• “Pennsylvania’s Marcellus Shale has been a bright spot in job creation”

• Marcellus development “to create more than 111,000 new jobs and generate $987 million in state and local tax revenue by 2011”
  
• ‘Marcellus Multiplier’ creating “a surge in real estate activity”; “There’s no question it’s having a positive impact” on regional hotels

We’re Hiring: “Shale coalition launches job site”: “The Marcellus Shale Coalition has launched a website intended to connect job seekers with its members – natural gas companies and related businesses. The “job portal” at marcelluscoalition.org offers descriptions of job opportunities and what the required qualifications are, from equipment operators and well tenders to geophysicists and market research analysts, and has links to the employment pages of companies’ websites. (Scranton Times-Tribune, 9/14/10)

“Thousands of jobs listed on a Marcellus Shale jobs website”: “The gas drilling industry is flourishing in the Northern Tier. People at Talisman Energy tell us the company is producing 200 Million cubic feet a day in Bradford, Tioga, and Sullivan counties alone. They expect that to rise to 300 million cubic feet by the end of the year. That’s enough to heat a city three times the size of Rochester. A Talisman spokesman tells us the industry is working with area schools and universities to develop a local work force. “That’s happening right now”, says spokesman, MarkScheuerman: “Penn College is doing some wonderful things in PA. Penn State is working on those things as well. Corning Community College, and Broome Community College are deeply interested in it.” There are thousands of jobs listed on a Marcellus Shale jobs website — from office support, to general labor, to scientists. (WENY-TV, 9/16/10)

Responsible Marcellus Shale Development “a modern-day gold rush” in Pa.: “Pennsylvania is on the verge of what many policy experts are calling a modern-day gold rush, thanks to the Marcellus Shale formation, a natural gas deposit that spans most of the state. … In fact, Marcellus may turn out to be the second-largest gas deposit in the world. It promises great potential for economic expansion and job creation in a state and region sorely in need of both. Development of the Marcellus Shale was one of the few bright spots in Pennsylvania’s economy last year, according to a recent Penn State study, creating44,000 new high-paying jobs and generating nearly $1.4 billion in additional federal, state and local tax revenue. In a state where unemployment has been rising toward double digits throughout the year, hitting 9.3 percent in July, the Marcellus Shale provides tremendous hope for the hundreds of thousands of Pennsylvanians seeking work. The Penn State study concluded that, in total, development of the site is likely to create more than 111,000 new jobs and generate $987 million in state and local tax revenue by 2011. (Politico Op-Ed,9/16/10)

Marcellus Shale “a bright spot in job creation”: “The natural-gas bonanza inPennsylvania’s Marcellus Shale has been a bright spot in job creation, said Angela Palumbo, an administrator for Mercer County’s CareerLink employment agency. “The Marcellus Shale is just starting to generate interest in training for these types of jobs,” Palumbo said. “Our hope is that this can help our economy turn around.” Companies that service the natural-gas industry — including manufacturers, logistics providers and water-treatment facilities — have started hiring, and more workers likely will be needed, she said. (Youngstown Vindicator, 9/16/10)

350 New Marcellus-Related Jobs En Route to Eastern Ohio: “Bill Turner, Workforce Administrator for the Trumbull County One-Stop job office in Warren, partly attributed the number of jobs to development of the Marcellus Shale natural gas formation under eastern Ohio, Pennsylvania and neighboring states, but also a gradual economic recovery that is bringing jobseekers back into the market. ”A lot of people are looking again due to encouraging news. They have more options than they did six months ago,” he said. … The Marcellus Shale is prompting global steel tubemaker V&M Star to hire 350 workers to staff the new fine-quality tube mill it’s building. (Warren Tribune Chronicle, 9/16/10)

“Shale Gas Development Safe and Beneficial”: “Natural gas production has the potential to make a tremendous positive economic impact in New York. Not long ago the Broome County government commissioned a study to explore the benefits of natural gas production. It found the Marcellus holds enough natural gas just in that single county to pave the way for 16,000 good-paying jobs, $793 million in wages, and $15.3 billion in economic output over the next 10 years. If we look to our neighbors in Pennsylvania, we already see the amazing impact of natural gas production. According to a 2009 IHS Global Insight study,natural gas supported 53,000 jobs and provided almost $13 billion in economic value in 2008 alone. … We look to Pennsylvania where more than 200,000 new jobs will be created from Marcellus development. (Press & Sun-Bulletin Op-Ed, 9/12/10)

