Senate Resolution Touts ‘Marcellus Principles’
Morgantown Dominion Post
11 February 2012
By David Beard
CHARLESTON — A Senate resolution urges the Marcellus shale
industry to abide by “Marcellus Principles.”
Sen. Orphy Klempa, DOhio, sponsored SR 12 espousing the
principles, which was introduced Friday. Every senator but Karen
Facemyer, R-Jackson, signed on as a co-sponsor. Facemyer asked for
her name to be removed.
It passed by voice vote.
The resolution doesn’t make law, it just urges the industry to
adopt four Marcellus
Principles:
- Employ community workers to fill all industry jobs.
- Be responsible stewards of the land.
- Maintain open communication lines with stakeholders to
ensure public safety.
- Respect and apply these principles with integrity and
transparency.
- It asks the industry to respond with a written
endorsement.
Copies will be forwarded to the West Virginia Oil and Natural Gas
Association (WVONGA) and the Independent Oil and Gas Association
of West Virginia (IOGA).
WVONGA and IOGA both said the resolution reflects what they
already do.
“I think our intent as an industry is to employ as many West
Virginians as we possibly can,” WVONGA Executive Director Corky
DeMarco said.
The resolution poses one problem — it calls for local drilling rig
workers, and rigs don’t work that way. They go to sites with their
own crews, DeMarco said. But overall, “it’s never been our
attitude to import workers.”