Recent Gas Drilling News (01-18-11 11:30PM EST)

[Brendan OConnor]

http://www.sustainableotsego.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&id=42&Itemid=87     Recent Gas Drilling News (01-18-11 11:30PM EST):       (Event) "Upcoming Event: "Fracking" Our Food: A New Threat to Sustainable Farming: "...February 2, 2011 — 7pm Dickinson College, Anita Tuvin Schlechter Auditorium, Carlisle, PA In this lecture, Steingraber will explore the tangled relationship between petrochemicals and farming, with a special focus on how the extraction of natural gas from shale bedrock threatens the ecological conditions of our food system..." " (PA)- http://www.fractracker.org/2011/01/upcoming-event-fracking-our-food-new.html   "Gas Explosion Rocks Philly Neighborhood: "...The deadly blast happened as crews were working to patch a high-pressure gas main break..." " (Video, NBC Philly) (PA)- http://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/breaking/Tacony-Explosion-114177649.html   "Pipeline Explosion Kills One and Injures Five in PA: "...A massive gas main explosion in killed one person and injured five others in Pennsylvania Tuesday evening..." " (Video, KTXL) (PA)- http://www.fox40.com/news/headlines/ktxl-pipeline-explosion-kills-one-a-01182011,0,329996.story   "Moment of Tacony Explosion: "...Watch amazing video as a massive explosion rocks the Tacony section of Philly causing injuries and a major fire..." " (Video, NBC Philly) (PA)- http://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/breaking/Dramatic_Video_of_Tacony_Explosion_Philadelphia-114181874.html   "New Jersey DEP Files for Intervenor Status in Spectra Gas Pipeline Case: "...The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) has filed a motion to intervene in the federal application of Texas-based Spectra Energy’s plan to run a natural gas pipeline through Jersey City into Manhattan. The short three-page letter was filed Friday with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), just a few days after Jersey City filed its motion seeking intervenor status..." " (The Jersey City Independent)- http://www.jerseycityindependent.com/2011/01/18/new-jersey-dep-files-for-intervenor-status-in-spectra-gas-pipeline-case/   "Pipeline Blast Injures Two: "...Two workers sustained minor injuries in an explosion and fire at a Southwestern Energy pipeline in Van Buren County, the company said today...The blast Monday afternoon sent flames shooting as high as 80 feet, according to Jeana Williams, coordinator of the Van Buren County Office of Emergency Management..." " (Arkansas)- http://www.katv.com/Global/story.asp?S=13864714   "U.S. Takes Action to Protect Public Health and Enforce EPA Imminent and Substantial Endangerments Order in Southern Parker County: "...The United States Department of Justice filed a complaint today against Range Production Company and Range Resources Corporation ("Range") in federal district court, seeking enforcement of a Dec. 7, 2010, emergency order issued by the Environmental Protection Agency against the companies. In the order, the EPA determined that Range had caused or contributed to the contamination of a drinking water aquifer in Parker County, Texas..." " (EPA)- http://yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/e8f4ff7f7970934e8525735900400c2e/6a942b90baed18d58525781c007c48f8!OpenDocument   "Philadelphia utility to avoid Marcellus natgas: "...PHILADELPHIA, Jan 18 (Reuters) - Philadelphia officials on Tuesday directed a city utility not to buy natural gas from the Marcellus Shale until more is known about the safety of the hydraulic fracturing technique used to extract it. With its largely symbolic gesture, Philadelphia becomes the first major U.S. city to refuse to buy natural gas obtained by the controversial method of hydraulic fracturing, said Philadelphia Councilman Curtis Jones, who sponsored the measure..." " (Reuters)- http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/01/18/natgas-philadelphia-idUKN1813865220110118 , http://uk.reuters.com/article/2011/01/18/natgas-philadelphia-idUKN1813865220110118 & http://af.reuters.com/article/energyOilNews/idAFN1813865220110118?sp=true   "Pennsylvania Gas Pipeline Challenged: "...Earthjustice is representing the Sierra Club, Damascus Citizens for Sustainability and the Lycoming County-based Coalition for Responsible Growth and Resource Conservation as proposed interveners in a proceeding before the Federal Regulatory Commission, which has been asked to expedite approval of a proposed pipeline that would cut through portions of northeastern Pennsylvania. The groups are calling on federal regulators to thoroughly review the cumulative environmental impacts of the project before any decision is made. The 39-mile pipeline, known as the MARC I Hub Line Project, would be built and operated by the Central New York Oil and Gas Company. It would run through Bradford, Sullivan and Lycoming Counties in Pennsylvania, crossing high quality streams in the Endless Mountains, disturbing some 610 acres and leaving 238 acres permanently altered. The groups argue that the project would spur gas drilling in a previously undeveloped portion of the state, bringing with it threats to public health and the environment that have yet to be thoroughly analyzed. If Earthjustice can persuade a court that a full environmental impact statement is necessary to approve the pipeline, it will be the first such study of Marcellus Shale impacts in Pennsylvania..." " (Earthjustice)- http://earthjustice.org/our_work/cases/2011/pennsylvania-gas-pipeline-challenged (See also "Groups Move to Intervene in PA Pipeline Project: "...The 39-mile pipeline, known as the MARC I Hub Line Project, would be built and operated by the Central New York Oil and Gas Company. It would run through Bradford, Sullivan, and Lycoming Counties in Pennsylvania, crossing pristine drinking water sources and fishing streams in the Endless Mountains, disturbing some 610 acres and leaving 238 acres permanently altered. The groups argue that the project would spur gas drilling in a previously undeveloped portion of the state, bringing with it threats to public health and the environment that have yet to be thoroughly analyzed..." " (Environmental Groups via CommonDreams)- http://www.commondreams.org/newswire/2010/12/21 (Note: A copy of the motion to intervene is available here: http://www.earthjustice.org/sites/default/files/FERCmotion.pdf ) (See also "Answer of Central New York Oil And Gas Company LLC to Motion to Intervene Out-of-Time of Coalition for Responsible Growth and Resource Conservation, Damascus Citizens for Sustainability, and Sierra Club under CP10-480-000" (FERC)- http://elibrary.ferc.gov/idmws/common/OpenNat.asp?fileID=12520389 , http://elibrary.ferc.gov/idmws/common/OpenNat.asp?fileID=12520413 & http://elibrary.ferc.gov/idmws/File_list.asp?document_id=13876963 ) (See also "Central New York Oil and Gas Company, LLC; Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Assessment for the Proposed MARC I Hub Line Project and Request for Comments on Environmental Issues, and Notice of Public Scoping Meeting and Onsite Review" (Federal Register)- http://www.federalregister.gov/articles/2010/10/15/2010-25966/central-new-york-oil-and-gas-company-llc-notice-of-intent-to-prepare-an-environmental-assessment-for & "Federal Energy Regulatory Commission Docket Sheet Docket CP10-480 (ALL Subdockets)" (FERC)- http://elibrary.ferc.gov/idmws/docket_search.asp (Note: Enter "CP10-480" into the "Docket Number" field, check "Legacy Data" and then click "Submit") ) )   "Peer-review panel for EPA fracking study includes six Pennsylvania scientists: "...All but four members selected for the panel are scientists affiliated with research universities and none is currently employed by an oil or gas company. Five of seven members of a previous peer-review panel involved in a 2004 EPA study of hydraulic fracturing in coal-bed methane wells were current or former employees of the oil and gas industry. That study's findings, that hydraulic fracturing poses "little or no threat" to drinking water aquifers, has been touted by the industry but challenged by an EPA whistleblower. In a memo announcing the new panel last week, the EPA's Science Advisory Board staff office found that "there are no conflicts of interest or appearances of a lack of impartiality for the members of this panel."..." " (Times-Shamrock Communications) (PA)- http://thetimes-tribune.com/news/gas-drilling/peer-review-panel-for-epa-fracking-study-includes-six-pa-scientists-1.1091757 , http://thedailyreview.com/news/peer-review-panel-for-epa-fracking-study-includes-six-pennsylvania-scientists-1.1091799 , http://newsitem.com/news/gas-drilling/peer-review-panel-for-epa-fracking-study-includes-six-pa-scientists-1.1091757 , http://republicanherald.com/news/gas-drilling/peer-review-panel-for-epa-fracking-study-includes-six-pa-scientists-1.1091757 & http://rigzone.com/news/article.asp?a_id=103229&hmpn=1   "EPA announces fracking panel for safety study" (Accident Injury Blog)- http://accident-injury-blog.com/2011/01/18/epa-announces-fracking-panel-for-safety-study/   "EPA Finalizes Fracking Study Review Panel: "...The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has finalized the panel charged with reviewing its study of hydraulic fracturing, or fracking. According to a report from the Scranton Times-Tribune, the majority of the fracking study panel’s members are affiliated with research universities and none is currently employed by an oil or gas company...Notably absent from the panel is Dr. Theo Colborn of Colorado, head of the Endocrine Disruption Exchange. Her group recently completed a study detailing the potential public health threat posed by fracking. The New York Times reported previously that the natural gas industry voiced its opposition to Dr. Colborn’s inclusion on the panel when she was nominated by the EPA. Robert Howarth, a Cornell University professor who issued a three-page draft report in April claiming that shale gas production and use may generate as much greenhouse gas emissions as production and use of coal, was also left off the panel. His nomination was also opposed by the industry, according to the Times..." " (NewsInferno)- http://www.newsinferno.com/fracking/epa-finalizes-fracking-study-review-panel/   "Questerre delays Quebec shale gas projects: "...A key player in the development of shale gas extraction