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Major Stories
The
Commonwealth Pipeline and exporting natural gas
by Elaine Lapp Esch
 On
March 1 it was announced that a 30” pipeline, requiring a 75-100”
right of way, would be developed to run from Lycoming County, PA to
Maryland. It’s being called the Commonwealth Pipeline. Initially
developers promoted the pipeline as providing better and cheaper
energy to people in Harrisburg, Baltimore and DC. More recently,
they have admitted that they may transport some of the natural gas
to be exported by a facility on the Chesapeake Bay, the Cove Point,
MD facility. More...
PennFuture
releases plain language analysis of Marcellus law
Citizens for Pennsylvania’s Future
(PennFuture) today released a new report, “Pennsylvania’s New Oil
and Gas Law (Act 13): A Plain Language Guide and Analysis,” which
clarifies the provisions of the Pennsylvania Oil and Gas law,
particularly around drilling in the Marcellus Shale.
“Since this law was signed, there has
been a great deal of confusion about the various provisions,” said
George Jugovic Jr., president and CEO of PennFuture.
The full report and the two-page listing
of key provisions are available at
www.pennfuture.org/marcellus . Questions for PennFuture’s law
staff can be posted at
www.pennfuture.org/AskTheLawyers .
“Common Senses” Citizen Air
Monitoring
Clean Air Council is asking residents
living in shale-field regions to report ANYTHING that they smell,
hear or see that is out of the ordinary and possibly related to
natural gas operations. Odors, visible emissions or noises may be
the only indication of serious air pollution issues and
environmental violations. PA DEP has the authority to take remedial
action through investigations and issuing notices of violation.
We encourage the public to use our
online survey form to report these disturbances and to call PA DEP
to report them as soon as possible after noticing the issue
(1-866-255-5158). Clean Air Council is also collecting this data and
sending it to other agencies such as EPA and the Agency for Toxic
Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) to inform them about areas
of concern around the state that may warrant increased air
monitoring and research.
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/airwatch
Pennsylvania Court
Issues Injunction to Stop Onset of Portions of Act 13
Seven municipalities and
the Delaware Riverkeeper Network were in Commonwealth Court today
to ask Senior Judge Keith Quigley to issue an order clarifying
that Act 13 did not immediately dissolve the effect of existing
municipal ordinances regarding gas drilling.
More...
New Pipeline Would Run
Through Central Pennsylvania
The 200 mile Commonwealth Pipeline would
begin in Lycoming County and run between Harrisburg and Lancaster
then crossing the Susquehanna River to York before continuing south
to carry natural gas from the shale fields to Baltimore and
Washington, D.C., said Peter Terranova, vice president of midstream
assets and services at UGI Energy Services. The pipeline also would
serve Philadelphia.
More...
Gas wells are an unfunded liability for Pennsylvania
by Elaine Esch
Bonding
is like insurance. Companies purchase a bond to cover damage or
unfinished work. In the case of shale gas wells, Marcellus and
other layers, the PA level of bonding is so low that a forfeited
bond is cheaper for drillers than reclamation costs.
Read more...
Connecting
the Dots: The Marcellus Natural Gas Play Players
The natural gas industry gave
$7,175,234 to Pennsylvania candidates and Political Action
Committees (PACs) from 2000 through the end of 2010, according to
a Common Cause/Pennsylvania (CCPA) analysis released today.
$3,442,212 was donated to elected officials currently in office.
Read more...
From the Forum:
Groups Fighting Fracking in
Pennsylvania -
click here...
Pennsylvania Council of Churches'
Resolution on
Marcellus Shale Natural Gas Extraction
click here...
Talking Points -
The Gas Industry has put out much
misinformation about the fracking process and the benefits of
Marcellus Shale gas recovery in Pennsylvania, Use this resource "Talking
Points" by John Trallo when talking to legislators about Marcellus
Shale drilling. More...
Corbett's
Marcellus Shale Advisory Commission
Use this
interactive web resource to find out who serves on the Marcellus
Shale Advisory Commission, where they come from - industry,
government, environmental protection, and their campaign
contributions to Gov. Corbett.
