Law enforcement officials are doing the best they can with the resources they have, but with the natural gas industry wreaking havoc all over the state, they're left playing a "Whack-a-mole" style of policing. It's nearly impossible to keep up with the results of the blatant disregard drillers seem to have for PA residents and resources (natural or otherwise). State officials failed to pass a severance tax through the Senate by October 1st that could provide much needed funds to help ensure drillers abide by regulations; instead the industry continues to pretty much 'regulate' itself in most of the state. One has to wonder how many other wetlands of "exceptional value" are being knowingly ruined by these companies.
The gas industry doesn't care what laws they're breaking, what roads they're tearing up or what land they're ruining. They don't have to; they're not from here, but from states like OK, TX or KS-- here to do a job. And they're buying our elections to help ensure they're left to continue 'regulating' and policing their own. See previous post: Just who is buying *your* candidate?
Tax or not, Marcellus Shale drilling is costing Pennsylvania.
State lawmakers agreed back in July to pass a tax on natural gas extraction in the Marcellus Shale by October 1st. They failed to meet that self-imposed deadline, and now it's looking likely that nothing will happen on the tax until after November because the State House has adjourned for the election.
That's bad news because the state desperately needs new sources of revenue. It's also mind-boggling because companies mining in the Marcellus Shale are taking a huge toll on Pennsylvania's infrastructure.
We'll start in Derry Township, where the large trucks used by natural gas drillers are tearing up newly paved roads.
With three wells completed for Marcellus Shale drilling and 30 more planned, Derry Township supervisors say they're concerned about damage done to roads by heavy equipment. On Thursday morning, the supervisors took state Sen. Kim Ward on a walking tour of damaged streets -- including Superior Road, which they say was paved last year but has large ruts and piles of gravel today.
There are other problems outside of Derry. The state police have taken 140 trucks, mostly used by natural gas drillers, out of service statewide because they failed inspection. The increased enforcement is a response to the large number of vehicles inundating roads in regions with a lot of drilling.
Out in Tioga County, the Department of Environmental Protection has issued a $40,000 fine to a drilling company for several violations.
DEP inspected the Bloss Township, Tioga County, site in March and found that Seneca Resources Corp. of Brookville had filled nearly one acre of “exceptional value” wetland without authorization, improperly built an impoundment, and caused sediment runoff by failing to institute erosion control best management practices.
What do all these incidents have in common? They're examples of how state and local government have been forced to respond to the impact of Marcellus Shale drilling, even though the legislature has failed to pass a severance tax to generate revenue to pay for these responses. Clearly, the impact of drilling is real. Without the proper resources, it's impossible for government agencies across Pennsylvania to ensure the industry does more good than harm.
No comments:
Post a Comment