Officials react to Gov. Corbett’s proposal to levy fee on gas drillers
A proposal by Gov. Tom Corbett to impose a fee on drillers of natural gas in the Marcellus shale isn’t being completely embraced by local elected officials.
While imposition of a levy is a welcome discussion, exactly what is being proposed isn’t garnering large local support.
Corbett’s plan would allow counties to impose fees of up to $160,000 per well over 10 years to help pay for the cost to regulate the drilling and fix the damage it causes to the environment.
Under his plan, counties would have the latitude to impose an impact fee of up to $40,000 per well in a well’s first year. The maximum fee amount would decline to $30,000 in the second year, $20,000 in the third year and $10,000 in the fourth through tenth years of production. After that, it would disappear.
State Rep. Timothy Mahoney, D-South Union, said he doesn’t think the proposal goes far enough.
“We should do like every other state does and tax them,” Mahoney said. “I think it’s a Christmas gift for the gas companies.”
For more details, read Amy Revak’s article in the HeraldStandard.com