An examination of an aging community when natural gas drilling comes to town

The Marcellus Shale underlies much of Pennsylvania, New York, Ohio, and West Virginia. Natural gas is known to be present deep in this shale and has required the development of new drilling technologies to produce productive wells. Hydrofacing and horizontal drilling are two such technologies, the development of which has lead to an explosion of drilling and leasing activities in some areas, including Pennsylvania. Other places have enacted moratoriums on Marcellus Shale drilling in order to evaluate the impact. A boomtown effect has been noted including a rapid expansion of population of primarily migrant workers, a rapid increase in housing costs and increases in demands on services. One rural community in Pennsylvania commissioned a needs assessment as Marcellus Shale activity was beginning in the area. The assessment combined the use of focus groups to identify key areas of concern and surveys to explore population health, access to and use of services, and community issues. This community is significantly older than the state and national averages with a median age of 43. The age of emergency response volunteers ranges from early 60's to the mid 70's. There is local health care is limited and all residents must travel outside of the community for specialty care or hospitalization. This study examines both qualitative and quantitative data to highlight the particular issues that emerge in aging rural communities that face environmental and social policy issues with attention to the role of aging in both meeting the demands of the boomtown effect.