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Jan. 12, 2012
The Garrett County and Allegany County commissioners asked Gov. Martin O'Malley last week to authorize natural gas drilling in their two counties.
"We respectfully request your thoughtful considerations to encourage the Marcellus Shale Safe Drilling Initiative Advisory Commission to expedite their review, and encourage you to direct the Maryland Department of the Environment to authorize the process of allowing for the safe extraction of natural gas in our respective counties," the commissioners wrote to O'Malley in a letter dated Jan. 4. "Your leadership on this important matter will enable Garrett and Allegany counties, along with the state of Maryland to benefit financially both short and long term, and assist our region and nation in a meaningful step toward energy self-sufficiency."
The commissioners added that they continue to watch with great concern the impact that the nation's energy dependency has had in shaping domestic and foreign policies.
"As you are no doubt aware, our respective counties are uniquely positioned to provide to our state and country the prospect of contributing a substantial and viable energy source to meet our domestic needs now and into the future," the commissioners' letter read.
The MDE and Department of Natural Resources have prepared and released Part I of the Marcellus Shale Safe Drilling Initiative Study. The 46-page document is available for public viewing online at garrettcounty.org and mde.state.md.us.
O'Malley signed an executive order on June 6, 2011, establishing the Marcellus Shale Safe Drilling Initiative, which placed a moratorium on drilling/fracking in the state until at least August 2014. The order also called for a study to assist policy makers in determining whether and how gas production can be accomplished without unacceptable risks of adverse impacts to public health, safety, the environment, and natural resources.
The order required MDE and DNR – in consultation with an advisory commission made up of a broad array of stakeholders – to undertake the study of drilling for natural gas from the Marcellus shale in western Maryland.
The Advisory Commission members are chairman Dr. David Vanko, a geologist and current dean of the Jess and Mildred Fisher College of Science and Mathematics at Towson University; Sen. George Edwards (Allegany and Garrett counties and parts of Washington County); Del. Heather Mizeur (Montgomery County); GC Commissioner Jim Raley; Allegany County commissioner William Valentine; Oakland mayor Peggy Jamison; Shawn Bender, division manager at the Beitzel Corporation and president of the Garrett County Farm Bureau; Steven Bunker, director of conservation programs, Maryland office of the Nature Conservancy; John Fritts, president of the Savage River Watershed Association and director of development for the Federation of American Scientists; Jeffrey Kupfer, senior advisor, Chevron Government Affairs; Dominick Murray, deputy secretary of the Maryland Department of Business and Economic Development; Paul Roberts, a Garrett County resident and co-owner of Deep Creek Cellars Winery; Nick Weber, chair of the Mid-Atlantic Council of Trout Unlimited; and Harry Weiss, esquire, partner at Ballard Spahr LLP.
The Advisory Commission's next meetings are scheduled for Friday, Jan. 27, in Annapolis and Monday, Feb. 27, in Hagerstown.
More here.
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