The Marcellus Shale Coalition Wednesday, at a gathering of leaders from the five counties of southeastern Pennsylvania, launched www.AskAboutShale.org, an online forum designed to better understand the questions residents of greater Philadelphia have about natural gas development in Pennsylvania.

While Marcellus Shale, a natural gas-rich sedimentary rock located thousands of feet underground, is not found under the five-county Philadelphia area, media coverage of the industry has been extensive in the region.

“Even though drilling is happening hundreds of miles away, residents of the Philadelphia region are already involved in shale gas development – as consumers of energy; as residents of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania where jobs are being created by the industry; and as Americans who want alternatives to foreign oil.  Yet residents of the Philadelphia region have questions about development of the Marcellus Shale and how it impacts their families and their community,” said MSC president Kathryn Klaber. “We’ve created www.AskAboutShale.org to make it easy for them to share those questions. And the launch of this site will begin a comprehensive and collaborative process, involving stakeholders across industry, academia, government, labor, conservation groups and other interest groups, to provide fact-based answers to those questions.”

The online forum will be live from June 6 through July 20 and is targeted to all residents of greater Philadelphia. The survey-like tool features frequently asked questions grouped together by category, allowing participants to select all questions that represent their concerns. An opportunity will also be provided to submit questions not covered on the site, which also will be available in Spanish.

This fall, Pennsylvania’s natural gas producers will join with a diverse set of stakeholders from industry, academia, the public sector, and elsewhere to begin a robust process of answering the questions of residents of southeastern Pennsylvania, with facts, sound science, and comprehensive research.

To participate in the online forum, visit www.AskAboutShale.org.

6/11/2012