Rivertown Coalition for Clean Air and Clean Water Volume 3 Issue 3

RivertownCoalition
for Clean Air and Clean Water
Contact us at: rivertowncoalition@gmail.com Like us at: Facebook.com/RivertownCoalition
July 13 Stop Fracked Gas Exports Rally in DC from
12:30pm-3:30pm , West of the Capitol Reflecting Pool
bordered by 3
rd
St between Pennsylvania Ave NW and
Maryland Ave SW. Info about busses, ride shares at
action@environmental-action.org

Vol ume 3 I ssue 3
Coming events

Check how much fresh water is used
for fracking.and it is NOT REUSABLE
after fracking because during fracking, it
is filled with harmful chemicals.
Fracking is consumi ng our fresh water
supply at a steady rate. It takes an
average of 4.4 million gallons of water to
frack one well one time. In Pennsylvania
we have approximately 7,725 active
wells, with more coming.
Let s do the Math
7,725 wells x 4.4 million gals of water =
33,990,000,000 gallons of water
Most wells can be fracked up to 5 times
each time using another 4.4 million
gallons of water. Being conservative we
will assume three fracking times per well
7,725 wells x 3 fracks x 4.4 million gal of
water= 101,970,000,000 gallons of
water that is consumed.
That is 101 billion, 970 million gallons i s
NO LONGER FRESH WATER but is
contaminated AND needs to be
disposed of. Some is being buried in old
mines, some is being pumped into dry
wells (in some places causing earth
quakes) some is being processed to
partly be reused in more fracking, NONE
is any longer fit for human consumption.
This represents ALL of the water
on the earth.


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We l earned
that this area is unique in the
world because the washing of
the anthracite coal at the
mines caused so much run-off
that people dredged millions
of tons of coal from the
bottom of the river. You can
see the creative and
informative video Van
Wagner shared at
http://www.youtube.com/watc
h?v=WKK91hoebKw
Geoff Smi th helped us
understand the problems
affecting research on the river
with minimal funding, shifting
weather conditions and
variables that affect the
carefully planned projects. He
assured us that the river is
cleaner than a decade ago
from much of the particulate
matter, but that now problems
are more about chemicals. We
were disturbed to learn that
the current research does not
include the possible effects of
fracking chemicals.
John Tral l o shared much
about the process of extreme
gas extraction (fracking), loss
of civil rights by local
communities to the industry
and the fact that this industry
CONSUMES water because it
is poisoned and needs to be
disposed of`~~as opposed to
other USERS of water that
return it to the water shed.
Jason Wi ney showed us how
easy it is to make a rain barrel
(when you know the right
parts) and even gave one as a
door prize.
Follow
the River
Highlights


Its almost as certain as death and taxes: when you frack
enough natural gas in the Marcellus Shale to make Pennsylvania the
third largest producer of natural gas, pipelines cannot be too far
behind. In this case, its the Transco Atlantic Sunrise pipeline designed
to deliver year-round natural gas from northern Pennsylvania to mid-
Atlantic and southeastern U.S. markets.
I attended one of the public open houses sponsored by
Transco recently to hear about the proposed pipeline. Over Memorial
Day weekend, my wife and I visited the Worlds End state park and
marveled at the lush beauty of the area. The thought of pipelines
carving up this natural beauty fueled skepticism on my part. On top of
that, the meeting I attended was in Shamokin, a depressed community
scarred by coal mining. Could this be what the Marcellus Shale region
will look like after the natural gas boom ends?
I talked with a community outreach person from Transco
(Williams Company) who assured me that they have state of the art
technology and staff trained to the latest safety and environmental
compliant standards. I suggested to this Texas native to take a trip to
Worlds End and see why pipeline people cannot expect the red carpet
treatment from us.
Already a big turnout at the public meeting in Lancaster
resulted in Williams
redrawing the pipeline to
skirt environmentally
sensitive areas. We
need to make sure
Williams and FERC
(Federal Energy
Regulatory Commission) as
the lead federal agency
conducting the
environmental review know about our concerns. In fact, FERC states,
early involvement by you and others will help the FERC staff evaluate
the Projects potential impact on the environment. FERC goes on to
say, Your comments to FERC will be most useful if they focus on the
potential environmental effects of the proposal, alternatives to the
proposal, and measures to avoid or lessen environmental impact.
You can learn more about the project by going to
www.shalejustice.org or to Williams website for the project:
http://www.williams.com/atlanticsunrise. You can file your
comments to FERC at www.ferc.gov under the link entitled Documents
and Filings. Always use Docket PF14-8-000 in your communication.
This pipeline and supporting compressor stations are
scheduled to go through Northumberland County and near
Knobles amusement park on its way to the East Coast.

