Our speaker was Carrie Hahn from The Fracking Truth Alliance in Lawerence County. Power point presentation Four Phases of Fracking :
1. Enthusiasm: prospects of selling your drilling rights and the $$$, it will bring personally and to the local economy. At first all you hear is the positive information from the Gas Drilling Companies. The positive benefits of Natural Gas are emphasized. The truth about Fracking wells and the pipelines are ignored or down played.
2. Uncertainty: The questions and doubts start to take over as the drillers arrive and well pads start to go in. Damage to roads is noticeable. Water contamination reports, air pollution and if you are close enough the noise and lights invading the beautiful peaceful landscape. You begin to question the need for regulations as problems become apparent.
3. Near Panic; problems and water contamination stories are shared. A drop in property values. No one will buy a house near a well pad. You cannot sell and move away. You may discover you cannot get a bank loan or home equity loan. Your property is no longer worth the mortgage you owe and have to pay. Homeowners discover their home owners insurance has increased or been canceled. What next!
4. Adaption: Learning to live with the effects of Fracking; Paying for costly well water tests twice a year for 20 years. The clean up; dealing with accountability. Who is monitoring the disposal of the waste water? How will we pay for the damage to our reads? When will the road get repaired? Will the state get an extraction tax passed? PA is the only state that does not have this tax. Questions and new concerns that disrupt our otherwise quiet country lives. Pipelines crossing close to your home? What about safety? Gas pipelines and waste water pipelines, injection wells of radioactive waste, all now part of your life. Join the Fracking Truth Alliance to share information and become informed.
Here is a link to an informative article about Lawerence County Fracking, Carrie Hahn and an Amish Family near New Wilmington, PA:
http://www.onearth.org/articles/2013/01/when-fracking-hits-amish-country#A
Action planned for April 24: at Villa Maria, join us. I will post details.
Nancy this is just what we need. Thank you for your wisdom in putting this together to get out the word and let our voice be heard
ReplyDeleteDear DWMC,
ReplyDeleteSo sorry that I missed this informative meeting about this important issue. Nancy, thank you for the summary via the blog. See you April 24.
maria calise farrell