Lucas Wade

Anti-fracking movement



All across Pennsylvania thousands of citizens are being made aware of Marcellus
Shale and the fracking of rock. Marcellus Shale is a rock formation stretching across
Northern Pennsylvania into Ohio and parts of New York. Now, many people may not
know what fracking actually is. Energy companies such as Williams Production pump
water, sand, and hundreds of toxic chemicals deep underground to release pockets of gas
by breaking up the rock where the gas is trapped. Supporters explain that fracking gives
us hundreds of thousands of jobs in a battered economy, which can be very beneficial to a
lot of unemployed individuals. Protesters however, claim that these processes are
polluting drinking water for thousands of residents. Saturday February 18th, here at
Bloomsburg University an anti-Fracking Direct Action Training was held in Bakeless,
room 107 from 10-4. Coordinating this event is Dr. Wendy Lee of the philosophy
department here at Bloomsburg.
Lee explained that, fracking poses an immediate environmental hazard not only
to humans, but livestock and other animals as well. Not only the water damage but
there is collateral damage as well, says Lee. The truck traffic traveling back and fourth
from frack sites are wreaking havoc on public roadways. All day long trucks continually
transport the gas to compressor stations where it can be processed. The compressor
stations that can be close to schools and retirement homes contain hundreds of chemicals
and even explosives. Fracking is affecting everyone across Pennsylvania by
contaminating drinking water for residents. A fracking pad resides off of rt.11 in
neighboring Benton which is only a twenty-five minute drive from Bloomsburg.


Williams production is using 2,000,000,000 gallons of water a day to frack rock. This
water will never be able to be returned to the Water Table.
Lee has been protesting the Marcellus movement along with others for quite some
time. Lee has also protested things like the tuition increase for students right on the steps
of our states capital. Not only did the workshop provide insight about Marcellus and
fracking, but also how to protest. For example, how to avoid tear gas and pepper spray. It
will also provide why it is important to gauge in civil disobedience.
It is important to make fellow students aware of events and circumstances that are
happening around us. The workshop was a good way for students in lieu of this subject to
learn more about it. If you feel strongly about Marcellus or other matters you can join the
movement. Express your rights as a citizen of this country and learn to protest. Even help
prevent hindering the environment by processes such as natural gas drilling and
consumption. There are other ways of energy that do not require drilling and
contamination. These are things like solar power; Bio fuels and hydroelectric power. We
need people to exercise rights and go to Harrisburg to try and make a difference. In
closing Lee explains, They have pushed us up against a wall, and that wall is civil
disobedience.