We thought we had a deal
The initial budget agreement negotiated last year by Governor Rendell and legislative leaders dictated that the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) generate $60 million from gas drilling in our state forests this fiscal year, and an outrageous $180 million in the 2010-11 fiscal year. Meanwhile, Pennsylvania remains the only significant gas producing state without a severance tax thanks to a lavish industry lobbying campaign.
House members from both parties and the conservation community valiantly fought back at the dictate to wring $180 million in drilling revenue in 2010-11 from our forest land. Key members of the House Democratic "Green Dogs" and "Hunting Dogs" engaged in face-to-face negotiations with budget makers, making it clear they would not vote for a budget that relied on raising revenue from gas leasing on forest land in the 2010-11 fiscal year. They thought they won, and the $180 million language was removed from the bill ultimately signed into law.
Now, officials from the Rendell Administration are nonetheless insisting that the "agreement" requiring $180 million in drilling revenue in 2010-11 was the deal. And the Green Dogs are absolutely howling. Some are already threatening to vote against any budget agreement that requires additional drilling in the state forests. These good dogs deserve much more than a treat – they (and all Pennsylvanians) deserve not to be tricked.
Taking a stand, drawing a line
Representative David Levdansky (D-Allegheny) and Representative Greg Vitali (D-Delaware) are each seeking co-sponsors for bills that would impose a moratorium on the additional leasing of state forest land for natural gas drilling. Levdansky plans to introduce a second bill that would mandate a thorough review of the likely impacts of drilling in the state forests.
PennFuture urges House members to co-sponsor these bills.
Numbers paint a picture
DCNR has leased almost 106,000 acres of state forest for gas drilling in just the past 16 months. This means that the gas industry already has access to 700,000 acres of state forest - about one-third of the entire 2.1 million acre state forest system and nearly half the 1.5 million acres that overlay the Marcellus Shale formation. Officials estimate that there will be several thousand wells – and associated pipelines, roads and other infrastructure – operating in the next decade or two.
And a picture is worth a thousand words
Take a look at three aerial photos of a natural gas drilling operation in Tioga State Forest taken by Richard Martin of the Pennsylvania Forest Coalition in a plane piloted by Curt Ashenfelter of the Keystone Trails Association. The pictures show the damage caused by drilling on forest land including fragmentation, habitat loss and erosion, not to mention compromising the ability of hikers, hunters, anglers and other users of the forest to enjoy the resource.
The top photo is a frac water reservoir. For scale, note the truck parked to the right of the impoundment. The middle photo shows a drilling rig and the bottom photo shows all three clearings in the forest used for the operation as well as the roads. Pipelines will need to be constructed to get the gas to market.
State boosts drilling enforcement
Yesterday Governor Rendell announced that the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) will hire an additional 68 personnel to bolster its ability to monitor drilling activities and enforce environmental laws pertaining to the industry. Last year DEP hired 37 additional inspectors and permitting staff. Rendell also announced that DEP would work to strengthen the Commonwealth's oil and gas regulations.
Fare thee well
House Speaker Keith McCall's (D-Carbon) announcement that he would retire at the end of the 2010 session caught Capitol observers by surprise. Other members of the General Assembly are now announcing their retirements as well as February brings the start of nominating petitions for the November elections.
The list of retiring legislators includes Senate Environmental and Energy Resources Minority Chair Raphael Musto (D-Luzerne) and Representatives Russ Fairchild (R-Union), Will Gabig (R-Cumberland), Richard Grucela (D-Northampton), Barbara McIlvaine Smith (D-Chester), Kathy Manderino (D-Philadelphia), Merle Phillips (R-Northumberland) and Katie True (R-Lancaster).
Vacant House seats in Allegheny, Montgomery and Northampton Counties will be filled in special elections on May 18.
Podcast of the week: Green, Eggs and Ham at Pennsylvania's Riviera
Just like the song about Kansas City, everything's up to date in Erie. Home to Pennsylvania's most visited state park, Erie is also home to a lot of green energy companies, and one of the new green economy's biggest boosters, State Representative John Hornaman (D-Erie).
This podcast features some of the speakers at the Erie Clean Energy Breakfast, held on January 21. PennFuture's President and CEO, Jan Jarrett, who drove more than 1300 miles in the PennFuture hybrid car to lead discussion at the six clean energy breakfasts we organized in January, once more set the stage for the other speakers. Jan is then followed by Representative Hornaman, one of the members of the Pennsylvania General Assembly's Green Dog Caucus. We then hear from some Erie area green business leaders – Brian Gerrits, senior product manager for General Electric, Drivetrain Technologies; Tim Ryan, senior executive vice president of Apex Wind Energy Inc. and Axio Power Inc. and president, Apex Offshore Wind LLC; and Joe Simko, president and general manager for Hodge Foundry.
Passing the Clean Energy and Green Jobs legislation (HB 80) will help these and other green businesses grow here in Pennsylvania. You can do your part to help pass the bill by contacting your own representatives. Just go to PennFuture's Action Center to urge your rep to vote for clean energy and green jobs now.
PennFuture works every day to make a difference for Pennsylvania's environment and economy. Isn't it time to join us and make a difference yourself? Go to our secure website to join PennFuture, and make sure you sign up for our publications. And remember, you can make sure you don't miss any podcasts by subscribing to them through iTunes.
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