NEWS
Injection Well Appeal Assistance Saturday at Hilltop Fire Hall
Below are links to the documentation for this well from the EPA.
Catalyst Energy
- Lot 580-1
- EPA’s webpage for this wellOpens In A New Window
- DEP Lot 580-1 Corrected Well Permit
- DEP Lot 580-1 Well Permit
- DEP Lot 580-1 Well Permit Application
- DEP Lot 580-1 Record of Decision Memo
- Lot 580-1 Geologic Review Memo
- Lot 580-1 E&S Plan and Control and Disposal Plan Reviews
- Lot 580-1 E&S Plan
- Lot 580-1 Mechanical Integrity Review
Public Meeting Saturday at 10 AM to Appeal Cyclone Frack Waste Disposal Well to DEP
Marty Wilder
Pithole Road. The history of the oil fields is written in its name. It’s where many Cyclone residents live, not far from where work is already underway on a 5,000-foot-deep, frack-waste disposal well.
Many of the people here have worked in the oilfield their entire life and, to be honest, that’s what scares them. They readily admit the ground beneath their feet is a “pincushion,” drilled more than once, and many wells never plugged.
This injection well has been on the drawing board since about 2020-21. It was announced publicly in the legal notices in The Bradford Era, the small print after the classified pages. Since no one complained about the proposal, the first permit was granted by the Environmental Protection Agency.
Most of the people in Cyclone only found out about this project when a letter from the Seneca Nation of Indians was left in their mailboxes. And when they complained to “our” government about getting no notification, they were told they had missed their chance.
When the residents raised hell last fall, there was a hastily arranged meeting with the state Department of Environmental Protection and operator Catalyst Energy. Residents posed many questions, but didn’t get satisfactory answers concerning vital issues.
When one resident called a couple weeks ago to check the status of the state permit, he was told … it had been granted. There was 30 days to appeal. And that’s where we are today.
The 30 days is running. At 10 a.m. Saturday a community meeting will be held at the Hilltop Firehall where organizers will talk to the people about some of the important issues at stake mostly with potential water contamination by a nasty mix of chemicals frack waste — “not your father’s (secondary recovery) brine.”
The crux of the matter is this: A whole lot of the Bradford oilfield has been perforated from years of drilling. A map of Cyclone from the 1930s is virtually covered with oil wells. Many were never plugged, creating a perfect subterranean system for frack waste to meander up through the layers of soil and mix with the underground water supply.
Anybody from Bradford will surely remember when the first wells were fracked back in the early 2000s, and two houses exploded — how people weren’t killed is a miracle — for this same reason.
And in the 1980s, Pennzoil “fracked” wells in Cyclone with a type of detergent, a new method to get more oil out of a tired oilfield. One of the men who handled the wells later found the same material … coming out of the ground about a half-mile away.
I’d like to think the Department of Environmental Protection simply wasn’t aware of these facts when they OK’d the permit.
When I was elected McKean County Commissioner I promised people as much transparency as possible. In all honesty, this is not technically a county problem. But I support the people of Cyclone on this vital issue, and will do what I can to help them.
But let me be crystal clear. I speak only for myself. I don’t speak for the county or the other commissioners. That is their right. I’m sure the three of us commissioners, over time, will agree on many things. But, like the people of Cyclone, I’m also a hilltopper and we stick together. Next time, it could be us.
110 MPH Pursuit on Route 44 in Sharon Twp.
At 1:18 PM on Thursday, Shinglehouse Police have discontinued a short chase with speeds up to 110 MPH on Route 44 South for a known individual who fled police. The vehicle, a silver Toyota, was reported to have taken Eleven Mile Road in a northerly direction. Area police agencies from PA & NY have joined the search for the vehicle which has been reported to now be in New York state.
Watch Out For This Scam
City of St. Marys Police Department
The Saint Marys City Police Department would like to inform our citizens of an ongoing, and increasingly problematic scam occurring throughout our community. There has been a noted increase of scams occurring when victims are contacted by people representing themselves as members of a Fraud Detection Division of whatever bank the victim uses. The scammers are even capable of making the phone number look like an actual call from the phone number located on the back their debit card.
The scammers will report there has been fraudulent activity observed on the victim’s bank account, and convince the victim to access their bank account through their phone or computer. The scammers will ask victims for passwords and logins to bank accounts, or in several instances have the victim download an app on their phone, which in turns allows the scammer to view the victim’s phone. As the victim logs into their bank accounts, the scammer can view passwords and logins.
Unfortunately, these scams are becoming increasingly complex, and can be very convincing. If money is stolen the complexity of wire transfers, 3rd party apps, and internet services makes it all but impossible to recover the stolen money.
