CLEARFIELD – In a truck bay filled with local business people, local and state politicians and press the Clearfield County Economic Development Corporation unveiled their new, finished project: a multi-tenant building two years in the making off of Spruce Street in Clearfield.
The building was designed with Marcellus related businesses in mind. There are five sections that range from three to five thousand square feet of space with truck doors on either end. Each section has a water fountain, unisex bathroom and two offices with remote controlled air conditioning units.
“I’d like to think we are a bit ahead of the curve here,” said Rob Swales, Chief Executive Officer of the CCEDC.
Swales stated that this was the first Marcellus Shale multi-tenant building in the region. The main target for tenants would be secondary services to the shale company.
Judith Herschell, of Herschell Environmental, talked about some of the statistics involved with the Marcellus Shale industry. Raised in Washington, PA, she has seen the impact the industry can have. Herschell explained that only 7 percent of the jobs were directly tied to drilling and gas production. Construction provided 10 percent of the jobs and 15 percent went to restaurant and related services.
By 2014, Herschell stated that there would be 19,000 new direct jobs due to Marcellus Shale and 88,000 new jobs if you included indirect jobs.
Herschell also stated that the industry out-produced their estimated production for last year despite only drilling 1,400 out of the 1,700 planned wells.
State Rep. Camille “Bud” George also spoke to the crowd.
“Let me put this very plainly. I’m for jobs. I’m not against gas. I’m against contaminating our water,” said George explaining his position.
George stressed that water was the most important resource in the ground. Without water there can be no communities or schools to benefit from the drilling.
“I’m not oblivious to the situation and what it may take to get the common working class man jobs,” said George.
Jobs was said to be the most important thing for the state.