West Virginia Governor Earl Ray Tomblin said Wednesday he may call the state Legislature into special session in mid-December so that it can consider a sweeping bill governing Marcellus Shale drilling operations.
Tomblin noted that lawmakers will be in the state capitol December 12-14 conducting interim committee meetings.
The bill in question is state Senate Bill 424, which was approved in November by the Legislature's Joint Select Committee on Marcellus Shale. Tomblin said his staff and state Department of Environmental Protection are reviewing the bill and probably will make some changes.
Tomblin said he was concerned by language in the bill that makes specific requirements for well casings. Given the rapid changes in that technology, he said he thinks the DEP should have some flexibility in regulating those systems.
He also said he thinks language requiring Marcellus operators to report how many out-of-state employees they have is unfair. "Obviously I'm 100% supportive of having West Virginians have those jobs, but at the same time I think that may put a burden on that industry that other industries in the state do not have," he said.
