Month: April 2011

>Mar. 31, 2011

The University of Maryland’s Extension’s lecture series on Marcellus shale education will continue at the Eastern Garrett County Fire Department, Finzel, on Thursday, April 7, at 7 p.m. The topic will be safety policies implemented by the industry since drilling began in 2007 in Pennsylvania.

Since last fall, the University of Maryland Extension has provided educational programs related to natural gas extraction from the Marcellus shale to citizens of Garrett and Allegany counties. With the potential passage of Maryland’s Safe Drilling Act, Marcellus shale drilling may be delayed until an interagency study concludes that adequate regulations are in place to minimize potential adverse environmental and socioeconomic impacts.

“University of Maryland Extension (UME) plans to continue offering educational forums throughout this regulatory development process,” noted Dr. Jennifer Bentlejewski, area extension director. “UME plans to continue to compile and share research related to drilling so that citizens of western Maryland may make informed decisions about their natural resources in an environmentally responsible manner.”

Drilling is currently taking place in neighboring West Virginia and Pennsylvania, with several Garrett County businesses being affected. These businesses include local motels and restaurants and excavating and engineering firms. Job opportunities created by this industry are increasing, according to Bentlejewski.

“In fact, we just lost our Marcellus shale program assistant Mikal Zimmerman to the industry,” noted Bentlejewski She has been a great asset to our outreach program over the last several months, and we wish her the best in her new career.” Zimmerman resigned her position at UME effective April 8 to take a public relations position in the industry.

“Our plan is to hire a qualified individual for this position as soon as possible so that programming can continue. We have already reached more than 500 residents, but the need for additional education still exists,” said Bentlejewski. “The slower pace enables us to work with Garrett County government and concerned citizens to identify specific needs then develop and implement long-term educational goals to meet those needs.”

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If you or someone you know is considering buying or selling real estate in Garrett County or Deep Creek Lake, Maryland, call Jay Ferguson of Railey Realty for all of your real estate needs! I take great pride in referrals, and I assure you, I will take great care of your friends, family & colleagues! As member of the Garrett County Board of Realtors, I can assist you with ANY listed property, regardless of the listing broker.

>Other states are thinking twice about permitting process or even allowing wells

By Rona Kobell

Maryland natural resources officials are trying to learn everything they can about drilling in the Marcellus Shale formation before granting any permits, saying they hope to avoid the environmental problems that Pennsylvania has endured.

About a year ago, two companies applied to drill for natural gas in Garrett County, in Maryland’s far western corner. That county is one of two in the state that overlay the Marcellus Shale, a gas-rich rock formation about the size of Greece that also stretches across Pennsylvania, New York and Virginia. Already, several companies have leased 100,000 acres of land in Garrett and Allegany counties.

Maryland Department of the Environment Acting Secretary Robert Summers said the department has both the authority and the flexibility to regulate drilling effectively. But as he follows reports of water contamination and wastewater problems in Pennsylvania, he said, he can’t help but worry about what would happen should Maryland approve the permits before it had looked at every issue. As a result, Summers said, he supports a bill winding through the General Assembly that calls for a two-year study before drilling begins.

“All of us, not just the regulatory agencies but the companies as well, have learned from the mistakes made in Pennsylvania,” Summers said. “We’re making sure we don’t repeat the mistakes they’ve made.”

John Griffin, Maryland’s Secretary of Maryland’s Department of Natural Resources, agrees that the state is not yet ready. He said the department still has to inventory its extensive land holdings in Garrett County and determine where it has mineral rights. Among his concerns is the preservation of the Savage River, its adjacent state forest, and the Youghiogheny River, which remains the state’s only scenic and wild river.

“There are a lot of great natural resources in Garrett County,” Griffin said. “We’re concerned about the overall cumulative impacts on landscapes, forest fragmentation and habitat destruction. The question is where, to what extent and how we can go forward in a more measured way than in the Wild-Wild-West way, which is what is happening in Pennsylvania.”

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If you or someone you know is considering buying or selling real estate in Garrett County or Deep Creek Lake, Maryland, call Jay Ferguson of Railey Realty for all of your real estate needs! I take great pride in referrals, and I assure you, I will take great care of your friends, family & colleagues! As member of the Garrett County Board of Realtors, I can assist you with ANY listed property, regardless of the listing broker.