Gas Driller Citations to be Reviewed
Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
31 March 2011
By Timothy Puko
Every Marcellus shale drilling citation will need a review from the new
Department of Environmental Protection chief before final approval, an
agency spokeswoman said on Wednesday.
All violation notices for gas drillers and the enforcement actions the
agency plans must be e-mailed to Acting Secretary Michael Krancer,
spokeswoman Katherine Gresh said. The department's six regions each
enforce rules differently, and Krancer is trying to improve consistency
across the state, she said, noting the policy may be temporary.
But putting a political appointee in a position to micromanage
regulatory enforcement could lead to unfair interference on behalf of
campaign donors, said Myron Arnowitt, state director for
CleanWaterAction.org. Gov. Tom Corbett received $835,000 in campaign
contributions from gas companies, according to MarcellusMoney.org, a
website run by Common Cause Pennsylvania and Conservation Voters of
Pennsylvania.
"Krancer has talked a lot about being scientifically-based,
factually-based and implementing the law," Arnowitt said. "It's not
clear how what he's doing does any of that."
Corbett has promised he will give no special consideration to the
industry because of the donations he has received.
The DEP has spent much of the past three years playing catch-up with
the gas drilling industry, going on a hiring spree to ensure it had
enough employees to match the plethoraof permit requests statewide.
There were 1,200 violations last year, and adding another layer of
bureaucracy to enforcement raises more questions about how quickly the
agency can stop lawbreakers, Arnowitt said.
Gresh said the effort won't be time consuming, but she didn't know how
much time it might add to Krancer's day or how many more documents he
might need to review. Ultimately, it will make the agency more
efficient by ensuring new staffers received proper training and are
enforcing regulations consistently, she said.
"We have communications like that around the department all the time.
This is one aimed at achieving a goal that is very important to
Secretary Krancer," Gresh said. "We'll take whatever time is necessary
to ensure the consistency to improve efficiency, protect the
environment, and, you know, which will benefit all Pennsylvania."
Timothy Puko can be reached at tpuko@tribweb.com or 412-320-7991.