in Quebec is holding off on two major projects in the province’s St. Lawrence lowlands, citing uncertainty over environmental and regulatory issues. Calgary-based Questerre (QEC-T1.510.010.67%)says it has decided to delay plans for seismic work and construction of a natural gas pipeline in the St-Édouard region southwest of Quebec City until the provincial environmental public review agency releases its report on shale gas and the Quebec government introduces updated oil and gas legislation. The company said it also wants to assess results of its two horizontal wells...Release of the report from Quebec’s Bureau des audiences publiques sur l’environnement has been delayed several weeks to Feb. 28, while the revised legislation is expected in the spring. Proposed shale gas development has sparked a storm of opposition in the province, with fears voiced over the controversial extraction technology – known as fracking – involving the fracturing of a thick layer of gas-bearing shale with high-pressure blasts of chemicals and water..." "(Canada)- http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/questerre-delays-quebec-shale-gas-projects/article1874941/ (See also "Questerre delays Utica shale gas development in Quebec" (Questerre Energy Corporation)- http://www.pennenergy.com/index/petroleum/display/5381789265/articles/pennenergy/petroleum/exploration/2011/01/questerre-delays_shale.html )   "Plan to export natural gas stirs up critics: "...But plans are brewing to start selling some of that gas overseas. Critics say that move would most likely boost gas prices, hurting homeowners who rely on the fuel for heating...But that has made producers consider exporting natural gas to get the higher prices. A Houston company, Chenier Energy Partners, recently agreed to provide natural gas to Gas Natural Fenosa, the largest gas and electric company in Spain and Latin America. The exports could begin in 2015. "We believe current market fundamentals have created an opportunity for the U.S. to offer natural gas to global markets at competitive prices," Charif Souki, the company's chairman and chief executive, said in a statement. Natural gas is harder to ship overseas than oil because it has to be supercooled to turn it into a liquid. That's reversed at its destination plant, and then the gas can be put into a country's pipeline system. Eight U.S. liquefied-natural-gas plants have been underused, and Chenier plans to refit one of them in Louisiana to use for its exports. That plan faces some backlash. "We are awash in natural gas, and the reserves, driven by the shale plays, continue to expand," said T. Boone Pickens, the Texas energy developer who champions a plan that would use more natural gas for transportation..." " (The Kansas City Star/McClatchy-Tribune News Service)- http://www.joplinglobe.com/dailybusiness/x316469711/With-natural-gas-exports-set-to-rise-critics-say-there-s-a-need-at-home , http://www.vancouversun.com/story_print.html?id=4126367&sponsor= , http://www.kansascity.com/2011/01/17/2590782/plan-to-export-natural-gas-stirs.html & http://www.istockanalyst.com/article/viewiStockNews/articleid/4815548   "Inspectors found shale-gas well leaks: "...Government inspectors found natural gas leaks at nearly a dozen Quebec shale-gas wells in November and December that could potentially have caused water contamination or explosions, says a new document filed with the public consultation into shale-gas development. Inspectors from the Natural Resources Department visited Quebec's 31 shale-gas wells during that period, and found they were all in an "acceptable" state, and were well secured. But the inspectors found two kinds of naturalgas leaks during their visits: 19 cases of leaks inside the casing of the well, which is designed to control gas from leaking, and 11 others where gas had migrated outside the well. Of those 11, the gas was found close to the well in all except one case, where it was detected 10 metres from the well, the report said..." " (Canada)- http://www.montrealgazette.com/news/Inspectors+found+shale+well+leaks/4124196/story.html   "Public concern mounts about Marcellus shale drilling: "...She and Slabe share concerns that their neighbors aren't well informed about the potential effects on the environment and public health. So, while they work to further educate themselves about the pros and cons of the business, they're hoping to do the same for others. To that end, the pair organized a free public screening of the documentary "Gasland" set for Thursday at Penn State New Kensington...While "Gasland" has been critically acclaimed and shown across the country in public screenings similar to the one set for Thursday, those in the Marcellus shale industry and those who support it have set out to debunk what they described as the "myths" and "inaccuracies" and downright "lies" it allegedly perpetuates..." " (Valley News Dispatch) (PA)- http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/valleynewsdispatch/lifestyles/s_718680.html & http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/westmoreland/s_718680.html (See also "Affirming GASLAND"- http://1trickpony.cachefly.net/gas/pdf/Affirming_Gasland_Sept_2010.pdf )   (Event) "Plans for Cecil Twp. compressor station unveiled at meeting: "...CECIL - The Denver-based energy company MarkWest unveiled plans for a natural gas compressor station before Cecil Township's Zoning Hearing Board Monday...MarkWest is asking the board for a special exception to place the compressor station in an area zoned for light industrial use. Blaine Lucas, an attorney representing MarkWest, told the panel that a compressor station was "comparable to an essential service," such as a public utility...Three supervisors - Mike Debbis, Tom Casciola and Andy Schrader - were at the meeting. The board of supervisors is considering an ordinance that would limit compressor stations to areas of the township zoned for industrial use. A public hearing on that issue is set for 5:30 p.m. Feb. 7..." " (Observer-Reporter) (PA)- http://www.observer-reporter.com/or/localnews/01-18-2010-cecil-compressor-station   "Audio for Engelder / Ingraffea debate now online..." (Billl Houston's Blog)- http://williamahuston.blogspot.com/2011/01/audio-for-engelder-ingraffea-debate-no.html   "Private Water Well Testing in Gas Drilling Areas: "...Private water well owners are responsible for their own water quality. Even in the absence of shale gas drilling, well owners are strongly encouraged to evaluate their water on a regular basis in order to ensure that basic water quality standards are being met. Information on general testing that applies to all private water supplies can be found at http://waterquality.cce.cornell.edu/testing.htm . This bulletin discusses additional testing in order to more specifically document potential impacts of Marcellus Shale gas development on drinking water supplies. It is intended for landowners and private water well users who seek information on the need, frequency, and thoroughness of testing in the context of shale‐gas activity..." " (Cornell)- http://wri.eas.cornell.edu/index_9_1489175471.pdf   "PSU Professors Develop Process to Stimulate Production of Oil & Natural Gas: "...STATE COLLEGE, PA - Ben Franklin Technology Partners of Central and Northern Pennsylvania recently invested $167,600 in a start-up company called Nittany Extraction Technologies, to commercialize the work of Penn State University professors John Hellmann and Barry Scheetz. An executive-in-residence (EIR) from the Ben Franklin program, Martin Bradley, has signed on to help the professors in managing their new company. Rounding out the team are Dr. Ryan Koseski, co-inventor of the technology, and Timothy Hurley, an experienced developer of new products and processes. Professors Hellmann and Scheetz, who work in the University’s College of Earth and Mineral Sciences and College of Engineering, respectively, and who have also collaborated with the oil and gas industry for more than twenty years, have developed an innovative process for manufacturing proppants used to stimulate oil and gas production..." " (Ben Franklin Technology Partners)- http://www.prlog.org/11230739-psu-professors-develop-process-to-stimulate-production-of-oil-natural-gas.html         NY, PA & NJ:    "Community Group Warns of Drilling Consequences: "...RIDGWAY, ELK COUNTY---Some Elk County residents have formed a new community group to educate others about the risks of Marcellus Shale gas drilling. The group is called Citizens Advocating Responsible Environmental Stewardship, or C.A.R.E.S. The group’s main purpose is not to stop the drilling, but to bring awareness about what could happen if it’s not done responsibly...." " (Video, WTAJ-TV)- http://wearecentralpa.com/wtaj-news-fulltext?nxd_id=239857&nxd_154495_start=5   "Land goup to discuss new plan by state on forest drilling: "...NEW WINDSOR — A land coalition will meet this week to discuss New York's new forest plan, which leaves the door open to natural-gas drilling on state forest lands. The Stewart Park and Reserve Coalition will discuss the plan Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. at Bethlehem Presbyterian Church on Route 94 in New Windsor. Stewart State Forest is not in the possible drilling area, but SPARC wants to join other conservation groups opposed to forest drilling..." " (Times Herald-Record/Dow Jones Local Media Group, Inc) (NY)- http://www.recordonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20110118/NEWS/110119769   "Mark Ruffalo's Crusade Against Fracking: 'The World Is Leaving Us Behind': "...On what many New Yorkers deemed a snow day, one overflowing gallery in the city was filled with artists and activists who decided to leave their warm apartments and hot chocolates behind in support of a cause worthy of traipsing through the snow. The event was "Fracking and Its Effects: A Panel Discussion," in support of Exit Art's "Fracking: Art and Activism Against the Drill," an exhibit open through February 5th. .." " (The Huffington Post)- http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/01/18/mark-ruffalo-fights-frack_n_810461.html   "Force disclosure in drilling permits: "...It is essential that government officials get a better handle on what these companies are putting into the ground — and what the possible long-term consequences are to the environment, specifically as it relates to water