Statewide PA

Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Regulation | Statewide PA | Wastewater

PA DEP Sec. Krancer Continues to Push Back Against the Federal EPA – Tells Them in April 6 Letter that PA is Doing Just Fine, Thanks
April 8, 2011April 8, 2011

On April 6, newly appointed PA Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) Secretary Michael Krancer responded yet again to the overreaching federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) with a blunt and factual letter outlining the measures PA has already taken, and new policies they will be taking, to protect drinking water supplies for PA citizens. MDN previously wrote (see here) about the EPA’s interference in PA’s affairs following the sensational claims made by a series of articles in The New York Times that claimed PA was allowing radioactive wastewater to be dumped into PA waterways. About the same time as the Times articles, the DEP released the results of ongoing water testing in seven rivers that showed radioactivity levels were at or below normal levels.

Read More “PA DEP Sec. Krancer Continues to Push Back Against the Federal EPA – Tells Them in April 6 Letter that PA is Doing Just Fine, Thanks”
Pennsylvania | Statewide PA

New Plan Would Put More Natural Gas Vehicles on PA’s Roadways
April 7, 2011April 7, 2011

On Tuesday, April 5, the PA-based Marcellus Shale Coalition (MSC) released a new study: Roadmap for Pennsylvania Jobs, Energy Security and Clean Air (download it here, PDF file). The Roadmap outlines a plan for expanding the use of Natural Gas Vehicles (NGVs), in particular their use by fleets of vehicles—buses, trucks and cars—owned and operated by government and private industry. The Roadmap recommends incentives and policy changes to encourage use of NGVs and expanding an existing network of established natural gas refueling stations by establishing an additional 17 new public refueling stations along key interstate highways throughout Pennsylvania.

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Economic Impact | Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Statewide PA

Proposed Bill Allows PA Universities to Keep Marcellus Drilling Revenues for Building Projects
April 6, 2011April 6, 2011

It’s not a done deal yet, but Pennsylvania may soon allow its state-owned universities to have Marcellus Shale drilling on their property—and keep the money from it.

Read More “Proposed Bill Allows PA Universities to Keep Marcellus Drilling Revenues for Building Projects”
Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Pipelines | Statewide PA

Proposed Law Will Grant PA Public Utility Commission Power to Inspect Natural Gas Pipelines
April 5, 2011April 5, 2011

Regulation and oversight of pipelines, including natural gas pipelines, comes under the umbrella of the U.S. Department of Transportation/Hazardous Materials Safety Administration. However, states are empowered to regulate and oversee public utilities, including pipelines that are deemed a public utility. But most natural gas gathering pipelines are not public utilities. Such is the case in Pennsylvania where pipelines are currently inspected by the U.S. DOT. That may be about to change.

A bill has just passed the PA House which establishes Pennsylvanian oversight of all natural gas pipelines in the state:

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Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Regulation | Statewide PA

PA DEP Sec. Michael Krancer Makes a Controversial Policy Change on Marcellus Drilling Inspections
March 31, 2011March 31, 2011

Newly appointed Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) Secretary Michael Krancer has made a major change in procedure at the agency. “Routine matters” like notices of violations (NOVs) for problems found at drilling sites were, until now, issued by DEP field inspectors and their regional directors. But now all routine matters, including NOVs, must be pre-approved by officials at the DEP headquarters in Harrisburg.

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Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Statewide PA | Wastewater

Anti-Drilling Protestors in PA Break the Law (Again), This Time Disrupting a Meeting
March 30, 2011March 30, 2011

The Marcellus Shale Environmental Summit was held this week at the Renaissance Hotel in downtown Pittsburgh. Inside were some 120 people listening to speakers talk on the topic of using technology to treat drilling wastewater so that the wastewater doesn’t end up in Pennsylvania’s waterways. Most people would agree that’s a good thing.

Outside the hotel was a small group of 30 anti-drilling protestors. And as we saw a few weeks ago in Harrisburg (Anti-Drilling Protestors Get Nasty at Shale Coalition Building in Harrisburg, PA), these protestors were not content to peaceably and respectfully march and make their statement. They decided they were above the law:

Read More “Anti-Drilling Protestors in PA Break the Law (Again), This Time Disrupting a Meeting”
Pennsylvania | Statewide PA

New Interactive Map Shows Marcellus Gas Wells in PA
March 29, 2011March 29, 2011

MDN recommends a new online interactive map that shows Marcellus Shale gas wells in Pennsylvania. In fact, there are many such mapping applications out there, but this one stands apart. Bear in mind it is brand new and is still “in development” with plans from its creator to be further developed in the coming few years. But MDN found it to already be a solid and useful tool for anyone with an interest (for or against) Marcellus Shale drilling.

The map can be found at //www.fracktrack.org. Here are the steps MDN took to find the map you see embedded below in this article.