If you receive such a call, or text message, we are encouraging citizens to ask for a call back number, hang up, and call your local bank to validate the call.
Potter County Artisan Co-op plans events and classes in February
For more information, contact the Potter County Artisan Co-op @ (814) 274-8165.
On Friday, February 9 from 5-8pm, the Potter County Artisan Co-op will be hosting a Valentine’s Day Open House. Live music, food and drinks will be offered, as well as locally made gifts for purchase. Live music will be played by Dana Daisley. Registration is not required.
MorePort Allegany Man Shares Experience At UPMC
“How many people say that the best hospital stay they had was for an open-heart surgery?”
That’s what Perry Hanchett of Port Allegany had to share after his recent experience with UPMC.
For about four days in a row in October of 2023, Perry experienced a lot of pain in his right shoulder that affected him so much that he couldn’t sleep. His wife took him to the emergency department at UPMC Cole where it was discovered that he was suffering from a heart attack.
This was a surprise to Perry as he didn’t feel any other symptoms – he was smiling and was walking up and down the halls to stay occupied prior to treatment.
Once Perry’s heart attack was stabilized, he was transferred to UPMC Heart and Vascular Institute in Williamsport for additional care. While at UPMC Williamsport, Perry endured another massive heart attack, but again did not feel the typical symptoms.
For a good part of his life, Perry was afraid of something like this happening and the possibility of having heart surgery. His brother, someone he really looked up to, had gone through something similar many years ago and left a lasting impression that if it were to happen to him, he’d go through the same kind of pain that would change him forever.
This was not Perry’s case, and he credits a lot of his experience to not only the Heart and Vascular team, but to everyone he encountered during his hospital stay.
“Every time you needed something, there was somebody there for you. Even the people that came in to clean the rooms asked if they could get me anything,” he said. “They were always concerned for my well-being.”
Perry was able to leave UPMC Williamsport just four days after undergoing a double bypass open-heart surgery. Staying as active as possible throughout his stay and the support of his care team and loved ones helped to make this possible. Perry continues his care by attending cardiac rehabilitation with UPMC closer to home.
CAPTION: Perry walks on a treadmill as part of his UPMC cardiac rehabilitation regimen close to home.
Roulette Supervisors Meeting Postponed
Roulette Township
The monthly meeting scheduled for tonight has been postponed due to not enough quorum.
Seniors 2 Seniors Program
The Potter County Education Council, Tri-Co Connections, the Potter County Human Services Area Agency on Aging, and our local school districts are continuing to team up to implement a county-wide program called Seniors 2 Seniors. This program teaches basic computer skills, digital literacy, and cybersecurity to senior citizens so that they have the skills and knowledge to utilize the many benefits of high-speed Internet. As a part of this program, local high school students volunteer to provide on-site support to each of the adults who participate in the course.
MorePA Drilling Permit Violations Issued
PA Permit Violation Issued to DIVERSIFIED PROD LLC in McCalmont Township, Jefferson County |
Description: Environmental Health & Safety violation issued on 2/05/2024 to DIVERSIFIED PROD LLC in McCalmont Township, Jefferson county. 78.53 – EROSION AND SEDIMENT CONTROL – Operator failed to design, implement and maintain best management practices and an erosion and sediment control plan in accordance with 25 Pa. Code Chapter 102, during and after earthmoving or soil disturbing activities, including the activities related to siting, drilling, completing, producing, servicing and plugging, constructing, utilizing and restoring the site and access road. |
Incident Date/Time: 2024-02-05 00:00:00 |
Tags: PADEP, frack, violation, drilling |
PA Lumber Museum National Flannel Day Family Program February 10
Woodhicks loved themselves some flannel so shake off those winter blues with black and red plaid and come celebrate National Flannel Day with us. This program offers indoor fun for the whole family with stories, foam axe throwing, woodhick games, and a lumberjack craft. Lite refreshment and beverages will be available for purchase during program.
Shinglehouse Borough Water Repair Shut Off February 10th
Public Notification
Shinglehouse Borough Water Department will be shutting off the Borough water approximately between 12:00 PM and 6:00 PM on Saturday, February 10, 2024 for repairs to a main line. Please plan accordingly for water usage beforehand.
Loss of water system Pressure:
If the distribution system experiences a loss of positive pressure a PN (Public Notice) must be issued. The PWS cannot lift the PN/Boil Advisory until 2 sufficient clean bacteriological samples have been collected And analyzed. Verification after water main repairs where the main was depressurized or partially dewatered, one set of samples is collected that is representative to the affected area to ensure that the water is safe to consume. Once the samples are found to be satisfactory, the PWS may lift the PN/Boil Advisory. The Shinglehouse Borough will publish notification when you no longer need to boil your water for consumption after the repairs. You DO NOT need to boil your water before the repairs.
