Marcellus Shale - Gas Wells

By Sarah Hite shite@timesleader.com
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HARRISBURG – Members of various gas-drilling awareness groups gathered at the state Capitol on Tuesday morning to rally against forced pooling and statewide zoning exemptions for oil and gas companies in the Marcellus Shale region.

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Gas drilling activists set up a 25-foot inflatable Liberty Bell in front of the Capitol building in Harrisburg for their rally against forced pooling and statewide zoning exemptions for gas companies.

Sarah Hite/the times leader

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Activists hold protest signs behind Gene Stilp, the announcer at a rally in Harrisburg on Tuesday against forced pooling and statewide zoning exemptions.

Sarah Hite/the times leader

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Forced pooling, also called “fair pooling,” is described as “eminent domain in sheep’s clothing” by speaker and activist John Trallo of Sullivan County. Essentially it would allow natural gas companies to acquire land from owners who have not leased their property but are situated among a group of landowners who have.

While gas companies see it as a practice that could cause fewer land disturbances in a drilling area, residents say this violates their rights to property ownership.

“It’s the same as if you had (to give up) anything in your home,” said Jenny Lisak of Punxsutawney. “If your neighbors were selling their timber, you’d be forced to sell your timber. That’s just not right.”

Lisak came to the rally to represent the Pennsylvania Alliance for Clean Air and Water. It’s a personal issue for her – she owns an organic vegetable farm – and she said there is interest to put a gas well 30 feet from her business.

“It’s going to destroy my business and the health of my family,” she said.

A group of activists stood behind speakers holding protest posters as they made their addresses. The purpose of the event was to urge action for legislators to prevent the passage of forced pooling and statewide zoning exemptions that might be part of a severance tax agreement between the commonwealth and drilling companies.

Paula Chaiken, of Kingston, spoke at the event as a parent with the Jewish Community Center summer camp, which her three boys attend every year in Dallas. She said the rights of citizens being violated by gas and oil companies are so basic that her 4-year-old son is able to understand them.

“When Teddy wants to play with another camper’s toy, he asks them nicely,” she said. “And if they say ‘No,’ he finds another opportunity to play elsewhere. Unlike the forced pooling proponents, my 4-year-old understands that no means no when it’s someone else’s property.”

Activists were also worried about their own actions at the event.

Gene Stilp, activist and announcer at the rally, was recently interviewed for an article in The Patriot News concerning gas companies’ surveillance of protesters’ actions. He addressed the issue at the event, asking any gas industry supporters to identify themselves during his speech.

“We don’t know the full extent of this yet, but we’re looking into it,” he said. “We want this First Amendment violation to stop immediately, and we will continue to fight back.”

After the event, the group of activists spoke to state Senate President Joseph Scarnati III (R-Warren) and state Senate Majority Leader Dominic Pileggi (R-Glen Mills) to “express displeasure” toward these issues.

With nine days left in the state legislative session, the group hopes to invoke activism within state citizens.

“Our legislators in support of forced pooling and zoning exemptions for the natural gas companies need to spend time at summer camp learning these lessons,” Chaiken said.