protection. Surely, the most environmentally sensitive areas, such as around watersheds, should be off limits to drilling. But technological advancements in drilling are making it easier for industry to go after shale gas wells. New York's natural resources should be tapped in places, if it can be done responsibly and openly. The onus should be on industry to demonstrate those standards can and will be met..." " (Poughkeepsie Journal) (NY)- http://www.poughkeepsiejournal.com/article/20110118/OPINION01/101180324/Force-disclosure-in-drilling-permits   "Gas drilling likely to cause radon problems: "...Horizontal drilling in the Marcellus Shale accelerates the radon release much more rapidly, as rock is shattered over hundreds of square miles at thousands of existing or proposed drill pads. America's Natural Gas Alliance wants to do in 10 years what it would take nature thousands of years to do. Another problem is that shattered radiated rock — residue from Pennsylvania fracking — is being dragged into New York landfills, where it can contaminate our ground water. Chemung County ranks 60th out of 62 New York counties with the most negative public health statistics. How long will it take to become "dead last" due to more greed and stupidity in our race to the bottom? We all pay the cost of bad public health..." " (Letter to editor, GANNETT NEW YORK NETWORK) (NY)- http://www.pressconnects.com/article/20110118/VIEWPOINTS03/101180301/1121/ , http://www.theithacajournal.com/article/20110118/VIEWPOINTS03/101180301/1121/ & http://www.stargazette.com/article/20110118/VIEWPOINTS03/101180301/1121/   "Gas could be accelerant for economy: "...We are afraid. Fracking? Oh my goodness! What if this? What if that? It will only profit the selfish few. Give me a break! Sounds like Chicken Little is at it again! You know, I have a question: New York state has squandered hundreds of billions -- if not a trillion -- dollars, on government giveaways, welfare, corruption, waste and absurd environmental legislation. Can you imagine the waste potential from all the taxes collected from gas drilling? New York, it could be party time!..." " (Letter to editor, The Daily Star) (NY)- http://thedailystar.com/columns/x71342216/Gas-could-be-accelerant-for-economy   "The Loss of Common Sense: "...With the many claims of natural Gas drilling of what it will bring and what it will do to our area I thought I would add another one. Like many of those claims before mine, this claim has no scientific background but here it is just like some others that get press..." " (Letter from member of JLCNY, GANNETT NEW YORK NETWORK) (NY)- http://www.pressconnects.com/article/20110118/VIEWPOINTS02/101180333/ , http://www.theithacajournal.com/article/20110118/VIEWPOINTS02/101180333/ & http://www.stargazette.com/article/20110118/VIEWPOINTS02/101180333/   (Event) "Citizens for Safe Energy holding natural gas development meeting at Morrisville State Jan. 29: "...MORRISVILLE — As gas development continues to be a major consideration in the effort to renew the upstate economy, Citizens for Safe Energy (CSE) promotes the implementation of best practices for safe natural gas development in Madison County. There will be a presentation and discussion on Saturday, Jan. 29 from 10-11:30 a.m. in the STUAC Theater on the Morrisville College Campus..." " (Oneida Dispatch) (NY)- http://www.oneidadispatch.com/articles/2011/01/17/life/doc4d35176f20bd7115315615.txt   "Where are the gas distribution lines?: "...I sure hope gas companies are not sneaking around, securing rights of way that would totally control whose gas goes in the pipeline. That would be the end of any lease excitement...." " (Letter to editor, GANNETT NEW YORK NETWORK) (NY)- http://www.pressconnects.com/article/20110118/VIEWPOINTS03/101180305/1120/ , http://www.theithacajournal.com/article/20110118/VIEWPOINTS03/101180305/1120/ & http://www.stargazette.com/article/20110118/VIEWPOINTS03/101180305/1120/   "Lackawanna County woman to be honored as Activist of the Year by Pennsylvania Progressive Summit: "...Roxanne Pauline of Taylor, has been nominated and awarded 2010 Activist of the Year Award by the Pennsylvania Progressive Summit...Pauline was the force behind the Gasstock Rally, a concert festival event held August 2010 at Luzerne County Fair Grounds. The free event focused on the awareness of the Marcellus Shale issue and drew a crowd of 1,000 people and more than 40 environmental groups from across the state..." " (The Times Leader) (PA)- http://www.timesleader.com/AbingtonJournal/news/Lackawanna-County-woman-to-be-honored-as-Activist-of-the-Year-by-Pennsylvania-Progressive-Summit.html   "My Range Resources: "...I don't mean to pick on Range - it is actually one of the better companies operating in Pennsylvania. But I do find the persistent misleading statements of this industry nauseating. The natural gas industry has bought itself a governor and enough friendly politicians to make sure that it can continue to operate without substantial restraint in Pennsylvania. I urge the industry to at least have the integrity to admit the truth: That over the next few decades, it will turn Pennsylvania into an industrial wasteland..." " (Letter to editor, The Express) (PA)- http://www.lockhaven.com/page/content.detail/id/528736/My-Range-Resources.html   "Domestic Spying Victim: Virginia Cody: "...Virginia Cody -- a retired Air Force officer and anti-drilling activist -- was shocked to mistakenly receive a bulletin from the Pennsylvania Homeland Security Director describing the monitoring of several anti-drilling groups. The bulletin revealed that Virginia and other anti-drilling activists who were peacefully exercising their First Amendment rights were included in state "anti-terrorism" reports..." " (Video, ACLU) (PA)- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pXoWHR54oe8   "Associated Press article on fracking got it wrong: "...SPECULATION and fearmongering has no place in public safety or credible journalism, but it unfortunately found one in Associated Press writer David Caruso's recent article on hydraulic fracturing that ran in the Daily News..." " (Letter from research associate, Commonwealth Foundation) (PA)- http://www.philly.com/dailynews/opinion/20110118_Associated_Press_article_on_fracking_got_it_wrong.html   (Events) "PAGasDirectory.com Posts Information about Two Upcoming Expos in Its Directory: "...PAGasDirectory.com begins the New Year by supporting two important expos in Northern Pennsylvania. The first is the Natural Gas Expo: Cameron-McKean-Potter Counties. The Expo will be held March 10 and 11 at the Sports Fitness Center at the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford. Education and Industry Seminars will be held both days. More information can be found at http://www.pagasdirectory.com .The Susquehanna Workforce Development Expo presented by Central Bradford Progress Authority will be on April 1 and 2 at the Susquehanna County Career & Technology Center. The Development Expo will educate attendees on the employment opportunities being afforded by the Marcellus Shale Development in the Northern Tier...More information about the expos can be found at http://www.pagasdirectory.com ..." " (PAGasDirectory)- http://www.mmdnewswire.com/pagasdirectorycom-posts-information-about-two-upcoming-expos-in-its-directory-18220.html   "Findlay drilling regs not likely to affect airport property: "...About 5,000 acres of Pittsburgh International Airport property sits in Findlay, but Caruso said that land is zoned for heavy industrial use, meaning that while drilling would be permitted there, the township’s planning commission and board of supervisors must approve any drilling operations. "We developed this ordinance with input from the (airport) authority," Caruso said. "We don’t anticipate having any problems with them."..." " (Beaver County Times) (PA)- http://www.timesonline.com/bct_news/news_details/article/1373/2011/january/18/findlay-drilling-regs-not-likely-to-affect-airport-property.html   "Mt. Pleasant Twp. considering new zoning amendment: "...Possible environmental damage from drilling and gas processing activity is addressed in a new oil and gas zoning amendment under consideration for Mt. Pleasant Township. The amendment requires operators to purchase environmental pollution liability coverage in case of a release of vapor or fumes, provide copies of water testing of private wells and springs and prohibits any brine or hydrocarbon mixture with water be used for dust abatement on roads...Among proposed changes to gas compressing and processing stations, in addition to regulations governing building and grading permits, state and federal compliance, are:..." " (Observer-Reporter) (PA)- http://www.observer-reporter.com/or/localnews/01-18-2011-mt--pleasant-zoning   "Drilling likely to move forward in North East Township: "...NORTH EAST -- Officials in North East Township say they're sympathetic to the concerns of local residents over a plan to drill 11 gas wells. But members of both the township's Board of Supervisors and the planning commission say it's not within their power to put a stop to that plan..." " (Erie Times-News) (PA)- http://www.goerie.