Maryland Gas-Drilling Panel Meeting In Hagerstown

HAGERSTOWN, Md. -- A state commission on natural-gas drilling is taking a look at the regulatory landscape.

The panel that is helping the state devise rules for safe drilling in the Marcellus Shale meets Monday at Hagerstown Community College.

The agenda includes a review of current gas-well permitting procedures and a presentation about bills in General Assembly regarding the Marcellus Shale.

One bill would outlaw storage or treatment of wastewater from gas-drilling operations in other states. Another would establish a tax on gas production to offset the cost of any environmental impact from gas drilling.

The Marcellus Shale is a gas-rich geological structure underlying parts of western Maryland. Gas is produced by fracturing, or "fracking," the rock with high-pressure fluids.