smooth

road improvements continue today at High Bridge Road. A few high spots need to be graded out to help long trucks and semi-trailer trucks navigate the road. I was stopped for 5 minutes waiting for a load of stone to be spread out over a low area.

This all means one thing. The heavy equipment and high volume traffic is coming shortly. This industry does not take days off. It could be tomorrow that the next phase begins.

This morning I stopped off to look at the field where the Crum gas well is supposed to go. It is an old field, much like many in the area, I think it gets cut for hay twice a year, depending on the rains. The field is bordered on one side by the road and the other by the woods that lead into a steep hill. I noticed about half way between the road and the woods an orange piece of tape on a wood stake, much like a surveyors flag. Perhaps this is where the well pad is staked out to be? The ditch at the side of the road has a series of small red flags along it on wire sticks, these are new also.

Just across the road from the field the earth slopes dramatically down to the Creek. This is the North Branch of the Calkins Creek. It runs from here directly into the Delaware River less than a mile away. This is a big creek that flows all year, it is very strong at times and has wiped out bridges during times of flood. I wonder if it would be a good source for a million gallons of water?

5-0

So i just hung up with the PA state police motor carriers division. They were returning my call regarding bridge weight limit violations. According to Tr. Pace he has been trying in vain to get a hold of the Twp Highway dpt. for a week now. At my request, he was looking into posted weight limit violations in Damascus Twp. He told me that the Twp was stonewalling him and had no interest in helping him.

In general in order for a bridge weight limit to be enforced it must be posted up to todays standards, an engineering report must be on file for that bridge, and public notice must be made that that bridge will now be enforced with regards to weight limits.

Damascus has failed to upgrade it's bridge signage as modern requirements have evolved and as a result the bridges that are posted with weight limits are not enforceable.

heavy hearts

for pam, carl, laura and john.
have strength, we'll bring numbers.

At the Rivers Edge

Today I went to a meeting amongst friends to discuss the impact that gas drilling is having on their lives and property and hopefully find a way to help them. Both sides of this controversy can make assumptions to support their views, but this all becomes meaningless when your friends are sitting in front of you feeling helpless at the onslaught that's upon them. They've tried to address the local authorities, but the only protections that the authorities seem bent on enforcing are for the large companies that see potential profit in fracking gas out of the ground.

I've invited these friends and others who are affected by this new development in our area to tell their stories, in real time, here as they unfold.

Perhaps the toughest part of this beyond the obvious assault on the quality of living here in the Upper Delaware, is the sense of powerlessness that comes from the lack of support from our elected officials. The regulations that are supposed to protect us and our land rights from the imposition from our neighbors and large corporations are either being skirted or ignored.

I hope this forum can help give a voice, and a face to those paying the price for this "free lunch".

Anyone interested in telling their story can contact me at peter@petergalbertchairmaker.com. If you don't have or want a google account, I'll be happy to post your emailed text and images.

Peter Galbert