Your Presence is Requested
by the Honorable Andrew M. Cuomo, 56th Governor of the State of New York,
the Honorable John Kasich, 69th Governor of the State of Ohio, and
the Honorable Tom Wolf, 47th Governor of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
Please join Governors Cuomo and Kasich and Governor-elect Wolf at the Put-In-Bay Resort and Conference
Center on picturesque Put-In-Bay island [unfortunately, actually 201 AJ Lewis Center] from 3:00-4:15pm on
both Tuesday, 11 November, and Thursday, 13 November, to discuss regulation of shale gas development via
hydraulic fracturing in New York, Ohio, and Pennsylvania. Due to your role as an expert and/or opinion
leader on this subject, the Governors seek your advice on how to regulate shale gas development and all the
attendant processes throughout the three states. The Governors see their election this week as a call and
mandate to ensure regulation on this issue that is reasonable, fair, informed by the best science, and meets the
needs and interests of the citizens of their states. This is an opportunity to achieve at least some congruence
of regulation across the Marcellus and Utica Shales.
These meetings will begin with a “town hall” style event in which each attendee has two minutes to present
and defend his/her key recommendations for regulations that could be implemented as a baseline across the
three states. For the remainder of Tuesday, you will have the opportunity to discuss potential approaches to
regulation informally with the other attendees. On Thursday, individual and small group deliberations and
negotiation with the other leaders will continue. At 3:35pm on Thursday, the entire assembly will sit down to
discuss the arguments and justification that arose for specific regulations that can be implemented across
states. The Governors hope that all the attendees will come together to create an agreeable solution and
means for these three great states to move forward together on this important but contentious issue.
If all attendees are unable to agree on recommended baseline regulations across the states, each faction of
attendees that forms will need to present its own case at 3:35pm on Thursday; other factions will have the
opportunity to respond. Based on the strength of the arguments (focused on science, policy, feasibility,
ethics, etc.) presented by the attendees as a whole, or of each faction, the Governors will end the meeting by
announcing their tentative decision on cross-state baseline regulations for unconventional gas development.
Dress is business casual with business attire preferred.
List of Invitees (in alphabetical order):
John Adgate: Professor, Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, Colorado School of Public Health –
has conducted research on the public health impacts of shale gas development
Dana Aunkst: Acting Secretary, Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection – has overseen shale gas
development in PA for the last month; was previously involved in DEP oil and gas management.
Shawn Bennett: Senior Vice President, Ohio Oil and Gas Association – has been an outspoken proponent of shale gas
development in Ohio in this association and previously as director of Energy In Depth-Ohio
Sam Bernhardt: Senior organizer, Food & Water Watch – has organized campaigns against shale gas development in
Pennsylvania and New York
Susan Christopherson: Professor, Department of City and Regional Planning, Cornell University – has conducted
research on the economic impacts and community planning needs related to shale gas development
Timothy Considine: Professor, Department of Economics and School of Energy Resources, University of Wyoming
– has conducted research on the economic impacts of shale gas development
Don Duggan-Haas: Senior Education Research Associate, Paleontological Research Institution – has communicated
complex (natural/physical) science about shale gas development to public audiences
Terry Engelder: Professor, Department of Geosciences, The Pennsylvania State University – has conducted research
on the geological potential for gas development from the Marcellus Shale
Dan Fitzsimmons: President, Joint Landowners Coalition of New York (JLCNY) – represents a group of citizens
supportive of natural gas development in New York State
Josh Fox: Independent film maker – created the documentaries “Gasland” (2010), “The Sky is Pink” (2012), and
“Gasland Part II” (2013); outspoken on inability of regulations to address environmental impacts
Steven Hamburg: Chief Scientist, Environmental Defense Fund – has led the largest study in the world on methane
leakage and potential contribution of shale gas development to climate change
Robert Jackson: Professor of Environmental and Earth System Science, Stanford University School of Earth Sciences
– has conducted research on the water quality impacts of shale gas development
Jeffrey Jacquet: Assistant Professor, Department of Sociology, South Dakota State University – has conducted
research on the social impacts of shale gas development
Joe Martens: Commissioner, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation – has tried to weigh the
risks and benefits of hydrofracking while working on regulations
Brian Rahm: Research Associate, New York State Water Resources Institute – has conducted research on impacts of
shale gas development on water quality and availability
Mark Ruffalo: Actor – has been a strong activist voice against fracking due to water quality concerns; he lives along the
Delaware River in the Catskills and is on the advisory committee of New Yorkers Against Fracking
David Spigelmyer: President, Marcellus Shale Coalition – leads the largest trade group representing the shale gas
industry in Pennsylvania (which includes over 40 energy companies)
Paul Stern: Senior Scholar, Board on Environmental Change and Society, National Research Council – has conducted
research on the role of policy, regulation, and risk in discussions on shale gas development
Tom Wilber: Author and blog writer – has served as one of the chief sources of information for the public on
regulatory development and public opinion about gas development in NY and PA
James Zehringer: Director, Ohio Department of Natural Resources – has overseen regulation of shale gas in Ohio
since 2011 and publicized the link between induced seismicity and hydraulic fracturing in Ohio.
Howard Zucker: Acting Commissioner, New York State Department of Health – is overseeing the final stages of the
NY health impact assessment of shale gas development, which will shape regulation in NY