Corbett Signs Shale Well Impact Fee into Law
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
14 February 2012
The Marcellus Shale impact fee and regulatory measure that passed
the General Assembly last week is now law, after Republican Gov.
Tom Corbett signed it on Monday evening.
He described the measure, which will charge drillers a per-well
fee, update state environmental regulations and subject local
zoning ordinances to state-crafted standards, a historic overhaul
of state law.
"Thanks to this legislation, this natural resource will safely and
fairly fuel our generating plants and heat our homes while
creating jobs and powering our state's economic engine for
generations to come," Mr. Corbett said in a statement.
Most of the measure goes into effect in 60 days. However, the
portion requiring each county within the drilling region to decide
whether to impose the impact fee is effective immediately.
Those counties have 60 days to adopt an ordinance imposing the fee
on shale wells. If commissioners decide against doing so, they
could be overruled if half of the municipalities or towns
representing half of the county's population approve their own
resolutions in favor of a fee.
Revenues from that fee will be divided between local governments
and a variety of state-based environmental, infrastructure and
economic-development programs.