Marcellus Shale Firm Pays Fine for Illegal Workers
Tuesday, January 14, 2014
A Marcellus Shale surveying firm and a foreman were caught using 19 undocumented workers in northeastern Pennsylvania and a federal judge imposed more than $280,000 in penalties for the crime, according to The Patriot-News.
Read it:
“GPX and Wiggill pleaded guilty in March to conspiracy to harboring illegal alien charges. The case stemmed from the arrest of the undocumented workers during a June 2011 police raid of housing the company rented in the Williamsport area.”
Douglas Wiggill, the foreman, was ordered to pay a $5,000 fine. GPX is to pay $70,000, then pay the remainder of the fine in $5,000 monthly installments.
» Via: The Patriot-News › U.S. judge slaps $280,000 in penalties on Marcellus Shale firm, foreman for using illegal workers
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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.