Facts, Fiction, And Perception In Hydraulic Fracturing: Illuminating Act 13 And Robinson Township V. Commonwealth Of Pennsylvania, Joshua P. Fershee
Apr 2014
Facts, Fiction, And Perception In Hydraulic Fracturing: Illuminating Act 13 And Robinson Township V. Commonwealth Of Pennsylvania, Joshua P. Fershee
Joshua P Fershee
Hydraulic fracturing for oil and natural gas is perhaps the most polarizing energy issue in the United States and around the world, and Pennsylvania has emerged as an example of passionate views both for and against hydraulic fracturing for shale gas. To limit local government restrictions on gas drilling, the Pennsylvania legislature passed Act 13 in September 2012, and the Act largely eliminated the ability of local governments to restrict oil and gas operations through zoning. The Pennsylvania Supreme Court overturned Act 13 in December 2013.
This Article reviews how Act 13 came to be, highlights the key provisions of …
The Next Great Compromise: A Comprehensive Response To Opposition Against Shale Gas Development Using Hydraulic Fracturing In The United States, Monika Ehrman
Dec 2013
The Next Great Compromise: A Comprehensive Response To Opposition Against Shale Gas Development Using Hydraulic Fracturing In The United States, Monika Ehrman
Monika U. Ehrman
By 2015, the United States is poised to overtake the world’s current top producer of natural gas, Russia, due to the abundance of American shale gas, located in plays such as the now-familiar Marcellus Shale, which encompasses parts of New York, Pennsylvania, and certain Appalachian states and the Barnett Shale, located in North Texas. The recent rise in shale gas development is due mostly to the combination of horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing (also referred to as fracing, fracking, and hydrofracking) technologies. The combination of these separate, but established, technologies allows for economic shale gas production. This Article describes these …
Lights Out In The Bakken: An Analysis Of Flaring Regulation And Its Potential Effect On North Dakota Shale Oil Production
Dec 2013
Lights Out In The Bakken: An Analysis Of Flaring Regulation And Its Potential Effect On North Dakota Shale Oil Production
Monika U. Ehrman
The prolific escalation of activity in the Bakken is due to the relatively recent technological combination of horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing, coupled with high commodity prices. This requisite combination of technology and price permits economic hydrocarbon production of shale reservoirs. The resulting ramp up in shale production has propelled the United States to the top position as the world’s largest producer of oil and natural gas. But with this increase in production is a corresponding increase in environmental concerns. Foremost among these concerns is the rise in greenhouse gas (“GHG”) and volatile organic compound (“VOC”) emissions. The majority of …
