An environmental group is criticizing a West Virginia University program to teach communities about Marcellus shale drilling because it receives funding from the natural gas industry.

The Sierra Club of West Virginia says the program does not give participants enough information about the environmental damage caused by drilling.

The Charleston Gazette reports that the program received $50,000 each from Chesapeake and Dominion and $25,000 from EQT.

The informational sessions feature presentations by a WVU geology professor, a natural gas attorney and representatives of the state Department of Environmental Protection and the West Virginia Water Research Institute at the university.

Sierra Club Outreach Coordinator Chuck Wyrostok says the presentations are not inaccurate, but that they leave out certain aspects of Marcellus drilling. More sessions are scheduled through May.

©2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.