Power Engineering-- "Gov. Tom Corbett today signed into law Rep. Matt Baker's (R-Bradford/Tioga) legislation establishing regulatory oversight of natural gas pipelines in the Commonwealth to the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (PUC).
The new law will authorize the PUC to conduct safety inspections and investigations of natural gas pipelines within the Commonwealth in coordination with the U.S. Department of Transportation's Pipeline and Hazardous Material Safety Administration (U.S. DOT).
'This legislation is just common sense and keeps us in line with what other 31 natural gas-producing states are doing,' said Baker. 'I am pleased that the General Assembly and governor recognized the immediate need for such legislation and fast-tracked it through the legislative process and signed it into law.'"
Read the remainder of the article...
Showing posts with label Tioga County. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Tioga County. Show all posts
Wednesday, December 28, 2011
Corbett signs pipeline safety measure
CPBJ-- "Gov. Tom Corbett on Thursday signed a bill giving Pennsylvania's Public Utility Commission regulatory oversight of the commonwealth's natural gas pipelines.
The new law, which takes effect in 60 days, gives the PUC authorization to conduct safety inspections and investigations of pipelines in coordination with the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Pipeline and Hazardous Material Safety Administration."
Read the remainder of the article...
The new law, which takes effect in 60 days, gives the PUC authorization to conduct safety inspections and investigations of pipelines in coordination with the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Pipeline and Hazardous Material Safety Administration."
Read the remainder of the article...
Saturday, November 6, 2010
Tioga County man stabbed to death by gas industry worker
[Please note: this article was originally posted on www.stargazette.com, 11.5.2010]
Gas industry worker charged in Pa. stabbing death
Landry being held in death of his landlord
By Jason Whong
jwhong@gannett.com
CHARLESTON TOWNSHIP, TIOGA COUNTY, Pa. -- A gas industry worker from Texas has been charged in the Thursday night stabbing death of a local man from whom he rented a room.
Pennsylvania State Police in Mansfield arrested Billy Holden Landry, 49, of Liverpool, Texas. He is charged with criminal homicide and aggravated assault in the death of Shawn Charles Miller, 44, of Cherry Flats Road in Charleston Township, east of Wellsboro.
Police were called just before 11:30 p.m. Thursday to 158 Cherry Flats Road, where Miller rented two upstairs bedrooms to Landry and another gas industry worker.
Miller had no pulse when medics arrived, according to a criminal complaint against Landry filed in District Court in Wellsboro.
Miller was pronounced dead at the scene by the Tioga County Coroner's Office.
Police said the men were arguing before the stabbing.
Kimberly A. Hess said she witnessed the argument at the home that her mother, Connie Everitt, shared with Miller, Everitt's boyfriend of 13 years. Miller rented the two upstairs bedrooms in the three-bedroom home to "oil-riggers," she said.
Hess said she spent the night on the couch and was awakened by Miller asking Landry and the other man, Mike Helton, to be quiet.
"They were drunk, and one had a girl over, and they were all just rowdy and making noise," Hess said.
Hess said she heard a voice from upstairs taunting Miller and asking him to come upstairs.
Miller remained at the bottom of the stairs and asked them to "shut up, be quiet," she said.
Hess said the men came downstairs, one with a knife, as Everitt tried to keep the men apart.
Everyone was "eventually pushed down on top of Shawn," Hess said, as the fight moved toward the television.
"There was a candle that got broke, and I seen blood coming ... from Shawn's wrists, from the top of his hand, actually. And I thought it was from the candle getting broken," she said.
Miller took a few steps, then fell over. "That's when we realized he had gotten cut ... right below his chest," Hess said, as she traced a line across her abdomen with her finger.
"We were trying to give him CPR."
Landry and Helton left immediately afterward, she said. "They left without their shirts on or anything. They didn't grab their bags or nothing."
Just after midnight, Landry went to state police in Mansfield and told the dispatcher that he wanted to speak with a trooper "about a situation he was involved in," according to the complaint.
Landry told the dispatcher that "two females had beat him up" and that he had stabbed a man "in self-defense," according to the complaint.
