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Neighbors Blame Litter on Natural Gas Workers, Call It ‘Disrespect’

BROOKLYN TOWNSHIP — The roadside is full of trash in the Hop Bottom area and residents blame the gas drilling workers. Hundreds of trucks go in and out of...

BROOKLYN TOWNSHIP — The roadside is full of trash in the Hop Bottom area and residents blame the gas drilling workers.

Hundreds of trucks go in and out of a Cabot Oil and Gas well pad north of Hop Bottom every day. Recently, neighbors say some of those drivers have been leaving something behind.

All kinds of empty drink bottles and cans littered along a back road just off Route 167. The trash has been left there presumably by truck drivers who according to neighbors, have made quite a mess of the quiet countryside.

And some neighbors are none too pleased.

“It’s just disrespect, you know? Why would you want to throw anything out? Over this period of time they’ve been here, you can see garbage accumulating on the road,” said Steve Zangerle.

Zangerle grew up here and walks his dog along Oakley Road several times a day. He says the gas drilling operation down the road has changed things for the worse.

“This was paradise at one period of time. As you see if you drove up the road, there are only three or four houses up the road. We’re talking 300 to 400 trucks a day.”

When all the pipeline traffic and natural gas drilling traffic showed up in this part of Susquehanna County, folks started to notice the garbage on sides of road and runoff making its way into their pristine ponds.

But the garbage to Steve Zangerle, that’s another thing altogether.

“Should nature get the respect? I think so. That’s the way it is. God put it nice and pristine. There’s no people out here to ruin it normally.”

We reached out to Cabot which hires other companies to truck in water and sand to its site.

A spokesperson says Cabot will not tolerate contractors who don’t follow the rules and the trash was being cleaned up after Newswatch 16 got involved.

Statement from Cabot:

“Cabot is committed to being a good neighbor and we respect the area we work in. We meet regularly with our third party contractors and stress traffic safety, adherence to posted speed limits and the need to be considerate.

We have processes in place to enforce the rules and will not tolerate those contractors who opt not to follow them.

Our goal is to exceed the standards and we will again stress with local contractors the need to be fully compliant with our requirements.

We have taken steps to remove the trash in question tonight.

Again, Cabot is committed to being a good neighbor.”

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