Archive for the ‘Marcellus Shale Coalition’ Category

NJ-based Delaware River Basin Commission places unnecessary moratorium on Marcellus production, denying economic benefits, jobs to Pennsylvanians

It’s hard to imagine President Kennedy had the denial of jobs and revenue for residents of Pennsylvania in mind when he signed a bill in 1961 creating the Delaware River Basin Commission (DRBC). But nearly a half-century later, the DRBC of today bears little resemblance to the compact established almost five decades ago — one that was put in place to promote economic growth by providing a mechanism for equitable distribution of the Delaware’s waters.

Today, unlike similarly structured, intergovernmental bodies – such as the Susquehanna River Basin Commission (SRBC) – the DRBC is working aggressively to shut down any and all natural gas exploration that may take place, now or in the future, in the eastern portion of the Marcellus Shale.

This week, following the decision last month to ban new shale permits in the area, the West Trenton, N.J.-based organization took additional steps to bring responsible Marcellus Shale natural gas production to a standstill by putting forth a de facto moratorium. How’d it do that? Easy: DRBC simply gave itself the authority to unilaterally freeze exploratory Marcellus production wells in the basin altogether.

Well aware of exactly what’s at stake, the Marcellus Shale Coalition (MSC) wasn’t bashful in telling the Philadelphia Inquirer what it thought of the DRBC decision:

Kathryn Klaber, executive director of the Marcellus Shale Coalition…said extending the temporary ban on new permits to include exploratory wells only added “layers of unnecessary red tape” without any environmental benefit.

“The DRBC’s decision to deny Americans the benefits of clean-burning, job-creating natural gas from the Marcellus Shale is misguided and unfortunate,” she said. New technologies, she added, are reducing the overall water usage and land disturbance.

“At the same time, this production is creating tens of thousands of jobs and delivering affordable, clean-burning energy to struggling families and small businesses. Our hope is that the DRBC will recognize this fact and act accordingly, putting commonsense solutions and policies ahead of agendas,” she said.

Safely producing clean-burning natural gas from the Marcellus Shale in Pennsylvania remainsa powerful job creation engine. In fact, according to a recently updated Penn State University economic impact study, this tightly regulated production is projected to create nearly 212,000 jobs over the next decade.

Many in Pennsylvania understand how important this opportunity is for the Commonwealth, especially in regions of the state facing high unemployment and ongoing economic struggles. And like the MSC, supporters of environmentally safe natural gas production understand how critical it is to get this right, balancing commonsense environmental safeguards with the economic opportunities before us.

Here’s what one northeastern Pennsylvania natural gas advocate told the Associated Pressabout safely developing these abundant, domestic and clean-burning resources near the Delaware River basin:

Energy companies have leased thousands of acres of land in Pennsylvania’s unspoiled northeastern tip, hoping to tap vast stores of gas in a sprawling rock formation — the Marcellus Shale — that some experts believe could become the nation’s most productive gas field.

Plenty of folks like Matoushek are eager for the gas, and the royalty checks, to start flowing — including farmers who see Marcellus money as a way to keep their struggling operations afloat.

“It’s a depressed area,” Matoushek said. “This is going to mean new jobs, real jobs, not government jobs.”

Adding new and unnecessary layers of burdensome regulations and red tape – aimed at halting job-creating Marcellus Shale natural gas production – will not help deliver more affordable supplies of homegrown energy. The DRBC’s shale gas moratorium will not help drive down our dependence on unstable regions of the world to keep our economy fueled, nor will it help create jobs at a time when they’re most needed. Quite the opposite, in fact.

Copyright: Marcelluscoalition.org

Canonsburg, Pa. – Today, the Pennsylvania Independent Regulatory Review Commission (IRRC) passed a new rule mandating an “end of pipe”, 500 milligrams per liter cap on the concentration of total dissolved solids (TDS) in the disposal of produced water from natural gas production.

Kathryn Klaber, president and executive director of the Marcellus Shale Coalition (MSC), issued this statement about the new rules, which have been sought by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP):

“There is not a single water treatment facility in Pennsylvania that could meet this unreasonable benchmark, which will not provide any additional environmental benefit.

“Our industry is working aggressively and constantly to improve our water management practices, as one of our top priorities has been and remains the protection of our rivers, lakes, streams and tributaries. In fact, MSC members are now recycling nearly 60 percent of the water from this process. Many are recycling almost 100 percent of their water, thanks to new technologies and the unwavering commitment to environmental protection.

