Pennsylvania

Clearfield County | Education | Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania

Clearfield County Residents: Get $100 to Learn about Marcellus
June 16, 2014June 16, 2014

How would you like to earn a cool $100–just for learning about Marcellus Shale drilling? That’s the promise from Penn State to those who live in and around Clearfield County, PA. Penn State, using funding from the National Science Foundation, is offering a 10-week course called Marcellus Community Science Volunteer Program on Monday nights in DuBois. Adults will learn all about the science behind shale drilling, along with its benefits and drawbacks. This is not the first group Penn State has done this with. They ran the same course earlier this year…
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Allegheny County | Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Regulation

New Zoning Law Needlessly Restricts Drilling in SWPA Borough
June 16, 2014June 16, 2014

Pittsburgh, PA is located in Allegheny County. So you can imagine that any town, borough or hollow in Allegheny is somehow in the Pittsburgh political orbit–including Jefferson Hills. Most large cities like Pittsburgh lean liberal in their politics, and surrounding neighborhoods often lean that way too. Like Jefferson Hills (population 10,619). Last week Jefferson Hills Borough Council voted 6-0 to lard on new restrictions for shale drilling–on top of the already strict standards set up by the state Dept. of Environmental Protection. The new unnecessary standards create a “conditional use” situation where a driller has to get paperwork signed in triplicate for every minor step in the drilling process…
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Anti-Drilling/Fossil Fuel | Energy Services | Industrywide Issues | Lancaster County | Pennsylvania | Pipelines | Transco | Williams

Atlantic Sunrise Changes Course in Lancaster County, PA
June 13, 2014June 13, 2014

Once again anti-drillers who were denied the chance to bleat and blat before a microphone behaved like the adult babies they are–by staging a “sit in” and chanting at an open house hosted by Williams to talk to landowners and others about the much-needed and excellent Atlantic Sunrise Expansion pipeline project. This particular misbehaving group was composed of anti-drillers and hippies from Lancaster County, PA, not dissimilar (maybe some of them the same) as those from neighboring Lebanon County (see Lebanon, PA Group Coaches Blind Followers to Oppose Pipeline). When denied a public forum to act like asses, anti-drillers go ahead and make asses of themselves anyway. And that’s just what a group calling themselves Lancaster Against Pipeline did Wednesday night. Meanwhile, the adult and sane-acting Williams representatives announced they heard the concerns about the route in Lancaster County and have changed the route to avoid going through a couple of nature preserves…
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CONSOL Energy | Energy Companies | Industrywide Issues | Noble Energy | Pennsylvania | Pipelines | Statewide PA

CONSOL & Noble to Form New MLP Midstream Subsidiary
June 13, 2014June 13, 2014

In 2011 CONSOL Energy had amassed some 750,000 Marcellus Shale acres but didn’t have enough money to drill it all on their own. So they did what many energy companies do–they got a joint venture partner. CONSOL cut a deal with Noble Energy to split the proceeds 50/50, with CONSOL drilling in the dry gas areas and Noble drilling in the wet gas areas (see Noble Energy and CONSOL to Partner on Marcellus in $3.4B Deal). The two jv partners announced yesterday their intent to form a master limited partnership (MLP) that will form a new midstream company (pipelines) to service their vast drilling operations…
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Dominion Exploration | Economic Impact | Energy Companies | Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Westmoreland County

Muchas Gasias: Beaver Run Reservoir Hires Auditor for Royalties
June 13, 2014June 13, 2014

Waaaaay back in March 2009, when MDN was still in it’s blog infancy, we told you that Westmoreland County, PA supervisors had voted to lease land at the Beaver Run Reservoir to Dominion to drill five Marcellus Shale wells (see Westmoreland County, PA Supervisors Vote to Approve Drilling on County Land). The reservoir provides drinking water to some 60,000+ customers in five southwestern PA counties. What! Marcellus wells next to–even under–a fresh water reservoir? Say it ain’t so!! But it is, and it’s worked out so well (with NO water contamination issues), that over the years those initial five wells have sprouted to become 37 wells with more on the way. The wells at Beaver Run Reservoir are raising so much money for the county they’ve hired a “drilling auditor” to keep track of royalty revenues, which this year will exceed $6 million…
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Economic Impact | Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Research | Statewide PA

New Duke Study Shows Shale Drilling Benefits Municipalities
June 13, 2014June 13, 2014

