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| FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE |
| State Rep. Phyllis Mundy |
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Mundy introduces bill to strengthen environmental safeguards in shale law
HARRISBURG, May 24 – State Rep. Phyllis Mundy introduced a bill today that would establish stronger environmental protections in Act 13 of 2012, the Marcellus Shale law recently signed by Gov. Tom Corbett, and would improve transparency and public accountability in natural gas drilling activities.
"The Corbett Marcellus Shale law fails to adequately protect our streams, our rivers, our lakes and reservoirs and virtually every other public water source," said Mundy, D-Luzerne. "And it fails to provide oversight over the disposal and storage of potentially hazardous fracking chemicals.
"My bill would correct these failures and would put the interests of Pennsylvanians first by protecting our critical environmental resources – for today’s residents and for future generations," she added.
Mundy’s bill, H.B. 2416 – part of the House Democrats’ Marcellus Compact legislative package – includes the following components:
· Establishes a moratorium during which wastewater from oil and gas activities could not be discharged into surface waters;
· Creates an online tracking system to report the storage, transportation, and disposal of wastewater;
· Prohibits drilling from taking place within a flood plain;
· Requires drilling companies to obtain an erosion and sediment control (E&S) permit in addition to a regular well permit; and
· Requires the Department of Environmental Protection, the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, the Fish and Boat Commission and the Game Commission to jointly conduct a comprehensive study on the cumulative impacts of all anticipated oil and gas activities throughout the commonwealth.
"These are simple measures that we can, and should, take to make sure our water resources are kept pure and clean and to ensure the safe disposal of hazardous chemicals," Mundy said.
The Marcellus Compact is a six-bill legislative package that fixes the flawed, industry-friendly Marcellus Shale law. The Marcellus Compact is a promise by House Democrats to put the interests of Pennsylvania taxpayers, workers and families first – unlike Act 13, which Mundy called a "sweetheart deal for global multi-billion-dollar oil and gas giants."
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