Advocates for enacting a responsible natural gas drilling tax in Pennsylvania raised serious concerns about the proposed local impact fee on Marcellus Shale drillers. The proposed legislation lets drillers off the hook too easily and provides little to no benefit for most Pennsylvanians
This statement was jointly released with Conservation Voters of PA, SEIU PA State Council, PennEnvironment, Clean Water Action, and the Pennsylvania Chapter of the Sierra Club.
HARRISBURG, PA (April 28, 2011) — Advocates for enacting a responsible natural gas drilling tax in Pennsylvania raised serious concerns about the proposed local impact fee on Marcellus Shale drillers released today by Senate president pro tempore Joe Scarnati.
“While Senator Scarnati has taken a step forward in answering the call of Pennsylvanians who want to see a tax on the natural gas industry, his proposed legislation lets drillers off the hook too easily and provides little to no benefit for most Pennsylvanians,” said Sharon Ward, director of the Pennsylvania Budget and Policy Center.
“This proposal was written for natural gas drillers,” said Josh McNeil, executive director of Conservation Voters of PA. “Drillers in Texas and Arkansas are paying much more in business, drilling, and property taxes. Drillers should pay their fair share to the people of Pennsylvania for the loss of a non-renewable resource.”
“Rich, out-of-state gas companies are using our roads, sending their kids to our schools, and benefiting from our public services without contributing their fair share of taxes,” said Neal Bisno, secretary-treasurer of SEIU State Council. “Pennsylvanians need a broad statewide drilling tax that will help support our middle class and grow our economy, not a limited impact tax endorsed by the drillers.”
“My daughter may not have a full-day of kindergarten next year because gas companies and other corporations are not paying a fair share of taxes,” said Kristy Chrostoff, a CNA who lives in Elmora. “Gas companies are profiting off our land while our kids pay the price for their tax avoidance.”
“This plan fails to address statewide environmental needs,” said David Masur, director of PennEnvironment. “Missing is funding for the successful Growing Greener program launched under former Governor Ridge. This is a lost opportunity to continue important land and water projects in communities across the commonwealth.”
“The costs to the state from gas drilling keep going up,” said Myron Arnowitt, state director for Clean Water Action. “Increasingly at drilling sites we see more spills, contaminated water, and explosions. Sen. Scarnati’s plan fails to put more resources into our state Department of Environmental Protection, which has seen over one-third of its budget cut.”
“In Senator Scarnati’s proposal, many local governments can be losers,” said Jeff Schmidt, director of the Sierra Club Pennsylvania Chapter. “Any local government that tries to protect their community from drillers will be ineligible for funding if they pass a drilling ordinance that is more protective than what Sen. Scarnati says is reasonable.”
The Pennsylvania Supreme Court has upheld the right of local governments to regulate the location of drilling in order to protect the public’s health and safety. “We don’t think funding for communities from a fee on drillers should be held hostage by requiring local governments to give up their legal rights to protect public health and safety,” Schmidt said.