Health, Environmental Group Team Up to Launch Marcellus Shale Website

A website  has been launched by a health group and an environmental organization to provide northeastern Pennsylvania residents with data about gas extraction in the Marcellus Shale region.

The website, FracTracker.org, is hosted by the Foundation for Pennsylvania Watersheds and managed by the Center for Healthy Environments and Communities of the University of Pittsburgh’s Graduate School of Public Health.

The site, which went live on June 29, has been described as a one-stop shop for Marcellus Shale-related data.

“Here, you can literally see where gas well blowouts and drilling are occurring. And you can save those visualizations and share them,” said Samantha Malone, a communications specialist for CHEC in a TimesLeader.com article.

Serious economic, environmental and public health concerns have been raised about the natural gas extraction process, including explosions and blowouts, agricultural, hunting and fishing impacts, water contamination and human exposure to volatile organic compounds, according to a press release from Pittsburgh-based Rhiza Labs, a software company that designed the website tools used on FracTracker.org.

If  you or a loved one has been harmed by Marcellus Shale drilling, talk to an attorney who is experienced in Marcellus Gas drilling issues. The attorneys at Munley, Munley & Cartwright represent victims who have been injured through no fault of their own, including those who have suffered personal injury and those who have been harmed through the loss of enjoyment of their property. Contact us at 1-800-318-LAW1 or submit a free online claim evaluation.

Marcellus Shale Drilling Operations Highlighted in New York Times.

Williamsport, PA and several neighboring counties have attracted gas companies interested in drilling into Marcellus Shale, a geographic region rich with natural gas that stretches through West Virginia, eastern Ohio, Pennsylvania and into southern New York. The shale contains enough natural gas to meet much of the energy needs of the entire Northeast region.

Drilling could bring much-needed money and jobs into the region, but the industrial process of extracting natural gas has raised concerns about the environmental impact, the New York Times reports, as well as questions about the need for greater regulation of the drilling operations in the area.

If  you or a loved one has been harmed by Marcellus Shale drilling, talk to an attorney who is experienced in Marcellus Gas drilling issues. The attorneys at Munley, Munley & Cartwright represent victims who have been injured through no fault of their own, including those who have suffered personal injury and those who have been harmed through the loss of enjoyment of their property. Contact us at 1-800-318-LAW1 or submit a free online claim evaluation.

Regulators List 80 Chemicals Used in Marcellus Shale Operations

Pennsylvania environmental regulators this week posted an expanded list of about 80 chemicals that Marcellus Shale drill operators use in a controversial extraction technique called hydraulic fracturing.

The process of hydraulic fracturing or hydro-fracking involves pumping millions of gallons of water mixed with sand and chemicals underground under high pressure to break up the shale rock and release the entrapped natural gas.

Some environmental advocates are concerned that pumping the hazardous chemicals underground can lead to unforeseen contamination of groundwater and poison drinking water supplies. Hydraulic fracturing fluid usually contains compounds added to water to make the process more effective. The compounds include a biocide to prevent growth of bacteria that would clog the piping and anti-corrosive agents.

The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection list includes chemicals such as hydrochloric acid, tolulene (which can cause liver and kidney damage) and chemicals associated with serious neurological problems. The list of chemicals  was complied from lists the oil and gas companies were required to submit.

If you or a loved one has been harmed by Marcellus Shale drilling, talk to an attorney who is experienced in Marcellus Gas drilling issues. The attorneys at Munley, Munley & Cartwright represent victims who have been injured through no fault of their own, including those who have suffered personal injury and those who have been harmed through the loss of enjoyment of their property. Contact us at 1-800-318-LAW1 or submit a free online claim evaluation.

Uneasiness Persists About Marcellus Shale Operations

Some Pennsylvania property owners don’t like the idea of living next to a drilling rig and want their local governments to use zoning regulations to prevent the development of natural gas wells.

But local government leaders’ hands are tied to a great extent by a state law called the Pennsylvania Oil and Gas Act. The state law preempts local regulation of gas wells and extraction and gives the regulatory authority to the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection. Local regulations may not apply to the location of a well, well site safety or even protection of  the water supply.

The pressing questions of  which local municipal regulations still apply and which are preempted are still being sorted out by the courts.

Natural gas drilling and extraction from the Marcellus Shale poses rewards and hazards for Pennsylvania communities. While there is the potential for significant economic benefit, exploration can cause environmental damage and property damage through damaged drinking water wells and gas migration.

If you are a property owner whose property has been harmed by natural gas exploration, talk to an attorney who is experienced in Marcellus Gas drilling issues. The attorneys at Munley, Munley & Cartwright represent victims who have been injured through no fault of their own, including those who have had property damage injuries. If you or a loved one has been harmed by a Marcellus Shale drilling accident, you may have a legal claim. Contact us at 1-800-318-LAW1 or submit a free online claim evaluation.

Environmental Violations From Marcellus Shale Drilling Doubled in Past Year

Through the end of June, Pennsylvania environmental regulators have cited companies drilling for natural gas in the Marcellus Shale with about twice as many violations as the same period last year.

According to a report by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, five companies accounted for half the violations, and nearly three-fourths of the violations occurred in the five central Pennsylvania counties where shale-gas exploration is concentrated. The counties are Bradford, Tioga, Lycoming, Susquehanna and Potter, all in north central Pennsylvania.

Department of Environment Secretary John Hangar told The Philadelphia Inquirer that the increasing number of violations reflected a dramatic increase in drilling activity along with stepped-up inspections. The Department’s Oil and Gas Bureau has doubled the number of inspectors to nearly 200 in the last two years.

The Marcellus shale, an underground rock formation holding vast amounts of natural gas, underlies about two-thirds of Pennsylvania and parts of West Virginia and Ohio. The blowout at a well drilled by EOG Resources near Black Moshannon in June has focused state regulators’ attention on the need for new drilling safety regulations for Marcellus Shale gas drilling to prevent accidents and injuries.

If you or a loved one has been harmed by a Marcellus shale drilling accident, you may have a legal claim. The attorneys at Munley, Munley & Cartwright are experienced in worksite accident lawsuits and will evaluate your case and explore all possible sources of recovery. We fight to protect the rights of workers. Contact us at 1-800-318-LAW1 or submit a free online claim evaluation.