Support for Ross Township Methane Victims

Elizabeth Pagel-Hogan is organizing this fundraiser on behalf of Sheri Martinelli.

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I'm Elizabeth Pagel-Hogan and I'm raising funds to assist my neighbors and friends who were forced to evacuate their Ross Township home in the early morning due to an unmarked methane well on their property.

On April 2, 2024 their explosive gas detector went off and Peoples Gas detected dangerous levels of methane gas and turned off both the gas & electricity.

The abandoned gas well is 75-100 years old and was left uncapped after the company abandoned it.

This situation is dire. Their house, and those of their neighbors, are being contaminated. These wells exist across the state. Wells in Plum Borough and Crescent Township led to homes exploding and people dying.

The DEP is drilling deep into the well and it's unclear when they can safely return to their home.

Their homeowners insurance through Travelers has denied their claim for loss of use and displacement. They state there is no language in the policy that would obligate them to reimburse them for costs incurred due to an abandoned gas well that was not on any survey or disclosed in any way prior to purchase.

They have spoken to environmental lawyers, real estate lawyers and insurance lawyers. The reality is that there is no documentation on who owned the well and therefore no legal recourse to receive compensation for displacement costs.

The stress of the situation led to a health crisis that required an ambulance and hospital admission.

They do not find asking for help easy. As my friends said, "We know that people everywhere are struggling in their own way. However we are now deeply in debt due to the costs of displacement. We have reached out to every social service agency out there (from the Red Cross to local non profits)- to no avail. Our circumstances are so unique, so edge case- that we don't fit the criteria for any financial help."

They hope that friends and neighbors will help, even in a small way, to offset their mounting debt. They asked me to thank you for caring enough to read this far. And they urge you - if you live in Western PA and don't already own an explosive gas monitor in addition to a C02 monitor - please purchase one immediately for the safety of yourself and your loved ones!

The funds raised will go to cover the debt they’ve acquired from paying for several short term rentals. They lost all the food in their fridge and freezer because the power was turned off. The house and property will require several small repairs and cleaning up as a result of the well remediation. They also need to cover the cost of the ambulance and hospital admission from the health crisis. They only have one income right now because my friend stopped her part time work to manage the displacement and health concerns of the family.

The money will go directly to their family.

Here is a photo of their beloved Mocha who has been really panicked by all of the chaos.