IN THE KNOW
DID YOU KNOW?
Erie had a gas
boom in the
early 1980s
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W
ith all the headlines today talking about fracking for natural
gas, Erie residents were ahead of the curve by more than
30 years, taking advantage of shallow, Devonian natural gas
deposits. Their enthusiasm for drilling the natural gas wells in their yards
stemmed from doubling natural gas prices from local utilities and the
inexpensiveness of installing a personal gas well at the time. In 1982,
more than 380 private wells were dug in Erie County alone, with that
number rising year after year. With homeowners paying over $1,600 a
year on average to gas utility companies, the cost to
install their own wells – which ranged from $6,000
to $15,000 – appeared to be a wise investment
that would pay off for homeowners in the long
run. Alongside homeowners were institutions and
industrial entities that also drilled for their own
personal source of gas. The Erie School District cut
its gas utility budget in half by drilling its own gas
wells, and even utilized natural gas-powered vehicles
in its fleet to take full advantage of the situation.
However, every boom has its bust and the explosive
nature of natural gas did claim its fair share of houses
by way of explosions and fires. And, groundwater
pollution was reported in more rural locations.
However, the most reported source of discontent
for residents in the area was simply the noise associated with the initial
drilling operations, which run around the clock for days in an installation
setting. Regardless, from homeowners in Harborcreek, to Millcreek
Township Municipality, which had its own well to run its asphalt plant,
to Mercyhurst College, which used the gas from its wells to heat dorms
and other facilities, everyone was getting in on the natural gas action of
the day. ■