This article originally provided by The Charleston Gazette

February 9, 2011

Balance urged in Marcellus Shale drilling

By Paul J. Nyden

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Natural gas drilling in West Virginia has exploded in recent months with the discovery of the Marcellus Shale formation, and state lawmakers repeated Wednesday that they want to make sure developers drill without harming local communities.

"We are committed to do it right," Sen. Jeff Kessler, D-Marshall, said at a state Capitol news conference with other lawmakers and representatives of environmental and surface rights groups.

"We support jobs creation and wealth creation that are done in an environmentally friendly manner," Kessler said. "West Virginia has an opportunity to develop wealth. But let's make sure we do it right."

Marcellus Shale natural gas reserves are located between 5,000 feet and 9,000 feet under the surface throughout much of West Virginia, as well as western New York, central and western Pennsylvania and eastern Ohio. The Marcellus Shale field is considered the second-larges natural gas field in the world.

State lawmakers are considering bills to regulate the extraction of Marcellus gas reserves by hydraulic fracturing, or "fracking" -- a process that injects millions of gallons of water, often laden with a variety of chemicals, deep underground to fracture rock in order to release gas reserves.

Drilling companies have generally declined to reveal what chemicals they use in fracking.

Some areas, such as Philippi in Barbour County, worry that fracking could threaten their water supplies, said Delegate Tim Manchin, D-Marion.

"We want to make sure what happens to this state will not be the same as what happened with coal in the early 1900s," Manchin said.

Sen. Orphy Klempa, D-Ohio, agreed: "We need economic development. But we also need fresh clean water and fresh clean air."

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Natural gas drilling in West Virginia has exploded in recent months with the discovery of the Marcellus Shale formation, and state lawmakers repeated Wednesday that they want to make sure developers drill without harming local communities.

"We are committed to do it right," Sen. Jeff Kessler, D-Marshall, said at a state Capitol news conference with other lawmakers and representatives of environmental and surface rights groups.

"We support jobs creation and wealth creation that are done in an environmentally friendly manner," Kessler said. "West Virginia has an opportunity to develop wealth. But let's make sure we do it right."

Marcellus Shale natural gas reserves are located between 5,000 feet and 9,000 feet under the surface throughout much of West Virginia, as well as western New York, central and western Pennsylvania and eastern Ohio. The Marcellus Shale field is considered the second-larges natural gas field in the world.

State lawmakers are considering bills to regulate the extraction of Marcellus gas reserves by hydraulic fracturing, or "fracking" -- a process that injects millions of gallons of water, often laden with a variety of chemicals, deep underground to fracture rock in order to release gas reserves.

Drilling companies have generally declined to reveal what chemicals they use in fracking.

Some areas, such as Philippi in Barbour County, worry that fracking could threaten their water supplies, said Delegate Tim Manchin, D-Marion.

"We want to make sure what happens to this state will not be the same as what happened with coal in the early 1900s," Manchin said.

Sen. Orphy Klempa, D-Ohio, agreed: "We need economic development. But we also need fresh clean water and fresh clean air."