Posts Tagged ‘Senator’

Senator drafting legislation to improve the emergency response at oil and gas wells.

By Steve Mocarskysmocarsky@timesleader.com
Staff Writer

At a hearing he chaired on Monday in Pittsburgh, U.S. Sen. Robert Casey sought input on legislation he plans to introduce to improve emergency response at oil and gas wells.

The Faster Action Safety Team Emergency Response Act of 2010 would empower the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration to draft regulations that would enhance emergency response procedures at oil and gas wells.

Specifically, the act would let OSHA draft regulations requiring well operators to:

• Have an employee, knowledgeable in responding to emergency situations, present at the well at all times during the exploration or drilling phase.

• Make available a certified response team, within one hour of ground travel time, if an emergency situation arises.

• Contact local first responders within 15 minutes of an emergency situation beginning.

• Contact OSHA and the National Response Center within one hour of an emergency situation beginning.

• Provide communication technology at the well site (for example, mobile communication or satellite phone).

• Provide annual training to local first responders on the hazards of a well site and proper emergency response techniques.

• File an annual report with OSHA that names the certified response team assigned to each well of the operator.

OSHA would define the term “emergency situation” and would have 18 months to finalize the regulations under the act.

Casey, D-Scranton, sought input on the legislation from panelists at a field hearing of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee titled “Emergency Response in the Marcellus Shale Region.”

“Because of the recent incidents at several gas well sites, I have called this hearing to investigate the current emergency response procedures and determine where we need improvement,” Casey said.

Panelists testified on current emergency response procedures and whether increased regulation is needed.

Among those testifying was Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency Director Robert French, who said Marcellus Shale drilling has inherent risks, as demonstrated by the recent blowout at a well in Clearfield County and a fire at a separator tank in Susquehanna County. In the past year alone, there have been at least 47 incidents at natural gas operations that required an emergency response by the state Department of Environmental Protection.

French said PEMA has had to elevate efforts in response to industry growth, conducting tabletop exercises and meetings with industry and local officials and assisting county 9-1-1 centers with concerns about identifying drilling sites – often in very remote locations – so first responders can more quickly react.

French said state budgetary constraints can impact training and emergency response capabilities, and noted that part of a natural gas severance tax proposed by Gov. Ed Rendell would go to local governments and emergency responders for planning, training and equipment.

Barney Dobinick, emergency management coordinator for Lake Township, where Encana Oil & Gas USA plans to begin drilling a gas well later this summer, said Encana and the township already have everything in place that the senator’s been discussing.

“In fact, we exceed those (requirements) 10 times over in our plans,” Dobinick said.

Copyright: Times Leader

Pa. senator says protection needed to ensure drilling doesn’t contaminate water.

By Steve Mocarskysmocarsky@timesleader.com
Staff Writer

The state senator representing the Back Mountain is proposing a series of bills to protect drinking water sources from contamination associated with natural gas drilling.

Sen. Lisa Baker, R-Lehman Township, said on Monday that the chances of water contamination grow as drilling into the Marcellus Shale increases in Pennsylvania, and the proposed bills are in response to citizen and community concerns about the safety of water resources.

“Prevention and protection are preferable to crisis management and emergency response,” Baker said.

EnCana Oil & Gas plans to drill two natural gas wells in the Back Mountain – one each in Lehman and Lake townships – and a third in the Red Rock area in Fairmount Township, not far from Ricketts Glen State Park.

The well site in Lehman Township is less than two miles from the Huntsville Reservoir.

Although there are proposed water protection regulations moving through the approval process, Baker said state law has “more force.”

And as drilling proceeds on a larger scale, “area residents want answers that show responsibility being assured, rather than risks being assumed,” Baker said.

“Reasonable environmental protections will not discourage the development of this industry; they will help to make sure that unreasonable costs are not imposed on local communities and homeowners,” she said.

In order to protect aquifers and determine any adverse consequences attributable to drilling, one bill would require testing at three times – before drilling, at the completion of drilling, and six months afterwards – at three different depths.

A second bill would rule out drilling at sites too close to drinking water sources such as reservoirs.

A third bill would require the state Department of Environmental Protection to ensure that operators of wastewater treatment facilities are properly trained and sufficiently monitored to lessen the chances of human error creating a major problem.

Baker said some of the costs would be borne by the gas companies.

Oversight costs could be paid for through a severance tax, which is expected to be debated in the coming weeks.

She reiterated her opposition to any severance tax plan that would devote the revenue generated to filling a hole in the state budget rather than providing for community protection in drilling areas.

“The environmental and economic catastrophe in the Gulf of Mexico underscores the crucial nature of taking all reasonable precautions and for being prepared for dealing with extreme situations when things go horribly wrong,” Baker said.

Steve Mocarsky, a Times Leader staff writer, may be reached at 970-7311.

