Bob's Blog
Three Bills to Protect Pennsylvanians and Create Pennsylvania Jobs
Earlier this week I reintroduced three bills designed to protect Pennsylvanians and create Pennsylvania jobs. All of these bills relate to the natural gas rush the Commonwealth is experiencing. These bills would increase disclosure and regulation of chemicals that could enter Pennsylvania’s drinking water supply, improve safety for workers and emergency response procedures at drilling sites and promote job training to help give Pennsylvania workers the skills needed to get jobs in the natural gas industry so that workers are not shipped in from out-of-state.
Scientists estimate that the Marcellus Shale, a 350 million year old rock formation, contains about 50 trillion cubic feet of recoverable natural gas. This is enough gas to supply the energy needs of the entire Nation for roughly 15 years.
I support the development of domestic natural gas extraction and believe that it has the potential to produce significant environmental and economic benefits. I am continuing to work with all stakeholders – citizens, environmental groups, industry, and local and state officials – to ensure that we develop this resource in the right way. Learning from the lessons of the past, we must make sure that the development of the Marcellus Shale gas resource is done with the highest regard for the health and welfare of Pennsylvanians and for the protection of our environment.
Protecting the Delaware River Basin
Currently, the Delaware River Basin Commission (DRBC) is considering regulations to oversee natural gas drilling in the Delaware River watershed. Drilling is a major issue for many towns and communities throughout the basin and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Natural gas has played, and will continue to play, an important role in our energy portfolio as we transition to a new energy future, and we are fortunate to have domestic resources to help meet our growing needs. However, we must develop the Marcellus Shale using the best practices to protect our communities, our people and our environment. While the continued development of this natural resource can lead to job creation and a strengthened state economy, it also presents a significant threat to the water quality of people living near, or downstream from, drilling sites. Over 15 million people, including those living in Philadelphia, acquire their water from water sources within the basin. The threat cannot be ignored.
Because I believe the development of the Marcellus Shale must be done with the highest regard for the health and welfare of Pennsylvanians and for the protection of our environment, I sent a letter to the DRBC urging that it establish effective regulations for gas drilling activities in the Delaware River Basin. It is imperative that the DRBC put the right regulations in place now so that our State fully benefits from the development of the Marcellus Shale. In addition to the need for effective regulation, I have also called for the DRBC to allow ample opportunity for full public comment on these regulations and ample time for its review of the public’s input.
I believe we have a responsibility to protect the water of the Delaware River Basin, and water throughout Pennsylvania. Even more importantly, the health and safety of Pennsylvanians and other residents of the Delaware River Basin must be safeguarded. This is why I have introduced the Fracturing Responsibility and Awareness of Chemicals Act of 2010, also known as the FRAC Act. My bill requires that the natural gas industry provide complete disclosure of the chemical composition of hydraulic fracturing materials and requires that hydraulic fracturing be regulated under the Safe Drinking Water Act. I have also distributed draft legislation entitled the Faster Action Safety Team Emergency Response (FASTER) Act, which will enhance emergency response procedures at oil and gas wells. As stated in my letter, I strongly encourage the DRBC to include in its regulations a hydraulic fracturing fluid disclosure requirement, as well as emergency response provisions.
In 1961, President Kennedy brought together the Governors of Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey and Delaware to form the Delaware River Basin Commission (DRBC). The five members, those four states and the federal government, signed concurrent legislation creating a regional body in order to maintain the Delaware River system without concern for state boundaries. The DRBC is responsible for water quality protection, water supply allocation, permit reviews, water conservation initiatives, watershed planning, drought management, flood loss reduction and recreation.
Safeguarding our pipeline infrastructure
Due to my commitment to ensuring that all Pennsylvanians living near pipelines are safe, I sent a letter today to Cynthia Quarterman, the Administrator of the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, which is part of the U.S. Department of Transportation. Recent accidents across the Nation, such as the natural gas pipeline explosion in California and oil pipeline spill in Michigan, have demonstrated the importance of proper pipeline inspection and maintenance.
Taking care of our national pipeline infrastructure is crucially important to Pennsylvania, which has thousands of miles of pipeline crisscrossing its borders. I am concerned about the aging pipeline infrastructure as well as the new, expanding infrastructure resulting from Marcellus Shale development. I believe it is critical that sufficient resources are dedicated to caring for the entire pipeline transportation system.
For these reasons, in my letter, I call for an assessment on the adequacy of the staff, resources and programs dedicated to inspecting interstate pipelines in Pennsylvania and an assessment of what, if any, resources are needed to do the job right. I also ask for consideration of the establishment of a pipeline inspector training and certification center in Pennsylvania. It is my understanding that the nearest training center to Pennsylvania is located in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma and only has the capability to accommodate twenty-three inspectors during each certification class. Experience has taught us what happens when pipelines are not properly looked after. It is imperative that we learn from these lessons, take the necessary actions and make sure people are safe in their homes and communities.
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