Syracuse (WSYR-TV) - Staff at the State Department of Environmental Conservation is about to step up work to make sure it completes new rules for gas drilling by this summer.
Workers will meet more frequently beginning this month in order to finish the regulations. New York has had a moratorium on hydrofracking in the Marcellus Shale since 2008 while the new rules are being developed.
Norse Energy already has about 100 gas wells in the Madison and Chenango County area. The energy company is drilling through Marcellus Shale to get to the gas trapped in the Herkimer sandstone.
“We don’t believe it’s as economical as the Shale potential could be and it is challenging right now to have had this level of delay,” said Dennis Holbrook of Norse Energy.
Holbrook expects energy companies like Norse to be coming into New York State in more of a trickle rather than a gusher once these regulations are finally published and permits issued.
“I think initially it’s going to be in the range of 10 or 20 or 30 over a three or four or five month time period,” Holbrook said.
So far, the DEC has taken about three years to develop the regulations. Energy companies badly want to use the high volume horizontal hydrofracking to free gas trapped in the Marcellus Shale.
“I would say that DEC’s obligation is to take the amount of time that’s needed – not more and not less,” Holbrook said. “With the cuts that DEC has taken over the past couple years, permits are going to be issued more slowly…there are going to be fewer inspectors.”
People on both sides want to make sure that New York’s rules avoid problems such as those seen in other areas.
“That’s the reason why you want a strong and capable and knowledgeable agency overseeing this. We are not adverse to regulatory oversight,” said Holbrook.
Once the regulations are published this summer, the DEC will accept public comment on the revisions for at least 30 days. The department may choose to hold public hearings in the Marcellus Shale region.
