The Legislature’s Select Committee on Marcellus Shale held its first public hearing last week in Wheeling. Some 150 people attended, and of the nearly 40 speakers, the majority supported stronger regulations. You can read and watch coverage of that hearing here, here and here.
Concerns that have been raised include:
- § Air pollution from drilling sites and compressor stations.
- § Spills of tainted water and other fluids from well pads.
- § Damage to roads used by trucks carrying heavy drilling equipment.
- § Traffic safety because of the same trucks.
- § Rights of both mineral and surface property owners.
There are two more opportunities to share your concerns in person and let legislators know what you would like to see in a bill to regulate natural gas drilling in West Virginia. Here are the details for this week’s public hearings:
Monday, July 25 in Morgantown ~ 7:30PM at the West Virginia University College of Law, off University Avenue near the Medical Center
Wednesday, July 27 in Clarksburg ~ 7:30PM in the auditorium at Robert C. Byrd High School
The Select Committee is specifically looking for language or issues to include in new regulation of the drilling industry. These public hearings are scheduled to last only 90 minutes, so sign-up sheets will be used and time for each speaker will likely be two minutes or less.
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