by admin on November 29, 2009
By Henry W. and Pat C.
Four weeks after it spilled 8000 gallons of chemical-laced fracing fluid into Stevens Creek in Dimock, Pa., Cabot Oil and Gas resumed drilling operations in Susquehanna County.
After the spill at the Heitsman well on September 24, the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) required Cabot to make an adequate Pollution Prevention and Contingency Plan plus a Control and Disposal Plan within two weeks. Cabot was then given three weeks to perform a study of its equipment and fracing process to determine if drilling would be allowed to resume.
The DEP assessed Cabot’s drilling violations and fined the company a mere $56,650.
“I think it’s a joke; they have charged Cabot only $6.75 per gallon of toxic chemicals,” said Barbara Arrindell of Damascus Citizens for Sustainability (DCS).
“These spills by Cabot are just the tip of the iceberg; it’s a disaster waiting to happen,” added DCS’s Pat Carullo. “The fine is just a slap on the wrist…Maybe, if they had fined them [Cabot Oil and Gas] $5 million, it would have made a difference,” he continued.
According to The Wayne Independent, the DEP believes that Cabot will do a better job in the future, despite the three drilling spills they caused last month within nine days of each other.
On October 16, Cabot submitted the Pollution Prevention and Contingency Plan as well as a Control and Disposal Plan to the DEP.
After reviewing the plans, the DEP approved the company’s request to resume hydrofracturing in the Dimock area.
by admin on November 28, 2009
By Henry W. and Pat C.
In the midst of rising public pressure, Chesapeake Energy Corporation has decided to step back from the natural gas fight in New York State by withdrawing their request to drill in the watershed.
The watershed supplies over nine million people in the New York City area with unfiltered drinking water. Due to the possibly of contaminating this water supply, and the resultant public uproar, Chesapeake Energy, the largest leaseholder in the Marcellus Shale, had to make a decision. “We have decided to withdraw the application and reassess our approach to the situation. We believe this is preferable to continuing with hearings and further public debate about this project at this time,” said James E. Grey, regulatory affairs director of Chesapeake Energy.
Chesapeake does plan to advance their applications for drilling in other parts of the state that are not in the watershed. The Delaware River Basin Commission (DRBC) is working with Chesapeake to make drilling operations as safe as possible. “Our role is to react to applicants, to review them, and to ensure that the watershed is protected,” said Clarke Rupert of the DRBC.
Some New York City politicians and environmental advocates are pleased with Chesapeake’s decision to withdraw their drilling permits in the New York City watershed. The New York Times quoted James F. Gennaro, chairman of the City Council’s Committee on Environmental Protection, saying, “To proceed with drilling doesn’t make any business sense and doesn’t make environmental sense, and I think Chespeake understands this, and I am happy they have come to that decision.”
However, opponents of hydrofracking are concerned that New York City, a major player in the gass drilling controversy, will now back out of the fray and let Upstate New York take the brunt of the struggle to protect the environment and local water.
by admin on November 27, 2009
By Pat C.
Beep…Beep…Beep, the alarm clock signals to the students at The Family Foundation School it is time to wake up and begin another day.
Not only is there a designated time for waking up, but also for eating meals, going to class, playing sports or other activites, and going to sleep. This schedule can very demanding to the students and is one of the most disliked features of the school.
Prior to arriving here, most students had no sense of what it means to have a schedule and actually follow it. This was especially true for me.
At home, my parents set out the rules and guidelines I needed to follow: a time to wake up for school, meal times, curfews, and of course the requirement that I attend all my classes. At the time I saw these rules as my parents just wanting to control me, so I did what I thought every normal teenager does: the exact opposite.
I would sneak out after my curfew, rarely come home to eat dinner with the family, woke up whenever I wanted, and skipped school.
I thought I could do whatever I wanted and failed to see the importance of the rules my parents had set for me. Eventually I found myself in loads of trouble and on my way to The Family Foundation School.
When I arrived at FFS, I disliked the routine as much as any other student. I couldn’t stand being told what to do, but I knew that I couldn’t live the way I did at home so I followed the schedule as required. In fact, I really didn’t see the importance of routine until my last home visit.
I had a great visit with my family but I also had a lot of down time. During this down time I began falling into self-pity, thinking about how lonely I’ll be if I stay sober, how I don’t really need to call my sponsor, etc.
Later in the visit I had a conversation with my mother who told me that I am going to need a routine to live by when I graduate: school, a job, church, and meetings.
At first I was resistant, but then I began to realize and accept that my mother was right. I now believe that if I am going to continue the life I have started at FFS and stay sober, I need a routine to live by.
After thinking a lot about what my mother said, I am now able to appreciate the reason why we have a set routine every day. I understand that it is hard to wake up early or to not do exactly what you want to all the time, but the bottom line is that is life.
Successful people don’t go floating through life without goals and guidelines. They live by routines. The students at FFS need to realize that the need for schedules and discipline doesn’t disappear when they leave the school; it really only intensifies.
I understand that the prospect of graduating and leaving FFS can be very exciting. But this excitement can alsp be very dangerous if it isn’t applied in our lives in a positive manner.
As graduation gets closer and closer, I realize that I am going to get exactly what I wanted two years ago: complete control of my life. The difference between then and now is that I now know that I have to take responsibility for all of my actions, good or bad, and that I need to continue to live the life of routine I have started at FFS.
by admin on November 26, 2009
By Henry W. and Pat C.
Since 1997, Sidney Federal Credit Union (SFCU) has had a branch in the Quickway building on West Main Street in the Village of Hancock. The “micro-branch” occupies only 330 square feet in the corner of the convenience store, but it offers the same services as any other branch. However, after 12 years of operating in such tight quarters, SFCU is ready to branch out.
On October 15, SFCU officials held a ground-breaking ceremony for their new branch office at the former site of the Delaware Inn on West Front Street in the middle of the village.
The ceremony began with a few opening remarks from SFCU President and CEO, James A. Doig, and Chairman of the Board James Suriano who said,“We feel the best is yet to come; we just ask for everyone’s patience.”
Hancock Mayor Celia Vazquez said she is happy with the new project and knows it will provide economic support for the community. “People are going to see a big company investing in the village,” said Vazquez.
New York State Assemblyman, Clifford W. Crouch, also sees the new development as a something positive for the Hancock community. “This project will enhance the beauty of Hancock,” said Crouch. He also noted that the added space will make SCFU more efficient.
The guests had a chance to view an architectural model of the new 1600-sq. ft. building. Norman J. Davies, the architect on the project, provided a design which is similar to the look of the storefronts throughout the village.
Hancock Has Chosen
Talbot House News
