New business is being generated in the region as companies begin tapping into the Marcellus Shale natural gas reserves. State officials announced a $700,000 grant to D & I Silica for improvements in Cameron, Tioga, McKean and Luzerne counties to deliver sand for the natural gas industry.
Most of the discussion about gas drilling in the Marcellus Shale has turned on environmental questions – will it poison our water, irradiate the area, destroy our roads, and generally prove difficult to fix? All of these are important questions, but they've mostly been contrasted with rosy pictures of large royalty payments to landowners and economic benefits for municipalities.
I'd like to suggest to landowners and municipalities that being in a hurry may not be to our advantage. Yes, of course people prefer their money now, and often place a significant premium on cash up front. At the same time, though, drilling as quickly as possible also may bring a lot less return.
New York State Division of Housing & Community Renewal has announced a $750,000 grant to Chemung County, on behalf of the village of Horseheads, for the Schlumberger facility planned for the village.
Schlumberger is an oil/gas-field services company that intends to build a service facility campus on 88 acres in The Center at Horseheads Industrial Park.
The proposed facility is phase one of an expected three-phase $40 million project that will create up to 400 jobs.
The state grant will be used to help reconstruct the access road leading from Interstate-86 to the industrial park. A portion of the road work jobs will be available to low and moderate incomes families.