SUBCOMMITTEE ON ENERGY AND MINERAL RESOURCES
Eastern Gateway Community College, 4000 Sunset Blvd., Lecture Hall 2102, Steubenville, Ohio
Monday, February 27, 2012
9:00 a.m. Eastern Time

• Official hearing transcript
• Press Release - Local Witnesses Testify to Job Creating and Economic Benefits of Increased Ohio Natural Gas Production (2/27/2012)

OVERSIGHT FIELD HEARING ON:

• "Natural Gas—America’s New Energy Opportunity: Creating Jobs, Energy and Community Growth"

OPENING STATEMENT:

The Honorable Doug Lamborn
Chairman, Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources

The Honorable Bill Johnson
Subcommittee Member

WITNESSES AND TESTIMONY:

Panel I

Faye Krueger
Associate Deputy Chief
National Forest System
USDA Forest Service

Richard J. Simmers
Chief, Division of Oil and Gas Resources Management
Ohio Department of Natural Resources

Panel II

Tom Stewart
Executive Vice President
Ohio Oil & Gas Association
(Truth in Testimony Form)

Roland "Butch" Taylor
Business Manger
Plumber & Pipefitters Local 396
(Truth in Testimony Form)

Jack R. Pounds
President
Ohio Chemistry Technology Council
(Truth in Testimony Form)

Michele Papai
Athens City Councilperson
Ward 3
(Truth in Testimony Form)

Panel III

Ed Looman
Executive Director
Progress Alliance
(Truth in Testimony Form)

Dennis J. Heller
President & CEO
Stephenson Equipment, Inc.
Associated Equipment Distributors
(Truth in Testimony Form)

Dr. Robert Chase
Chairman & Professor
Department of Petroleum Engineering
Marietta College
(Truth in Testimony Form)

Christine T. Hughes
Owner
Village Bakery, Della Zona Restaurant and Catalyst Café
(Truth in Testimony Form)

Nathan G. Johnson
Staff Attorney
Buckeye Forest Council
(Truth in Testimony Form)

BACKGROUND:

This hearing will focus on the benefits that a robust natural gas development industry can bring to communities and how it can contribute to energy security. It will focus on new rules coming from the Administration to deal with the process of hydraulic fracturing in the development of domestic resources. Additionally, it will focus on the Administration's decision in November 2011 to remove more than 3000 acres of land from leasing pending a United States Forest Service study on hydraulic fracturing.