R.I.P. Robert Shippee: He opposed natural gas drilling.

The Rev. Robert Shippee with his wife Ruth Betty and great grandson Alex
July 2010

Robert Shippee was a veteran of World War II, a retired United Methodist minister, father of six children, grandfather of 12 , great grandfather of 9, peace advocate, and he loved the Earth.  He hated what natural gas drilling was doing to Pennsylvania, Wyoming, Texas, and other areas of our country.  He once resided in Niagara Falls, NY, during the Love Canal disaster in the late 70's.  He welcomed Lois Gibbs to his church in Niagara Falls and made it possible for her to hold her meetings there.  He joined the fight against Hooker Chemical which had caused the Love Canal pollution. In the last few years, his heart grieved for Pennsylvania.  His family has a summer home in French Azilum, Bradford County, PA.  He loved that place on the Susquehanna River.  He loved to fish there. But he knew that Pennsylvania is being destroyed one gas well at a time.  He would say to me, "The gas industry must be stopped!"  He died of a stroke on September 29, 2010, at the age of 87.  Rest in peace, Dad.  We'll keep fighting.

DEMAND ACCOUNTABILITY!

In memory of Robert Shippee

He cared about people and the Earth.

1922-2010

Church Steeple Fire Caused By Lightening: French Azilum. PA

 
My beloved "Little White Church" suffered a fire on Thursday, July 29, in the early morning hours.  A resident of French Azilum was walking his dog when he noticed the flames and called in the alarm.  Thank heaven for that!  Only the steeple, which had been replaced only a few years ago, was destroyed.  My family has worshipped in this church every summer ever since 1930 when my greatgrandparents bought land there.

This beautiful place we call Frenchtown is destined to be a sacrifice zone in the very near future.  Chesapeake Energy has leased almost every inch of the place, except for our 11 acres which they will never get their hands on it if I have anything to say about it.

The beautiful young lady interviewed at the end of this report is my cousin Margaret.  She had planned on having the memorial service for her mother (who died last month ) at the "Little White Church," as we have done for so many of our family for decades.  Many of our forebears are buried in the cemetery which is located next to the church.

A Letter to My Family: Where Do We Go From Here?

My family owns property in French Azilum Township, Bradford County, PA. Since July of 2008, our family corporation, which has about 150 members, has been engaged in debate about gas drilling. The gas industry has arrived in our valley, the Susquehanna River valley. Cousins, aunts, and uncles who used to be glad to see each other now dread the sight of one another. Our summer home we call Camp used to be a place of refreshment, peace, and tranquility. It has become a battleground, a war zone. I hope some people who specialize in social implications of gas drilling will do research and publish their findings. Family dynamics and neighbor-to-neighbor relationships are becoming more and more strained as gas drilling moves in. Here is a letter written by a family member which may cast some light on the complexities that many families face. The names have been changed to protect the innocent!

Dear Family,
Inspite of strong denials that we will ever be offered a gas lease of any kind, and inspite of strong assurances from Steve and Mona that there is no lease to consider (even though there was one offered last fall which has never been seen), and, if there were a lease, the Board of Directors, which now has complete control over any gas-related decisions, would likely not sign it for Camp, I remain concerned. Why? Because since the family meeting I have heard talk of consulting a high-powered attorney from Williamsport should we have a lease to consider. I guess I am supposed to be pleased about that, but I am not. Why? Because consulting a lawyer begs the question, "Should we even be considering doing this in the first place?" A lawyer, especially one who deals with gas leases for a living, is only going to look over a lease to make sure everything is supposedly in there that should be and advise some deletions, etc. But a lawyer is not necessarily going to counsel us on the rightness or wrongness of signing a lease. A lawyer is not going to make ethical or moral decisions for our family. We have to make those decisions first before we would ever go to a lawyer. We have to know what questions to ask. Otherwise we will open ourselves up for legal entanglements which will require many hours on the part of someone in our family to sort things out. Who will that person be?