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20110118/NEWS02/301189955   (Event) "South Fayette to hold meeting to discuss shale drilling: "...The South Fayette board of commissioners and planning commission will hold a joint workshop meeting to review and discuss a proposed overlay plan for gas and oil drilling. The overlay maps areas of the township deemed most suitable for Marcellus Shale development. Commissioners voted 3-1 Monday night to schedule and advertise the meeting, to be held at 7 p.m. Feb. 24. The location will be announced. The meeting will be open to the public, but no comments will be accepted..." " (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette) (PA)- http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/11018/1118815-100.stm   (Event) "Postponements and cancellations due to weather: "...The workshop "Marcellus Shale — What it Means to Franklin County," scheduled for today at the Greater Chambersburg Chamber of Commerce, has been postponed until Friday, Feb. 4. The program is open to the public and will be offered twice that day, at noon and 2 p.m. Anyone interested in attending is asked to call the chamber at 264-7101. Dr. Timothy W. Kelsey, a Penn State professor, will provide information on Marcellus Shale, including the economic and community impacts of natural gas development; the fiscal impacts of land use change; local tax reform; and community approaches including strategic planning, and leadership..." " (The Record Herald) (PA)- http://www.therecordherald.com/features/x684390789/Postponements-and-cancellations-due-to-weather   (Events) "Program aims to educate public on shale drilling: "...A new program to help the public monitor Marcellus Shale well development and report problems at drill sites has been launched by the University of Pittsburgh's Center for Healthy Environments and Communities and a Fayette County environmental group. The Marcellus Citizens Stewardship Project will offer free training to individuals on how to assess the sights, sounds and smells produced by shale drilling operations in their communities and report their observations via online forms to an interactive Marcellus drilling data site, "FracTracker," established by the university center...The Mountain Watershed Association will host the first training session Jan. 27 from 6 to 9 p.m. in Room 114 of the Burnett Building at Washington & Jefferson College, in Washington, Pa. A second session is scheduled Feb. 24 from 6 to 9 p.m. at the Quality Inn & Conference Center in Somerset. Sessions will be held later this spring in Fayette and Westmoreland counties. To inquire about scheduling training or for more information about the Marcellus Citizen Stewardship Project, call Ms. Coptis at 724-455-4200 or visit www.mtwatershed.com ..." " (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette) (PA)- http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/11018/1118766-455.stm & http://www.istockanalyst.com/article/viewiStockNews/articleid/4815556   "Marcellus gas firms courted by Westmoreland to spur jobs: "...A chemical treatment plant at the former Sony plant could be retrofitted and used to clean up to 1.1 million gallons per day of wastewater, a by-product of the hydraulic fracturing process used to tap the Marcellus shale, said Larry Larese, executive director of the Westmoreland County Industrial Development Corp. "This could be something very efficient to encourage drilling companies to treat their water there," Larese said. A new treatment plant could join Reserved Environmental Services Inc., which operates a similar plant across the road at the former Sony Glass Plant. Company Chairman Steve Frobouck, said his plant, which opened in April, can treat up to 1.5 million gallons of wastewater a day..." " (Tribune-Review) (PA)- http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/s_718613.html   "Bradford County Airport sees benefits from natural gas drilling operations: "...Although not as big as the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton International Airport, the Bradford County Airport has also seen an upswing in business directly related to the natural gas drilling industry..."" (The Daily Review) (PA)- http://thedailyreview.com/news/business/bradford-county-airport-sees-benefits-from-natural-gas-drilling-operations-1.1091803 (See also "2 busted with meth at airport: "...McAlpin works in the natural gas drilling industry..." " (The Courier) (NY & PA)- http://www.steubencourier.com/news_now/x1384138447/2-busted-with-meth-at-airport ("...Authorities arrested a local woman and a Texas man at the Elmira airport on Thursday after the two were caught trying to smuggle in methamphetamine from Texas. Police say 39-year-old Stacey Foust of Towanda was planning on selling the drugs locally..."- http://www.newsradiowebo.com/?p=2268 & "...You see a bag of meth that comes from Mexico. Times are changing..."- http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:LDZXf8xyENcJ:www.theithacajournal.com/article/20101119/NEWS01/11190373/ )   "It's not too late to adopt a Marcellus shale gas tax" (Letter to editor, The Morning Call) (PA)- http://www.mcall.com/opinion/mc-letter-williams-carpetner-gas-dril20110118,0,5495994.story   "Groups Call for Maintaining Drilling Moratorium: "...PennFuture was joined by the Sierra Club, the League of Women Voters, the Pennsylvania Council of Churches and Preservation Pennsylvania in urging Corbett to maintain the moratorium. Sage says if the governor-elect doesn't heed their call "it's not only an environmental issue, it's an economic issue and there's a lot of jobs at stake here. And I think there are a lot of potential ways that citizens and industries can push back on this, but we're hoping that we don't have to do that."..." " (WDUQNews) (PA)- http://wduqnews.blogspot.com/2011/01/groups-call-for-maintaining-drilling.html   "Corbett yet to make DCNR pick/Corbett's cabinet/Most cabinet positions filled by Corbett: "...One of the unfilled posts is secretary of the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, an agency in the limelight in recent years due to new leasing of state forest land in the Marcellus Shale formation for drilling by natural gas companies...Departing Gov. Ed Rendell issued an executive order last fall placing a moratorium on additional drilling of state forest land, amounting to 800,000 acres. Rendell said that action was needed to manage the forests in a sustainable manner and because of Senate inaction last session on a House-passed measure providing for a three-year moratorium. Corbett has said he doesn't agree with Rendell's moratorium and will develop a strategy for gradually opening additional forest land for drilling. An activist group, the Williamsport-based Responsible Drilling Alliance, launched a petition drive earlier this month urging Corbett to keep the moratorium in place..." " (Times-Shamrock Communications) (PA)- http://thetimes-tribune.com/news/gas-drilling/corbett-yet-to-make-dcnr-pick-1.1091529 , http://republicanherald.com/news/corbett-yet-to-make-dcnr-pick-1.1091744 , http://republicanherald.com/news/gas-drilling/corbett-yet-to-make-dcnr-pick-1.1091529 , http://newsitem.com/news/gas-drilling/corbett-yet-to-make-dcnr-pick-1.1091529 , http://thedailyreview.com/news/corbett-yet-to-make-dcnr-pick-1.1091796 , http://citizensvoice.com/news/drilling/corbett-yet-to-make-dcnr-pick-1.1091569 , http://newsitem.com/news/corbett-s-cabinet-1.1091736 & http://standardspeaker.com/news/most-cabinet-positions-filled-by-corbett-1.1092196   "Advice for Corbett I: "...As governor, Corbett should reconsider his opposition to a severance tax on natural gas drilling. Pennsylvania taxpayers need the revenue from a severance tax to cover damage to the environment and local infrastructure and for increased demand for local services that drilling imposes on communities. And we do need higher fines for violations and more inspections to signal to drillers that they must play by our rules. The new governor should look at scientific evidence that shows opening up more state land to drilling cannot be done without irreparably harming our premier natural resources. Corbett's stated commitment to tough and fair regulation of the gas drilling industry is good news to people and communities living with drilling and to Pennsylvania's precious land, air and water..." " (Letter from president and CEO of Citizens for Pennsylvania's Future, Pittsburgh Tribune-Review) (PA)- http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/s_718586.html   "Corbett promises to be realistic about Pennsylvania's challenges: "...As with past inaugurals, Corbett's will have its controversy: Environmentalists plan to stage a rally near the Capitol to protest Corbett's expected pro-business stance toward Marcellus shale natural gas drilling. More than 200 people, including some from Pittsburgh, are expected at the rally. "At this point, he has given them the green light to drill," said activist Gene Stilp of Harrisburg. "We're saying, 'Wait a minute, buddy.' " Corbett, the state attorney general, says he'll enforce the law, but he opposes taxing the extraction of natural gas and doesn't want to stunt the industry's growth. He opposes a moratorium on drilling, as did his predecessor, Democratic Gov. Ed Rendell. Gas companies drilled more than 2,500 Marcellus shale wells during Rendell's tenure..." " (Pittsburgh Tribune-Review) (PA)- http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/regional/s_718654.html   "Corbett promises fiscal discipline, responsible government as he takes oath: "...More than 100 opponents of Marcellus shale drilling – including Pittsburgh City Councilman Doug Shields -- marched from Walnut Street at Commonwealth Avenue to a spot about 400 feet behind the risers, where they were permitted to protest. Shields took issue with Corbett’s campaign pledge to veto a tax on natural gas extraction, saying the money that would come from such a tax will have to come from cuts to things such as education and infrastructure. More than 100 opponents of Marcellus shale drilling – including Pittsburgh City Councilman Doug Shields -- marched from Walnut Street at Commonwealth Avenue to a spot about 400 feet behind the risers, where they were permitted to protest. Shields took issue with Corbett’s campaign pledge to veto a tax on natural gas extraction, saying the money that would come from such a tax will have to come from cuts to things such as education and infrastructure. "Gov. Corbett has a lot of problems on his hands. He’s not a Republican now; he’s not a Democrat. He’s the governor," Shields said. "I’m from Pittsburgh. We’ll help anybody ... But we’re not going to help them turn the state over to corporate interests." Chanting "Tom Corporate, no way, no fracking in PA," and blowing whistles and speaking through bullhorns, the protest made it hard for some in the stands to hear Corbett’s inaugural address. The protesters chanted and whistled through introductory speakers, a prayer and the Pledge of Allegiance, which couldn’t be heard in the protesting crowd. They stopped to sing The Star-Spangled Banner with those in the stands, then resumed chanting and booing as Corbett took the oath of office. "We’re going to let him know we’re going to keep him under a microscope. It might not affect him, but there’s an entire House and Senate and we can work the system," said Veronica Coptis, an anti-drilling activist from Mt. Pleasant in Westmoreland County. "If we don’t lobby, all they hear from are industry lobbyists." Corbett says he'll enforce the law, but he opposes taxing the extraction of natural gas and doesn't want to stunt the industry's growth. He opposes a moratorium on drilling, as did Rendell. Gas companies drilled more than 2,500 Marcellus shale wells during Rendell's tenure..." " (Pittsburgh Tribune-Review) (PA)- http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/s_718706.html & http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/breaking/s_718706.html   (Video) "Fanfare, Protests As Corbett Is Sworn In As Governor: "...During the inauguration ceremony on the east steps of the Capitol building, nearly 200 people protested against Marcellus Shale drilling and Gov. Corbett’s stance on the booming industry sparking controversy across the state. Protester Emma Lisak told WJAC-TV that she fears drilling activity near her family’s farm outside Punxsutawney will damage the quality of their well water. "It's been constant trucks; we have helicopters circling overhead all the time doing seismic testing and there's going to be a well going in maybe 100 feet from our garden," said Lisak. "We grow all organically; we’ve been trying to do that for years. It’ll ruin all of our chances."