors, the on site
managers of concrete quality, the people who would deal with the watershed
issues that would be able to enforce this. Quite frankly, if you are not
willing to beat people over the head with a hammer in a regulatory context,
this industry will not play ball with you.”
“Anyone who thinks that this is an industry that intends to adopt a
responsible attitude towards being a good neighbor is cordially invited to go
over to PA and look at what the industry did with the gas fracking legislation
that went through the state legislature this year. They essentially
steamrollered over local home rule, they essentially steamrollered over
environmental standards, they basically said the public be damned.” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tGTrRQAEPs4
These ads are paid for by your neighbors in the towns
of Burlington, Edmeston, Exeter, Morris, New
Lisbon, Pittsfield, Roseboom &
Springfield. Reach us at: http://www.concernedburlingtonneighbors.blogspot.com/ PO Box 56 Burlington
Flats, NY 13315 607-965-8564
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GAS DRILLING – Another Story of False Promise and Disrespect.
Ron Gulla is a 56 year old
farmer and salesman of heavy construction equipment from Washington County, PA.
He leased his 140 acre farm in 2002 when he was sold the tale of a simple
vertical gas well, from which he would get free gas for his farm. In hindsight
he knows that was another false promise. Instead, what he ended up with was a contaminated 2.5-acre cattle pond with dead fish and
plants. His fields were ripped up. Murky fluid boiled up near one of the four
wellheads on his property, eroding his driveway, and poisoning his soil. The
gas company still denies any wrongdoing, though they did eventually pay Gulla
$1.5 million dollars
for his farm.
"I had a dream here, something
I worked seven days a week to build," Gulla explained. "I never would have leased my
farm if they had told me what was coming. I was lied to and used, but the gas
companies have been elevated above the law. Their wells and their profits have
been deemed more important than good food and clean water. http://www.sierraclub.org/sierra/201207/pennsylvania-fracking-shale-gas-199-3.aspx
“They treated
my farm like a landfill." Gulla says, that the deceit and misinformation he
witnessed are inherent in the industry. “If you sign your mineral rights
away, you’re signing your land away.” www.fractracker.org/2011/03/communal-fracture-concerned-citizens
These ads are paid for by your neighbors in the towns of Burlington, Edmeston, Exeter, Morris, New Lisbon, Pittsfield, Roseboom &
Springfield. Reach us at: http://www.concernedburlingtonneighbors.blogspot.com/
CLEAN WATER IS OUR PRECIOUS LOCAL ASSET.
DROUGHT INCREASES
ITS VALUE
“The tremendous amount of water
needed for hydraulic fracturing, anywhere between 1 to 8 million gallons of water per well
with some wells being fracked up to 18 times, can have tremendous impact on
local watersheds. The current drought more clearly shows that natural gas
drilling is a non-sustainable energy practice that can significantly diminish our precious fresh water supply.” http://ecowatch.org/2012/fracking-water-withdrawals-suspended-due-to-drought/
In this drought-ridden summer
of 2012, oil companies in Kansas are struggling to find the water they so desperately need for the
hydo-fracking process. Oil and gas drillers are competing with farmers for
water – their land’s lifeblood. Some suggest that there isn't enough water for
both. Tom Giessel, who grows wheat, corn and sorghum in Pawnee County, Kansas
says “We’ve had dry years, and we’ve had
hot years. Now we’re experiencing both.”
Giessel, a trained geologist as well as a farmer, is concerned that
small farmers won’t be able to compete for water with the wealthy gas industry. http://www.governing.com/blogs/view/sl-fracking-farmers-scarce-water-supplies.html
All of the fresh water used becomes contaminated in the fracking
of the shale. There is no reclaiming
process that can restore the toxic water to it’s former clean state.
At what cost do we allow fracking in our towns?
These ads are paid for by your neighbors in the towns
of Burlington, Edmeston, Exeter, Morris, New
Lisbon, Pittsfield, Roseboom &
Springfield. Reach us at: http://www.concernedburlingtonneighbors.blogspot.com/
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GAS DRILLING – Will you be insured?
Nationwide
Mutual Insurance has become the first major insurance company that will not
cover damage related to hydraulic fracturing, or “fracking.” Nationwide said
risks involved in fracking operations "are too great to ignore" and
apply to policies of commercial contractors and landowners who lease property
to gas companies.
The Nationwide memo reads:
"After months of research and discussion, we have determined that the
exposures presented by hydraulic fracturing are too great to ignore. Risks
involved with hydraulic fracturing are now prohibited for General Liability,
Commercial Auto, Motor Truck Cargo, Auto Physical Damage and Public Auto
(insurance) coverage." It said "prohibited risks" apply to landowners
who lease land for shale gas drilling and contractors involved in fracking
operations, including those who haul water to and from drill sites; pipe and
lumber haulers; and operators of bulldozers, dump trucks and other vehicles
used in drill site preparation. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/07/13/nationwide-insurance-fracking_n_1669775.html?utm_hp_ref=green
Some banks are saying no mortgages if there
is fracking. Now insurance may be hard to find.
These ads are paid for by your neighbors in
the towns of Burlington, Edmeston,
Exeter, Morris, New Lisbon, Pittsfield, Roseboom & Springfield. Reach us at: http://www.concernedburlingtonneighbors.blogspot.com/ PO Box 56, Burlington Flats, NY 13315 607-965-8564
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GAS DRILLING – Is our health at risk?
A compilation of
independent scientific studies and reports related to the health impacts of
hydro-fracking was delivered to New York Governor Andrew Cuomo last month by a group
of medical doctors and scientists. These experts have requested a meeting with
the Governor to discuss his desire for “the facts and logic and science and
information,” which he says will be the basis for his decision on the
controversial gas drilling technique.
