PASPGP-5 Training Marcellus Shale Coalition General Permit 5 Stream and Wetlands Encroachments
PASPGP-5 Training
Wednesday, July 27, 2016
4.5 Professional Development Hours (PDH) available!
The Marcellus Shale Coalition is pleased to offer to all oil and gas industry stakeholders the opportunity to attend a training session on the recently released Pennsylvania State Programmatic General Permit 5 (PASPGP-5).
Section 404(e) of the Clean Water Act (CWA) (33 U.S.C. §1344) provides for the issuance of Department of the Army (DA) general permits (GP) on a statewide basis, which operate in conjunction with a State regulatory program that protects the aquatic environment in a manner equivalent to the DA regulatory program, provided that the activities permitted under each category of such GPs are similar in nature and result in no more than minimal individual or cumulative adverse effects on the aquatic environment.
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania’s Dam Safety and Waterway Management Rules and Regulations establish a statewide permit program for protecting the waters of the Commonwealth. The Commonwealth’s procedures for the granting of permits require the PA DEP to apply evaluation criteria consisting of alternatives analysis (for non-water dependent activities), avoidance techniques, the minimization of impacts, and if a permit is to be granted, compensatory mitigation. The evaluative criteria within the Commonwealth’s program are similar to Federal criteria under Section 404(b)(1) of the Federal Clean Water Act.
The PASPGP-5, effective on July 1, 2016, authorizes impacts to stream and wetland encroachments and crossings in Pennsylvania. During this training, attendees will be educated on the requirements within PASPGP-5. Additionally, an update on the proposed wetland and stream assessment protocols that were released for public comment in 2014 and are approaching finalization will be discussed. Lastly, industry experts will present case studies that will demonstrate five methods for pipeline stream crossings and review lessons learned.
To download the training flier, click here.
PRESENTERS
Adam D. Beck, P.E.
General Manager – Gathering Construction, CONSOL Energy
Colonel Edward P. Chamberlayne
Commander, Baltimore District, USACE
Wade Chandler
Chief, Pennsylvania Section, Baltimore District, USACE
Sid Freyermuth
Bureau of Waterways Engineering and Wetlands, PA DEP
Dave Goerman Jr.
Water Program Specialist, Bureau of Waterways Engineering and Wetlands, PA DEP
Ramez Ziadeh, P.E.
Director, Bureau of Waterways Engineering and Wetlands, PA DEP
Other online training programs (CEUs and PDHs) and Resources for Professionals.
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Pipeline Panel Discussion Northeastern Pennsylvania
Wilkes University is hosting a panel discussion entitled “Gas Pipelines in Northeastern PA: Challenges and Solutions” on Thursday, 19 March between 7:30 P.M. – 9:30 P.M. The session will be held in Stark Learning Center, Room 101. The event is free.
The purpose of the session will be to offer the public a balanced perspective on natural gas pipeline development. Regulatory, planning, and landowner issues to protect PAs citizens and its environment while allowing for infrastructure development will be explored.
Panelists will include Mike Mara (UGI Energy Services), Dave Horn (LIUNA), Davitt Woodwell (Pennsylvania Environmental Council), Paul Metro (Pennsylvania Utility Commission), Josh Longmore (Luzerne County Conservation District), State Senator John T. Yudichak, Kenneth Klemow (Wilkes University), and Brian Oram (BF Environmental Consultants Inc).
The anticipated format will involve panelists responding to a series of prepared questions, followed up by moderated questions from the audience.
Ken
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Online Training Courses Related to Natural Gas Development
Sustainability Training
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Gas pipelines in Northeastern PA: Challenges and Solutions
Pa. residents worried about fracking, poll shows
http://tribune-democrat.com/local/x1742862593/Pa-residents-worried-about-fracking-poll-shows
December 21, 2010
Pa. residents worried about fracking, poll shows
Drilling industry questions findings
Kathy Mellott kmellott@tribdem.com
JOHNSTOWN — A majority of the Pennsylvania residents surveyed in a recent poll are concerned about potential harm to drinking water as a result of the fracturing process used in drilling for Marcellus Shale natural gas.
