Posts Tagged ‘Coalition’

PITTSBURGH — Members of the leading Marcellus Shale industry group in Pennsylvania will voluntarily disclose chemicals used in each natural gas well as of Jan. 1, the organization said. An environmental group applauded the move, but said it’s not enough.

The Marcellus Shale Coalition represents many of the largest gas drillers in Pennsylvania. The drillers use a process called fracking, which forces millions of gallons of water, mixed with sand and chemicals, deep into shale formations to free the gas.

The industry believes the process is safe, but environmental groups and people who live in drilling areas have worried about the exact chemicals used in each well, and the possibility of groundwater contamination.

Kathryn Klaber, president of the Marcellus coalition, said that the full disclosure was an “obvious choice” that the group’s members had no problem supporting. The disclosure will be mandatory for members, who will list the chemicals used in each well on the website FracFocus.org.

“You want to make sure the transparency is worked in to everything we do,” Klaber said.

The state of Pennsylvania already requires drillers to list all chemicals used in drilling on a website. But that doesn’t tell people what’s being used in a specific well near them.

Klaber said the group wanted to go beyond what the state requires.

Jan Jarrett, president of the environmental group PennFuture, said she applauds the decision by the Marcellus Shale Coalition.

“I’m not saying it’s a bad thing for them to voluntarily do it,” Jarrett said.

But Jarrett said that is no protection against firms that aren’t members of the coalition, which companies join voluntarily.

“This is a matter of public policy. And it’s really a proper role of government to set these kinds of rules,” Jarrett said. She called for the state to make the disclosure of chemicals used in each well mandatory for all drillers.

NOTE: Click HERE to view this story online.

NGV Roadmap Sets Strategy for More Economic and Environmental Benefits, Greater Energy Security

Canonsburg, PA – In Harrisburg, Washington, DC, and across the country, policymakers and other key stakeholders are engaged in an ongoing conversation about expanding the use of low-cost, clean-burning natural gas – specifically through consumer and commercial natural gas vehicles (NGVs).  Last week, President Obama noted that, “[T]he potential for natural gas is enormous,” while detailing the benefits of NGVs.  And yesterday, several Pennsylvania state lawmakers introduced a legislative package aimed to encourage and promote NGVs, demonstrating yet again the vast potential of natural gas from the Marcellus Shale.

In the midst of this robust conversation, the Marcellus Shale Coalition (MSC) this week unveiled a major study – A Roadmap For Pennsylvania Jobs, Energy Security and Clean Air – laying out a strategy to position Pennsylvania as a national model for NGV use and adding further momentum to the ongoing NGV discussion.  The Roadmap examines one of the many long-term benefits associated with the responsible development of the Marcellus, in both the natural gas and transportation sectors, and provides a common sense, workable pathway to achieve a host of benefits, such as lower-cost fuel, more robust job creation, expanded energy security, and a cleaner environment for the region and nation.  Following is just a sampling of the recent media coverage of the MSC’s Roadmap and the surrounding NGV policy developments:

• Inquirer reports on Pennsylvania Clean Transportation Corridor. “The Marcellus Shale Coalition, the trade group promoting the state’s booming natural gas industry, on Tuesday released a study it called a ‘road map’ to converting vehicles to natural gas by constructing a chain of refueling stations along Pennsylvania’s Interstate highways.  The coalition’s study calls for spending up to $208 million over five years to build a ‘Pennsylvania Clean Transportation Corridor’ of 17 new refueling stations and to subsidize 850 heavy-duty natural gas vehicles, or NGVs.  The new refueling stations would supplement an existing network of 24 stations that supply compressed natural gas to fleet operators, including agencies like the Lower Merion school district, which has converted 72 of its 112 buses to natural gas in the last 20 years.” (Philadelphia Inquirer, 4/6/11)

