Industrywide Issues

Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Statewide PA | Taxation

Anti-Drilling Protestors Get Nasty at Shale Coalition Building in Harrisburg, PA
March 10, 2011March 10, 2011

Those in Pennsylvania who oppose drilling in the Marcellus Shale have gotten a bit desperate. They’re unhappy with new Gov. Tom Corbett, especially since the budget he introduced earlier this week contains budget cuts to education and calls for a layoff of state workers in order to plug a massive multi-billion dollar shortfall, without also including a severance tax on Marcellus Shale drilling in the state. Pennsylvania, like New York, California, Wisconsin, Ohio and a number of other states is essentially bankrupt from years of overspending and one-time gimmicks and budget patches. The chickens have finally come home to roost and now state governments have to make some hard decisions. It is in that context that anti-drilling protestors got nasty and thug-like yesterday:

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Economic Impact | Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Washington County

New $6.6M Pipe Fabrication Plant in Southwestern PA Being Built for Marcellus Shale Projects
March 10, 2011March 10, 2011

Another example of how drilling in the Marcellus Shale brings more money into communities, in the form of taxes and jobs, this time in Washington County, PA.

Read More “New $6.6M Pipe Fabrication Plant in Southwestern PA Being Built for Marcellus Shale Projects”
Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Regulation | Statewide PA

PA Gov. Corbett Creates Commission to Study and Recommend New Marcellus Shale Drilling Rules
March 9, 2011March 9, 2011

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.

Read More “PA Gov. Corbett Creates Commission to Study and Recommend New Marcellus Shale Drilling Rules”
Industrywide Issues | Noise | Pennsylvania | Regulation | Westmoreland County

Western PA Township Makes a Run at Banning Marcellus Shale Drilling Using Noise Ordinance
March 9, 2011March 9, 2011

Administrators of North Huntingdon Township, PA (Westmoreland County), are attempting to control drilling in the Marcellus Shale within their borders. They acknowledge that Pennsylvania state courts have already ruled local municipalities cannot outright ban drilling, so the North Huntingdon planning commission is attempting to place restrictions that would greatly curtail drilling in the Township. The current draft regulations—yet to be voted on—focus on noise:

Read More “Western PA Township Makes a Run at Banning Marcellus Shale Drilling Using Noise Ordinance”
Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Statewide PA | Wastewater

New York Times Proven Wrong – Marcellus Shale Wastewater Has Not Increased Radioactivity Levels in PA Waterways
March 8, 2011March 9, 2011

It seems that The New York Times’ contention that Pennsylvania is poisoning waterways with radioactivity from Marcellus Shale wastewater was fiction and not science, as is now proven by test results from the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP). The DEP conducted tests over the past four months at key locations where wastewater is treated and released into area waterways. Here’s what they found with respect to radioactivity:
Read More “New York Times Proven Wrong – Marcellus Shale Wastewater Has Not Increased Radioactivity Levels in PA Waterways”
Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Statewide PA | Wastewater

U.S. EPA Tries to Tell PA DEP How to Do It’s Job – PA Pushes Back
March 8, 2011March 8, 2011

Even though extensive testing done by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) has proven Marcellus Shale wastewater does not increase levels of radioactivity in its waterways (see here), that doesn’t stop the over-reaching federal Environmental Protection Agency from interfering in PA’s business:

Read More “U.S. EPA Tries to Tell PA DEP How to Do It’s Job – PA Pushes Back”
Broome County | Economic Impact | Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues | Jobs | Meetings | New York | Regulation

Sizable Crowd Gathers in Binghamton to Hear Hear Expert Panel Discuss Marcellus Drilling’s Potential Impact on New York
March 7, 2011March 8, 2011

MDN, along with about 200 other people, attended a meeting titled “Marcellus Shale in Our Community: What’s in it for All of Us” on Friday evening March 4th at the West Middle School auditorium in Binghamton, NY. The audience was, for the most part, composed of landowners and those generally in favor of drilling in the Marcellus Shale in New York. The meeting was sponsored by the Joint Landowners Coalition of New York (JLCNY).

Read More “Sizable Crowd Gathers in Binghamton to Hear Hear Expert Panel Discuss Marcellus Drilling’s Potential Impact on New York”
Economic Impact | Industrywide Issues

The Impact of Shale Gas Tax Revenue for Local Municipalities
March 7, 2011March 7, 2011

Late last year, the City Council of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania rejected drilling for natural gas inside the city limits. But another city of similar size, Arlington, Texas, allows it within city limits. In an article talking about the pros and cons of “urban drilling” we get this information about the Arlington experiment:

Read More “The Impact of Shale Gas Tax Revenue for Local Municipalities”
Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Statewide PA | Wastewater

Was the Pennsylvania DEP Bribed to Avoid Better Tracking of Marcellus Drilling Wastewater?
March 4, 2011March 4, 2011

