A Federal Interstate Compact and Marcellus Shale: Uniting a Fragmented Landscape or a Panacea on Paper?
Open Access
- Author:
- McMahon, Katherine Sierra
- Area of Honors:
- Environmental Resource Management
- Degree:
- Bachelor of Science
- Document Type:
- Thesis
- Thesis Supervisors:
- Robert David Shannon, Thesis Supervisor
Robert David Shannon, Thesis Honors Advisor
Matthew B Royer, Faculty Reader - Keywords:
- Marcellus Shale
Interstate Compact
Federalism
Environmental Resource Management - Abstract:
- When our ancestors first colonized the United States, it was a veritable sea of resources that provided for rapid expansion and growth. The power and wealth that the U.S. wields today can be very much attributed to the abundance of land, fuel, and other “exploitable wealth.” However, likely because of this richness, less focus was placed on conservation and protection of resources. Unfortunately the ramifications of these consequences were not realized (on a public and federal scale) until recently. As they’ve risen to prominence due to population growth and geographic expansion, the U.S. has been forced to confront them. Recently it has been proposed that a federal-interstate compact would be an effective tool for transboundary (trans-state) energy management and as potential solution to the Marcellus Shale management challenge. The latter is the current reigning decisive environmental and economic issue of several Northeastern states. Marcellus Shale is a large deposit of unconventional shale gas spanning most of PA extending into NY, OH, and WV. Technology and market advances have allowed for the drilling potential of this previously untapped shale to become a reality. One of the problems presented by this new resource development is that cohesive regulations are lacking for this industry. The current number of laws and regulatory bodies makes it difficult for industry to navigate the developmental landscape. According to the proposal, streamlining and bringing these laws up to speed would both protect the environment and society, while balancing the benefits of industry. This thesis will evaluate – using existing compacts and commissions as well as current literature on the subject – whether a federal interstate compact is an effective and appropriate tool to apply and utilize in the case of Marcellus Shale.