It’s unfortunate that a small group, Protect Our Parks, continues crusading against responsible natural gas development, including efforts to raise unwarranted fears with the Dec. 11 commentary “Don’t Expand Fracking in County Parks Until Impact on Deer Lakes Is Known.” To quote the president’s energy secretary, Ernest Moniz, “Fracking for natural gas is climate-friendly, environmentally safe and economically stimulating.”
Importantly, the county has no plans to drill “in” county parks but, rather, to drill from an adjacent property — my property — with zero disturbances to Deer Lakes Park.
There are no plans to drill in or under additional parks. As Allegheny County Executive Rich Fitzgerald said in a June 24 Post-Gazette article, “We want to just give it some time, and see how this thing operates before jumping into something else.”
I have five natural gas wells on my property, all safely drilled and “fracked.” My cattle graze right next to those wells. While the county was performing its due diligence on the nonsurface lease for Deer Lakes, drilling was underway at another adjacent well site a comparable distance from the park with no issues.
I live in Frazer, not Squirrel Hill, and our community is very supportive of drilling here.
I visited Washington County, where nearly 40 wells were drilled beneath Cross Creek County Park, resulting in consecutive years with no property tax increases as a result of drilling revenue and incredible enhancements to all of Washington County’s parks.
Frazer and West Deer welcome additional drilling next year and beyond.
KENNETH GULICK
Frazer
First Published: December 18, 2014, 5:00 a.m.
