50 Gather Downtown for Gas Drilling Rally
Morgantown Dominion Post
26 May 2011
By David Beard
About 50 people gathered at noon Wednesday at Monongalia County
Courthouse Square to sound off about the Marcellus gas well operation
under way at the Morgantown Industrial Park.
This was the second rally organized by a fledgling concerned citizens
group — tentatively calling itself Morgantown Area Concerned Citizens
Group until it picks a name, an organizer said.
“Our goal is to stop the drilling,” co-organizer Kathy Hash said. “Our
goal is to protect people.” Rallies will continue at noon every
Wednesday at the Courthouse Square.
Attendees carried signs: “Honk to ban fracking” (and many cars honked);
“Tomblin, we demand action and protection, not exploitation.”
Last week’s rally had about twice as many protesters.
Other viewpoints also were represented. The WV/PA Monongahela Area
Watersheds Compact seeks regulation to limit the impact of Marcellus
gas development in the region.
Duane Nichols, a member of several watershed groups, speaking on his
own behalf, said he and others are considering legal action to try to
stop or limit the activities at the industrial park. He wants the
Department of Environmental Protection to establish risk assessments
and a public notice and comment period before issuing drilling permits.
Citizens group member Candace Jordan has created a Facebook page, “Stop
the Fracking in Morgantown Industrial Park.” Posted May 18, the page
has 470 members.
The Watersheds Compact and the League of Women Voters are co-sponsoring
a public meeting on “the adverse impacts” of Marcellus operations in
general at 6:15 p.m. June 2 at Skyview Elementary.