Nearly 100 Earth First! activists, friends and allies forced a 70-foot-tall EQT hydrofracking drill rig to suspend operations for 12 hours yesterday in Pennsylvania’s Moshannon State Forest. This is the first time that protesters have shut down a hydrofrack drilling operation in the US. A tree sitter hung above the access road, with their anchor ropes blocking it. A second person was also in a tree to support the sitter while dozens of supporters guarded ten large debris piles that were across the road. Another group of 50 activists blockaded the entrance to the access road. The State Police, with the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, dispersed the blockade around nine p.m. And removed the tree sitters with a ladder truck. Three arrests were made for disorderly conduct, but protesters were cited and released on-site.

The activists reported that the police were at times reckless with the sitters’ safety, such as being quick to cut their anchor ropes.  The supporting sitter’s safety and descent ropes were cut by the police as he climbed higher in the tree.  The police in the ladder truck had no radios and communication to the ground was difficult over the noise of the diesel engine; at one point the ladder hit one of the sitter’s support lines. Police were seen taunting the sitter by waving around one of their anchor lines and making jokes at them while shaking the hammock.

The site is part of a high concentration of wells in Moshannon State Forest, one of the most heavily drilled state forests in Pennsylvania. Over half of the forest’s 190,000 acres have been leased for Marcellus drilling using hydraulic fracturing. Despite widespread public opposition, the former PA secretary of Conservation and Natural Resources predicts 12,000 Marcellus wells will be drilled in state forests in the coming decade. A recent poll showed that the majority of Pennsylvanians are opposed to fracking on public lands.

Local farmer Jenny Lisak, whose own property has been impacted by fracking, describes the devastation she has seen in the Moshannon, “Having grown up enjoying Moshannon State Forest in so many ways, I am absolutely appalled at the ongoing destruction. The once narrow and inviting oak-shaded lanes are now being replaced by dust and traffic choked roads for chemical laden trucks – there are no words to describe the injustice of taking public land, meant to provide a source of beauty and wilderness for all and turning it into an industrial zone.”

Drilling in the area has a troubled history. In June 2010, a major blowout at another well in Clearfield County spewed 35,000 gallons of toxic drilling waste into the Little Laurel Run watershed and caused the evacuation of Moshannon State Forest. Since 2008, only 24 of EQT’s 198 Marcellus wells in the state have been inspected and violations were found at every single inspection. When they have been cited, they’ve refused to change their practices. On May 9, 2012, in Duncan Township, Tioga County, EQT was cited for faulty construction on a flowback water impoundment; three weeks later the pit failed, contaminating a nearby spring.

“This is part of an escalating direct action campaign against fracking in the Marcellus Shale region,” said Danielle Dietterick, an activist affiliated with Marcellus Earth First! from Benton, Pa. “People from all around the country have joined with Pennsylvania residents to put their bodies on the line to stop fracking.”

The action comes on the heels of a 12-day blockade to stop the displacement of the Riverdale Mobile Home Park, in Lycoming County, and the shutdown of a fracking wastewater injection well near Athens, Ohio. Groups across the country are planning more anti-extraction interventions like RAMPS in West Virginia and the Tar Sands Blockade in Texas, later this month. All these independent, grassroots-led actions show perhaps a coalescing national uprising against exploitative extraction.

Susan Riley, another supporter, cheered on the bold action, “The state government has sold off our public lands and, with Act 13, stripped us of our rights to local self-governance. The fracking industry has free reign in this state and no one’s gonna stop them unless we do.”

Read More;

Another Article: http://wagingnonviolence.org/2012/07/fracking-site-bows-to-earth-first-convergence/

Blockade at EQT frack site in Moshannon State Forest, Pa.

At some point we’ll need to bail people out of jail, so please contribute to the bail fund.

UPDATE, 7/8/2012, 9:20 pm:
Confirmed three arrests.  One sitter was removed with a ladder truck, while their support person is still up a tree in his lawn chair.  All ground support has been dispersed.  More thorough update and wrap-up to come later tonight.  Video is also on the way.   Please donate to the bail fund.

