HARRISBURG – Two bills impacting the natural gas industry that Sen. Camera Bartolotta (R-46) sponsored were passed by the Senate Environmental Resources and Energy Committee today.
Senate Bill 102 would prevent any municipality that unreasonably limits or prohibits future development of natural gas from receiving Act 13 Impact Fee payments distributed by the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission. Impact Fee payments may be used for road and bridge repairs, housing and other infrastructure needs.
“The Impact Fee was carefully constructed to compensate municipalities that hosted or were in proximity to natural gas development for any impacts they experienced. Impact Fee dollars were never intended to go to municipalities that prevent harnessing Pennsylvania’s natural resource for our benefit,” Bartolotta said. “My bill would stop this unfair practice.”
Senate Bill 712 would improve the process of plugging abandoned and orphaned wells in Pennsylvania. The bill would provide consistency in determining what a reasonable effort is when plugging to the attainable bottom, leading to increased predictability and improved use of orphaned and abandoned well-plugging funds.
“The lack of current clarity has discouraged plugging companies from pursuing opportunities in Pennsylvania in favor of undertaking work in Ohio and West Virginia, which have more predictable processes for obtaining state agency approval,” Bartolotta said. “As Pennsylvania is in line to receive nearly $400 million in federal funds dedicated to plugging legacy wells, we need to take action now so funds are used as efficiently as possible.”
The bills now move to the full Senate for consideration.
CONTACT: Katrina Hanna, 717-787-1463