So while Steve and others still adamantly claim that they are not necessarily in favor of signing a lease, nevertheless, their discussion of finding a lawyer indicates that the idea of a lease is still alive and well. I do not think that going to a lawyer comes close to doing our homework first. Just running a lease by a lawyer before signing may give some people a sense of security, but it is a false sense of security at best. Have any of you read about people who have signed great leases and still had major problems with gas companies? There is a myth going around our family which I have heard quite often that the only way we can cover ourselves against damage from gas drilling is to have a lease. This really has not worked well for a lot of people who thought a lease protects a landowner. It really protects the gas company first and foremost. Chesapeake Appalachia LLC, for example, can declare bankruptcy and skip town if the going gets rough, and its parent company Chesapeake Energy is not liable. The first thing a gas company does is deny responsibility for anything no matter what it is. Then a long process of legal proceedings ensues. The DEP has been known to come out of the gate talking tough, but then backs down. Some litigation I've read about has gone on for a decade or more. So perhaps a lease could eventually cover us down the road, but who in the Sam Hill is going to be around to collect the money? And in the meantime, if it involves water, who is going to fight to get a water supply put in at Camp? Gas companies have supplied water to some people after trying to avoid doing that, but it is not automatic, and it can take months to actually get a tank put in (which has to be maintained and filled up frequently). Talk to the people in Dimock just a few miles from Camp. They will tell you how their lives have turned into nightmares and things continue to get worse there as I write. I encourage anyone who would even consider any lease with any gas company to go to well sites locally in French Azilum (there are quite a few to choose from) or go to Dimock which is probably in the shape we will be in a few years from now, but they are already there. Nothing can compare with actually seeing what gas drilling really is and what it really looks like. Before any lease is signed, go see for yourself.

Frenchtown will be unitized soon (a unit is 640 acres). Your board will most likely be approached when this happens. So decisions will have to be made in the near future. There are agreements for wells, pipelines, rights of way for above ground water pipes, seismic testing, even compressors, meter stations, injection wells, all sorts of things which come with gas drilling. This is only the beginning. I, as probably everyone knows by now unless you have been living under a rock, am not interested in signing a lease or any agreement with a gas company. For one thing, we don't have to do it. And secondly, I want Camp to remain unattached to such an industry. Any money we would get, and there are no guarantees, would probably not make us more solvent in the future, at least long term. All we can do is protect Camp from the industry and make the drillers go around us. It is not good, no matter how you look at it, but at least we can say to our children and grandchildren, "We did everything we could to save and protect Camp from harm and destruction. "

Love to all,
Evelyn

August 14, 2009

IS YOUR FAMILY SUFFERING FROM THE GAS DRILLING INDUSTRY?
DEMAND ACCOUNTABILITY!

Pipelines Are Okay, Right?

In a recent drive through parts of French Azilum Township, Bradford County, PA, I encountered this dreadful scene: Installation of gathering pipelines in the backyards of residents. Can you see the swing set? I saw the little girl who swings on that swing set. She was selling cookies to the workers who were tearing up the land right behind her house. The pipeline has since been buried five feet down and covered over, leaving a landscape of miles and miles of telltale "roads" of dirt over which I suppose grass will grow before long, giving the illusion that all is back to "normal." But is it ever going to be the same? Last Sunday in the Wise County (TX) Messenger, an article was published, telling the story of nurseryman Melvin Mitchell, who noticed something odd last Tuesday morning: mud was spurting out of the ground on his property.

As he plowed his land, he saw the fountain of mud out of the corner of his eye. As he approached, he found a pool of mud located just over a Devon gathering line.

He called Devon Energy Corporation, owner of the pipeline. Representatives came out to look the situation over. Chip Minty, media relations manager with Devon, described the problem:

The pipe that runs across Mr. Mitchell's land developed a very small hole- a hole large enough to put a toothpick through. Under pressure, enough gas leaked through from that size hole to make itself obvious.