“The Governor cannot possibly make an
informed decision on one of the most important public health issues of our
lifetime based solely on industry-sponsored science, or agency reports that do
not include any analysis of the public health impacts of hydro-fracking,
particularly on the most vulnerable, which includes our children,” says Dr.
Ronald Bishop, Professor of Biochemistry at SUNY-Oneonta.
“We know now that children may have
genetic vulnerabilities for such conditions as autism, brain cancers and other
chronic diseases, but that environmental insults can trigger the onset or
progression, “says pediatric neurologist Dr. Maya Shetreat-Klein, Assistant
Clinical Professor of Neurology at Albert Einstein College of Medicine. “It is
imperative that the Governor review the scientific evidence outlining the toxic
impact of fracking on children, pregnant women and others.” http://ecowatch.org/2012/doctors-and-scientists/
Don’t
our families deserve better?
These ads are paid
for by your neighbors in the towns of Burlington,
Edmeston, Exeter, Morris, New Lisbon, Pittsfield, Roseboom &
Springfield. Reach us at: http://www.concernedburlingtonneighbors.blogspot.com/ __________________________________________________________________________________________
GAS DRILLING – Link Between Low Birth Weight and Fracking?
Elaine L. Hill, is a Cornell University
doctoral candidate and author of the working paper, “Unconventional Natural Gas
Development and Infant Health: Evidence from Pennsylvania.”, which she
presented at a hearing hosted by Senator Tony Avella on Gas Drilling. Her
findings suggest that the health of newborns may be negatively impacted in
areas where shale gas fracking takes place.
Hill’s research
considered among other things, birth weight and premature births beginning in
2003 prior to the start of the drilling in question through 2010. The data
focused on those living within 1 ½ miles of gas development sites. PA
statistics showed an increase in gas wells from 20 in 2007 to 4,272 by the end
of 2010.
“A mother’s exposure to fracking before birth
increases the overall prevalence of low birth weight by 25 percent,” said Hill.
“According to current estimates, a single low birth weight infant costs
society, on average, $51,000 during the first year of life,” not to mention
loss of income for the parents and long term cost for the child. http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/united-states/link-between-low-birth-weight-and-fracking-says-new-research-267746.html
These ads are paid for by your
neighbors in the towns of Burlington, Edmeston, Exeter,
Morris, New Lisbon, Pittsfield, Roseboom & Springfield. Reach us at: http://www.concernedburlingtonneighbors.blogspot.com/ 607-965-8564 PO Box 56, Burlington Flats, NY, 13315 cbneighbors2011@yahoo.com
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GAS DRILLING – PRIVATIZE THE PROFITS. SOCIALIZE THE COSTS.
The oil and gas industry receives billions of dollars in tax breaks from the federal government. It is exempt from at least 8 different health and safety laws. These laws were designed to protect us. By allowing this industry to pollute our air and water, to negatively affect our health, to degrade our forests and wildlife habitat, we give this industry more subsidies. The value of lost wildlife is not their concern. Will the gas industry pay the cost of your child's asthma treatments? In years to come - once the industry leaves town - who will take responsibility for deteriorating well casings that allow toxic fluids into the ground water? They profit while we pay.
Industry exemptions include: 1) Clean Water Act 2) Safe Drinking Water Act 3) National Environmental Policy Act
4) Clean Air Act 5) Resource Conservation and Recovery Act 6) Comprehensive Environmental Response Compensation and Liability Act 7) Toxic Release Inventory under the Emergency Planning and Community
Right-to-Know Act 8) Superfund Law http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Fracking http://www.earthworksaction.org/files/publications/PetroleumExemptions1c.pdf?pubs/PetroleumExemptions1c.p
4) Clean Air Act 5) Resource Conservation and Recovery Act 6) Comprehensive Environmental Response Compensation and Liability Act 7) Toxic Release Inventory under the Emergency Planning and Community
Right-to-Know Act 8) Superfund Law http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Fracking http://www.earthworksaction.org/files/publications/PetroleumExemptions1c.pdf?pubs/PetroleumExemptions1c.p
We always cite web links to support our facts.
Roseboom Owners Awareness Response, Advocates for Springfield, Concerned Burlington Neighbors
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GAS DRILLING – WELL SEALS FAIL June 26, 2012 pg 7
According to the Albany Times-Union, “There is no such thing as a leakproof gas well. The gas industry knows this; in fact, it has known it for decades.” Industry studies show about 6 percent of new wells have a loss of integrity and PA’s own DEP statistics confirm that in 2010 and 2011, 6.2% of Marcellus wells failed immediately. “When the cement fails, it opens a pathway for gas and other toxins involved in the drilling and fracking process to migrate into groundwater and to the surface.”
Dr. Tony Ingraffea, Professor of Engineering at Cornell University, explains that more failures will happen over time. Steel joints fail. High salt content will corrode the steel pipes and cement sheathing. The cement can lose its integrity as it ages. These problems are exacerbated by numerous technical challenges involved in cement application. The industry wants you to believe that multiple wellbore layers are better. It doesn’t matter. The outer layer - the contact layer – is what matters. Regarding rates of failure, Dr. Ingraffea concludes “This is a chronic problem, the industry has always known about and….it’s too damn complex to fix.” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7DK3fODCZ3w
Our ads are always paid for by your neighbors, never by outside interests.
