West Virginia forced pooling bill comes up again in 2016
Tuesday, January 12, 2016
A West Virginia forced pooling bill for the Marcellus shale failed in 2015, but as this year’s legislative session nears, lawmakers are preparing for it again.
According to The Intelligencer / Wheeling News-Register, Ritchie County delegate Woody Ireland asserts that forced pooling doesn’t take rights from private property owners due to how the shale drilling industry has changed.
The structure of the forced pooling bill that will be presented this time is the same as before, but there are several clarifications made.
Via: The Intelligencer / Wheeling News-Register > West Virginia House of Delegates Energy Chair: Now or Never on Forced Pooling Legislation
More about forced pooling in West Virginia:
- Opponents of forced pooling in West Virginia prepare for potential legislation Jan. 4, 2016
- Forced pooling bill resurfaces in West Virginia Nov. 18, 2015
- West Virginia Farm Bureau endorses forced pooling bill Feb. 28, 2015
- Delegate Eldridge announces passage of forced pooling bill in House Energy Committee Feb. 20, 2015
- Forced pooling legislation sought in West Virginia Feb. 17, 2015
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Shale FAQ
What is fracking?
Fracking is a slang term for hydraulic fracturing. Fracturing is a process by which highly pressurized fluid is pumped thousands of feet into the ground to fracture rock formations. The goal is to release the natural gas that’s locked inside the rock.
Is it safe?
What most concerns people about fracturing is ground water contamination. The worry is that fractures underground, caused by the process, will extending upwards and into aquifers, releasing gas and chemicals into the ground water supply. There’s been no confirmed reports of such a thing happening. Though surface spills and drill site blowouts can lead to localized environmental concerns.
Will my water catch on fire?
Flammable water is caused by the release of methane gas into a drinking water supply. Methane gas occurs naturally and can be released by any kind of drilling, including water wells. In Pennsylvania officials fined Chesapeake Energy $1 million for contaminating ground water with methane. It was determined that the company had not properly cemented it’s boreholes and gas migrated up the well, between rock and into aquifers.