• Post-Gazette highlights potential for public and private cooperation. “GOP lawmakers unveiled their revamped seven-bill package Wednesday, aimed at encouraging businesses, transit systems and other organizations to switch their dirtier diesel engines to natural gas. The measures, dubbed collectively as ‘Marcellus Works,’ would offer $47.5 million in tax credits, grants and loans to subsidize the cost of new natural gas vehicles and fueling stations…  The drilling industry is promoting a similar message, releasing its own report earlier this week calling for 17 new fueling stations along the state’s major interstates.  Kathryn Klaber, president of the Marcellus Shale Coalition, said the GOP measures fit well with their goal of both public and private investment: ‘They reinforce the fact that it’s going to take a lot of different players.’” (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, 4/7/11)

• Citizens Voice notes consumer, environmental benefits of NGVs. “‘The foundation of a fueling infrastructure needs to come from the fleet vehicles – the long-haul trucks and the come-back-to-base types of trucks,’ [MSC President Kathryn Z. Klaber] said, adding that the envisioned filling stations would be open to the public ‘so the early adopters on the personal vehicle side will have the ability to fuel their vehicles.’  The coalition of natural gas operators drilling in Pennsylvania’s Marcellus Shale wants to grow the market for the gas they produce, but the report details how the expanded use of natural gas in vehicles has broader benefits.  Natural gas costs less than diesel or gasoline, can be sourced from the state rather than foreign oil reserves and creates fewer smog-producing pollutants or greenhouse gas emissions.” (Wilkes-Barre Citizens Voice, 4/6/11)

• Tribune-Democrat cites cost savings of clean-burning natural gas. “[Natural gas] has the potential for significant savings to all levels of government, businesses and motorists.  Compressed natural gas could sell for $1.90 per gallon, according to information provided by the coalition.  Diesel fuel currently costs about $3.85 per gallon.  ‘More efficiently using American natural gas as a transportation fuel offers a clear, clean and cost-effective alternative to address air quality challenges while providing a reliable energy source to fuel economic growth,’ Klaber said.” (Johnstown Tribune-Democrat, 4/6/11)

An overview of the MSC’s Roadmap For Pennsylvania Jobs, Energy Security and Clean Air is available here.

http://www.vindy.com/news/2011/feb/20/career-paths/

The Marcellus Shale Coalition has hired three new staff members. Steve Forde was hired as policy and communications director. Christopher Heck was hired as membership services director. Helen Goodman was hired as conference director.

The Marcellus Shale Coalition is a Canonsburg, Pa.-based organization representing more than 165 companies that extract natural gas from the Marcellus Shale.

Forde previously was senior director of corporate communications for Education Management Corporation. He has also worked as communications director for Rep. John Boehner, R-OH, and for the House Education Workforce Committee. He graduated from Xavier University and has a master’s degree from Johns Hopkins University.

Heck was previously vice president and relationship manager at Fifth Third Bank. He graduated from Florida Atlantic University.

Goodman founded Event Resources, a Pittsburgh, Pa.-based conference and events-management company. She worked at Event Resources for about 20 years. Goodman has a degree from Robert Morris University in Pittsburgh.

http://www.vindy.com/news/2011/feb/20/career-paths/

The Marcellus Shale Coalition has hired three new staff members. Steve Forde was hired as policy and communications director. Christopher Heck was hired as membership services director. Helen Goodman was hired as conference director.

The Marcellus Shale Coalition is a Canonsburg, Pa.-based organization representing more than 165 companies that extract natural gas from the Marcellus Shale.

Forde previously was senior director of corporate communications for Education Management Corporation. He has also worked as communications director for Rep. John Boehner, R-OH, and for the House Education Workforce Committee. He graduated from Xavier University and has a master’s degree from Johns Hopkins University.

Heck was previously vice president and relationship manager at Fifth Third Bank. He graduated from Florida Atlantic University.

Goodman founded Event Resources, a Pittsburgh, Pa.-based conference and events-management company. She worked at Event Resources for about 20 years. Goodman has a degree from Robert Morris University in Pittsburgh.

