About 28% of Pennsylvania and much of upstate New York is rural. It surprises most people to learn that New York State is 63% forested and that 59% of Pennsylvania is forest land. The people who live in these states enjoy what the outdoors has to offer, and they protect their natural resources. The fear that the natural beauty that surrounds them could be irreparably damaged is very real.

Over the last several months opinion pieces have appeared regarding drilling in the Marcellus shale. There have been reports that oil companies are ruining the beautiful landscape of upstate New York and Pennsylvania, that they are greedily reaping profits without a care for landowners, and that fracing is contaminating the water. Clearly, this “information” is not entirely factual.

Shale gas production is employing new technologies that are developing rapidly. Developing shales will enrich Pennsylvania and New York mineral owners. Shale tax revenue will be paid to local governments providing long-term wealth for communities, which will result in well-funded schools, new and improved infrastructure, and repaired roads.

At the time of this writing, Marcellus drilling in Pennsylvania is moving forward in most counties – while New Yorkers continue to enforce a ban – and drilling activity is boosting the state economy. In Broome County, NY, on the other hand, the population continues to decline as young people look for work elsewhere. Broome County has identified up to 4,000 wells that could be drilled in that area. Even if only half were attempted, the revenue could yield US $400 million in wages, salaries, and benefits; $605 million in property income from rents, royalties, and dividends; and $43 million in state and local tax revenue.

The Marcellus shale is a natural resource and presents a business opportunity that will encourage children growing up in this area who are interested in earth sciences to work at home instead of looking elsewhere for jobs. The Marcellus shale will take decades and generations to develop, so people who are working there now could see their children working there when they retire.

Energy produced from a lift on bans would help local and national economic needs and produce all of the byproducts of the industry that Americans have come to rely on. Most importantly, the landscape will remain beautiful. What the naysayers are missing is the fact that shale gas development will attain its developed state within a few years with less visible impact than the electrical grid. And the aquifer impact will be far less than that of agriculture.

Microseismic technology has determined that fracs are not going near the water aquifer. This has been factually proven, and communities in areas like Upstate New York need to be educated instead of misled by ill-informed environmentalists. The beautiful landscape will be preserved.

This industry is responsible for educating others about the value of shale gas and the industry’s ability to develop it safely. If everyone shares the truth with neighbors, children, or even at a town hall meeting, an accurate perception could displace the present one.

This is a great industry. How much greater would it be if the general public felt the same way?

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