Local option: Communities deserve a say in gas drilling rules
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It was Republican Gov. Tom Corbett's secretary of environmental protection who made a good case for local control when it comes to safeguarding the landscape. What a shame that nine Republican senators had to remind the administration of the point.
In a letter sent to their caucus leaders on Wednesday, the state senators, mostly from the southeast, expressed concern about Senate Bill 1100 and House Bill 1950, which, among other provisions, would curb municipalities' ability to regulate natural gas drilling.
Gov. Corbett wants to streamline the rules to benefit the industry, so he favors a more uniform drilling standard. But the lawmakers who represent districts in Pennsylvania where residents are worried about the drinkability of their wellwater and the integrity of their property rights are trying to send a different message.
That pitch is not much different from the one DEP Secretary Michael Krancer gave members of a U.S. House subcommittee in November. He testified in Washington, D.C., that, when it comes to setting rules on the disposal of wastewater from drilling, those who are closer to the scene should know better.
"One size does not fit all," he said after his testimony, arguing that state officials, more than their federal counterparts, have a specialized knowledge of the "unique topography, geography and meteorology."
Following Mr. Krancer's logic, local officials would be more knowledgeable about protecting the local terrain and should have some say over nearby drilling. That's why the senators' letter -- which contained the signatures of Stewart Greenleaf of Montgomery County, Pat Vance of Cumberland County and others -- warned that language in the Senate's drilling bill "removes a local municipality's ability to regulate and control all land use in their area" and smacks too much of a "model ordinance" for the state. Talk about one size fits all.
But the approach doesn't fit Pennsylvania. Senate President Pro Tem Joe Scarnati, R-Jefferson County, and others negotiating the bill's final language must give local leaders reasonable flexibility to set rules that will protect their communities.
Governors and legislators like to wax poetic about the sweep and diversity of the state. Let them back up their professed love of nature with a drilling law that helps local citizens ensure the beauty and livability of Pennsylvania.
First Published January 28, 2012 12:00 am
