Statewide PA

The Marcellus Shale Coalition (MSC) is the premier organization of its kind for promoting shale drilling in the Marcellus Shale. Headquartered in Pittsburgh, the MSC has some 300 members and associate members–a veritable Who’s Who in Marcellus drilling. All of the big boys (drillers and midstream companies) and many of the smaller ones belong. The MSC has enormous influence with lawmakers and does a great job with publicity for shale drilling. Just one thing missing–and that’s a way to involve people who “advocate” or support shale drilling but don’t necessary work in the industry or belong to the MSC. How to enlist the help of the army of volunteers who would be willing to spread the word to family and friends–and perhaps nudge their local political officials–to support responsible shale drilling?

The MSC has the answer. Yesterday they launched a new initiative and website called Shale Advocates (www.shaleadvocates.com) that encourages shale supporters–no matter where they are and who they are–to help write letters and emails, and even call, political officials. It is a way to focus the efforts of the vast army of volunteers who support shale energy–a force for good. And frankly, a force for reason in an age of unreason. Here’s more on the new Shale Advocates movement and what the MSC aims to do by launching it…
Read More “MSC Launches Shale Advocates – An Army of Shale Volunteers”

Last week MDN told you about the moonlighting head of oil and gas leasing for the Pennsylvania Game Commission and his impending promotion (see PA Gov Corbett Blocks Promotion of Moonlighter at Game Commission). The independent 8-member board that runs the commission was about to promote William A. Capouillez to the top job of executive director. Capouillez manages the Commission’s 1.4 million acres of land for leasing by day, but in his off hours he assists private landowners with leasing their land to some of the same companies he brokers deals with during his day job. In other words, it has the appearance, if not the realistic possibility, for a conflict of interest.

Gov. Tom Corbett put the breaks on Capouillez’s promotion. He also put the breaks on a deal the Game Commission had cooked up to give it’s outgoing executive director a $220,000 severance package. (Hey, where do we sign up to be members of the PA Game Commission board?) Yesterday the Game Commission said they would not promote Capouillez and they have put a stop payment on the $220K check to outgoing director Carl Roe due to objections from the governor…
Read More “PA Game Commission Stops Promotion of Moonlighting Staffer”

John Hanger, the former Secretary of the PA Dept. of Environmental Protection under Gov. Ed Rendell, withdrew from the Democrat primary for governor last week. John is an “all of the above” kind of guy–in favor of wind and solar as much as natural gas. He’s also a very left-leaning liberal, in favor of legalizing pot smoking in the Keystone State. A few months ago we coined the phrase “pass a joint for John,” to, you know, give his campaign a boost (see PA Gov. Corbett’s Bold Plan for More Drilling in State Forests).

But our best efforts to give John a boost apparently fell short. John supports restrictions on shale drilling. He even refused to denounce the crazies in his own party who want to ban all new Marcellus drilling (now part of the PA Democrat Party’s official platform, see PA Democrat Party Votes to End Marcellus Shale Drilling Statewide). Even so, the crazies just couldn’t stomach someone like John who gives even the smallest credence to fossil fuels. So John is now out of the running. He should have concerned himself more with the wacko left in his own party rather than repeatedly rail against the Tea Party…
Read More “Pass One Last Joint for John Hanger”

Last August MDN told you about the moonlighting PA Game Commission employee, William A. Capouillez, the director of the Bureau of Wildlife Habitat Management at the Game Commission (see PA Director of Game Commission Double-Dipping with Gas Leases?). Capouillez’s day job is to oversee leasing 1.4 million acres of public game lands for oil and gas drilling. But in his off hours he negotiates leases for oil and gas drilling for private landowners–sort of an “on the side” landman. When it all came to light in the *Philly Inquirer* last year, it prompted an ethics investigation (see PA Game Comm. Head Not Afraid of Gas Leasing Ethics Investigation).

How’s the investigation going? No one will say. However, the PA Game Commission is considering promoting Capouillez to the top job of executive director. PA Gov. Tom Corbett (Republican) isn’t impressed. In fact, he’s sent a warning shot across the bow of the independent 8-member board of the Commission, saying he will actively work to block the promotion…
Read More “PA Gov Corbett Blocks Promotion of Moonlighter at Game Commission”

Time to watch a little TV (something we rarely, if ever, do). We actually have some TV worth watching! Three Marcellus drilling advocates appeared on Scranton TV station WBRE this past weekend. MDN editor Jim Willis has met two of the three and counts one of them, John Augustine of the Marcellus Shale Coalition, as a friend. Appearing on the half hour talk show with John were Mark Volk, President of Lackawanna College (whom we have also met) and Brian Oram, a Geologist and principle with B and F Environmental Consultants (whom we have not met but have corresponded with on a number of occasions). All three are terrific representatives for the benefits of Marcellus Shale drilling and the prosperity it’s brought to Pennsylvania.

Hosted by WBRE Senior Producer Jayne Ann Bugda and PA Live Host Dave Kuharchik, the pair asked our three Marcellus reps a variety of questions about drilling and its safety, benefits and potential drawbacks. Give the program a watch (in two sections, click each in turn)…
Read More “TV Worth Watching: Scranton Station Interviews 3 Marcellus Advocates”