When a trooper interviewed Landry, he said he was protecting himself and that "nobody should take a beating and not protect themselves."
To read the remainder of the article in full (including photos), please click HERE.
Gas industry worker charged in Pa. stabbing death
Landry being held in death of his landlord
By Jason Whong
jwhong@gannett.com
CHARLESTON TOWNSHIP, TIOGA COUNTY, Pa. -- A gas industry worker from Texas has been charged in the Thursday night stabbing death of a local man from whom he rented a room.
Pennsylvania State Police in Mansfield arrested Billy Holden Landry, 49, of Liverpool, Texas. He is charged with criminal homicide and aggravated assault in the death of Shawn Charles Miller, 44, of Cherry Flats Road in Charleston Township, east of Wellsboro.
Police were called just before 11:30 p.m. Thursday to 158 Cherry Flats Road, where Miller rented two upstairs bedrooms to Landry and another gas industry worker.
Miller had no pulse when medics arrived, according to a criminal complaint against Landry filed in District Court in Wellsboro.
Miller was pronounced dead at the scene by the Tioga County Coroner's Office.
Police said the men were arguing before the stabbing.
Kimberly A. Hess said she witnessed the argument at the home that her mother, Connie Everitt, shared with Miller, Everitt's boyfriend of 13 years. Miller rented the two upstairs bedrooms in the three-bedroom home to "oil-riggers," she said.
Hess said she spent the night on the couch and was awakened by Miller asking Landry and the other man, Mike Helton, to be quiet.
"They were drunk, and one had a girl over, and they were all just rowdy and making noise," Hess said.
Hess said she heard a voice from upstairs taunting Miller and asking him to come upstairs.
Miller remained at the bottom of the stairs and asked them to "shut up, be quiet," she said.
Hess said the men came downstairs, one with a knife, as Everitt tried to keep the men apart.
Everyone was "eventually pushed down on top of Shawn," Hess said, as the fight moved toward the television.
"There was a candle that got broke, and I seen blood coming ... from Shawn's wrists, from the top of his hand, actually. And I thought it was from the candle getting broken," she said.
Miller took a few steps, then fell over. "That's when we realized he had gotten cut ... right below his chest," Hess said, as she traced a line across her abdomen with her finger.
"We were trying to give him CPR."
Landry and Helton left immediately afterward, she said. "They left without their shirts on or anything. They didn't grab their bags or nothing."
Just after midnight, Landry went to state police in Mansfield and told the dispatcher that he wanted to speak with a trooper "about a situation he was involved in," according to the complaint.
Landry told the dispatcher that "two females had beat him up" and that he had stabbed a man "in self-defense," according to the complaint.
When a trooper interviewed Landry, he said he was protecting himself and that "nobody should take a beating and not protect themselves."
To read the remainder of the article in full (including photos), please click HERE.
Saturday, October 9, 2010
Law enforcement forced to play "Whack-a-mole" and PA pays one way or another
Law enforcement officials are doing the best they can with the resources they have, but with the natural gas industry wreaking havoc all over the state, they're left playing a "Whack-a-mole" style of policing. It's nearly impossible to keep up with the results of the blatant disregard drillers seem to have for PA residents and resources (natural or otherwise). State officials failed to pass a severance tax through the Senate by October 1st that could provide much needed funds to help ensure drillers abide by regulations; instead the industry continues to pretty much 'regulate' itself in most of the state. One has to wonder how many other wetlands of "exceptional value" are being knowingly ruined by these companies.
The gas industry doesn't care what laws they're breaking, what roads they're tearing up or what land they're ruining. They don't have to; they're not from here, but from states like OK, TX or KS-- here to do a job. And they're buying our elections to help ensure they're left to continue 'regulating' and policing their own. See previous post: Just who is buying *your* candidate?
Tax or not, Marcellus Shale drilling is costing Pennsylvania.
State lawmakers agreed back in July to pass a tax on natural gas extraction in the Marcellus Shale by October 1st. They failed to meet that self-imposed deadline, and now it's looking likely that nothing will happen on the tax until after November because the State House has adjourned for the election.