Advocates for Morris, Protect Pittsfield, New Lisbon Neighbors, Concerned Burlington Neighbors 607-965-8564 cbneighbors2011@yahoo.com http://www.concernedburlingtonneighbors.blogspot.com
Two Pennsylvania newspapers are looking to unseal court records to shed some light
on one family’s nightmare. The companies named in the suit are fighting to keep the
records sealed. Chris and Stephanie Hallowich's home in western PA became
surrounded by industry operations: gas wells, a gas processing plant, a compressor
station, a pipeline and a water impoundment. First their water went bad, turning black.
Soon after, the family experienced severe nosebleeds, headaches, burning eyes and
throats. Unable to resolve their water and air quality problems through state regulators,
and needing to get their children out of harm’s way, they sued. A settlement required
them to sign a non-disclosure agreement. The couple has struggled with the reality that
they are no longer able to speak about any aspect of what happened to them.
“People living in communities where the gas industry operates have important firsthand knowledge of the impacts of gas development. But time and again, these people are silenced by industry-mandated non-disclosure agreements in lawsuits as well as leases,” said Dr. Simona Perry, Research Scientist, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. “As their neighbors struggle to contend with these impacts, they are unable to share their knowledge. Whole communities are impacted as a result.”
http://earthjustice.org/news/press/2012/in-fracking-secrecy-court-case-newspapers-get-support-from-doctors- scientists-advocates
“People living in communities where the gas industry operates have important firsthand knowledge of the impacts of gas development. But time and again, these people are silenced by industry-mandated non-disclosure agreements in lawsuits as well as leases,” said Dr. Simona Perry, Research Scientist, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. “As their neighbors struggle to contend with these impacts, they are unable to share their knowledge. Whole communities are impacted as a result.”
http://earthjustice.org/news/press/2012/in-fracking-secrecy-court-case-newspapers-get-support-from-doctors- scientists-advocates
Please visit our web site for additional information.
Advocates for Morris, Protect Pittsfield, New Lisbon Neighbors and Concerned Burlington Neighbors PO Box 56, Burlington Flats, NY 13315 607-965-8564 cbneighbors2011@yahoo.com http://concernedburlingtonneighbors.blogspot.com ______________________________________________________________________________________________________
GAS DRILLING - THEY SAY IT'S SAFE June 5,2012 pg 7
We hear over and over that gas drilling and fracking are
"safe". Meanwhile, the industry settles out-of-court with victims who
are required to sign non-disclosure agreements to keep them silent.
It isn't just one or two families that have been harmed. Citizens
concerned about the health and environmental effects of fracking have started
documenting the hundreds of families that have been affected. Negative impacts
include natural gas and toxic materials in water wells, sickness from exposure
to air pollutants, impacts to farm land and farming operations, stress from
constant lights and noise, impacts to surface water, and, sick and poisoned
livestock.
Symptoms reported by those exposed are extensive. However,
commonalities emerge. These exposures occur all over the country - wherever new
gas drilling technologies are being used.
SEE HOW MORE THAN
200 FAMILIES HAVE BEEN AFFECTED AT THIS SITE:
http://pennsylvaniaallianceforcleanwaterandair.wordpress.com/the-list/
Advocates for
Morris, Protect Pittsfield, New Lisbon Neighbors and
Concerned Burlington Neighbors PO Box 56, Burlington Flats,
NY 13315 607-965-8564 cbneighbors2011@yahoo.com http://www.concernedburlingtonneighbors.blogspot.com/
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GAS DRILLING – Why is the
Industry Exempt From Health and Safety Laws? May 29, 2012 pg 7
Oil and gas industry workers have
exemptions from highway traffic safety rules that
allow them to work longer hours than most other industries. The National Transportation Safety Board
strongly opposes these exemptions. Sleep deprived workers are using drugs to
help them get through their shifts. Fatalities in this industry are 7x the
national average. Between 2009 and this past February, Pennsylvania State Police
inspected 2,200 oil and gas industry trucks and found 40% of them unsafe to the
point that they were taken off the highway.
How many other exemptions does
the gas and oil industry get?
1) Clean Water Act 2) Safe
Drinking Water Act 3) Resource Conservation
and Recovery Act
4) Clean Air Act 5)
Comprehensive Environmental Response Compensation and Liability Act
6) Toxic Release Inventory under the Emergency
Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act
7) National Environmental Policy Act
8) Super Fund Act
Industry exemptions risk our health and safety. Visit our website to read the entire article.
Advocates for Morris, Protect
Pittsfield, New Lisbon Neighbors, Concerned Burlington Neighbors 607-965-8564 cbneighbors2011@yahoo.com http://www.concernedburlingtonneighbors.blogspot.com/
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GAS DRILLING –
SURFACE WATERS IN TROUBLE May 22, 2012 pg 9
The Wharton and Butternut Creeks are local treasures.
They harbor rare species. You can catch trout in their clean waters. The
Butternut has a resident, breeding population of Brook Trout - a trout that
requires clean, cool water. These streams are part of the Upper
Susquehanna Watershed, sending water to Chesapeake Bay – an estuary in trouble.
The millions of gallons needed to frack each well
will come from local water sources. Low water levels result in warm water and
the concentration of contaminants. Trout cannot tolerate warm water. These
millions of gallons of clean water will be mixed with chemicals and end up as
waste water laced with toxins.
