House contender tells GOP women energy independence a ‘must’

Article Photos

Besides hearing from a Congressional candidate, the Williamsport-Lycoming County Council of Republican Women entertained a non-political speaker whose topic was natural gas exploration.

The women held their annual summer luncheon Monday at the Genetti Hotel.

Bruce Davis, director of operations at UGI Penn Natural Gas, gave an overview of the natural gas industry, outlining facts about natural gas and its production, the interstate pipeline system in the United States, storage procedures and sites, the role of companies such as UGI, and the benefits of natural gas.

The potential for natural gas drilling in the Marcellus Shale, he said, could benefit not only Lycoming County, but all parts of the United States.

Asked if gas drilled here could stay here to make the area more energy self-sufficient, Davis said companies will send their supply to "whoever is going to give them the best buy."

Davis declined to talk about leasing land for gas exploration, saying it's not his area of expertise.

Another guest asked about the safety of natural gas in the home as well as on property where land is leased for natural gas exploration.

Davis said pipelines are tested to ensure their safety, and UGI puts a "very strong, very pungent" odor in its gas so it can be detected if there is a leak.

Also Monday, Chris Hackett, the Republican candidate for the 10th Congressional District, spoke about natural gas exploration and foreign oil dependency, as well as on the role of federal earmarks, funding Social Security and Medicare, the November general election, military deployments overseas and the initiative to clean up the Chesapeake Bay.

Hackett said the United States must explore more natural gas drilling and other options to make the nation less dependent on foreign oil.

He also fielded questions on the federal earmarking process, funding Social Security and Medicare, military deployments overseas and the initiative to clean up the Chesapeake Bay.

Hackett said earmarking is a "corrupting process" and actually funds a "very, very small percentage" of projects at the local level that, he said, often are primarily funded by grants.

"The (earmarking) process is what needs to go, not the funding," Hackett said.

Also, Hackett said the federal government for too long has been dipping into the Social Security trust fund, which he said faces a $4.4 trillion deficit. The federal government needs to find a way to continue to meet its obligation to seniors who paid into Social Security, he said, while finding new options for younger investors.

Troops are "spread a little bit thin" overseas, but are necessary "for a number of reasons," Hackett said when asked if the United States has too many troops deployed on foreign soils.

When asked for his thoughts on the Chesapeake Bay cleanup initiative and lack of federal money to assist local communities in the process, Hackett said the federal government needs to ensure the costs will produce the desired objectives when it issues mandates.