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“My name is Phyllis. I live in Lake Lynn, Fayette County, SW PA. I have 4 gas wells behind me and a compression station 300 ft in front of me. My grandchildren are suffering headaches and burning throats. The trees are dying behind me. We called the DEP and EPA.  Health dep’t doctors can’t give us answers. We don’t know where else to go. They dumped the fracking water in our lakes and creeks here. Someone please help us before it’s too late.”

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Delaware County officials in particular:  it’s clear you think that having NYC telling us what to do is bad.  And so it is.  But tragically, if you facilitate or allow gas drilling to take place here, you – and your constituents – will have get used to much worse:
From a homeowner in Mt Pleasant Township, Pennsylvania -
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I wanted to pass along an update of what has been happening in Mt. Pleasant Township.  I find this whole thing very disturbing and unethical!  Several weeks ago our township zoning hearing board denied a variance and special exception to our zoning ordinances for MarkWest and Range Resources.  MarkWest was for the expansion of the compressor next to our home and another station in our township.  Range  Resources was for hosting the “man camps” at the drill sites.  
http://www.observer-reporter.com/OR/Story/05-13-2010-mt–pleasant-bunk-houses (MarkWest processes the gas that Range Resources pulls out of the ground).
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The man camps are set up when the driller starts the horizontal drilling.  They drill around the clock and claim that they need men there the entire time.  Some work 14 hour shifts.  Mobile trailers are placed on the drill pad to house the workers.  They contain sleeping quarters, eating areas and shower houses.  They have housed locally anywhere from 25 to 70+ men at one time.  During our public hearing an employee of Range Resources admitted that they leave background checks up to their sub-contractor, Patterson Drilling.  They only do back ground checks in the last state the man worked in.  This is NOT a federal background check.  Therefore, sex offenders can be living at these sites and we would never know.  They are going to be drilling ten wells across the street from our school and another ten beside the school.  We are VERY concerned about the safety of the children.  There are no fences around these camps.  In addition, the drilling company was hesitant in supplying documentation on the disposal of human waste from the site.  Like they aren’t dumping enough in our creeks…
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This was a huge statement in the State.  However, the industry retaliated. These two companies, along with their sub-contractors, boycotted all of our local businesses. Which in turn had business owners pressuring the township supervisors to reverse the decision.
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Then Range Resources sent letters to land owners who have leases.  The letters stated that since MarkWest couldn’t expand the compressor station, Range couldn’t drill for gas.  Therefore, this was causing a delay in them receiving their royalties.  Once again, more phone calls to the township supervisors. 
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It now sounds like within days the twp. supervisors will over turn this decision and allow MarkWest to expand their compressor stations.
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As if our community was not already divided enough, now the industry put in a bigger wedge.  “Divide and Conquer”.  I know this has happened in other parts of the country.  I find this a pitiful attempt to punish communities that tried to stand up to them.  This will further intimidate other rural communities.
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Not that I expect you to aid in this in anyway, but I just wanted you to understand what were are dealing with here.  This just adds to the nightmare we deal with!
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Steph Hallowich
Hickory, PA
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Below:  Range Resources’ letter to lessors, threatening them with loss of their royalties if they don’t pressure their township supervisors to give Range Resources what it wants.

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Remember how the landman said that when the drillers were done, all we’d see was a “Christmas tree”?  We’d “never even know they’d been there”?

Funny, he never mentioned the compressor stations, and the access roads.  Oh, and the fumes.  And the poisoned water.  And the traffic.   And the break-ins.

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see original post and larger image at

Faces of Frackland

For Stephanie’s story, see Stephanie Hallowich Speaks Out at Faces of Frackland

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Published at http://www.windturbinesyndrome.com/?p=4264

September 26, 2009

Dear Dr. Pierpont,

I would like to thank you for making time to read this. Also, for your excellent work on WTS. It is so similar to VAD Vibroacoustic Disease caused by low frequency noise. Initially identified in the aeronautical field, by military pilots and aircrew. I am sure you are aware of Vieques, Puerto Rico studies. The Navy bought the end of this small island for artillery practice. Poor people lived at the other end of the island. They have since suffered high cancer rates, heart problems, internal problems, and low birth weights.

I live in Texas, the state with the most gas wells (95,000+). The gas from the wells is piped to compressor stations. Our county has 130 or more compressor stations. The low frequency noise travels up to 5 miles radius, thereby overlapping.

Our director, Charles Morgan, has been diagnosed with VAD by a Dr. Wright in Indiana. Feel so bad for him. Sometimes he drives 150 miles just to sleep. His eardrums have burst twice. He has very bad headaches and burning in his veins.

We have tried all means to get to get Noise Law (1982) given to states re-enacted, to no avail. We have tried to get school districts to have a noise assessment. We have been to Austin to see Representatives and Senators. We are not trying to stop big oil & gas, just get them to give up some of those billions in profit and do the responsible thing by enclosing, or using noise abatement, on these compressor stations. Yes, even the rural ones. To protect us and the wildlife.

Could I be so bold to ask if you could do a paper or write something on this subject you know so much about? Please help us! I wear earphones and take [redacted] medicine, and can’t afford to move away.

Enclosed please find our brochure. Thank you again for your time.

Sincerely

Sharon Ward, Secretary
Fairfield, TX 75840

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What kind of system allows an industry to run amok and ruin peoples’ lives and health?

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Compressor stations bring the pressure up from gathering line pressure to utility line pressure.

dscn0024-compressorstation575-72dpi

The diameter of those fans is as large as the height of 2 men combined

Here’s how they can sound (click to listen):

sound010

People who live near one can never turn that sound off

Sound file from http://www.elkcapital.net/screamingsilence/
Visit “Screaming Silence” to learn more

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