Public Money Being Spent to Court Texas Drillers
Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
21 September 2010
By Adam Brandolph
A local economic development group plans to use taxpayer money to fly
three people to Texas next month to entice gas companies to drill in
southwestern Pennsylvania.
The Pittsburgh Regional Alliance, an offshoot of the Allegheny
Conference on Community Development, invited 150 Texas gas industry
leaders to a recruitment meeting Oct. 27 at the private Petroleum Club
of Houston, said DeWitt Peart, president of the alliance.
A $5,775 regional marketing grant from the state Department of
Community and Economic Development will pay for the room rental, hors
d'oeuvres and travelexpenses for Allegheny Conference CEO Dennis
Yablonski; natural gas supplier EQT Corp.'s Executive Chairman, Murry
Gerber; and Kathryn Klaber, president of the Cecil-based Marcellus
Shale Coalition, each of whom will speak at the meeting.
"We're trying to identify gaps where we don't have Pennsylvania
companies to do the work," Peart said. "These companies will be coming
to the Northeast or the Midwest. Our objective is to make sure they're
aware of what we have to offer in Pennsylvania and why they should
choose Pennsylvania over Ohio or West Virginia."
City Councilman Doug Shields, who proposes to ban drilling for natural
gas in the Marcellus shale within city limits, was outraged the
Allegheny Conference would use state money for the trip.
"I certainly don't appreciate all these corporate entities who seem to
think they've become the government here using my tax dollars to travel
to Texas to bring trouble to Pittsburgh," Shields said.
Peart said publicity from Shields' legislation detracts from any
potential economic boon that shale could bring to the region.
Officials with the DCED did not return calls seeking comment.
Experts say natural gas in the Marcellus formation could be worth
hundreds of billions of dollars, and proponents of drilling say it
would be a boon to the economy. But critics say the water, sand and
chemical solutions used at high pressure to break apart rocks 8,000
feet underground could seep into rivers and streams and pollute water
sources.
"I can understand the concern over public safety, and things need to be
done right and in a safe manner, but from an economic development
perspective, we should handle this in a strategic, business-like
manner," Peart said.
Adam Brandolph can be reached at abrandolph@tribweb.com or
412-765-2312.