Natural Gas Industries Develop Certification Program to Promote Best Practices
As Pam Kasey explains in her May 2, 2013 article in the print edition of the West Virginia State Journal, the industry has voluntarily come together to be “good actors” in mineral development by incorporating input from oil and gas industry leaders, environmental groups and philanthropic organizations to design a certification program for gas producers in Appalachia, including West Virginia and Pennsylvania, under a new organization called the Center for Sustainable Shale Development based in Pittsburgh. This two year CCSD certification, while voluntary, examines 15 of the most critical areas in natural gas production to ensure producers are following the highest standards and comply with efforts to make production of natural gas in Appalachia as ‘green’ as possible.