Environmental Aspects of Shale Gas Development

On March 27, 2012, the Mid Atlantic States Section (MASS) of the Air and Waste Management Association (AWMA) hosted a conference titled “Environmental Aspects of Shale Gas Development” at the Rutgers Eco-Complex in Bordentown, New Jersey.  Carol Collier, the Executive Director of the Delaware River Basin Commission provided the Keynote Address.  A diverse group of speakers including John Slade of ALL4, Terry Bossert of Chief Oil and Gas LLC, Dennis Risser of the USGS, Lou Vittorio of EarthRes Group, and Tracy Carluccio of the Delaware Riverkeeper Network covered a range of topics. Roy Rakiewicz of ALL4 served as the Technical Chairperson.  The presentations addressed the geology of shale formations, drilling and hydraulic fracturing techniques, groundwater quality, surface water quality, waste generation, air quality, regulatory issues, and the industry’s perspective.  The conference was well attended with approximately 30 attendees on site and another 60 or so participating via webinar.  The presentations prompted many pertinent questions and some spirited discussion among the speakers.  ALL4’s John Slade provided insight on air emissions and air permitting concerns associated with shale gas development operations.  Contrary to popular belief, the oil and gas industry is highly regulated with regard to air quality and several new final federal standards are currently pending. John’s presentation can be accessed here.  The entire set of presentations can be viewed here.  Additional information regarding the conference and on AWMA in general can be found on the MASS website.