[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 9 (Monday, January 23, 2012)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E55-E56]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 MARCELLUS SHALE--ANCILLARY INDUSTRIES

                                 ______
                                 

                       HON. SHELLEY MOORE CAPITO

                            of west virginia

                    in the house of representatives

                        Monday, January 23, 2012

  Mrs. CAPITO. Mr. Speaker, the natural gas industry is very important 
to my constituents in West Virginia. Given the exciting opportunities 
that my state has as a result of the Marcellus Shale, I particularly 
appreciate the opportunity to discuss ancillary industries that West 
Virginia has the opportunity to develop as a result of its shale 
resources. I applaud Congressmen Reed and Critz for organizing a 
Special Order on the Shale's ancillary industries.
  America's current energy policy is highly flawed. My constituents can 
see its flaws when they are forced to pay higher prices at the gas 
pump. Newly found shale resources have given us a major opportunity to 
take advantage of home-grown natural resources like natural gas 
diversifying our energy portfolio and making us less dependent on 
foreign sources of energy. Our combined recoverable oil, natural gas 
and coal resources is the largest in the world. The United States must 
seize the opportunity to tap into these resources; however the 
Administration remains intent on enforcing a moratorium on energy 
production and transportation.
  In 2009, the oil and natural gas industry supported 24,400 jobs in 
West Virginia. It is projected that the next decade could see an 
increase in 18,000 to 26,000 jobs due to Marcellus investment and 
production. In addition to the economic boost that this nation can 
receive by utilizing its own energy resources, we also have the 
opportunity to strengthen existing industries and to also develop new 
ones. There are abundant resources present in the Marcellus Shale, 
including natural gas, oil, propane, and ethane. These resources can be 
used to heat our homes, power our vehicles and fleets, and to serve as 
a feedstock for chemical production.
  As my colleagues from Ohio and Pennsylvania know, our states are 
currently competing against one another to attract chemical plants 
known as ``crackers''. A single cracker would

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result in billions of dollars in investment, tens of thousands of 
construction jobs, and thousands of permanent jobs. It would also 
create jobs across the region and across the economic spectrum. A 
cracker would increase the local tax base, allowing local school 
districts to have more funds available to improve the education offered 
to our children.
  Attracting a cracker to the region will benefit all of our states and 
the country as a whole, but my hope is that West Virginia is successful 
at gaining this exciting opportunity. I believe that West Virginia has 
everything that a company desiring to build a cracker could want. West 
Virginia has a strong budget picture, an improving tax climate, a ready 
and able workforce, and a strong history in the chemical industry. I 
want my constituents to know that I am working with other leaders from 
West Virginia to attract a cracker. A cracker would give West 
Virginians what they want the most: good paying jobs that will allow 
them to put food on the table and live the American dream.
  Additionally, production in the Marcellus Shale gives us the 
opportunity to revive our industrial base. This is especially the case 
in regions that have historically been dominated by the steel and 
chemical industries. In order to actually produce the sources available 
in the shale we must first have steel and industrial equipment. The new 
demand for these materials will hopefully allow previously shuttered 
facilities to reopen, new facilities to be built, and existing 
facilities to increase production. All of this will create jobs.
  We are blessed in West Virginia to have abundant, natural resources 
that power our country. The Marcellus Shale will undoubtedly play a 
major role in the future of the energy industry, moving us toward 
energy independence and creating jobs in ancillary industries as well 
as the energy industry.
  Of course we must develop these resources in a responsible manner 
that ensures our grandchildren have clean air and water. It is 
essential that a proper regulatory structure is in place, one that 
balances exploiting this tremendous resource with environmental 
concerns. However, it is not necessary for the federal government and 
bureaucrats in Washington to balance these concerns. I fully support 
States being able to regulate the natural gas industry without undue 
interference from Washington bureaucrats. I am confident that states 
have the ability to regulate this industry, West Virginia showed that 
it had the ability to do so when it passed comprehensive legislation 
regulating shale gas production.
  I urge my colleagues to continue fighting to ensure that we are able 
to take advantage of our domestic resources to create the jobs that 
Americans so desperately need.

                          ____________________