With the fall session set to resume, 100 Marcellus Shale
related bills have been introduced in the Pennsylvania General Assembly.
This avalanche of bills in 2011 far outstrips the General Assembly’s pace
during the two year session that ended in December of 2010. “In the
entire 2009 – 2010 legislative session, Pennsylvania lawmakers introduced 83
bills. Two of those proposals eventually became law,” stated Tim Bittle,
the creator and author of the Marcellus Minutes newsletter and website.
Marcellus Minutes, a division of Bigley and Blikle, LLC, is a nonpartisan,
subscription-based news and information service that has provided vital
information to the state government, the Marcellus Shale industry and the
general public for more than three years.
“As the industry convenes a sold out conference in Philadelphia, legislators
continue to drop in bills to regulate it. Also, the first voting session
held since Governor Tom Corbett’s Marcellus Shale Advisory Commission has
released its 96 recommendations will convene later this month,” noted
Bittle. “As the industry further develops in Pennsylvania, legislative
interest in regulating Marcellus Shale activities has dramatically increased
and we expect that to continue.”
The range of legislation regulating the Marcellus Shale industry includes
fiscal and tax matters, water quality, property owner rights, and industry
safety. The Commonwealth’s Oil and Gas Act contains the basic legislative
framework for the industry’s regulation. Bills amending the Oil and Gas
Act form the greatest number of new legislative proposals in this legislative
session and the past two sessions.
Bittle further noted that when the industry was in its nascent stage in
Pennsylvania, only two bills amending the Oil and Gas Act were introduced
during the 2007 – 2008 legislative session. This tally increased to 21
bills during the 2009 – 2010 legislative session. In the current session,
20 bills amending the Oil and Gas Act have been introduced with more expected
to come.
“As with other hot issues, the Marcellus Shale industry is drawing legislative
fire from all quarters. But like most issue areas, only a fraction of the
introduced legislation will become law,” Bittle stated.
To assist lawmakers, the industry and interested parties, Bittle has posted on
the Marcellus Minutes website (www.marcellusminutes.com) a helpful document
identifying the plethora of Marcellus Shale related bills that await
legislative action.
Highlights and Points of Interest Regarding the 96 Marcellus Shale Related Bills:
62 are House Bills
38 are Senate Bills
55 were introduced by Republicans
45 were introduced by Democrats
13 bills would impose a severance tax or local impact fee
4 bills would impose a drilling moratorium of one type or another
About Marcellus Minutes:
Marcellus Minutes is an information-packed resource that
provides subscribers with the latest state government news, including reports
on General Assembly and Administration actions as well as a legislative committee
hearing testimony and bill tracking. Marcellus Minutes also provides news
and information from around the Commonwealth about this natural gas
formation. Subscribers receive full access to the Marcellus Minutes
website and a weekly newsletter via email.
Contact:
Tim Bittle
Marcellus Minutes
4075 Linglestown Road
PMB 356
Harrisburg, PA 17112
(717) 360-0394
