Interest in the Marcellus Shale is heating up at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, which just launched a tipline where New Yorkers can report sightings of illegal gas and oil drilling. The agency is asking residents of Pennsylvania, Maryland, New York and West Virginia to "report suspicious oil and gas well activity in the Northeast." And they have some pretty specific guidelines for what they want to know.
The "Eyes on Drilling" campaign has a hotline -- 1-877-919-4372 -- and an email address: eyesondrilling@epa.gov.
Sue Heavenrich, a writer who has been blogging about gas drilling in upstate New York at The Marcellus Effect, explains why the EPA is interested:
Like any industry, drilling for natural gas is bound to cause accidents and spills. As the pace of drilling picks up, so too will the corresponding rate of spills and incidents ... the EPA is concerned about the potential for increased spills and illegal disposal of drilling muds, sludge and wastewater.
(In another post, Heavenrich describes what it's like to hold a chunk of the Marcellus in your hand.)
