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The PA Chamber Educational Foundation hosted its final public Marcellus Shale Forum of the year in Johnstown on Friday, Dec. 16. The series of programs were designed to provide facts, dispel myths and address concerns about the development and expansion of the natural gas drilling industry in Pennsylvania.

“Marcellus Shale Forum: Opportunities and Answers for Pennsylvanians” was co-hosted by the Greater Johnstown/Cambria County Chamber of Commerce. A number of environmental and energy experts served as panelists at the forum, which was moderated by PA Chamber Government Affairs Manager Alisha Wells.

The forum panelists included Richard Ranger, senior policy advisor with the American Petroleum Institute; Jim Kline, mineral resource specialist at the Department of Environmental Protection; Davitt Woodwell, executive vice president of the Pennsylvania Environmental Council; Lou D’Amico, president and executive director of the Pennsylvania Independent Oil and Gas Association; and Bryon Kohut, director of ShaleNET.

The panelists shared their outlook on the presence of the Marcellus Shale in Pennsylvania, agreeing that the industry can become a critical element of a diverse energy mix if it is expanded responsibly with respect to its impact on the environment and public health and safety.

A question and answer session comprised another portion of the program, allowing forum attendees to ask the panelists specifics regarding the drilling process; environmental protection and oversight; economic opportunities in Pennsylvania versus other drilling states; and how natural gas fits into the state’s and nation’s energy future.

The audience also heard from an area business leader about the economic benefits presented by the Marcellus Shale industry. Bill Polacek, president of the newly established Environmental Tank and Container Corporation, discussed his company’s role in supplying portable storage tanks utilized by natural gas drilling companies. He acknowledged the company’s fast success by noting that since its founding in April 2011, Environmental Tank and Container has expanded from three to 80 employees and is anticipating the hiring of 70 additional workers in 2012.

Senator John Wozniak, who represents Johnstown and surrounding areas in the state Senate, was also in attendance. He offered opening remarks in support of the industry and in support of the importance of the General Assembly reaching an agreement on a Marcellus Shale oversight bill.

Jim Penna, a representative from Congressman Mark Critz’s office, offered a federal perspective. He stated that every president since President Kennedy has discussed reducing the nation’s dependence on foreign oil, and that the Marcellus Shale is a prime opportunity to accomplish that goal by using a clean burning, abundant domestic resource.

The Johnstown forum was the eighth in a series of forums that have been held across the Commonwealth this year to present the public with science-based facts about the natural gas drilling process and its impact on the economy and environment. In the coming year, the PA Chamber will continue to partner with local chambers of commerce to present additional forums in an effort to encourage an open and honest debate about natural gas drilling in Pennsylvania. 

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Founded in 1916, the Pennsylvania Chamber of Business and Industry is the state's largest broad-based business association, with its membership comprising businesses of all sizes and across all industry sectors. The PA Chamber is The Statewide Voice of Business.