...'" " (Video, WJAC-TV) (PA)- http://www.wjactv.com/news/26532564/detail.html   (Video) "Tom Corbett Sworn In As Pennsylvania Governor: "...Above the din of protesters that could be heard from a block away, former attorney general Tom Corbett -– while not mentioning the Arizona shootings -– opened his inaugural address by calling for civility in public debate..." " (Video, CBS Philly) (PA)- http://philadelphia.cbslocal.com/2011/01/18/tom-corbett-sworn-in-as-pennsylvania-governor/   (Video) "People Concerned About Gas Drilling Demonstrate At Inauguration: "...Protest Focused On Marcellus Shale Practices..." " (Video, WGAL) (PA)- http://www.wgal.com/video/26535609/detail.html   (Video) "Marcellus Protesters: "...An anti-Marcellus protest sounded out during the entirety of the Inauguration, rising to a fever pitch during Corbett's address. The chanting abated only during the national (a)nthem..." " (PoliticsPA via YouTube)- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uEh-LwklIz0 & http://www.politicspa.com/video-anti-marcellus-protesters-at-corbett-inaugural/20253/   (Video) "Tom Corbett Inauguration Protest WBRE TV Mid day: "...The GDAC and others protest the Tom Corbett inauguration in Harrisburg. Natural gas drilling, poluution, frack, fracking, severance tax..." " (WBRE TV via GADCLuzerneCounty via YouTube)- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z9UYN3Y_FbM   (Video) "Tom Corbett Inauguration Protest WNEP TV 6 pm: "...The GDAC and others protest the Tom Corbett inauguration in Harrisburg. January 18, 2010. The day Tom Corbett becomes the face of Greed over Good. Natural gas drilling, pollution, frack, fracking, severance tax..." " (Video, WNEP TV via GADCLuzerneCounty via YouTube)- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fW35hUulsC4   "Tom Corbett sworn in as Pennsylvania governor: "...This change in political dynamics - following the eight-year tenure of ex-Gov. Ed Rendell, a Democrat, and four years in which Democrats controlled the House, signals new approaches to the issues of state spending, school choice, privatization of state liquor stores and taxation and regulation of natural gas drilling in the Marcellus Shale formation..." " (Times-Shamrock Communications) (PA)- http://thetimes-tribune.com/news/tom-corbett-sworn-in-as-pennsylvania-governor-1.1091926 , http://citizensvoice.com/news/tom-corbett-sworn-in-as-pennsylvania-governor-1.1091926 , http://virginislandsdailynews.com/news/tom-corbett-sworn-in-as-pennsylvania-governor-1.1091926 , http://republicanherald.com/news/tom-corbett-sworn-in-as-pennsylvania-governor-1.1091926 , http://thedailyreview.com/news/tom-corbett-sworn-in-as-pennsylvania-governor-1.1091926 & http://citizensvoice.com/corbett-sworn-in-as-governor-1.1091929   "Drilling Protesters Have Their Say At Inauguration: "..."When you take almost a million dollars from the gas industry to put you in office, you tell me who you're going to be working for - the people of Pennsylvania or the gas industry," said Ms. Dolnay..."" (Pennsylvania Independent)- http://www.paindependent.com/todays_news/detail/drilling-protesters-have-their-say-at-inauguration   "Gas Truth protests Corbett inauguration: "...Activist Gene Stilp told PoliticsPA that the new governor was "totally beholden to the gas corporations." According to Stilp there were 1500 violations of drilling regulations under outgoing Gov. Rendell, but there would be even more under Corbett. Stilp was highly critical of Michael Krancer, Corbett’s appointee to head the Department of Environmental Protection despite the fact that PennFuture, an environmental group praised his selection..." " (PoliticsPA)- http://www.politicspa.com/gas-truth-protests-corbett-inauguration/20217/   "Former Attorney General Becomes PA Governor: "...At times, it was hard to hear Corbett over the din of demonstrators a few hundred yards away. They were there to protest natural gas drilling, and the amount of money energy companies donated to Corbett’s campaign..." " (WDUQNews) (PA)- http://wduqnews.blogspot.com/2011/01/former-attorney-general-becomes-pa.html   "Lawmakers React to Anti-Marcellus Inauguration Protest: "..."It’s important that the people who disagree with the Governor make their voices heard," said State Rep. Eugene DePasquale (D-95) "He won, but so did many people who disagree with him on that issue. I don’t think what happened today will impact any votes. What it does it make sure that the governor and legislators know that there are a lot of people who feel very passionately about that issue."..." " (PoliticsPA)- http://www.politicspa.com/lawmakers-react-to-anti-marcellus-inauguration-protest/20277/   "Gas-drilling protesters chant during Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Corbett's speech" (The Patriot-News) (PA)- http://www.pennlive.com/midstate/index.ssf/2011/01/gas-drilling_protesters_chant.html   "Commentary: Corbett's silence over Marcellus Shale protests is disturbing" (The Patriot-News) (PA)- http://www.pennlive.com/midstate/index.ssf/2011/01/commentary_corbetts_silence_ov.html   "Gallery: Gas-drilling protesters chant during Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Corbett's speech: "...Description: About 150 protesters gathered at N. 5th Street and Walnut Street in Harrisburg to show their opposition against Tom Corbett's support of natural gas drilling Tuesday morning. The protesters moved their demonstration to Soldiers' Grove behind the inaugural arena as Corbett was sworn in as Pennsylvania's governor on Tuesday Jan. 18, 2011 in Harrisburg, PA. They stood behind the inaugural stage, separated from the festivities by the length of a football field and 10 mounted state troopers. They could be heard as Corbett gave his speech..." (The Patriot-News) (PA)- http://photos.pennlive.com/4503/gallery/_gas-drilling_protesters_chant_during_pennsylvania_gov_tom_corbetts_speech/index.html   "York countians attend Corbett inauguration, for support and protest: "...Steve Baker of the York Green Party was there for a rally to protest natural gas drilling in Pennsylvania. He estimates about 200 people were present. Chanting and carrying signs, they marched to a distance about 100 yards away from the inauguration -- which was as close as police let them go, Baker said. They weren't close enough to hear Corbett's address. Baker said he's pretty sure the new governor was aware of their presence..." " (The York Daily Record) (PA)- http://www.ydr.com/politics/ci_17129298   "Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Corbett seems to have heard protesters today during his inauguration speech…but will he listen?" (Protecting Our Waters)- http://protectingourwaters.wordpress.com/2011/01/18/pennsylvania-gov-tom-corbetts-seems-to-have-heard-protesters-today-during-his-inauguration-speech-but-will-he-listen/   "Vignettes from the inauguration of Gov. Corbett: "...More than 100 people protesting natural gas drilling gathered on the south side of the Capitol, chanting, holding signs and unfurling banners before and during the inauguration ceremony. One sign said, "The Crowning of Tom Corporate, the Gas King," a reference to him accepting heavy campaign donations from people in the industry. Their cow bells, whistles and shouts could be heard throughout the ceremony, prompting Senate President Pro Tempore Joe Scarnati to wisecrack that the First Amendment is "alive and well."..." " (AP) (PA)- http://www.phillyburbs.com/news/news_details/article/206/2011/january/18/vignettes-from-the-inauguration-of-gov-corbett.html , http://www.centredaily.com/2011/01/18/2461671/vignettes-from-the-inauguration.html & http://www.yorkdispatch.com/penn/ci_17128790   "Protest at Pennsylvania governor's inauguration against hydraulic fracturing in oil and gas industry" (MSNBC Photoblog)- http://photoblog.