Susquehanna County is "inundated."
That was the word chosen by MaryAnn Warren, a county commissioner, to describe Marcellus Shale natural gas exploration in the county, situated in one of the busiest drilling areas in the state.
“Susquehanna County is inundated with drilling, fracking, water trucks, residual waste trucks and more companies coming in,” Warren said. “People are going to get rich, but I am worried about our natural resources.”
State Department of Environmental Protection figures show the number of Marcellus Shale gas drilling permits issued statewide has more than tripled this year. About one-third of the permits have been issued for sites in the Northern Tier counties of Susquehanna, Bradford and Tioga.
Centre County also saw a dramatic increase in the number of permits issued, although little change in the amount of drilling going on. In 2008, eight gas-drilling permits were issued for sites in Centre County, with five wells actually drilled.