A team of energy companies and conservation groups has launched a new set of safety standards for Appalachian shale development to be bolstered by voluntary evaluations of production practices. Two years in the making, the Pittsburgh-based Center for Sustainable Shale Development (CSSD) will dole out a seal of approval for oil and gas companies that meet performance standards designed by interests as varied as Chevron Corp., the Heinz Endowments and the Environmental Defense Fund.

The four energy companies that broke ranks with their industry yesterday in adopting performance standards for shale gas development in Appalachia, coupled with outside audits of their operations, have raised the bar in the debate over monitoring and regulating this new energy source, the companies and their environmental allies say.