Water monitoring/protection program to be held in Canton

BY ERIC HRIN (STAFF WRITER)
Published: February 12, 2011

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A "Water Monitoring and Protection near Gas Well Drilling" program is a go in Canton.

This week, the Canton Area School Board approved reducing the "utilization fee" from $300 to $50 to Penn State Cooperative Extension for the use of the Canton Area Jr./Sr. High School auditorium for an educational program being offered Feb. 21 to the public on the potential impacts of Marcellus gas drilling on rural drinking water supplies. The vote was unanimous.

At last month's school board meeting, board members tabled the matter, and agreed to get more information from Penn State regarding the program in order to help them make a decision on the fee.

Here is a news release from Penn State regarding the program:

Penn State School of Forest Resources and Cooperative Extension will be holding "Water Monitoring and Protection near Gas Well Drilling" on Feb. 21 at the Canton High School, 509 East Main St., Canton. This informative program will run from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Bryan Swistock, Penn State Water Resources Extension Associate, will be discussing water strategies such as pre-drilling testing done by gas companies and voluntary testing by landowners, how to test water quality from drinking water supplies and surface water, testing packages and the use of accredited water labs. The program is free and open to the public.

The latter part of the program will be dedicated to discussing a research study being conducted. Penn State's School of Forest Resources along with several Penn State Cooperative Extension county offices, have received funding from the Center for Rural Pennsylvania and the Pennsylvania Water Resources Research Center to conduct a research study on the potential impacts of Marcellus gas drilling on rural drinking water wells.

The data collected from the study is for research purposes, but will also provide information for the water well owner.

Statewide, about 200 private water wells near completed Marcellus gas well sites will be selected for free post-drilling water testing of several water quality parameters. Interested water well owners who meet the research parameters, will receive water testing materials and instructions at the program. At the workshop, each water well owner will be asked to complete a short survey about their experiences with nearby gas well drilling. Water samples and completed surveys will need to be returned to the BLaST IU 17 the following morning between 7 and 10 a.m. so they can be returned to the Penn State water testing laboratory. The water samples collected in this study will not be legal chain-of-custody samples that are required to legally document impacts from gas drilling. Instead, the results will only be used for research purposes and for the education of the homeowner.

To be eligible for the study and the free water quality testing associated with it, participants must meet all of the following criteria:

- Own a private water well (no springs/cisterns can be included in the study).

- Have an existing Marcellus gas well (drilled and hydrofractured) within about 5,000 feet (one mile) of the water well. The gas well must be a Marcellus well and not a more traditional, shallow gas well.

- Provide copies of water test results from a state-accredited water lab showing, at a minimum, pre-drilling concentrations of total dissolved solids, chloride, and barium in the water well.

- Be willing to collect a sample from the water well on the morning after the workshop and return it to the BLaST IU 17, 33 Springbrook Dr../Route 14 between 7 and 10 a.m. the day after the workshop.

Due to funding constraints, all eligible applicants cannot be promised inclusion in this study. Selection will be based on eligibility, geographic location and other factors. Participants selected for the study will personally benefit by receiving a free test of their home drinking water supply and information about the results of those tests.

Please contact the Lycoming County Cooperative Extension Office to register to attend at (570) 433-3040. Participants will have a greater understanding of the importance of water testing and strategies to use in protecting the water well supply.

Penn State encourages persons with disabilities to participate in its programs and activities. If you anticipate needing special accommodations or have questions about the physical access provided, please contact Carol Loveland at (570) 433-3040 in advance of your participation or visit.

"This program is for educational purposes only and is not intended to be legal advice. Consult an attorney."

For more information, contact: Carol Loveland, Penn State Cooperative Extension, Lycoming County, 542 County Farm Rd., Ste 206, Montoursville, PA 17754.

Eric Hrin can be reached at (570) 297-5251; or by e-mailing reviewtroy@thedailyreview.com.

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