Today is a good day in PA

The Independent Regulatory Review Commission just passed two revisions to Chapter 102 and one to Chapter 95 that help to protect our waterways from natural gas drilling. The new rules will require that drillers treat the wastewater produced from hydraulic fracturing to drinking water standards if they want to dispose of it in PA's waterways. Why is this important? The other rules will require some developers to maintain or create a 150-foot natural vegetative buffer beside PA's best rivers & streams. Learn more.

Frequently Asked Questions on Marcellus Shale Drilling

• What is Marcellus Shale, how is it different, & why the sudden interest in it?
• What is the size of the drill pad?
• What happens to trees that are on the drill pad when it is cleared?
• Must the gas company restore the drill pad after drilling & fracing?
• Who keeps watch over this process?
• Who regulates leasing of mineral rights in PA?
• How are drinking water supplies protected?
• What if drilling changes the water quality or flow in my water well?
• Who should I contact if I believe drilling activities have affected water resources or caused pollution?

Here is an additional resource from the PA DEP if you have been approached about signing over your mineral rights or if you don’t have the oil and mineral rights for your surface property: Landowners & Oil & Gas Leases in PA

Have more questions? Feel free to email us.

Marcellus Shale well permits in PA

About Us

The Center for Healthy Environments & Communities (CHEC) was founded in 2004 at the University of Pittsburgh's Graduate School of Public Health(GSPH) under a grant from the Heinz Endowments.

Mission & Goals

Our mission is to improve environmental health in Western Pennsylvania through community-based research. We take a community-based approach to analyze the social, economic, political, policy, behavioral and geographical variables associated with environmental health issues, as well as the traditional physical-chemical aspects of local environmental health problems.

The Principal Investigator and Director of CHEC is Conrad Dan Volz, DrPH, MPH.

Marcellus Shale Research

CHEC & partner organizations are currently developing collaborative networks & conducting research projects that will help to conduct surveillance on Marcellus Shale gas extraction (MSGE) & research its impacts on public health & the environment. This blog & its associated data management tool are part of our research & MSGE efforts. CHEC & partner organizations are collaborating on these efforts with the hopes of preventing unnecessary ecological damage caused by MSGE, while recognizing its potential economic benefits to this region.

Figure 1. Marcellus Shale extent map from PSU's Earth & Environmental Systems Institute