American Gas - July 2011 - (Page 2)

President’s Message Principled Production Procedures aga has outlined principles to help ensure the sustainable, responsible development of the U.S. natural gas resource. Technology can be a wonderful thing, as evidenced by this month’s cover story, starting on p. 21, which talks about how new technologies are helping our members establish safe, reliable and cost-effective distribution integrity management programs. However, new technologies always result in new procedures, which very often need to be examined carefully to ensure that they meet the highest possible standards. Nowhere is this truer today than on the production side of our industry where new technologies have made possible the cost-effective production of natural gas from shale rock formations. This game-changing phenomenon has been an incredible boon to our industry, our customers and our country, as it has led to abundant supplies of domestic natural gas and stable, affordable natural gas prices. Such an abundant, domestic supply of gas also greatly enhances our energy security, and it means the creation of many thousands of good-paying jobs. But it also has led to intense public scrutiny because a number of public interest groups, in particular environmentalists, have expressed concerns about the safety and environmental impact of the hydraulic fracturing process that is necessary to produce shale gas. While some advocacy groups have taken advantage of the public’s confusion about hydraulic fracturing to instill totally unwarranted fears about the safety of this process, it is also true that—until now—our industry has not proactively engaged all of our stakeholders, including the public, in a fact-based and constructive conversation about how to make the process of natural gas production more transparent, and what our industry is doing to produce natural gas in an environmentally responsible manner. Which is why we at AGA have developed a list of principles that we believe will ensure the sustainable and responsible development of the natural gas resource in the United States. These principles also are intended to underscore the commitment of natural gas utilities to safely and reliably serve the communities in which they operate. But they also serve to recognize—and applaud—the growing commitment by the producing community to proactively engage in best practices to reduce the environmental impact of their production procedures, especially with respect to surface water management. These principles, which you can find on AGA’s website at www.aga.org/our-issues/ sustainable-resource-development, commit all of our industry stakeholders—including utilities, producers, elected officials, regulators, business groups, environmental and other public interest groups, and concerned citizens—to engage in specific actions that will continue to ensure the sustainable and responsible production of natural gas. Among these actions are an ongoing dialogue, fact-based education, constant re-examination and reappraisal of procedures, transparent communication and a respect for the views of others. To state the obvious, these principles should always guide all aspects of our business, from production, to transportation, to delivery of natural gas. But given the increasing contribution of shale gas to abundant domestic supply, we believe we are at a defining moment. As never before, America’s foundation fuel, natural gas, is poised to lead our country to a more economically dynamic, environmentally friendly and energy secure future. As never before, we need to do everything possible to take full advantage of this historic opportunity. Barry Myers DAve mccurDy President and ceO dmccurdy@aga.org 2 july 2011 AmericAn GAs http://www.aga.org/our-issues/sustainable-resource-development http://www.aga.org/our-issues/sustainable-resource-development

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of American Gas - July 2011

American Gas - July 2011
Contents
President’s Message
In the Know
In the News
Safety First
Integrity Management Fuels Innovation
GTI: A Trifecta of Technology Approaches
NYSEARCH: Technology Equals Solutions
AGA 2011 Membership Directory
Places to Be
Noteworthies
Marketplace
Jobline
Advertisers’ Index
Facts on Gas

American Gas - July 2011