Morgantown (WV) Area Marcellus Shale Wells Upset Residents, Watershed Groups

A Charleston-based company has started work on two drilling wells located in the Morgantown Industrial Park. Northeast Natural Energy has started site preparation for a well pad containing two Marcellus gas wells that will occupy four to five acres of land.

snip

Barry Pallay of the West Virginia, Pennsylvania Monongahela Area Watersheds compact, is worried the Department of Environmental Protection permitted the site without looking closely enough at safety issues.

He worries about air emissions from the site and the risk of fire and explosion hazards.

"These kinds of things that occur without any consideration to public health and public safety and water supplies and the environment are of grave concerns to everyone in this state," he said.

snip

The DEP issued the permits to the company in March with no public hearings, which gave no chance for citizens like Sandra Fallon to give their input.

http://wboy.com/story.cfm?func=viewstory&storyid=99070