PA Marcellus News Digest 4/26/12

PA Marcellus News Digest

April 26, 2012

Releases

DEP Fines Ultra Resources Inc. $40,000 for Operating Illegal Potter County Transfer Station
Company Was Illegally Storing Raw Flowback Fluid at Fowler Well Pad
DEP Newsroom
April 26
WILLIAMSPORT -- The Department of Environmental Protection has fined Ultra Resources Inc. of Wellsboro, Tioga County, $40,000 for operating an illegal transfer station at a well pad in West Branch Township, Potter County.
DEP staff inspected the site in late February 2011 and found 47 wheelie storage tanks on-site that were holding more than 760,000 gallons of raw flowback fluid that Ultra was using for hydraulic fracturing at other area sites.
Link: http://www.portal.state.pa.us/portal/server.pt/community/newsroom/14287?id=19369&typeid=1

Marcellus Shale Coalition Adds Experienced NEPA Community Outreach Manager
Wallaby
April 24
Canonsburg, PA – The Marcellus Shale Coalition (MSC) is pleased to announce that John L. Augustine III has joined the organization as the Northeastern Pennsylvania (NEPA) Community Outreach Manager, where he will lead the MSC’s regional education, business and outreach efforts. John comes to the MSC from the Greater Wilkes-Barre Chamber of Business & Industry, where he served as Senior Director for Economic and Entrepreneurial Development since 2003.
Link: http://wallaby.telicon.com/PA/library/2012/2012042473.HTM

Sierra Club Rejects Liquefied Natural Gas Export Terminal
April 26
(full text below)
Contact: Jason Pitt, 202.675.6272

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Sierra Club Rejects Liquefied Natural Gas Export Terminal

Cove Point, MD —Today the Sierra Club announced that they will reject a proposed liquefied natural gas (LNG) export facility in Cove Point, MD.  In a unique plot twist, a prior legal settlement entered in the 1970s and later revised gives the Sierra Club the ability to reject any significant changes to the purpose or footprint of the existing Cove Point LNG import facility.

Converting the facility to accommodate LNG exports would result in major damage to the Chesapeake Bay, coastal forests, and the local economy and tourism. 

“As a regular visitor to the Bay and parks like Calvert Cliffs State Park, just north of Cove Point, I see first-hand how expanding this facility will tear into our protected forest land and destroy precious coastline,” said Dave O’Leary, Sierra Club’s Maryland Chapter Chair.  “Sierra Club’s Maryland Chapter is proud to be the first of Sierra Club’s chapters to reject dirty LNG exports, and we will support other chapters in their efforts to stop these dangerous projects.”

“The damage that this project would bring to the Maryland coast as well as the disastrous effects of the fracking boom on communities in states like Pennsylvania make it clear that exporting liquefied natural gas is bad news for Americans’ air, water and health,” said Sierra Club Executive Director, Michael Brune. “The Sierra Club cannot and will not support LNG exports from Cove Point, and we will reject Dominion’s proposal.”

The export of LNG will result in increased, dangerous fracking in the Marcellus Shale.  No federal agency has ever fully analyzed or disclosed these dangers to the public interest.  Sierra Club’s letter makes clear that this failure of transparency is a key reason to oppose the project.

The Sierra Club sent a letter to Dominion, today laying out the details of their rejection of the Cove Point LNG export facility.  Read it here: http://content.sierraclub.org/sites/default/files/documents/4_26_12_DCP_Cease_and_Desist_Letter.pdf