Broad Coalition Fights for Responsible, Job-Creating Marcellus Development: “Economic development organizations and landowner groups in Wayne County issued a stinging criticism Thursday against the Delaware River Basin Commission for enacting a moratorium on natural gas drilling and causing a deep negative economic impact by effectively halting development. The pro-drilling groups, including landowners’ alliances that have secured more than 100,000 acres in Wayne County for gas development and the Wayne County Chamber of Commerce, also warned the commission not to develop stringent regulations that would exceed current state environmental regulations because it could deter companies from operating there. (Scranton Times-Tribune, 9/10/10)

Clean-Burning Marcellus Shale Natural Gas “the best news” the Region, Economy’s Had in Years: “The best news that has happened again to our region and economy in many years has been the discovery of the Marcellus gas shale formation. … We must open our minds, think, and appreciate this new-found resource. … Oil and gas have played a huge role in our development and will continue; however, we must not allow moratoriums, misinformation and over regulation to rule. (Observer-Reporter Op-Ed, 9/5/10)

MSC president: “Marcellus Shale: Rebuilding our workforce and infrastructure”: “This year alone, the Marcellus Shale industry will invest more than $100 million to repair and repave roads in the communities we operate – and in virtually every case, we’re rebuilding these roads to higher standards, ensuring their ability to handle the increased traffic and weight. These upgrades and repairs are done overwhelmingly by local contractors, another example of our industry’s robust and growing supply chain – the ‘Marcellus Multiplier’ – is helping to give a much-needed shot in the arm to local businesses and to our workforce. (Lock Haven Express Op-Ed, 9/10/10)

“Gas drilling sparks real estate windfall”: “The natural gas-rich Marcellus shale has created a surge in real estate activity in Southwest Pennsylvania. It’s not confined to leasing acres of land for natural gas drilling operations, but extends to the rental of housing and the leasing of office, industrial and warehouse space since the boom in gas exploration in the mile-deep shale began here two years ago. … The industrial and residential real estate boom has come from new companies bringing jobs and people to the region, West said. There has been no exact count of jobs created in Southwest Pennsylvania from the natural gas boom, but one estimate has 44,000 jobs being added statewide. … A survey by the Marcellus Shale Coalition, a trade group representing gas companies, found that 10 companies with operations in Southwest Pennsylvania now have 2,076 employees, and they expect to add 5,185 new jobs through 2011. (Tribune-Review, 9/12/10)

“Natural gas industry a boon to Centre County hotels”: “Occupancy rates at some Centre County hotels are booming, fueled by Marcellus Shale gas. Hotels in areas nearest gas drilling operations are boasting 30 to 50 percent increases in overnight stays thanks to the influx of personnel extracting natural gas from the rich deposits located 5,000 feet or more under the ground. Philipsburg’s Harbor Inn packed gas workers into 25 of its 65 rooms from January through June, according to general manager Dolores Hollabaugh. “Our winters are usually really slow, and having them brought us way up,” Hollabaugh said. “Revenue went up 40 percent.” … Their numbers have increased so much so that several places that previously only filled up on Penn State football weekends now report they’re regularly booked up once or twice a week. … “There’s no question it’s having a positive impact on the hotel,” Purdum said. (Centre Daily Times, 9/13/10)

Top National Energy Expert Confirms Hydraulic Fracturing’s Long Record of Safety: “Over the past 60 years, fracking has been applied to millions of wells worldwide with virtually no incident and without any physical evidence that it can contaminate drinking water. … This war on fracking jeopardizes more than $200 billion per year in U.S. economic activity, and this is just the incremental value added at the wellhead. The multiplier effect throughout the American economy of foregoing production of these valuable resources would be several times greater. (Syracuse Post-Standard Op-Ed, 9/13/10)

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