As focus on Ohio’s Utica Shale becomes more intense, so too are compliance issues associated with environmental regulation.  The Ohio Oil and Gas Association (OOGA) 2011 Conference Series made an express stop early this week at Kent State University (Stark Campus) to help membership stay on the cutting edge of these industry developments and better understand the scope of environmental issues related to wetlands, stream crossings and sensitive habitats for endangered species.

Below are a few of the video testimonials we captured from experts in the industry who attended the seminar to share their great depth of expertise and knowledge of the changing landscape of Ohio environmental regulations as they relate to natural resources development.  Among the expert panelists were civil engineers, wetland scientists, environmental scientists, environmental consultants, and a conservation biologist.

Mike Sponslor formerly served as Chief of the Division of Mineral Resources Management (DMRM) where his jurisdiction included coal mines and oil and gas operations.  Mr. Sponslor says that the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) has a balanced and professional approach to ensuring the safety of our state’s unique natural resources. “The ODNR has established resource mechanisms to support additional staff and training and are prepared for regulatory changes,” he said.

Scott Burnsworth, Senior Director at GAI Consultants, Inc. is an expert panelist at the Environmental Seminar.  He has worked as an environmental consultant for over 15 years and says Ohio is in good position to learn from the lessons of Marcellus Shale development.

Jody Jones, Manager of Regulatory Affairs at Chesapeake Energy

Seth Shafer, Project Manager at RETTEW, is excited about bringing new jobs to Ohio and learning more about Ohio’s regulatory structure.

Frank Armento, Project Manager at Fisher Associates

Eric Jespersen, Business Developer at Fisher Associates

As you can see the event was filled with significant insight regarding the many environmental protections in place to safeguard Ohio’s landscape during the safe and responsible development of natural gas.  Like all good professions and enterprises this is a constantly changing, and evolving, practice which implements that latest technological innovations and regulatory best practices to ensure Ohio’s economy thrives in concert with stewardship of our unique natural resources.