Besides water withdrawals, threats to our streams
include contamination from leaks and spills. We regularly hear about spills in
PA. Whether you care about the streams that run through our towns, or the
Chesapeake watershed encompassing thousands of square miles, gas drilling
threatens our surface waters.
http://www.fieldandstream.com /articles/fishing/trout-fishing/where-fish-trout/2009/07/natural-gas-extraction-threatens-appalachian
http://www.fieldandstream.com /articles/fishing/trout-fishing/where-fish-trout/2009/07/natural-gas-extraction-threatens-appalachian
Advocates for Morris, New Lisbon Neighbors, Protect
Pittsfield and Concerned Burlington Neighbors
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Gas Drilling – Can it affect your mortgage? May 15, 2012 pg 11
Brian and Amy Smith of Daisytown, PA in Washington
County live across the road from a new gas well. The drilling is not what has
the owners upset. It's that their application
for a new mortgage on their $230,000
home has been denied, by 3 national lenders.
Quicken Loans wrote: “Unfortunately, we are unable
to move forward with this loan. It is located across the street from a gas
drilling site.” In an email to a local
news show they went on to say: "Like every lender, we are ultimately bound
by very specific underwriting guidelines. In some cases conditions exist, such
as gas wells and other structures in nearby lots, that can significantly degrade a property's
value. In these cases, we are unable to extend financing due to the unknown
future marketability of the property."
Mr. Smith was quoted as saying, "If I can't refinance, could somebody get
a loan to purchase my house? That
would be my concern. That's definitely a
worry". http://www.wtae.com/news/local/investigations/Couple-denied-mortgage-because-of-gas-drilling/-/12023024/12865512/-/item/0/-/yhxyvpz/-/index.html
We always
site web links to support our facts.
Advocates
for Morris, Protect Pittsfield, New Lisbon Neighbors, Concerned Burlington
Neighbors 607-965-8564 cbneighbors2011@yahoo.com
http://www.concernedburlingtonneighbors.blogspot.com/
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________
GAS DRILLING – Comments from a seventh generation landowner. May 8, 2012 pg 15
Barbara Clifford of Montrose, PA has not leased her 200 acres to a gas
company even though she expects she could make an awful lot of money. “We’re about seven generations here. I’m 76, and all my life I’ve spent protecting
and maintaining this place for future generations.” She also can’t imagine where else she would
want to live.
When asked about others who have
leased she said, “People around here are honest people, and they expect other
people to be honest too. So I think when they signed, they really believed what
they were told, and the industry is so new, nobody knew what could happen. And now, every farmer I’ve talked to that has
leased is worried to death about what’s going to happen to their land.” http://www.nofrackalmanac.wordpress.com/2011/11/03/hello-world/
Our ads are always paid for by your neighbors, never
by outside interests.
Advocates for Morris, Protect Pittsfield, New Lisbon Neighbors and Concerned
Burlington Neighbors
___________________________________________________________________________________
GAS
DRILLING = AIR POLLUTION April 24, 2012 pg10
Ozone levels in rural gas fields may exceed those of our worst cities. In March 2011 pollution in the Upper Green River Basin in Wyoming
triggered levels of ground-level ozone worse than those recorded in Los Angeles, one of the
smoggiest cities in the U.S. http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/wireStory?id=14183326#.T43_w-24Jsg “This industry produces an astonishing
amount of air pollutions,” according to Joe Osborne, legal director of the Group Against Smog and
Pollution. The result on a local level can mean greater risks for cancer,
neurological and reproductive problems.
The smog that forms from the pollutants can make it hard to breathe,
aggravate asthma and other lung diseases and permanently damage lungs. http://www.kansascity.com/2012/04/16/3558830/as-air-pollution-from-fracking.html#story
While people may elude the threat of water
contamination, no one will be able to escape the fouled unhealthy air. Compressor stations, flaring wells, chemical
vapors, diesel exhaust and pipelines leaking methane may create and worsen respiratory problems for those living near natural gas drilling. Please
visit our web site for additional information.
Co-sponsored by Advocates for Morris, Protect Pittsfield, New Lisbon Neighbors and
Concerned Burlington Neighbors PO Box 56, Burlington Flats, NY 13315 607-965-8564 cbneighbors2011@yahoo.com http://concernedburlingtonneighbors.blogspot.com
_____________________________________________________________________________________
BURLINGTON
RESIDENTS - SEND IN YOUR SURVEY April 17th, 2012 pg19
Please support the Town of Burlington survey to develop a Comprehensive
Plan for our town. This survey will become the vision of town residents. It
will guide the actions of the town board for years to come.
Every resident and landowner has a stake in the outcome. Whatever your
feelings about the future of Burlington, make sure your opinion is counted. A
good response will result in a better plan. We urge you to fill out your survey
and return it before the April 27th deadline. Give the committee
drafting the plan the information it needs to develop a plan that reflects the
desires of the community.
Our ads are always
paid for by your neighbors, never by outside interests.
Concerned Burlington Neighbors PO Box 56, Burlington Flats, NY 13315 607-965-8564
____________________________________________________________________
GAS
DRILLING – It’s not your grandfather’s well April 10, pg 9
We’ve heard “They’ve been doing this kind of drilling for years…
so what’s the big deal?”
Conventional vertical hydraulic
fracturing has been done since the 1940’s. In the 1990’s the industry began
using a technique called High Volume Slickwater Horizontal Hydraulic
Fracturing. This new process uses enormous amounts of water, toxic chemicals
and intense pressure to release the gas that is trapped in the shale deposits.
Dr. Anthony Ingraffea, a hydraulic fracturing expert, says that what the
industry fails to say is “they’ve had fewer than 10 years of experience on a
large scale using these unconventional methods to develop gas from shale.” http://www.desmogblog.com/fracking-the-future/danger.html
Older
wells were vertical wells but now the process continues with a horizontal
drill. These lateral lines are what make it possible for the drilling from your
property to extend under your neighbor’s land.
We always
provide web links to support our facts.
