PA Governor Tom Wolf Restores Fracking Moratorium In State Parks And Forests

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Last edited Fri Jan 30, 2015, 11:05 AM - Edit history (1)

Fulfilling a campaign promise, Gov. Wolf on Thursday reinstated a moratorium on natural gas drilling on state parklands. It came less than a year after his predecessor lifted the ban. The executive order protects about a million acres - or 60 percent - of Pennsylvania state parks and forests that sit atop the natural gas-rich Marcellus Shale formation.

Fracking companies that already have leases on public lands can continue to operate. And new leases may be signed to drill under land for which the state lacks "subsurface" rights.

The decision, which Wolf announced at a news conference in Benjamin Rush State Park in Northeast Philadelphia, marked the latest turn in the state's attempt to accommodate its burgeoning natural gas industry while addressing concerns about the environmental impact of widespread drilling.

Gov. Ed Rendell imposed the ban in 2010, and his Republican successor, Tom Corbett, lifted it last year. Corbett had projected up to $95 million in revenue from leases that would have been signed.

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http://www.philly.com/philly/news/politics/20150130_Wolf_restores_fracking_ban_in_state_parkland.html

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1. Good news for us in PA, but it isn't a ban, it's a moratorium.

from the article>

Wolf's moratorium is in stark contrast with the New York governor's decision last month to bar fracking statewide. Andrew Cuomo, a Democrat, instituted his ban after a state report cited health concerns over contaminated drinking water and air pollution.

Wolf has taken a much more moderate stance, pushing for a new fracking tax to help offset shortfalls in education funding. Pennsylvania remains the only major natural gas-producing state without such a tax, although energy companies have paid more than $600 million since 2011 in impact fees to municipalities that host drilling operations.

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2. Fixed, thanks!

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