WCBC

January 2nd, 2013 by WCBC Radio

The Commission appointed by Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley to study natural gas drilling and produce a set of best practices for hydraulic fracturing will miss their second deadline to produce a draft report. The Maryland Department of the Environment said last week the Marcellus Shale Advisory Commission expects to put the draft report out for public comment sometime this spring instead of by Dec. 31.  An MDE spokesman says the commission still aims to issue its final report on best practices by Aug. 1. The panel’s conclusive report on the environmental impact of hydraulic fracturing is due a year later, on Aug. 1, 2014. The panel is studying the impact of gas drilling in western Maryland. Local lawmakers in western Maryland have expressed frustration with the delays, feeling as though one of the more economically distressed regions in the state is missing out on the potential for a major new revenue stream that could result from drilling. Delegate Wendell Beitzel says the issue is getting too bogged down by environmental extremists.