Marcellus Documentary Project
Thursday, October 25, 2012
The New York Times photojournalism blog, “Lens“, is featuring a Marcellus Shale photography project titled, “The Marcellus Shale Documentary Project.”
The exhibition at the Pittsburgh Filmmakers Galleries, which runs from October 11 to January 6, features more than 50 photographs which tell the personal stories of Pennsylvanians affected by the shale gas industry.
It was curated by Laura Domencic. The photographers include: Noah Addis, Nina Berman, Brian Cohen, Scott Goldsmith, Lynn Johnson and Martha Rial.
The 6 photographers scoured the Pennsylvania countryside for several weeks to capture photos of drilling rigs, farms, pipelines and people who leased their land.
How does a photographer snap a photo of a process that’s mostly underground? Jesse Newman mentions this problem in her blog post, but she concludes that the project was a success.
Read it:
“Despite the challenges, photographs taken by the Marcellus Shale Documentary Project make up an absorbing account of the drilling frenzy in America.”
Visit the Pittsburgh Center for the Arts website for more info.
» Via: Lens › Collectively Photographing Frackign
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Shale FAQ
What is fracking?
Fracking is a slang term for hydraulic fracturing. Fracturing is a process by which highly pressurized fluid is pumped thousands of feet into the ground to fracture rock formations. The goal is to release the natural gas that’s locked inside the rock.
Is it safe?
What most concerns people about fracturing is ground water contamination. The worry is that fractures underground, caused by the process, will extending upwards and into aquifers, releasing gas and chemicals into the ground water supply. There’s been no confirmed reports of such a thing happening. Though surface spills and drill site blowouts can lead to localized environmental concerns.
Will my water catch on fire?
Flammable water is caused by the release of methane gas into a drinking water supply. Methane gas occurs naturally and can be released by any kind of drilling, including water wells. In Pennsylvania officials fined Chesapeake Energy $1 million for contaminating ground water with methane. It was determined that the company had not properly cemented it’s boreholes and gas migrated up the well, between rock and into aquifers.