CUMBERLAND — The governor’s Marcellus Shale Advisory Committee will begin another year of work by delving into the crux of the debate over drilling for natural gas in Marcellus shale. The question of best practices for the industry is also a matter of whether that drilling can be done safely, commission members have said.
A report on best practices for all aspects of natural gas exploration is due Aug.1, according to the website of the commission.
“MDE (Maryland Department of the Environment) will contract with the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Studies — Appalachian Laboratory for a survey of best practices and a recommendation of a suite of best practices suitable for Maryland,” according to the commission’s draft work plan. The laboratory is located in Frostburg.
Mapping of leased lands will be prepared by the Department of Natural Resources in “relationship to ... intact forests; forest interior dwelling birds; rare, threatened and endangered species; and tier two streams. Best practices for drilling should be designed to avoid, minimize or mitigate impacts to resource areas,” according to the work plan.
If the General Assembly enacts legislation to fund studies, the commission plans to award contracts for groundwater and stream monitoring in July, commission documents indicate. The cost for baseline studies on the environment is estimated at $1 million to $1.5 million by the MDE.
A meeting is scheduled in Annapolis today from 1 to 4 p.m. in Room 250 of the House Office Building, several hours after the conclusion of the PACE breakfast.
A final report including environmental impacts of drilling is to be issued by Aug. 1, 2014. Things aren’t moving quickly enough for Garrett and Allegany County commissioners. Earlier this month commissioners from both counties sent Gov. Martin O’Malley a letter asking that the commission’s timeline be shortened. The letter urges O’Malley “to encourage the Marcellus Shale Safe Drilling Advisory Commission to expedite their review ... and direct the Maryland Department of the Environment to authorize the process of allowing for the safe extraction of natural gas.”
“We wanted to show the governor the two counties were unified on the matter of Marcellus shale,” Allegany County Commission President Mike McKay said at the time. “I think the governor needs to understand we are unified. ... We believe the MDE has the ability to regulate the industry now and can do so safely,” McKay said.
Marcellus shale formations throughout the eastern U.S. harbor large untapped natural gas resources. The total value of the natural gas in Allegany County’s Marcellus shale could be close to $15.72 billion, with the average well earning $65,000 to $524,000 yearly, University of Maryland Extension staff has said.
The Marcellus Commission’s website may be found at http://www.mde.state.md.us/programs/Land/mining/marcellus/Pages/Commission.aspx.
Contact Matthew Bieniek at mbieniek@times-news.com.
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