By Robert Swift (Harrisburg Bureau Chief)
Published: August 10, 2010

HARRISBURG – The natural gas industry is lobbying lawmakers to tax natural gas production at a lower rate during a well’s early years of production.

Proposals for a three-tiered well tax, requiring pooling together land parcels for drilling operations and making drilling a permitted use for local zoning are being advanced by the Marcellus Shale Coalition, an industry trade group. A copy of the coalition’s legislative agenda is circulating at the Capitol.

“Together, these policies will help ensure that Marcellus development remains competitive with other shale gas producing states and that critical capital investment will continue to flow into the region,” coalition president Kathryn Klaber said Monday.

Tax deadline Oct. 1

The coalition’s proposal surfaces with leaders of the House and Senate declaring their intent to pass a state severance tax by Oct. 1 and have it go into effect Jan. 1, 2011. The declaration is part of a state budget package enacted last month. Lawmakers return to session in mid-September with the Marcellus Shale and transportation funding issues competing for attention.

The newest details in the proposal focus on what production would be taxed at lower rates or exempt, an already contentious issue in Harrisburg.

Under the proposal, “high cost” Marcellus Shale wells that go to 5,000 feet or more below the surface to reach deep gas pockets would be taxed at 1.5 percent of market value of gas produced for the first five years, with a five percent tax rate kicking in after that.

So-called marginal Marcellus wells would be taxed at one percent of market value. These are described as wells not capable of producing more than 150,000 cubic feet of gas per day in a month. Wells not capable of producing more than 90,000 cubic feet of gas per day in a month would be exempt from taxes under the proposal.

Shallow gas wells would be exempt from taxes.

Market value would be defined as the amount generated through cash receipts less the cost of dehydrating, treating, compressing and delivering the gas.

As an example of high costs, the coalition cites a provision in state law that requires Marcellus producers to drill down into the Onondaga Layer which underlies the Marcellus Shale formation if the drilling takes place in a coal region. The added cost can amount to $200,000 per well, it states.

The Pennsylvania Budget and Policy Center issued a report recently criticizing tax breaks on new wells as depriving the state of tax revenue during a well’s greatest years of production.

“It would be a severance tax in name only,” said center executive director Sharon Ward.

The industry is seeking a two-sided exemption, with the reduced tax rate at the start and exemption for wells it considers low-producing, said Michael Wood, center research director. A 150,000-cubic-feet threshold is high, he said.

‘Use by right’

In addition, the coalition wants lawmakers to declare drilling a “use by right” in local zoning ordinances. That means drilling would be allowed, without the need for a major review by a local government, as long as it meets the standards specified in an ordinance. A local zoning permit would still be needed, but that would be issued relatively quickly.

This would provide for gas development in an orderly way while allowing municipalities to impose reasonable conditions on land used such as lot size and landscaping and safety features, the coalition said.

“We have problems with that,” said Elam Herr, an official with the Pennsylvania State Association of Township Supervisors. A township can’t exclude drilling under zoning laws, but local officials should be able to say where it takes place and keep it out of areas zoned for residential use, he said.

Other proposals call for providing incentives to convert state and local government and transit vehicles to natural gas fueling and giving priority to tax revenue distribution to host municipalities and counties.

Contact the writer: rswift@timesshamrock.com

View article here.

Copyright:  The Daily Review

Gov. Ridge: “The development of the Marcellus Shale will benefit all of the citizens of our state, our region, and our nation”

Canonsburg, Pa. – The Marcellus Shale Coalition (MSC), representing the majority of those responsible for the development and transportation of clean-burning shale gas throughout the Commonwealth, is pleased to formally announce that former Gov. Tom Ridge has joined the group as a strategic advisor.

