June 20 PA Environment Digest Now Available

June 20 PA Environment Digest now available. Click here to print this Digest.

Senate Committee Reports Out Marcellus Shale Fee Bill To Move Process

The Senate Environmental Resources and Energy Committee this week amended and reported out Senate Bill 1100 (Scarnati-R-Jefferson) establishing a Marcellus Shale Impact fee and requiring the development of a model local zoning ordinance to control drilling activities to provide a vehicle for the impact fee issue.

The vote on the amendment and the bill were unanimous, but Committee members took turns expressing concerns about the amendment and the bill itself, some noting they plan to offer amendments of their own once the bill reaches the Senate Floor.

Sen. Mary Jo White (R-Venango), Majority Chair of the Committee, described the amendment as turning the bill into a pure impact fee bill, rather than what she said was a severance tax based in part on well production. Click Here to read more…