Gas Driller Citations to Be Reviewed

Gas Driller Citations to Be Reviewed

Thursday, March 31, 2011
Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News
by  Timothy Puko, The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

Every Marcellus shale drilling citation will need a review from the new Department of Environmental Protection chief before final approval, said an agency spokeswoman.

All violation notices for gas drillers and the enforcement actions the agency plans must be e-mailed to Acting Secretary Michael Krancer, spokeswoman Katherine Gresh said. The department's six regions each enforce rules differently, and Krancer is trying to improve consistency across the state, she said, noting the policy may be temporary.

But putting a political appointee in a position to micromanage regulatory enforcement could lead to unfair interference on behalf of campaign donors, said Myron Arnowitt, state director for CleanWaterAction.org. Gov. Tom Corbett received $835,000 in campaign contributions from gas companies, according to MarcellusMoney.org, a website run by Common Cause Pennsylvania and Conservation Voters of Pennsylvania.

"Krancer has talked a lot about being scientifically-based, factually-based and implementing the law," Arnowitt said. "It's not clear how what he's doing does any of that."

Corbett has promised he will give no special consideration to the industry because of the donations he has received.

The DEP has spent much of the past three years playing catch-up with the gas drilling industry, going on a hiring spree to ensure it had enough employees to match the plethoraof permit requests statewide. There were 1,200 violations last year, and adding another layer of bureaucracy to enforcement raises more questions about how quickly the agency can stop lawbreakers, Arnowitt said.

Gresh said the effort won't be time consuming, but she didn't know how much time it might add to Krancer's day or how many more documents he might need to review. Ultimately, it will make the agency more efficient by ensuring new staffers received proper training and are enforcing regulations consistently, she said.

"We have communications like that around the department all the time. This is one aimed at achieving a goal that is very important to Secretary Krancer," Gresh said. "We'll take whatever time is necessary to ensure the consistency to improve efficiency, protect the environment, and, you know, which will benefit all Pennsylvania."