Date: December 5, 2013

Time: 1:30 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.

Location: Friend 008

This forum is the third in a series of talks featuring speakers from industry, government and NGOs that will explore key topics associated with shale gas and tight oil in conjunction with the course, “U.S. Shale Gas and Tight Oil: Implications and Opportunities,” being taught by Michael Schwartz, the Gerhard R. Andlinger Visiting Professor in Energy and the Environment.

The debate surrounding  shale gas and tight oil development has centered on the potential environmental implications associated with hydraulic fracturing (“fracking”). More specifically, although producing states have developed regulatory programs that provide oversight over drilling, production concerns remain regarding the rigorousness and enforcement of such state regulations. As a result, there have been calls for federal regulation over fracking as well as production operations including fugitive methane emissions. On Thursday, December 5, a panel including Harry Weiss, Esq. a senior partner with the law firm of Ballard Spahr LLP, John Quigley, former Secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources and Kate Sindling Daley of the Natural Resources Defense Council, will participate in a speaker forum that will address the present status of state and federal regulation and explore the more specific question of whether there are areas where additional federal involvement is required to establish industry wide standards of performance. In addition, the panel will delve into the question of whether states should adopt more comprehensive standards with respect to land use and zoning to manage the impact of fracking upon local communities. Specifically, Mr. Weiss will focus on how the state of Maryland is approaching the issue of land use planning for shale gas development, Mr. Quigley will discuss how the state of Pennsylvania developed and is implementing its shale gas regulatory program and provide his views on the issue of state and federal authority and Ms. Sindling Daley will address the NRDC’s analysis of the role of natural gas and the balancing of environmental impacts in the context of state and federal regulation.