Business & Tech

Group Plans Protest of Marcellus Shale Drilling at Marburger Dairy

The public is invited to attend a rally Saturday at the dairy farm in Evans City.

On Saturday, members of advocacy groupMarcellus Outreach of Butler will protest drilling in the Marcellus shale at the Marburger Dairy Farm in Evans City.

Dubbed October Outrage, the rally will begin at 11 a.m. at the well pad of the Marburger property on Mars-Evans City Road. Protesters will meet between 10 and 10:30 a.m. at EDCO Park in Evans City to march or join carpools to the site. The public is invited to the rally.

Marburger supplies the public and nearly 700 schools — including — with milk and other dairy products, a statement from Marcellus Outreach Butler said. The group believes the fracking process that accompanies drilling — which pushes a mixture of water, sand and chemicals into wells at high speeds to increase the flow of natural gas — puts crops, livestock and milk at risk of toxic contamination. Group members also believe fracking may release harmful diesel and methane fumes into the local environment.

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“The risk to our children and our community is just not acceptable, and people need to be able to make informed decisions and choices about what they are serving their families, especially their kids,” said Mirka Fatschel, whose children are students in the Seneca Valley School District.

Fatschel said she plans to contact the district superintendent, school board members and the food service managers at the Seneca Valley about drilling at the farm.

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Craig Marburger, vice president of the family-owned dairy farm, said he was aware a protest was being organized on the property. He said he has not heard any other complaints since the drilling began during the summer.

“There’s no problem with the safety of the milk,” he said.

XTO Energy, a subsidiary of Exxon Mobil, is drilling on the property. 


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