URGENT UPDATE, 7/8/2012 7:40 pm:

The 40 supporters of the sitters have been given an order to disperse by the PA State Police.  Eleven police cars are staged on site and they appear to be bringing in an excavator to clear the slash piles.  Arrests could be imminent.  Please stay tuned for more updates!  Even the supporters at the legal locations are being threatened with arrest and their cars being towed.  It is starting to go down.  Please spread the word and look for more updates.

UPDATE, 7/8/2012, 3:00 pm:
Police told people that 25 workers were trapped on site, and said “You can do your protest and you did a lot of work but you need to move the barricades so people can go home.”  Protesters said the workers could walk out and offered them rides home.  Based on other things the police have said, can’t tell if they’re bluffing.

UPDATE, 7/8/2012, 12:45 pm:
SITE COMPLETELY SHUT DOWN!  All  six workers on site have been escorted off site by police.  The workers were very friendly and people talked with them extensively.  Tried to bring fork lift to move debris pile, so bunch of people piled on top of pile and politely asked workers to leave.  Police given up on any efforts to disperse rally blockade because there’s no more workers on site and site shut down by other blockade.

UPDATE, 7/8/2012, 12:29 pm:
Jenny Lisak, who grew up adjacent to Moshannon State Forest in Jefferson County, said “Having grown up enjoying Moshannon State Forest in so many ways, I am absolutely appalled at the ongoing destruction. The once narrow and inviting oak-shaded lanes are now being replaced by dust and traffic choked roads for chemical laden trucks – there are no words to describe the injustice of taking public land, meant to provide a source of beauty and wilderness for all and turning it into an industrial zone. Jobs? Those can be found just as readily in the green energy sector. To relentlessly ignore the science is a crime. This extreme extraction method is contributing to the climate crisis and that alone is reason to stop. Having suffered an impacted spring on our own property from a Marcellus well that had violations for the improper use and storage of fracking waste and knowing how the larger community is being harmed though, I know that this activity has too many known and unknown risks to be allowed to continue.”

UPDATE, 7/8/2012, 11:53 am:
Police making vague threats at blockade about assault rifles going off and wandering through blockade with assault rifles.  However, at the rally they said there’s a sick bear up the road that needs to be put down, and not to freak out if a gun shot is heard.

Police initiated another round of negotiation with the rally insisting folks move the debris that’s in the road because it’s a safety risk, making veiled threats about things escalating if that doesn’t happen.  Police have informed people it’s illegal to block the road, but have not given any order to disperse, they said “if it doesn’t happen [dispersal] they don’t want things to escalate.”  Otherwise, situation unchanged.

Post this following section, between this line and the next update, all over the place:

Tree Sitters halt fracking operations in PA State Forest

Tree sit anchors blockading frack site in Moshannon State Forest, Pa.

Activists from Marcellus Shale Earth First!, Earth Firsters from around the country and other friends and allies have erected a slash pile blockade and two tree sits blocking an access road to an EQT hydro-fracking site in Moshannon State Forest in Clearfield Co., Pa., halting drilling operations set to begin this week. The blockaders were joined by 40 supporters and concerned citizens, who turned around a Halliburton truck. The blockade is trying to stop the further destruction of Pennsylvania’s state forests—more than half of which have already been leased for drilling—and call attention to the devastating effects of hydrofracking on the state’s communities. The sitters’ anchor lines are blocking the road by crossing each other and the road, and if an anchor line is cut a sitter will fall.

Today’s blockade is the latest in a series of escalating actions of resistance to the destructive impacts of hydrofracking in the Marcellus Shale. Last May, residents of Butler County occupied the office of State Representative Brian Ellis, demanding accountability for widespread contamination caused by horizontal drilling. In June, seven families, along with dozens of supporters, blocked the entrance to the Riverdale Mobile Home Community to prevent their imminent eviction at the hands of Aqua America PVR. Aqua sought to destroy their homes and construct a water withdrawal facility permitted to extract up to three million gallons of water from the Susquehanna River daily for use in fracking. Residents were able to maintain the blockade for 12 days. On June 17, 1,000 Ohioans stormed the statehouse in Columbus and passed a “people’s resolution” banning hydrofracking. Most recently, a 31-year-old landowner from Athens County, Ohio chained herself to concrete barrels and shut down operations at one of Ohio’s 170 injection wells, which contain about 95% of the toxic and radioactive fracking waste generated from Pennsylvania drilling.

