PA Gov. Corbett Creates Commission to Study and Recommend New Marcellus Shale Drilling Rules

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In yesterday’s budget address, new Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Corbett announced the formation of a 30-member Marcellus Shale Commission. The members of the commission (listed below) come from a cross-section of government officials, representatives from the drilling industry, and representatives from environmental organizations. The new commission, which will be headed up by Lt. Gov. Jim Cawley, is a balanced cross section representing all interests in the drilling debate. The commission is charged with taking a close look at the issue of Marcellus Shale drilling and producing a report with recommendations for development and regulation of the industry in PA. The report is due on the Governor’s desk on or before July 22.

Reaction to the formation and goals of the commission has been mostly positive:

“This (commission) is a great idea that should have been done years ago,” said Conrad Volz, principal investigator for the University of Pittsburgh’s Center for Healthy Environments and Communities. “My hope is that it will provide the proper public dialogue that needs to take place to deal with some of the really big issues related to (Marcellus shale) drilling that we will be facing in the future.”*

*Pittsburgh Tribune-Review (Mar 9) – Shale panel will be under close scrutiny


Pennsylvania Marcellus Shale Commission Members

  • Clifford “Kip” Allen, president of the Pa. League of Cities and Municipalities, Harrisburg
  • Gene Barr, vice president, Government & Public Affairs, Pennsylvania Chamber of Business and Industry, Harrisburg
  • Anthony Bartolomeo, chairman, Pennsylvania Environmental Council, Philadelphia
  • Terry Bossert, vice president, Government & Regulatory Affairs, Chief Oil & Gas, Harrisburg
  • Glenn Cannon, executive director of Pennsylvania Emergency Management Association, Harrisburg
  • Cynthia Carrow, vice president of Government & Community Relations, Western Pennsylvania Conservancy, Pittsburgh
  • Jim Cawley, Pennsylvania Lt. Gov., Harrisburg
  • Matthew Ehrhart, executive director of the Chesapeake Bay Foundation’s Pennsylvania office, Harrisburg
  • Terry Engelder, professor of geosciences, Penn State University, Department of Geosciences, University Park
  • James Felmlee, president of the Pa. State Association of Boroughs, Harrisburg
  • George Grieg, acting secretary of Agriculture, Harrisburg
  • Nicholas Haden, vice president, Reserved Environmental Services, Mt. Pleasant
  • Chris Helms, NiSource Gas Transmission and Storage, Houston
  • Patrick Henderson, the Governor’s Energy Executive, Harrisburg
  • Mike Krancer, acting secretary of Environmental Protection, Harrisburg
  • Jeff Kupfer, Chevron, Washington, D.C.
  • Christopher Masciantonio, general manager, State Government Affairs, U.S. Steel, Pittsburgh
  • Vincent Matteo, president Williamsport-Lycoming Chamber of Commerce, Williamsport
  • Terry Pegula, founder and former chief executive officer of East Resources, Delray Beach, Fla.
  • David Porges, chief executive officer, EQT, Pittsburgh
  • Robert Powelson, chairman of the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission, Harrisburg
  • Ronald Ramsey, senior policy adviser, the Nature Conservancy, Pennsylvania Chapter, Harrisburg
  • David Sanko, executive director of the Pa. State Association of Township Supervisors, Enola
  • Barry Schoch, acting secretary of Transportation, Harrisburg
  • Gary Slagel, chairman, Pa. Independent Oil & Gas Association, Wexford
  • Randy Smith, U.S. Government Affairs manager, Exxon Mobil, Fairfax, Va.
  • Dave Spigelmyer, vice president, Government Relations, Chesapeake Energy, Canonsburg
  • C. Alan Walker, acting secretary of Community and Economic Development, Harrisburg
  • Ray Walker, chairman, Marcellus Shale Coalition, Canonsburg
  • Jeff Wheeland, Lycoming County commissioner, Williamsport