West Goshen’s Last Stand to Stop Mariner East 2 Pipeline
There are a few last, desperate gasps at attempting to stop Sunoco Logistics Partners’ Mariner East 2 natural gas liquids (NGL) pipeline from being built. The pipeline is currently under construction (see Mariner East 2 Pipeline Constructions Begins Across PA). Even though trees are getting cut and pipeline is being laid, that doesn’t stop libs in places like West Goshen Township (Chester County, near Philadelphia) from attempting to deny Sunoco a zoning permit for a valve on the pipeline. Sunoco has politely, but firmly, told West Goshen the pipeline doesn’t need a permit from the town to install a valve because it’s a state-permitted project. In other words, go pound sand. Sunoco plans to move forward, at the appropriate time, with installation and wants assurances from West Goshen the town won’t send in a local cop to stop them. It could get messy…
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The Pennsylvania Dept. of Environmental Protection (DEP) says 2,400 staffers and $728 million (proposed for 2017-2018) isn’t enough. More! Feed me! I need more!! Appearing at a budget hearing yesterday with state legislators, Acting Secretary of the DEP Pat McDonnell cried the blues. The DEP is authorized, according to last year’s budget, to have 2,700 employees, but McDonnell says the agency currently has 2,400. Not sure what the 300 difference is about. But, whatever. He also says the federal EPA is about to whack the money it hands out to state agencies, including the DEP, and that has McDonnell concerned…
Letters are on their way to 283 Clinton County, PA property owners asking them to participate in a “free” (i.e. paid for by taxpayers) sampling of their well/drinking water supply. The U.S Geological Survey is conducting a study in the area in part to gauge the impact of nearby shale drilling on water supplies. What’s that? Is there ANY Marcellus drilling in Clinton County? As it turns out, there are a few wells–or at least there have been a handful of permits issued over the years, so we’re guessing some of those permits turned into drilled wells. Hey, we’re not complaining. Every time these types of studies are done they always come out the same way: shale drilling doesn’t impact water drinking water supplies. So have at it. We can always use yet one more study to prove what has already been proven…
Jim Sewell, the Environmental Manager for the Shell ethane cracker project being built in Beaver County, PA, recently gave an update on the project to members of the Ohio Valley Oil and Gas Association. Sewell spoke about the reason Shell chose the Monaca site. He also gave an update on progress at the site. The biggest problem they’re trying to solve right now? Parking for workers…
The “best of the rest” – stories that caught MDN’s eye that you may be interested in reading. In today’s lineup: Range Resources CEO speaks out on oversupply, Range’s focus on dry gas (for now); Maryland frack ban advances in House, stalled in Senate; Utica permits “steady” in southeast OH; Florida Senate panel passes frack ban; antis heckle, boo, shout, shut down meeting in Colo.; what the o&g industry must learn from Trump’s win; EPA’s Pruitt intends to shake things up; shale moving from brute force to finesse; foreign buyers buying into US pipelines; and more!
Just as MDN was putting today’s list of stories to bed, news broke that President Trump plans to nominate Jones Day attorney Kevin McIntyre as chairman of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), and nominate Neil Chatterjee, senior energy adviser to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, as a member. There are currently three vacancies. No word on a third nominee and (so far) The White House is mum on the leak about McIntyre and Chatterjee. Here’s the leak, from Bloomberg…
Not long after the Pennsylvania legislature passed the Act 13 Marcellus Shale drilling law in 2012, signed into law by then-Gov. Tom Corbett, seven selfish towns sued, claiming they should have the right (via zoning laws) to determine just where an oil and gas well can be located within their borders. The challenge was brought by rabid anti-drillers and appealed all the way to the PA Supreme Court, where unfortunately the antis won (see 
When was the last time you heard of someone indicted on criminal charges and instead of doing time in jail, they just paid money? While some crimes involve fines, they always involve jail, or probation, or some form confinement/punishment other than just paying money. At least that’s what we always thought. But if you’re part of the Gestapo, otherwise known as the Environmental Crimes Unit of the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office, apparently the rules don’t apply. People in the AG’s office can accuse you of a crime, then shake you down for money, and give that money away to anyone they want. That’s what just happened with Anadarko. As we recently reported (see 
As MDN has noted over the past several months, the signs have been positive that Marcellus/Utica drilling is picking up once again. But that doesn’t mean it’s picking up in every location. Or does it? One of the hotbeds of drilling activity “back in the day” was in several northeastern/central Pennsylvania counties, including Tioga, Bradford, Lycoming and Sullivan. But then the bottom fell out of the industry (with super low prices) and drilling all but dried up in those counties. The good news is that there are signs of life, once again, in the central counties of PA. Between Nov. 1 and Mar. 6, 30 drilling permits were issued in Tioga County, 12 permits in Lycoming County, and (somewhat surprising), 8 permits issued in Sullivan County. Shale is coming back!…
On Feb. 3, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) approved a long-delayed project–National Fuel Gas Company’s (NFG) Northern Access 2016 pipeline project (see 
Headquartered in Houston, Texas, Exterran Corporation (with 5,400 employees) specializes in natural gas compression production equipment and processing facilities. They design, build and operate compressor stations and natural gas processing plants. In 2012 MDN reported on a contract Exterran won to build three natural gas processing plants in West Virginia (see 