Shale adviser Ridge calls anti-terror pact 'bizarre'
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Former Gov. Tom Ridge, now an adviser to the Marcellus Shale Coalition, said Gov. Ed Rendell did the right thing in shutting down a controversial intelligence-gathering program aimed at gas-drilling opponents and other groups.
Appearing at the Omni William Penn Hotel Wednesday, Mr. Ridge, who's also a former U.S. homeland security chief, called the program "rather bizarre," and said that gas-industry critics aren't terrorists.
"They have a difference of opinion" with shale gas producers, said Mr. Ridge, who has a one-year, $900,000 contract with the Marcellus Coalition.
Mr. Rendell canceled the state's one-year, $125,000 contract with the Institute of Terrorism Research and Response on Tuesday. The apologetic governor denounced the program as misguided and "appalling," but refrained from firing state Homeland Security Director James Powers.
Marcellus Coalition officials said they wanted to make it clear they had nothing to do with the state's agreement to hire the Institute of Terrorism Research and Response.
Coalition President Kathryn Klaber said there's been "an uptick in the volume and intensity [of the opponents] ... As long as those activities remain generally civil and within the confines of a spirited public debate, there's absolutely no reason for concern. But to the extent they go in the other direction, and potentially devolve in a manner that undermines our ability to keep our folks safe, then we will have a problem."
Gas-drilling opponent and Pittsburgh City Councilman Doug Shields Wednesday demanded an investigation of the institute, possibly by City Council. He said he's talked to many people who wondered if they were on some kind of enemies list.
First Published September 16, 2010 12:00 am
