Pennsylvania must fight federal regulation of drilling Commentary Jim Christiana

AN ARTICLE in The Times Leader (“Rep. backs state control of drilling,” Feb. 1) cites a recent resolution I offered expressing support for state efforts to regulate the development of clean-burning natural gas from the Marcellus shale.

Here are the facts: The Marcellus shale, now two years into development in western Pennsylvania, could be the second largest natural gas field in the world – second only to one in Iran. We’re talking about a formation that holds more than a 100-year supply of natural gas, which would represent a major step forward in putting Americans back to work, while lessening our addiction to foreign oil.

How do we get that gas? Simple: We deploy a 60-year-old technology, hydraulic fracturing, that’s used today in nine out of every 10 energy wells in America. And despite claims by opponents of affordable energy, not a single case of drinking water contamination has ever been tied to the process. Not one. Even though it’s been used nationwide more than 1.1 million times.

What amazes me is that U.S. Sen. Bob Casey apparently opposes hydraulic fracturing, suggesting it is unsafe and can cause groundwater pollution. There simply is no basis or evidence for this argument.

Sen. Casey supports federal regulation of hydraulic fracturing. I feel this is another attempt by Sen. Casey and the federal government to wrestle away control from individual states, likely costing taxpayers millions of dollars and Pennsylvanians thousands of family-sustaining jobs.

I find it disheartening that Sen. Casey is pushing for efforts that would further impede our road to recovery and prosperity at a time when Pennsylvanians’ budgets are stretched far too thin and unemployment rates continue to rise. Make no mistake: This industry is not looking for handouts or bailouts; it’s just looking for the opportunity to develop this natural resource.

With hundreds of thousands of residents unemployed, and our budget crisis growing more severe by the day, we must ask – and demand responses to – a very simple series of questions anytime a new legislative plan is proposed: Will it create jobs? Will it create revenues? Will it protect the health and welfare of our citizens? Sen. Casey’s Fracturing Responsibility and Awareness of Chemicals (FRAC) Act fails on all three counts.

Pennsylvanians and their elected leaders, particularly Gov. Ed Rendell, must stand united against Casey and federal regulators’ efforts. While I don’t often agree with Gov. Rendell on how to regulate the natural gas industry, I, as a member of the House Environmental Resources and Energy Committee, am hopeful he shares my enthusiasm that we should regulate it at the state level.

Pennsylvania’s history of regulating natural gas extraction and preventing groundwater pollution speaks for itself. The state Department of Environmental Protection, along with Pennsylvania’s oil and gas industry, have been very effective in protecting drinking water aquifers from contamination attributable to hydraulic fracturing for many years. Handing over control of this process to the federal government is unnecessary and will cause economic hardship for many Pennsylvania families.

I recently introduced House Resolution 609, which has bipartisan support and calls for the continued state regulation of the hydraulic fracturing process associated with natural gas extraction. Additional information can be found at my Web site, at www.RepChristiana.com.

The more Pennsylvanians know about fracking, the clearer it will become that federal regulation is not needed. Future generations depend on the Earth being in better shape than it is now and fracking allows for the extraction of one of Earth’s natural resources in a safe and responsible way.

Rest assured, I will continue to fight to keep regulation of natural gas extraction where it belongs – right here in Pennsylvania.

Jim Christiana is a Republican state representative whose district includes portions of Beaver County. He serves on the House Environmental Resources and Energy Committee.

Clear 37°

Local Commentary

Place Quick Ads