“There is a need for commonsense regulations that encourage the production job-creating natural gas throughout the Commonwealth and aim to keep our water clean. Unfortunately, these rules will make responsible shale gas development more difficult, and the jobs and economic benefits created throughout this process less likely, without positively impacting Pennsylvania’s water quality.”

NOTE: San Pellegrino Mineral Water’s TDS concentration is nearly twice the level of what these regulations would require.

Copyright: Marcelluscoalition.org

Group urges commonsense reforms, dialogue aimed at safely expanding natural gas development, jobs in Pa.

Canonsburg, Pa. – The Pennsylvania state House of Representatives is currently considering what would be the nation’s most onerous taxes on the environmentally responsible development of clean-burning, job-creating natural gas from the Commonwealth’s Marcellus Shale formation. Kathryn Klaber, president and executive director of the Marcellus Shale Coalition (MSC), issued this statement:

“Pennsylvanians continue to face troubling economic times, with nearly one out of every ten citizens in the Commonwealth out of work today.

“Despite this difficult climate, the environmentally-safe development of the Marcellus Shale’s natural gas resources continues to create tens of thousands of good-paying jobs at a time when they’re most needed. This responsible development is not only generating hundreds of millions of dollars in tax revenue for state and local governments, but it’s also delivering clean-burning, homegrown energy supplies to struggling families in the form of affordable natural gas for home and water heaters, as well electricity.

“We will continue to work closely with the General Assembly, the governor and his administration, as well as county and local officials, to craft commonsense solutions – especially modernizing our outdated regulatory framework – that encourage competitiveness, expanded job creation and energy security.

“Unfortunately, this enormous tax hike and misguided call for blanket moratoriums on shale gas production not only put Pennsylvania on a path to become one of the least competitive energy-producing states in the country but also threatens critical capital investments, which are essential for continued job growth. Instituting new taxes and an unnecessary moratorium will only drive away jobs – what a missed opportunity that would be.”

Copyright: Marcelluscoalition.org

MSC president cites need for commonsense TDS regulations

Canonsburg, Pa. – The responsible use, treatment and stewardship of the Commonwealth’s water resources are among the most important considerations involved in the development of clean-burning natural gas from shale. As a result, the Marcellus Shale Coalition (MSC) – whose members represent 100 percent of the shale gas producers throughout Pennsylvania – counts among the industry’s major accomplishments the tremendous increase in recycling of shale water. Today’s meeting at Reserved Environmental Services facility features one example of the many facilities the industry is using to achieve its high recycle rates, reducing the amount of water used at each Marcellus well and decreasing the overall discharge volumes.

“Protecting the Commonwealth’s rivers, streams and tributaries remains a top priority for the MSC. New technologies allow our members to recycle on average nearly 60 percent of the produced water used in this tightly regulated process. And because of these technologies – which continue to advance by the day – some MSC members are recycling nearly 100 percent of their water,” said Kathryn Klaber, president and executive director of the MSC.

New regulations sought by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) call for an “end of pipe”, 500 milligrams per liter cap on the concentration of total dissolved solids (TDS) in the disposal of produced water. These proposed regulations, which are now pending before the Independent Regulatory Review Commission, could create a host of unintended consequences — as virtually no water treatment facilities across the Commonwealth could meet this threshold.

In fact, the Reserved Environmental Services facility is not currently capable of treating produced water at the discharge standards in the pending regulation, and will not have that capability before the effective date of the that regulation. For context, San Pellegrino Mineral Water’s TDS concentration is nearly twice the level of what these proposed regulations would require.

“As the safe and steady development of the Marcellus Shale continues to generate jobs, revenue and opportunity for the Commonwealth, the MSC stands ready, willing and eager – as always – to partner with DEP, the governor and the General Assembly to ensure this opportunity is seized upon in the safest, most beneficial manner for residents of the state and for our environment,” Klaber said. “Unfortunately, the new TDS rules represents a bump in that road and require more work to actually solve the TDS issues they are purported to address — but one we hope will be smoothed out along the path to an energy future to which we will continue to contribute, and of which we can be proud.”

READ MORE

• Gov. Rendell: “The technology in treating [produced] water is improving rapidly.” (CNBC’s Squawk Box, 6/9/10)
• Release: Marcellus Shale Coalition Releases the Facts on Flowback Water Treatment
• Study: Evaluation of High TDS Concentrations in the Monongahela River (Tetra Tech)
• Release: Environmental Firm Finds Marcellus Shale Drilling Activity Had Minimal Impact On Total Dissolved Solids

Copyright: Marcelluscoalition.org