Residents: dozens of wells in Bradford County have been contaminated
Review Photo/JAMES LOEWENSTEIN Carol French says a number of residents along Paradise Road section Terry Township have seen the value of their homes plummet to one-tenth of what they were, due to contamination problems.
TOWANDA - At the Bradford County commissioners' meeting on Thursday, several local residents said dozens of Bradford County households have had their well water contaminated by gas drilling.
There were among the residents who filled the conference room at the courthouse on Thursday to tell the commissioners about problems related to gas drilling, including traffic congestion, high rents, and contamination issues, and ask the commissioners to help address them.
Towanda resident Diane Siegmund, who has been a local activist on environmental issues, and Sheshequin Township resident Carol French told the commissioners that between 70 to 100 households in Bradford County have had their water wells contaminated by gas drilling.
Joe Shervinski of Terry Township told the commissioners that the number of Bradford County residents with water contamination problems from gas drilling is five times more than was the case in Dimock in Susquehanna County, which became a national news story. Siegmund said that 13 household in Dimock had contamination problems.
"Newly industrialized Bradford County is bearing an enormous burden from unsafe air, due to methane, and water (contamination)," Siegmund told the commissioners. "I've spoken to people who have barium in their systems, people who want to get out (of their homes) but can't sell their house," Siegmund said.
French quoted McLinko as telling Gov. Tom Corbett's Marcellus Shale advisory committee that while the county has had instances of water wells being contaminated by migrating methane in Bradford County, it is not as widespread as some people portray it to be.
Siegmund said she believed the number of contaminated wells is at least 70, based on her conversations with people who had contamination problems. She said the number also reflected the number of contamination sites that had been placed on a map, which was given to a Time magazine reporter who had visited the county a few weeks ago.
Siegmund suggested that a government-sponsored website be created where Bradford County residents would be able to report their contamination problems.
After the meeting, she said the intent of the website would be to document the extent of contamination problems in the county.
At the meeting, McLinko agreed that such a site should be established.
"We have to find out where the affected wells are, and we'll go and help these people," McLinko said.
French also urged the county to begin reducing the assessments on people's homes who have been affected by gas well contamination, as she said they are financially strapped.
She said there are residents along Paradise Road in Terry Township, where there have been contamination problems, who have seen value of their homes drop dramatically, as reflected by recent appraisals.
"Their properties are worth one-tenth of what it was before gas drilling started," French said.
She also said residents along Paradise Road have had to face skyrocketing electricity bills from having to heat the water in their water buffaloes to keep them from freezing and from running water filtration systems at their homes.
She said that one household saw its monthly electric bill increase from $130 to $450, while another household's bill increased from below $150 to $520.
"This (increase in electric bills is occurring) through Bradford County," French said.
McLinko said, "We'll start the discussion" on creating guidelines for reducing assessments due to contamination issues, but predicted that the formulating those guidelines "won't be quick."
James Loewenstein can be reached at (570) 265-1633; or e-mail: jloewenstein@thedailyreview.com.
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