HARRISBURG — The Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission says its officers are struggling to monitor possible violations at Marcellus Shale gas drilling sites.

Executive director John Arway says the agency would like an additional $1 million to hire seven more officers for that task, a Pittsburgh newspaper reports. The commission previously asked the legislature for the funding and didn't get it.

The chief of the agency's law enforcement bureau says it is already short 16 waterways conservation officers, and that many drilling violations don't get investigated.

Officers who stock fish and perform boating safety patrols only investigate pollution incidents reported to that commission. The Department of Environmental Protection monitors many other aspects of oil and gas production.

DENTON, Texas — The council governing a North Texas city that sits atop a large natural gas reserve rejected a bid early Wednesday morning to ban further permitting of hydraulic fracturing in the community after eight hours of public testimony.Denton City Council members voted down the petition 5-2, sending the proposal to a public ballot in November.Industry groups and state regulators warned such a ban could be followed by litigation and a severe hit to Denton's economy.Petition supporters said the risks to human health and the environment outweigh the economic benefits.

TOKYO — A Japanese nuclear plant won preliminary approval today for meeting stringent post-Fukushima safety requirements, clearing a major hurdle toward becoming the first to restart under the tighter rules.The Nuclear Regulation Authority accepted a 418-page report that found that design upgrades and safety improvements at Kyushu Electric Power’s two reactors at the Sendai Nuclear Power Station have complied with the requirements introduced last July.All of Japan’s 48 reactors are offline for safety checks and repairs since the 2011 earthquake and tsunami hit Fukushima Dai-ichi, causing multiple meltdowns.