In 1930, my greatgrandparents purchased a beautiful farm in Bradford County, PA, in a little hamlet called French Azilum. In the summer, we spent time there, resting, breathing in the fresh air, enjoying the wild flowers, the bright stars and planets on a clear moonlit night, and swimming in the Susquehanna River. If gas drilling is allowed to continue, Bradford County and all of Pennsylvania will be forever changed, ruined beyond repair.
Monday, February 28, 2011
Doug McLinko: Everything's Comin' Up Roses
According to Doug McLinko, Commissioner in Bradford County, PA, the gas drilling in his county is doing very well. And it is completely safe, no problems at all. Who is he kidding? Actor and Callicoon, NY, resident, Mark Ruffalo, along with a lot of people, does not agree with Mr. McKlinko.
Would you please post your qualifications along with qualifications of people you reference, i.e. actors like Mark Ruffalo. It would be a great help and comfort to see if the positions you and others are taking are something I should hop on board with.
ReplyDeleteThe family farm you have, can you provide the amount of acres on that farm. It would be nice to know the financial impact on you and your family to keep the farm clean and green and gas untouched for not just you but for the rest of us. I know taxes are always a burden especially when one takes it upon themselves to take care of the land and pay taxes for the benefit of all.
I know several farmers who have taken care of their land for generations for the benefit of all to enjoy, they are good people, like you.
Many farmers have been forced to sell their land as a result of the never ending expenses like taxes. Many concerned people like you and Ruffalo can start fund raisers to support the remaining farmers to pay their taxes and maybe even get involved in legislation to lessen the tax burden on farmers.
As we all know, there is nothing worse than takers; as in people who want to take from others, let it be money, rights or freedoms.
I know I do not live on a 1/4 acre and tell others who have larger tracts of land what they can or cannot do with their land. I pay my taxes and expenses and remain a good neighbor and ask nothing of others but no to infringe on my life, rights and freedoms. But then again I'm not a taker as so many are.
Phil
Little Meadows, PA
Hello, Phil-
ReplyDeleteI am a member of a family which owns about 11 acres in French Azilum, Bradford County, PA. My greatgrandparents bought the property in 1929 as a summer home for their growing family. By that time, their children were grown up and the grandchildren were being born. I loved spending summer vacations there. Since my father was a Methodist pastor, we didn't have money for "fancy" trips, but going to "Camp," as we called it, was something I looked forward to as if it were Paradise. We had access down a path through the woods to the Susquehanna River. We loved the river, had a motor boat, and tubed over the rapids. For quite a few years, there was a horse farm nearby, and we learned to ride English style and had trail rides. Now I am in my sixties with grandchildren of my own. (I live in Upstate NY.) The first and second generations are all gone, but many of our clan still come to Camp. However, there are now gas wells right up the hill from us, and the dangers of water, air, and soil pollution are very real. I don't feel safe there any longer. It is a tragic end for me, not being able to go to Camp anymore. There is methane bubbling up in the river which has not been properly addressed. The huge trucks which are on those little country roads drive by at high speeds. The road surfaces are destroyed. Pipelines are being planned for the whole area, of course, and with those come the compressor stations which make a lot of noise and spew invisible lethal gases into the air. Since we are in a valley, that is a problem. Our beautiful Eden-like place is being transformed into an industrial zone. In the West where gas drilling has already done its worst, these areas are referred to as "Sacrifice Zones." We are becoming one in French Azilum.
So my only qualifications are that I love this beautiful area of NEPA and weep about its future. And I have been doing intense research since 2008 when I found out what was coming. Our family is incorporated. We have had serious disagreements about this issue within our family,in some cases, leading to estrangement. It is all very sad.
I do not make judgements about other farmers who live all around us there. Our family has enjoyed friendships with these families for years. I know they have had very hard times. For example, there used to be a dairy farm right next door. We would get our milk there and then pastuerize it ourselves. The cows are all gone now. I don't know what is going to become of the dear people who have lived in this beautiful valley their whole lives. There isn't a whole lot that can be done now because nearly everyone has leased their land to the gas companies. And politicians are pushing the benefits of drilling because they get money for their campaigns and actually get votes as well, I suppose, because people want to believe the rhetoric that gas drilling is good for everyone. Towanda and the outlying areas are becoming boomtowns which may look prosperous for a decade perhaps, but the future is not promising for the local people. Billions are being made by gas companies, especially the CEOs like Aubrey McClendan of Chesapeake Energy.
As for Mark Ruffalo, you can Google him and find out a lot. He lives in NY and is very concerned about water pollution and the future we are creating for our children. He has small children of his own.
I hope this has been helpful to you. Your comment on this blog was refreshing since it did not use any profanity (a common occurence on my blog!) and you asked very relevant questions. Thanks for posting. Please write back when you get a chance.
Peacegirl