Acting Gov. Tomblin Embraces Marcellus Shale Drilling, But Not New
Rules Proposed by WVDEP
Charleston Gazette
12 January 2011
By Ken Ward Jr.
Acting Governor Earl Ray Tomblin speaks to an assembly of state
legislators, distinguished guests, and public officials, Wednesday,
Jan. 12, 2011, in Charleston, W.Va., during the State of the State
address. (AP Photo/Howie McCormick)
Acting W.Va. Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin is certainly on the Marcellus Shale
bandwagon … but he’s not bought into efforts by his own Department of
Environmental Protection to come up with better regulation of the gas
drilling industry.
In his State of the State address tonight, Tomblin offered these
remarks about the Marcellus Shale, just after his long pledge of
allegiance to the state’s coal industry:
West Virginia’s economic future lies not only in its continued use of
coal as a resource. Lying just a mile below the surface of much of our
State is a rock formation called the Marcellus Shale. This formation is
rich in natural gas and new technology and techniques have made access
possible for the oil and gas industry.
The development of the Marcellus Shale formation for natural gas
production is an economic development opportunity for the State, and we
need to embrace it! Billions of dollars of private capital have already
been invested in this activity and with it has come many jobs.
Tomblin noted today’s announcement by Dominion Energy that has selected
a 56-acre site in West Virginia’s Northern Panhandle for the
construction of a plant to process natural gas from hundreds of
producers tapping the rich Marcellus shale:
This project will allow for significant development opportunities in
West Virginia. And it is not only about the production of natural gas.
The development of the Marcellus Shale has the potential to restart the
manufacturing industry in West Virginia. It is an opportunity that we
simply cannot let go by.
WVDEP Secretary Randy Huffman has previously made it clear that his
proposal for an entirely new regulatory system for oil and gas drilling
— and new permit fees to double the number of state inspectors — is his
agency’s proposal, not the acting governor’s bill.
Cindy Rank of the West Virginia Highlands Conservancy told me this
evening:
I was amazed he didn’t mention that DEP has been meeting with many of
us over the past several months about the needs they have for more
inspectors and better regulations to protect our state. He never even
mentioned it. That’s a slight of what I would consider good efforts by
DEP to address the problems that we all know exist.