By Steven Allen Adams
steven@westvirginiawatchdog.org

On Monday members of a group called West Virginians for a Moratorium on Marcellus rallied at the State Capitol Complex in Charleston, W.Va. WV4MOM wants lawmakers to halt all fracking in the Marcellus Shale region. Drilling companies use a combination of horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing – using a mixture of water, sand, and chemicals – to break natural gas out of the shale formations. The group wants the moratorium until the Legislature can come up with specific regulations governing fracking and horizontal drilling for natural gas.

Several speakers were scheduled for the rally, including delegates, environmental groups, lawyers, and current and former Mountain Party candidates, such as former Richwood Mayor Bob Henry Baber, who is running in the Oct. 4 special election for governor of West Virginia. While Cash is optimistic that lawmakers can pass rules and regulations the protect landowners and the public from potential abuses, Naber is more skeptical, expecting business as usual.

Tomorrow we’ll talk with members of the newly-formed Marcellus Shale Committee about the issues regarding regulations. Watch our video report from the rally below:

Related articles

• WVLEG: Marcellus Shale Gets July Interim Focus (westvirginia.watchdog.org)
• WVGOV: A Conversation with Mountain Party’s Bob Henry Baber (with video) (westvirginia.watchdog.org)