Shalenetwork News

This is a collection of all past and recent news articles from the Shale Network.

DEP Announces the Members of the Oil and Gas Technical Advisory Board (TAB)

PA DEP

HARRISBURG -- The Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) today announced the members of the Oil and Gas Technical Advisory Board (TAB). TAB’s mission is to increase transparency and communication about regulating the unconventional oil and gas drilling industry. TAB is authorized under the 2012 Oil and Gas Act to advise DEP in the formulation, drafting, and presentation stages of all regulations relating to unconventional oil and gas extraction.

2014 Shale Network Workshop Is a Resounding Success

The 2014 Shale Network workshop took place May 12 and 13, drawing the largest group of people interested in water quality monitoring of the three annual workshops held so far. About 80 people attended all or parts of the workshop, including a poster presentation, lesson in the computer software used to track water quality data, and daylong session of presentations and discussions. Participants from Penn State, the University of Pittsburgh, Dickinson College and CUAHSI held the workshop. The Shale Network receives support from the National Science Foundation. The workshop was considered a resounding success, and we’re looking for ways to continue to build on it.

Sociological Implications of the Devonian Gas Plays

Gas wells near a farm in northern Pennsylvania, 2012.

A key aspect of the ShaleNetwork is the involvement of Kathy Brasier, Associate Professor of Rural Sociology at Penn State. Brasier’s current research program tracks short- and long-term social impacts of Marcellus Shale development on individuals, families, social institutions, and communities. This research uses both quantitative and qualitative data collection techniques to identify early impacts of development as well as establish baseline conditions for future longitudinal comparisons. 

High School Students Learning Water Quality Monitoring

Butler students in Black Moshannon, PA.

By collecting water samples and using water monitoring equipment at Black Moshannon State Park, State College Area High School students have been learning how the environment affects water quality.

Through the Teen Shale Network, the earth science high school students have been able to get involved in research on Marcellus Shale. They are working with the Earth and Environmental Systems Institute at Penn State and workers from Shale Network and the NSF-funded Susquehanna Shale Hills Critical Zone Observatory (HOTLLINK) to gather baseline data on the water quality at Black Moshannon river to understand if downstream shale gas wells have any effect. The students have made four trips to the park and will present the data at the Shale Network Conference May 8 and 9 at Penn State.

Read the students' full story on Penn State News.