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Governor's office appeals ruling on shale drilling
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Gov. Tom Corbett's office announced today that he has appealed Thursday's Commonwealth Court decision that overturned new rules aimed at creating statewide zoning for Marcellus Shale drilling.
The case now heads to the Pennsylvania Supreme Court.
Judges on the Commonwealth Court ruled Thursday that the state cannot require municipalities to allow drilling in areas where it would conflict with their zoning rules, siding with several towns challenging the five-month-old law.
Gov. Corbett, a Republican, said in a statement that he believes the statewide zoning rules are "critically important for job creators who are employing more than 240,000 Pennsylvanians, for landowners seeking to exercise their property rights, and for local governments looking for guidance on how they may reasonably regulate oil and gas operations."
It is difficult to predict how the Supreme Court will rule on the appeal. Because Supreme Court Justice Joan Orie Melvin currently faces legal charges, the court is divided between three Republicans and three Democrats.
First Published July 27, 2012 5:15 pm
