FROSTBURG, Md. (AP) - A state panel developing recommendations for hydraulic fracturing for natural gas in western Maryland is making progress toward a final report this fall.
The agenda for Friday's meeting in Frostburg includes a discussion of loose ends to be tied up before the panel completes its work.
Coordinator Brigid Kenney of the Maryland Department of the Environment says an interim report on best practices for safe drilling could be released as soon as next week. That would be about two years after the date specified in Gov. Martin O'Malley's 2011 executive order creating the commission.
No drilling will be permitted in Maryland's portion of the Marcellus shale until the state adopts guidelines for protecting the environment and landowners from potential harm.
