Tuesday, January 17, 2012

For People or Profit?

Recently a letter was sent to Representatives Smith, Turzai and Ellis on behalf of Kathryn Z. Klaber, President, Marcellus Shale Coalition and Stephanie Catarino Wissman, Executive Director, Associated Petroleum Industries of Pennsylvania.

A copy of the letter was also sent to all Pennsylvania House Members in the PA Legislator and to Gov. Tom Corbett.

Suggestions for Final Marcellus Shale Legislation - Read the Letter 

 One interest of note is the "suggestion" for changing a term:

Under Well Completion Reports

The provision in the House-passed version (§3222(b)(4)(i) (well completion reports)) should be harmonized with recently promulgated provisions set forth in Pennsylvania’s oil and gas regulations at 25 Pa. Code §78.122(b)(6) by requiring the stimulation record to include a descriptive list of the "chemical additives" in the stimulation fluid. This term should be used rather than “hazardous and other chemicals” as proposed.

Will you feel better knowing “hazardous and other chemicals" are now "chemical additives"?

The Players:

API is the American Petroleum Insitute:  largest U.S trade association for the oil and natural gas industry. It claims to represent about 400 corporations involved in production, refinement, distribution, and many other aspects of the petroleum industry.

API is also part of the VOTE 4 ENERGY, an industry and corporation funded ad campaign.

Vote4Energy is a project of the American Petroleum Institute representing more than 490 oil and natural gas companies, leaders of a technology-driven industry that supplies most of America’s energy, supports 9.2 million U.S. jobs and 7.7 percent of the U.S. economy, delivers more than $85 million a day in revenue to our government, and, since 2000, has invested more than $2 trillion in U.S. capital projects to advance all forms of energy, including alternatives.

Marcellus Shale Coaliton (MSC)
About the Marcellus Shale Coalition

Founded in 2008, the Marcellus Shale Coalition (MSC) is an organization committed to the responsible development of natural gas from the Marcellus Shale geological formation and the enhancement of the region’s economy that can be realized by this clean-burning energy source.

Members of the MSC are the oil/gas corporations, too numoreous to list on this blog. Click a link below to see the lists.

Who is Kathryn Klaber?
Prior to joining the MSC, Ms. Klaber was Executive Vice President for Competitiveness at the Allegheny Conference on Community Development and the Executive Director of the Pennsylvania Economy League.

Through the 1990s, Ms. Klaber worked in the environmental consulting business in mergers and acquisitions, environmental management systems, air and water quality projects, Brownfields redevelopment, accidental release preparedness, and other environmental initiatives.

She is a member of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania's Air Quality Technical Advisory Committee.

Environmental consulting business?  Which one?
Through the 1990s, Kathryn Klaber worked for the international environmental, health and safety consulting firm, Environmental Resources Management, Inc. (ERM), first at the company’s headquarters in Philadelphia, then in her native Pittsburgh. Her client work consisted primarily of mergers and acquisitions, environmental management systems, air and water quality projects, and other facilities’ engineering engagements. She supervised multinational projects, primarily for Fortune 1000 companies, involving staff from across the company’s 130 offices. In southwestern Pennsylvania, she worked with regional companies on air quality compliance, Brownfields redevelopment, accidental release preparedness, and a myriad of other environmental initiatives. During her last three years with the firm, Ms. Klaber managed the Pittsburgh regional office, responsible for all aspects of the practice including business development, product delivery, staffing, and financial management.
http://www.pittchemday.com/speakers.html

Environmental Resources Management, Inc. (ERM)
As a leading global provider of environmental, health, safety, risk, and social consulting services, ERM has sustainability at the heart of both our services and how we operate our business. We employ over 4,000 people with 140 offices in 40 countries worldwide.

For over 40 years we have been working with clients around the world and in diverse industry sectors to help them to understand and manage their environmental, health, safety, risk and social impacts.

The key sectors we serve include Oil & Gas, Mining, Power, and Manufacturing, Chemical and Pharmaceutical.

Who is Stephanie Catarino Wissman?
Director, Government Affairs
Stephanie Catarino Wissman joined the Pennsylvania Chamber of Business and Industry as director of Government Affairs in October 2007. Stephanie graduated from Penn State University with a bachelor’s degree in political science. With nearly 15 years of experience in government relations, Stephanie primarily serves as the PA Chamber’s energy and environmental lobbyist, with additional responsibilities including general business advocacy, transportation and technology.

Prior to joining the PA Chamber, Stephanie served as manager of Government Affairs for Embarq (formerly Sprint). Highlighting her career at Embarq was her work on Act 183 of 2004, commonly referred to as Chapter 30. Stephanie played a major role in passing this landmark telecommunications alternative regulation legislation, which has become a model for other states confronting telecommunications reform.

A registered lobbyist, Stephanie has also held positions at Pennsylvanians for Effective Government and Associated PA Constructors. She is a member of Women in Pennsylvania Government Relations and serves on the Pennsylvania Highway Information Association’s (PHIA) Board of Directors.


Governor Corbett Announces Recent Nominations, Appointments
HARRISBURG, Pa., Dec. 12, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Governor Tom Corbett today announced the following recent nominations and appointments:

Stephanie Catarino Wissman, Mechanicsburg - Underground Storage Tank Indemnification Board

API: Announces Stephanie Catarino Wissman as executive director, API-PA
HARRISBURG, September 19, 2011—The American Petroleum Institute today announced Stephanie Catarino Wissman as executive director of the Associated Petroleum Industries of Pennsylvania, a division of API, effective October 10.

Given the list of corporations, industry organizations, ad campaigns and the amount of corporate money being poured into the issue of fracking - do you really think they have YOUR best interest at heart or the interest of Profits?

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