The Towanda School Board met August 10th to consider, among other things, entering into a gas lease agreement with Chesapeake Energy Corporation. Chesapeake is offering an embarrassingly meager $750 per acre and the minimum royalty of 12.5%. That percentage is required by law, the very lowest allowable. A school board member said that there are two wells planned to be drilled right behind the school. Even though money is tight, it was decided to delay a decision in order to try and negotiate for more royalties.Does anyone on the Towanda School Board know about the toxic chemicals that come with every well drilled? Do they realize that the children attending Monroe-Franklin School will be exposed to serious air pollution which cannot be detected by the naked eye? Have they thought about water pollution, soil pollution, dangerous truck traffic, noise pollution, and health hazards? Other areas of the US have experienced all sorts of problems related to the natural gas drilling industry. Gas wells have no place next to a school. Chesapeake Energy Corporation should be hanging their heads in shame. Here is a classic example of the total lack of concern for people. It is all about money. People are expendable. Even children who are the future.
Read the article from The Towanda Daily Review (James Loewenstein) here.
NO WELLS NEXT TO SCHOOLS!
ARE CHILDREN ENTITLED TO GO TO A SAFE SCHOOL?
ARE CHILDREN ENTITLED TO GO TO A SAFE SCHOOL?
2 comments:
My family was hoping to buy land in north central PA, but with the gas companies coming in, and leases being signed, we're about to abandon this dream. We don't want drillng anywhere near us. Are there any listings of potential sellers who want to sell to people who won't sign any gas leases?
Chesapeake is a company trying to make money. It is the responsibility of the state to protect it's citizens. Most other states that have prolific drilling have laws that a well can't be located X amount of feet from a school. Maybe PA should do the same. However, your state has no laws concerning drilling.
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