Links to additional resources related to natural gas development, energy and the Marcellus Shale can be found on this page.
Local Land Owner Coalitions
Other Interested Groups
Shale rock Photo: Lvklock
Energy Transitions
Pennsylvania Energy Impacts Assessment Report 1: Marcellus Shale Natural Gas and Wind - Nature Conservancy and Audubon PA with support from the Heinz Endowments, RK Mellon Foundation and William Penn Foundation (11/15/10).
A Systems Research Approach to Regional Energy Transitions: The Case of Marcellus Shale Gas Development, White Paper, Cornell Center for a Sustainable Future, (9/16/10).
Papers and Reports
Marcellus Shale Multi-State Academic Research Conference Proceedings - participating universities: Cornell, Penn State and West Virginia. Paper sponsored by Northeast Regional Center for Rural Development (May 10-11, 2011), Altoona, PA.
Geology of the Marcellus Shale: A Paleontological Perspective on a Modern Resource - a series of new papers by the Paleontological Research Institution, Museum of the Earth, Ithaca, NY.
Marcellus Education Fact Sheets specific to Pennsylvania residents:
Journal of Rural Social Sciences 26(1), 2011 - special issue on natural gas drilling featuring the following articles:
Overview Manual for Valuation and Assessment of Oil and Gas Producing Property in New York State (pdf) - Jeremy Kergel, Real Property Analyst of NYS Office of Real Property Services. (January, 2011)
Frac Attack: Risks, Hype, and Financial Reality of Hydraulic Fracturing in the Shale Plays - Incidents that Have Fueled the Fire (page 23), by David Pursell, Tudor Pickering Holt & Co. and Ann Davis Vaughan, Reservoir Research Partners, (July 8, 2010).
Not So Fast Natural Gas: Why Accelerating Risky Drilling Threatens America's Water - Food and Water Watch, July, 2010.
Environmental Dangers of Hydro-Fracturing the Marcellus Shale - by Robert Myers, Lock Haven University. Website accessed November 29, 2010.
DEP Briefing to the NYC Water Board on the Natural Gas Impact Assessment Project - Hazen and Sawyer, September 25, 2009.
Drilling Around the Law - by Dusty Horwitt, Environmental Working Group (2009).
Emerging Trends in the Marcellus Shale - Cornell University, Community and Regional Development Institute (CaRDI) Research & Policy Brief. July, 2009.
Gas Drilling in NYS: Riches or Ruin for Landowners and Communities - CaRDI Rural NY Minute (2009)
Potential Development of the Natural Gas Resources in the Marcellus Shale New York, Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Ohio - by Kerry Moss, National Park Service (December 11, 2008).
Recommendations for Responsible Oil and Gas Development - Sportsmen for Responsible Energy Development (2008).
What You Need to Know About Energy: Supply and Demand - National Academy of Sciences (2008).
Leasing of Natural Gas Drilling Rights on Public and Private Land in New York (pdf) - Cornell University, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Department of Applied Economics and Management.
Modern Shale Gas Development in the U.S.: A Primer Disclaimer: The 2005 Energy Policy Act amended the Safe Drinking Water Act to exclude hydraulic fracturing fluids from its 'Underground Injection Control' provisions. The NYS DEC makes note of this amendment, but states that "..protection of groundwater resources during oil and gas extraction activities is a responsibility of state government". Visit the DEC for implications for gas development in NYS with respect to federal laws: SDWA, CWA and Community Right-to-Know.
New York State Energy Plan
2008 Oil, Gas and Mineral Resources Annual Report (January 2010)
2008 Report Part One - Oil & Gas Industry at a Glance and Mined Land (PDF, 2.66 MB) - Oil & Gas program at a glance including Production, Market Value & Economic Benefits, Permits & Completions, Marcellus & Other Shales, Trenton-Black River, Leasing, Abandoned Wells, Underground Gas Storage, Solution Mining, Geothermal & Stratigraphic Wells and Enforcement. Technology - Making our Information Easy To Use. Mined Land Reclamation Program at a Glance including Mine Types & Permits, Geographic Occurrence, Owner Types, Trends, Acreage Statistics, Reclamation, Financial Security and Enforcement.
2008 Report Part Two - Mineral Fact Sheets (PDF, 409 KB) - Set of colorful fact sheets on New York's major mined commodities, suitable for classroom use.
2008 Report Part Three - Appendices (PDF, 307 KB) - provides county listings for mineral production and permits as well as other useful information for both programs.
Additional Resources and Websites
Marcellus Shale Initiative Publications Database - list of print-based publications and information on how to obtain them. Compiled by the Environmental Center, Bucknell University.
The Marcellus Shale: Resources for Stakeholders in the Upper Delaware Watershed Region - The resource guide includes shale development best management practices, natural resources information and assessments, and natural gas exploration and development regulations. Pinchot Institute for Conservation, Washington, D.C.
Green Choices - how to benefit the climate and your community. Cornell University Hydraulic Fracturing and Horizontal Gas Well Drilling Reference List - an annotated bibliography of key references on gas well drilling. Compiled by the NYS Water Resources Institute at Cornell University (October, 2010).
Finger Lakes Institute: Marcellus Shale - dedicated to the promotion of environmental research and education about the Finger Lakes and surrounding environments. Hobart and William Smith Colleges
Marcellus Shale Education & Training Center (MSETC) - a partnership to provide the regional community and natural gas industry a central resource for workforce development and community education needs.
The “Eyes on Drilling” tipline for citizens to report non-emergency suspicious activity related to oil and natural gas development has been created by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The agency is asking citizens to call 1-877-919-4EPA (toll free) if they observe what appears to be illegal disposal of wastes or other suspicious activity. Anyone may also send reports by email to eyesondrilling@epa.gov. Citizens may provide tips anonymously if they don’t want to identify themselves. In the event of an emergency, such as a spill or release of hazardous material, including oil, to the environment, citizens are advised to call the National Response Center at 1-800-424-8802.
Glossary of Oil and Gas Terms
Oil and Gas At Your Door - Oil & Gas Accountability Project.
Office of Fossil Energy - U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)
U.S. Energy Information Administration - Independent statistics and analysis from the U.S. DOE.
Shale Gas: Focus on the Marcellus Shale - by Lisa Sumi, Earth Works Action, for the Oil & Gas Accountability Project.
Presentations
"Unconventional Natural Gas Development from Shale Formations" - A study of the technical challenges, environmental risks, and social and economic impacts and opportunities. (Cornell Class lectures, Spring, 2011)
Science Communication and the Marcellus Shale - recorded presentation/discussion hosted by the Paleontological Research Institution (PRI) and the Museum of the Earth on June 1, 2011. Panelists included Dr. Poppy McLeod and Dr. Bruce Lewenstein, both of the Department of Communications at Cornell University, and Don Duggan-Haas, an education researcher with the Paleontological Research Institution. Lewenstein's specialty is public communication of science and technology. McLeod specializes in group communication and decision making. Don Duggan-Haas has special interests in developing conceptual frameworks that facilitate understanding of Earth system science.
Cornell Environmental Law Society 2011 Energy Conference
Presentations from the Conference held on April 1-2, 2011, Cornell University