State Senate panel OKs natural gas drilling bill
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HARRISBURG - A state Senate committee voted this evening to re-insert a beefed-up impact fee on gas drillers and allow for the attorney general's office to review local zoning rules related to natural gas extraction.
The 17-9 vote, which was nearly along party lines, sets up that measure for lengthy floor debate Tuesday when the legislation will be considered for a final vote.
The new impact fee proposal would assess an initial base cost of $50,000 per well, which would decrease annually until years 11 through 20 that a well is producing, with a cost then of $10,000 per well. That price tag would increase if natural gas prices rise.
An earlier version of the bill would have set the fee for a well's first year of production at $40,000, and only assessed it for 10 years.
Senate President Pro Tem Joe Scarnati, R-Jefferson, called his proposal a reasonable approach, noting the environmental safeguards that were added to the bill earlier this month and the ability for localities to retain some autonomy over their zoning rules.
But Democrats on the panel, who have been working with their Republican counterparts for a compromise on drilling oversight for several months, mostly decried the proposed changes. They unsuccessfully called for a larger fee and wider setbacks from waterways, as well as no interaction from state officials in local rules for drillers.
Democratic Sen. John Wozniak, D-Cambria, was the only member of his caucus to join GOP lawmakers in advancing the measure.
"This is the best deal we're going to be able to get right now," Mr. Wozniak told his colleagues. "I wish we were putting a few more dollars on the table, ... but it's time to cut the rug."
The state House of Representatives also is expected to begin debate on potential amendments to its own drilling impact fee and regulatory measure. Discussion on those proposed changes likely will continue in that chamber on Tuesday.
First Published November 14, 2011 7:57 pm
