Opinion: Will History Repeat Itself? Lessons from Coal in WV

February 18, 2011

American philosopher George Santayana wrote “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” in his Reason in Common Sense, The Life of Reason, Vol.1.   As the shale gas industry roars to life in West Virginia, it is perhaps a valuable exercise to review the history related to our major extractive industry, [...]

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Fears Voiced at Public Hearing at Capitol

February 18, 2011

Approximately 100 citizens appeared at a public hearing for the benefit of legislators at the Capitol in Charleston,WV to state their views about Marcellus shale gas industry.   A significant majority of the speakers stated that the shale gas industry is having negative impacts on the environment and public health and that there is not [...]

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West Virginia Legislature to Hold Marcellus Shale Public Hearing

February 15, 2011

This Thursday, February 17 at 3:30 pm the House Judiciary Committee will hold a  public hearing on the two bills (HB 2878 and HB 3042) that would regulate Marcellus gas drilling in West Virginia. This is a tremendous opportunity to tell the committee what you think should be included in this important legislation.  Anyone can [...]

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Closed-loop Systems capture Horizontal Drilling Debris from Marcellus Shale

February 13, 2011

Anadarko, which is drilling extensively on state forest land in Pennsylvania, decided last year to convert all its Marcellus operations into closed-loop systems, eliminating pits and collecting debris in steel containers that are carted to landfills. It also received state permission to dig up the buried cuttings from about a dozen wells it already had [...]

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EPA Plans Life Cycle Study of Hydraulic Fracturing

February 11, 2011

EPA officials announced a draft plan on Tuesday, February 8 to study hydraulic fracturing in oil and gas drilling from a “life cycle” approach, following the water from acquisition to the post-fracturing stage, including flow-back and disposal. Requested by Congressional Democrats, this call for science is a reaction to hydraulic fracturing’s exemption from regulation under [...]

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Residents in Marshall County seek answers on Marcellus shale drilling

February 11, 2011

Some people who attended the natural gas drilling meeting in Marshall County on February 9th left with unanswered questions. Dozens of residents attended an informational meeting sponsored by the West Virginia University Extension Service. These sessions are sponsored in part by Chesapeake Energy, a gas drilling company operating in WV.  The crowd heard presentations from WVU professors [...]

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Need for Balance Emphasized by Legislators

February 10, 2011

Wednesday at the capitol, West Virginia Delegates and Senators, as well as Beth Little from the Sierra Club, spoke of the need for regulations on the gas industry to make sure drilling is done responsibly. The theme of the meeting was that job and revenue creation must be balanced with protecting surface owners rights, as [...]

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Wetzel & Marshall Counties: Ground Zero For Impacts to Our Way of Life

February 8, 2011

This past Friday, Wetzel County Sheriff James Hoskins testified in Charleston before the WV House Judiciary Committee.  He said the main issue is the influx of drilling company activity to the area which is “disturbing a way of life that people are used to.”  Hoskins said Wetzel County is “Ground Zero” when it comes to [...]

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Legislators Have Informational Hearing on Road Damage

February 7, 2011

In a joint meeting of the House Judiciary and Finance committees held on Friday, February 4, 2011, state lawmakers heard from Transportation Secretary Paul Mattox about the damage being done to country roads from Marcellus drilling operations and the heavy truck traffic they require. Concerns about the flow of heavy trucks sharing narrow roads with [...]

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Get Answers BEFORE You Sign a Lease

February 6, 2011

Some seventeen important questions have been identified for you to ask your Lawyer, to ask the driller’s Landman, to ask your Neighbor, or to ask Yourself, if you are considering the signing of a lease for mineral rights that you own.    These questions are being circulated in Pennsylvania and in New York; and, they are certainly appropriate to be [...]

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