The PA Grade Crude Development Advisory Council, charged with helping to develop updated regulations covering the conventional oil and gas drilling industry, has scheduled three meetings for the remainder of 2017-- May 18, August 17 and November 16.

The Council was established by Act 52 of 2016 which killed DEP’s final Chapter 78 regulations covering conventional operations and made DEP start over using the Council to update its regulations.

The Council includes 17 members--

-- Secretary of DEP

-- Secretary of Community & Economic Development

-- 1 Senate Majority: Sen. Scott Hutchinson (R-Venango)

-- 1 Senate Minority: Sen. John Yudichak (D-Luzerne)

-- 1 House Majority: Rep. Martin Causer (R-Cameron)

-- 1 House Minority:   [not appointed yet]

-- 2 representatives of the PA Independent Petroleum Producers: Mark Cline, Joe Thompson

-- 2 representatives of the PA Independent Oil & Gas Association: David Ochs, Burt Waite

-- 2 representatives of the PA Grade Crude Oil Coalition: Bruce Brindle, Arthur Stewart

-- 2 representatives of PA crude oil refineries: Nick Andreychek- Ergon Refinery, Robert Esch- American Refining Group

-- 1 Nonprofit promoting benefits of PA crude oil: John Phillips- Oil Region Alliance of Business, Industry and Tourism

-- 1 representative of academia-geologist: Dr. Terry Engelder- Penn State Professor of Geosciences

-- 1 representative of academia- hydrologist: Dr. Richard Parizek- Penn State Professor Emeritus of Hydrology

There are no members of the public or environmental groups on the Council.

The locations for Council meetings has not been determined.

For more information, visit DCED’s PA Grade Crude Development Advisory Council webpage.

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[Posted: April 7, 2017]

4/10/2017