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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE |
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State
Rep. Greg Vitali
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Vitali's Marcellus gas drilling moratorium bill supported at hearing
HARRISBURG, March 19 – Experts testifying at a public hearing this week said they support legislation introduced by state Rep. Greg Vitali, D-Delaware, that would place a moratorium on leasing more state land for natural gas drilling in Pennsylvania.
The hearing was held Thursday in King of Prussia by the House Majority Policy Committee to examine Vitali's legislation (H.B. 2235). The state has already leased about 692,000 acres of state forest land to natural gas drilling companies. Vitali introduced the bill earlier this year in response to a proposal negotiated during last year's budget agreement to raise another $180 million in the 2010-11 fiscal year by leasing more state forest land to drillers.
Vitali's legislation would place a five-year moratorium on leasing additional state land for natural gas drilling, and require the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources to issue a report every year to the governor and legislature about the impact of current natural gas exploration and drilling on state forests.
Experts who testified at this week's hearing said the legislation is important because expanded drilling has the potential to harm public land that is environmentally sensitive.
"The Chesapeake Bay Foundation supports House Bill 2235," said Matt Royer, Pennsylvania staff attorney for the Chesapeake Bay Foundation. "We do not believe that further leasing of state forest lands is prudent at this time. The state should comprehensively assess the cumulative environmental and quality-of-life impacts of the drilling that will occur on the many hundreds of thousands of acres that have already been leased before proceeding to lease more."
Rick Carlson, retired policy director for the state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, agreed that the rush to open up more land to leasing is troubling.
"The recent events involving the raid on the Oil and Gas Fund and the unprecedented actions which are dictating how the public’s natural resources are being managed demand an immediate remedy such as proposed by House Bill 2235," he said.
"The alternative to leasing more state forest land is simple -- raise new revenues elsewhere," said DCNR Secretary John Quigley. "There would not be a need to lease one additional acre of state forest if those revenue enhancements were adopted."
Vitali suggested a severance tax on natural gas drilling or a similar fee, which other major natural gas producing states levy but Pennsylvania budget negotiators refused to consider last year, would be an appropriate revenue option.
"A severance tax or drilling impact fee on the large out-of-state companies that will be doing most of the drilling in Pennsylvania would raise money for the state budget without exposing additional delicate natural resources to potential damage." Vitali said. "These natural resources are important to all Pennsylvania residents, and should not be turned over to drillers until we know what the potential consequences might be for future generations."
"At the very least," he said, "the moratorium in my legislation would give us time to study the impact of drilling that is already occurring on state land so our experts in DCNR could determine if additional drilling is appropriate."
Vitali said the House Environmental Resources and Energy Committee is scheduled to consider his legislation on Wednesday.
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