Bradford County Commissioner on Wastewater Leak

A hydraulic fracturing fluid leak at a Bradford County gas well has been contained but not stopped. The spill lasted nearly 20 hours before it was brought under control and it is estimated that thousands of gallons of fracking fluid has been spilled.

Bradford County Commissioner Mark Smith says that Marcellus Shale drilling is a state-wide issue that has a close-to-home impact.

"It points out that the drilling development does have a significant impact on communities and the environment and we need to ensure that at the state level they're taking this stuff into consideration. The fact that there's such an impact on local communities needs to be addressed."

Since the leak, Smith says that a command center has been set up in the Leroy Township Community Building to manage communications to public emergency personnel. He also mentioned that well control specialists from out of state were brought in to address the issue by building secondary containment mechanisms to prevent the leaking fluid from getting into the nearby creek.

Smith says that no liquid has leaked into the area's water to his knowledge.