Co-sponsored
by Advocates for Morris, Protect Pittsfield, New Lisbon Neighbors and Concerned
Burlington Neighbors
PO Box 56,
Burlington Flats, NY 13315
607-965-8564 cbneighbors2011@yahoo.com http://concernedburlingtonneighbors.blogspot.com
_____________________________________________________________________
GAS DRILLING – IT’S NOT JUST THE WELLS APRIL 3, 2012 PG 6
David Bohlander of Bradford County, PA never signed a gas
lease. Neighbors who did were told that the gas well drilling would last about
3 months. They were told the land would be restored to it’s earlier state.
Unfortunately, well pads may end up being used for alternate and extended
industrial operations. On leased
property adjoining his, the gas company was granted a permit
as a regional treatment plant. They process toxic waste including
used drilling fluids, used frack fluids and produced water. This treatment
facility accepts flow back fluids from miles away. It operates 24/7 with
extensive noise, lights and traffic.
Bohlander’s 150 year old, 190 acre family farm suddenly
feels like an industrial zone. His once quiet country road may experience up to
1,200 truck passes each day. He says the fumes created at the open air
processing site can burn the skin if standing near by. This facility could have
been located in an industrial area if the township had proper land use control.
Instead, his community now suffers these environmental impacts with no economic
benefit.
We always provide source information or web links to
support our facts.
Co-sponsored by Advocates for Morris, New Lisbon Neighbors, Protect
Pittsfield
Concerned Burlington Neighbors
PO Box 56, Burlington Flats, NY 13315
607-965-8564 cbneighbors2011@yahoo.com
http://concernedburlingtonneighbors.blogspot.com
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________
GAS DRILLING - OUR CHILDREN March 27, 2012 pg 11
Families,
pediatricians, and communities are urged to work together to ensure that
children are protected from exposure to environmental hazards. Children eat,
drink and breathe more pound for pound than adults do so they are more
vulnerable to these hazards. According to research they are not able to
metabolize some of the toxins as well as adults do. This exposure can have
profound negative results during the critical period of development in the
small body of a young child. http://www.aoec.org/pehsu/documents/hydraulic_fracturing_2011_parents_comm.pdf
Hydro-fracturing
brings increased traffic, noise, air and water pollution, storage and
disposal of toxic materials into a community. Is that the environment we want
our children to live, learn and play in?
Don’t our children deserve clean air, water and a
good night’s rest?
___________________________________________________________
GAS DRILLING – Federal
Scientists Warn NY of Fracking Risks March 20, 2012 pg 11
Two highly regarded
national government agencies, The United State Geological Survey (USGS) and the
United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) have released separate
documents that warn NY DEC regulators of safety concerns if horizontal
hydraulic fracturing is allowed in the Marcellus Shale.
The USGS report discusses
the contamination of private and public drinking water supplies while the EPA
says that NY regulators are not prepared to regulate the shale gas drilling,
and not enough money is allocated to enforce the new proposed regulations. The
EPA also raises concerns regarding the severity of radioactive pollution
associated with drilling as well as the disposal of these contaminants. The
USGS disputes the DEC’s argument that drilling could be done safely at 500 feet from water
supplies.
With more and more information about the impacts of drilling steadily entering the conversation from previously fracked states, these agencies have more scientific knowledge and data. It is becoming apparent that NYS is not ready for hydrofracking for natural gas. More comprehensive impact studies are needed. Governor Cuomo, like Maryland Gov. O’Malley, should be checking the science and safety of fracking before committing NYS residents to the possible contamination of our state’s water and air. www.ewg.org/report/federal-scientists-warn-ny-fracking-risks
_____________________________________________________________________________
GAS
DRILLING – Will your property rights be respected? March 13, 2012 pg11
In August of 2011, NY Republican Senator Greg Ball
toured Bradford County, PA. where he witnessed the
effects of Horizontal Hydraulic Fracturing on the county’s natural landscape.
The experience was eye opening and now Ball is asking his colleagues to take a
tour of their own, before allowing the gas industry to move into New York
State.
Senator Ball has proposed a 1 year moratorium through
June 2013 and has introduced a “Property Owner’s Bill of Rights” (S5879). The legislation will protect all New Yorkers from the financial and
health risks associated with the drilling process. This legislation would
require the gas companies to:
·
Inform
the Division of Oil, Gas, and Geothermal Resources what chemicals were injected, the source of water
used, how much water was used, and whether any radioactive components resulted
from the process
·
Conduct
an appraisal of land owner’s property before signing a lease agreement using
three independent appraisers at the cost of the company
·
Reimburse
property owners 150% of the real estate’s market value of property based on
estimates prior to drilling and 100% of the cost for full remediation of ground
soil and water in the event that there is contamination by any producer
· Provide
to any person affected by such contamination, free medical monitoring for life
___________________________________________________________________________
Gas
Drilling – 2 Judges uphold Home-rule March 6, 2012 pg 13
CONGRATULATES DRYDEN AND MIDDLEFIELD ON GAS
BAN DECISIONS!
The two recent court decisions in
favor of local land and road use controls create a new environment in which
towns can act to protect their residents from the impacts of fracking with less
concern for legal challenges.
On February 24th,
in the Middlefield ruling NY Supreme Court Justice Donald Cerio wrote: "The state maintains control over the 'how' of
such procedures (drilling) while the municipalities maintain control
over the 'where' of such exploration". http://www.scribd.com/doc/82732762/Middlefield-decison
Towns all across Otsego County are in
the process of enacting Bans and Moratoriums. Although appeals are expected, it
is also anticipated that these solid rulings will encourage additional
municipalities to defend the clean
air, water and health of their residents before they loose the opportunity to
do so.
