About

The Coalition for a Healthy County (CHC)is a coalition of concerned citizens and local and state organizations actively engaging in a campaign to maintain the integrity of conservation zones surrounding several natural areas in Indiana County, Pennsylvania. Our coalition is asking the Indiana County Commissioners to protect these areas from the dangers of hydraulic fracturing of the Marcellus Shale.

Background

In February 2011 a local company starting illegally drilling a vertical hydraulic fracturing Marcellus shale gas well inside of a Conservation Zone that surrounds Yellow Creek State Park. Despite being denied once, MDS Energy has reapplied a second time with an updated application. EQT Productions is the second company so far interested in drilling in other places within the Conservation Zones.

These Conservation Zones are intended “to provide protection against the development of detrimental land usages within close proximity of the parks, particularly within and immediately beyond the identified drainage basins serving the parks.” The use of hydraulic fracturing to extract Marcellus shale gas is detrimental to the aesthetic, environmental and recreational aspects of the parks. In addition, a catastrophic incident at Yellow Creek would jeopardize local water supplies. However, written in 1973, the ordinance does not offer adequate protection to address the relatively new procedure of hydraulic fracturing of the Marcellus Shale.

The Coalition for a Healthy County

The Coalition for a Healthy County (CHC) formed to bring this issue to the public, to  educate our community on issues related to deep shale fracking, and to directly engage our elected officials to take action to protect our county.

CHC is advocating for Indiana County to adopt a comprehensive plan for ensuring the county maximizesx exonomic benifit, and reduces industry risk from Marcellus shale drilling.  This comprehensive plan includes best practices for natural gas extraction for ALL drilling in the county, and a prohibition on drilling in sensitive areas, such as the Conservation Zone surrounding Yellow Creek State Park.

UPDATE: Click here to read the amended ordinance prepared by CHC and PennEnvironment.

The Coalition for a Healthy County includes: Friends of Yellow Creek, the Sierra Club, the Yellow Creek Conservation Association, the Central Indiana Water Council, the Friends of Whites Woods, the IUP ECO Club, Penn Environment, and involves PennFuture, the Evergreen Conservation, and the League of Women Voters. We are always reaching out to new members!

If you are interested in becoming involved with the CHC please subscribe to this blog, or send an email to coalitionforahealthycounty@gmail.com