PA Marcellus Digest – May 1, 2013
Controversy builds over Loyalsock forest drilling
Citizens Voice
Robert Swift
April 24, 2013
A controversy over possible natural gas drilling in the Loyalsock State Forest is building as several state lawmakers and environmental groups called Tuesday for Gov. Tom Corbett to take a stronger role in protecting the forest.
Report: State politicians need to address climate change more aggressively
The Patriot News
Robert Vickers
April 24, 2013
Pennsylvania needs to do more to curb it's carbon emissions, according to a report issued Wednesday by the Pennsylvania Environmental Resource Consortium.
Harvard Study Gives Failing Grade to Fracking Industry Disclosure Website
State Impact
Marie Cusick
April 24, 2013
Stronger rules, new commitment to enforcement will restore public confidence
Wallaby
April 25, 2013
John Hanger, Democratic candidate for governor today announced a comprehensive plan to restore public confidence that state government can ensure the safe extraction of natural gas from the Marcellus shale formation.
Duke Lake to be restored in $36M settlement
Observer Reporter
Bob Niedbala
April 24, 2013
Duke Lake at Ryerson Station State Park, dry for almost eight years, will be restored under an agreement announced Wednesday between the state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources and Consol Energy Inc.
Firms tell Peters that seismic testing is safe Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Janice Crompton
April 25, 2013
Legislator: Drilling in state forest needs input
Sun Gazette
Matt Hutchinson
April 25, 2013
State Rep. Rick Mirabito, D-Williamsport, will hold a hearing of the Democratic Policy Committee at 2 p.m. May 1 at Lycoming College's Wendell Hall, room D001 on the topic of natural gas drilling in the Loyalsock State Forest.
Petition signers urge whistle-blower bill’s sponsor to kill bill
Times Online
Natasha Khan
April 25, 2013
Nearly 800 people in Pennsylvania have signed a petition against proposed Pennsylvania House Bill 683, which would criminalize taking photos, video or recording audio on farmlands.
Federal agency, lab to study natural gas emissions
The Associated Press
April 24, 2013
A federal agency and laboratory will conduct research on air emissions at natural gas drilling sites, and on possible hazards to workers.
Consol Energy Inc. to pay $36 million to replace Greene County damTribLive
Timothy Puko
April 24, 2013
State officials plan to reopen Duke Lake in Greene County by the summer of 2017, now that they have a multimillion-dollar deal with Consol Energy Inc. for dam repairs and gas drilling at Ryerson Station State Park.
Governor: Pa. plant decision probably next year
The Associated Press
April 27, 2013
The governor says an oil company's decision on whether to build a proposed petrochemical plant in western Pennsylvania may be pushed back into next year, but he remains optimistic about the plant coming to the commonwealth.
EPA Slashes Natural Gas Drilling Emissions Estimates
State Impact
Marie Cusick
April 29, 2013
In a move that could redefine the fracking debate, the federal Environmental Protection Agency has dramatically reduced its estimates of greenhouse gas emissions from natural gas production.
How towns spend their Act 13 drilling fees Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Erich Schwartzel
April 28, 2013
How much rock salt will $12.55 buy?
It's a question that will be answered in Ben Avon Heights, where officials received a check for that amount courtesy of the impact fee levied last year against energy firms drilling for natural gas in the state. There isn't any drilling in Ben Avon Heights, and the amount was proportionally small.
EPA report further divides fracking camps
Observer Reporter
April 28, 2013
The Environmental Protection Agency has dramatically lowered its estimate of how much of a potent heat-trapping gas leaks during natural gas production, in a shift with major implications for a debate that has divided environmentalists: Does the recent boom in fracking help or hurt the fight against climate change?
Asides: A park lake reclaimed, a state agency rebuked and a hotel ready to dazzle again
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
April 28, 2013
Nothing quite adorns a country scene like a lake -- and Duke Lake at Ryerson Station State Park in Greene County was once a popular spot for swimming, fishing and boating. But in July 2005 the lake was drained amid safety concerns after inspections of the dam forming the lake found it to be cracked and leaking.
