Event information: Pipeline Monitoring Shale Gas Workshop, March 23, Fern Hollow Nature Center, Beaver County, PA
Shante Toledo
On a Friday afternoon we set off on a three-hour journey to Beaver County, PA to help host a Shale Gas workshop the next morning. This was my first time assisting with a Shale Gas workshop and I spent time beforehand learning the basics of Shale Gas monitoring (measuring stage and conductivity/TDS). These values can help monitors detect a pollution event. Also, I knew there was hydraulic fracturing taking place in Pennsylvania, but I did not know it was because there are shale formations that covers parts of New York, Western Pennsylvania, Eastern Ohio, and West Virginia. Overall, the workshop went well, and I enjoyed listening to my colleagues present and listening to why workshop participants were interested in monitoring. Since this workshop’s particular focus was different from previous ones, I look forward to seeing the differences, improving my instruction methods, and hearing updates about the Shale Gas world in future workshops!
Allison Curley
By my count, this was my 28th and final community event with ALLARM. While I’m sad to realize how quickly these four years have come to a close, I’m overjoyed that this final experience was just as wonderful and educational as the rest of them have been. I’ve done a few Shale Gas workshops, but this was the first one where we focused on pipeline monitoring. I learned a lot preparing for this workshop and listening to our colleagues at Mountain Watershed Association present. It was especially interesting to learn more about the legal side of pipelines, and I think it is important that people be aware of the protections that are and are not in place. The group of volunteers in Beaver County were a delight to work with, and I wish them the very best in their monitoring!
Allison training volunteers how to use the LaMotte meter.