Second Annual Environmental, Health, & Safety Award Competition Pennsylvania

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                  June 23, 2014

For further information:

Bill Hall/Executive Director

Shale Gas Innovation & Commercialization Center (SGICC)

814-863-4881/

Ben Franklin’s Shale Gas Innovation & Commercialization Center Announces the Second Annual Environmental, Health, & Safety Award Competition

STATE COLLEGE, PA – Applications are now being accepted from Pennsylvania-based small businesses, entrepreneurs, or university researchers who have a proposed or commercially available new technological advancement in the EH&S area for the shale gas industry. The application is available at http://www.sgicc.org/sgicc-annual-environmental-health--safety-award.html. Applications will be accepted until August 1^st, 2014 with the winner notified by August 15, 2014.

Bill Hall, Executive Director of SGICC commented, “It is paramount to the success of the shale gas industry that they operate in an environmentally responsible, safe manner, which gains the trust and respect of the Commonwealth’s citizens, as well as the workers they employ and the communities in which they operate. Ben Franklin’s Shale Gas Innovation and Commercialization Center is excited to make this announcement, and we look forward to receiving many competitive applications.”

The chosen winner will be publicly acknowledged. at the SHALE INSIGHT 2014™ Technology Showcase during the Marcellus Shale Coalition’s SHALE INSIGHT 2014™ Pre-Conference Workshop and Conference to be held in Pittsburgh on the afternoon of Tuesday, September 23^rd, 2014 at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center from 1:30PM – 5:00PM. 

At the Technology Showcase, suppliers of emerging technologies in the shale gas industry will present their innovations to the natural gas community.  Participants are chosen based on a variety of criteria including readiness for field testing of their technology. Applications to participate in the Technology Showcase can be submitted until July 25, 2014 at http://www.sgicc.org/technology-showcase.html. The Technology Showcase is a national competition open to any company with a product or service ready for testing/demonstration applicable to the shale energy industry.

The Ben Franklin Shale Gas Innovation and Commercialization Center (www.sgicc.org), an initiative of Ben Franklin Technology Partners/CNP (http://www.cnp.benfranklin.org) is designed to harness innovation and new technologies as a means to maximize the economic return to Pennsylvania’s citizens from the various shale formations comprise part of the energy reserves of the Commonwealth.  The Center also identifies, supports and helps commercialize technologies and early-stage businesses that enhance responsible stewardship of the environment while properly utilizing this transformative energy asset.