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A statewide environmental advocacy group Thursday released a study that concludes gas drilling is posing a “far-reaching” threat to parks, forests and public lands across Pennsylvania.
PennEnvironment lays much of the blame at the feet of Gov. Tom Corbett and the state legislature and calls on Gov.-elect Tom Wolf to reinstate the moratorium on further leasing in state forests and halting any leasing in state parks.
The group’s study titled, “Frack Attack,” lists five parks and forests that are “endangered by the threat of encroaching fracking, or have already been opened up to gas development and are exhibiting the environmental damage that predictably ensued.”
The five threatened public places highlighted in the report include:
• Loyalsock State Forest (Bradford, Lycoming and Sullivan counties):
The report states this is home to more than 100 well pads.
“Loyalsock has been under further threat as the Corbett administration has pushed to open 25,000 more acres to fracking,” the group maintains.
But Patrick Henderson, Corbett’s deputy chief of staff and energy executive, denied that in an emailed response. He said the 25,000 acres are split estates, where the oil and gas rights underlying it are privately held by Anadarko and Southwestern.
“The Corbett Administration has engaged in an unprecedented level of public involvement to date and worked to limit the surface impact of any potential future development,” Henderson wrote. “The Loyalsock would NOT be affected by a new moratorium on leasing since the rights are privately owned.”
• Ohiopyle State Park (in Fayette County in Southwestern Pennsylvania):
“Several companies have expressed interest in testing the park to determine ideal locations for drilling, as all the lands, waterfalls, and white water rivers of Ohiopyle sit entirely above the Marcellus Shale,” PennEnvironment says.
Henderson wrote, “Again the oil and gas rights here are privately owned (as are 80 percent of the oil and gas rights underlying state parks). As such, Ohiopyle would not be affected by a new moratorium on leasing.
• Delaware Water Gap:
“Should the moratorium on fracking be lifted in the Delaware River Basin an estimated 15,000-18,000 wells could be drilled in the area.”
Henderson wrote that Delaware Water Gap would also not be affected by a new moratorium on leasing either and many of the landowners have been frustrated over the inability to lease and develop their own rights.
Henderson added that Corbett believes drilling can occur safely within the Delaware River Basin, as it does across the state – as do thousands of landowners within the region.
• Allegheny County’s Deer Lakes Park:
PennEnvironmental states that “in the face of massive public protest, Allegheny County Council moved ahead with fracking under one of the county’s most used and most beloved parks..”
Henderson: “The plan met with strong support from Council and many of their constituents, and the county executive – most of them Democrats. And as a county park, obviously also not affected by a moratorium on leasing.”
• Cross Creek County Park:
PennEnvironment: “Washington County’s largest park and popular fishing destination has been opened for fracking within park boarders and 22 well pads have already been drilled since 2008. In 2009 a spill of over 4,000 gallons of frack fluid spread to a nearby stream, leading to the death of fish and other organisms, according to the Department of Environmental Protection.
Henderson: “Again, as a county park, obviously also not affected by a moratorium on leasing.”
He continued that Corbett has leased zero acres of state forest land or state park land during his tenure in office, compared to 130,000 acres leased by Gov. Ed Rendell.
“Gov. Corbett’s executive order specifically prohibits any leasing that would result in actual drilling activity on state park land,” Henderson wrote.
Reach Joe Sylvester at 570-991-6110 or on Twitter @TLNews.