Copyright: Times Leader

That situation could shift, says co-author of study of political donations.

By Andrew M. Sederaseder@timesleader.com
Times Leader Staff Writer

While natural gas companies and their related political action committees have given millions of dollars to elected officials throughout Pennsylvania since 2001, the donations have not flowed as heavily into the coffers of politicians serving Luzerne County.

One of the authors of a report that looked at the correlation of campaign contributions and legislation related to the natural gas drilling industry predicted they soon will.

A study released this week by the non-profit organization Pennsylvania Common Cause, takes a look at the link between gas firms and political donations and finds that since 2001, the industry has contributed $2.8 million to political candidates in Pennsylvania.

The study, titled “Deep Drilling, Deep Pockets” also reports that since 2007 the industry has spent $4.2 million to lobby members of the state legislature and the Rendell administration.

“I think part of the industry’s success is cultivating people at the very top,” said James Browning, director of development for Pennsylvania Common Cause and one of two men who put the report together.

The report includes a list of the top 25 recipients of the funding from Jan. 1, 2001 through April of 2010. At the top of the list is state Attorney General Tom Corbett, a Republican candidate for governor. He received $361,207, according to the report. Two previous gubernatorial candidates also made the list – Mike Fisher, who lost his bid in 2002, accepted $98,386, and Lynn Swan, who lost his bid in 2006, took in $351,263. Both men are Republicans.

Gov. Ed Rendell is sixth on the list. The Democrat from Philadelphia has accepted $84,100 in campaign contributions over the past nine and a third years. Current Democratic candidates for governor Dan Onorato, $59,300 and Jack Wagner, $44,550, ranked seventh and 10th respectively.

Others on the list include current and former judges, a former lieutenant governor, a candidate this year for that same post, a former candidate for the state House and numerous current members of the General Assembly.

Not one of the seven state House members or four state senators who represent Luzerne County made the top 25 list. In fact, according to records on the Department of State website and those provided by Pennsylvania Common Cause, campaigns for four of the seven House members did not receive one dime from the gas companies. The four are: Jim Wansacz, D-Old Forge; Phyllis Mundy, D-Kingston; Eddie Day Pashinski, D-Wilkes-Barre; and Mike Carroll, D-Avoca.

Rep. Karen Boback, R-Harveys Lake, accepted $250 from Chesapeake Energy Corp. Fed PAC on Oct. 9, 2009. Boback said that money was accepted by mistake and returned two months later. She said it is her policy “not to solicit or accept contributions from oil or gas companies.”

Rep. John Yudichak, D-Plymouth Twp., accepted $250 on April 10, 2008, from the PAC affiliated with Dominion Energy. Rep. Todd A. Eachus, D-Butler Township, accepted $500 from EQT Corp. PAC on July 2, 2009; $500 from EXCO Resources PAC on Oct. 20, 2008; and $250 from Equitable Resources, Inc. PAC on Sept. 30, 2008.

Of the four senators who represent a portion of Luzerne County, Bob Mellow, D-Peckville, took in the most at $3,000. That encompasses eight total donations, four from the Equitable Resources, Inc. Political Involvement Committee totaling $1,750 and four from the NFG PA PAC, affiliated with Seneca Resources, totaling $1,250. He declined comment through a spokeswoman, saying that he had not yet seen the report.

Sen. John Gordner, R-Berwick, accepted three donations of $500 from Dominion PAC. One came in 2004, another in 2006 and the third in 2008. His term does not expire for another two years.

Sen. Ray Musto, D-Pittston Township, accepted $500 from the Marathon Oil Co. Employees PAC on Oct. 20, 2008. Earlier this year, the veteran lawmaker announced he was retiring and not seeking another term in Harrisburg.

Sen. Lisa Baker, R-Lehman Township, accepted three donations at $500 apiece. One came from Cabot Oil and Gas on April 22, 2009; another was from EXCO Resources PAC on Nov. 19, 2008; and on April, 22, 2009, she accepted one from NFG PA PAC.

Browning said that as pressure from the public is placed on officials to tax the industry and approve more regulations, the elected officials at all levels of government, even those in non-leadership positions, will begin to see the money.

“I will predict that as there are more votes and as drilling expands, the money will come,” Browning said.

It will not head to Baker anymore.

The senator, who is seeking her second term in office this year, said, “Because of the sensitivity of the issues revolving around gas drilling, I am not asking for contributions from the gas drilling interests, nor am I accepting them.”

Barry Kauffman, executive director for Pennsylvania Common Cause, said the report illustrates the “power of political money in the governing process.” He said that as discussions about securing access to state forest land for drilling and severance taxes on natural gas production have popped up the past two years, lobbyist and campaign contribution spending have increased. The results have been no taxes have been approved and the state leased state land for drillers.

Baker said that she votes in response to her constituents, not her contributors.

