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Life in North Central Pennsylvania’s Marcellus gas region—the Pros and Cons
February 17, 2016 @ 7:30 pm - 8:30 pm
FreeLife in North Central Pennsylvania’s Marcellus gas region—the Pros and Cons; by a couple of lifetime residents who also happen to be career environmentalists, life-long hunters, fishermen, outdoorsmen, and avid bird watchers.
Northern and eastern Lycoming County have been heavily drilled for Marcellus gas over the past eight years. What do residents and visitors to this area experience as a result of this activity? How do the critters, especially birds, like it? What are the observed primary and secondary impacts on the environment? Is the gas play compatible with efforts to promote the region as the PA Wilds? How is drilling affecting the Audubon Society’s ongoing efforts to preserve our northern forests as sanctuary areas in the gathering climate change storm? Is gas drilling as it is presently practiced compatible with other uses of our public lands, our state forests and parks? Is the current state and federal regulatory structure, as it relates to the gas industry, protecting the public health and our natural heritage?
Dan Alters and Gary Metzger are past and current president, respectively, of the Lycoming Audubon Society and they both retired in the early 2000’s from 30+ year careers with the PA Department of Environmental Protection. Although they retired prior to the rapid onset of gas drilling in northcentral PA, they have followed the development of the industry closely and have observed its impacts in their every day activities. In June of 2015 Dan, as a concerned citizen and former Regional Manager in DEP’s Water Management Program, presented testimony in support of proposed revisions to the state regulations governing unconventional (Marcellus and Utica) gas drilling. Gary, representing Lycoming Audubon, also provided testimony in support of the proposed regulatory changes, most of which would increase protections of the public health and the environment. These revised regulations are proceeding through the review process with a hoped-for effective date sometime this coming summer.
Come and share these Audubon members’ unique perspective on an industry that has the potential to significantly alter a large portion of Pennsylvania.
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