Rep. Greg Vitali (D-Delaware), Minority Chair of the House Environmental Resources and Energy Committee, filed a Right-to-Know request, seeking additional details on the Corbett Administration's plan to raise $75 million through additional so called "non-impact surface drilling" in state parks and forests. This plan was contained in the budget proposal unveiled by the Governor on February 4.
Specifically, Rep. Vitali has asked the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources to detail which parks and forests it is considering for additional drilling, how many acres would be leased, the calculations used to determine the $75 million figure, which drilling companies have expressed an interest, and information about environmental impacts of drilling already occurring on state land. The records are being requested for the time period of 2010 until the present.
"We have been compelled to take this action because this information has not been forthcoming from the Corbett Administration," said Rep. Vitali. "It is simply not believable that Gov. Corbett could propose such a plan without having an estimate of how many acres they would need to lease and what state parks and forests might be impacted. The governor's proposal cannot be properly considered by the legislature without this information. Additionally, the public needs this information to give us their input on Corbett’s proposal.”
Under the state's Right-To-Know Law, DCNR has five business days to respond to the request. If necessary, DCNR can extend the time for a response up to 30 days. Otherwise, DCNR must grant the request, deny it, or deny in part and grant in part. Denial of access would have to include a reason for the denial.