_______________________________________________________________________________________
February 21, 2012 pg 3
A MESSAGE TO BURLINGTON RESIDENTS
FROM CONCERNED BURLINGTON NEIGHBORS
Concerned Burlington Neighbors is a
group of town residents that came together in the summer of 2011 to address
concerns about how horizontal drilling and high-volume hydrofracturing for
natural gas (fracking) will affect our quality of life.
Gas drilling brought us together.
But Burlington needs to do more than protect our clean water and clean
air. Burlington can thrive - with
a real economy, based on local agriculture, services and manufacturing – a place where future generations will
choose to live and raise children.
That’s why we support local planning
– to protect Burlington from outsiders who don’t care about us or Burlington,
who could take what they want and leave us with their mess.
Gas drilling’s impact is a threat to
us and to our children and grandchildren. But whether or not we have gas
drilling in Burlington is almost beside the point; we need to be prudent about
our future and plan for the “what if’s; otherwise, the “what if’s” have the
upper hand. All organizations, from small businesses to the US Marines, plan
this way.
Unfortunately we have not planned
for the future. We have no Comprehensive Plan, and without one, as Burlington
residents we have no legal means to protect ourselves. In fact as things stand,
anybody--not just people, but corporations and even governments--can do
anything here as long as it's not illegal, and create a precedent for anyone
who comes next. For instance, if Otsego County is going to have its own
landfill, it will be put in a town without a comprehensive plan. And
since we don't have one, we couldn’t do anything about it.
Unless we act and develop a
meaningful plan we give up local control and hand our future to strangers.
Writing a plan is our opportunity to decide our future, in our own way and in
our own time, for ourselves.
In 2009, after 18 months of work,
the town Planning Board proposed a Comprehensive Plan that was rejected by the
Town Board. That plan needn’t have been rejected in total; it could have been
revised to better fit the needs of the community. But it wasn’t. The result? A
shadow over a new attempt to draft a more acceptable plan.
Without a plan we can’t defend
ourselves just when we need to deal with outside threats to our health and
quality of life – not to control when we shoot at targets, or how much old farm
equipment sits behind the barn. The town board must take an active role if this
process is to produce anything of value. Another failure will be just another
waste of time and tax money.
WHAT WE ASK OF THE TOWN BOARD
1)
The Town Board did the right thing by putting in motion another Comprehensive
Planning process. However, the committee must get to work and produce a
meaningful plan. We do not think this process can succeed unless the Board is
represented at the committee meetings. The Board should establish clear
deadlines for defining progress. If those dates are not met, this committee
should be disbanded and the process started again from scratch.
2)
We ask the board to immediately enact a moratorium on the development of heavy
industry and major development projects in our town. This should last until the
Comprehensive Planning process is complete. This would protect us temporarily,
until we have a chance to develop a plan and the residents of the town can
debate what standards should be put in place. It is simple, conservative
prudence.
3)
We need more communication between the Town Board and the residents. The Board
has discussed creating a town website. Residents need to know what business
will be discussed before Board meetings begin. The Board should act without
delay to create a website where meeting dates, agendas and minutes are
available to all town residents in a timely manner. It need not be fancy, or
costly.
Concerned Burlington Neighbors PO Box 56,
Burlington Flats, NY 13315
607-965-8564 cbneighbors2011@yahoo.com
http://concernedburlingtonneighbors.blogspot.com
____________________________________________________________________
GAS
DRILLING –Could this happen on our Farms? February 14, 2012 pg 9
Don and Carol
Johnson have been farming their property in Shippen Township, PA. for 53
years. In April 2010, fracking waste water from an impoundment pit on
their farm leaked into a pasture where their 28 cattle grazed. The water
contained among other things barium and the radioactive element
strontium. “The spill killed all vegetation in an area 30’ x 40’. In
early May, Pennsylvania’s Department of Agriculture quarantined the cows,
worried that the resulting beef could be tainted and make people sick. East
Resources objected to the quarantine, saying it was an unnecessary step to
take.”
According to
Johnson only 3 of the eleven calves born that spring,. “They were born dead or
extremely weak.” She said, “I might lose one or two calves a year, but I don’t
lose eight out of eleven.” Though tests have not proven that the deaths
were caused by anything related to the spill, the Johnsons aren’t
convinced. Carol now warns hunters she sees near her property not
to eat any of the game they catch. “Deer, grouse, rabbits, they’re up on that
[well] pad licking,” she says. “They don’t know what’s in the water. The whole
thing has become one big mess.
According to
Iris Marie Bloom, “Only the best-documented cases tend to make their way into
the news, such as the seventeen cows which died in Louisiana in 2009 after
ingesting fracking fluid which Chesapeake Energy said was more than 99% water.
Official documents show that to be the case; in fact the fracking chemicals
were diluted at 3 gallons to 627 gallons of water. Still, seventeen cows died
in agony within an hour of drinking the fluid, which leaked from a valve left
open.
_______________________________________________________________________________________
GAS
DRILLING – INFLATED PROJECTIONS February 7, 2012 pg 9
A new
report just released by the Energy Information Administration (EIA) re-examines
previous estimates for shale gas in the US. It states a drop of more than 40% from a 2011 estimate of
827 trillion cubic feet. The new estimate for the Marcellus region, including
NY, states that the amount is probably about 141 trillion cubic feet of gas: “A
66 % drop from the 410 trillion cubic feet estimate offered in the agency’s
last report.”
