PEC Board Chair Named To Marcellus Shale Commission

Anthony S. Bartolomeo, the chairman of the Pennsylvania Environmental Council, has been named to Gov. Tom Corbett’s Marcellus Shale Advisory Commission.
The governor made the announcement as part of his 2011-12 budget address to the General Assembly in Harrisburg yesterday. Bartolomeo is one of 30 individuals drawn from the environmental community, state and local government and the natural gas industry statewide. The commission will be led by Lt. Governor Jim Cawley.
Under Bartolomeo’s leadership, the Pennsylvania Environmental Council has been a driving force for regulatory controls on Marcellus Shale drilling that will enable the gas industry to succeed while still safeguarding the natural environment. Its July 2010 report, “Developing the Marcellus Shale,” outlined a number of specific measures to achieve this objective.
The purpose of the Governor’s advisory commission is to address the needs and impacts of natural gas development on local communities, as well as promote the efficient, environmentally sound and cost-effect development of Marcellus Shale and other natural gas resources. The commission is to report to Gov. Corbett with its findings by late July.
In his budget address to lawmakers, Gov. Corbett said that “we have the chance to get it right the first time,” and that the commission’s job will be “to oversee how we can build around this new industry and how we can make certain we do this while protecting our lands, our drinking water, our air – all the time growing our workforce.’’
“The Marcellus Shale is obviously a significant economic opportunity,” said Bartolomeo. “This new industry will be with us for a century or more, which is why it’s essential that we take the proper steps now to protect the environment for future generations. We can learn from the mistakes of the past and provide an effective framework that will allow Pennsylvania to meet the environmental challenges posed by deep shale drilling and development and reap the economic benefits well into the future.”
Founded 40 years ago, the Pennsylvania Environmental Council has been the leading environmental organization in the state, and was instrumental in the passage of nearly every major piece of legislation and regulatory initiative affecting clean air, clean water, land use and conservation, hazardous materials and other major public policy actions since that time. Today, the organization is heavily engaged in a number of critical initiatives surrounding the development of the Marcellus Shale in Pennsylvania, trail and green space development, green energy and climate change programs, sustainable community and stormwater infrastructure projects. The organization is also actively involved in seeking to restore Pennsylvania’s Growing Greener program to support environmental conservation and remediation programs across the state.
About Anthony S. Bartolomeo
Anthony S. Bartolomeo, P.E., was elected chairman of the Pennsylvania Environmental Council in 2010. He is also chairman of the Executive Committee.
Tony also serves as President and Chief Executive Officer of Pennoni Associates, a multi-disciplined engineering and design consulting firm based in Philadelphia. He has more than 30 years experience in environmental engineering, is a licensed professional engineer in several states, and is a civil engineering graduate of the University of Pennsylvania.
Bartolomeo serves as a member of the board of directors of the Philadelphia Academies, Inc., chairman of the board of the World Trade Center of Greater Philadelphia, and the board of the Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce. Most recently, Tony was appointed by Mayor Michael Nutter as one of four co-chairs for the Philadelphia Council for College and Career Success, an organization charged by the Mayor with envisioning and developing citywide partnerships, strategies, and infrastructures to support youth attainment of 21st century skills and post-secondary education. Tony is also a founding board member and Finance Committee chairman of the Philadelphia Global Water Initiative.