Recently, a film called Gasland premiered on HBO. The film stated that the Ground Water Protection Council refused an interview with the filmmaker regarding the practice known as “hydraulic fracturing”. This statement by the filmmakers was inaccurate.
The undersigned organizations write to ask that you oppose any legislation to impose a statutory moratorium on gas drilling in New York. As the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation completes its review of the environmental impact statement governing natural gas exploration in New York, we believe that the way forward to the safe development of the Marcellus Shale is clear.
We understand that the City Council is considering a proposal seeking to greatly restrict, and potentially even ban, the responsible development of clean-burning natural gas resources anywhere within the more than 35,000 acres comprising the city of Pittsburgh.
Fully developed, the Marcellus Shale has the potential to be the second largest natural gas field in the world, behind only the South Pars/Asalouyeh field shared between the nations of Iran and Qatar. Converted to British Thermal Units (BTUs), the natural gas found in the Marcellus could be equivalent to the energy content of 87 billion barrels of oil, enough to meet the demand of the entire world for nearly three years.
As you and your colleagues get set to return to Harrisburg after the completion of your district work period, I have the privilege of writing today to update you on the progress that’s being made right now by the more than 80 member companies of the Marcellus Shale Coalition – efforts that, with your help, will continue to generate jobs, revenue and opportunity for residents of the Commonwealth.
Last month, you sent a detailed memorandum to members of the Subcommittee on Energy and the Environment identifying several of your concerns related to hydraulic fracturing, an energy technology that has been in use for more than a half-century now, but one that has received additional attention as of late pursuant to its roll in unlocking enormous reserves of previously unreachable natural gas from American shale.
Natural Gas from the Marcellus Shale Its Role in the Energy Supply and Energy Policy
The Marcellus Shale in the Appalachian area of the eastern United States is fast becoming the hottest natural gas drilling play in the nation. Indeed, some industry experts believe production in the Marcellus Shale could eventually outstrip that of the Barnett Shale in north central Texas, currently the largest producer of natural gas in the continental US.
Water is essential to energy resource development; conversely, energy resources are needed for developing, processing, and distributing water resources. As a result, water and energy are interdependent.
Many Pennsylvanians are aware of the recent surge in natural gas leasing activity. The vast majority of citizens, however, do not fully appreciate the scale of change such development will unleash. This report educates the public on the current size, economic impacts, and future prospects of the Marcellus shale gas industry in Pennsylvania.
