Penn State Didn't Know?

     

For those that have been following this Marcellus madness for more than a year, you should know that Dr. Terry Engelder from Penn State University has been studying the shales of the northeastern US for 30 years. He is, or perhaps was at one point since he seems relatively quiet as of late, considered to be the Marcellus Shale guru by most.

So when I read the following quote in a Times Leader article this morning, I was more than a little baffled:

Bryan Swistock, a Penn State water resources extension associate, acknowledged that early on in the process of developing testing recommendations, Penn State’s recommendations were “based on what we knew at the time” and did not include some things such as methane.

Now, follow me here. Penn State has a staff PhD that is considered by many ( mostly the NG industry ) to be the leading expert on the Marcellus Shale formation, a man who worked for Texaco at one point in his career, a man who actually has a side business  - Appalachian Fracture Systems - dealing with consulting on how to drill in the Marcellus Shale ( which by the way has been removed from his PSU website ), and we are supposed to believe that another PSU affiliate didn't know what substances to test water for??

Seriously...how dumb do they think we are?

Speaking of recent faux pas, I caught several articles last week about a Marcellus Shale meeting at Marywood University. More than the comments from the articles, my attention was drawn to the picture below of U.S. Senator Robert Casey and Marcellus Shale Coalition President Kathryn Klaber. 

Now Kathryn, even my just-graduated-from-college kids know it's all about eye contact. Mr. Casey has drawn a bead right between your eyebrows, as he should be...and you're looking at what, exactly?

IMHO, I'd recommend working with your PR folks that are checking out my blog and getting a few pointers. If you are the point person for the industry, then BE that person. Right now, it ain't happening.

BTW, at least I spell your name correctly. Does anyone proofread anymore?

Anyway, I hope to see you and the other MSC folks at the rescheduled EPA hearing. I'm on somewhere between 1-5.  

Be more than happy to chat afterward over a chai.