In opposition to gas-shale drilling

The mission of the Twin & Walker Creeks Watershed Conservancy is to promote a better understanding of our watershed and its ecosystems and to protect, restore and enhance the watershed through proper management and watershed stewardship. We have nearly three hundred members representing the fifteen hundred households in our watershed who live here and remain here because of the pristine nature of the environment. We are concerned about the issue of gas drilling in our watershed. Gas drilling has the potential to destroy our ability to live in an area that is considered unique in its purity. Gas drilling can create many dangers to our environment that will confront our households with the possibility of additional dust, smog, residual burning, new temporary and unpaved roads, undrinkable water, polluted streams and lakes, reduced ground water levels, and dry wells. All these negative effects will result in reduced property values and tax revenues to the townships. The past history of the drilling companies is poor. They are not well regulated and can operate without appropriate regard for protecting our environment. They are able to inject toxic chemicals into the water used to smash apart the shale rock infrastructure to great depths and lateral lengths to free the gas. This process is known as fracking. The wells produce noise pollution and burning gases twenty-four hours a day. The companies have no capability to treat the recovered polluted water produced by the fracking process on site. It must be held in huge holding ponds before it can either be shipped out by trucks or injected into our ground water systems. The gas produced is sent away by pipeline to be sold to the highest bidder, which may include foreign nations. Therefore, T&WCWC is opposed to gas drilling in our area, which is an imminent threat to our environment. We are in favor of the United States Congress passing HR 7231, which repeals the exemption for hydraulic fracking under the Safe Drinking Water Act. Dr. Ralph Cioppa, president Twin & Walker Creeks Watershed Conservancy