The latest fallout from The New York Times story is about how wastewater from Marcellus Shale drilling operations in Pennsylvania is tracked as it is disposed. Supposedly the Times has found that there is a conspiracy:

Read More “Was the Pennsylvania DEP Bribed to Avoid Better Tracking of Marcellus Drilling Wastewater?”
Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Statewide PA | Wastewater

Former PA Gov. Tom Ridge Says NYT Spreading Disinformation
March 4, 2011March 4, 2011

Former PA Governor Tom Ridge has a new role as spokesman for the Marcellus Shale Coalition. In that role, he met yesterday with local political officials and reporters in Canonsburg, PA, near Pittsburgh. He had some common sense words for those in the audience:

“You cannot eliminate the risk from anything you do,” said Ridge, who was casually dressed in jeans, a blue turtleneck and a blue button-down shirt. “Airplanes crash because pilots make bad judgments, but we don’t stop flying.”(1)

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Accidents | Energy Services | Industrywide Issues | MarkWest Energy | Pennsylvania | Washington County

Cause of Fire at MarkWest Compressor Station in Western PA was Faulty Water Heater
March 4, 2011March 4, 2011

There was a fire earlier this week at a MarkWest Liberty Midstream natural gas compressor station in Mount Pleasant (Washington County), PA. No one was injured and the fire was quickly extinguished. It is now known that a faulty water heater caused the fire.

Read More “Cause of Fire at MarkWest Compressor Station in Western PA was Faulty Water Heater”
Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Statewide PA | Wastewater

New PA DEP Secretary Krancer Sets the Record Straight, Corrects NYT Errors
March 3, 2011March 3, 2011

It looks like new PA Gov. Tom Corbett’s pick to head the Department of Environmental Protection will soon be confirmed by the State Senate. Michael L. Krancer, 53, of Bryn Mawr in Montgomery County, answered Senators’ questions at his confirmation hearing yesterday. In particular he responded to questions about the recent stories in The New York Times alleging PA has been lax in testing drinking water supplies that The Times claims are now contaminated with high levels of radioactivity from drilling wastewater.

Krancer took the opportunity to set the record straight on a few facts The Times got wrong:

Read More “New PA DEP Secretary Krancer Sets the Record Straight, Corrects NYT Errors”
Bradford County | Chesapeake Energy | Energy Companies | Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Roads | Wastewater

Chesapeake Energy Invests $92 Million in Northeast PA Roads, Recycles 100 Percent of Wastewater
March 3, 2011March 3, 2011

Chesapeake Energy is one of the largest drillers for natural gas in the Marcellus Shale, period. And they are a big driller in Bradford and other counties in Northeastern PA. With so many wells being drilled in the area, roads have been damaged. Many of the roads are what Chesapeake refers to as “pie crust” roads – nothing more than 2 inches of asphalt laid on clay or dirt – the kind of roads that don’t hold up well to any kind of traffic. Chesapeake is not only repairing the damage, but in many cases making the roads better than they originally were:

Read More “Chesapeake Energy Invests $92 Million in Northeast PA Roads, Recycles 100 Percent of Wastewater”
Allegheny County | Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Wastewater

Pittsburgh City Council President Refers to Marcellus Shale Drillers as “Dogs” – Threatens Upriver Municipalities with “Toxic Trespass”
March 3, 2011March 3, 2011

Pittsburgh City Councilman and Council President Doug Shields (Democrat-District 5) was the driving force behind legislation passed late last year that banned drilling for Marcellus Shale gas inside city limits. Energy companies hold leases on 362 acres, or 1 percent, of land in the city proper. Shields worked with the environmentalist and anti-drilling law firm Community Environmental Legal Defense Fund to craft that legislation.

It seems that recent stories from The New York Times about potential wastewater contamination are an opportunity too good to “waste” for Councilman Shields.

Read More “Pittsburgh City Council President Refers to Marcellus Shale Drillers as “Dogs” – Threatens Upriver Municipalities with “Toxic Trespass””
Allegheny County | Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Wastewater

Pittsburgh to Test for Radioactivity in City Water Supplies, Wastewater Scare Continues
March 3, 2011March 3, 2011

The fallout from The New York Times series of articles claiming radioactive contamination from Marcellus Shale drilling wastewater is finding its way into water supplies continues:

Read More “Pittsburgh to Test for Radioactivity in City Water Supplies, Wastewater Scare Continues”
Industrywide Issues | Jobs | Kanawha County | West Virginia

Marcellus Drilling May Help Save 200 Jobs at Bayer Plant in WV
March 3, 2011March 3, 2011

The Bayer CropScience plant in Institute, WV is rumored to be downsizing. Currently 500 people are employed there, but the plant will soon stop making and storing the same chemical (MIC) that leaked in the Union Carbide chemical plant in Bhopal, India killing thousands back in 1984. If that happens, some 200 people will lose their jobs. But there may be hope to keep those jobs because of Marcellus Shale drilling:

Read More “Marcellus Drilling May Help Save 200 Jobs at Bayer Plant in WV”