Marcellus Shale
The Commonwealth has quickly become a national leader in the production of natural gas, which many scientists believe can be a “bridge fuel,” allowing America to move from foreign oil to sustainable energy sources. Pennsylvania has a tremendous opportunity in the form of Marcellus Shale natural gas deposits. Energy experts estimate that there are approximately 141 trillion cubic feet of natural gas to be extracted from the Marcellus Shale.
Marcellus Shale has the potential for billions of dollars in economic development and tens of thousands of jobs. Additionally, the burning of natural gas produces fewer carbon emissions than that of oil or coal, which pollute our air and significantly contribute to global climate change.
These are tremendous benefits, but we must strike a balance to ensure extraction of these resources does not contaminate land and water resources for future generations. Fracking was exempted from the Safe Water Drinking Act (SWDA) when President Bush signed into law the Energy Policy Act of 2005. This exemption was one of the reasons why I voted against this proposal when it came before the House of Representatives. I opposed the exemption because communities have a right to know what type of chemicals and materials are being injected into their land.
Right now, the Delaware River Basin Commission is evaluating whether to allow fracking in areas where run-off flows into upper reaches of the Delaware River—Philadelphia’s main source of drinking water. I am a co-sponsor of the Fracturing Responsibility and Awareness of Chemicals (FRAC) Act, which would allow the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to regulate hydraulic fracturing and require disclosure of the chemicals used in the fracturing process. Additionally, I support the EPA’s efforts to regulate exhaust from shale drilling activities—if this exhaust isn’t regulated, the overall environmental impact of cleaner-burning natural gas is not much different that other fossil fuels.