Spring 2010 Volume 10, Issue 1 P.O. Box 35 Warrendale, PA 15086-0035 www.rachelcarsontrails.org
[email protected] President’s Corner By Todd Chambers Inside This Issue Marcellus shale is a sedimentary rock, found throughout much President’s Corner 1 of Pennsylvania, which has generated a great deal of Spring Hiking on Conservancy Trails 1 discussion because, locked away in the tight spaces that make Trail Challenges in 2010 2 up this rock are large natural gas reserves. This makes it an Where Does This Trail Lead? 2 attractive target for energy development that could be an Allegheny Valley Community Trails Initiative 3 economic boon for the region if it is done right, but it could Event Calendar 4 also be an environmental nightmare. how this pattern can repeat. Marcellus shale wells utilize a drilling technique that involves injecting millions of gallons of pressurized water and Groups such as the PA Forest Coalition and the Pennsylvania chemicals deep underground to fracture the shale and release Campaign for Clean Water are committed to ensuring the DEP the natural gas. Several streams in Western Pennsylvania were and other government agencies implement proper depleted by drillers who pulled out all their water, and late in environmental protection regulations for Marcellus shale 2008, industrial users and drinking water consumers along the drilling, and that sufficient resources are devoted to monitoring Monongahela River were warned not to use the water because and enforcement. We support the work of these groups. it was too polluted, in part from discharges of contaminated water from Marcellus shale wells.