The West Virginia Legislature ended its session Saturday without passing any regulations on Marcellus Shale drilling, a move that one Democratic state senator called "shameful" in a floor speech that night.
Lawmakers blamed one another for the failure of a Senate bill that would have set environmental regulations, permit fees and property-owner protections for natural-gas drilling in the shale. The Senate passed the bill this month, but it did not reach a House vote.
House and Senate members disagreed on drilling setbacks from homes and water wells, the hiring of well inspectors and notice to be given to property owners.
"It makes us wonder what the commitment of the House leadership was to get this job done," said Sen. Mike Green (D).
Meanwhile, House Judiciary Chairman Tim Miley (D) blamed the Senate for refusing to compromise. Other lawmakers criticized the Legislature for passing a bill that gives tax breaks to the natural gas and manufacturing industries. Another Democrat, Del. Mike Manypenny, pushed for a moratorium to be issued on new Marcellus drilling permits.
Department of Environmental Protection Secretary Randy Huffman said the agency will be able to oversee drilling without the regulations.
"We don't have a crisis in the short term," Huffman said. "I think it was a lot to expect to get so many issues and so many interests dealt with adequately in such a short period of time" in the Legislature (Kabler/Knezevich, Charleston [W.Va.] Gazette, March 12). -- AP
