Dr. James Guignard is an English professor at Mansfield University, as well as the author of Pedaling the Sacrifice Zone: Teaching, Writing, and Living above the Marcellus Shale. Below you can find the transcript of our interview with him.

Have you noticed anything different in the community since your book has been published?- “At first, the community seemed to be in favor of fracking, as there were many positive economic and social aspects. However, once the trucks started coming, some people started to view industry differently. There was more pollution, increased traffic, and more. As something that was once viewed as positive, the attitude many people had began to change. Many of the positive aspects they were told about, they began to see in reality. Fracking itself actually fractured the community. Some people made a lot of money per acre, whereas others did not; there were arguments within families about whether they should lease their land or not, and people who did lease their land had mixed feelings about it: they appreciated the money they were receiving, but they did not appreciate the damage done to the land- they were essentially arguing with themselves. It was a very controversial topic in the area, people would get mad just talking about it. Mostly this stemmed from uncertainty surrounding the topic. There was a stress placed on the community with an increased need for police, ambulance, and fire department resources as well as other social services. Even though I expected a greater impact on the environment, I saw instead a fracturing social system. Since the book was published, the conversation about fracking has sort of receded to the background. Industry has kept a lower profile, people have already made up their minds about their opinion on the topic, and people aren’t talking about it nearly as much.”

What was the general response to your book?- “I’d say the response was mostly positive. Some people have contacted me and said that I did a fantastic job of capturing life while industry was here, and not many people have argued against my ideas. I really tried to show what was happening rather than taking a stance on the issue. I wanted people to understand what it was like in this area, rather than everywhere. Although, it should be similar everywhere. It really is complex, and I wanted to show that- there are no easy answers for a rural county.”

Do you feel that your book has made an impact?- “I don’t think my book has had a massive impact, like some books have. However I do think that it may have impacted individuals. It makes people think about what is going on around them. As for the impact on the way people view fracking in Tioga County- maybe it has influenced a few people. It may not change people’s mind about fracking, but it definitely makes them think about what they are told, how they might view what they are told, and how it shapes their opinion.”

Do you see fracking as a possible cause of further negative impacts in this area?- “Some of what I read 2-3 years ago suggests that there may be environmental and social impacts. Of course, when something comes into a community, it is going to make an impact. The science is still out on it, and maybe there are some places that say its not as bad as we thought. We might need to define impact as local versus global, because obviously the use of fossil fuels in general is not great. As for social impact, it is great for the industry but not great for the community. The influx of money may go away. Some representatives may say they will be here for a long time, but then they leave. In this case, the environmental and social impacts are perhaps worse than the environmental ones, as they are felt immediately and environmental is more long-term.”

Do you think anything else can be done to fix the problems that were caused?- “I think what would help is if the industry and politicians would be more honest about what is happening. People talk and they focus on what they want to, but the dishonesty isn’t helping. If they would tell people that they will be making money temporarily, and that it isn’t set in stone after a certain amount of time, it would change the way industry is viewed. I think the industry should be made more accountable- following stricter regulations on environmental impacts, enforce environmental regulations, etc. The public is partially to blame because of increased fossil fuel use and we think in terms of money. If we are financially comfortable, we are likely to overlook other things. If the public is informed with honest information, they can make informed decisions.”