August 4th, 2014 by WCBC Radio

The future of hydraulic fracturing- or fracking- in Allegany and Garrett counties remains very much up in the air as the summer winds down. Governor Martin O’Malley’s Marcellus Shale Safe Drilling Initiative Advisory Commission was originally due to be issued this month- but the best guess now is that it won’t be completed til close to the end of the year. The report includes developing proposals for safe gas development. Among those pushing for fracking in Maryland has been industry lobbyist Drew Cobb of the Mid-Atlantic Petroleum Council. Cobb noted that a rush to drill wells is not likely, even if the state panel approves the practice, because Maryland’s shale gas is not as high quality at that found in the rest of the Marcellus shale area, primarily in Pennsylvania. He also said early indications are that the permitting process in Maryland could be burdensome. Cobb says that there are tremendous economic opportunities for western Maryland if fracking is eventually given the green light…