PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE: A state proposal to make far-reaching amendments to oil and gas regulations governing Marcellus Shale gas development indicates stronger rules are needed to protect Pennsylvania’s surface and groundwater resources.
But it’s too early to tell if the more than 100 proposed changes in a 23-page draft “concept paper” from the state Department of Environmental Protection will eventually provide those protections, environmental groups say.
The document is the first step in a regulatory rewrite, required by last year’s Act 13 amendments to the state’s 1984 Oil and Gas Act, and was circulated to the DEP’s Oil and Gas Technical Advisory Board earlier this month. The five-member board, appointed by the governor, has scheduled public meetings Sept. 17 and Oct. 15 in Harrisburg to review as-yet-to-be-completed regulatory language based on the proposals… (more)
