March 17th, 2014 by WCBC Radio
A House Committee Thursday issued an unfavorable report on a bill that could have further delayed drilling for natural gas in the Marcellus shale of Garrett and Allegany counties. An unfavorable committee report generally means the bill is dead. A companion Senate bill has not been voted on in committee. Governor Martin O’Malley’s Marcellus Shale Safe Drilling Initiative Advisory Commission is expected to finish its work by the end of the year, including developing proposals for safe gas development. Among those who have testified against the bill has been industry lobbyist Drew Cobb of the Mid-Atlantic Petroleum Council. Cobb noted that a rush to drill wells is not likely, even if the state panel approves the practice, because Maryland’s shale gas is not as high quality at that found in the rest of the Marcellus shale area, primarily in Pennsylvania. He also said early indications are that the permitting process in Maryland could be burdensome. Cobb says that there are tremendous economic opportunities for western Maryland if fracking is eventually given the green light….
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