Image courtesy of propublica.org
We have a treat for you this year…TWO Keynote Speakers!
The subject? HYDRAULIC FRACTURING
We are pleased to welcome our speakers this year, John Hofmeister and Yvonne E. Hennessey.
John Hofmeister, Director, Jkh Group, LLC, Past President Shell Oil US.
‘ The Shale Revolution: Over- or Under-Stated? Shale and Fracking’s Risks and Uncertainties versus Value Creation and Economic and Energy Security?’
Abstract:
Following the storylines of multiple organizations and associations, companies and communities, what is happening to domestic natural resource production of natural gas, natural gas liquids and oil harks back to and may even surpass previous “boom times” in the U.S. Listening to other voices however one has to wonder whether the potential for a wide range of environmental damage and community upheaval or dislocation and eventual “bust” are the more likely outcomes. The binary focus is so typically American and frankly reflects many other political, social and economic divides such that we should really not be surprised at the polarized positions of stakeholders from across the social and political spectrum. But what’s the truth and what can and should be the way forward? Should we go “all out” as a nation and seek the elusive energy independence that eight consecutive U.S. Presidents have promised? Should we stop or slow down the current pace of development of these molecules until such time that we have a more complete understanding of the implications and the possible generational impacts that ought to be understood in the wider environmental impact and global context? The presentor will offer his views, sanitized by experience and stripped of political correctness from either side of the political or economic spectrum.
Yvonne E. Hennessey, Esq., Hiscock & Barclay, LLP
‘Shale Development: A Comparison of How States Are Regulating Hydraulic Fracturing’
Abstract:
The recent boom in gas production from shale plays across the county has helped lift natural gas supplies to a record level in the United States, bringing energy independence closer to reality and providing urgently needed economic growth and prosperity. While this has brought cheers from certain communities, the exploration and development of shale also has sparked significant controversy focused on a myriad of issues, including potential impacts to water resources, the constituents of hydraulic fracturing fluid, waste water disposal, economics, air impacts, community character, habitat fragmentation, and truck traffic. States in the Appalachian Basin, blessed with Marcellus and Utica shale resources, have grappled with these issues in distinct ways. New York halted development in July 2008 to study the potential impacts associated with shale development, specifically, the environmental issues associated with high-volume hydraulic fracturing – the technology necessary to sucessfully develop shale. Other states, like Pennsylvania and Ohio, took an iterative approach, allowing shale development to proceed while modifying their regulatory regime on an ongoing basis to address issues.
An overview of how a sampling of states, including those in the Appalachian Basin, are regulating hydraulic fracturing will be presented as well as a comparison of how certain key regulations differ across jurisdictions.