May 25, 2011

Community Meeting on Gas Drilling Planned For Tonight in Cameron

The Wheeling Intelligencer reports that the Marshall County Commission and other county officials are hosting a community meeting on oil and gas drilling. The meeting will take place at 6PM tonight (Wednesday, May 25) at the Cameron Volunteer Fire Department.  Area residents are encouraged to attend and share their concerns. Click here for more information.

Reminder: ‘Fracking Facts’ Seminars Offered ~ May 26 &  June 4 in Wheeling

The Ohio County Public Library will hold the second in a series of "Fracking Facts" educational meetings this Thursday, May 26 at its 52 16th Street location in Wheeling.  The meeting will begin at 7PM. Members of the Wetzel County Action Group (WCAG) will give a presentation entitled, "Challenges and Suggestions." This program will focus on the economic, social, and environmental issues raised by activities related to gas drilling. 

To learn more about WCAG's efforts visit www.wcag-wv.org and check out this recent story from WV Public Broadcasting.  Click here for an update on the group's appeal of two permits that would allow Chesapeake Energy to add two natural gas compressor stations to its large—and growing—Marcellus Shale operation in West Virginia’s northern panhandle.

During its third installment, the library will welcome Dee Fulton and Duane Nichols of FrackCheckWV who will discuss their organization's activities and goals at a 2PM meeting on Saturday, June 4.

Additional programs in the series will be announced as they are scheduled. The series is free and open to the public. Click here or call (304) 232-0244 for more information.

Public Meeting on the Impacts of Marcellus Shale Gas Drilling ~ June 2 in Morgantown

The WV/PA Monongahela Area Watersheds Compact and the League of Women Voters are sponsoring a meeting on the impacts of Marcellus Shale gas drilling -- "Where are we? Where are we going?"
 
When:  Thursday, June 2, 2011 at 6:15 PM SHARP [Doors Open at 6:00 PM]

Where: Skyview Elementary School (near Marcellus well site) [Off River Road just South of DuPont Road, South of Westover ~ See directions below]

Agenda & Speakers:

• Welcome and Introductions  ~ Barry Pallay, Co-Chair Watersheds Compact, VP Upper Mon River Association
• Overview of Permitted Wells near Morgantown Industrial Park ~ Evan Hansen, President, Downstream Strategies
• AES Sweetwater Recycling Facility Marcellus Wastewater  ~ Duane Nichols, Co-Chair Watersheds Compact
• Proposed Preston County Landfill for Marcellus Waste ~ Amanda Pitzer, Friends of the Cheat
• Review of Marcellus Natural Gas Development Activities in Pennsylvania ~ Martin Niverth, Upper Mon River Association
• Update on Wetzel County Marcellus Developments ~ Bill Hughes, Wetzel County Action Group
• Status Report on Activities to Ban Marcellus Drilling in & around Morgantown and the Watershed that Provides Drinking Water to Morgantown ~ Speaker TBA
• Update on the Citizens Stream Monitoring Program of the Isaac Walton League ~ John Butler
• West Virginia Source Water ProtectionProgram: How Does It Relate to Morgantown Needs? ~ Bill Toomey, DHHR, Bureau of Public Health
• WVU Source Water Protection Resource Program: How Does It Relate to Morgantown Needs? ~ Gerald Iwan, WVU Natural Environmental Services Center
• WV-DEP Division of Water & Waste Management Programs Related to Source Water Protection: How Does It Relate To Morgantown Needs? ~ Speaker Invited
• WV-DEP Division of Air Quality Programs Related to Air Quality Protection: How Does It Relate to Morgantown Needs? ~ Speaker Invited
• WV-DEP Office of Oil and Gas Land/Mineral Protection Programs: How Does It Relate To Morgantown Needs? ~ Speaker Invited
• Army Corps of Engineer Water Resources and Management Programs: How Does It Relate To Morgantown Needs? ~  Speaker TBA
• Morgantown Utility Board (MUB) Programs: How Does It Relate To Morgantown Needs? ~ Tim Ball, Director, MUB
• Update on Activities of the Morgantown Area Concerned Citizens ~ Kathy Cash, Sandra Fallon, Ann Payne, Alice Meehan, Catherine Tall
• Listing of the Concerns of the Groups Present ~ Barry Pallay, Facilitator
• Resolutions on Water, Air and Land Protections Programs ~ Barry Pallay, Facilitator
• Concluding Remarks and Announcements

Directions: Google "Skyview Elementary School" or for those familiar with the bridge across the Mon River between Morgantown and Westover: Cross bridge from Morgantown to Westover, turn left at Westover end of bridge.  You are on River Road/Route 45.  Stay on River Road for about one and one half miles until you get to four-way intersection. (Left at that intersection takes you into Morgantown Industrial Park. Right at that intersection takes you to Westover.) Go STRAIGHT THRU intersection for roughly quarter mile and you will see entrance to Skyview Elementary and Westwood Middle School on your right.

Thank You, Call for News and Events

WV-SORO would like to thank SavetheWaterTable (Monroe County) and the Doddridge County Watershed Association for hosting us and inviting us to speak at recent meetings. 

If you have events or news you would like us to share with our e-list or post to the website, please e-mail julie@wvsoro.org. Daily news stories, as well as ongoing news coverage and special reports relevant to WV-SORO can be found at www.wvsoro.org.