Pittsburgh Joins Municipalities Fighting Marcellus Shale Mandate

               Everyone in Pittsburgh, Allegheny County, or Pennsylvania as a whole have at least heard about Marcellus Shale. A huge reserve of natural gas found beneath several states, including Pennsylvania, has opened a large debate about environmental protections, drilling opportunities, and the relationship between drilling companies and communities. In the City of Pittsburgh, it has been a particularly complicated subject; many people support the extraction of natural gas as an energy source, but oppose a method of extraction known as hydraulic fracturing, or "fracking." Pittsburgh elected officials have argued that this method is dangerous for the environment, a threat to drinking water, and has no place in the city limits of Pittsburgh, with its large, dense population. Proponents of Marcellus Shale drilling insist that these claims of environmental danger are unsubstantiated.

               This article: <http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/local/marcellusshale/city-backs-local-control-of-shale-drilling-regulations-653376/#ixzz26jbvoNAV> by the Post-Gazette, details some of the legal battle going on between the state of Pennsylvania and local townships. Governor Tom Corbett, whose gubernatorial campaign was heavily funded by companies hoping to drill in Marcellus Shale, had helped to pass, and now defends, state Act 13. This legal measure nullifies local zoning ordinances passed by municipalities that prevents companies from drilling within their boundaries. In other words, municipalities that have banned the companies from fracking within their cities would now be forced by the state to allow it. A legal suit was filed by seven municipalities, later joined by the State Association of Township Supervisors, an advocacy group representing thousands of townships across the Commonwealth, seeking to nullify this act. A decision handed down recently sided with the townships.

               This support of the court towards local decision on this issue has prompted Pittsburgh's City Council to file a brief in support of this decision; the City Council believes that they should be able to use zoning in order to restrict drilling. Because an appeal was also filed, the State Supreme Court will hear the issue on October 17th in Pittsburgh.

               This issue has a large impact on students at Pitt; environmentalists argue that drilling in the city limits could be damaging for local drinking water, while advocates of companies hoping to drill in the city cite the potential for job creation by expanding the use of drilling (and given Pitt's excellent engineering school, this has a large impact on anyone interested in this field).

               Regardless of your thoughts on the issue, the controversy surrounding Marcellus Shale and the best way to make use of its massive natural gas reserves isn't going away anytime soon. It is important to stay educated on the subject to understand the implications for students at this great university.