Momentum in the anti-fracking battle will continue to build across the Marcellus and Utica shale regions throughout July. Next weekend, residents from Ohio and beyond will gather at an anti-fracking action camp in Youngstown and prepare to enforce the “people’s resolution” against fracking. The upcoming months show the beginnings of a national rebellion against extractive industry across the board. On July 28, anti-frackers from across the nation will gather in Washington D.C. for “Stop the Frack Attack,” the largest mobilization against fracking ever. In West Virginia, Appalachians and allies will stand together at the “Mountain Mobilization” and shut down an active strip mine the last week of July. In Montana,the “Coal Export Action”, a ten-day campaign of civil disobedience at the beginning of August will target coal shipments from strip mines in the Powder River Basin, overseas. And later in the month, Texas residents have called for the “Tar Sands Blockade” to block the recently approved southern leg of the Keystone XL pipeline.

Where the government has failed to act to protect communities and the earth from the ravages of an out-of-control energy industry, the people are rising up to resist. No matter where you live, you have the opportunity to join the fight for our future. Find your place, stand your ground, and in the words of Mother Jones, “Boogie Chilluns.”

UPDATE 7/8/2012, 10:14 am:
State police on scene at supporting rally.

UPDATE 7/8/2012, 10:10 am:
Two tree sitters blocking the well pad access road–their anchor lines are crossing the road and each other, and if an anchor line is cutter a sitter will fall.  There’s also a slash pile in the road.  No police on seen and apparently no security either.

Original post:
Marcellus Earth First! and supporters have set up a blockade at an EQT well pad in the Moshannon Pennsylvania State Forest.  An additional group of 40 supporters are holding a rally down the road, and have blocked a Halliburton truck.  The activists plan to stay as long as they can.  Stay tuned for more updates as information becomes available.

See you in the woods.

See the above tabs for important information & directions. Go back to the home page and scroll down to read older news posts. And keep a look out on the Ride Share to offer rides and pick folks up. Also post if you need one. There will be a ride board at the Rondy as well.

Over & out

Within creating safer spaces we encourage the practice of enthusiastic consent! Consent being an exchange of affirmative words and actions regarding sexual activity; agreement, approval, or permission that is fully-informed and freely and actively given without physical force, manipulation, stress, or fear. The absence of “No” does not mean Yes. YES! means YES!

We create the world we want to live in, right here, right now.

Therefore at the 2012 Rondy BIG jerks will not be tolerated, little ones either!

During the Rondy, there will be marked conflict mediation / sexual offense response advocates available at all times – and can be summoned by medics & wellness center volunteers. To get involved & offer skills in this area, please check in with First Aid/Wellness Center.

The T-shirts this year are going to be incredible. That’s all I got to say about it now. If you’re in the Ithaca area in the next week or so before the rondy, you can help out with screen printing.  http://www.silentcitydistro.org

Directions from the North (i.e. taking I-86 or I-90 E)

Get yourself to Warren, PA. This is the closest town that has more than a gas station.

From there, take US-6 BUS E/Pennsylvania Ave W (head southeast). Turn left onto US-6 E and stay on for about 10 miles til you reach the town of Sheffield. There you will take a right onto PA-666 W/S Main St. Continue on PA-666 W for 15 miles. Keep right at a fork in the road after the “National Forest Recreation” sign (State Route 1001). State Route 1001 turns into Minister Road, you will be on this road for ~4 miles. Take a left at the first crossroads (west on Heart’s Content Rd/State Route 2002 for ~4 miles). Turn left at the next crossroad (Forest Rd 116) and then take the immediate right. Go for a few miles and check in at the Welcome Center! The site is on Forest Rd 552.

Directions from the West and Southwest (i.e. taking I-80 E)

If you are taking I-80 E, take exit 29 for PA-8 toward Franklin-Oil City Area/Barkeryville. Take PA-8 N for about 25 miles. PA-8 N/US-62 N will take you through the town of Franklin into Oil City. Continue on US-62 N (take a right) when US-62 N and PA-8 N split in Oil City. Take US-62 N through Tionesta to East Hickory. Take the right turn off of US-62 N onto PA-666 E towards Endeavor. After 1.6 miles on PA-666 E, take the left fork (E Hickory Rd/Queen Rd). Follow Queen Rd for 3.5 miles. At the end of Queen Rd, take a right onto Kelly Hill Rd at the T. At the crossroads (after 2 miles) turn right onto Route 337/State Rd 3005. Take the first right (after .8 miles) onto Economite Rd. Turn right on Service Road 119. Go a few miles, and look for flagging–small signs directing you to the site (which is on Forest Rd 552.) Check in at the Welcome Center!

