07/08/24 - 115 New Stories - REAL Environmental & Conservation Leadership In PA: http://tinyurl.com/ype6tnrj
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House Environmental Committee Holds Hearing February 18 On Marcellus Shale Issues
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The House Environmental Resources and Energy Committee will hold a hearing on February 18 in Clearfield on legislation-- House Bill 2213-- designed to reduce adverse impacts to the environment from drilling in Pennsylvania's Marcellus Shale natural gas deposits. Scheduled to testify are: John Hines, DEP Deputy Secretary for Water Management; Thomas W. Beauduy, Deputy Director, Susquehanna River Basin Commission; John Baillie, senior attorney, PennFuture, Pittsburgh office; and Kathryn Z. Klaber, president, Marcellus Shale Coalition.
Rep. Camille George (D-Clearfield), Majority Chair of the Committee, said, "I drafted the legislation to mitigate the risks to our land and water posed by the rapid expansion of gas drilling in the Commonwealth. The gas offers tremendous energy and economic opportunities, but we cannot afford the environmental degradation seen under the unregulated coal mining of the past." House Bill 2213 would: -- Require the DEP to inspect Marcellus Shale well sites during each drilling phase;
-- Extend to 2,500 feet, from 1,000 feet, the presumed liability of a well polluting a water supply;
-- Require disclosure of the chemicals used in the hydraulic fracturing -- fracking -- of the natural gas from the earth;
-- Update bonding requirements to cover the costs of decommissioning a well; and
-- Clarify local governments' traditional authority to regulate oil and gas activities.
The hearing is set for 1-3 p.m. at the Knights of Columbus, 512 Arnold Ave., Clearfield. The public is invited to attend the two-hour session.
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2/12/2010 |
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