The Pennsylvania Environmental Council Monday provided members of the House Democratic Policy Committee Monday with a comprehensive update on Marcellus Shale drilling issues as part of the Committee’s hearing on energy issues in Greene County.

John Walliser, Vice President for Legal and Government Affairs, outlined significant developments and challenges in several areas--

-- Water Resource and Waste Management Issues: water sourcing, water use in well operations, area of review, well siting setbacks, impoundment pits, monitoring and reporting, chemical disclosure;

-- Waste Disposal: onsite disposal of drill cuttings, disposal of waste fluids;

-- Air Quality: reporting and monitoring, permit exemption 38;

-- Management of Midstream Infrastructure;

-- Inspection, Enforcement, Agency Capacity; and

-- Center for Sustainable Shale Development: best management practices.

“PEC has long stressed the importance of adaptive management-- no rulemaking or statutory enactment should be viewed as the ‘final say’-- and this holds equally true for Act 13, the Chapter 78 [proposed regulations] and any future changes,” said Walliser.

A copy of PEC’s testimony is available online.

Comments on the issues faced by the coal industry and the potential of closing several coal-fired FirstEnergy power plants in Western Pennsylvania were also presented to the Committee.  Presenters included--

-- James Laurita Jr., president/CEO, MEPCO Inc.;

-- Andrew Place, executive director, The Center for Sustainable Shale Development and Corporate Director of Energy and Environmental Policy for EQT Corp.;

-- Lloyd Blaker, owner, R. M. Manufacturing Sales & Service Inc.;

-- Jason Foster, president, C&J Welding;

-- Blair Zimmerman, commissioner, Greene County;

-- Ed Yankovich, International District 2 vice president, United Mine Workers of America;

-- Andrew Sinclair, employee, Hatfield's Ferry Power Station; and

-- Robert Whalen, president, System Local 102-Utility Workers Union of America.

Copies of other testimony will be available on the Committee website.

Related Hearing

On October 3, the House Consumer Affairs Committee is scheduled to hold a hearing on the proposed shutdown of FirstEnergy coal-fired power plants in Western PA at the Monongahela Fire Company Hall, 451 W. Main St., Monongahela starting at 1:00.

Rep. Mike Sturla (R-Lancaster) serves as Chair of the House Democratic Policy Committee.

9/23/2013