Buckingham to Review 'Fracking' Impact

At the urging of one of its residents, Buckingham supervisors plan to meet with the township’s environmental advisory council to review ordinances that might allow for any future problems relating to natural gas drilling.

Ginnie Preston approached supervisors at their last meeting to discuss issues surrounding hydraulic fracturing, or “fracking,” as it’s commonly called.

Fracking is a method used to extract natural gas from the ground by drilling deep wells and then pumping water, sand and chemicals, under high pressure, into the wells. The pressure fractures the underground shale and creates fissures that enable natural gas to flow more easily out of the well.

The method has been the subject of heated controversy.

Proponents argue that the extracted natural gas can serve as an alternative, relatively inexpensive source of energy and provide a boost to the local economy.

Critics say not enough studies have been done on the procedure and its ramifications for the environment or the health of those living near the drill sites.

Preston is a member of the Delaware Riverkeeper Network, an environmental group fighting against the drilling. She had that day just gotten back from attending a public hearing in Newtown on the matter.

While Buckingham may not lie over Marcellus shale, the geological formation in Pennsylvania where natural gas has been found, it still may feel the impact if drilling goes on in the Delaware River Watershed, which supplies water to 15 million residents in four states.

Drilling companies have put some Upper Bucks communities, such as Bedminster and Nockamixon townships, on their radar, since it’s believed that natural gas deposits may be located there.

“Ultimately, it will impact all of us. Not just the people who have the drilling near their homes, but anyone who is served by this watershed will be impacted,” Preston said.

If drilling moves into the area, townships may be confronted with issues such as gas pipeline placement or water mining, which involves extracting groundwater from the township to use in other municipalities, thereby depleting water supplies. “Pooling” is another concern; drilling companies can force property owners to drill on their land, even if they don’t want to, because neighbors have agreed to have wells drilled on their land.

Supervisor Henry Rowan supports the idea of reviewing township ordinances so they’ll provide maximum protection for Buckingham residents if anything related to drilling for natural gas occurs in the future.

“Right now we seem isolated from Marcellus,” he said. “The simple reality, though, 10 years ago, everywhere in Pennsylvania was isolated. The gas was still there, but the technology wasn’t.”

Rowan worries that federal governmental agencies or utility companies could trounce any laws passed by local municipalities.

“For example, what do we do with pipelines? Interstate pipelines are federally regulated. The lines that go to your house are (state)-regulated. The big issue is what happens with the collection lines from the wells?” questioned Rowan. “And right now they’ve gotten through the first hurdle with the (state) to say that collection lines are also public utility. And that gives them eminent domain. So, you don’t like the idea of somebody running a pipeline across your property? Too bad. That’s a fight that continues on in Harrisburg, but it’s a real fight.”

Aside from the environmental aspects, there could be economic ones as well, said Preston. Once the drilling companies leave, property values can decrease and homebuyers may have a tough time getting mortgages on those properties.