"WASHINGTON — A coalition of energy companies, environmentalists and Pennsylvania-based philanthropies announced Wednesday the creation of a center that would provide more stringent standards for fracking and natural gas development in the Eastern United States."

"The Marcellus Shale formation, which extends from central New York to eastern Kentucky, is the site of a vast gas boom, most of it centered in Pennsylvania. But the production method of fracking, high-volume hydraulic fracturing that has tapped the gas deposits, has touched off concerns about the impact of such wide-scale industrial development on air and water quality.

The new Center for Sustainable Shale Development, the first of its kind in the U.S., seeks to set high operational standards for companies working in the Marcellus Shale in the areas of water and air quality and climate impact."

Neela Bannerjee reports for the Tribune Washington Bureau March 20, 2013. [2]

SEE ALSO:

"Both Sides Agree on Tough New Fracking Standards" (AP) [3]