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/01/18/5870717-protest-at-pennsylvania-governors-inauguration-against-hydraulic-fracturing-in-oil-and-gas-industry   "Text of Pa. Gov. Tom Corbett's inaugural speech" (AP via WPVI-TV) (PA)- http://abclocal.go.com/wpvi/story?section=news/politics&id=7905119   (Video) "Watch the inauguration of Gov. Corbett" (WPVI-TV) (PA)- http://abclocal.go.com/wpvi/video?id=7905072   "Corbett takes oath as 46th Pa. governor/Tom Corbett sworn in as Pa.'s governor: "...From Soldiers' Grove, a tree-lined mall behind the inaugural staging area, about 100 protesters could be heard chanting and blowing whistles to oppose the use of hydraulic fracturing, or "fracking," in drilling for natural gas from the rich Marcellus Shale reserve deep underground. Critics say too little is known about the health risks posed to drinking water by the huge amounts of wastewater fracking generates..." " (AP/AP via WPVI-TV) (PA)- http://www.timesunion.com/news/article/Corbett-takes-oath-as-46th-Pa-governor-962098.php , http://www.timesleader.com/news/ap?articleID=6319366 , http://www.centredaily.com/2011/01/18/2459344/mass-protest-ball-to-mark-corbetts.html , http://www.deseretnews.com/article/700101759/Corbett-takes-oath-as-46th-Pa-governor.html , http://www.timesherald.com/articles/2011/01/18/news/doc4d35cb5aacca0092853299.txt?viewmode=fullstory , http://www.ydr.com/politics/ci_17126442 , http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-01-18/corbett-takes-oath-as-46th-pa-governor.html , http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/article/Mass-kicks-off-events-for-Corbett-s-inauguration-962098.php & http://abclocal.go.com/wpvi/story?section=news/politics&id=7904495   (Video) "Tom Corbett sworn in as Pa.'s governor" (WPVI-TV) (PA)- http://abclocal.go.com/wpvi/video?id=7905843   "Drilling Protests Expected at Corbett's Inauguration" (WKBN) (PA)- http://www.wkbn.com/mostpopular/story/Drilling-Protests-Expected-at-Corbetts/kDYfRVWjlUuMInGo9CszYA.cspx   "Gov. Tom Corbett Inaugural Address"- https://docs.google.com/Doc?docid=0AYY3VQLxjkxOZGdwNmRidHFfMTMzNHpmempmbmRm&hl=en   "Drilling Opponents Protest Corbett's Inauguration: "...An estimated 150 opponents of natural gas drilling in Pennsylvania attempted to protest Tom Corbett’s Inauguration today. Although the protesters were nearly a hundred yards away from the stage where Corbett was sworn into office, the protesters could be heard over Corbett’s speech chanting, "No way, No fracking in PA!" The organizers, backed by environmental groups, newly organized natural gas drilling opponents and even the producers of the documentary ‘Gasland’, said they hoped to draw attention to the destruction that natural gas drilling is already causing in Pennsylvania..." " (Coudy News) (PA)- http://coudynews.com/news/drilling-opponents-protest-corbetts-inauguration/   "Tom Corbett's Inauguration Set to Be an Icy Event: "...But will the messy weather stop protesters from showing up at the inauguration? According to Citizens Voice, hundreds of shale gas-drilling protestors have already chartered buses and are expected to be heading for Harrisburg. Several bus loads of protestors are expected to be coming from as far as Pittsburgh and Wilkes-Barre to have their voices heard as they rally about gas drilling in the state of Pennsylvania. A Q&A on Corbett's website states: "Tom Corbett does not support a one-year moratorium on natural gas drilling. Tom Corbett believes the Marcella Shale should be developed with strong environmental stewardship and that we can continue to develop the natural gas resource while protecting our environment."..." " (Yahoo! Contributer Network)- http://news.yahoo.com/s/ac/20110119/tr_ac/7642092_tom_corbetts_inauguration_set_to_be_an_icy_event   "Corbett sworn in as governor: "...Not everyone, though, is celebrating former Attorney General Corbett's ascension to the governor's office. During the swearing-in, dozens of protesters gathered at Soldiers' Grove, a park across from the Capitol. Most were environmentalists and others who oppose Mr. Corbett's approach to regulation of natural gas drilling. Their chants to protect the environment from the potential hazards of underground gas drilling could be heard throughout his speech. One drilling critic is Pittsburgh City Councilman Doug Shields, who, earlier this week, claimed Mr. Corbett "wants to give carte blanche to this industry by not having a (gas) extraction tax.'' He said the absence of such needed revenue is important "when our state budget is stressed to the limit. I know Tom Corbett and I think he's a smart and decent fellow, but on issues of environment and business he has a decidedly different world view" from many environmentalists...Mr. Cawley, in a 15-minute address, didn't give many specifics about what the new Corbett-Cawley administration will do, but did talk about the huge potential for job creation in two areas of underground shale, Marcellus and Utica. "As Pennsylvania did with the Drake oil well in 1859, we have the same potential today" with natural gas from the shale, he said. But he also added -- to environmentalists who worry that Republicans are too close to the gas drilling industry -- "We can and will be good stewards of the environment and good protectors of people's health, safety and welfare." But he vowed a "less intrusive state government that operates within its means, thus precluding any call for higher taxes." He said that "current spending levels are unacceptable." He said that some people who "who have become complacent in their sense of entitlement" may dislike "our new direction," at least at first, but he hoped that even they would eventually see the wisdom in limiting government. One goal will be to "try to reduce or elimination job-crushing government regulation" and push for "meaningful and workable pension reform."..." " (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette) (PA)- http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/11018/1118843-100.stm & http://www.pittsburghpost-gazette.net/pg/11018/1118843-100.stm?cmpid=newspanel4   "Spectators brave raw winter weather to watch Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Corbett's inauguration: "...A group of protesters — armed with whistles, noisemakers and bullhorns — set up camp in the plaza that fronts Commonwealth Avenue, the inaugural enclosure less than 100 feet away. "No fracking way," they chanted, a reference to their opposition of the natural gas drilling boom playing out across a swath of the state known as the Marcellus Shale. Swaying in the brisk wind, their large banners reinforced their message: "No Free Pass for Oil & Gas," "Stop the Drilling." Ten state troopers mounted on horses kept watch. In front of the Capitol fountain, on this day buried under snow and ice, the band played its program of patriotic pieces. "America the Beautiful" competed with the distant protest chorus. Security detail on rooftops looked like action figures in the distance — armed, uniformed personnel canvassing the scene below through binoculars...As Senate President Pro Tempore Joseph Scarnati, R-Jefferson County, took the podium to begin proceedings, the din of the protesters seemed to grow. But even they were drowned out when the venerable noon steam whistle known to anyone who works or lives in Harrisburg let out its daily belch. "No doubt, the First Amendment is alive and well in Pennsylvania today....We love the First Amendment," Scarnati said later at the conclusion of the event. Even the newly sworn-in governor spoke about the protesters. "We have the ability to have difference of opinion, but I would also remind people what I talked about in my speech about civility," said Corbett, moments after delivering a speech underscoring the importance of civility in political discourse. "They were civil."..." " (The Patriot-News ) (PA)- http://www.pennlive.com/midstate/index.ssf/2011/01/spectators_brave_raw_winter_we.html   "Swearing-In Day Notebook: "...Corbett did not address the protesters during his speech..." " (The Morning Call)- http://blogs.mcall.com/capitol_ideas/2011/01/swearing-in-day-notebook.html   "Gas Drilling Jobs in PA" (juju)- http://www.job-search-engine.com/keyword/oil-gas-drilling/pennsylvania/   "Sierra Club Message to Governor Corbett on Marcellus Drilling: "...1. Put a hold on drilling until state government enacts laws and regulations to make Marcellus gas well drilling safe and environmentally sound..."" (Sierra Club Pennsylvania Chapter via Berks-Mont news) (PA)- http://berksmontnews.com/articles/2011/01/18/opinion/doc4d35d6d42ad43989231077.txt?viewmode=fullstory   (Video) "Release on Button Rd compressor station, Aug 23, 2010: "...I was taping this compressor on Button Rd near Dimock PA. Not sure what is happening here..." " (Video, YouTube) (PA)- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mTJy_SI1qgE&feature=bf_next&list=ULI0fXT8nxR_k&index=2       National & International:   "01/18/2011 Natural Gas Daily Report" (The Carbon Capture Report)- http://gas.carboncapturereport.org/cgi-bin//dailyreport?DATE=2011-01-18   "Justice Files Complaint against Range Production Company for Aquifer Contamination: "...EPA testing confirmed in December that drinking wells in Parker County, Texas, contained methane gas and benzene..." " (Environmental Protection)- http://eponline.com/articles/2011/01/18/justice-files-complaint-against-range-production-company-for-aquifer-contamination.aspx   "Apache May Need Relief Well to Seal Natural-Gas Leak in Gulf of Mexico: "...U.S. regulators said planning is under way to drill a relief well to stop a natural-gas leak near an Apache Corp. platform in the Gulf of Mexico in the event the company can’t safely return workers to the structure. Apache’s natural-gas processing platform was evacuated Jan. 16 after workers reported what looked like gas bubbling to the surface of the water, according to a statement today from the U.S. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement. Related pipelines and facilities were shut..." " (Bloomberg)- http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-01-19/apache-may-need-relief-well-to-seal-gas-leak-in-gulf-update1-.html   "SELC lists threatened Southeast areas: "...— George Washington National Forest, Virginia, natural gas drilling using hydraulic fracking to separate the fuel from rock. The process generates massive amounts of waste water..." " (AP)- http://www.montgomeryadvertiser.com/article/20110118/NEWS/110118002/SELC+lists+threatened+Southeast+areas+   "Gail on the hunt for US shale: "...State-run Gail India is scouting for shale gas assets in the US and is willing to invest up to $500 million..." " (Upstream Online)- http://www.upstreamonline.com/live/article241783.ece   "Investment in US shale gas rises to record levels: "...The result is lowered development breakeven costs to a level at which the cost of shale gas is highly competitive with other domestic sources of supply - conventional and unconventional - and LNG imports..." " (Houston/Edinburgh/SINGAPORE)- http://www.engineerlive.com/Oil-and-Gas-Engineer/Environment_Solution/Investment_in_US_shale_gas_rises_to_record_levels/23255 , http://www.naturalgasmedia.com/index2.php?option=com_content&do_pdf=1&id=2029 , http://www.naturalgasmedia.com/content/view/2029/9//index.php & http://www.pennenergy.com/index/petroleum/display/8574913806/articles/oil-gas-financial-journal/unconventional/other-unconventional/us-shale_gas_acquisition.html   "Freeport LNG Terminal Exporting Cargo to Asia, Vessel Data Show: "...Freeport LNG’s liquefied-natural-gas terminal in Texas is sending a previously imported cargo of the fuel to Asia, according to vessel tracking data compiled by Bloomberg. The tanker, Explorer, left the port over the weekend and is scheduled to arrive Feb. 23, according to the data. The ship is probably heading to South Korea, according to Zach Allen, president of Pan Eurasian Enterprises Inc., a Raleigh, North Carolina-based tracker of LNG shipments..." " (Bloomberg)- http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-01-18/freeport-lng-terminal-exporting-cargo-to-asia-vessel-data-show.html   "State of our public lands policy briefing: "...This briefing took place on January 18th at the National Press Club in Washington, DC. Experts were on hand to talk about oil and gas reform, renewable energy, wilderness guidance, Alaska, the Antiquities Act, America's Great Outdoors and more..." " (The Wilderness Society)- http://wilderness.org/content/state-our-public-lands-policy-briefing   "State of our Public Lands Policy Briefing Aimed at Restoring Reality to Public Lands Debate: "...Washington, D.C. — Wilderness Society experts gathered today in Washington to help set the stage for efforts to defend America’s public lands. With the 112th Congress swinging into session, the State of the Union address approaching, and new guidance coming from the Department of Interior, public lands will be a growing part of the dialogue on Capitol Hill and across the country..." " (The Wilderness Society)- http://wilderness.org/content/state-our-public-lands-policy-briefing-aimed-restoring-reality-public-lands-debate   (Video) "SWN Compressor Noise Quitman, AR Jan 18. 