The Center for Sustainable Shale Development (CSSD), a collaborative established last year between Chevron, Shell and other natural gas companies and environmental groups to set fracking standards, says its third-party certification and verification program is now accepting applicants.
As CSSD begins reviewing applications and auditing companies that apply for certification, it has hired Bureau Veritas as its initial auditor. All producers operating in the Appalachian region are eligible to apply at this time.
Certification is based on the center’s 15 initial performance standards that the groups say will ensure safe and environmentally responsible development of the region’s shale gas resources. Companies can seek certifications in air & climate, water & waste, or both, concurrently.
Auditors will evaluate the applicant’s operations to the standards that are specific to the certification a company chooses. Evaluations are expected to take three to six months, with a summary of a completed audit report made accessible on CSSD’s web site.