The Pennsylvania Association of Township Supervisors (PSATS) described the impact of drilling on affected communities in their 2015-16 Policy Statement as follows:
Townships feel impactFormerly quiet townships have beentransformed by the drilling industry. Smallrural roads that once carried a few dozencars a day have become the site of dailytraffic jams, the result of hundreds ofheavy water-filled tanker trucks for frack-ing, stone trucks for site development,and pipe and drilling rigs transporting theneeded equipment to the often mountain-ous and rural sites. Local and state roadsdisintegrated under the weight of theloads, at times within days, if not hours.Out-of-state workers for the drillingcompanies competed for rental proper-ties and hotel rooms, escalating housingcosts and displacing tourists. Emergencyresponders faced new challenges withoutneeded equipment or training. And resi-dents expressed concern over the future oftheir water supply.”
The article applauds the $600 million in “natural gas impact fees” of which 60% was passed through to municipalities to help offset the damages. While the article is generally upbeat and positive about the economic benefits of the gas industry (jobs, higher wages, royalties) it avoids discussion of health and environmental issues. The photographs of drilling sites are impressive and interesting, but few would want to be viewing them from a bedroom window. One can’t help wonder if the writer was trying to put lipstick on the proverbial pig. (Read the full article here.)