Max Power for Marcellus Shale!

"There's the right way. The wrong way and the Max Power way! The Max Power way is just the wrong way, but faster."

That's from an episode of The Simpsons, the one where Homer changes his name to Max Power.

That line could just as well apply to lawmakers and overseers with regard to Marcellus Shale drilling. They sure seem to be in Max Power mode.

Yesterday, I posted links to a NY Times story citing a Duke University research study that found methane contamination in a drinking water wells near Marcellus Shale drilling sites. Wednesday, The Wheeling Intelligencer posted a story about chemicals commonly found in natural gas drilling sites being discovered in the Ohio River.

Then there's the Wetzel County couple who filed a lawsuit against Chesapeake Energy for dumping contaminated soil (containing diesel fuel and benzene) onto their property. A judge blocked the company for removing it as the landowners want a more comprehensive clean up plan.

This is where the real alarm bells should be sounded. The Charleston Gazette's blog, Sustained Outrage, highlighted some of the problems the DEP and other shale drilling opponents are facing.

The Morgantown Dominion Post reported the DEP approved two permits for Marcellus gas wells to be drilled upstream from the area's drinking water intakes along the Monongahela River. The permits were approved without ANY public hearing or input.

DEP spokeswoman Kathy Cosco told The Gazette public hearings and comments are not required for these permits. According to Cosco, Oil and Gas regulations do not call for public hearings or a comment period for well permits. The company is required to notify the surface property owner or owners, the natural gas owner, coal owners, coal lessees and operators, and those parties have 15 days to submit comments related to the permit.

A watershed compact group is concerned. The compact said any wells problems would be "a direct threat to the water intake of the Morgantown Utility Board."

That utility serves more than 100,000 people, including West Virginia University.

If you read the Sustained Outrage piece you'll find this nugget:

Cosco told The Dominion Post, "We're following the regulations that we have to follow; until we have more, we donát have the authority behind us on a lot of things they want us to do."

It's so evident the state DEP needs more manpower and oversight to handle the growing boom of Marcellus Shale drilling, a blind man could see it.

Looks state lawmakers have their foot on the (natural) gas pedal, screaming Max Power as we tear down the road to potential environmental mishaps that could severely impact our state and our health.

Somebody needs to step in.