Free Screening: “Gasland Part 2”, Co-sponsored by SHAADD – Thurs. 6/20

Who is SHAADD?

SHAADD stands for “South Hills Area Against Dangerous Drilling”. We are an all-volunteer group of South Hills residents who are concerned about the heavy industry of Marcellus shale hydraulic fracturing sites coming closer and closer to our residential communities. (“Fracking”, as it is known, consists of injecting fresh water and toxic chemicals along with silica sand into drilled holes a mile below the surface of the ground to extract natural gas, causing risk to surrounding areas.)

Two years ago, Whitehall residents decided to start meeting regularly to educate ourselves about this issue of hydraulic fracturing in our South Hills communities. We realized that we shared many of the same concerns about the wisdom of a large industrial operation like fracking coming to our neighborhoods, and so we started working to educate others as well. Over the past two years, we have watched documentary films, toured damaged areas, listened to speakers from heavily-fracked zones of Washington and Butler Counties, and passed out information at Community Day events at South Park, Pleasant Hills, and Whitehall, where many of our members reside. We have also established an informative website (www.shaadd.org) and communicate on a group email list, where we share information, follow news, and continually learn more about this issue.

What is “Gasland”? What is “Gasland Part 2”?

One of the films that caught our attention early on was Josh Fox’s groundbreaking and Oscar-nominated documentary “Gasland”, and SHAADD has since hosted several screenings of this movie around the South Hills. Although the scenes involving lighting tap water on fire get the most attention, the first “Gasland” film also raises questions about and highlights the harms of the entire process of unconventional shale gas extraction -- from drilling to fracking to air pollution to health effects and wastewater disposal. Although the fracking companies have attempted to discredit “Gasland”, their criticism has been thoroughly debunked.  (See the document “Affirming Gasland”.)

Now, after nearly three more years of research, work, and continued education on this issue, Mr. Fox is about to release the sequel to his film.  We in Pittsburgh are lucky enough to be the last stop of a grassroots tour of the film, which is being shown in affected communities around the region in advance of its eventual release on HBO this summer.  We invite everyone to come to this free, advance showing of “Gasland Part 2” this Thursday evening, June 20th (details below). The film will (1) provide an overview for those who are new to the issue; (2) explore what’s been happening with fracking since the first “Gasland” documentary was released in 2010; and (3) reveal why this damaging process hasn’t been stopped yet. The stories of people from Southwestern PA are featured, among others. Josh Fox will be in attendance and will hold a Q & A session with the audience following the film. 

“Gasland Part 2”

June 20th – Pittsburgh, PA - One night only!

Doors open at 6 p.m. Screening at 7 p.m. Film followed by a Q & A session with the film’s creator, Josh Fox.

Soldiers & Sailors Memorial Hall (seating for over 2,000 people)

4141 Fifth Avenue

Pittsburgh, PA 15213

(Handicapped entrance: University Place, employee lot)

SHAADD will be there. We hope you will be, too.

Thank for reading, and thank you to Bob Healy for giving us this opportunity to blog on the Patch.

The writer, Sarah Scholl, is a Whitehall resident and a member of SHAADD.