Sept. 19 PA Environment Digest Now Available

Sept. 19 PA Environment Digest now available. Click Here to print this Digest.

Harrisburg: What They Didn't Do On Their Summer Vacation

With the Senate returning to voting session September 19 and the House September 26, it will be back to business on a whole range of issues that didn't get done before the summer break. Here's a sampling of what's in store for the Fall--

-- Marcellus Shale: With the July 22 report of the Governor's Marcellus Shale Advisory Commission now on the books, complete with recommendations for 30 or more changes in state law and at least a dozen impact fee or severance tax proposals from both Republicans and Democrats still waiting, the General Assembly will have its work cut out for it.
Gov. Corbett has not yet said which recommendations he agrees with from the report, but has said that forced pooling to require landowners without natural gas leases to allow their resources to be taken with compensation but without a lease is a non-starter.
In a radio interview on Thursday, Corbett said he would have his own version of a drilling impact fee ready in a week or two, but the focus of the fee would be to compensate communities for damage to roads, bridges and other negative impacts from drilling. The funds may also be used by the PA Emergency Management Agency for environmental cleanup from drilling.
Senate President Pro-Tempore Joe Scarnati (R-Jefferson) and Senate Majority Leader Dominic Pileggi (R-Delaware) have both said regulatory changes will be a priority in the Fall. They also said they hope to work with the Governor to pass a version of an impact fee proposal he will sign into law.
After drilling for Marcellus Shale natural gas for eight years, will the General Assembly now decide to update the 1984 Oil and Gas Act? Stay tuned. Click Here to read more…