Pittsburgh, PA. January 30, 2013. The Pittcon 2013 Organizing Committee is pleased to announce that the Secretary of the Department of Environmental Protection, Michael Krancer, will facilitate the Conferee Networking Session, "The Future of Marcellus Shale." Also involved in the discussion will be representatives of McNees Wallace & Nurick, LLC, Geoffrey K. White, patent attorney and Curtis N. Stambaugh, Chair of the Oil and Gas Group. The session is scheduled for Monday, March 18, 2013, 1:30 to 3:30 p.m., in room 201C of the Pennsylvania Convention Center and will focus on oil/gas, water, related industries and where the industry will progress during the next decade.

Michael Krancer. Photo courtesy of Pittcon 2013

McNess Wallace & Nurick will also offer courses suited to individuals exposed to innovative concepts and the protection of technology. Addressing recent adopted landmark legislation in patent law, the short course, America Invents Act (Patent Reform), will discuss necessary changes to laboratory procedures, changes in opportunities for monitoring pending patent applications and intellectual property management issues. The course, Intellectual Property Documents and Drafting, will provide familiarity with the documents used for this purpose and a discussion of their meaning.

In an effort to provide ongoing quality educational opportunities, several hands-on courses working with portable lab equipment have been added to the Pittcon Short Course program by which water/wastewater operators can earn up to 19.5 contact hours.

Pennsylvania courses are as follows:

March 19, Basic Lab Skills Workshop, DEP # 5597 approved for 7.0 hours
March 20, Analysis of Corrosion Control Parameters, DEP # 622 approved for 6.0 hours
March 21, Simplified Methods For Nutrient Testing, DEP # 3135 approved for 6.5 hours

New Jersey courses are as follows:

March 19, Basic Lab Skills Workshop, # 04-130218-30
March 20, Analysis of Corrosion Control Parameters,# 04-130220-30
March 21, Simplified Methods For Nutrient Testing, # 04-130221-30

Complete session details are available at www.pittcon.org or on the Pittcon 2013 mobile app which is available for free download on iOS and Android devices.