Range Resources breaks ground on new Marcellus pad near school in Pa.
Friday, October 14, 2016
A new Marcellus shale natural gas drilling pad was approved by Mt. Pleasant Township supervisors on Sept. 28, despite being met by environmentalists. Sitting just beyond the boundaries of the Fort Cherry School District campus, the new site is stirring up emotions, according to the Observer-Reporter.
While some are disgruntled because of the well’s close proximity to Fort Cherry, about 95 percent of the township is under lease with the gas industry. Range has paid about $50 million in Mt. Pleasant township lease and royalty payments, including about $500,000 to the school district.
Although the well was approved some additional conditions made by the township in the Yonkers permit include the use of vapor recovery units, emissions monitoring and “green completion methods.”
Learn more: Observer-Reporter > Range Marcellus pad approved near Fort Cherry schools
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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.