In the past, researchers at North Carolina’s Duke University have published some really sloppy research when it comes to shale drilling (see What’s Missing in Latest Duke “Radioactive” Study? Real Science). Then at other times, it seems as if a different set of profs and students would turn around and do some real research (see Duke/Kent State Publish New Research on Marcellus Wastewater). We always felt like Duke picked on the Marcellus as a way to score more grant money. So when we saw a new Duke study–this one on the economic benefits or lack thereof for municipalities–we were skeptical. However, the new study, titled “Shale Public Finance: Local government revenues and costs associated with oil and gas development” (full copy embedded below) seems to indicate all in all, shale drilling is a benefit to local municipalities…
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Accidents | Energy Companies | Industrywide Issues | Litigation | Lycoming County | Pennsylvania | Wastewater | XTO

XTO Energy Files to Have AG Kane’s Lawsuit Dismissed
June 12, 2014June 12, 2014

It’s now obvious to everyone that Pennsylvania’s Attorney General Kathleen Kane abuses her office to selectively prosecute high-profile cases to support her own anti-drilling agenda. During her campaign in 2012 Kane pledged to fight to end fracking in PA. She’s doing her best to keep her promise. Example 1: Kane is persecuting/prosecuting a small business owner and his family, including his wife, mother and father (see Minuteman Enviro Says PA AG Office “Terrorized” Family Members, Filing Lawsuit). Example 2: Kane is attempting to criminalize the accidental spill of a small amount of recycled wastewater by XTO that happened years before she took office (see PA AG Abuses Her Authority, Files Criminal Charges Against XTO). XTO filed a motion on Monday to dismiss Kane’s case against the company, pointing out her anti-drilling bias to the judge…
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Energy Services | Industrywide Issues | Landfills | MAX Environmental | Pennsylvania | Regulation | Washington County

New Landfill Expansion in SWPA Aimed at Marcellus Drillers
June 12, 2014June 12, 2014

Max Environmental has operated the Bulger hazardous waste landfill in Smith Township (Washington County), PA since 1958. The company plans to expand the landfill by 21 acres in order to handle an increase of drill cuttings and even liquid waste (which they will turn to solid waste) coming from Marcellus Shale drilling. First up is a public information meeting (sure to be a must-attend, and controversial) being held later this month. Then Max will file a formal application with the PA Dept. of Environmental Protection. Max officials say it will likely take a good five years to receive a permit–such is how mind-numbingly slow the regulatory wheels turn these days…
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Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Public Opinion | Statewide PA | Taxation

New PA Poll Shows Vast Majority Favor Jobs Over Severance Tax
June 12, 2014June 12, 2014

A newly released poll of Pennsylvania voters completely deflates the Democrat call for high taxes on Marcellus Shale drillers–and it has some Democrats, like reporters for the Harrisburg Patriot-News, scrambling to provide propaganda cover lest the truth become known. And what is that truth? Although a majority of voters in PA polled nominally “support” a severance tax (55%), when asked if such a tax were to result in job loss and drillers leaving the state, those same voters say they would NOT support a severance tax (58%). Huh. You don’t hear that being reported by PA’s mainstream media–unless it’s “reporter” Matt Zencey bashing the poll with Democrat talking points…
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Endeavour International | Energy Companies | McKean County | Pennsylvania | Potter County | SM Energy

Endeavour International’s Stock Tanks – Why?
June 12, 2014June 12, 2014

In 2011, Endeavour International, an independent energy company from Houston, TX, cut a deal with SM Energy for 50,000 Marcellus Shale acres, three producing wells and a pipeline in McKean and Potter counties in Pennsylvania (see Endeavour International Buys Lease for Additional 50K Marcellus Acres & Local Pipeline in PA from SM Energy). At the time Endeavour had around 33,000 Marcellus Shale acres. However, by the end of 2011, Endeavour backed out of the deal (see Endeavour Leaves SM Energy at the Altar, SM Ready to Sue). After two and a half years of litigation, the two sides settled in April, costing Endeavour $19.25 million (see Endeavour & SM Energy Settle Lawsuit over PA Marcellus Properties). However, Endeavour’s stock price continues to bump along at the bottom of the barrel–something that has them mystified…
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Accidents | Energy Companies | Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Range Resources Corp | Washington County | Wastewater

Range Resources’ Brine Pond Leak Contaminates Groundwater in SWPA
June 11, 2014June 11, 2014