Plant could be first to discharge treated wastewater into Susquehanna
Times Online
Rachel Morgan
April 27, 2013
Eureka Resources’ proposed plant in Bradford County could discharge up to 210,000 gallons of treated fracking wastewater a day into the Susquehanna River if its permit should be approved.
Officials report little progress on drilling in state forest
Sun Gazette
Mike Reuther
April 26, 2013
A discussion held Thursday to consider possible natural gas development in Loyalsock State Forest revealed that the two sides considering the issue appear to be no further along in resolving legal issues and other problems involving drilling.
Experts to testify Thursday about making shale drilling more protective of human health and the environment
Wallaby
April 26, 2013
State Rep. Greg Vitali will host a House Democratic Policy Committee hearing at 10 a.m. Thursday, May 2 in the Minority Caucus Room, 418 Main Capitol Building, Harrisburg. The purpose of the hearing is to explore what state government can do to make shale drilling more protective of human health and the environment.
Buried Secrets: Nearby Ohio company accused of burying and dumping petroleum waste; area impact uncertain
Times Online
Rachel Morgan & Patrick O’Shea
April 25, 2013
An Ohio company about a mile from the Pennsylvania border has been accused of dumping and burying petroleum-contaminated waste on its property close to the Mahoning River, a waterway that eventually flows into the Beaver River.
Hearing set on potential gas exploration in state forest
The Express
April 26, 2013
The public and members of the state House will have an opportunity next week in Williamsport to learn more about efforts to conserve a part of the Loyalsock State Forest open to natural gas development.
CONSOL Energy & the MAWC Partner with the PA Game Commission to Celebrate Arbor Day
Wallaby
April 26, 2013
A Marcellus Shale gas well site got a little bit greener today thanks to CONSOL Energy, the Municipal Authority of Westmoreland County and the PA Game Commission. In honor of Arbor Day, 15 employees from CONSOL Energy spent the morning planting white spruce hardwoods on a well pad to restore the land to its original habitat.
Oil, Natural Gas Spills In Lafayette Township
The Bradford Era
Amanda Nichols
April 29, 2013
A considerable amount of natural gas and crude oil residue blew out of a pipeline when a valve broke in Lafayette Township on Saturday afternoon. Around noon, passersby on U.S. Route 219 reported the spill, visible from the highway shooting about 60 feet in the air out of a pipe, according to fire chief Don Fowler of the Lafayette Township Volunteer Fire Department.
Jail term imposed for Marcellus pipeline damage
The Patriot News
John Beauge
April 26, 2013
A Marcellus Shale natural gas worker who admitted he knowingly on three occasions in June 2011 damaged a buried pipeline in northern Lycoming County with an excavator will spend a year and a day in prison.
In Sunbury, Drilling Waste, Politics, And A Pile Of Dirt
State Impact
Marie Cusick
April 29, 2013
A pile of dirt has sparked controversy in the city of Sunbury, Northumberland County. Recently, an otherwise civil city council meeting devolved into a shouting match. Councilman Joe Bartello and Mayor David Persing sparred over the city’s stormwater management rules.
At long last, Duke Lake is back
Observer Reporter
April 28, 2013
Finally, after eight years, Duke Lake is coming back to Ryerson Station State Park. It’s been a long wait – too long in our opinion – for the parties involved to finally reach an agreement.
Many Stressors Associated With Fracking Due to Perceived Lack of Transparency and Trust, Pitt Finds
Wallaby
April 29, 2013
Pennsylvania residents living near unconventional natural gas developments using hydraulic fracturing, known by the slang term “fracking,” attribute several dozen health concerns and stressors to the Marcellus Shale developments in their area, according to a long-term analysis by
University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health researchers.
By Mike Howells
Business leaders from across the state joined a bipartisan group of House members today to highlight the benefits of natural gas as a fuel for heavy duty and commercial vehicles in Pennsylvania, and to promote the Marcellus Works legislative package.