Of the 403 adults surveyed in the late November poll by Infogroup/Opinion Research Corp., 81 percent said they are somewhat or very concerned about fracking’s potential to contaminate water.
Three of five state residents questioned in the poll are aware of the controversy over the gas-drilling technique.
The poll, conducted on behalf of the Civil Society Institute, showed that 62 percent of those concerned think state and federal agencies are not doing as much as they should to require proper disclosure of the chemicals used in the process.
The institute, based in Newton, Mass., describes itself as a nonprofit and nonpartisan think tank. Its goal is to serve as a catalyst for change by creating problem-solving interactions among people and between communities, government and businesses that can help to improve society.
The Marcellus Shale Coalition, an industry-based group supported by gas drillers and businesses that benefit from the industry, described the survey as a “push poll.” The term is used to describe a technique often used in political campaigns to influence or alter the view of respondents under the guise of conducting a poll.
Kathryn Klaber, coalition president, said the questions in the poll were overwhelmingly structured to generate predetermined outcomes.
“One thing is clear: Our industry must continue to educate communities about the steps we’re taking each day to protect and strengthen the environment while delivering clean-burning, job-creating energy to American consumers,” Klaber said in a statement.
Klaber said the institute purposely omitted critical facts about shale development, including information that fracturing is a 60-year-old technology used more than 1.1 million times.
Fracturing has never impacted ground water, something Klaber said can be confirmed by state and federal environmental agencies and the Groundwater Protection Council.
But Pam Solo, founder and president of the institute, said in a statement: “Clean energy production is strongly favored by Americans over energy sources that create a danger to human health and safe drinking water in particular.”
Fracking is a process that pumps large amounts of water along with sand and chemicals into the shale bed under high pressure to release the natural gas.
In addition to the polling in Pennsylvania, similar questions were asked of residents in New York and other areas of the United States, the Civil Society Institute said.
Site tracks shale industry campaign spending
http://citizensvoice.com/news/site-tracks-shale-industry-campaign-spending-1.1021359
Site tracks shale industry campaign spending
BY ROBERT SWIFT (HARRISBURG BUREAU CHIEF)
Published: September 20, 2010
HARRISBURG – The natural gas industry contributed more than $3 million to statewide and legislative candidates from 2001 through March and spent more than $5 million on lobbying since 2007 when a new public disclosure law took effect, according to a new campaign spending tracking website.
Common Cause PA and Conservation Voters of Pennsylvania recently launched the website www.marcellusmoney.org to provide a window on industry spending as up to date as possible under the infrequent state campaign finance reporting deadlines. The website is searchable by company, political candidate and contribution amount.
It debuts with intense debate over Marcellus Shale tax and regulatory issues dominating Harrisburg during an election year.
Search our online databases on natural gas drilling
The site identifies 25 natural gas companies as top campaign contributors during the past decade, including several active in Northeast Pennsylvania, a hot spot for drilling and exploration in the Marcellus Shale geological formation. They include Chesapeake ($75,000), Chief Oil & Gas ($16,800), Anadarko ($8,600), Williams Production ($2,750) and Cabot Oil & Gas ($1,500).
Indiana, Pa.-based SW Jack Drilling tops the list with $950,000 in contributions, one-third of the total. But there’s an important caveat. The firm’s chairwoman is Christine L. Toretti, the National Republican committeewoman and frequent contributor to GOP candidates.
According to the website, the top 10 recipients of driller campaign cash during the past decade include: Attorney General and GOP gubernatorial candidate Tom Corbett ($372,000), Lt. Gov./Senate GOP leader Joseph Scarnati ($117,000), Democratic Gov. Ed Rendell ($84,000), Democratic gubernatorial candidate Dan Onorato ($74,000), Rep. David Reed, R-Indiana ($57,000), Democratic Auditor General and gubernatorial candidate Jack Wagner ($50,000), Sen. Don White, R-Indiana ($48,000).
Also: Senate Appropriations Chairman Jake Corman, R-Bellefonte ($33,800), Former House Democratic leader Bill DeWeese, D-Waynesburg ($29,400) and House Minority Whip Mike Turzai, R-Pittsburgh ($26,000).
