What The Frack? Catholic Cemeteries ♥ Gas Drilling!

Via The Trib:

A Monroeville drilling company could tap natural gas beneath 15 cemeteries in Allegheny and Washington counties under a lease signed by the Catholic Cemeteries Association of the Diocese of Pittsburgh, the association's director said Tuesday.

The association leased nearly 1,060 acres of cemetery land in 2008 to Huntley & Huntley Inc., including the 200-acre Calvary Cemetery in Hazelwood, which City Councilman Doug Shields called "ground zero" in the debate over whether natural gas drilling should be permitted in Pittsburgh.

"You don't put oil and gas fields in urban areas," Shields said during a news conference about legislation he will propose next month to ban drilling in city limits. "There's too much that can go wrong."

According to the article, Bishop David Zubik could not be reached for comment. Which I guess means no one could ask exactly how deep the consecration of cemetery ground extends...six feet?...20 feet?...I guess less than a mile...Or mention anything about, oh, I don't know, Jesus and the money changers in the temple...

I will add that this story brings to mind any number of horror movie plots starting with this one. And, of course, doesn't Pittsburgh have enough zombie problems already without stirring up more trouble?

Seriously, the article even quotes "high-priced consultant to the gas industry, former Gov. Tom Ridge" having a problem with this. Unfortunately, the real problem with fracking is more for the living than the dead.

Sick, sick, sick.

UPDATE: I saw this on my Facebook New Feed the other day and didn't realize that the article was from last year until it was pointed out to me by Paz in the comments section here. That said, it still blows my mind.