Tempers Flare at Gas Drilling Forum with PA. legislators and DEP

[JPZenger]

Last edited Fri Apr 13, 2012, 11:11 AM - Edit history (2)

http://www.wfmz.com/news/Tempers-flare-at-Marcellus-Shale-drilling-forum/-/121458/10678428/-/npaiphz/-/index.html

http://www.phillyburbs.com/my_town/palisades/angry-crowd-drills-lawmakers-for-answers/article_15fb6dac-8d48-532a-a93f-7a0bb7d0054f.html

Excerpt:

"State lawmakers stepped into a hornet’s nest of angry residents. Outraged over the new natural gas drilling law’s potential impact on Bucks County, a crowd of approximately 300 people blasted state Sens. Bob Mensch and Chuck McIlhinney and Reps. Marguerite Quinn and Paul Clymer on Thursday night for their part in passing Act 13 into state law.

What was intended by the lawmakers as an educational forum for Upper Bucks residents on the details of the gas drilling law turned into two hours of ongoing heckling and shouting by an angry crowd who were concerned with the gas drilling industry’s impact on the community’s water resources, property values and public health.

Struggling at times to maintain order in the Palisades High School’s cafeteria, the lawmakers and a panel of state officials and scientists were repeatedly called “liars” and endured accusations that they were trying to silence residents and refusing to fully answer questions."

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http://www.lehighvalleylive.com/upper-bucks/index.ssf/2012/04/marcellus_shale_drilling_forum.html

[blue neen]

1. The citizens have every reason to be upset.

Last edited Sat Apr 14, 2012, 12:09 AM - Edit history (1)

Our lawmakers in PA have sold us down the river. Nothing is being done to protect Pennsylvanians--EVERYTHING is done to protect Marcellus Shale drillers.

"One submitted question that received widespread applause asked: “Why do we have to drill for this gas now? The gas will wait a few more years until we have the technology properly developed to controlling the fracking fluid and treat it properly.”

Excellent question.

[femmocrat]

2. I wish people in western PA would get a little more worked up!

We have too many wells here already and they want to drill more. Maybe I should move to Bucks Co. where people seem to be better-informed.

[MrMickeysMom]

3. Even the the Pittsburgh Post Gazette has done a good job of this story, people will not understand..

... because their legislators did not understand. Most state legislators have NEVER understood and legislated locally. They were handed talking points and didn't even know what the hell they were signing on to.

Act 13, while going through the Senate, was defended by talking points... they came from the gas and oil lobby. True, many in Washington County and Westmoreland County were on the phone and lobbying our legislators, but it was those local govt officials around SW PA who called my attention to it in Allegheny County and I had to explain it to legislators herein.

Right now, the work other local govt officials did in Harrisburg and by challenging this has extended us to a 120 day delay to "comply" with these ridiculous superseeding zoning laws. This will only delay the inevitable, which is when the fight begins all over again.

This fight is being carried out by local municipalities, because we understand what this law does and will continue to do to usurp land us. The total disregard for local governments understanding how each zoning district can and should be used is why Act 13 is ruled unconstitutional.

Residents, meanwhile, will only rise up when they see a drilling pad 300 feet form their kid's elementary school, or in a bare parking lot. The Marcellus Commission continues to lobby and we're supposed to take this lying down.