Pa. farmer: Natural gas drilling ‘a nightmare’

[phantom power]

Elmira, N.Y. —

Ron Gulla, a farmer from Hickory, Pa., says he had no idea what he was getting into when he leased his land for gas drilling.

“When I saw what was happening on my property, I couldn’t believe it,” Gulla said. “They totally misinformed us and misrepresented the lease.”

Over the past few years, he saw his farm – in a rural area just south of Pittsburgh – become a large industrial site over which he had no control, and had his water supply tainted by high levels of toxic chemicals, he said.

Gulla – who also sells construction and forestry equipment and once spent six years working in the oil and gas industry – tried to take out a mortgage loan to finance a lawsuit against the well operator, Range Resources, but was told by the bank that his land was basically worthless because of the drilling activity there.

http://www.the-leader.com/news/x1682974400/Pa-farmer-Natural-gas-drilling-a-nightmare

[madrchsod]

1. "you`ll never leave harlan alive"

it was once coal now it`s natural gas...

[_ed_]

2. Thanks Ed Rendell

you corporate whore.

[Altoid_Cyclist]

3. If you haven't seen this site before, It's loaded with information

on "fracking" in general and what it's done to Hickory, PA and the surrounding area in particular.

http://www.donnan.com/Marcellus-Gas_Hickory.htm

[joshcryer]

4. Fantastic little link, thanks.

[Altoid_Cyclist]

5. You're welcome.

I had the opportunity earlier this year to speak to a woman who lives in Hickory with her husband and young children. She said that living there now is a nightmare. She said that besides the obvious dangers such as polluted drinking water and exposure to carcinogens and other toxins, they live in fear of all of the overloaded semis hauling ass at 60 or 70 MPH past the bus stop where their children get the bus.

They and many others are trying to find a new town to move to even though they love the area and had hoped to stay there because of the small town atmosphere. One big problem has emerged though. As word of what the "Marcellus exploration" has done to the area spreads, it's become a lot harder to sell a house there. Really, when you think about it, who wants to buy a house in what will likely become another Love Canal or Times Beach?

We are really screwed now that Corbett has been elcted.

From PennLive:
Results of Pennsylvania's gubernatorial election are in. The Tom Ridge-Tom Corbett-Marcellus Shale Coalition has become reality.

Since the Nov. 2 election, Ridge's pitch for the Marcellus Shale Coalition ran on the opinion pages of this newspaper.

"With the campaign ads and election season now behind us, it is time to develop a plan for the future of Pennsylvania," said the former governor, who's being paid $1 million this year to promote the natural gas industry.

Corbett, meanwhile, said his first act as governor would be to rescind the drilling moratorium on state land. The governor-elect took just under $1 million in campaign contributions from natural gas drillers.

More here: http://www.pennlive.com/news/patriotnews/index.ssf?/base/news/1289963416182570.xml&coll=1

Also worth a look:
http://www.marcellusmoney.org/candidates

Another useful link:
http://frackmountain.wordpress.com/beta/

[joshcryer]

6. Ugh, that's just terrible.

Spent more time on that link and this is just atrocious. I fear the day oil shale becomes commercially viable in Colorado.

[upi402]

7. Wow. When ya kiss the devil

expect follow-up!

[old mark]

8. Our incoming republican governot got tons of money from the gas drilling companies,

as did our new fascist Senator, Pat Toomey and all the new GOP state legislators we will have here in January. There are TV ads many times each morning about how wonderful the gas drilling companies are to be around and work for - and to actually have one on your own land, well that is just the key to happiness and satisfaction in life!

Our state will be an environmental shithole within a decade.

mark