“My legislative decision-making takes into account a variety of factors, but campaign contributions are never one of them. If anyone who contributes believes they are gaining special access or assuring a result, they will be sorely disappointed. That no-connection principle applies irrespective of the size of the contribution,” Baker said.

Andrew M. Seder, a Times Leader staff writer, may be reached at 570-829-7269.

Coyright: Times Leader

By Steve Mocarskysmocarsky@timesleader.com
Staff Writer

SCRANTON – U.S. Sen. Robert Casey wants the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to investigate and respond to groundwater contamination that the state has linked to a natural gas well in Susquehanna County.

In a letter to EPA administrator Lisa Jackson, Casey noted that natural gas drilling in the Marcellus Shale region has led to job creation, strengthened the state economy and reduced dependence on foreign oil.

However, Casey writes, “the highly variable and unpredictable nature” of hydraulic fracturing (fracking) “that can lead to the contamination of drinking water is of great concern.” He noted the gas and oil industry is exempt from complying with the federal Safe Drinking Water Act.

Casey said there are many reasons for requesting EPA involvement, including recent incidents in the state that “raise the question of whether the necessary steps have been taken to protect Pennsylvania families and communities against the detrimental side effects of drilling.”

He pointed to methane gas infiltration into private water wells in Dimock Township and noted that several wells have exploded because of a suspected buildup of natural gas.

Casey said the state Department of Environmental Protection fined Cabot Oil & Gas Corp. $240,000, ordered the plugging of three natural gas wells believed to be the source of the contamination, prohibited Cabot from drilling in the vicinity for one year and required Cabot to install permanent water treatment systems in affected homes.

Casey also noted that, according to DEP, between 6,000 and 8,000 gallons of fracking fluid leaked from a pipe at a drill site and contaminated the surrounding area and a wetland in Susquehanna County in two separate spills on the same day in September 2009 – one in the afternoon that leaked 25 to 50 barrels of fluid, another in the evening that leaked 140 barrels.

“I commend DEP for taking action, but I remain concerned that the current status of federal and state oversight of gas drilling may be inadequate” to protect families living near drilling sites, Casey wrote.

The senator asked for a meeting with appropriate EPA officials to discuss natural gas drilling and whether the agency could investigate water and environmental contamination. He said he hopes Science Advisory Board officials would also attend the meeting to discuss the scope, timing and methodology of a congressionally mandated study the EPA has launched on hydraulic fracturing.

An EPA spokeswoman said officials are reviewing Casey’s letter and expect to respond in the near future.

Steve Mocarsky, a Times Leader staff writer, may be reached at 970-7311.

Copyright: Times Leader

A lawyer offers sample laws to Back Mountain towns concerned about drilling.

By Rebecca Briarbria@timesleader.com
Staff Writer

DALLAS TWP. – The Back Mountain Community Partnership was advised Thursday afternoon to separately pass ordinances that may help protect against gas drilling issues.

The partnership is an intermunicipal group composed of Dallas, Franklin, Jackson, Kingston and Lehman townships and Dallas borough.

Attorney Jeffrey Malak, who is solicitor of the group, explained it would be better for each municipality to enact its own ordinances rather than to pass joint partnership ordinances because each municipality has its own unique needs.

Malak provided an example of an ordinance, created by the Pennsylvania State Association of Township Supervisors and the Pennsylvania State Association of Township Solicitors, which addresses height regulations of equipment, setbacks, access roads, wells, tanks and storage.

He also furnished sample dust, noise and light pollution ordinances and a sample road bond agreement. In addition, he provided a copy of Dallas’ zoning ordinance, which restricts drilling to certain areas of the borough and deals with screening and buffering and outdoor lighting issues.

Malak said such ordinances would take in all types of businesses but cannot be specific to natural gas drilling because the Oil and Gas Act of 1984 specifies the state oversees drilling. He stressed a lot of ordinances can be incorporated to help and that the municipalities are not limited to revising their zoning laws.

“We don’t know what’s allowed, what’s not, until we try some different things&hellip.” Malak said. “It’s a very, very complicated issue and like I said, it’s not a one size fits all.”

In other news, Tom Yoniski, a representative for state Sen. Lisa Baker, announced the senator’s office has arranged a meeting regarding gas drilling to be held from 6 to 8:30 p.m. on May 13 at Lake-Lehman Junior/Senior High School.

Yoniski said Penn State University officials will give a presentation on gas drilling. He said that officials from the state Department of Environmental Protection and the Susquehanna River Basin Commission will also attend.

Also, Gas Drilling Awareness Coalition members Karen Belli and Leeanne Mazurick, both of Dallas Township, gave a brief presentation on gas drilling and its impacts on the environment and the community.

Coalition member Audrey Simpson, of Kingston Township, showed a video she created of Dimock Township residents who were negatively affected by gas drilling.

Copyright: Times Leader