{West Virginia}...Senator Jay Rockefeller, D-W.Va. says a partnership between Consol Energy and Texas-based Noble Energy, Inc. to drill in the Marcellus shale will help West Virginia tap its vast natural resources and create an economic boon. Consol and Noble announced a plan to work together in West Virginia and Pennsylvania. The companies will drill in 663,350 of Consol's Marcellus shale acres. Rockefeller says the announcement has the potential to be a tremendous opportunity for West Virginia's economy and jobs, well into the future. Environmentalists say the horizontal drilling process can contaminate water supplies.
Rockefeller says he hopes Consol will act responsibly.
