Community Corner

Whitehall Woman Not Cheering for Western PA Gas Drilling

'I'm saving the cheers ... until some experts can assure me that drilling for natural gas in residential neighborhoods and state parks will not further pollute my already polluted air and water.'

Responding to news that Shell Oil has as the home for a natural gas plant, Whitehall Borough resident Laura L. Leete wrote a July 14 letter to the editor of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette in which she expresses deep concern for the possible negative effects of Marcellus Shale drilling.

"I'm saving the cheers for the Pittsburgh Pirates and not the Marcellus Shale-related industries until some experts can assure me that drilling for natural gas in residential neighborhoods and state parks will not further pollute my already polluted air and water," Leete writes, "that my property value will not be lowered, that the noise level caused by drilling that used to be enforced by local ordinance will not be deafening, and that the majority of the natural gas produced will be sold in this country and not to China."

The topic of Marcellus Shale is especially sensitive to residents, as the local has leased part of its land to Chesapeake Energy to allow for .

Find out what's happening in Baldwin-Whitehallfor free with the latest updates from Patch.

It is not believed that any fracturing has taken place at the country club yet.

Read Leete's full letter here.

Find out what's happening in Baldwin-Whitehallfor free with the latest updates from Patch.

Thoughts?

...

If you have a complaint, want a topic covered, want to publicly congratulate someone or have something else to say altogether, please send an email to baldwin-whitehall@patch.com as a Patch letter to the editor submission.

The Baldwin-Whitehall Patch will not accept anonymous letters. Each Patch letter will be published along with the name of the person who sent the letter and that person's email address.

Note: The Baldwin-Whitehall Patch, in certain cases, may choose not to publish some letters.

 ---

Follow the Baldwin-Whitehall Patch on Facebook and Twitter.

Sign up for the daily Baldwin-Whitehall newsletter.

Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.