Penn State researchers call DeGette/Casey “ominous,”

say it “would accomplish little in terms of protecting potable freshwater” 

WASHINGTON – The safe and steady deployment of hydraulic fracturing technology in the Marcellus Shale region last year generated more than $240 million in state and local taxes for Pennsylvania, 29,000 good-paying jobs, and $2.3 billion in total economic development, according to a new report issued by Penn State University.

The study, released this week by PSU’s College of Earth & Mineral Sciences, also refers to the DeGette/Casey anti-fracturing legislation in Congress as an “ominous proposal” that would “raise prices for gasoline and natural gas” while “accomplish[ing] little in terms of protecting potable freshwater.”

Energy In Depth policy director Lee Fuller issued the following statement subsequent to the report’s release:

“One-hundred and fifty years after Pennsylvania gave us the world’s first commercial oil well, the critical work of finding and producing the energy our nation needs continues in the natural gas fields of Pennsylvania’s Marcellus Shale. All told, we’re talking about a resource that’s expected in 2009 to create 50,000 jobs in a single year in a single state. And almost none of them would be possible without the safe, continued use of hydraulic fracturing.”

Among its key findings, the Penn State report found that each natural gas well drilled in the Marcellus region produced $6.2 million in economic impact, both for the state and to citizens directly. It also calculated that for every $1 that Marcellus shale gas producers spend to find and produce that gas, $1.94 of total economic output is generated.

The report makes plain that hydraulic fracturing is a non-negotiable tool for making these resources and revenues possible. “This remarkable, almost unbelievable, increase in estimated [natural gas] reserves is due to technological advancements in horizontal drilling and … the implementation of hydrofracturing.”

And it pulls no punches in assessing the merit of the DeGette/Casey anti-frac legislation.

“There is little question that this type of legislation would accomplish little in terms of protecting potable freshwater but would be disastrous in terms of the domestic oil and gas industry, raise prices for gasoline and natural gas, and ultimately derail any efforts to address the need to reduce carbon emissions.”

Additionally, on the safety of hydraulic fracturing:

• “Well designers exercise extreme care in well design to isolate any fluids used in the hydrofracturing process from any potable-sub-surface drinking water.”
• “No untreated water used in hydraulic fracturing is ever disposed to a stream or river.”
• “All water that is used in the stimulation process and collected at the surface is disposed of in DEP-regulated/permitted disposal sites that are located in the Commonwealth.”

Read More:

• Report: An Emerging Giant: Prospects and Economic Impacts of Developing the Marcellus Shale Play (Penn State University)
• Press Release: Duplicative hydraulic fracturing rules could imperil U.S. economy
• Fact Sheet: New Federal Regulations Will Cost Americans Jobs, Revenue, and Security
• GWPC Study: State Oil and Natural Gas Regulations Designed to Protect Water Resources

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www.EnergyInDepth.org