State attorney general reiterates call for fracking reforms

One month after the release of a grand jury report that outlined missteps by the state departments of health and environmental protection in monitoring the natural gas industry, Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro reiterated his call Tuesday for reforms in industry practices and how it is monitored.
In an online briefing sponsored by the environmental advocacy group PennEnvironment, Shapiro said that, among other things, natural gas drillers need to be more transparent with the chemicals they use in the fracking process and drilling sites need to placed more than 500 feet away from schools and dwellings. Shapiro also said a “revolving door” between the industry and the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) needed to be stopped.
“They should be codified,” said Shapiro. “They should be put into law.”
The grand jury report released last month was the product of 287 hours of testimony over two years, some of which included incidents in Washington County. As a result of the report, criminal charges were filed against Range Resources, which is headquartered at Southpointe, and Cabot Oil and Gas. Range Resources pleaded no contest to charges related to contamination and leaks at natural gas wells in Washington County. Cabot Oil and Gas is contesting the charges.
Supporters of the natural gas industry have said, if enacted, the stricter regulations would result in job losses and a defacto ban on natural gas drilling. They have also claimed the grand jury report is politically motivated.
Shapiro countered Tuesday that Pennsylvania’s constitution includes a right to clear air and water, and “I don’t believe that protecting the environment and public health is political. It’s a constitutional right, and any elected official takes an oath to that constitution.”
Shapiro’s report covered the actions of the health and environmental protection departments starting in the administration of Gov. Ed Rendell, and continuing through the administrations of Tom Corbett and Tom Wolf. He said additional criminal charges were likely to result from the report, but would not elaborate on them.
In Shapiro’s estimation, things have improved at the DEP during Wolf’s tenure, but there is still work to do.
“I still think there are significant problems at the DEP,” Shapiro said. He said DEP representatives “parroted industry talking points” in their response to the grand jury’s findings, “and that’s really troubling.”