Ferlo Holds Town Hall on Shale

In an effort to get as many of his constituents involved as possible State Senator Jim Ferlo decided to hold his town hall style meeting on Marcellus Shale as a conference call rather than in a specific location. The Democrat from Pittsburgh says he hopes this will allow people that would not be able to get to a fire hall or a hotel ballroom to participate. The event begins at 6:00 tonight. The public can listen in and ask questions from home by dialing 1-888-886-6603 ext. 15390#. The event will also stream live online at the senator's web page. The panel will include public health, environmental, regulatory, labor and industry experts. Ferlo says he hopes all aspects of Marcellus Shale drilling will be debated. “Especially significant risk to the environment, to our ecology, potential hazards to our water, to our streams. But many people see gold and see dollars. Certainly the state treasury is looking for tax revenue, many private property owners [are interested]”, says Ferlo. Ferlo has introduced legislation calling for a one-year moratorium on drilling in the Marcellus Shale. He says many property owners and local government bodies do not yet recognize the risks involved in shale drilling and are not prepared for emergencies or accidents at drilling sites.