Marcellus Shale Newswire 05/06/2011
Vol. 2, Issue 8
A Collection of Marcellus Shale and Gas Drilling Articles from Pennsylvania and Beyond
PennEnvironment
Erie Times News
Pa. Group wants stronger limits on gas drilling
May 6, 2011
http://www.goerie.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2011305069878
According to PennEnvironment, policymakers in Pennsylvania need to crack down on Marcellus shale drilling close to water supplies and buildings. Pennsylvania law says that drilling sites cannot be within 200 feet of a building and wells but recent studies have found that there are still hundreds of environmental violations within the companies.
Erie Times News
Corbett: Drilling violations didn’t need OK from top
May 4, 2011
http://www.goerie.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2011305049938
The Department of Environmental protection is allowed to cite natural gas operators for violations without getting consent from higher powers first. Governor Corbett stated after the internet dispute in March, “Go ahead and send it…we are looking to make sure there is consistency that the same event, the same type of act, when they commit an even in Meadville region are treated the same in Meadville as they are in Wilkes-Barre.”
Central Pennsylvania’s Pennlive
Marcellus Shale links: Residnets in North East Township debate ban on hydraulic fracturing
May 2, 2011
http://www.pennlive.com/marcellus-shale/index.ssf/2011/05/marcellus_shale_links.html
North East Township is debating about banning hydraulic fracturing as their economy is built off of wineries, farming, and tourism which are all threatened by Marcellus shale drilling. The projects director for the Community Environmental Legal Defense Fund said, “We don’t have a drilling, polluting, mining problem in Pennsylvania, but a democracy problem.”
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Borough ban on drilling may end
By Tim Tuinstra
May 5, 2011
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/11125/1144157-54.stm
Etna’s council members now believe that the existing drilling ban for the borough may be illegal and will be discussed at a public hearing June 21. The proposed resolution would allow Marcellus shale drilling in a small area and would also allow residents small windmills and solar panels. The individual windmills and solar panels would need to be approved on a case-by-case basis.
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Plan would exclude Pittsburgh from proceeds of drilling fee
By Don Hopey
May 1, 2011
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/11121/1143028-454-0.stm?cmpid=localstate.xml
Senator Joe Scarnati outlined his drilling impact fee and said it would exclude Pittsburgh as the fee would only impact locations that have drilling. “If Pittsburgh so chooses not to allow drilling, that’s fine,” Mr. Scarnati said. “But there are other communities that are having the drilling, and the dollars will flow where the impacts are”
The New York Times
Pa. Well Blowout Tests Natural Gas Industry on Voluntary Fracking Disclosure
By Mike Soraghan
May 4, 2011
Chesapeake Energy Corp has not disclosed information on the chemicals that spilled during the gas well blow out in northeastern Pennsylvania last month. Chesapeake was one of the first to join FracFocus registry but they do not plan on filing the report until it is completed.