Atlantic Sunrise
Pipeline in Planning
Stages
By Mark Heuer


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SEDA-COG TO LEAD ENERGY
CONSERVATION PROGRAM IN
SELINSGROVE

SEDA-COG intends to replicate its success from its New
Berlin energy conservation program in Selinsgrove.
While the effort will not formally launch until October
2015, SEDA-COG and several local groups are already
engaged, including the Innovative Manufacturers Center,
the SUM Area on Aging, PPL Electric Utilities,
Susquehanna University, and the Selinsgrove School
District. The Selinsgrove Borough Council has submitted
a grant application to the Degenstein Foundation to assist
residents and nonprofit organizations in reducing the cost
of energy audits and in identifying energy savings.
Stacy Richards, Director of SEDA-COGs Energy
Resource Center, noted that many small, rural
communities can progress toward energy independence
by understanding how to reduce energy use and by
gaining access to resources to invest in energy
conservation and renewable energy. SEDA-COGs
Energy Resource Center and the Borough of Selinsgrove,
as well as Susquehanna University students to the extent
possible, will implement the project, including
establishing a budget, identifying project staff, and
procuring financing.
The SEDA-COG- led effort will accomplish these goals
by forming partnerships with other public and private
sector technical assistance providers, identifying local
renewable energy sources, and performing energy
assessments. To determine energy savings, SEDA-COG
will develop a baseline of energy consumption in
Selinsgrove and maintain a database so that usage at the
end of the project can be compared with pre-project data.
Stacy Richards noted that, community-scale projects,
such as the New Berlin effort, serve as examples for
other rural communities to reduce their dependence on
fossil fuels, decrease greenhouse gas emissions, attain
greater energy security, retain wealth within the region
and create new businesses and living wage jobs to
provide products and services focused on energy
independence.
The New Berlin project leveraged $1 million in
publically available financial incentives to reduce its
reliance on fossil fuels. Documented savings indicate
that New Berlin will save more than $1 million in
energy costs over the next five years.
Richards indicated that we will launch the project in
the Selinsgrove area through a public event and notify
the community about the project and its goals. We will
also work through existing community networks and
other means to identify qualified energy assessors and
contractors to provide services to the residential and
non-residential sectors of the community. Richards
noted that this is a hands-on effort and will involve free
workshops to teach community members simple air
sealing techniques, such as glazing, caulking, and
weather stripping. This will involve a corps of trained
volunteers to assist interested residents to implement
these simple energy reduction measures as
recommended in energy assessments performed on
these homes, said Richards.

Those interested in more details on the New Berlin
project can request a step-by-step manual entitled,
Energizing Small Communities: A Guide to
Greater Energy Independence and Economic
Resiliency.
It is available at http//:erc.sedacog.org/newberlin.
For more information and questions about the
Selinsgrove energy conservation effort, contact Stacy
Richards (570) 524-4491 or srichards@seda-cog.org.
Climate Change (man made?)

Still unsure about human impact on climate
change? The scientists are sure and they are giving
strong messages that we can still change some of the
effects if we take action NOW. Check on the report
by Advancing Science Serving Society Climate
Science Panel. http://whatweknow.aaas.org/get-the-
facts What We Know: The Reality, Risks and
Response to Climate Change.
Al Gore also has written an interesting article
Turning Point: New Hope for the Climate.
http://readersupportednews.org/opinion2/277-
75/24317-the-turning-point-new-hope-for-the-climate


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Renewable Energy is the Path for the Future
As reported in FARMING the Journal of Northeast Agriculture in May 2014, BIOMASS RESIDUALS are
used as fuels by farmers, who grind up the stems and stalks, or grow crops specifically to use as fuels.
The biomass is made into pellets and used for heating on the farm. Biomass pellets differ from wood
pellets and do not require the time to grow a tree.
BIOMASS PELLETS can be used along with coal in industry and immediately lower the CO
2
emissions
of large plants. http://news.mongabay.com/bioenergy/2007/07/evergreen-biofuels-starts-offering.html
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Although PPL will be the company that delivers your electricity (owns the lines, sends the bill etc.), you
can choose to have your supplier (who generates the electricity) be a renewable energy company.
You can do this comparison shopping at http://www.papowerswitch.com . Consider all the factors for
your best fit. Ambitenergy is just one of the companies and Jennifer Hook at
freegasandelectric4u@gmail.com can let you know about their special considerations. They have one
plan that supplies renewable energy and others to consider. The Sierra Club suggests Green Mountain
Energy.
RI VERTOWN COALI TI ON
FOR CLEAN AI R AND CLEAN WATER
P.O. BOX 205
SELINSGROVE, PA 17870
I N THE NEWS: ~Texas Barnett Shale Study Finds Elevated Levels Of Heavy Metals Near Natural Gas
Extraction Sites AP Posted: 07/26/2013 (this peer reviewed study confirms presence of heavy metals as well as
methane in water wells)http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/07/26/texas-barnett-shale-study_n_3659907.html
~A Deeper Look at a Study Finding High Leak Rates From Gas Drilling by Andrew C. Revkin 04/23/2014 (cites a
study on the methane in the atmosphere leaking from drilling sites and the additional concerns of methane leaks from
drilling near coal mines)http://dotearth.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/04/23/a-deeper-look-
~Release: New 6-State Study Finds Jobs Impact of Shale Drilling Exaggerated by Industry and Supporters
http://www.multistateshale.org/shale-employment-press-release While shale-related employment has made a positive contribution
to job growth, the number of jobs created is far below industry claims and remains a small share of overall employment in the
region.
~Court ruling could impact new pipeline projects (this could set a new legal precedent)
http://www.delawareonline.com/story/news/local/2014/06/08/court-ruling-impact-new-pipeline-projects/10205503/In conducting
its environmental review of the Northeast Project without considering the other connected, closely related, and interdependent
projects on the Eastern Leg, FERC impermissibly segmented the environmental review in violation of NEPA, the three appellate
judges wrote in their opinion. We also find that FERCs EA is deficient in its failure to include any meaningful analysis of the
cumulative impacts of the upgrade projects.
Many thanks to Inkspot Printing in Selinsgrove and Scott the Printer
for steadfast support!