Ross Environmental Hazardous Waste Incinerator in Eaton Township, Ohio. Ted Auch, FracTracker Alliance, 2023
East Palestine Warning: The Growing Threat From Hazardous Waste Storage
Is the gradual increase in hazardous waste storage and incineration expansion in Eaton Township, Ohio, fueling a preventable future disaster?
Our thoughts and opinions about gas extraction and related topics
Photo Courtesy of American Solar Grazing AssociationSolar Grazing: Connecting Farming Communities and Solar Site Operators
Solar grazing offers a way to maintain farmland in agricultural production and build new, positive relationships between farming communities and solar site operators, which will be important for meeting clean energy climate goals.
The cottage along Slope Creek, months after being vacated due to health concerns caused by nearby oil and gas operations. Photo courtesy of Chloe Mankin
Calling for Change: Life on the Fracking Frontlines
Frontline residents of the Ohio River Valley have first-hand experience of the impacts of fracking.
Staff Spotlight: Gwen Klenke
As part of FracTracker’s staff spotlight series, learn more about Gwen Klenke, one of the newest member of the FracTracker team, and what she will be working on with us. Learn more about the FracTracker Alliance team.
Staff Spotlight: Chloe Mankin
As part of FracTracker’s staff spotlight series, learn more about Chloe Mankin, one of the newest member of the FracTracker team, and what she will be working on with us.
Staff Spotlight: Cullen Smith
As part of FracTracker’s staff spotlight series, learn more about one of the newest member of the FracTracker team, Cullen Smith, and what he’ll be working on with us.
Time with FracTracker: Three weeks
Office Location: Remote
Title: Data Integration Specialist
Spotlight Interview
How did you first get involved working on oil and gas issues?
Growing up in northeastern PA fracking was in the local news though it wasn’t until I started preparing geospatial data for Phase I environmental assessment reports that I started to grasp the industry’s footprint.
What will you actually do in your role?
Cullen Smith, Data Integration Specialist. Read bio
The goal is to lay the groundwork enabling FracTracker’s data to flow freely amongst all of our projects as well as be accessible to the public in a user friendly way. To accomplish that feat I’ll be developing tools to interact with a relational database that houses our data.
Previous Position and Organization
After interning with the National Park Service, I started my career in GIS at a small company just outside of Boston where we focused on environmental site assessments. Following that company’s acquisition, I’ve spent the past decade helping understaffed organizations clean up their data and automate workflows while supplying geospatial support to a handful of larger telecom oriented companies. I’m really excited about having the opportunity to focus on a singular organization’s goals again.
What is one of the most impactful projects you are excited to be involved in with FracTracker?
It’s not so much an individual project, but the opportunity to set up a centralized data source that will support all of our projects is what drew me to this role. Data’s most useful when it’s clean and accessible so having a hand in designing that platform is extremely enticing.
Ted Auch, FracTracker Alliance, 2019. Aerial support provided by LightHawk.
Book Review Part I: ‘Public Responses to Fossil Fuel Export: Exporting Energy and Emissions in a Time of Transition’
In this book review, Ted Auch, PhD, reviews the first three chapters of Public Responses to Fossil Fuel Export. Published in January 2022, this work explores the social dimensions of the global fossil fuel export system, with a focus on public perceptions and responses to new infrastructures.
Pitt School Of Public Health, PA Dept Of Health Abruptly Pull Out Of Public Meeting They Helped Convene
Our statement regarding the University of Pittsburgh and the Pennsylvania Department of Health abruptly dropping out of a public meeting on their own environmental health studies.
Staff Spotlight: Ashley Kosak
As part of FracTracker’s staff spotlight series, learn more about one of the newest member of the FracTracker team, Ashley Kosak, and what she’ll be working on with us.
Time with FracTracker: Three weeks
Education: Rochester Institute of Technology
Title: Research and Program Fellow
Spotlight Interview
How did you first get involved working on oil and gas issues / fracking?
Fracking was a huge issue in the town where I grew up. I saw a lot of signs all over encouraging others to vote on legislation about fracking, and as I grew older I better understood why it was such a big issue. Over the past couple years I’ve learned the dependence on petroleum was one of the biggest issues we currently have in our path forward for a more climate friendly future.
What will you actually do in your role?
Ashley Kosak, Research and Program Fellow. Read bio
I’ve been working on a project to help us establish a process flow for ongoing mapping! I really hope to make a system that allows us to be flexible with the work we do as a team. With how quickly things change and comment periods arise, I want to help this team keep track of the technical backlog and keep all the data organized.
I hope to have completed a research project by the end of my fellowship as well regarding the impacts of the oil industry here in California.
Previous Position and Organization
I used to work for SpaceX where I was an engineer building their rockets and dragon space crafts. While I was there I created their Sustainability Initiative which has blossomed into a company wide effort.
I also sit on the steering committee for SoCal350 in Los Angeles!
What is one of the most impactful projects you are excited to be involved in with FracTracker?
I’m a big tool maker type of person so I really hope I can help automate a few day to day tasks for the team so they can really focus on their research and advocacy. I feel like it’s something very simple but it will help everyone in the team.
New Film Tells Story of Community’s Fight Against Fracking Waste
“Hellbent,” a new documentary slated for release in August 2022, tells the story of a small town in Pennsylvania and a species on the brink of extinction that are unlikely allies in the fight for a clean, livable environment.
216 Franklin St, Suite 400, Johnstown, PA 15901
Phone: +1 (717) 303-0403 | info@fractracker.org
FracTracker Alliance is a 501(c)3 non-profit: Tax identification number: 80-0844297