Environmental Groups, Industry Agree on Standards for Shale from the WESA program, Allegheny Front
"Think of it like ‘organic’ or ‘LEED-certified’ for fracking. A working group of environmental groups and oil and gas companies have announced a plan to develop a series of 15 standards for unconventional natural gas extraction like hydraulic fracturing. The Center for Sustainable Shale Development will develop standards it called "progressive and rigorous" for developing shale gas. Many of the standards are either already in use in the field."

Can Shale Boom Really Boost Manufacturing? from the Pittsburgh Business Times
"Earlier this week, we wrote about an article in The Wall Street Journal looking at the shale boom and its impact on manufacturing. One of our sibling newspapers, the Houston Business Journal, explores the Journal article's contentions and how it's playing out in Houston and elsewhere."

Ellsworth: Pittsburgh's People Make Impact from the Pittsburgh Business Times
"Laura Ellsworth, chair of the Pennsylvania Economy League of Greater Pittsburgh and partner-in-charge of the Pittsburgh office of Jones Day, said while most of the focus of the Pittsburgh region's future has been placed on energy, it is really the people that will have the greatest impact. "There is something unique about Pittsburgh," she said. "Part of what I think makes it unique is that we are a people, all of us, who roll up our sleeves and accomplish things that have never been done before.""

Laura Ellsworth of the Pennsylvania Economy League

STUDY!!

Water Contaminants Increased Near Marcellus Activities but 2011 Rules May Have Helped from WESA's program, Allegheny Front
"A study found that shale gas development increased contaminants in Pennsylvania’s waterways from 2000 to 2011. Did the state's new policies clean up the rivers? "

Professor Tries to Clear Up Murkiness on Fracking Fluids from the Beaver Times
"An area professor and his research team aim to clear up the murkiness that surrounds the chemical components of fracking fluid with their newest research project. Fred Fochtman, director of forensic science and law in the Bayer School of Natural and Environmental Sciences at Duquesne University, and Paul Carlson, adjunct faculty member at Duquesne University and scientist reviewer, and their research team are compiling data on the various chemical components used in fracking in an attempt to consolidate the various sources of information available on the subject. The project, which will be in the form of a book, is expected to be released this summer."

Energy Innovation Center Kicks Off Trainings Around Region; LEED-certified Hill District Center Opens in 2014 from Imagine Pittsburgh Now
"The work of further aligning education with workforce development moves forward this month, as the Energy Innovation Center’s first training sessions begin. The center, or EIC, is a collaboration of the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Energy Technology Laboratory, the Pittsburgh region’s research universities, economic development organizations and corporations, including Eaton Corp., Bayer MaterialScience, EQT, Duquesne Light Co., PPG Industries, Johnson Controls, Burns & Scalo and Mascaro Construction.  In addition to the Penn State Center, the University of Pittsburgh, Carnegie Mellon University and Duquesne University, other partners in the center include Operating Engineers Local 95 and Urban Innovation21."

How Much Water It Takes to Frack a Well (Yan Lu) from State Impact Pennsylvania

Beaver Water Woes Tied to Ohio Drilling from the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
"A Beaver County drinking water supplier says liquid drilling wastes dumped illegally in Ohio are linked to water problems in his county, where local and state officials claim Ohio investigators failed to tell them about pollution headed their way. "

Beaver Falls Muncipal Authority Could Have Avoided Fracking Dump Contamination from the Beaver Times
"It could have taken as little as two or three hours for the thousands of gallons of fracking wastewater dumped in Youngstown in January to completely bypass the Beaver Falls Municipal Authority and its 17,000 customers, officials said Monday."

Gas is Good for Allegheny County, Vision Team eports from the Pittsburgh Business Times
"Natural gas stole the show for the Energy & Environment Vision Team, which is a group of industry and county stakeholders assembled by County Executive Rich Fitzerald to make recommendations to Allegheny County. The Marcellus Shale leads the list of recommendations put out by the team, and its findings conclude that: “since natural gas is a low-cost, cleaner burning fuel that is being extracted locally, we should encourage the use of natural gas within the county at current and future industrial sites and in vehicles.”"

