Rep. Vitali put out this press release for a forum on natural gas drilling that he's hosting in nearby Media. I'm on the panel and so is Sharon Ward (who many of us know). Rep. Vitali is rightly trying to educate his constituents about what may well be the most serious environmental issue to hit our state since coal.

If any YPP'ers can join us, it would be great to see you there.

HARRISBURG, Dec. 30 - State Rep. Greg Vitali, D-Delaware, will host an informational meeting on Marcellus Shale natural gas drilling from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 19 in the large auditorium at Delaware County Community
College, 901 S. Media Line Road, Media.

"The purpose of this meeting is to educate the public and policy makers about the environmental and fiscal issues surrounding Marcellus Shale gas extraction. This will be an issue of increasing importance in the upcoming decade," Vitali said.

Speakers include:
* Secretary John Hanger, Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection
* Secretary John Quigley, Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources
* Sharon Ward, Executive Director, Pennsylvania Budget and Policy Center
* David Spigelmyer, Vice President of Government Affairs, Chesapeake Energy
* Scott Blauvelt, General Manger for Environment, Health and Safety, East Resources
* Andy Loza, Executive Director, PA Land Trust
* William Muszynski, branch manager of Water Resources Management, Delaware River Basin Commission
* Brady Russell, Eastern PA Director, Clean Water Action

Speakers will discuss the impact of drilling on water quality, the leasing of additional state forest land for drilling, and the imposition of a natural gas severance tax.

The public will be invited to participate in a question-and-answer session. For additional information about this meeting, please contact Vitali's office at 610-789-3900 or Clean Water Action, 215.545.0250