Marcellus Shale talk in Mt. Lebanon draws 100
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One of the goals of the Mt. Lebanon Public Library is to provide information so people can make up their own minds about issues, and no topic is hotter in the region than Marcellus Shale gas drilling, said library director Cynthia Richey.
One evening last week, 100 people crowded into a basement room and overflowed into another room to hear a panel discussion about Marcellus Shale gas drilling.
People seemed "keenly interested" during the panel discussion, Ms. Richey said. Some audience members spoke out during the presentations, challenging the speakers and saying the environmental perspective wasn't full represented, but most just listened during the session, which ran a little more than two hours. After the panelists' presentations, Ms. Richey read questions submitted by audience members.
Mt. Lebanon resident Janet Thomas attended the discussion because she knows little about Marcellus Shale.
"My knowledge base is limited," she said. "I felt I needed to learn more."
To inform residents, Ms. Richey recruited panelists to represent government, industry and the environment. The panel members were Kathryn Klaber, president and executive director of the Marcellus Shale Coalition; Jack Ubinger of the Pennsylvania Environmental Council; Alan Eichler of the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection; and Dan Sandman, retired U.S. Steel executive and board member of T.W. Phillips Gas & Oil Co.
Mr. Eichler started the discussion by describing his agency's role and how the number of Marcellus Shale permits has grown over the past five years. In 2005, he said five permits were issued for Marcellus Shale wells. This year, 3,000 were issued. The Department of Environmental Protection has increased the size of its Marcellus Shale staff to issue permits, perform inspections and respond to complaints, Mr. Eichler said.
First Published December 9, 2010 12:00 am
