Gas Industry Apology For Explosion: Free Pizza

A young gas worker, age 27, an expectant father, was killed February 11th, in Greene County, PA, when there was an explosion on  a Chevron well pad.  The explosion caused a fire which burned out of control for 4 days.  Ian McKee's body was reduced to bones which were finally discovered this week after the fire was out.  Chevron sent out gift certificates for pizza and soda to nearby residents in an attempt presumably to mollify any strong negative reactions.  Read more here to see some comments from these pizza certificate recipients.  Kudos to Protecting Our Waters for its coverage of this news.

Here are two comments from people:

“Worst apology ever: Sorry our fracking well exploded. Here’s a free pizza,” one angry Twitter user wrote Tuesday.
“Nice community relations: if you are frightened by fire and explosion, relax, have a pizza!” another tweet stated.

This Blogger's comment (that's me!):  It is a very common tactic to try to appease the victims or soon-to-be victims of the serious, sometimes fatal, consequences of the gas industry.  I truly think the industry thinks people are generally willing to be manipulated by little gifties.  The people who have been harmed are not in any way gullible or uneducated or anything else one might say about them.  They are us, you and me.  If I am not among them yet, it is just luck, and I could easily join their ranks in the near future.

Clean Air, Clean Water, Clean Soil, not Free Pizza!

Whistleblower Truck Driver

The gas industry is lying to us. Hear what this former truck driver has to say about what he was asked to do.

Accident on PA Well Pad Injures Worker

A gas well worker was airlifted to Robert Packer Hospital in Sayre, PA, October 6th, after an emission of gas under pressure, described by Chesapeake Energy as "an inadvertent release of pressure."  The incident occurred in Terry Township, Bradford County, PA.

Well, I would be surprised if Chesapeake would say this was done on purpose.  Of course, it was inadvertent, just like all spills and accidents resulting in injuries, deaths, and illness.  Does that make it more acceptable?

The newspaper article described what a resident close to the accident felt:

Spring Lake Road resident Larry Shenk, who lives about a half mile away from the well site, said he was walking out of his house onto his porch, when he heard a loud boom, followed by about 15 seconds of a whooshing sound, which sounded like air blowing.

I believe this well was put in in 2009 and was a producing well.  The injured man was performing routine maintenance at the site. 

Read the whole article here.

The road near our summer homestead
Photo: Carol Manuel

Note:  This incident is personal for me because it happened just 10 miles south of our family summer homestead in French Azilum.  French Azilum is being destroyed by gas drilling.  I say this because any beautiful place which is turned into an industrial zone is, by definition,  destroyed.  It becomes a Sacrifice Zone.  There are many such zones in our country and more on the way.  All for greed and profit.