Source : Charleston Gazette

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (AP) – The state’s top environmental official says West Virginia will likely need a two-tiered regulatory system to properly permit and monitor the proliferation of Marcellus shale and other horizontally drilled gas wells.

Department of Environmental Protection Secretary Randy Huffman said his agency’s ongoing review of the Division of Oil and Gas also suggests the state needs more rigorous oversight of horizontal drilling operations because complying with industry-accepted best management practices isn’t good enough.

Future permitting may require more detailed engineering, certifications and other “site-specific thought and planning,” Huffman told The Associated Press in an interview Thursday.

Conventional, shallow drilling and deep horizontal Marcellus drilling are different industries, “and we’re recognizing that we may end up with two different regulatory programs – with a little overlap, but not a lot,” he said.

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