graphic by Marcellus-Shale.us
Pennsylvania Governor Tom Corbett, a great friend of the natural gas and oil lobby in the state, today signed into law Act 13, legislation that rewrites regulation over the industry. Certainly it’s a sweetheart deal for drillers in the Marcellus Shale.
The legislation was ramrodded through both houses of the Republican-controlled state General Assembly over the objections of environmental organizations and thousands of concerned citizens.
Act 13:
- enacts an “impact fee,” rather than a percentage/royalty structure used in other states.
- limits the authority of field inspectors; wells can only be shut down by DEP Secretary.
- limits public access to information.
- diverts monies from the leasing of public lands from conservation efforts to other uses.
- enacts a “gag rule” on physicians so they cannot speak out about adverse health effects of proprietary (secret) chemicals used in the fracking process.
- limits the ability of local governments in the Commonwealth to zone or in any way regulate natural gas drilling.