Minty said the hole was caused by corrosion by bacteria. The area of the leak required much attention and effort to correct the problem: replacing the pipe, removing two barrels of liquid, replacing the contaminated soil, analyzing all the soil and liquids, among other things. Would that this could be a "happily ever after" kind of story. However, there is still much to be concerned about. Mr. Mitchell's son and business partner, Darin, told reporter Mandy Bourgeois that the trees on his property have been suffering and dying since 2001. He said they are dying, not from bacteria or disease, but rather from asphyxiation.

It's like growing trees on concrete.

There is some kind of gas in the soil which eliminates the presence of oxygen. The tree roots grow out rather than down as they should. Darin can't sell them with confidence because the trees may not survive. Devon tested the soil in 2007 and did find problems, but the company claimed no culpability and said its operations did not cause the damage. Darin hired an independent company to test is soil in July 2008. The test revealed the presence of gas in the soil. Darin said he never dumped anything on his land or had anything leak gas in the area. He and his father have spent their adult lives in the nursery business. Never have trees died like this before they started planting on this land.

Read the article by Mandy Bourgeois here.

DEMAND ACCOUNTABILITY!
GROW TREES, NOT GAS WELLS!

Gas Drillers Help With Archaeological Dig

An archaeological dig was undertaken this summer in French Azilum at the historic site where French settlers briefly established a community in the late 18th century. A doctoral candidate at Cornell is doing her doctoral thesis on French Azilum history. During the dig this summer, many volunteers came to help with the digging of the site, which took place from June 9 to August 8. About four or five different people came each day, with about 10 regulars who came to help often. Along with individuals getting to experience the work of an archaeologist, Boy Scout troops, school groups, and families came to experience the dig.

Even a gas company from the area had 10 employees come over to work at the site for a while.

Drilling for artifacts instead of natural gas just seemed like a logical progression I guess. Gas drillers try to be such good neighbors as we all know. And they are so interested in the natural beauty and historical significance of French Azilum and Bradford County, PA., one of the areas being destroyed by natural gas drilling day by day, well by well. Perhaps the gas drillers were from Chesapeake Appalachia. This company has given money for a day care center and donated to the Daily Review in Towanda to help teachers use the newspaper in their classrooms. Their philanthropy is questionable, of course, but they do claim to care about the people of Bradford County. I think they have claimed that people are their first priority. The person who is at the top of the list of people they care about is their CEO Aubrey McClendon who got millions of dollars in bonuses last year. I don't think Bradford County has seen that kind of money yet.

Read the article about this dig in the Towanda Daily Review here.

DEMAND ACCOUNTABILITY!
DIG FOR ARTIFACTS, NOT GAS!

A Personal Testimony: Seismic Testing

Here is a personal story told by a member of a family from French Azilum, PA, which tells of her dismay about seismic testing on her family property, lovingly referred to as "Camp."

"Permission was given by a family member last November for Geokinetics to do seismic testing on Camp property. The family received $5 per acre. These tests are not connected with any gas company. They are done by an independent company which hopes to cash in big time on the gas drilling frenzy, which undoubtedly they are. The testing, in which dynamite is buried 20 feet down and then detonated, is all set to begin on our property in the next two weeks or so. Workers have been all over our property marking with ribbons, orange, pink, blue, and white. Big tire vehicles have trampled down vegetation and left big tire tracks in the mud on our path to the river.

It gave me a sick feeling to walk down that beautiful path and see the evidence of newcomers who do not know they walk on sacred land.

They do not know the animals and the flowers and trees that live there and will soon be traumatized by earth-shattering blasts. Here is a little information that we probably should have found out about before we agreed to have this done. Also, if we are not thinking about leasing, WHY DO WE NEED TO HAVE TESTING DONE?" [Read my comments at the end of this post.]

Seismic Exploration—Issues and Impacts
• Survey stakes for mapping out the exploration area should be wooden, and not wire pin flags, because farming activities like making silage or hay can shred the wire flags. The resultant metal bits can kill livestock that eat the feed. Also, all stakes and markers should be removed after exploration is completed, because livestock and wildlife can die from eating ribbons or flags.

