Marcellus Shale Coalition | 24 Summit Park
Drive | Pittsburgh, PA 15275 | www.marcelluscoalition.org
America needs to become productinve again. We can not just be consumers. Eventually that credit card gets "maxed out" and the shopping game is over. It's time to get back to work. Developing our shale gas (and oil) is a very good beginning.
Peter
What They’re
Saying: American Natural Gas Drives “Economic Growth and
Prosperity”
Pittsburgh,
Pa. –
It’s difficult to go an entire day – or hour – without a reminder of the
economic difficulties facing America, especially for the millions looking for
work. This week, the Associated Press
reports that “As U.S. hiring as declined, so has consumer and business
confidence.” The Associated Press also
recently reports that “High unemployment isn't going away” in the United
States. These are historically challenging times. For its part, though, America’s natural gas
producers – along with a robust supply chain – continue to make
critical investments leading to expanded economic growth, private sector job
creation and strengthened energy security all while protecting the environment.
Here’s what they’re saying.
BUILDING A STRONG, LOCAL WORKFORCE, BETTERING COMMUNITIES
BUILDING A STRONG, LOCAL WORKFORCE, BETTERING COMMUNITIES
· Help Wanted: Trucking Jobs
Widely Available in the Marcellus: [PGT Trucking Inc. CEO Pat]
Gallagher said recent developments with Marcellus shale drilling in the area
have created more opportunities for drivers to seize local driving jobs that
will have them home every night. “Most people in Beaver County who want a
trucking job will have one,” Gallagher said. (Beaver Co. Times, 7/29/12)
· “Lt. Gov. Cawley says
Marcellus Shale Creating Jobs in Blair Co.”: Marcellus Shale natural gas
is helping to create family-sustaining jobs in Blair County and across
Pennsylvania, Lt. Governor Jim Cawley said today during a tour of New Pig
Corporation in Tipton. "Whether it is at one of the drill sites in the
southern end of the county or right here at New Pig, Marcellus Shale is creating
good, family-sustaining jobs. Governor Tom Corbett and I want to see more of
this happen across the state," said Cawley. Cawley cited recent Department of
Labor and Industry statistics showing that 29,000 people are working in the
drilling industry in the state with average annual earnings of $81,000. There
are about 238,000 people working in related industries. He also noted that
natural gas drilling has produced $1.6 billion in state tax revenues since
2006 and helped to reduce energy costs across Pennsylvania. (Release, 7/26/12)
· “Gas Co. Donation Ensures
Safety”:
Thanks to one of the companies constructing a pipeline in Dallas Township,
Back Mountain emergency personnel have a new tool at their disposal to help
respond to calls related to the natural gas industry. PVR Partners, formerly
Chief Gathering LLC, recently donated a Polaris Ranger 800EF all-terrain vehicle
to Dallas Fire & Ambulance Inc. … Mark Van Etten, president of Dallas
Fire & Ambulance Inc., said the organization has been looking for ways to
better equip personnel to respond to natural gas emergencies as the industry
continues to move into the area. … PVR Partners Vice President Mark Casaday, a
Dallas High School graduate, said it is the company’s policy to aid the
communities in which it does business. … “It’s our policy to help out.”
(Dallas Post, 7/29/12)
· Job-Creating Shale Gas
Creating “Optimism”: Local business leaders have
been enthusiastic in their embrace of fracking. "That's a long time coming,
and that creates optimism," said Thomas Humphries, president of the
Youngstown/Warren Regional Chamber. The industry has already created more
than a thousand jobs in the region thanks in part to a European company called
Vallourec SA, whose V&M Star unit will soon begin operating a new $650
million mill to manufacture the steel tubes used in extracting the natural
gas. Regional homeowners, meanwhile, are cashing in by selling their mineral
rights. (CBS News, 7/24/12)
· “Marcellus Summer Camp Held
at Mansfield University”: The first ever Marcellus
Summer Camp was held at Mansfield University July 8 to 10. Twenty-one
students in grades 10 to 12 from Tioga, Bradford, Clarion and Indiana counties
in Pennsylvania were joined by students from New York State for an introduction
to the natural gas industry and possible career paths. Throughout the event,
campers were introduced to many of the 150 occupations within the industry and
the educational opportunities available in our area. They gained real world
knowledge of a well site and had the opportunity to interact with faculty
members from various educational institutions as well as industry professionals.
… "We were excited to offer high school students the opportunity to explore
different career options within the natural gas industry," Lindsey Sikorski
said. (Sun-Gazette, 7/30/12)
· Shale Gas Helping to Drive
“Economic Growth and Prosperity”: Cheap energy is vital to
the manufacturing sector, lowering the overall cost of goods which increases
consumption. That drives economic growth and prosperity, but it does so
without government involvement, direction and stimulus. (Washington Times
editorial, 7/27/12)
· Local University Training
Next Generation of Natural Gas Leaders: The Tioga Co. Development
Corp. celebrated 21 years of accomplishments with its 19th annual
meeting at the university on Monday. … Featured was the [Mansfield]
University's new Marcellus Institute, which was established in February to
develop new academic programs focused on expanding the shale gas industry.