As stated above we need to have 2 sufficient clean bacteriological samples that have been collected And analyzed. Before we can announce and lift the boil advisory. Please plan to boil your water until Wednesday, February 14, 2024.
What should I do? After the water line repair
DO NOT DRINK THE WATER WITHOUT BOILING IT FIRST. Bring all water to a rolling boil, let it boil for one minute, and let it cool before using; or use bottled water. You should use boiled or bottled water for drinking, making ice, washing dishes, brushing teeth, and food preparation until further notice.
Inadequately treated water may contain disease-causing organisms. These organisms include bacteria, viruses, and parasites, which can cause symptoms such as nausea, cramps, diarrhea, and associated headaches.
These symptoms, however, are not caused only by organisms in drinking water, but also by other factors. If you experience any of these symptoms and they persist, you may want to seek medical advice.
Guardians of infants and young children and people at increased risk, such as pregnant women, some of the elderly, and people with severely compromised immune systems, should seek advice from their health care advisors about drinking this water. General guidelines on ways to lessen the risk of infection by microbes are available from EPA’s Safe Drinking Water Hotline at 1 (800) 426‑4791.
ROULETTE TOWNSHIP BOARD OF SUPERVISORS FEBRUARY MONTHLY MEETING AGENDA
Roulette Township
80 Railroad Ave., Roulette, PA, Potter County
CALL TO ORDER:
Public Comment
RVFD Call Statistics Report
Water/Sewer Report
Roadmaster Report
January 11, 2024 Monthly Meeting Minutes
Unpaid bills for February 08, 2024
January 2024 Profit & Loss & Balance Sheet
OLD BUSINESS:
No change to the budget
NEW BUSINESS:
Quotes on plow wings
Radio from Smethport Boro
Roulette Chemical Engine No. 1 Fund Drive
County liquid fuels fund
OTHER BUSINESS:
CORRESPONDENCE & INFORMATIONAL:
Erb Inspections, Inc. monthly report for January
Letter from Representative Martin Causer inviting the supervisors to join in an EMS Task Force meeting
ADJOURN:
American Legion Commander Guest of Coudersport Rotary
Coudersport Rotary Club’s January 29, 2024, guest speaker was Curtis J. Campbell, District 16 Commander of the American Legion Department of PA. Curtis was born and raised in Coudersport. He served from 1977-1984 as an Army Medical Specialist. After his time in the service he went to college for Electronics Engineering.
Curtis’s goal with the American Legion is to assist veterans and Potter County has the highest percentage of veterans in the Commonwealth.
The mission of the American Legion includes Service for Veterans, National Security, Americanism, Children and Youth, Community Service, and Honor and Remembrance.
The Coudersport American Legion supports the community. In 2023 they donated $11,800 to 19 different community organizations. They also sponsor 2 groups of young men and women, Bull’s-eye Blasters 4-H Air Rifle Team and Black Forest Falcons Trap Team. The American Legion has emergency funds available for veterans and their families if they need lodging, food and gas. They assist Potter County veterans and their families if they need temporary financial assistance. They provide, free of charge, handicap equipment to veterans and the general public and have wheelchairs and crutches available at their building.
The American Legion building is available for use for special events.
We appreciate Curtis coming and providing this very important information about the American Legion.
Robocall Company Using AI To Impersonate President Biden
Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General
I am joining Attorneys General nationwide in sending a warning letter to a company allegedly responsible for using artificial intelligence to impersonate President Biden in robocalls to potential voters.
The calls allegedly originated from Life Corporation and contained inaccurate information about the upcoming election and messaging to discourage potential voters from casting ballots.
Robocalls are much more than mere nuisances. They can cause fear, alarm, and in these instances, misinformation that could sway potential voters. Using A.I. to make these phone calls can be extremely dangerous as people will be more likely to trust who they hear on the other line.
