The Marcellus “Gold Rush”
Guardians of the West Fork newsletter
January 2011
By S. Thomas Bond
About the hottest business around is Marcellus Shale drilling for
natural gas. This is true both economically and environmentally.
It has been widely known at least since the 70’s that there is a vast
quantity of natural gas locked up in various “Devonian Shales,” around
the country. Only now is the technology coming out that can recover it.
The drilling program for gas might be considered a grand experiment to
determine “what’s down there.” Nobody knows right now.
There is little interest in objective, scientific information. Wealth
is the motivation, and the corners get rounded off in the hurry to get
it.
Comparatively, almost no money is going into getting information and
collecting it in a useful way with regard to health and the services
provided by our environment.
Engineers are particularly disingenuous in this matter, in the opinion
of the author. They know they are working with incomplete knowledge –
they know the Marcellus as a type of source rock they are not very
familiar with, one that they have been working in for few years, and
have only indirect ways of getting information about. Indeed, they have
been concerned with the single objective of getting the gas out. The
best interest of the public is not only concerned with getting the
fuel, but also protecting the health and welfare of inhabitants of the
area. This properly includes the people and their businesses, including
agriculture, and what is necessary to preserve the environment so that
it can continue to provide clean water and other services.
Right now it appears to be pretty much up to the public to protect
itself. New sources of gas are experimental, possibly environmentally
risky, but the problems have not been acknowledged yet. Like the early
oil and coal production, the entrepreneurs
are getting the benefit of destroying the environment without paying
for the loss. Obviously, the money makers are in a hurry, but the gas
has been there for hundreds of millions of years and isn’t going
anywhere on its own.
New sources of gas are experimental, possibly environmentally risky,
but the problems have not been acknowledged yet. Like the early oil and
coal production, the entrepreneurs are getting the benefit of
destroying the environment without paying for the loss. Obviously, the
money makers are in a hurry, but the gas has been there for hundreds of
millions of years and isn’t going anywhere on its own.
Slow down, as New York State and New York City is doing. Drilling,
fracing and transportation needs to be done right to minimize damage to
the environment. That means recognizing the new technique is a vast
experiment, doubtless with some consequences not anticipated, but one
that can be vastly rewarding without destroying people and the services
that clean land can provide: water, air, food, timber and recreation.
Internet Sites for Marcellus (as done now)
http://marcelluscoalition.org/
http://www.marcellus.psu.edu/
Penn State Marcellus Center for Outreach and Research
http://www.marcellusfacts.com/blog/
Facts by Independent Oil and Gas Assn
http://gomarcellusshale.com/leaderboards/topmembers/day?xg_source=shorten_twitter
All people, companies & places related to the Marcellus Shale
http://www.ugcenter.com/Shales/US/Marcellus/?qlink
Emphasis on the business of drilling shale
Internet Sites with information only
http://geology.com/articles/marcellus-shale.shtm
http://www.marcellus-shale.us/
lots of pictures
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