Since then, the university has developed two degree programs in just a few
months. (Sun-Gazette, 7/31/12)
SHALE GAS
GENERATING MUCH-NEEDED CONSUMER SAVINGS
· “Columbia Expects Abundant
Supplies” of U.S. Natural Gas, Lower Consumer Prices: In announcing its average
budget payment plan amount for 2012-13, the natural gas utility said it foresees
abundant supplies of gas that should keep consumers' costs in check. The
utility calculated the average monthly payment at $66 -- down $9 a month from
last winter and among the lowest amounts of the last decade. … Columbia
Gas said plentiful gas supplies have helped drive prices down by more than
half in recent years. For example, the August, 2008, projected budget plan
amount was $133 a month. (Toledo Blade, 7/31/12)
· “Columbia to Lower Price for
Natural Gas”: Natural gas is plentiful
and its price is low, which yesterday brought good news for Columbia Gas of Ohio
customers. Columbia yesterday announced rates for its budget-billing
customers. For the year starting in August, the average customer will pay $66
per month per household, down $9 from last year. It’s the lowest in more than
five years. “We think it’s a really good thing for consumers,” said
spokesman Ken Stammen. “Any time you can lower costs, it’s a good thing and a
welcome thing.” … Gas prices are low because of the growing supply of energy
from U.S.-based shale deposits, among other factors. (Columbus Dispatch, 7/31/12)
· “More Pa. Drivers Converting
to Compressed Natural Gas”: O-Ring CNG Fuel Systems in
Punxsutawney has been operating its compressed natural gas station for a year.
Compressed natural gas is currently $2 a gallon at that station. Bob Beatty, the
founder of the company, believes that using compressed natural gas will
continue to become more popular. He predicts that in five years compressed
natural gas will not exceed $2.25 a gallon. Beatty said that there is
currently an abundance of natural gas, and he believes there is enough in
Pennsylvania to last the next 150 years. For Beatty, he said business has been
successful. Over the last year he has opened stations in Punxsutawney,
Coolspring and Rimbersburg. His Punxsutawney station has about 85 customers.
Another station is slated to open near Interstate 80 in Clarion County.
(WJAC-TV, 7/31/12)
· “Columbia: Gas Bills Going
Down for” Consumers: Columbia Gas of Ohio says
its average budget payment plan for this year has gone down, and is among the
lowest rates offered in the last decade. … The company states that
abundant new supplies of natural gas have helped drive prices down by more
than half in recent years. (WYTV, 7/30/12)
· More American Natural Gas =
More Consumer Savings: Expanded shale gas
production is “making it far less expensive for consumers to heat their homes
during the winter and power their appliances throughout the year.”
(Washington Times editorial, 7/27/12)
JUST THE
FACTS ON SAFE SHALE GAS PRODUCTION
· “Shale ‘Revolution’ Is More
Than Hyperbole for Capitol Hill”: Energy policy is being
transfigured alongside the energy economy by technology advances that have
allowed access to enormous reserves of natural gas. … It is hard to argue
with the reality: The American Gas Association says reserves estimates have
risen to 2,100 trillion cubic feet of natural gas as of the end of 2011, a
century’s worth of supply. … Greater use of natural gas is a stated aim of
the Blue Dog Coalition of self-declared fiscally conservative Democrats, and
Democratic governors in Colorado and North Carolina have enthusiastically
endorsed more natural gas development. (Roll Call op-ed, 7/31/12)
· Facts Must Prevail Over Scare
Tactics: Opposition to fracking increasingly
seems to be relying on scare tactics, with activists blithely repeating
factoids they like with little effort to check the raw data or even the
mainstream press. … They also have the same responsibility to check their
facts. As with any industrial activity, hydraulic fracturing of shale should
be done in an environmentally responsible fashion, and regulators should monitor
emissions. But by making false claims, activists not only damage their own
credibility, they distract from actual environmental issues that require
amelioration. (U.S. News & World Report op-ed, 7/30/12)
· NY Daily News Columnist
Highlights “Hypocrisy of The First Order”: A group of anti-fracking
foodies threw an interesting fund-raiser at the Brooklyn Winery last week. …
They call themselves Chefs for the Marcellus. Guests were treated to
eggplant-stuffed okra, smoked lamb belly with fermented tofu and whipped ricotta
jewel on toast — along with wines from the Finger Lakes and beers from
Cooperstown’s Ommegang brewery. The only thing more delicious than the menu
was the irony, because many if not most of those dishes were cooked over the
bright blue flame of natural gas. That’s right, the Chefs for the
Marcellus saw nothing wrong with using the very same fuel they portray as a dire
threat to the upstate countryside. Plus, there’s all the electricity they
needed to refrigerate the okra and air-condition the patrons who had paid $125 a
pop. Most of those kilowatts, in New York City, were produced by gas-fired
power plants. … But too many anti-frackers are trying to have it both
ways — to completely ban the practice in their own backyard, while continuing to
take enjoy the food-cooking, house-warming, juice-generating benefits of gas
drilled elsewhere. (NY Daily News op-ed, 7/31/12)
· EPA - Once Again -
Confirms Dimock’s Water Quality: EPA announced June 25
that extensive testing of Dimock wells revealed that “there are not levels of
contaminants present that would require additional action by the Agency.” This
confirms earlier EPA and Pennsylvania environmental officials’ tests, whose
results were denied and decried by natural gas opponents. The silence from these
activists on EPA’s latest announcement so far has been deafening. (Forbes.com
op-ed, 7/31/12)
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