TRR photo by Tom Kane This gas drilling rig in Oregon Township, PA was erected on Fox Hill Road on May 20.

Gas drillers invite visitors, sort of

By TOM KANE

OREGON TOWNSHIP, PA - A very clearly worded sign stands at the entrance of the rough gravel road leading down to the latest Chesapeake Appalachia gas drilling site on Fox Hill Road in Oregon Township stating that “salesmen and visitors are welcome.”

Only they’re not, or at least not visitors who say that they are newspaper reporters.

On the two-acre pad, holding a recovery pit that is lined with black plastic, several large water tanker trucks, and other diverse machinery, stands a high rig shooting up into the air, poised to begin drilling for gas. A group of “rough necks” were working on a rig platform, in preparation to begin drilling.

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Water worries intensify

Officials vow to protect a ‘precious resource’

By SANDY LONG

UPPER DELAWARE VALLEY—As the number of water contamination incidents related to the process of natural gas extraction increases across the country, so do attempts to regulate such impacts. A growing number of officials, agencies and organizations are calling for more protections of the nation’s water supply and implementing new regulations to mitigate those risks.

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Long live the voting lever

By FRITZ MAYER

MONTICELLO, NY—New York is in last place among all the states to update their voting machines. Now, there’s movement not to update the old lever machines at all.

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Other stories in this issue:

• Bethel to spruce up abandoned cemetery
• PA counties urge state budget caution
• Gas at a glance
• ‘Hiking Week’ is here
• Local nasal irrigation product on Oprah
• Legislation to restore Agent Orange benefit
• Sustainable government

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S