DEP: Drilling Regulation Faces Some Challenges
Legislators Eager to Reap Financial Benefits from Marcellus Wells
Morgantown Dominion Post
15 September 2010
By David Beard
CHARLESTON — The state Department of Environmental Protection (DEP)
plans to have proposed legislation to regulate Marcellus gas-well
drilling ready by November or December — despite “significant funding
and staffing problems” — Deputy Secretary Lisa McClung told a combined
panel of Water Resources and Judiciary members.
Legislators are enthusiastic about getting a handle on the Marcellus
issue, they said, because of the economic benefits.
“This is going to generate a lot of tax dollars, a lot of jobs,” said
Delegate Mike Ross, D-Randolph.
“Already,” McClung said, “there are 1,245 wells permitted, and 554
wells completed to date.”
But the DEP faces many challenges.
New regulations are needed because current rules are outdated, making
the DEP “ill equipped to regulate horizontal drilling” required for
Marcellus wells. It has to tackle large water withdrawals,
transportation, storage and disposal issues, and truck traffic with the
associated road damage.
Complicating that, the DEP has only 27 full-time employees to devote to
the issue, and several vacancies it can’t fill for lack of funds. The
27 employees are overloaded with Marcellus permits, regular gas permits
and other jobs.
Legislators noted that because of this, there is a backlog in
processing permits, and applications have dropped off. It’s not a time
to fall behind, they said, because New York has halted its Marcellus
drilling, Pennsylvania is over-regulated, and the time is ripe to
capitalize on available business with good, sensible regulation.
McClung said the DEP has nearly completed a review of the Marcellus
industry — involving gas companies, landowners, legislators, residents
and more. There have been meetings and field visits, with a few more
meetings and another field visit set in coming weeks.
DEP will have its recommendations and findings complete by
November-December, she said, along with proposed legislation to bring
to the committee.