SUNBURY — On the verge of a proposed natural gas Sunbury Pipeline, several people voiced their concerns on On The Mark Tuesday.
The Reverend Dr. Leah Schade is a local anti-fracking activist and says there are many problems with pipelines that people do not take into account, “When you have these methane leaks, that is contributing to climate change. When you have problems at the wellhead for the fracking itself, there are health problems and water issues, and you realize that the costs do not equal what the benefits have been touted to be.”
Drake Saxton is former president of the Responsible Drilling Alliance and says bringing in the pipeline is a disruption to the environment, “We are going to have several hundred acres of forest and farmland disrupted. Even though they will use a double-ditch method, they turn the topsoil over and then replace it once the construction is completed, that topsoil will not grow the volume of crops that it did prior. That is a very serious concern.”
UGI Energy Services is holding a public meeting tonight to talk more about the 35-mile pipeline that would run from Lycoming County to Shamokin Dam. The meeting will be held at the Sunbury Social Club starting at 5:30p.m.
Schade and Saxton, among others with concerns about the pipeline, plan to address those concerns. They include lowered property values, the big carbon footprint, UGI’s history of accidents, and much more. You can hear more from them by downloading Tuesday’s On The Mark program here. (Sara Bartlett)