Mark Thompson was employed by Chesapeake from January of 2011 until April 2011. He was the senior security officer in the Towanda office. This was during the frack boom. Below, is our interview with Mr. Thompson, in which we discussed his view on the impacts that fracking had on Tioga County. We also discussed a few aspects of conflict resolution.

 

What is your perspective on fracking?

“I am in favor of fracking. It is good for the country and the local economy. It also brings in a lot of short-term jobs. I grew up around oil fields and having the ability to see what technology can do now, especially with petroleum.”

In your eyes, what are the benefits of fracking?

“Well, there are lower gas prices and it boosts the local economy. Fracking is a great benefit to people who have miner rights. We also don’t have to rely on foreign oil.”

Do you think the positive impacts outweigh the negative impacts?

“Short-term, based on current science, yes. Maybe not in the future, but if you throw out the hysterics, then for now, yes. There might be some environmental impacts and there are well pads in areas people don’t like them, such as Pine Creek. There may be long term effects on aquafers. There was increased truck traffic during the frack boom as well, which people didn’t like. The jobs brought in also had a transient nature, meanwhile people quit their previous jobs for these short-term positions. Despite this, the benefits still outweigh the negatives.”

How do you feel about the negative perspectives on fracking?

“You have to listen to the critics, but I prefer real science over hysterics. There have been some issues, so it should be taken into account. You just have to make a decision off of what you know and what others say as well.”

What was the most difficult aspect of your job?

“Dealing with people who thought they deserved more money than what they got. A lot of people thought they deserved greater compensation.”

How did the company handle destruction caused by fracking?

“The company generously paid for it to the detriment of the company. Land owners were compensated. Roads were destroyed, but the company spent millions to rebuild the roads to a better condition than they were prior to the frack boom. Complaints were handled quickly and they often threw money at complaints. They did not want bad publicity.

One time, a female went out into the road with a rifle to stop hundreds of water truck. The company didn’t call the sheriff. To avoid confrontation, they rerouted the trucks and spent a lot of money on it. Another time, people shot paintballs at water trucks, so the trucks had to be rerouted then as well.

Any broken fences were fixed immediately and the company bent over backwards to fix issues. There was a well spewing natural gas in Bradford County and within two weeks, it was fixed and monitors were set up for prevention. There was also an in-house team of erosion and sediment management. They would write up violations for their own company. They remediated it and fired workers who did not follow regulations set by the DEP. The company, again, wanted to avoid bad publicity so they fixed potential violations before they could cause bigger issues.”

What is the most memorable story from when you worked in the fracking industry?

“The overall impression of the job. Being involved with dedicated people is the most memorable aspect of the job. There weren’t any slackers from drillers to production. They worked hard or got fired. My job was to escort them out if they were fired and it didn’t happen often. Everyone knew the transient nature of the jobs while they worked. There wasn’t a lot of bad behavior. Most of the workers lived a nomadic lifestyle and they didn’t complain about it. They worked twelve hours on, twelve hours off for two weeks. They flew home for a few days and then they got back to work for another two weeks.”