Watersheds

For the last three years, Marcellus Shale development has had no impact on the water quality of streams, rivers and watersheds in northern Pennsylvania and the southern tier of New York, according to a report by the Susquehanna River Basin Commission (SRBC).

For the last three years, Marcellus Shale development has had no impact on the water quality of streams, rivers and watersheds in northern Pennsylvania and the southern tier of New York, according to a report by the Susquehanna River Basin Commission.

The amount of water required by producers to fracture oil and natural gas wells varies across the country, but one thing is certain — the annual volumes used are increasing dramatically, according to the first nationwide map of usage by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS).

The amount of water required by producers to fracture oil and natural gas wells varies across the country, but one thing is certain — the annual volumes used are increasing dramatically, according to the first nationwide map of usage by the U.S. Geological Survey.

Members of a key advisory panel in New York that would someday govern hydraulic fracturing (fracking) in the state say they won’t meet their Nov. 1 deadline because they need more time to gather critical information and budget requests from state agencies.

Alexander B. Grannis, chief of the New York Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC), was fired by Gov. David Paterson late last Thursday after an unsigned memo was leaked to the press disparaging staff cutsthat would, among other things, impede the agency’s effectiveness to oversee natural gas drilling in the Marcellus Shale.