Shareholder Brian J. Clark Speaks at Invitation-Only Roundtable Hosted by CMU and American Fuel & Petrochemical Manufacturers

On April 4, Brian J. Clark, Shareholder in Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney’s Energy Section, spoke at an invitation-only roundtable discussion hosted by Carnegie Mellon University and American Fuel & Petrochemical Manufacturers. The discussion focused on “potential environmental impacts for mid- and downstream components of a shale-based, petrochemical manufacturing industry.”

Following are some questions that were discussed:

• “Are the environmental challenges related to mid- and down- stream components of a shale-gas based, petrochemical manufacturing industry different from those of other petrochemical manufacturing activities? If so, how?”
• “What is the appropriate balance between Federal and state environmental permitting and enforcement activities? Should the Federal government delegate these duties to the states? Do the Federal and state governments need to better coordinate their efforts?”
• “Should the regulatory implementation and enforcement environment be flexible and innovative? If so, how?”
• “Is the aging natural gas distribution infrastructure system an environmental concern? If so, how?”
• “To what extent is certainty regarding environmental regulations a key factor in industry decision making? If certainty is important, why is it important and how might it be enhanced?”