Bradford County residents see Marcellus Shale development changing their lives
Posted by CITIZEN POWER ALLIANCE at 7:31 AMWinding country roads, abundant wildlife, sprawling farmlands and small-town charm used to be Bradford County's lure.
Today's draw is the natural gas trapped in the Marcellus Shale that lays thousands of feet below the county's 1,161-square-mile surface.
Ten years ago, not a single well was drilled in Bradford County, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection.
Last year, 119 wells were drilled, the DEP website reports. This year, 81 wells have been drilled since Jan. 1.
Plenty more are planned.
Since January, 367 gas-well permits were granted in Bradford County, with the largest number — 123 — granted in March.
The county's landscape is changing. Energy companies continue to lease land and drill at a gold-rush pace. Helicopters hover overhead loaded with supplies for survey crews. Well pads are being constructed in old pastures.
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