Marcellus Shale group launches new website to answer questions from Pennsylvania residents

The industry organization fielded hundreds of questions from residents of the five-county area that includes about a third of Pennsylvania's population.

Officials are concerned residents on the east side of Pennsylvania may not know much about the Marcellus Shale development at the other end of the state. Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter expressed his concerns about protecting the region's water supply.

Coalition President Kathryn Klaber said the industry is up to the challenge of addressing Nutter's concerns.

All questions about shale gas development are being addressed on the association's new website, learnaboutshale.com. The site was unveiled Friday at the coalition's Shale Gas Insight 2012 conference.

“This site will be the hub of a sustained commitment to provide straightforward education and outreach, grounded in the facts, for a variety of grass-roots and civic audiences,” said coalition Chairman David Spigelmyer, who is vice president of government affairs for Oklahoma City-based Chesapeake Energy Corp., which is operating in the Marcellus Shale.

He said answers are “facts, sound science and comprehensive research” by a set of stakeholders that include producers, academics and government officials.