FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Date: 10/12/2009
Contact: Sharon Anderson
Office: (607)272-2292
E-mail: [email protected]
Public Information Sessions on Marcellus Shale Natural Gas Exploration
Cornell Cooperative Extension (CCE) of Tompkins County will host a
free public meeting on Tuesday, October 27, 7:00-9:00 p.m. at the
Unitarian Church of Ithaca, 306 N. Aurora Street, Ithaca, NY to
educate residents about issues associated with the development of
natural gas production in the Marcellus Shale. The program will
provide an overview of the relevant geology, water issues related to
drilling and hydrofracking and the potential economic benefits and
community impacts.
The October 27 introductory program will provide a good foundation
for a subsequent program focused on leases and legal issues,
sponsored by a variety of organizations including CCE. Gas Drilling:
Legal Issues for Landowners (with or without a lease) takes place on
Thursday, October 29, 7:00 to 9:30 pm at Cornell Vet School's James
Law Auditorium on Tower Road, just a block from Rt. 366. In addition,
CCE is planning a New York Marcellus Shale Summit on Monday, November
30, 2009, at the Owego Treadway Inn. The summit will address two key
questions: Where do the people and the communities of New York State
go from here in addressing the myriad issues associated with gas
drilling? What strategies can be implemented to protect the
environment and help the regional economy?
The Marcellus Shale runs from the Southern Tier of New York through
western Pennsylvania, into the eastern half of Ohio and through West
Virginia. Natural gas production companies hope to use a new method
of drilling to tap previously unreachable underground formations. The
output is expected to significantly increase natural gas production
in the region.
"Intensive natural gas development in other states has, in recent
years, been accompanied by substantial changes in established trends
in population, land use, environment, community, and economy," said
Rod Howe, assistant director for Cornell Cooperative Extension and
one of the road show facilitators. "These changes have the potential
to transform the fabric of many especially rural communities in New
York in ways that are both positive and negative."
Howe added that examining the ramifications of natural gas drilling
at the outset "makes it more likely that negative impacts will be
minimized and positive aspects realized." Cornell's Community and
Rural Development Institute recently issued a research and policy
brief on "Emerging Trends in the Marcellus Shale," which is available
for download at http://gasleasing.cce.cornell.edu. See new documents
under "About Gas Drilling."
CCE maintains an online Natural Gas Leasing Resource Center with a
wealth of information and studies about the ramifications of drilling
at http://gasleasing.cce.cornell.edu. The site also contains more
details about the planned public information sessions.
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