• Seismic lines will destroy vegetation and may cause erosion, which could lead to sediment entering surface waters.

• 3-D tests tend to cause greater surface disturbance and companies use your land for longer periods of time than with two-dimensional surveys.

• If dynamite is used during exploration, the "shot" holes may intercept the water table, and water may begin to flow or seep to the surface. These flowing holes have caused problems for some landowners, e.g., by making the land so wet that farmers were unable to cut hay. These holes need to be plugged from bottom to top. Ensure that the company properly plugs and abandons these holes.

• Seismic work crews may generate different types of waste (plastic, paper, containers, fuel leaks/spills, food and human wastes).

Seismic Exploration—Tips for Landowners
• Prior to any exploration, it is advisable to ask the company to show you, on a map and on an aerial photograph of your property, where they intend to conduct their seismic operations. [WAS THIS DONE?]To minimize damage, try to ensure that work is conducted as far away from surface waters as possible. Ask companies to avoid steep slopes, as this could lead to erosion. As well, request that the company avoid any areas of ecological sensitivity or importance to your use of your land. [WHAT ABOUT WILD FLOWERS ON OUR PATH?]

• Landowners may want to negotiate more payment and negotiate stronger surface-damage provisions if they consent to 3-D seismic tests, due to a greater degree of surface disturbance caused by this type of testing.

• It is advisable to get water wells tested before and after seismic testing, because seismic shot holes can provide a path for surface contaminants to come into direct contact with groundwater. The seismic explosions may also create pathways for water to flow to the surface, which could decrease pressure in the reservoir and affect water quantity in water wells. You can request that the company pay for these water quality and quantity tests.

• After the company leaves, do some ground-truthing: ensure that holes have been properly filled; that no flags, pins or trash are left around to endanger livestock or wildlife; and that water is not flowing into or from any holes. [WILL THIS BE DONE?]

• Review the state regulations governing exploration (contact state agencies to obtain copies of any regulations pertaining to exploration). There will likely be a number of things that the company is required by law to do (e.g., plugging of seismic holes; notification of exploration; posting a bond to cover potential surface damages, etc.). The more you know, the more you can ensure that the company is acting responsibly. For example, if notification is required before a company can enter your property, you may want to use the opportunity to make some requests of the company, e.g., negotiate a surface damage agreement, or right-of-way (access) agreement.

It should be stressed that geophysical techniques and remote sensing cannot identify oil or gas accumulations directly; they can only indicate the potential for reserves. The presence of oil and gas can only be confirmed by actual drilling. So, if the preliminary tests indicate a high likelihood of oil and gas, the company may decide to drill an exploratory well.

THERE HAS DEFINITELY BEEN SURFACE DAMAGE ON OUR PROPERTY. WAS THAT ADDRESSED WITH GEOKINETICS? WERE THEY ASKED TO NOTIFY US WHEN THE TESTS WOULD BE DONE? I DO NOT BELIEVE SO. WERE WE AWARE OF WHAT SHOULD BE DONE BY THE COMPANY AFTER THE TESTS ARE COMPLETED? I DO NOT THINK SO. DID WE KNOW WHERE THE DYNAMITE WOULD BE BURIED? I DO NOT THINK SO. WAS THERE A COMPELLING REASON TO HAVE THIS DONE ON OUR PROPERTY IN THE FIRST PLACE? I DON'T THINK SO. DO I WISH OUR FAMILY REPRESENTATIVE HAD BEEN MORE RESPONSIBLE AND DONE RESEARCH BEFORE AGREEING TO THIS TESTING? YES!

MY HEARTFELT APOLOGY TO ALL THE CREATURES WHO LIVE ON OUR PROPERTY AND WHOSE HABITAT WILL BE BLASTED OR SHAKEN DURING THESE NEEDLESS TESTS.

DEMAND ACCOUNTABILITY!