Police cut off protest at Range Resources headquarters
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Jet Miskis of Peters chants as a group of protesters gather and march to Range Resources' Southpointe headquarters on Tuesday. The group called for a gas extraction tax to help reduce state cuts in education. -
A group of protesters gather and march from the UFCW Local 23 office to the Southpointe headquarters for Range Resources to call for a gas extraction tax. -
Barbara Barnes of Canonsburg holds an American flag after marching with a group of protesters gathered across the street from the Southpointe headquarters for Range Resources.
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A group of Washington County union members and environmentalists intent on confronting gas drilling company executives Tuesday afternoon never got the chance after police blocked protesters from stepping onto company property and employees left work early.
Armed with a letter to state officials decrying the lack of a Marcellus Shale gas extraction tax, more than 75 protesters marched about two blocks from the Southpointe headquarters of the United Food and Commercial Workers Local 23 in Cecil to the corporate offices of Range Resources.
Protesters hoped to persuade company executives to join them in urging Gov. Tom Corbett and state lawmakers to support an extraction tax and to close corporate tax loopholes. But they never made it to the front door -- police from Canonsburg, Cecil and North Strabane turned them away at the entrance to the company's parking lot.
Lance R. Huber, UFCW executive assistant to the president, said police told the group that company employees, including executives, left their offices earlier in the afternoon and instructed police not to allow protesters onto company property.
Mr. Huber and others saw "no trespassing" signs being posted on the property Monday afternoon, shortly after protesters announced their march on the Internet. The parking lot and building appeared empty, save for three security guards stationed in the building's lobby. The doors were locked.
Despite a heavy rainstorm with lightning, the group staged a protest along Southpointe Boulevard during the afternoon rush hour, with banners, loudspeakers and drums.
Participants carried signs saying "Don't MarSELLus Out!" and "Be Patriotic, Pay Your Taxes," and chanted "Tax our gas!" and "Write that check!"
The workers, representing a handful of local unions, and environmentalists joined forces to protest the more than $1 billion in proposed cuts to education, as part of the $27.3 billion spending proposal the governor unveiled last month.
They said they can't understand why the governor and some state lawmakers oppose a natural gas extraction tax that could have generated an estimated $117 million this year.
"Why are we not looking at other sources of revenue to fund these vital programs, like the natural gas industry, which is taxed by every other state, but not this one?" Mr. Huber said.
In a statement issued early Tuesday afternoon, Range Resources said it supports local impact fees for drillers.
"Range has long acknowledged that there are administrative impacts and increased workloads for local units of government hosting natural gas development, which is why we join calls in modernizing the framework this industry operates under, including enhanced safety and environmental standards, and for fees paid to local communities," the statement said.
First Published April 20, 2011 12:00 am