“The sharp
downward revisions to its estimates were informed by more data. Drilling in the
Marcellus accelerated rapidly in 2010 and 2011, so that there is far more
information available today than a year ago,” the EIA report said. “ The Marcellus shale which was previously thought to hold enough gas
to meet the entire nation’s demand for 17 years at current consumption rates,
contains instead a 6 year supply.”
That’s only one
third of the last report!
Why so
much variation in the amount of recoverable gas? According to Philip Budzik, an EIA research analyst,
“Companies highlight their highly productive and profitable wells, while
ignoring their ‘dogs,’ thereby giving the public the impression that every well
is a ‘gold mine.’”
Honestly,
do these companies deserve our trust? Considering all the dangers to the water
and air, not to mention the challenges to those communities living on the shale, is it worth the degradation and
destruction?
Co-sponsored by Advocates for Morris, Protect
Pittsfield, New Lisbon Neighbors and Concerned Burlington Neighbors
____________________________________________________________________
GAS
DRILLING and OUR WATER January 31, 2012 pg 9
Paul Hetzler is a former
environmental engineering technician with NYSDEC, who managed scores of
groundwater remediation projects in the 1990’s, reviewed countless
hydrogeologic reports and saw thousands of lab results from contaminated wells.
In a letter to the Watertown Daily Times, Hetzler stated, “I’m familiar with
the fate and transport of contaminants in fractured media, and let me be clear:
Hydraulic fracturing as it’s practiced today will contaminate our aquifers. Not might contaminate our aquifers. Hydraulic
fracturing will
contaminate New York’s aquifers. If you were looking for a way to poison the
drinking water supply, here in the Northeast you couldn’t find a more
chillingly effective and thorough method of doing so than with hydraulic
fracturing.”
While Horizontal Hydraulic
Fracturing certainly won’t contaminate every
well, Hetzler’s experience has taught him lessons about how the drilling will
affect the future of our aquifers. “There’s no such thing as a perfect well
seal. Occasionally
sooner, often later, well seals can and do fail, period.” He went on to say
that, “If your well goes bad, neither you, nor your children, nor their
children will ever be able to get safe, clean water back. That’s too high a
price.” December 13, 2011 http://www.watertowndailytimes.com/article/20111213/OPINION02/7121399
Co-sponsored by Advocates for Morris, Protect
Pittsfield and Concerned Burlington Neighbors PO Box 56, Burlington Flats, NY
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
GAS DRILLING – HEAVY TRAFFIC AHEAD! January 24, 2012 pg 15
GAS DRILLING – Why does the gas industry tell 2 different stories? January 17, 2012 pg 3
GAS DRILLING – HEAVY TRAFFIC AHEAD! January 24, 2012 pg 15
David Kagan, a
resident of Tolbert Village in north central Pennsylvania, “sat from 11:30 am
until 2 pm just off Route 44 counting trucks. The tally: “55 water tanker
trucks (40 of them the long, 18-wheeled semis) and 29 construction/excavation
/materials trucks. That’s 84 trucks in 150 minutes, or roughly one every two
minutes. Lately, this has been going on 24 hours a day.” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KZZQxe6FiGA
http://mountainhomemag.com/archives/2011/jul11.pdf
The DEC estimates 1,149 heavy truck
trips and 831 light truck trips for a single horizontal gas well. That is just
when they are loaded, so double the numbers to include the return trips and add
them together for almost 4000 truck trips. Additional wells on the same pad
would use fewer trucks, but the numbers would still be huge. These are only the
trucks that are directly associated with the gas drilling. The DEC has ignored
all of the other trucks that would bring in pipe and equipment to build the
gathering pipelines and access roads, to build compression stations, or to
repair the roads that will be damaged by all the other trucks. http://thedailystar.com/guestcolumn/x459219190/Fracking-fears-are-based-on-facts/print
Do not doubt it could happen here. It has already happened in PA. Co-sponsored by Advocates for Morris, Protect
Pittsfield and Concerned Burlington Neighbors
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________GAS DRILLING – Why does the gas industry tell 2 different stories? January 17, 2012 pg 3
Corporations are legally bound to their stockholders
to assure them the highest profits and alert them to the inherent risks of
their industry.
Quoting Chesapeake Energy Corporation’s 2010 annual
report to stockholders:
“The
natural gas and oil business involves a variety of operating risks, including
the risk of fire, explosions, blow-outs, pipe failure, abnormally pressured
formations and environmental hazards such as oil spills, natural gas leaks,
ruptures or discharges of toxic gases. If any of these should occur, Chesapeake
could incur legal defense costs and could suffer substantial losses due to
injury or loss of life, severe damage to or destruction of property, natural
resources and equipment, pollution or other environmental damage, clean-up. Our
horizontal and deep drilling activities involve greater risk of mechanical
problems than vertical and shallow drilling operations.” P.67 http://www.chk.com/Media/Publications/AnnualReport/Documents/PDF/2010AnnualReport.pdf
The industry tells its stockholders that the process
is dangerous, so why don’t they tell their lease holders and the public the
same thing?
