Wednesday, April 4, 2012
A hearing has been set for next week for state's new Marcellus Shale law.
A Commonwealth Court judge on Wednesday granted a request for an expedited hearing on a challenge to Act 13—the state's new Marcellus Shale law. Lawyers for a cluster of muncipalities, one organization and a medical doctor who have challenged the state's new Marcellus Shale regulations requested the expedited hearing Tuesday. The hearing will be held at 10 a.m. April 11 in Commonwealth Court to see if the judge will grant injunctive relief. Cecil Township solicitor John Smith, who represents the plaintiffs, said the hope is that the judge will grant an injunction. That would delay the implementation of Act 13 until the challenge could be heard in its entirety. Act 13 is set to go into effect April 14. Cecil Township, Peters Township, …
Tuesday, April 3, 2012
All nine members of council are in support of the municipalities' efforts to challenge the state's new Marcellus Shale regulations.
Pittsburgh City Council President Darlene M. Harris on Tuesday issued a will of council in support of last week’s filing of a lawsuit challenging Act 13—the state's new law governing Marcellus Shale drilling. “Act 13 infringes upon the rights of affected local governments in our commonwealth,” she said. “It forces local governments to abdicate their moral and legal duty to protect the health, safety and welfare of the people in their townships.” Seven municipalities—including Cecil Township—filed the lawsuit on March 29, stating that Act 13 unconstitutionally strips municipalities of the power to regulate gas wells and related hydrofracturing activities, including pipelines and compressor stations. Pittsburgh City Council, by unanimous …
Cecil Attorney John Smith said he is hopeful a hearing will be set in Commonwealth Court soon.
Lawyers for a cluster of muncipalities, one organization and a medical doctor who have challenged the state's new Marcellus Shale regulations—known as Act 13—have asked the Commonwealth Court for an expedited hearing for injunctive relief. Attorney John Smith, of Cecil, who is spearheading the legal challenge, said Tuesday that he is hopeful that the Commonwealth Court will set a hearing soon to consider the request. The goal, he said, is that an injunction would be granted, which would delay the implementation of Act 13 until the court can hear the case, and decide the merits of the constitutional challenge. Act 13 is set to go into effect April 14. Cecil Township, Peters Township, South Fayette, Robinson Township and Mt. Pleasant …
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
Three property owners in township already have contracts with gas companies, according to Supervisor Frank Spagnolo.
Pine supervisors are considering an ordinance to control oil and gas drilling in the township as Gov. Tom Corbett continues to support legislation that would take away local control. Three land owners in the township already have contracts with gas companies, Supervisor Frank Spagnolo said as the draft ordinance was discussed at Tuesday night's Board of Supervisors meeting. After the meeting, Spagnolo declined to say who the land owners are, but confirmed that he is not one of them. Solicitor Gary Gushard said the draft ordinance is based on one developed by the Pennsylvania State Association of Township Supervisors that has been customized for Pine. The efforts might be somewhat academic, he said, considering what is going on in …
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
Local government leaders speak out against state drilling regulations at a town hall held in Green Tree.
Some were for Marcellus Shale gas drilling and others weren’t, but it was clear Tuesday night that none present supported a combined House and Senate bill that would allow drilling in all municipal zones. Noting concern for the rights of citizens and an interest in keeping the power to make decisions about where Marcellus Shale drilling can take place, local lawmakers from 40 western Pennsylvania municipalities showed up at a packed town hall meeting in Green Tree with the hopes of halting progress of the bill, which combines House Bill 1950 and Senate Bill 1100. Both bills propose to amend Title 58, the state’s Oil and Gas Act. House Majority Leader Mike Turzai, whose 28th legislative district represents Pine and Richland townships, is a…
Monday, November 21, 2011
Landowner and Pennsylvania Environmental Council official, speaking at Moon Township forum, say property owners should band together when considering leasing land to drilling companies.
Marian Schweighofer said it started for her on an evening four years ago, when a group of her fellow farmers in Wayne County gathered around a kitchen table. The group met to discuss the increasing number of offers each of them was fielding from natural gas drilling companies seeking to lease large tracts of eastern Pennsylvania farmland to drill for Marcellus Shale gas. The neighbors collectively owned 10,000 acres of land. “We needed to find a way to pull our community together,” Schweighofer told a small audience of property owners Saturday at Robert Morris University. “We needed to be proactive now rather than reactive later. “Please realize that every part of the lease is negotiable,” she said. Schweighofer and a group of industry …
Monday, October 24, 2011
The group made more than 100 recommendations regarding Marcellus Shale operations in the state—including a moratorium on drilling on state game lands.
The Citizens Marcellus Shale Commission on Monday released a 95-page final report on its findings regarding the state of drilling in Pennsylvania—and made more than 100 recommendations regarding operations in the Commonwealth. "Pennsylvanians believe that gas drilling in the Marcellus Shale has moved too quickly and that public officials need to do a better job protecting their communities and the environment," according to the final report of the Citizens Marcellus Shale Commission. The report is the culmination of a two-month effort to give residents a voice on improving drilling policies and protections. Spokespersons for the commission said during a conference call Monday that recommendations made by the Governor’s Marcellus Shale …
Friday, October 21, 2011
County executive candidates address business leaders on economic development.
Allegheny County Executive candidates D. Raja and Rich Fitzgerald spoke Friday before Moon-area business leaders, fielding questions on future development of the Pittsburgh International Airport region. Both candidates touted the benefits of Marcellus shale drilling on land surrounding the airport during the breakfast forum at the Pittsburgh Airport Holiday Inn. With little more than two weeks remaining before November's general election, they also took advantage of the forum to criticize each other's platforms and performance. “I was hoping when I entered the race that it would be about policy,” said Raja, a Republican business owner from Mt. Lebanon. “Unfortunately, [the election] turned out to be a non-discussion of policy.” Fitzgerald…
Saturday, October 8, 2011
Close to 100 people were at Saturday's protest at the farm in Evans City.
When drilling in the Marcellus Shale began at the Marburger Dairy Farm in Evans City during the summer, Vince Watson said he had a daily dose of noise and light – and sometimes vibrations – from the drilling. “The house in front of me is taking on a lot of shuddering and shaking,” he said. Watson, whose home on Glenwood Drive neighbors the Marburger Dairy Farm property, was one of about half a dozen speakers at a picnic-style gathering following a Saturday protest of drilling at the farm. Carrying signs, and sometimes chanting, close to 100 people attended the rally near the farm along Mars-Evans City Road. Advocacy group Marcellus Outreach Butler organized the event, which was dubbed October Outrage. Member Kim Eichenlaub said the group …
Monday, October 3, 2011
An impact fee is among the plans announced Monday.
Gov. Tom Corbett today announced his plans to implement numerous recommendations of the Marcellus Shale Advisory Commission, including changes to enhance environmental standards, an impact fee, and a plan to help move Pennsylvania toward energy independence. “This natural resource will fuel our generating plants, heat our homes and power our state’s economic engine for generations to come,” Corbett said in a statement. “This growing industry will also provide new career opportunities that will give our children a reason to stay here in Pennsylvania. We are going to do this safely and we’re going to do it right, because energy equals jobs.” As a result of the public Marcellus Shale Advisory Commission meetings, there is now a "sensible and …
Brian O'Malley
10:15 pm on Thursday, December 15, 2011
This legislation is outrageous in regards to taking away local zoning control. It screams of big government. As an elected official I helped push for an ordinance that would protect our residential property values by limited drilling to industrial zoning districts. To tell our residents that a bureaucrat in Harrisburg knows more about local zoning than our local elected Supervisors is ludicrous. … more ›