Directions from the East (i.e. taking I-80 W) 

If you are taking I-80 W,  get off at exit 111 for PA-153 N towards Penfield (~17 miles). At the end of PA-153 N, take a right onto US-219 N (~12 miles). Continue onto PA-948 N when PA-948 N and US-219 N split in Ridgway. After about 26 miles on PA- 948 N, turn left onto PA-666 W. Continue onto PA-666 W for about 12 miles. Keep right at a fork in the road after the “National Forest Recreation” sign (State Route 1001). State Route 1001 turns into Minister Road, you will be on this road for ~4 miles. Take a left at the first crossroads (west on Heart’s Content Rd/State Route 2002 for ~4 miles). Turn left at the next crossroad (Forest Rd 116 and Heart’s Content–it’s a small, nondescript, dirt road intersection!) and then take the immediate right. Go for a few miles and check in at the Welcome Center! The site is on Forest Rd 552.

Need a ride? Check out theRide Board.

We have been busy planning medical for this year’s Round River Rendezvous, taking place in NW Pennsylvania. Our plan is to have a well stocked and staffed Medic tent with a fairly comprehensive herbal clinic. Adjacent to this will be to a more encompassing wellness area complete with tea, massage therapists & a library. The wellness center will also include a space for hosting workshops relevant to health & wellness in movement organizing.

Throughout the week-long event, and especially for the end-of-week action, we want to make sure to have adequate Street medics.

Call To Medics, Herbalists, Healers & Educators!

This is where you come in!

Specifically we are looking for herbalists with first aid experience, folks with wilderness training/experience, folks with mental health or Icarus project experience, massage therapists, street medics, etc…

Some other roles include, setting up Medic area, helping staff Medic tent, folks to lead workshops, people to run at the action and post Rondy clean-up.

If you are interested in working in this space, please look over our code of conduct (attached bellow) and get in touch! It will be super helpful to know who is coming, what your background is and what supplies you plan on bringing with you.
about the Rondy.

And don’t hesitate to write.

Thanks,
Greg
Finger Lakes Action Medics & Educators

In 3 weeks! (July 1-7), Marcellus Shale Earth First! will host the 2012
Earth First! Round River Rendezvous at a beautiful, hidden site in Western
Pennsylvania.

We are inviting all wild-eyed Earth First!ers, forest defenders, environmental activists, and interested rural community members to join us for a week of celebrating the history and culture of the Earth First! movement, as well as learning about the impacts of natural gas extraction on the bioregions and wildlife of Pennsylvania and the rest of the Marcellus region.

As the Rondyocalypse Approaches (1 month away), please consider donating $5, $10, $20 or more to the rondy organizing crew for basic necessities and sweet eco-warrior surprises!

We are also looking for donations of waterproof tarps, toilet paper, pop-up or “circus” tents, shovels, easels, and rope.

2012 Rondy – PO box 4764 – Ithaca NY 14852-4764 (po box and payee is the same name)

But that’s not all,  because this is the Rondy. There will be workshops, hiking, swimming, tree climbing, howling at the moon around epic rowdy fires, and lots of focus on building and evolving Earth First!’s place in the movement against fracking. We can’t imagine a better way to spend the Fourth of July.

Our website will soon be hosting a shiny new rideboard, to help facilitate cheaper travel (and group road trips) for folks needing help getting to the Rondy. Folks needing to fly in from out of town should aim their tickets at Pittsburgh and contact us at susquehannaearthfirst (at) gmail.com so that we can arrange a ride to the site.

Stay tuned for more details.
MSEF! www.marcellusearthfirst.org

ANOTHER WAY TO HELP……..

Folks from Hudson Valley EF! are having a punk/metal/folk benefit show @
the Tuscan Cafe’ in Warwick NY on June 15th to raise money for the Rondy (
http://www.facebook.com/RebelsRoadside#!/events/ 368288266564394/declines/?notif_t=plan_user_removed