Marcellus Shale - Gas Wells

Mark Guydish

In a stinging complaint filed in federal court in Scranton, the Gas Drilling Awareness Coalition has sued state Homeland Security Director James Powers Jr., seeking, among other things, $125,000 in damages.

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Related Documents

9-27-10 gas awareness coalition v powers

The introduction to the complaint rails against Powers and the news that residents protesting or otherwise voicing concern over the Marcellus Shale gas drilling industry boom ended up in reports related to terrorism threats.

"Nothing in our nation's history, including the terrorist attacks ... on Sept. 11, 2001, warrants the Commonwealth to classify certain law-abiding citizens as potential threats against critical infrastructure .. simply and only because they exercise their First Amendment rights in a lawful and peaceful manner against a political agenda favored by certain state actors," the complaint says.

"The First Amendment has not (yet) been abandoned by the courts as a casualty of the ongoing war against radical Islamists," it continues.

The complete complaint is posted here.