That's bad news because the state desperately needs new sources of revenue. It's also mind-boggling because companies mining in the Marcellus Shale are taking a huge toll on Pennsylvania's infrastructure.
We'll start in Derry Township, where the large trucks used by natural gas drillers are tearing up newly paved roads.
With three wells completed for Marcellus Shale drilling and 30 more planned, Derry Township supervisors say they're concerned about damage done to roads by heavy equipment. On Thursday morning, the supervisors took state Sen. Kim Ward on a walking tour of damaged streets -- including Superior Road, which they say was paved last year but has large ruts and piles of gravel today.
There are other problems outside of Derry. The state police have taken 140 trucks, mostly used by natural gas drillers, out of service statewide because they failed inspection. The increased enforcement is a response to the large number of vehicles inundating roads in regions with a lot of drilling.
Out in Tioga County, the Department of Environmental Protection has issued a $40,000 fine to a drilling company for several violations.
DEP inspected the Bloss Township, Tioga County, site in March and found that Seneca Resources Corp. of Brookville had filled nearly one acre of “exceptional value” wetland without authorization, improperly built an impoundment, and caused sediment runoff by failing to institute erosion control best management practices.
What do all these incidents have in common? They're examples of how state and local government have been forced to respond to the impact of Marcellus Shale drilling, even though the legislature has failed to pass a severance tax to generate revenue to pay for these responses. Clearly, the impact of drilling is real. Without the proper resources, it's impossible for government agencies across Pennsylvania to ensure the industry does more good than harm.
Sunday, June 20, 2010
Drilling accident in Tioga County, 2 rushed to Guthrie
Details still unknown..but here's the story as it was published by WETM Corning/Elmira: click HERE for story.
Additional details can be found HERE at the Elmira Star Gazette.
Additional details can be found HERE at the Elmira Star Gazette.
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Gas company creates endowment for local 4-H
Yes, it's a great thing there's now an endowment for 4-H students but am I the only one who smells something rotten here? Maybe future 4-H'ers can use it to study how to get our landscape, waterways and wells back after the gas companies have used 'em up, spit 'em out, pulled up stakes and left town. Not to be snarky or anything.
Source: Wellsboro Gazette 3.3.2010
East Resources, Inc. today signed an agreement with Penn State’s Cooperative Extension Service to create a new 4-H endowment fund for Tioga County. East created the endowment with an initial principal investment of $50,000. The fund will be used to supplement financial support for the Tioga County 4-H program and may include educational awards for 4-H members.
“East Resources has a major stake in Tioga County’s future through its oil and gas interests, and our contribution to this endowment reflects East’s commitment to help sustain that future,” says Bob Long, the company’s executive vice president. “Tioga County’s young men and women are the key to the long-term health of our communities, and we appreciate the significant role that the county 4-H program plays in helping them grow into productive, self-directed citizens.”
“4-H, an outreach program of Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences, is a major youth mentoring program that teaches life skills and leadership using science based programs,” noted Dennis Calvin, interim director of Penn State Cooperative Extension. “This generous financial gift for the Tioga County 4-H endowment made by East Resources will help assure that generations of youth will have access to 4-H programs. It will also provide assurance that these youth grow into future local, state, national, and international leaders.”
“Those of us involved with the Tioga County 4-H Program, including the staff here at Tioga County Cooperative Extension, the many dedicated volunteer leaders and 4-H members are very appreciative of East Resources’ generosity,” Robert S. Hansen, D.F., the Tioga County Extension director, said. “Their donation to the Tioga County 4-H Endowment will make it possible for Tioga County 4-H youth to participate in state and national events that otherwise they may not be able to attend.”
East Resources, Inc. is an independent oil and gas producer in the Appalachian and Rocky Mountain regions of the United States. East is one of the most active oil and gas explorers in the Appalachian region and is making significant investments in the responsible development of natural gas from the Marcellus shale. The company holds approximately 900,000 gross acres of Marcellus shale rights in Pennsylvania, West Virginia and New York, and it employs more than 355 office and field personnel with approximately 60 employees in Tioga County.
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