2011: "...Folks in Quitman are having issues with the noise the Desoto Gathering/Southwestern Energy natural gas compression station. They have been unable to sleep and are having physical and mental problems due to the low frequency noise.." " (Video, Vimeo) (Arkansas)- http://vimeo.com/19013075   "Workshop to aid landowners deal with natural gas leases: "...Geologists have found commercially significant deposits of shale gas about a mile underground. N.C. Extension Specialist Ted Feitshans, who is a lawyer, will make a 40-minute presentation on evaluating the leases offered by drilling companies, and representatives from the Rural Advancement Foundation International will offer other advice and resources on natural gas extraction..." " (North Carolina)- http://fayobserver.com/articles/2011/01/18/1064176?sac=Local   "The Nuances of 'Frack Water': "...In 2008 the Milford Daily News reported that residents in Wetzel County, West Virginia were having problems with foul water. Most of the county residents live in rural areas that have a well on their own property. And they claim that livestock won’t drink the water out of their wells and that poultry were growing deformities. And these reports came from areas where residents are in the vicinity of new gas wells being drilled. In September 2009, a 8,000-gallon gas drilling wastewater spill in Dimmick, Pennsylvania caused toxic frack chemicals to leak into Stephens Creek causing a major fish kill. These are just a few issues that have risen since the Great Shale Gas Rush began..." " (Charleston Environmental News | Examiner) (West Virginia)- https://www.examiner.com/environmental-news-in-charleston/the-nuances-of-frack-water   "Panelist wants to make sure drilling is done safely: "...The Washington-based Environmental Working Group declares its mission "is to use the power of public information to protect public health and the environment," according to its website. Horwitt said he wants to be sure drilling for oil and natural gas is conducted safely. Safety includes not drilling oil or natural gas wells near water supplies, he said. He also believes drilling should come under the scrutiny of several federal regulations, including safe drinking water rules..." " (Ohio)- http://www.cantonrep.com/news/x512664471/Panelist-wants-to-make-sure-drilling-is-done-safely   "Mineral rights lessors want answers: Attorneys to file lawsuits: "...Many area land owners who signed mineral rights leases over the last year believe they are victims of fraud and now they want answers. After months of growing frustrations, many in Charlevoix and Emmet counties are preparing to file lawsuits against oil and gas companies after their leases were terminated before bonus payments were even received..." " (Michigan)- http://www.petoskeynews.com/news/null-mineral-rights-lessors-want-an-01182011,0,6444497.story   "Grand Prairie City Council Tweaks Drilling Rules: "...Cheryl and her neighbors in the Grand Peninsula subdivision near Joe Pool Lake realize they can’t get the gas well moved. But the 42-year-old appeared before the Grand Prairie City Council to plead for new restrictions for future wells. "I don’t want anyone to go through what I’m going through. I would not wish this on my worst enemy."...Chesapeake Energy argues if the new restriction is a thousand feet, Grand Prairie home and business owners will lose $240 Million in lease revenue..." " (Video, CBS DFW) (Texas)- http://dfw.cbslocal.com/2011/01/18/grand-prairie-council-mulling-over-drilling-proposal/   "Change May Soon Come To Arlington’s Drilling Ordinances: "...Residents complain about the smell, the proximity to their homes and the chance that other rigs could soon arrive. "Its a big disruption," Jackson said. "And I think they’re trying to get permits to put another one in. And I think they’re going to put another one in after this one. Planning and Zoning Commissioner Victor Vandergriff presented the City Council with revisions to Arlington’s policy regarding drilling. "We are vastly outnumbered in the process of keeping track of things," Vandergriff said. "So we spent a lot of time looking at current city practices."..." " (CBS DFW) (Texas)- http://dfw.cbslocal.com/2011/01/18/change-may-soon-come-to-arlingtons-drilling-ordinances/   "USDOJ Files Complaint to Enforce EPA Substantial Endangerment Order from Hydraulic Fracturing Contamination" (TXsharon) (Texas)- http://txsharon.blogspot.com/2011/01/usdoj-files-complaint-to-enforce-epa.html   "Railroad Commission to hear allegations on Parker County drilling: "...Texas officials are expected to hear evidence today on federal allegations that a Barnett Shale gas-drilling operation contaminated drinking-water wells and created an explosion risk in southern Parker County. Examiners with the Texas Railroad Commission, which regulates oil and gas production, are scheduled to hear from the commission’s staff, homeowner Steven Lipsky and Range Production, a Fort Worth-based gas company, at a hearing in Austin. They are not expected to hear from the Environmental Protection Agency, which told the commission it would not participate. The EPA on Dec. 7 issued an emergency declaration and order saying that one or more Range Production wells drilled near Lipsky’s southern Parker County home had leaked natural gas into the shallow aquifer that supplies the home’s drinking water..." " (Texas)- http://www.dallasnews.com/news/state/headlines/20110118-railroad-commission-to-hear-allegations-on-parker-county-drilling.eces   "Natural gas in Parker County water wells not from Barnett Shale, driller says" (Texas)- http://www.star-telegram.com/2011/01/18/2778239/natural-gas-in-parker-county-water.html   "Feds say Range Resources hasn't complied with EPA order" (Texas)- http://www.star-telegram.com/2011/01/18/2778259/feds-say-range-resources-hasnt.html   "A Month After EPA's Emergency Order Against Barnett Shale Gas Driller, a Federal Suit: "...The Texas Railroad Commission issued a release on December 7 that included a few quotes from Commissioner Michael Williams, who will likely run to replace outgoing U.S. Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison and who called the order "Washington politics of the worst kind. The EPA's act is nothing more than grandstanding in an effort to interject the federal government into Texas business," he said. "The Railroad Commission has been on top of this issue from Day 1." The commission's holding a hearing on the contaminated wells tomorrow in Austin, which'll include a look at why the feds are so interested in pursuing this action against Range..." " (Texas)- http://blogs.dallasobserver.com/unfairpark/2011/01/a_month_after_epas_emergency_o.php   "Don’t Mess: Tex. Railroad Comm. to Separate Parker Co. Well Fact From Fiction This Week" (Energy In Depth)- http://www.energyindepth.org/2011/01/don%E2%80%99t-mess-tex-railroad-comm-to-separate-parker-co-well-fact-from-fiction-this-week/   "Council to hear gas ordinance recommendations: "...After months of discussions and research, Flower Mound’s Oil and Gas Advisory Board is expected to present to the town council Thursday its recommendations on changes to the town’s gas drilling ordinance...The council agenda also lists a presentation by Williams Exploration, the company that was involved in a gas leak in late December on Shiloh Road. Flower Mound spokesman Michael Ryan said the town invited Williams to discuss the leak, but there is no indication as to whether there will be a presentation..." " (Texas)- http://www.scntx.com/articles/2011/01/18/flower_mound_leader/news/527.txt   "Southlake proposing a 90-day gas drilling moratorium: "...Southlake wants to review and possibly change its drilling ordinance before any new gas well applications come to town. At its meeting last night, the City Council was scheduled to consider a 90-day moratorium on new gas well and pipeline applications. The moratorium would give council members time to apply what they've learned in the past few months before another application is filed. The moratorium would not affect XTO Energy's two current drilling requests in Southlake..." " (Texas)- http://www.star-telegram.com/2011/01/18/2777704/southlake-proposing-a-90-day-gas.html   "Market methane says Four Corners enviro. group : "...Environmentalists in the Four Corners area want oil and gas companies to turn methane leaking from natural gas wells into something economically beneficial. Typically, when methane leaks from the wells it's burned off or slowly released into the air. But Mike Eisenfeld, with the San Juan Citizens Alliance, believes that capturing the methane and using it for resale would have numerous benefits. "I think it would help the economy. It would create more jobs, it would allow them to have a more marketable product that, right now, is just being released into the atmosphere," he said. Eisenfeld said gas companies in Wyoming have already started to capture methane from their own natural gas wells and sell it..." " (Video, KOB) (New Mexico)- http://www.kob.com/article/stories/S1931228.shtml?cat=514   "Hawks wants disclosure of fracking fluid: "..."I'm not requiring they divulge any proprietary information about how they combine these chemicals," said Hawks, a Democrat. "I'm only requiring them to notify surrounding landowners that they are going to drill, they are going to use fracturing chemicals. And they need to work out some kind of coordination with the medical community for getting access to that information very quickly." In the past, energy companies have been reluctant to disclose exactly what chemicals they use in the process, saying their secret recipes are trade secrets worth millions of dollars. But a spokesman for Devon Energy, an oil and gas company with wells in Montana, said the industry is not opposed to disclosing chemicals but "the process needs to be timely so it doesn't impede the progress of completing the well and bringing on production."