“I am pleased to work with the members of the Marcellus Shale Coalition to ensure that this clean and abundant natural gas resource is developed for the full benefit of my home state of Pennsylvania and the nation. Joining the planning effort at this early stage will allow my voice to be added to efforts already underway to ensure worker safety and environmental protection, and to encourage the fullest economic benefit for our state, our communities, and the entire workforce involved in this transformational effort,” said Gov. Ridge.

“The responsible development of the Marcellus Shale represents a once-in-a-generation opportunity to strengthen our region’s economy and our nation’s security,” said Kathryn Klaber, president and executive director of the MSC. “We are honored to have Gov. Ridge working alongside our organization to help ensure that Pennsylvanians fully recognize our industry’s commitment to environmental and workforce safety, as well as the positive and overwhelming economic benefits that responsible shale gas development continues to generate across the region.”

“Pennsylvania, Penn Woods, is rich in natural resources and has led our nation in energy development. We have learned from the past that we must develop our resources safely and efficiently. During my term as Governor, we grew our economy by providing incentives for economic growth and always by ‘Growing Greener.’ The development of the Marcellus Shale will benefit all of the citizens of our state, our region, and our nation. Not only can the environmental and economic benefit be transformational for generations to come, our homeland security will be forever strengthened.,” added Gov. Ridge. “There is much work to be done to maximize the benefits of these abundant and domestic resources, and I’m looking forward to help lead this important effort.”

Before becoming Pennsylvania’s 43^rd governor, serving as the Commonwealth’s chief executive from 1995 to 2001, Gov. Ridge represented northwestern Pennsylvania in the U.S. House of Representatives for more than 10 years. Following the tragic events of September 11^th, 2001, Gov. Ridge became the first Assistant to the President for Homeland Security and, on January 24, 2003, became the first secretary of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

Copyright Marcellus Shale Coalition (MSC)

Callahan brings more than a decade of energy experience to the job, lauded by MSC chairman and president as a “key collaborator” in engaging elected officials and partners

CANONSBURG, Pa. – As Marcellus Shale employers continue to work with policymakers on a comprehensive framework for taking full advantage of the myriad opportunities that natural gas exploration make possible, the Marcellus Shale Coalition (MSC) today announced the addition of a key member to its staff who will be among those serving on the frontlines of that critical and ongoing effort.

Starting this week, David Callahan will serve as MSC’s vice president, a position dually based in Harrisburg and Canonsburg, Pa., but one that will take Mr. Callahan all across the multistate Marcellus region. A native Pennsylvanian, Mr. Callahan has 20 years of experience in the field of government relations, a majority spent representing a number of energy interests, including the Pennsylvania Gas Association (now the Energy Association of Pennsylvania) and the Associated Petroleum Industries of Pennsylvania.

“The safe and steady development of natural gas from the Marcellus Shale represents a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for shared prosperity across the entire Marcellus,” said Kathryn Klaber, president and executive director of the MSC. “But that vision of the future that will only be realized through engagement and cooperation with policymakers and elected leaders in the region. David’s experience working collaboratively with legislators and regulators alike will serve our members well, and ultimately benefit everyone by advancing a strategy that generates jobs and revenues in the short-term, and the promise of long-term energy security and affordability beyond that.”

“The industry continues to create tens of thousands of jobs each and every year all across the multistate Marcellus region, our membership has continued to expand as well – and so has our strength and expertise,” said Ray Walker, Jr., chairman of the MSC and a senior vice-president for Range Resources. “The addition of David to the growing MSC staff represents a key step forward for this Coalition, and an important resource in our campaign to educate the public about the historic opportunities of the Marcellus, while educating policymakers on the imperative of keeping the Marcellus ahead of the competition curve in the ongoing and aggressive race for talent, equipment and investment.”

Mr. Callahan, currently a resident of Mechanicsburg, Pa., earned his undergraduate degree from Indiana University of Pennsylvania, and his master’s from Syracuse University’s Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs.

Copyright: Marcelluscoalition.org