Responsible Drilling

Responsible Drilling
Protect our water, land and communities from natural gas drilling

Background
Introduction

 
Take action! 
Tell the Environmental Quality Board that proposed regulations have to protect us and our water.

Businesses and organizations, join the endorsers who promote responsible drilling.
 

Pennsylvania sits atop one of the largest deposits of natural gas in the world — the Marcellus shale formation. New drilling technology means that drillers are just now starting to tap into this resource. The PA Department of Environmental Protection issued a record 7,792 drilling permits in 2008 (up from roughly 2,000 in 1999).

 

Most states with natural gas resources tax the extraction of the gas. Governor Rendell has proposed a tax on the extraction of natural gas identical to the one that has been in place in West Virginia since 1987. This tax is projected to initially raise more than $100 million a year, rising to more than $630 million annually by 2014.

 
Marcellus Muster!
On January 30 we organized an event to muster support for responsible drilling in Pennsylvania. See presentations that were given at the Muster.
 

Impact on Communities and Environment
Natural gas extraction imposes heavy costs on our communities and environment – pipelines, drilling pads and wastewater storage pits altering our landscapes and fragmenting wildlife habitat, heavy rigs damaging our roads, billions of gallons of water taken from our streams and operational errors contaminating our land and drinking water.

Use of a impact fee
Some of the money raised from a natural gas extraction tax could be used to offset these costs and invest in watershed restoration and protection, habitat conservation, public access to outdoor recreation, and conservation of open space and farmland. This can be accomplished by directing a portion of the tax to the Environmental Stewardship Fund (Growing Greener) as well as to Pennsylvania’s natural resource commissions for habitat improvement and public access purposes. Read our Gas Drilling Impact Fact Sheet.

Public Forestland Issues
Photo of Fortuna Energy Marcellus drilling operation in the Tioga State Forest that was taken on October 1, 2009 by Dick Martin.
Marcellus drill site, Tioga State Forest, 10/01/09
photo courtesy of Dick Martin 
Industry groups oppose the gas impact fee and instead want to dramatically accelerate drilling on publicly owned forestlands to generate revenues for the state, even though last year saw a huge expansion of natural gas exploitation on state lands. In 2008, the PA Dept. of Conservation and Natural Resources leased 74,000 acres of state forest for Marcellus shale gas drilling. It would be prudent to study the effects of this on wildlife, water, public recreation, and the general health of our forests before the state rushes to open more public land to major drilling operations.

Since 1955, lease payments and royalties from drilling in our publicly owned state forests have been deposited in the Oil & Gas Lease Fund to be used strictly for conservation and recreation. Now, after 54 years, Harrisburg proposes to change the law to redirect the money to other uses. Read our Freeze Drilling on State Lands Fact Sheet.