Read more: https://www.attorneygeneral.gov/…/ag-henry-joins…/
Trails at Jakes Rocks Selected as Pennsylvania’s 2024 Trail of the Year
Trails at Jakes Rocks Selected as Pennsylvania’s 2024 Trail of the Year Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) Secretary Cindy Adams Dunn announced the Trails at Jakes Rocks has been named Pennsylvania’s 2024 Trail of the Year.“People travel from near and far to hike, bike, and run these trails, which is a testament to the worthiness of this trail system,” Dunn said. “We at DCNR are hopeful that this honor helps connect even more people to the recreation opportunities around the trails, in Warren County, and in the Allegheny National Forest.”The Trails at Jakes Rocks is a 35-mile natural surface trail system, used primarily for mountain biking, but also hiking, trail running, and cross-country skiing.The trail system is a prime example of a modern, professionally designed, and meticulously constructed natural surface mountain bike trail system. Learn more… |
Souper Bowl of Caring in Port Allegany, PA
The Souper Bowl of Caring is a national movement across the nation working together to fight hunger and poverty in their communities around the time of the Super Bowl football game.
The Souper Bowl of Caring began in 1990 with a simple prayer said by Reverend Brad Smith at Spring Valley Presbyterian Church in Columbia, South Carolina: Lord, even as we enjoy the Super Bowl football game, help us be mindful of those who are without a bowl of soup to eat.
As they have for many years, the Port Allegany United Methodist Church is collecting cans of soup and boxes of crackers as well as monetary donations.
Stop by the Port Allegany Shop n Save Friday (February 9) between 5 and 8 p.m. or Saturday afternoon between 12 to 3 p.m. to make your donations. The food and cash donations will be given to PACS (Port Allegany Community Services).
The Souper Bowl of Caring collection at UMC is under the direction of Patty Fabish.
Pictured preparing for the event are Lillianne Reed and Makayla Alcorn.
The family of Erika Lentz would sincerely like to “thank’ everyone
The family of Erika Lentz would sincerely like to “thank’ everyone who reached out to us on our mother’s passing.
For every condolence, card, prayer and thought you gave us during her last days and after we
sincerely appreciate it. We are so blessed with so many responses to us her children and to her grandchildren, they were a big part of her life and legacy.
Farewells are very hard but knowing other people care plays a big part in healing.
Thank you…
Jack and Driscoll elected to CRCF board of directors
OLEAN, N.Y., February 7, 2024 – The Cattaraugus Region Community Foundation board recently elected Shelley Jack and Brent Driscoll to its board of directors and named its slate of Foundation officers for 2024.
Jack is the owner of Shebe Marketing, a marketing consultancy agency focused on helping women-led businesses with their branding and marketing strategy.
Jack has more than 25 years of experience in the marketing field, aiding clients in the manufacturing industry, higher education, healthcare and consumer brands.
Jack will serve on the Foundation’s marketing and donor development committee.
The board of directors also elected Brent Driscoll to a three-year term.
Driscoll, a retired CFO of Cutco Corporation, will sit on the CRCF finance committee. Driscoll also serves on the board of Olean Business Development and the Cattaraugus County Industrial Development Agency.
The combined expertise of Jack and Driscoll will complement the existing board members’ strengths, enhancing CRCF’s mission to “grow good” in the community.
Dennis Pezzimenti, Audra Stevens, Jim Stitt Jr., and Sandi Brundage, all currently serving board members, were re-elected for a three-year term starting on January 1, 2024.
MoreGas Drilling Started in Lycoming County
BEECH RESOURCES LLC Reports Drilling Started (SPUD) in Lycoming Twp Township |
Description: BEECH RESOURCES LLC reports drilling started on 2/7/2024 at site Delta 8H in Lycoming Twp township, Lycoming county |
Incident Date/Time: 2024-02-07 00:00:00 |
Tags: PADEP, frack, spud, drilling |
PA Wilds Center selected for ERC Fellow placement to help advance rural PA’s outdoor recreation sector over next 2.5 years
The PA Wilds Center for Entrepreneurship has been selected as a Host Community for the Economic Recovery Corps (ERC), an opportunity made possible by the Economic Development Administration.
The PA Wilds Center’s project, “Advancing Rural PA’s Outdoor Recreation Sector,” seeks to accelerate job creation and increase connectivity, awareness, participation, community engagement, and capacity for outdoor recreation and entrepreneurship in communities of rural PA.
As a Host Community, the PA Wilds Center went through a competitive process to be matched with an ERC Fellow who will be placed with the nonprofit for a 30-month period to implement the project beginning in early 2024. Each project across the U.S. receives a dedicated fellow (fully funded for the 30 months from the ERC program) who serves as a field catalyst to enhance, strengthen, and coordinate relationships and local efforts alongside the host community.
The ERC Fellowship program aims to build capacity in economically distressed areas across the U.S. while cultivating the next generation of economic development leaders. The ERC Fellowship was launched in 2023 through a $30 million cooperative agreement with the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration (EDA). It is led by the International Economic Development Council (IEDC) and supported by 6 other national economic development organizations.
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