Shale safety

Drilling safeguard regulations were approved this morning by the Independent Regulatory Review Commission, bolstering well-drilling safety procedures in Pennsylvania.

A proposal written by the Department of Environmental Protection was unanimously approved after a rush to drill into the Marcellus Shale reservoir was issued, the Associated Press reports.

Reporter Susan Philips will follow up with more, but the new regulations will lower the maximum allowable well pressure, raise the standards for well cement and pipes and hold drilling companies accountable for replenishing the water supplies they pollute.