..." " (Montana)- http://www.bozemandailychronicle.com/news/article_73a50c5e-229b-11e0-a06b-001cc4c03286.html   "Jankovsky begins term as Garfield County commissioner: "..."Oil and gas is very important — especially in the western part of the county," he said..."That's 4,800 jobs," Jankovsky pointed out. "I've talked to people in the oil and gas industry, and they're concerned about the environment and the community as well."..." " (Colorado)- http://www.postindependent.com/article/20110118/VALLEYNEWS/110119888/1083&ParentProfile=1074   "Company: well numbers shouldn't be part of suit: "...GRAND JUNCTION, Colo.- A company whose plan to drill on the Roan Plateau is being challenged by environmentalists says its projections for as many as 3,200 wells on the western Colorado landmark shouldn't be considered by the court. The recent filing by Denver-based Bill Barrett Corp. is part of the lawsuit claiming the Bureau of Land Management didn't adequately analyze the potential impacts in a plan for natural gas drilling on the public land. Environmentalists contend company statements that as many as 3,200 wells could be drilled bolster their claims the BLM violated federal law by not fully exploring the potential development. The BLM plan projected 210 wells on top of the plateau. The Daily Sentinel in Grand Junction reports the company calls its projections conceptual..." " (Colorado)- http://www.newsfirst5.com/news/company-well-numbers-shouldn-t-be-part-of-suit/   "Encana agrees to sell Fort Lupton natural gas plant and gathering systems in Colorado for US$303 million" (Encana Corporation)- http://www.encana.com/news/newsreleases/2011/0118-encana-fort-lupton.html   "Encana sells Colorado plant to Western Gas: "...CBJ – Jan. 18 – Encana Corp. will sell its Fort Lupton natural gas processing plant to Western Gas Partners LP for US$303 million, the companies said today. The plant, some 50 kilometres northeast of Denver, processes about 84 million cubic feet of gas per day. The sale also includes related pipeline systems and compression facilities...The deal includes a gas processing stipulation that will allow Encana to extract nearly 3,500 barrels of natural gas liquids per day from its processed natural gas, the companies said..." " (Canada & Colorado)- http://www.canadianbusinessjournal.ca/business_news/usa_news/18_01_encana_sells_colorado_plant_to_western_gas_11.html   "Alaska gas pipeline group still lacks shipping commitments: "...Dan Fauske, executive director of the housing agency and its newly created Alaska Gasline Development Corp., said he is now preparing studies on the likelihood that other "anchor tenants" could share in the cost of the line, such as a liquid gas exporting plant or a plant that could make jet or diesel fuel. Without such a plant, or a direct state ownership stake in a bullet line, the costs alone to ship gas to Southcentral Alaska would double the price that residents now pay for gas..." " (Alaska)- http://www.adn.com/2011/01/17/1653483/gas-line-group-lacks-agreements.html & http://www.thenewstribune.com/2011/01/17/1506313/gas-line-group-lacks-agreements.html   "Shale gas: too little science and lots of politics. words/Shale gas: Charest government dismisses popular support for a halt to drilling: "...And then there's its increasingly shameless shilling for the shale-gas industry...Even in Quebec, where the government has not yet given permission for full- scale shale-gas exploitation, rural residents have complained that their quality of life has already suffered because of ground tremors, noise and pollution at nearby exploratory well sites. Yet the Charest government, so quick to condemn Alberta's "dirty" oilsands development, dismisses the overwhelming support among its own constituents for a temporary halt to drilling while the implications of shale-gas exploitation are assessed. It thinks the people who elected it don't know what's good for them...Charest government dismisses popular support for a halt to drilling...So, Quebec, prepare to get fracked -by the Charest government as well as the shalegas industry..." " " (Canada)- http://www.canada.com/Shale+little+science+lots+politics+words/4127674/story.html & http://www.montrealgazette.com/opinion/reader-comments/Shale+Charest+government+dismisses+popular+support+halt+drilling/4124228/story.html   "Shale gas: Health report outlines the risks but finds little in the way of hard data: "...This unawareness is not reassuring. The study says there are many warning signs of problems -but no proof. Many states and some provinces have given a green light to this industry without knowing the risks. Here are some findings: -¦There have been reported explosions at drilling sites, leaks of gas into the atmosphere, spills of stored toxic liquids, etc. But the "frequency of such incidents is poorly documented and the surveillance (of sites) has not been systematic." Consequently, it is "impossible to estimate the frequency" of such events and to assess the degree of risk that shale-gas exploitation poses. -¦ "It is probable that increases in air pollution (involving nitrogen oxide, sulphur and volatile organic compounds) will be localized near the sites" and that workers and nearby residents would be at risk. But "no data exist that might support this hypothesis." -¦ Drilling operations involve injecting potentially toxic chemicals into water, and this cocktail could contaminate the underground water supply. But "no in-depth study exists on the shale-gas exploitation's water-related effect on health." -¦Cases of suspected contamination of underground water from drilling operations have been reported, including explosions in nearby homes because of methane-laced tap water. But no empirical evidence exists that drilling operations are responsible for this contamination. -¦The question of what would happen to this dubious water after it resurfaces and is taken to municipal sewage-treatment plants is an "important issue." But "we do not possess information on the efficaciousness and availability of these plants in Quebec" for extracting these particular contaminants. -¦In the event rural municipalities' sewage-treatment plants could not handle this water, millions of litres of it would have to be stored in retention basins for long periods. But more needs to be known about the risk of such basins leaking. In short, the study finds an abundance of risks, but research has been too meagre to pass scientific judgment..." " (Canada)- http://www.montrealgazette.com/health/Shale+Health+report+outlines+risks+finds+little+hard+data/4124227/story.html   "Questerre to defer two Quebec shale projects, shares drop: "...The company said that while it had strong support from local residents and landowners for its plans, it will wait until the provincial government’s environmental review panel releases its report on shale gas development and the government introduces new oil and gas industry laws. It also wants to see the results from two of its horizontal wells..." " (Financial Post) (Canada)- http://www.financialpost.com/Questerre+defer+Quebec+shale+projects+shares+drop/4126233/story.html   "London unfazed by shale gas concerns: "...The British government, however, said it was undeterred by such concerns. A spokeswoman for the British Department of Energy and Climate Change was quoted by the Platts news service as saying that shale gas was an attractive commodity."We support industry's endeavors in pursuing such energy sources, provided that tapping of such resources proves to be economically, commercially and environmentally viable," the spokeswoman said..." " (United Press International) (UK)- http://www.upi.com/Science_News/Resource-Wars/2011/01/18/London-unfazed-by-shale-gas-concerns/UPI-56721295359640/   "UK shale-gas report lacks scientific evidence: "...Manchester, UK – Researchers at the Tyndall Centre at the University of Manchester claim to have demonstrated how the extraction of shale gas risks seriously contaminating ground and surface waters – without providing any scientific evidence to back their claim...Despite massive expansion of the US shale gas industry over recent years, there is little reliable data on groundwater contamination caused by hydraulic fracturing (’fracking’) – drilling a well 1.5-6km below the surface and pumping a mixture of water, sand and chemicals into the shale at pressures up to 100MPa. The Co-op-backed report pointed out that the US Environmental Protection Agency was due to report the findings of a $2m study on the issue later this year. It also noted that there had been moves to tighten regulations by New York State, as well as anecdotal evidence of harmful chemical reaching water supplies. Calling for a moratorium on shale gas development, the study said: "Information on health and environmental aspects is of variable quality and only now is there any systematic effort being undertaken to better understand these issues." However, rather than present any evidence on the health risks associated with shale gas extraction, most of the researchers’ case against shale gas focused on climate-change arguments..." " (UK)- http://www.theengineer.co.uk/uk-shale-gas-report-lacks-scientific-evidence/1006922.article   "Coal mining is a threat to aquifers: "...SEVERAL water aquifers in the Highlands could be under threat if coal seam gas (CSG) exploration and longwall mining was allowed to proceed in the Highlands, Wingecarribee councillor Larry Whipper has warned..." " (Australia)- http://www.southernhighlandnews.com.au/news/local/news/general/coal-mining-is-a-threat-to-aquifers/2051407.aspx