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Having stonewalled shale gas drilling for three years, the New York Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) released its recommendations on hydraulic fracturing (fracking) late Thursday. The list includes requiring full disclosure of fracking chemicals and a ban in all primary aquifers, the watersheds of New York City and Syracuse, and all state-owned land, including state parks.

Officials with the New York Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) said they plan to make an announcement Friday on the status of the state’s long-awaited environmental impact study on horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing (fracking) in the Marcellus Shale.

With time running out, New York officials say the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) is “working full-time” to complete its supplemental generic environmental impact statement (SGEIS) on hydraulic fracturing (fracking) by a Friday deadline.

California utilities continue to announce efforts to site central station and distributed solar photovoltaic (PV) installations as an alternative to natural gas-fired power, which is the dominant source of electricity in the state.

The natural gas industry needs to improve its image in Pennsylvania, and sitting down with elected officials and environmental leaders might be the best way to begin that process, according to former Gov. Tom Ridge, now a strategic adviser for the Marcellus Shale Coalition (MSC).

Following months of testing samples from drinking water wells in the Pavillion, WY, area near a natural gas drilling site, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) this week said results indicate the “presence of hydrocarbons and other chemical compounds in the groundwater,” which is a “drinking water concern.”

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) has raised slightly the annual dollar limit for projects that natural gas pipelines with blanket construction certificates can proceed with on their own this year without having to obtain agency clearance first. In a final rule published in the Federal Register, FERC raised the automatic project cost limit to $10.5 million for 2010 from $10.4 million in 2009. This means that gas pipes holding blanket construction certificates can build, acquire, operate and/or replace facilities up to that dollar limit without having to request permission from the Commission. The agency also boosted to $29.9 million the prior-notice cost limit in 2010 for gas pipelines with blanket construction certificates. The prior-notice cost limit last year was $29.6 million. Projects at or below $29.9 million (but above $10.5 million) will be required to notify FERC in advance of any work during 2010, but they will not be subject to the certificate process. The Commission set $5.7 million as the annual limit that holders of blanket construction certificates can spend on underground storage testing and development without having to notify the agency. This is up from $5.6 million in 2009. The final rule took effect Feb. 24.

A joint venture of two major western natural gas utilities’ affiliates, Gill Ranch Storage LLC started construction Monday on a site near Fresno, CA, in the northern end of the state’s central valley. Its sponsors are targeting August this year for completion in time for the seasonal storage buildup ahead of next winter.

The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) said on-site investigations related to complaints to the Dallas/Fort Worth regional office, which oversees the Barnett Shale’s air quality, are to be given an “immediate response priority” within 12 hours of receiving a complaint.