Pa. could become a shale of its former self

Posted: August 08, 2012

A recent Daily News editorial misses the mark when it comes to the facts about responsible natural-gas development. Despite claims advanced by the Daily News and other natural-gas detractors, Act 13 provides much-needed uniformity across the Ccucing municipalities, while also generating a new revenue stream and further enhancing environmental regulations.

Prior to Act 13, a patchwork of local zoning ordinances were unnecessarily impeding the safe, responsible and tightly regulated development of clean-burning, job-creating natural gas. Thankfully, though, this bipartisan law brought forth common-sense solutions aimed at ensuring that local governments have the important input they deserve and need while also making certain that outright bans and unworkable requirements cannot be established. Further, allowing local governments to effectively ban safe natural-gas development, as the Daily News suggests, would deny landowners their fundamental right to access their privately owned resources.

Despite the headline of your editorial — "Towns win a round in court against unfettered fracking" — the only winners of the recent court ruling are those opposed to the safe development of clean-burning, American natural gas. The losers? Pennsylvania consumers, especially those right here in Philadelphia — who continue to pay less for energy thanks to Marcellus Shale production — as well as job creators across our industry's robust supply chain.

Steve Forde

Vice President

Marcellus Shale Coalition

Pittsburgh

Earth to Christine

I am writing to talk about Christine Flowers. Is she sane? Does she live on the same planet as the rest of us? First, she writes a column to praise a monster (Joe Paterno) who willfully protected a child molester. Then she writes a column to praise a deranged pervert (Brett Favre) who exposes himself to young women in the workplace. I'm not an advocate of people losing their jobs, but in this case maybe Ms. Flowers needs to find another line of work.

Dale English

Somerdale, N.J.

All you need is love

Regarding gay marriage, be glad some still want to marry and aren't satisfied shacking up. Let's not worry about trying to control other adults. Instead make sure we respect each other and teach our children to respect and love themselves, their families, animals, communities and their environment. This will go a long way toward strengthening family values, more than prejudice and intolerance will. Besides, we can all learn from various examples of love.

Craig Reid

Philadelphia