Oct. 3 PA Environment Digest Now Available

Oct. 3 PA Environment Digest now available. Click Here to print this Digest.

Press Reports: Gov. Corbett To Unveil Marcellus Legislative Proposals Monday

Press reports indicate Gov. Corbett will announce all or part of his Marcellus Shale package on Monday, October 3, but no details are available.
Speculation on what will be in a Corbett Administration drilling fee proposal has intensified in recent weeks since the Governor told a Philadelphia radio audience in mid-September any fee proposal he supported would have to go to compensating communities for impacts near drilling, not to the state General Fund or statewide programs.
Speculation continued this week as Department of Transportation Secretary Barry Schoch said revenue from a drilling fee could reduce the financial burden PennDOT has to repair roads.
The Governor's Marcellus Shale Advisory Commission did recommend a drilling fee in July, but one narrowly drawn to "mitigate the uncompensated impacts caused to communities by natural gas development. Any fee should recognize on‐going nature of certain impacts. Attributable impacts identified by the advisory commission include: Environmental remediation; Public health evaluation and emergency response; Increased demand on social services; Infrastructure improvements; and Natural resource agency administration and oversight." Click Here to read more…