“Just as timber, coal and steel allowed Pennsylvania to prosper in the past,” Rep. Stan Saylor (R-York) said, “so will natural gas, as we work to tap our growing energy industry here.”
Rep. Saylor remarked that in addition to the economic benefits of natural gas, it has environmental benefits, compared to traditional combustion engines. He said a reduction in 90 percent of carbon monoxide emissions is possible by switching to natural gas, along with decreases in non-methane organic gasses, nitrogen oxide, and carbon dioxide.
“This can and should be our reality of the future,” Rep. Saylor said.
Nick DeBenedictis, Chairman and CEO of Aqua America, Inc, said the provisions of the Marcellus Works package are “just the right thing to do environmentally because the payoff is less pollution when more compress natural gas (CNG) vehicles are on the road.”
DeBenedictis reported Aqua expects to have 90 CNG vehicles in operation within the next five years, and has pilot-tested five vans, two dump trucks, and two biofuel pick-up trucks that run on natural gas. He characterized the legislative package as the “jumpstart” the industry needs in Pennsylvania.
Karen Teslovich, President of CNG One Source, and Mark Pergolese, General Manager of Republic Services, added their support for natural gas and Marcellus Works. Pergolese said CNG reduces greenhouse gas emissions and offers quieter vehicles than those powered by traditional engines. In addition he said a greater benefit to the commonwealth is increased energy security, as dependence on foreign fuel sources declines.
“The benefits of natural gas are clear,” Pergolese said.
Tony Bandiero, Director of Greater Philadelphia Clean Cities, said his organization has been pushing for more natural gas and other greener energy solutions for 20 years. He said the mission remains unchanged – to drive support for cleaner fuels in Pennsylvania. He called the Marcellus Shale “a game-changer” and urged support for more adoption of CNG vehicles.
The Marcellus Works package includes nine bills sponsored by Representatives Saylor, Dan Moul (R-Adams), Kathy Watson (R-Bucks), Jim Marshall (R-Beaver), Tina Pickett (R-Bradford), Gordon Denlinger (R-Lancaster), Eli Evankovich (R-Westmoreland), and Seth Grove (R-York). They are:
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House Bill 301 (Saylor) - Creates a tax credit for private fleet vehicles
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House Bill 302 (Moul) - Establishes Keystone Transit grant program to cover the incremental cost of transitioning to natural gas buses.
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House Bill 303 (Watson) - Creates a revolving loan program available to large mass transit agencies to cover the incremental cost of natural gas buses.
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House Bill 304 (Marshall) - Requires PennDOT to conduct a feasibility study regarding the purchase of natural gas-powered buses for large mass transit agencies in Pennsylvania.
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House Bill 305 (Denlinger) - Creates a natural gas corridor tax credit which incentivizes the construction of natural gas fueling stations along an eligible corridor.
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House Bill 306 (Pickett) – Establishes the Keystone Fuels Incentive Fund to provide grants to municipalities, schools and the private sector for the purchase of natural gas vehicles.
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House Bill 307 (Evankovich) Repeals CARB section 2030 in order to eliminate the costly duplicity of both EPA and CARB certifications for natural gas vehicles.
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House Bill 308 (Saylor) - Establishes the Keystone Vehicle Program to fund grants for the incremental cost to purchase new natural gas motor vehicles having a gross vehicle weight rating of at least 33,000 pounds.
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House Bill 309 (Grove) - Establishes a three-year program, the Natural Gas Vehicle Tax Credit, to provide incentives for Pennsylvania businesses to purchase heavy-duty natural gas vehicles.
Over the
past several years, the landscape of Pennsylvania has been permanently altered
by natural gas development. Now, Governor Corbett plans to open up state forest
and parklands to additional gas leases, even before the release of DCNR’s
overdue report on the impacts of past drilling in state forests. By including
state parks, Corbett will be breaking what has been a permanent policy against
leasing ANY state park lands for gas. This is a bad precedent for
state parks that, up until now, were considered sacred.