Newsletter-FALL '10 FINAL FINAL - Tinicum Conservancy

2010 CONSERVATION PROGRAMS
We are still finalizing our 2011 Conservation program series, but one topic for spring will be
“Plant/Don’t Plant,” a follow-up to this year’s invasive plant workshop. Just in time for the
spring gardening season, the program will offer suggestions about choosing native plants.
Check our website, www.tinicumconservancy.org, for program dates and times.
Cleanup Crew
THE PEOPLE PAGE: On the Road With John Moore
Take a look at the happy crowd decked out in orange vests and work boots. They are
members of the River Road Cleanup crew – and they are smiling because of the hard work of
John Moore. Moore and his partner, Rob Morrison, have spearheaded the River Road
Cleanups for about four years, building a network of about 30 volunteers who turn out again
and again to help collect trash. “It’s become a social thing,” Moore says.
He sets the mood with humorous emails alerting participants to each cleanup date, and lures
volunteers with fresh-baked goodies – scones and muffins from the Bridge Café or Milford
Station – that he brings to each cleanup. He also makes sure to take a group photo just before
the trash bags are opened and work begins. “People like to be appreciated,” he explains.
The stretch covered by the cleanups runs from Jugtown Hill Road in the north down to the southern tip of Tinicum Park.
At times, volunteers have filled up more than 50 large bags with trash, but lately, the number has dwindled to less than a
dozen. “I don’t know if the economy is having an effect,” Moore jokes. More likely, it’s because volunteers have worked so
hard to keep the road clean, he says.
What motivates Moore to donate his time? “This is a unique area, with steep ravines and creeks,” he says. He has worked
for the New Jersey Department of Transportation in land use planning and understands the need to make wise decisions
about development. “If there’s a land that needs preservation, this is it,” he says. “That’s why we’re so interested in
helping.” Moore was one of two people honored at this year’s Membership Celebration as an outstanding TC volunteer
(see Page 5). - Article by Dianna Sinovic/Photo by John Moore
Marcellus Shale and Natural Gas Drilling
Marcellus Shale is an organic-rich shale formation that underlies much of western and northeastern Pennsylvania,
including about a third of the Delaware River Watershed. The shale is deep – 7,000 feet or more below the surface in the
Delaware Valley – but it’s been the focus of the energy industry recently because of its extensive reservoir of natural gas.
Thousands of wells have been drilled in Pennsylvania in the last two years, and many property owners in areas where the
shale lies closer to the surface have been under pressure to sign leases for mineral rights.
Getting the gas out of the shale isn’t easy, but advances in drilling technology have now made it financially feasible for
the industry. To tap into the gas, a well is drilled vertically until it reaches the shale, at which point, special tools turn the
well so it runs horizontally, into the formation. Because the shale is dense and doesn’t easily yield the gas it contains,
drillers use hydraulic fracturing. “Fracking” injects hundreds of thousands of gallons of fluid such as water or kerosene
along with sand into the rock formation under extremely high pressure, cracking open fissures in the rock and releasing
the gas.
Environmental groups have raised concerns about the possible environmental impact of the drilling and the waste water
produced by the “fracking” process. Several legislative efforts have been proposed to address safety and environmental
issues. Three moratorium bills - House Bills 2713, 2609 and 1447 – are being considered. In addition, HB 2213 adds
protection for communities where drilling is taking place; HB 2235 calls for a three-year moratorium on gas leases; and
HB 1489 proposes a natural gas tax to help pay for environmental conservation.
Contact state Rep. Margaret Quinn at mquinn@pahousegop.com or state Sen. Charles T. McIlhinney Jr. at
cmcilhinney@pasen.gov if you have concerns about drilling in the Marcellus Shale. - Article by Tracy Carluccio/Dianna Sinovic
Fall 2010 TI�ICUM CO�SERVA�CY Page 11