PA Environment Digest Blog: Rep. Vitali Introduces Legislation To Increase Setbacks From Unconventional Shale Gas Wells From 500 Feet To 2,500 Feet From Homes, 5,000 Feet From Schools, Hospitals

On October 14, Rep. Greg Vitali (D-Delaware) announced the introduction of House Bill 1946 which would increase the minimum setback from unconventional shale gas wells from 500 feet to 2,500 feet from homes and 5,000 feet from schools, hospitals and long-term care facilities.

The bill would also require a 2,500 foot setback from any drinking water source, (well, surface water intakes or reservoirs) rather than the current 1,000 feet and a 750 foot setback from any natural body of water, rather than 300 feet.

“Current setback distances allow for drilling way too close to homes, schools, hospitals, drinking water supplies and other things, putting public health and the environment at risk,” said Rep. Vitali, who serves as Majority Chairman of the state House Environmental & Natural Resource Protection Committee.

“Well pads emit methane, volatile organic compounds and particulate matter, which are injurious to human health. Well pads also periodically spill produced water containing chemicals that contaminate our waterways.”

The increased setback requirements in House Bill 1946 are consistent with recommendations from the 2020 43rd Statewide Investigating Grand Jury Report on the shale gas industry. Read more here.

Rep. Greg Vitali (D-Delaware) serves as Majority Chair of the House Environmental & Natural Resource Protection Committee and can be contacted by calling 717-787-7647 or sending email to: gvitali@pahouse.net.

Related Legislation

On January 21, 2025, Sen. Steven Santarsiero (D-Bucks) and Sen. Carolyn Comitta (D-Chester) announced they would introduce legislation increasing setback distances from unconventional shale gas wells consistent with the 2020 state Grand Jury Report.

So far, no bill has been introduced.

On January 22, 2024, Senators Santarsiero and Comitta introduced Senate Bill 581 increasing setbacks, but it died in Committee at the end of the 2024 session in the Republican-run Senate. Read more here.

(Photos: top- Range Resources Augustine Drill Pad in Cecil Township; Augustine Drill Pad showing scale of operation; bottom- Map of Shale gas wells (red dots), conventional oil and gas wells (blue/green dots) in Cecil Township (DEP Oil & Gas Program); 523 feet from nearest house; Well pad gas flare from bedroom window near Augustine well pad (WTAE). Other photos Courtesy of The Energy Age Blog.)

Resource Links - Setbacks:

-- Part I - 500 Feet Isn’t Enough: Michelle Stonemark Tells What It’s Really Like Living Next To A Shale Gas Well Pad - Nosebleeds, Headaches, Nausea, Air Pollution, Vibrating House, Sleepless Nights, Anxiety - In Cecil Twp., Washington County [9.26.25]

-- Part II - 500 Feet Isn’t Enough: 42 Scientific Studies, 20+ Years Of Experience With Shale Gas Drilling In PA; A State Grand Jury Report; Criminal Convictions; Public Complaints; Lawsuits; Media Reports All Document The Need To Increase Setbacks From Shale Gas Wells [9.26.25]

-- Cecil Township Supervisors In Washington County Adopt 2,500 Setback From Shale Gas Well Pads From Homes, Businesses, 5,000 Foot Setback From Hospitals, Schools [November 2024]

-- Range Resources And MarkWest Liberty Midstream File Legal Challenges To The 2,500 Foot Shale Gas Facility Setback Ordinance Adopted By Cecil Township, Washington County [January 2025]

-- The Energy Age Blog: Range Resources & MarkWest Liberty Midstream File Legal Challenges Against 2,500 Foot Shale Gas Setback Ordinance In Cecil Twp., Washington County [January 2025]

-- Environmental Quality Board Adjourns Without Discussing Or Acting On Any Of 3 Pending Oil & Gas Rulemaking Petitions [PaEN]

-- Environmental Health Project Releases New White Paper: PA's Shale Gas - What We Can Do Now To Better Protect Public Health [PaEN]

-- Environmental Health Project: Lois Bower-Bjornson Shares Her First-Hand Experiences With Shale Gas Health, Environmental Impacts In Washington County [PaEN]

-- 7 Years Ago, People From Over 70 Households Gave First-Hand Accounts Of How The PA Shale Gas Industry Impacted Their Health, Lives And Communities To A State Grand Jury Describing The ‘Sometimes Harsh Reality’ Of These Operations [PaEN]

-- State Dept. Of Health Apologizes For Not Listening To Communities Suffering Health Impacts From Shale Gas Development; New Health Study Results ‘Just The Tip Of The Iceberg’ [August 2023]

-- University Of Pittsburgh School Of Public Health Studies Find Shale Gas Wells Can Make Asthma Worse; Children Have An Increased Chance Of Developing Lymphoma Cancer; Slightly Lower Birth Weights [August 2023]