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EPA Tells Dimock Families Their Water is Safe to Use

thumbs upA new email from the federal Environmental Protection Agency says the water wells for 19 affected families in Dimock, PA have tested fine and do not pose a threat to those families. Yet, some of those families are still grabbing headlines by playing the victim, claiming their water is undrinkable. Who to believe?

The Dimock situation is difficult to understand, being shrouded in so many layers of publicity stunts it’s hard to know what the real story is. As near as MDN can tell, in a nutshell:

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Gas Drilling’s Death by 1,000 Stalls in NY

An opinion column in today’s New York Post aptly nails the situation on gas drilling in New York State. In fact, the title says it all, “Fracking in NY: death by 1,000 stalls?” MDN has been a Johnny-one-note on this topic with our assertion that Joe Martens, Commissioner of the NY Department of Environmental Conservation and the man whose job it is to get drilling going in the state, is intentionally delaying drilling because he doesn’t want to see it happen. The Post agrees.

The Post column says, in part:

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NE PA County Changing Public Transport Vans to CNG

The Luzerne County Transportation Authority in northeastern PA needs to replace some 60 vans they use to provide transportation for the elderly, children and special-needs persons. After researching it, the County has decided that compressed natural gas (CNG) powered vans are the best choice, due in part to low natural gas prices from an abundance of Marcellus Shale gas in PA.

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Spectra Gets FERC Approval to Expand PA Marcellus Pipeline

Spectra Energy has received Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) approval for their Texas Eastern Appalachia to Market (TEAM) 2012 pipeline expansion project which expands Texas Eastern’s existing pipeline system and allows them to deliver extra Marcellus Shale gas to the northeast market in the U.S. A map detailing the existing pipeline and the proposed upgrades is embedded below.

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Marcellus & Utica Shale Story Links: Monday, Dec 5, 2011

The “best of the rest” – stories that caught MDN’s eye that you may be interested in reading:

Deal sought for road repairs by drillers
The Columbus Dispatch
Drillers are eager to tap a vast reservoir of natural gas and oil within shale beneath Ohio, which could employ thousands, but critics say it will also cause pollution.

Where To Try Consol Suit?
The Intelligencer
Pennsylvania officials want to resolve their dispute with Consol Energy for contributing to the death of thousands of aquatic creatures in 2009 at Dunkard Creek in Monongalia County Circuit Court.

Southwestern Pa. colleges wary of gas leases
Valley News Dispatch
Area colleges don’t appear to be following the lead of two West Virginia schools that have signed lease agreements with an energy company to drill their land for Marcellus shale.

NYSEG unveils pipeline documents
Ithaca Journal
New York State Electric & Gas Corp. has made the application and documents related to its Seneca West Pipeline Interconnect project available for public review.

Pennsylvania towns contend with gas pipeline proposals
Erie Times News
A number of municipalities in Washington County have spent the past few months crafting regulations for Marcellus Shale gas well drilling pads, compressor stations, processing plants and even employee work trailers.

Actor Mark Ruffalo embraces anti-fracking role
Star-Telegram.com
Movie star Mark Ruffalo is embracing a role as a fervent opponent of natural gas driling and hydraulic fracturing in the Marcellus Shale, a huge, gas-rich geological formation that underlies much of the northeastern U.S., including the Catskills region of New York where Ruffalo and his family live.