Range Resources built an open-air frack wastewater and brine impoundment in Amwell Township (Washington County), PA in 2009–the Jon Day Impoundment. At the time, they installed a monitoring system under the impoundment to alert them (and the PA Dept. of Environmental Protection) in case the impoundment–essentially a big pond with a rubber liner–sprung a leak. The monitoring system included 4-inch perforated pipes under the impoundment located inside trenches of gravel. The theory was/is if anything leaks, it will hit one of those pipes and come out the end. According to the DEP the monitoring system was “over and above” DEP requirements at the time. Unfortunately, the monitoring system somewhere along the way failed and the impoundment sprung a leak and now we have some 15,000 tons of “contaminated” soil which has nearly all been removed from the site…
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Coterra Energy (Cabot O&G) | Energy Companies | Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues | Litigation | Pennsylvania | Susquehanna County

Last Gasp in Dimock Couple’s Quest for Riches
June 11, 2014June 11, 2014

Scott and Monica Ely, who once willing leased their land to Cabot Oil & Gas in Dimock, PA, then saw big bucks when their water turned cloudy, ostensibly from methane they say was the result of nearby shale drilling from Cabot, have won the right to have their “negligence” lawsuit against Cabot to continue. The single count of negligence is the only thing U.S. District Magistrate Judge Martin C. Carlson said could continue. All other claims made by the couple have been dismissed by Judge Carlson…
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Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Public Opinion | Regulation | Statewide PA

PA Voters Like Marcellus Fracking – Analyzing the Latest Q-Poll
June 11, 2014June 11, 2014

A poll by Quinnipiac University of Pennsylvania voters released last week has turned up some interesting insights into the prevailing attitudes of PA voters with respect to Republican Gov. Tom Corbett, the issue of Marcellus Shale drilling and the issue of whether or not to allow drilling under (not on) state lands in PA. All of the mainstream media focused on a single number: 57% of those polled oppose Corbett’s executive order to allow a tiny bit more drilling, after former Gov. Ed Rendell had thrown the door wide open during this tenure, under PA’s state lands and parks. That’s the headline, the narrative, and the “it’s all over for Corbett as soon as the fat lady sings” talking points they all work from. MDN has a different take on the numbers and what they mean…
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Anti-Drilling/Fossil Fuel | Energy Services | Industrywide Issues | Lebanon County | Pennsylvania | Pipelines | Transco | Williams

Williams’ Smart Open House in Lebanon County Confounds Antis
June 11, 2014June 11, 2014

Anti-drillers are so predictable. When they’re denied a public forum where they can squeal and moan and put on a “look at me” show, they get all testy. Which is why the way Williams conducts their public open houses is so utterly brilliant. Instead of hosting the typical “3 people on the stage addressing the crowd” followed by an open microphone where anti-drilling zombies get up to read their talking points, Williams sends about 75 representatives to a local school or fire house, rolls out miles of maps, and talks one-on-one with residents–to address specific questions and concerns. That’s the way they did it last night at the Annville-Cleona High School (Lebanon County, PA) with the Atlantic Sunrise Expansion project. And sure enough, anti-drillers from the so-called “Lebanon Pipeline Awareness” complained they couldn’t show off their drama skills at the meeting last night…
Read More “Williams’ Smart Open House in Lebanon County Confounds Antis”
Anti-Drilling/Fossil Fuel | Energy Services | Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Pipelines | Statewide PA | Transco | Williams

Coordinated Media Attack on Williams Atlantic Sunrise Pipeline
June 11, 2014June 11, 2014

It appears there is a coordinated attack by both national and local media against Williams and their Atlantic Sunrise Expansion project. We’ve located one Associated Press story that’s been endlessly published in local newspapers, and one anti-drilling screed by a Lancaster County, PA newspaper, that says, in essence, Williams paid more fines in PA last year than any other pipeline company; Williams wants to build a new pipeline; ergo, Williams should not be allowed to build it because they’re a bad actor…
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Anti-Drilling/Fossil Fuel | Butler County | Energy Companies | Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Rex Energy

Adams Twp, PA Votes to NOT Block Drilling “Near” Mars School
June 11, 2014June 11, 2014

Back in March, MDN questioned the sanity of the Mars School District school board (Butler County, PA) in turning down $1 million to lease 175 acres of school land for drilling (see Earth to Mars (School District) – Time to Check into Funny Farm?). The school board and a number of parents were against drilling close to the school. Unfortunately they also wanted to trample on the property rights of people living about a mile from the school. A group of areas residents tried to get the board of supervisors to prohibit drilling on the Bob and Kim Geyer property. Fortunately their anti-drilling efforts failed…
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