PITTSBURGH — The Colcom Foundation is offering a $1 million Marcellus Environmental Fund to address the environmental impact of natural gas shale drilling in Western Pennsylvania.

Grants from this fund will be distributed to tax-exempt organizations at the discretion of the foundation.

The foundation hopes to get and share Marcellus Shale information through public education, community engagement, best practices, data collection, ongoing monitoring, land owner guidance and collaborative projects.

John Rohe, foundation vice president of philanthropy, said in a news release that, “Energy extraction in Western Pennsylvania has not always considered long term consequences. All too often, the community at large has paid the price without the profit.

“Remediation of prior mining activity continues to be funded by Colcom Foundation and others.

“Hopefully, with proper planning and timing, the Marcellus Shale profits will not come at the expense of Western Pennsylvanian’s quality of life.”

Grant applications may be made with help from the foundation’s website, www.colcomfdn.org.

Applications are due March 14 so those projects can be discussed at the foundation’s May board meeting.