Citizen EnCana

      
I thought all the folks in Luzerne County PA would benefit from learning more about their new neighbor.

Thank goodness for archiving & the internet.

Check it out here.

  

BIG OIL Showed them the Money

If you didn't catch it, a recent Times Leader article included a link to two lists of folks who signed natural gas drilling leases on property in Luzerne County. Here's a link to the article, and also to the actual lists of  leases - many signed in 2010 - given to EnCana/Whitmar and Chesapeake. The Times Leader archives their articles fairly quickly, so I'd recommend printing and/or saving the two .PDF files ASAP.

I lived 25+ years in the Wyoming Valley, and even though I've been away for about the same number of years, I still recognize many of the names on the lists. Here are but a few from the 27 pages:

Ertley (multiple)

Hasay (multiple)

Bonham (multiple)

Conyngham (multiple)

Ide (multiple x multiple)

Mattern

Atherton (multiple)

Voyton (multiple)

Kanjorski

Manzoni (multiple)

Niezgoda

Killian

Dragon (multiple)

Williams (multiple - no relation)

Slocum (multiple)

Heffernan

Wengen (former classmate)

Casterline (multiple)

Stroud (multiple)

Rittenhouse

Here are a few more for your reading pleasure:

Living Word Baptist Church (and the word is....greed!)

Polish National Catholic Church

Irem Temple Ancient Arabic Ord (cut off)

Kunkle Kennel, LLC

Harry S. Smith Fire Co.

Bethel Hill Club

Bonham Log & Lumber, Inc.

North Mountain Club

Crickets Glen Camp

New Hunlock Investment, LLC

Ruckno Associates Inc.

Rattle Snake Run Gun Club (?)

Back Mountain Recreation Inc.

Village at Greenbriar, Inc.

Rattesnake Gultch Hunting Clu (cut off)

Mayflower Rod & Gun Club

Piercing Arrow Bowhunters Inc.

Peaceful (not for much longer) Pioneers Inc.

Sweet Valley Volunteer Fire Co.

Tammac Holdings Corporation

Farleys Sweet Valley (not for much longer) Golf Cour (cut off)

Hidden Lake Campsitis Inc (?)

Soap Stone Hunting Club, Inc.

Remember these names and businesses well when EnCana's and/or Chesapeake's first major "Ooops!" occurs in Luzerne County.

Better yet, stop doing business with them NOW!

EnCana: Serwquacksi

The graphic above was taken from today's Times Leader.

According to the file date, I snagged the bitmap of Luzerne County below in 1999. Can anyone locate Campbell's Ledge, Toby's Creek, the Ceasetown Rez. or Harvey's Lake? I can.

As evidenced by one of the comments in yesterday's Citizen's Voice, people are now recognizing what's about to happen and giving fair notice there will be repercussions. We need more folks who feel the same way to join in. The first graphic above should scare the hell out of anyone with an IQ above 50.

Growing up in Luzerne County, I had some great science teachers in grade school, high school and college. Those I remember include George Black, O.C. Sparks, Chuck Mattei, and Dr.'s Bruce Berryman, Mohamed El-Ashry, Jeff Cline and Fred Bellas. Like with most things in my life, if the topic interested me, I dove into the subject matter with absolute and total passion. If it didn't...I could probably not open a book more than a few times and get a C or B with minimal effort. The paper below is from ~1969.

Anyway, I openly admit I have a real and serious problem regarding this whole Marcellus Shale ploy. Thanks to some really great teachers and a lifelong passion about the science of the environment....my problem is that I GET IT! Without having to read another book or attend another symposium, I truly grasp that pumping millions of gallons of chemical-laden water underground ( ~80% of which stays down there ) and fracturing bedrock a mile or so below the surface is going to have devastating environmental impacts that will last generations and cost billions to remediate, if that will even be possible. And while companies like EnCana, Whitmar, Chesapeake and others pocket their billion$ from the rape of our lands and waters, our children and grandchildren will be left holding the empty, contaminated bag.

It is clearly evident that the "leaders" of Luzerne County, and those that represent that region in Harrisburg and Washington, have failed to learn the ugly lessons of the past that are still evident from just about every vantage point in the Wyoming Valley. In my opinion, the only real hope is if the voters of northeastern PA pump new blood into this fray by electing people who openly support a moratorium on all drilling as a major plank on their platform. If they change positions after taking the oath of office, we can talk about tarring and feathering separately.

Unfortunately, for the land and waters and people of Luzerne County, I know what lies ahead, and must now prepare for the whirlwind to come.

To my friend "The Susquehannock"...agaendeero.

To EnCana:  serwquacksi

Hoona sattaande.

EnCana: A Musical Tribute

Sit back and Enjoy!

This group should play at RiverFest 2010 in the Wyoming Valley!!!

You should also check out the "Gas Boom" video at Divide Creek.

Happy Hump Day!

Tomorrow's News

The supervisors of Lehman Township ( Luzerne County PA USA ) will be voting tonight. Their decision will impact generations to come. I truly hope they choose wisely. While you still have a chance....speak up, folks.

I have more than a passing interest in that part of Luzerne County. My great-great grandparents, the Williams and Stewart clans, lived there. Many are buried in that area. 

As a kid, I hiked its hills and fished its streams and ponds. In ~1976, while in college, I helped plant ~10,000 pine tree seedlings on land surrounding the Huntsville reservoir...the last ~500 or so I did myself when the Wilkes Biology Club wimped out and quit. Based upon the couple of trees I planted in my parent's yard, they're probably ~30-40 feet tall now. Hopefully, someday I'll be able to drive by ( and find ) the fields we put those seedlings in and get a few pics. I know one was near a multi-road intersection and not too far from a nursery or similar business. All to protect and enhance the local watershed.

Anyway,  I'm sure there will be ample media coverage of the meeting tonight. News at ~11.

P.S. - Anyone know where EnCana/Whitmar has their office in Luzerne County?

 

Luzerne County: Time to take a Stand 0n 4/13/10

Read more about next Tuesday's meeting here.

My recommendation is that the Lehman Township Supervisors deny the permits, which will force EnCana/Whitmar to take actions that will expose their true colors to NEPA and the rest of the world.

The timing of this, right before the 40th anniversary of Earth Day, could not be more perfect.