The Avonworth Municipal Authority in Allegheny County, PA (near Pittsburgh) has just signed a five-year drilling lease for park property controlled by the Authority.
Read More “Municipal Authority in Western PA Signs Drilling Lease for 119 Acre Park”
A lawsuit has just been filed in Western PA seeking to invalidate a Township’s new drilling ordinance:
Read More “Rice Drilling Sues North Bethlehem Township Over New Drilling Ordinance”
Marcellus drilling company Talisman Energy held an open house yesterday in LeRaysville (Bradford County), PA from 3 to 8 pm at the community hall, and it quickly became a packed house with more than 200 people attending to ask questions about Talisman’s plans for their area.
Read More “Talisman Energy to Drill 40-50 New Wells in Bradford County, PA”
You knew it was only a matter of time. Whenever a new industry like Marcellus Shale gas drilling seeks to get established, along come the personal injury and class action lawyers to ensure everyone pays more money defending frivolous lawsuits. Personal injury lawyers in Pennsylvania and other Marcellus states are already salivating.
Read More “Personal Injury Lawyers Have Arrived at Your Local Marcellus Gas Well”
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.
Read More “New Plan Would Put More Natural Gas Vehicles on PA’s Roadways”
The decision is in, and Winfield Township (Butler County), PA supervisors have voted to not accept an offer from BLX-Redmill to lease 60 acres of the 69-acre township park located behind the municipal building.
Read More “Winfield Township, PA Turns Down Lease Offer from BLX-Redmill; Lessons for Landowners”
A balanced and common sense editorial running in today’s The Intelligencer/Wheeling News-Register makes the point loud and clear that the government and environmental groups should conduct all the studies they want about hydraulic fracturing and drilling in the Marcellus Shale. But please, in the meantime, don’t advocate that all drilling should stop until those studies are completed (which will take years). The editorial says, in part:
Not only is the discovery and abundant supply of Marcellus Shale gas good for consumers in the form of lower energy prices, it’s also good for consumers in the form of lower prices for products made from plastic. An article in Plastics News highlights the importance of the shale gas discovery in the United States and its impact on the production and availability of plastics.
Read More “How Shale Gas is Leading to Lower Prices on Plastics”
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.
Range Resources, one of the largest drillers in the Pennsylvania Marcellus Shale, is threatening to stop drilling in Mt. Pleasant Township (Washington County), PA. A letter to landowners in the Township says, in part, “We may be forced to shift activity to other, more cooperative townships.”
Why the threat? The dispute seems to center on the type of permits that will be issued in the Township if a new ordinance is passed later this month.
The latest group to oppose drilling in the Marcellus Shale is the Chesapeake Bay Foundation (“CBF”), a private environmentalist organization that claims to be the largest such entity dedicated to preserving the health of the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries. Their stated mission is to “Save the Bay,” defined as attaining and maintaining clear water that is free of pollutants, and promoting oxygen levels in the Bay that support growth of underwater vegetation which in turn provides a habitat for sea creatures. The CBF’s concern is that drilling in the Marcellus Shale, much of which sits in the Chesapeake Bay watershed area, is already contributing and will continue to increase pollutants that flow into the Bay.
The CBF has gone on the offensive. CBF attorney and spokesperson Amy McDonnell wants to ensure Marcellus Shale drilling does not harm the Bay.
Read More “Chesapeake Bay Foundation Goes on Offense Against Drilling in the Marcellus Shale”
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:
U.S. Senator Bob Casey (Democrat, Pennsylvania), recently re-introduced legislation he calls the FRAC Act—Fracturing Responsibility and Awareness of Chemicals. The legislation as proposed would do two things: (1) Put the industry practice of hydraulic fracturing, something that’s been happening for 60 years, under the oversight of the federal Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”); and (2) require all drilling companies to publicly disclose all of the chemicals used in the process of hydraulic fracturing.
Read More “A Brief History of Why the EPA (Currently) Does Not Regulate Hydraulic Fracturing”
How do drilling companies dispose of drilling wastewater? In Pennsylvania and other locations, drillers recycle much of the wastewater (or fracking fluid) by mixing it with new water and reusing it. Some drillers are recycling 100 percent of their wastewater. But in some areas, drillers use a method called injection wells—pumping the wastewater down deep wells created specifically for disposing of it—in a place where it will not rise back to the surface.
Injection wells are being used in another shale formation, the Fayetteville Shale, in Arkansas. And use of those wells has caused some controversy. Some believe injection wells in Arkansas have led to earthquakes in the area.
Read More “Arkansas Officials Claim Injection Wells Used for Wastewater are Causing Earthquakes”
Momentum, a company that focuses on “midstream” oil and gas assets, has signed on Chesapeake Energy and Statoil as customers for a new Marcellus Shale natural gas pipeline they are constructing in northern WV and southwestern PA.
From the press release:
Read More “New Marcellus Shale Pipeline Coming to Southwestern PA, Northern WV”
From time to time I hear from readers who say something along the lines of, “Hey Jim, I really like the news you deliver about Marcellus drilling, but lose the attitude and color commentary.” As you must know by now, I am an advocate of safe drilling. And those who disagree with my viewpoint get irritated by my occasional comments. They want “just the facts please.”
I honestly and truly don’t see any difference in what I do and what is written by mainstream media outlets. I’m just honest about my viewpoints and biases, while they pretend to be above the fray. Yet their bias comes through loud and clear in every article they write. They willfully ignore science and facts and instead color and shade their reporting to fit their preconceived viewpoints. I would argue (go ahead and laugh) that I do a better job of providing balance to both sides of the issue than many mainstream media outlets. I don’t cover up the problems when they happen. But I also shed light on the positive aspects of drilling. Try and find that in the pages of The New York Times.
Unfortunately, drilling for natural gas in the Marcellus Shale by using hydraulic fracturing has become a political issue as much as a scientific one. I don’t believe you can separate the two. There is a philosophy and mindset on the part of many (not all) who oppose drilling that any fossil fuel is evil and the only solution to America’s long-term energy needs is so-called alternative energies (wind, solar, etc.). I think that viewpoint is not only naive, but dangerous to our country’s future.
When I read and repeat news coverage of drilling in the Marcellus, my approach is to “take you by the hand” and point out what I see—what things run through my mind. If I notice that in the newly released Energy Blueprint that the federal government claims they’ve delegated the right to regulate drilling to the states, I point out the inaccuracy of such a statement. Where do they get off!? Our citizenry has become ignorant of our country’s great history, including a Constitution which places severe limits on the federal government, granting states all rights not found in the Constitution. I realize that my rather traditional political viewpoint rankles some readers. So be it.
Let me be clear and open and honest: I value the viewpoints of those who disagree with me, and I’m happy to have you in the audience. I do not intentionally try to drive you away with my comments. I welcome an open debate about these issues. But you need to know that I am an advocate for safe drilling. This website is aimed people who want to know both sides of the debate, but in learning about it, appreciate my sometimes “snarky” remarks. I try to keep the snark to a minimum, but hey, sometimes I can’t help it. 
I hope that helps you understand where I come from. And now, a favor: If you have thoughts about the coverage MDN provides, please leave me a comment below. I figure if you’re reading this on a Sunday, you’re pretty hard-core on the topic of drilling in the Marcellus, and I would like to know from you, the most dedicated readers, what you like and don’t like. If you don’t like my commentary and comments, tell me. If you do, let me know! It will help guide me as I further develop this service.
Below you’ll find the “top 5” lists and this week’s calendar listings.
Happy reading,
Jim Willis, Editor