Marcellus Shale forum draws 700
Share with others:
Like the natural gas buried deep beneath Pennsylvania, the answers to the nation's energy questions can best be tapped after thorough work below the surface.
That was the thrust of the Energy Forum 2011 at the Heinz History Center on Monday, the first of three sessions discussing the balance of our energy and environmental needs.
More than 700 people attended the forum, sponsored by the Post-Gazette and Babst Calland, and submitted questions to the five panelists. Topics included the environmental impact of Marcellus Shale drilling, chemicals used in the fracking process, jobs created by the new industry, taxation and regulation.
"Nobody wants to do it right more than the companies that do it," said Ray Walker Jr., senior vice president of Range Resources and chairman of the Marcellus Shale Coalition. "Neither side has all the answers. Clearly, we have to work together. None of us wants to do something and look bad, 10 or 20 years from now."
Addressing the audience as "stakeholders in the discussion," Mr. Walker said the industry is young and opportunities numerous. "We all have to work together to reach a happy medium."
Post-Gazette executive editor David Shribman, who served as moderator of the forum, said he received more than 100 questions from the audience. Many of those focused on the environment.
John Hanger, former secretary of the state's Department of Environmental Protection, said there is an environmental upside to natural gas in that the nation's coal-fired plants are aging and must be addressed. Yet there is a risk of contamination.
PG VIDEO: AT THE FORUM"Those are perils that should not happen and can, with today's technology, be avoided," Mr. Hanger said. "There is a role for government to make sure that those perils are avoided."
Jan Jarrett, president and CEO of Citizens for Pennsylvania's Future, which works to protect the environment, agreed that the greater use of natural gas "might help us clean up our air" through the reduction of other "dirty fuels."
First Published April 12, 2011 12:00 am