Co-sponsored by Advocates for Morris, Protect Pittsfield and Concerned Burlington Neighbors
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Gas Drilling – Can it affect your
mortgage? January 10,2012 pg 10
Fracking on residential properties “…carries heavy
industrial risks and the ripple effects could be tremendous.” NY State Bar Association
Journal, November/December 2011
Section 21 of the standard Fannie Mae/Freddie Mac mortgage
prohibits the borrower, or anyone else, from using, storing, disposing of,
discharging or releasing environmentally hazardous substances, specifically
gas, on the mortgaged property. http://www.tompkins-_Drilling/Focus_Groups/Assessment%20Documents/draft3residential%20leases.pdf
Whether it’s you or your neighbor who has leased
property, a home’s proximity to a gas well may violate the terms of your
mortgage. Secondary mortgage market guidelines may not allow new mortgage loans
on leased properties. “If homeowners with gas leases can’t mortgage their
property, they probably can’t sell their property either.” NY State Bar Association Journal, November/December 2011Co-sponsored by Advocates for Morris, Protect Pittsfield and Concerned
Burlington Neighbors
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
GAS DRILLING – Your home. Your Loss? December 20,2011 pg13
For many of us our home represents our most valuable asset, a nest egg for retirement. That’s what Jared and Heather McMicken and their neighbors thought until their water turned brown after hydrofracking began in Bradford County. The PA Department of Environmental Protection test results found polluted water and explosive levels of methane. The State DEP told the family to evacuate their home stating in a letter “an investigation indicates that gas well drilling has impacted your home water supply” and ordered Chesapeake Energy to help the family.
Chesapeake installed an air pump system to vent the home and supplied a water buffalo with regularly delivered water for bathing and laundry, but not suitable for drinking and cooking. The gas company continues to say they are not responsible for the contamination. With no end in sight, Heather says, “I’m going to be forever scared.” They can’t afford to move because the value of their home has fallen by 85%. Their home, once valued at $250,000, is now worth only $35,000. Jared says, “You know, if your home doesn’t have fresh water it’s pretty much worthless.”
Co-sponsored by Advocates for Morris, Protect Pittsfield and Concerned Burlington Neighbors
PO Box 56, Burlington Flats, NY 13315 607-965-8564 cbneighbors2011@yahoo.com
_______________________________________________________________________________
Gas Drilling ␣ Why have a baseline water test done NOW? December 13, 2011 pg 12
Who should test their water?
DEC recommendations: Owners of wells within 1 mile of a gas well pad should consider testing.
When should testing occur? Community Science Institute recommends that private well owners test:
1. 2 to 12 months prior to drilling activities
2. 2 months after drilling
3. Every 2 years for the productive life of the gas well, and for at least 10 years after abandonment and plugging http://wri.eas.cornell.edu/index_9_1489175471.pdf
What should a residential well be tested for?
It should be tested for high levels of salts, metals (iron, manganese, barium, arsenic, lead, strontium), organic materials (oil, grease, surfactants), volatile organic compounds (benzene, toluene, xylene), methane gas and radioactivity. The tests are expensive - $686. They cover all major impacts from shale gas operations (compressor stations, pipelines, storage tanks, containment ponds, gas wells). Wells and groundwater can be contaminated due to exposure from spills, storm water runoff and leakage due to equipment failure.
Water testing must be done by a NYS Dept. of Health Certified Lab for the results to be credible in court should there be contamination. www.communityscience.org
Why should a landowner pay for the water test? PA landowners have learned the hard way as they bear the responsibility to prove their water was clean prior to drilling.
Is this what New Yorkers can look forward to?
Co-sponsored by Advocates for Morris, Protect Pittsfield and Concerned Burlington Neighbors PO Box 56, Burlington Flats, NY 13315 607-965-8564 cbneighbors2011@yahoo.com
________________________________________________________________________________
Gas Drilling - Do you know how close a fracked well can be drilled
from an existing structure? November 22, 2012 pg 10
According to the proposed DEC permit guidelines, a gas well can be located
150 feet from an elementary school, hospital, nursing home or church and 100' from a house.That’s a stone’s throw away from your home! When a blow out or toxic spill occurs, this isn’t much of a protective barrier.
The lack of restrictions on gas emissions, toxic chemicals, noise and light pollution at the well pad provide little protection to those who only want clean air and water. If you don't think it will happen to you, remember that's what the residents of Bradford County thought until it was too late.
Co-sponsored by Advocates for Morris, Protect Pittsfield and Concerned Burlington Neighbors PO Box 56, Burlington Flats, NY 13315 607-965-8564 cbneighbors2011@yahoo.com
________________________________________________________________________________
Be Prepared - You can't stop them from taking your gas. Nov 15, 2012 pg 18
Maybe you thought you had property rights. Maybe
you thought the minerals under your property belonged to you. In New York State
there is a law that allows gas companies to take your gas without your
permission. If your neighbors have leased, drillers can set up shop next to
your property line and drill horizontally right underneath you. They must give
you a small royalty for the gas. Of course, they are
the ones who determine how much they remove.
The process begins when an operator applies for a permit to drill and
demonstrates he controls at least 60% of the gas rights in a spacing unit which
equals 640 acres or one square mile. The remaining 40% of the property can be
pulled into a pool leaving the land owners no option but to be forced into
releasing their mineral rights. This is called compulsory integration or forced
pooling. Compulsory integration is required when any owner in a spacing unit
does not voluntarily integrate their interests with those of the unit operator.
There are 3 options
for payment the land owner must choose from. The percentage of the royalties
weigh against the amount of liability you choose to take on. The more royalties
you get the more liability you take on. The cost of operations is described in
the section of the DEC website entitled Landowner Option Guide. http://www.dec.ny.gov/energy/1590.html.
Compulsory
Integration is just like Eminent
Domain. The only difference is it allows private companies to take our
property instead of the government.
In nearby PA, Governor Corbett, an otherwise staunch supporter of
drilling, told gas industry representatives, “I do not believe in private
eminent domain, and forced pooling would be exactly that.”
www.propublica.org/article/forced-pooling-when-landowners-cant-say-no-drilling
Do you think it is right for OUR to allows drillers to violate your property rights so blatantly? New York State should repeal the law that allows this unconscionable violation of our property.
