Source: The Times-Tribune (Scranton, PA), September 13, 2013 Posted on: http://envfpn.advisen.com A federal judge on Thursday granted preliminary approval to a $7.5 million settlement of a class-action lawsuit filed against natural gas producer Chesapeake Appalachia by several thousand Pennsylvania leaseholders. U.S. District Judge Malachy Mannion said he reviewed the terms of the proposed settlement and […]

Source: http://energyindepth.org, September 16, 2013 By: Steve Everley For years, critics of hydraulic fracturing have alleged that “methane leaks” from development are not only astronomically high, but also make natural gas from shale a climate “disaster” and “gang-plank.” But a new, highly anticipated report from the University of Texas and the Environmental Defense Fund might […]

Source: The Philadelphia Inquirer, September 12, 2013 Posted on: http://fpn.advisen.com<\span> Pennsylvania Attorney General Kathleen Kane’s decision to prosecute a major Marcellus Shale natural-gas driller for a 2010 wastewater spill has sent shock waves through the industry. But environmentalists Wednesday hailed the prosecution of the Exxon Mobil Corp. subsidiary as a departure from the soft treatment […]

Source: http://www.lexology.com, September 5, 2013 By: Scott J. Bent, Baker & Hostetler LLP Oil and gas drillers in Pennsylvania’s Marcellus Shale formation may soon find themselves subject to more stringent environmental protection standards under regulations proposed by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (“the Department”). The Department announced on August 27, 2013 that the proposed […]

Source: http://www.lexology.com, July 30, 2013 By: Wayne J. D’Angelo, Kelley Drye & Warren LLP The image of water flowing from a tap being ignited with a lighter has become heavily associated with hydraulic fracturing in the minds of the public. But a research paper produced by the National Ground Water Association suggests this widespread image […]

Source: Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, July 31, 2013 Posted on: http://envfpn.advisen.com The question of fracking the shale layers above and below the Marcellus has transitioned from an “if” to a “when” for many oil and gas operators in Pennsylvania. On that, they agree; how to do it is another story. In recent discussions with analysts, executives at […]

Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com, July 28, 2013 By: Kevin Begos The boom in oil and gas fracking has led to jobs, billions in royalties and profits, and even some environmental gains. But some experts say arrogance, a lack of transparency and poor communication on the part of the drilling industry have helped fuel public anger over the […]

Read here about lawsuits that have been filed by families in Pennsylvania who say that gas wells nearby are a nuisance.  

Source: http://science.nbcnews.com, May 16, 2013 By: John Roach The current boom in U.S. natural gas production from glassy shale rock formations is poised to usher in an era of energy independence and could bridge the gap between today’s fossil-fuel age and a clean-energy future. But that future may be swamped in a legacy of wastewater, […]

Read here about a new plant that has opened in Pennsylvania that will treat and recycle wastewater from the Marcellus Shale.  

Source: The New York Times, April 9, 2013 In their op-ed “The Facts on Fracking” (Views, March 14), Susan Brantley and Anna Meyendorff use a highly speculative estimate of the gas supply in the Marcellus shale of Eastern America that prevailed for years at the U.S. Energy Department. Using actual results from drilled wells, in […]

Source: http://stateimpact.npr.org, March 18, 2013 By: Susan Phillips Pipeline expansions serving the Marcellus Shale gas boom have helped boost production rates above seven billion cubic feet a day, according to an analysis by IHS. The report says the Marcellus now leads the Haynesville Shale as the most productive shale play in the country. The Haynesville […]