|
By Kevin Zwick HARRISBURG (June 15) – Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf hailed another bipartisan agreement with the Republican-controlled Legislature following the passage of two pieces of controversial energy legislation that have roiled environmental groups. “I am pleased to have reached bi-partisan agreement with the legislature on the unconventional oil and gas regulations, which will better protect the health of our environment and our residents,” Wolf said in a statement. An agreement on the other bill, which gives the Legislature a final say on the state’s clean power plan, was revealed last week. The two bills received overwhelming support Wednesday in the House and were quickly approved on concurrence in the Senate. Passage of the legislation is the product of several weeks of negotiations between Wolf and Democratic and Republican lawmakers, the governor’s office said. It also removes yet another contentious issue from upcoming budget negotiations. The issues led Wolf to veto key budget-related legislation in fiscal year 2015-16. Supporters of Senate Bill 1195 say it would protect coal industry jobs. The bill would extend, from 100 days to 180 days, the amount of time the General Assembly would have to review Pennsylvania’s compliance plan for the Federal Clean Power Plan before submission to the Environmental Protection Agency. The other bill, Senate Bill 279, would push forward regulations on unconventional shale drilling but allow more time for all sides to work on separate regulations for smaller conventional rock formation drilling. Lawmakers and conventional drillers have been calling for separate regulations for the two different types of drilling. According to a 2014 regulatory analysis, the differences between the two types of drilling are stark: conventional drilling produces less gas, generates “far less waste,” and leaves less land disturbed than unconventional Marcellus wells. But environmental groups and legislative allies took final shots at the legislation this week. “Both involve fracking, both involve thousands of wells, both involve serious environmental and human health impacts,” said Rep. Greg Vitali, D-Delaware, the Democratic chairman of the House Environmental Resources and Energy Committee, during House debate Tuesday. “It is so frustrating working on these environmental regulations for four years, and seeing as they are just about to cross the finish line, yet again – yet again – there is this effort to stop them,” Vitali said Tuesday. His counterpart, Committee Chairman John Maher, R-Allegheny, responded saying SB 279 addresses issues regarding separation of powers. He said the “bureaucrats were running wild” and ignoring a 2014 law that says the two sets of regulations should be separate. Vitali, a vocal opponent of both pieces of legislation, also has been at odds with Wolf over the resignation of John Quigley, former head of the Department of Environmental Protection. After a key April vote, Quigley sent a hot-tempered email to environmental organizations expressing disappointment they had not taken a more active position on the two bills. He resigned shortly after it was made public that Wolf’s office was reviewing his email. Following the House and Senate approval of the legislation Wednesday, Vitali urged Wolf to veto the legislation. The Pennsylvania Independent Oil & Gas Association, which represents conventional drillers asked Wolf to sign the legislation promptly. “The process used by the Department of Environmental Protection to promulgate the Chapter 78 and 78A regulations was fatally flawed, and it is rewarding to see that so many legislators from across the Commonwealth concurred with a plan to re-start that process for our conventional producers with their votes in favor of this legislation,” said PIOGA President Louis D’Amico. Wolf pledged to work with the Legislature on regulations addressing the conventional drilling industry. -30- |
Newslanc.com © 2021