The Center for Sustainable Shale Development (CSSD), a collaborative between environmental organizations and energy companies to encourage responsible shale gas development in the Appalachian region, announced its independent third-party certification program is now accepting applications.

The program

The certification is based on the Center’s initial performance standards that were developed to reflect leading industry practices. Companies can seek certifications in Air & Climate, Water & Waste, or both.

Auditors from Bureau Veritas, a company that specializes in independent testing, inspection and certification, will evaluate the applicant’s operations to the standards that are specific to the certification a company chooses.

Evaluations are expected to take three to six months.

Based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, CSSD is an independent organization whose mission is to support continuous improvement and innovative practices in the shale gas industry in the Appalachian Basin.