Our look at natural gas activities
around
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Marcellus Shale gas drilling got
underway in Washington County when the
Renz
Well was drilled near Westland, Pennsylvania in 2004. Since
then, Marcellus drilling activity has greatly increased in Mt.
Pleasant Township and surrounding townships in western parts of
Washington County. |
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| Trinity South Elementary School |
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| November 11, 2009 |
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| Foreground: MarkWest compressor station Background: Trinity South Elementary School |
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| Large compressor for moving natural gas
through pipelines. One 95 hp compressor = 17 cars driving non-stop. |
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| December 2009 Compressor station building is nearing completion |
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| Impoundments are constructed near gas
drilling activities to hold the fluids necessary for fracing
(pronounced 'fracking') horizontal wells into Marcellus Shale. |
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| Black silt fence is used on both sides to help provide a buffer for this stream |
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| Once trees are removed from
pipeline
right-of-ways they will never be replanted since these areas are
kept clear of trees to protect the gas line potential damage. |
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| Excavation has begun on the gas pipeline
right-of-way that extends south toward Waynesburg Pa. |
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| Gas well sites and related gas sites use
solar panels as a remote energy source. |
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| Across the road from the MarkWest
compressor station on Johnson Road is an active gas well site. |
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| Gas wells flared at the nearby
BEDILLION-DAY UNIT during Christmas week 2009 |
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| Range Resources sign for the
JOHN DAY PRODUCTION PAD
wells No. 1 thru No. 8, just up the road from Trinity South Elementary School |
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Patterson-UTI rig #315 was moved from a site near Arden
Fairgrounds to this site on South Main Street Extension, just up the
road from Trinity South Elementary School. The extensive excavation
work to both sides and the rear of this drilling rig indicate that
an impoundment is being constructed to hold water and/or recycled
wastewater for fracing this well and
piping water to other Marcellus gas wells in the area. |
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| Major excavation activity indicates
impoundment
construction. The impoundment next to the Waynesburg interchange
has been in the newspaper due to the foul odors emanating from
wastewater in the pit. |
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| John Day Unit
Impoundment
for fracking. 14-million gallons of fluids or more. |
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| March 2011 photo of gas pipeline and stream
buffer with white plastic fluid pipe leading to and from impoundment |
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LINKS Air quality issues (PDF) Chemicals in Natural Gas Operations (47 min. video) Proposed school near gas well concerns Fort Worth neighbors Natural Gas Drilling videos by Josh Fox The Male Predicament (37 min. video) |
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OVERSIZE AND OVERWEIGHT IN AMWELL TOWNSHIP |
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| Oversize Load exiting a small
country road with damaged 10-Ton weight limit bridge in photos below |
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| Sign clearly indicating the weight limit on
Main Street, the road the truck is seen entering above. |
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| Oversize loads (like the truck pictured above)
have been regularly crossing this small bridge that is posted with a 10-ton weight limit also used by school buses |
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| Sign at the opposite end of Johnson Road: Bridge Weight Limit 10 Tons 1-1/4 Mile Ahead |
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| Bridge damage - Is the guardrail the only
thing damaged? Check out the cracked concrete in the bridge abutment. |
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