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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE |
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State
Rep. Phyllis Mundy |
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Mundy plans bill proposing more stringent guidelines for natural gas, oil
drilling
HARRISBURG, Aug. 12 – State Rep. Phyllis Mundy, D-Luzerne, today announced she will soon introduce legislation to protect floodplains from natural gas drilling by restricting well site preparations or drilling from occurring within those areas.
The legislation would amend the Oil and Gas Act of 1984 to:
· Strengthen well location requirements;
· Change erosion and sediment control permit requirements;
· Require the state Department of Environmental Protection to evaluate and track waste from Marcellus Shale wells; and
· Require a collaborative, comprehensive study on the cumulative impacts of all anticipated oil and gas activities throughout the Commonwealth.
Under the bill, DEP would be required to conduct site visits before issuing erosion and sediment control permits due to the damage oil and gas drilling can cause at and around sites. Permits would only be issued to applicants that develop appropriate erosion and sediment control as well as storm water management plans that are compliant with the Clean Streams law and other environmental regulations.
Additionally, the bill would establish a three-year moratorium during which no new permits could be issued for the discharge of drilling wastewater into surface waters. The moratorium would require DEP to evaluate potential alternatives for wastewater disposal. The department would then be required to enforce those alternatives, provided they are environmentally sound.
Within the first six months the moratorium goes into effect, the DEP would be required to establish an online tracking system to monitor the storage, transportation and disposal of oil and gas drilling waste.
Mundy said that the legislation would require DEP, the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, the Fish and Boat Commission and the Game Commission to work together to provide an all-encompassing report on the impact of drilling and future oil and gas activities.
"The laws we have on the books in Pennsylvania to monitor drilling are lax in terms of protecting the environment. More needs to be done and my legislation would provide necessary guidelines and protections," Mundy said.
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