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 sign up to speak, though your comments will probably be limited to 2-3 minutes.  The sign up period will be just prior to the hearing.

If you are unable to attend, but have testimony you would like to have submitted (and perhaps read) on your behalf please e-mail Nicole at nnncole@yahoo.com before 5 PM Wednesday, February 16.  Even if you don’t wish to speak, please try to attend and show your support for the bills and the speakers. You can come earlier in the day to meet with your legislators– making an appointment with them ahead of time is strongly recommended.  You can also show your support with emails and phone calls to legislators, and letters to the editor.  The “Take Action” link at the top of this page can help you with this.

Click here to download a list of essential elements for any Marcellus Shale regulatory bill as identified by the WV Environmental Council and WV Surface Owners’ Rights Organization.

Here is a list of suggested items that are not included in either bill:

1. A public notice and comment period for each permit application to drill a well

2. An actual water withdrawal permit system

3. Elimination of the General Permit for land application of pit water

4. Prohibition of the disposal of oil and gas well wastewater in underground mines

5. A ban on, or additional protections for, drilling in Karst geology

6. No burying of drilling pits on site

7. Testing of all flow-back water and drill cuttings for the presence of radioactiviy

8. A comprehensive statute and rules governing seismic exploration

9.Regulation of air quality at drilling sites

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 well as the health of communities and the environment.

Read the full article here…