Western Pa. Inches Closer to Goal of Energy Independence from the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
"The once-distant concept of energy independence, given a national spotlight in the 2012 presidential race, is closer to becoming a reality on a regional level, energy analysts say. Pennsylvanians rely on in-state sources for at least 64 percent of their energy, a relatively high figure among states, according to the Washington & Jefferson College Energy Index. Its most recent numbers show a one-year surge of nearly 10 percentage points from 2009 to 2010, driven by the popularity of domestic natural gas in manufacturing, transportation and power generation."

ShaleNET: Government-Funded Program Helps Job-Seekers Find Work in energy industry from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
"ShaleNET's new round of funding is being used to add training for more stable career paths."

Dan DeAugustine of Greensburg reviews material on the board in the Intro to Oil & Gas Operations class at the Bushy Run Center near Export.

ShaleNET’s Job Placement Successes Make Front Page in Post-Gazette Story from Imagine Pittsburgh Now
"ShaleNET will soon be expanding its reach, both in terms of geography and skills training. Started in 2010 as an entry-level jobs training program supported by a $5 million grant from the U.S. Department of Labor, last fall ShaleNET was awarded an additional $14.9 million follow on grant. With the maturing of the industry and with the additional money, participants will be able to continue their education and training by earning certificates and two-year degrees that will help them find jobs in the midstream and downstream part of the industry – that is, beyond the drill rigs and in the processing of oil and natural gas."

One of the Planet’s Greenest Buildings – in Pittsburgh – Opens to Public from Imagine Pittsburgh Now
"The city and the entire 10-county Pittsburgh region of southwestern Pennsylvania are globally recognized for innovation in sustainability and green building techniques and products, as they relate to energy – one of the region’s key economic sectors – and its efficiency."

Federal Charges Filed in Youngstown Brine Dumping Incident from the Beaver Times
"Federal charges were filed against the man accused of dumping more than a quarter million gallons of fracking wastewater and drilling mud into the Mahoning River Watershed, officials announced Thursday."

Daughterty Residents Unhappy with Lack of Progress of Drilling Ordinance from the Beaver Times
"A lack of ordinances regarding gas drilling in Daugherty Township could be driving some companies away, and residents want answers."

Shale Permits Not on 'Trigger List' for Extra Review in Poor Areas from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
"Hundreds of the permits for Marcellus Shale gas development were issued in Pennsylvania's poor and minority communities. None of those permits for gas wells, wastewater impoundments or compressor stations has triggered intervention by DEP's Office of Environmental Advocate to inform residents of those communities about potential health and environmental impacts from proposed industrial developments."

Corbett: Shell Not Considering Other Sites for Beaver County Ethane Cracker from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
"Royal Dutch Shell is not scouting other states for sites to put the massive petrochemical plant that it has delayed building in Pennsylvania, Gov. Tom Corbett said Wednesday. "If they're going to build it, they're going to build it here," said Mr. Corbett in an interview following a morning speech at a natural gas conference at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center, Downtown."

PA's Sunshine Solar Program Resumes from the Pittsburgh Business Times 
"The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection got $7.25 million to temporarily reopen its popular Sunshine Solar Rebate program which was put into wait-list mode August 2011. The current pot of money, supplied by the Commonwealth Financing Authority, is “enough to provide rebates for all projects currently on the waiting list and an estimated 400 additional installations this year,” said DEP Secretary Michael Krancer in a statement."

Shale Drillers Eager to Move Wastewater on Barges (Emily DeMarco) from Public Source
"The shale gas drilling industry wants to move its wastewater by barge on rivers and lakes across the country. But the U.S. Coast Guard, which regulates the nation’s waterways, must first decide whether it’s safe."