Marcellus Shale Gas Industry Company Wants To Buy Route 44 Site
This past Friday, April 8, at the Watson Township Zoning Board Hearing, a standing-room-only crowd witnessed a presentation by Attorney William Carlucci promoting Pennsylvania General Energy Company’s request for special zoning exceptions or variances. If approved, this would allow PGE to purchase and use (for Marcellus shale gas development) what had been for years the Trading Post at the intersection of Routes 44 and 973 in Lycoming County, up Pine Creek Valley about six miles north of Jersey Shore.
More specifically, PGE wants to use the property as a site to off-load water from tanker trucks into the three 6000-gallon tanks previously used for what had been the store’s gasoline supplies. Two pumps would then be installed to send the water through pipes to a transfer station up in the adjacent mountain.
The mostly hostile, yet civil, audience at the meeting peppered Attorney Carlucci and his five witnesses with questions addressing numerous environmental and safety issue concerns: for examples, that there is a trailer park just behind the Trading Post, which park’s entrance is essentially shared with the Trading Post; that Routes 973 and 44 intersect at the site; that the property is less than an acre in size; that there are residential homes (one directly across Route 44) nearby; that there are curves on Route 44 both south and north of the site; that there is a school bus stop there; that there is no safe area for any potential backup of trucks to wait while others are being unloaded.
If the project were allowed, a steady stream of tanker trucks (just for this endeavor) would be going up Route 44 to the site, 24-hours a day, adding to the already intolerable flow of gas industry-related trucking (my estimate is 500-1,000 a day right now). Since testimony indicated that it would take only about six minutes to unload each truck, that would, in my understanding, translate theoretically into 30 trucks every hour (for the three underground tanks), or 720 every 24 hours.
This proposal of PGE would result in yet one more degradation of Pine Creek Valley, of what has been touted as well-nigh a paradise for fishermen, hunters, hikers, boaters, bicyclists, sightseers and campers.
I can’t fathom how anyone who is a moral, caring, humane being—someone who believes even just the least bit that the good life consists of more than money and greed—someone who professes to love this very special valley (as I have for over 40 years)—could possibly consider supporting and voting in favor of PGE’s proposal.
It’s time to say “NO!” for once—enough! It would be nice to salvage a bit of the PA Wilds, not allow it to be totally transformed into the PA wells!
Hopefully, when the Watson Township Zoning Hearing Board reconvenes to conclude this issue, an even larger standing-room-only crowd will appear to show their opposition.
Search
Comments
Here is an idea for David, if
Here is an idea for David, if it's to hot in kitchen get out. You can submit story after story degrading the gas industry, but you sir, are not going to change it.
Marcellus gas drilling
As a fisherman who loves the valley and streams in this area, I am deeply saddened by the prospects of round the clock truck traffic, development, and potential pollution of the natural resources that can come from this activity. As a citizen familiar with zoning matters, I can tell you that all depends on the strength of the language of the ordinance that governs this application for variance or special exception. To those township residents opposed to this action, you MUST put aside your emotional responses, and focus on the specifics of the language of the ordinance and those sections that apply to the variance. Get your own copy of the ordinance, read it and become familiar with the language in it. You can become a "party" to the hearing process, which is already quasi-judicial in nature, thus preserving your rights to further legal action. Check with your township or ZHB solicitor about your options in this matter. You may have to organize, pool resources and hire your own attorney to represent your position. There is obviously a lot of money at stake here for these companies, and they have deep pockets.
Marcellus Gas Drilling
I too have been coming to this area of PA for many years and I hope the Pine Creek Valley Association can stop this proposal. Surely Rte 44 and 973 are not zoned for industrial traffic nor have there been substantial feasiibility studies for such traffic. Demanding such a study which is reasonable and within the PA citizens rights just may prove any such truck traffic should be banned from the entire Pine Valley region. Plus, if the water the trucks will be carrying is not clean; this type of traffic is too close to the Pine creek itself anyway. Who will monitor what is actually in these trucks etc.? Will the mountain this pipe is carrying the water over be dug up or is the pipe already in the ground and over the mountain; how load will the pumps be? I think these are just some issues citizens can demand the answers too so the issues can be faught or opposed in a legal court - all the way up to the federal level. Bringing legal action may stall this disaster waiting to happen until the federal government finally gets the b_lls to step in and stop fracking all together. The last statement is not to be understood as an emotional or monetary response on my part but, you could understand it as an intellectual response. Fracking is just not a feasible and clean/safe way to tap natural gas. Halliburton may not agree but, they do not run all of America yet or its judicial system.
If a legal fund is started to keep or get the fracking industry out of Pine Valley and the surrounding areas I and many many others would surely contribute to it.
PA Drilling
It is unfortunate that with this gas boom has come such a huge change. I appreciate the beauty of central PA as much as anyone, however the job market is almost non-existant here. We have high rates of families living below the poverty level, working but collecting welfare...and I happen to be one of them. I go to work everyday and do my best to get ahead, but it never seems to happen. I am always robbing Peter to pay Paul. It is unfortunate that things are changing and sometimes not always for the better. However if this gas boom can help me to find a better paying job that doesn't have me working over 60 hours a week and allows me to spend more time with my daughter (I'm a single mom) then I am all for it. There will never be any situation on earth where everyone is happy. Someone will always be in an uproar. However where some people see it as other cashing in on the good life, others like me, see it as a way to survive just a little bit better than what we are right now. Never judge anyone until you have walked a mile in their shoes.
response to my article
I have no respect for anyone who writes a comment without giving a name.
Post new comment