Northeastern region lawmakers receiving contributions include House Speaker Keith McCall, D-Summit Hill ($12,000), Senate Minority Leader Robert Mellow, D-Peckville ($7,000), Rep. Matt Baker, R-Wellsboro ($6,200), Sen. Lisa Boscola, D-Lower Saucon Township ($5,300), Sen. David Argall, R-Tamaqua ($3,900), Rep. Tina Pickett, R-Towanda ($2,500), Sen. Lisa Baker, R-Lehman Township ($1,500), Sen. Gene Yaw, R-Williamsport ($1,500), Sen. John Gordner, R-Berwick ($1,300), House Majority Leader Todd Eachus, D-Butler Township ($1,250), Rep. Ed Staback, D-Archbald ($500), Rep. John Yudichak, D-Nanticoke ($250) and Rep. Karen Boback, R-Harveys Lake ($250).
“This is such a good issue to demonstrate the power of money in elections in Pennsylvania,” said Common Cause director Barry Kauffman, citing the impact of the drilling boom on water quality, local roads and the use of chemicals in fracking fluids. “These are all pretty important issues for people in two-thirds of the state.”
Industry spokesmen point to another side of the coin regarding efforts to influence policy on Marcellus Shale issues.
Two Harrisburg-based nonprofit organizations that advocate for a state severance tax on natural gas production have funding issues of their own, they add. The environmental group PennFuture receives taxpayer-funded grants to promote alternate-energy development, while the Pennsylvania Budget and Policy Center, which issues studies on the tax structure, has major labor leaders on its board.
The natural gas industry doesn’t receive tax dollars and is transparent about who contributes to its advocacy efforts, said Travis Windle, spokesman for the Marcellus Shale Coalition, an industry trade group.
Alex Kaplan, the Marcellus website creator, built the database using campaign reports filed with the Department of State. The department’s campaign finance website allows for searches of individual candidates and PACs, but not anything more in-depth.
“It’s impossible to get a sweeping view of an industry on that (state) website,” said Kaplan. He said such analysis is important since Pennsylvania is one of the few states that doesn’t limit the amount of campaign contributions.
rswift@timesshamrock.com
Marcellus job portal now online
http://standardspeaker.com/news/marcellus-job-portal-now-online-1.1013914
Marcellus job portal now online
FROM STAFF REPORTS)
Published: September 16, 2010
The Marcellus Shale Coalition has launched a website intended to connect job seekers with its members – natural gas companies and related businesses.
The “job portal” at [ www.marcelluscoalition.org ] offers descriptions of job opportunities and what the required qualifications are, from equipment operators and well tenders to geophysicists and market research analysts, and have links to the employment pages of companies’ websites.
“The responsible development of the Marcellus Shale’s abundant, clean-burning natural gas resources continues to expand throughout the region, helping to fuel a robust and growing supply chain network – the ‘Marcellus Multiplier’ – across the commonwealth,” Marcellus Shale Coalition Executive Director Kathryn Klaber noted in a prepared statement.
“Our industry is committed to putting Pennsylvanians to work, strengthening our workforce and our economy, and putting our nation on a path toward a cleaner and more secure energy future,” she said.
Public forum on gas drilling to air live on PCN
http://citizensvoice.com/news/public-forum-on-gas-drilling-to-air-live-on-pcn-1.739337
Public forum on gas drilling to air live on PCN
Published: April 22, 2010
PCN will broadcast live coverage of a town meeting on the subject of natural gas drilling in the Marcellus Shale from 7 to 9 tonight, then air it again at 9 a.m. Friday. The forum is being held at the Community Theatre, 100 W. Third St., Williamsport.
The panel includes John Hanger, secretary of the state Department of Environmental Protection; Paul Kieffer, manager of financial planning at M&T Bank, the show’s sponsor; Kathryn Klaber, executive director of the Marcellus Shale Coalition; Vincent Matteo, president and CEO of the Williamsport/Lycoming Chamber of Commerce; Dale A. Tice of the Marshall, Parker and Associates law firm; and state Sen. Gene Yaw, R-Loyalsock Township, a member of the Senate Environmental Resources and Energy Committee.
For information, visit www.pcntv.com.