The state Senate Environmental Resources and Energy Committee, chaired by Sen.

Mary Jo White, 21st, will meet for a briefing on Marcellus Shale safety issues.The briefing will be held at 10 a.m. Wednesday in the Senate Majority Caucus Room in the state Capitol.Department of Environmental Protection Secretary

John Hanger and a representative of the Marcellus Shale Coalition are expected to brief committee members and respond to questions regarding recent events associated with natural gas development in the commonwealth.Meanwhile, the Senate Education Committee recently approved legislation sponsored by White that seeks to help ensure female students are offered athletic opportunities that are equal to their male counterparts.White's bill would require any public or private school entity that provides interscholastic athletic opportunities for students in grades 7 through 12 to submit annual reports to the state Department of Education demonstrating that they have met the requirements of Title IX.Title IX is the federal statute mandating equal education opportunities for students. The report would be made available to the public and posted online.Under Senate Bill 890, the interscholastic athletics report would include the following information:4 The total number of students by gender in each secondary school.4 A listing of each athletic team that competed in interscholastic athletic competition and the total number of participants broken down by gender.4 The total expenditures for each team in the school year.4 Separate expenditures such as travel, uniforms, equipment and compensation for coaches and trainers.4 Total number of trainers and coaches per team.4 Total number of games played per team.Rep.

Tim Briggs, D-Montgomery, has introduced similar legislation in the state House of Representatives.