WILLIAMSPORT -- A panel has been formed to keep an eye on booming natural gas exploration in Lycoming County.
County commissioners and the Williamsport-Lycoming County Chamber of Commerce have named the Community Gas Exploration Task Force. The mission is to identify key issues, research facts and propose public policy on gas exploration.
Commissioner Rebecca Burke, who was named chairman, says that should include preserving natural resources, without hindering gas companies from operating. She says the commissioners hope positive working relationships can mean big benefits for the local economy.
The Williamsport Sun-Gazette reports that the task force also will act as a clearinghouse for anyone seeking information about gas exploration in Lycoming County.
The move comes after area cooperative extension staff members spent several days studying the effects of gas exploration in the Barnett Shale region of northern Texas. The formation is similar to the Marcellus Shale believed to underlie areas of Pennsylvania, including most of Lycoming County.