Todd
and Esch testimony before the Pennsylvania Marcellus Shale
Commission
 Presenters
assail gas drillers at Marcellus Shale Forum
Referring to
calls by some for a state moratorium on a drilling procedure
called hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, which breaks up the
shale and frees natural gas, Gulla said to applause, "I don't want
to hear moratorium. This thing better get stopped.
Read
story from Intell...
 Picture
- left to right: Ann Pinca, Ron Gulla, Lisa Beard, Terry
Underwood, Elaine Esch.
Forum will be televised on
PCN Monday
May 16th: 8:30p and Tuesday May 17th: 10:30a
 Democratic
Policy Committee examines issues related to the Marcellus Shale
industry
The House
Democratic Policy Committee held a public hearing at the
Harrisburg Area Community College's York Campus on 4/28 to explore
issues related to the growing Marcellus Shale industry in the
Commonwealth. Lancaster County residents, Brenda Kauffman and
Elaine Esch testified as did Guy Alsentzer, Staff Attorney for the
Lower Susquehanna Riverkeeper.
More...
Community Action
Forum on Marcellus Shale Gas
Lisa Bonchek Adams Auditorium, Franklin and Marshall College, March
23rd
 The first
session of the Community Action Forum on Marcellus Shale was
presented last evening, March 23rd 2010, at Franklin & Marshall College.
The session was attended by over 400; unfortunately about 100 people
could not be seated.
View pictures
of this event...
Credentialed experts in public policy,
science disciplines and law presented. (See
list of presenters). They were joined by Rep. Eugene DePasquale
from York (95th district) and Rep. Ryan Aument (41st district). Greg
Paulson, chief of staff for Rep. Mike Sturla also spoke about
current legislation.
Rich Pepino, Director Public Policy,
Franklin & Marshall College, outlined the public policy issues
facing citizens as they advocate for regulation and legislation.
Stephen Todd addressed regulatory issues. Guy Alsentzer, who
specializes in environmental litigation spoke about violations that
are associated with Marcellus Shale.
Maria Payan, Director of Peach Bottom
Concerned Citizens Group, and Ralph Kisberg, Board President of the
Lycoming County based Responsible Drilling Alliance, spoke about
grassroots
issues faced by residents who are
impacted by the Marcellus Shale industry.
 Time
ran out for questions from the audience that were not submitted to
the panelist. The questions collected
will be posted on this website and presenters and other experts will
be asked to address them. Answers
will be posted on this website.
We would like to thank our sponsors who
promoted this event. We would like to thank all the volunteers who
helped at the information table and in the auditorium.
The next event promoted by The Community
Action Forum on Marcellus Shale Gas will be held at Community
Mennonite Church in Lancaster on April 7.
View March 23rd Forum on-line...
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Groups Fighting Fracking in Pennsylvania
click here...
Sponsor Events
View sponsor contact information
ALLARM
Berks Gas Truth
Clean Water Action PA
Democratic Party of York County
Dietz Produce
Food For Thought Catering
Gas Truth of Central PA
Gas Truth York Chapter
Green Party of Pennsylvania
Harrisburg Interfaith Coalition for the
Environment
Highland Farm
Hollow Elm Garden
Lancaster County Conservancy
Lancaster County Democratic Committee
Lancaster Friends Meeting (Quakers) -
Environmental Concerns Committee
Lancaster Green Party
Lancaster Interchurch Peace Witness
League of Women Voters of Lancaster County
-
link
Lower Susquehanna Riverkeeper
Stewards of the Lower Susquehanna
Marcellus Shale Protest
Nature Abounds
PA Forest Coalition
Peach Bottom Concerned Citizens Group
Pennsylvania Council of Churches -
link
Responsible Drilling Alliance
Safer for your Home
Shrewsbury Township Environmental
Coalition
Sierra Club Lancaster Chapter
Sonnewald's Natural Foods
Spoutwood Farms
Sterling Farm, Hellam, PA
Transition Harrisburg
Transition Lancaster
Unitarian Church of Harrisburg Green
Sanctuary
Unitarian Universalist Church of Lancaster
County, Social Justice Advocates, Green Sanctuary Committees
United Sludge Free Alliance
York County Green Party
York Transition
Your Healthy Food Co-op
View sponsor contact information
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