Marcellus Shale Nov 18 Meeting Notes

Follow-up to November 18th Meeting:
Marcellus Shale – Local, State and Regional Approaches

Thanks to all of you who came to learn more about Marcellus Shale issues. Ninety-four people from throughout Garrett County and the region attended the meeting, including our newly elected County Commissioners. The following is not a record of the meeting but rather information that we hope will be helpful as we consider how our community will prepare to meet the challenges posed by this large-scale industry on our rural quality of life, and the health of our people and environment. Additional updates will be sent as new information becomes available.

Opening Statement by SRWA:

Natural gas is a relatively clean source of fossil fuel energy that appears to have many benefits over coal and oil. However, the technology required to extract this gas uses enormous quantities of water and produces enormous quantities of wastewater that must be properly disposed. Some questions to consider:

Is Maryland prepared with regulations and staff to monitor drilling activities?
How will chemically tainted wastewater be treated and where will it be released?
Who will pay to monitor potential impacts to private wells near lands being drilled to ensure that drinking water for humans and livestock is not being impacted?
Who will ultimately pay when wells and streams are contaminated? The quality and quantity of Garrett County waters must be protected. We’re here tonight not to stop gas drilling but to learn how we can make sure that this needed energy doesn’t come at the price of Garrett County’s clean water.

Speaker Contact Information

Brent Walls, Upper Potomac River Manager
Potomac Riverkeepers
PO Box 417
Bunker Hill, WV 25413
brent@potomacriverkeeper.org
443-480-8970

(Shared information on drilling activities in nearby West Virginia and how they are organizing there)

Andy Galli, Maryland Program Coordinator
Clean Water Action Maryland
711 West 40th Street, Suite 209
Baltimore, MD 21211
410-235-8808
agalli@cleanwater.org

(Described legislative and regulatory prospects in Annapolis)

Ryan Ewing, Communications and Outreach Coordinator
Choose Clean Water Coalition
706 Giddings Avenue, Suite 2-B
Annapolis, MD 21401
443-759-3407
ewingr@nwf.org

(Discussed the Choose Clean Water Coalition and the regional and national outlook on Marcellus Shale development; Ryan is employed by National Wildlife Federation)

Additional Contact Information

Garrett County Board of County Commissioners
Commissioners Elect - Gregan Crawford, Bob Gatto and Jim Raley
203 South Forth Street
Courthouse Room 207
Oakland, MD 21550
301-334-8970

County email accounts have not yet been designated

Mikal Zimmerman, University of Maryland Extension in Garrett County
Program Assistant for Community Resource and Economic Development on Marcellus Shale Education
mzimmer8@umd.edu
301-334-6960

Mikal is the coordinator for these upcoming UME educational programs (Garrett College at 7 pm):

December 9 – Geology of Marcellus Shale in Western Maryland - Jeff Halka, MD Geological Survey
January 13 – Dormant Minerals Act - Cristine Kepple, Janes & Kepple, P.A.

Important References

Sustainability of Resources in the Fractured-Rock Area of Maryland

Water Resources and Natural Gas Production from the Marcellus Shale

Fractured Communities: Case Studies of the Environmental Impacts of Industrial Gas Drilling