Contact: Alex Oltmanns
Date: July 8, 2015
Phone: (412) 481-9400
Email: [email protected]
Pittsburgh – Yesterday (July 7), Governor Tom Wolf announced the appointment of Pennsylvania Environmental Council (PEC) President and CEO Davitt Woodwell and 47 other individuals to the Pennsylvania Pipeline Infrastructure Taskforce.
The Taskforce, composed of experts and stakeholders from across the Commonwealth, has been assigned with identifying policies and best practices to guide Pennsylvania’s burgeoning pipeline infrastructure. The Taskforce will provide a report of recommendations to Governor Wolf by February 2016.
“Reducing impacts from natural gas infrastructure development is one of the biggest environmental challenges facing Pennsylvania right now,” said Woodwell. “We need to look at every available option, and the Governor’s Taskforce will be a critical step in the right direction.”
Woodwell will also participate on the Taskforce’s Environmental Protection Workgroup.
“Governor Wolf has charged the task force with crafting an innovative, collaborative and responsible approach to pipeline development that balances environmental protection with economic opportunity,” Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) Secretary John Quigley, who will also chair the Taskforce, said in a press release. “Through smart planning, Pennsylvania can experience economic prosperity, achieve energy security, and protect the environment and communities.”
Woodwell joins the Taskforce with a wealth of experience in collaborative environmental efforts. Working with PEC since 1991, he also serves on the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) Natural Gas Advisory Committee, DCNR’s Ecosystem Management Advisory Committee, and participated in the Institute of Politics’ Marcellus Shale Roundtable. He also serves on the Board of Directors for the Center for Sustainable Shale Development. In the past he has participated in DEP’s regulatory negotiation on the special protection waters program, Pittsburgh Ozone Stakeholder Working Group, and Allegheny County Air Pollution Control Advisory Committee.
The Taskforce’s first meeting will be July 22 at DEP’s South-central regional office in Harrisburg, Pa. It will be open to the public, streamed live, and available to view on DEP’s website.
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