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Allegheny County | Pennsylvania | Statewide PA

Attend (or Watch Online) a Free Public Debate: “Should Pittsburgh Permit Marcellus Shale Drilling?”
March 29, 2011March 29, 2011

MDN received the following press release about a Marcellus Shale debate that will be held in Pittsburgh on Wednesday, April 6th. The debate will be in the classical forensic style of debating where each side gets a certain amount of time to make it’s arguments and to respond to the opposition’s arguments. Should be an interesting event!

From the release:

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Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Statewide PA | Wildlife

Penn State Wildlife Official Says Marcellus Drilling and Wildlife Can Co-exist, Urges Caution
March 25, 2011March 25, 2011

Penn State wildlife resources professor Margaret C. Brittingham was one of the officials who addressed a group of 20 people attending the Cambria County Conservation District’s Marcellus Shale forum on Thursday. She was there to urge caution and raise awareness that some PA wildlife can be threatened by drilling operations. She also said there’s no reason drilling and the state’s wildlife cannot co-exist.

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Hydraulic Fracturing | Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Statewide PA

Penn State Looking for PA Landowners with Private Water Wells Near Marcellus Drilling for Research Study
March 25, 2011March 25, 2011

Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences wants owners of private drinking-water wells located near completed natural-gas wells in the Marcellus shale region to participate in a study of the impact of gas development. The study will assess the potential impacts of Marcellus gas drilling on rural drinking water wells, according to Bryan Swistock, extension water resources specialist. The data collected from the study is for research purposes and for the education of each homeowner.

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Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Statewide PA | Taxation

PA Gov. Corbett Says Municipal Fees (Not Taxes) for Marcellus Drilling May be OK
March 24, 2011March 24, 2011

Gov. Tom Corbett has been a steadfast opponent of extra taxes on the Marcellus Shale drilling industry in PA. Such opposition was part of his platform when running, and now in office, he has remained opposed, even under withering criticism. In Corbett’s opinion, taxing the industry and dumping that money into the general fund to be used for whatever purpose politicians want to use it is a bad idea (politicians always find uses for other people’s money).

But on Wednesday, Corbett opened the window to the possibility that local municipalities could assess fees to cover expenses associated with Marcellus development in their communities.

Read More “PA Gov. Corbett Says Municipal Fees (Not Taxes) for Marcellus Drilling May be OK”
Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Roads | Statewide PA

PA State Police Target Marcellus Drilling Truckers, Take 131 Trucks Off the Road in Just Two Days
March 24, 2011March 24, 2011

On March 14 and 15 the Pennsylvania State Police conducted spot inspections of trucks involved in Marcellus Shale drilling activities—most of them hauling wastewater from drilling sites.

Read More “PA State Police Target Marcellus Drilling Truckers, Take 131 Trucks Off the Road in Just Two Days”
Energy Companies | Lease & Royalty Payments | Pennsylvania | Range Resources Corp | Statewide PA

Range Resources Settles Royalty Lawsuit from Landowners for $22 Million
March 23, 2011March 23, 2011

In 2008, Pennsylvania landowners filed lawsuits to have their lease agreements, signed in 2007 with Range Resources, invalidated because the royalty payments they were receiving fell below the 12 1/2 percent level that is guaranteed under PA’s Guaranteed Minimum Royalty Act (GMRA). The landowners separately were joined together into a class action lawsuit representing some 25,000 landowners. The case became known as Frederick v. Range Resources. The landowners challenged the method of calculating royalties that deducts expenses after the gas leaves the wellhead (processing, delivery, other fees). Their argument was that said fees should come from the driller’s side of the ledger sheet and not the landowner.

Read More “Range Resources Settles Royalty Lawsuit from Landowners for $22 Million”
Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Pipelines | Regulation | Statewide PA

U.S. Government Drags Feet on Issuing Pipeline Permits in PA, 150 Wells Sit Waiting
March 23, 2011March 23, 2011

You can drill and produce gas all day long from a Marcellus Shale well, but if you can’t get the gas from the well to a large interstate pipeline, it’s all for naught. Right now there are 150 natural gas wells that can’t go into production in Pennsylvania because smaller “transmission” pipelines are not getting built fast enough to meet demand. The reason? The U.S. federal government.

Read More “U.S. Government Drags Feet on Issuing Pipeline Permits in PA, 150 Wells Sit Waiting”
Economic Impact | Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Statewide PA

New Study Shows Counties in PA with Marcellus Shale Drilling Do Better Economically
March 23, 2011March 23, 2011

Penn State researchers have taken a close look at tax revenues from Pennsylvania counties active in the Marcellus shale. Here’s what they found:

Read More “New Study Shows Counties in PA with Marcellus Shale Drilling Do Better Economically”
Industrywide Issues | Pennsylvania | Statewide PA | Wastewater

Researcher Finds PA Marcellus Gas Drillers Reuse Two-Thirds of Wastewater on Average
March 21, 2011March 21, 2011

The Geological Society of America’s annual meeting was in full swing over the weekend with some 1,600 geologists meeting in downtown Pittsburgh. Prominent on the agenda is drilling in the Marcellus Shale.

Read More “Researcher Finds PA Marcellus Gas Drillers Reuse Two-Thirds of Wastewater on Average”