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In addition to the environmental and social impact natural gas drilling, piping and processing has had in our Pennsylvania Wilds, we are now facing three new threats, especially in Clinton County.
The first two are Industrial Projects: The Renovo Gas Power Plant and Keystates "Blue Hydrogen Hub." Each of these massive infrastructure investments will require decades of further fracking and contribute to Greenhouse Gas and Climate Change. They will bring years of traffic congestion, heavy truck traffic and oversized loads on dangerous narrow roads into the Wilds. They will create noise, light, dust and diesel smog around the clock.
Once operational, the pollution, venting, flaring, blow-downs and other conditions will become regular issues for residents, tourists and travelers and First Responders to deal with.
The Proposed 7,000-acre "Energy Park" in Sproul State Forest, Keating Twp., area will have unique impacts for Wildlife and Tourism while supplying the Fracked gas for Hydrogen and Fertilizer from a vast area of well pads, storing the "Captured Carbon" in spent wells "on site" and delivering Hydrogen to end users thru a matrix of specially constructed pipelines. This "CCUS" method has been shown to be a pipe dream,( pun intended), by Peer Reviewed Research. Taxpayer Grant Funds are key to this project and permits are to be staged incrementally based on performance of 90% Carbon Capture.
The third proposed invasion is by the Md. Air National Guard! They plan to lower the "ceiling" for Fighter Aircraft Training from 8,000 feet above sea level, to 100 feet above ground level! The plan calls for as many as six A-10C Jets, "some F-16's" and a C-130 to "create a more realistic experience". These missions would be flown twice daily for 170 total days/year with some until 10 p.m.
The original Environmental Assessment, (EA), concluded "no significant impacts”! Several environmental groups, State Agencies, Indigenous Tribes, and Outdoor Organizations have expressed concerns and opposition to this plan.
Nesting bald eagles, breeding elk, deer, black bear and rural livestock would surely feel a "significant negative impact," not to mention tourists, sportsmen, campers, hikers and dark skies star gazers!
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DEAN MARSHALL
Lock Haven
Submitted by Virtual Newsroom