David Paterson, Governor of New York says that hydraulic fracturing will not be done in his state until there is “overwhelming evidence” that it will not damage water supplies. More at PressConnects.

An article at Platts.com reports on the 17-person emergency response team that will be located in Pennsylvania to respond to natural gas well emergencies.

Newsweek has an article “Shale Gas: Hope for Our Energy Future” which is interesting… but for some readers the gem of the article might be the historical details about how the horizontal drilling and hydrofracturing methods were first applied to shale

The New York Senate passed a bill that will further delay the approval of permits for drilling the Marcellus Shale. The state assembly and the governor must approve before it would go into effect. More at Reuters.

An article on Reuters.com reports that the bill to provide rebates to buyers of natural gas vehicles has provisions that require drilling companies to share the chemistry of their hydrofracturing fluids.

Citizens in Quebec have environmental concerns because a company from Australia wants to drill for natural gas in the Utica Shale. More in The Star.

The Natural Gas Supply Association has posted a .pdf document about the Gasland documentary. They report that the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission investigated the case of flammable tap water shown in the film. COGCC found that the water was flammable because the water well penetrated a naturally occurring pocket of natural gas.

An article on the Christian Science Monitor website reacts to a recent Massachusetts Institute of Technology study that positions natural gas as a “bridge fuel” in the energy future of the United States.

An article on the TulsaWorld website reports on a showing and discussion of the natural gas documentary, “Gasland”. The film won the 2010 Sundance Film Festival special jury prize and has been stirring up discussion where ever it is shown.

Here are some clips of unnarrated YouTube video that show scenes from the Huntley and Huntley natural gas well fire that occurred near Indiana, Pennsylvania. This accident involved a conventional well that was not drilled into the Marcellus Shale.

Two Huntley and Huntley workers were killed while servicing a natural gas well near Indiana, Pennsylvania. Experts from Wild Well Control in Houston, Texas were flown in to cap the well. More at the Post-Gazette.com website.

Range Resources has voluntarily decided to disclose the chemicals used in their Marcellus Shale hydraulic fracturing fluids no more than 30 days after well completion. Data will be posted on their website.

According to an Associated Press article, EPA plans to spend $1.9 million to study hydraulic fracturing methods. Such a study might benefit the natural gas industry if the report shows a low incidence of problems.

Some people believe that the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico will increase the amount of interest in natural gas – both as a more attractive fuel and as a more attractive way to produce energy. More on the Financial Times website.

An article on the PressConnects website explores how drilling for the Marcellus Shale is changing the landscape and lives of people in rural Bradford County, Pennsylvania. A few years ago no wells were being drilled, but 119 wells were drilled in 2009. So far this year 81 have been drilled and 367 drilling permits have been granted.