BALTIMORE, MD (August 14, 2012) -- The Marcellus Shale Advisory Commission will hold an evening meeting August 20 at Garrett College in McHenry.

Most of the meeting will be devoted to receiving public comment. The evening meeting was scheduled to allow the panel to hear from people who may have been unable to attend the Commission’s daytime meetings.

The meeting is scheduled for 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the Garrett College auditorium, 687 Mosser Road, McHenry, Md., 21541. The agenda includes an explanation of Marcellus Shale horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing and summaries of the work the Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE), the Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and the Commission. Members of the public who wish to speak can indicate that by signing a sheet that will be available starting at 5:30. Speakers will be limited to three minutes.

The Marcellus Shale Advisory Commission was appointed to assist State policymakers and regulators in determining whether and how gas production from the Marcellus Shale in Maryland can be accomplished without unacceptable risks of adverse impacts to public health, safety, the environment and natural resources. The initiative is administered jointly by MDE and DNR.

The Commission is made up of a broad array of stakeholders appointed to undertake a study of drilling for natural gas from the Marcellus Shale in Western Maryland. Under Governor Martin O'Malley's Executive Order the study is to be conducted in three parts:

• A presentation of findings and related recommendations regarding the desirability of legislation to establish revenue sources, such as a State-level severance tax, and the desirability of legislation to establish standards of liability for damages caused by gas exploration and production. That report was completed in December.
• Recommendations for best practices for all aspects of natural gas exploration and production in the Marcellus Shale in Maryland. A revised schedule calls for a draft Best Practices report no later than December 31, 2012, to be followed by a public comment period and issuance of a final Best Practices report no later than August 1, 2013.
• A final report that will include findings and recommendations on the remaining issues, such as possible contamination of groundwater, handling and disposal of wastewater, environmental impacts, impacts to forests and important habitats, greenhouse gas emissions, public health and safety, and economic impact. This report will be issued no later than August 1, 2014.

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