One the biggest fears for people living near drilling is the possibility of their drinking water being polluted.  We expect the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to look out for us, to safeguard this vital resource and to alert us when issues arise that may impact our health and drinking water. Unfortunately, DEP has let us down -our trust has been shaken and eroded by the recent uncovering of a controversial DEP policy and practice. You can help us change it and protect our communities today!

Earlier this year, Clean Water Action worked with a coalition of groups to win a strong buffer rule of 50 feet in the city. The buffer is vital as it prevents buildings from being constructed too close to rivers and streams and ensures pollutants from stormwater are filtered before reaching our waterways. It was our biggest victory in years.

By Myron Arnowitt, Pennsylvania Director

Over the past two years Governor Tom Corbett and the anti-environment, pro-gas industry legislature have dramatically increased the favors and handouts for those who profit from gas drilling in our state. Passage of Act 13 earlier this year opened up gas drilling and pipelines to virtually anywhere in the state. Act 13 took local zoning control away from townships where it  was being used to keep drilling out of neighborhoods and away from schools.

Over the past two years Governor Tom Corbett and the anti-environment, pro-gas industry legislature have dramatically increased the favors and handouts for those who profit from gas drilling in our state. Passage of Act 13 earlier this year opened up gas drilling and pipelines to virtually anywhere in the state. Act 13 took local zoning control away from townships where it  was being used to keep drilling out of neighborhoods and away from schools.

At the same time, our elected representatives have made unacceptable cuts to the budget for the Department of Environmental Protection, while giving billion dollar tax breaks to billion dollar companies like Shell. If the current leadership in Harrisburg is allowed to continue its agenda, even more damage will be done to Pennsylvania’s natural resources and our water supplies will put at greater risk than any time in recent history. It’s time to put a stop to this — with your votes on November 6th. Read more

Before the plan to fix our sewers gets submitted to the EPA, changes need to be made. Right now, our local sewer authority is planning to build giant tunnels under our rivers that will cost us more than $2 billion and not even fix the problem of raw sewage going into our rivers. This is not acceptable.

Green solutions need to be a part of the plan! Infrastructure like green roofs, permeable pavement, rain gardens and street trees will capture stormwater where it falls. These solutions help us improve air quality, revitalize business districts, create permanent jobs and increase home values.

This is your chance to help the Clean Rives Campaign - endorse it today!

WEST CHESTER — During a second public hearing, community members urged the state Department of Environmental Protection to reject Transco’s pipeline proposal.

Local politicians, environmental concerns and interested individuals attended the hearing to view a proposal given by theTranscontinental Gas and Pipeline Co., also known as Transco.

Shenango Inc. will pay a $1.75 million penalty to settle serious air and water pollution violations from 2005 to the present at its coke works on Neville Island, according to a filing in U.S. District Court in Pittsburgh Tuesday.

Pennsylvania remains the largest U.S. state without a tax on natural gas production, thanks in part to a study released under the banner of the Pennsylvania State University.

The 2009 report predicted drillers would shun Pennsylvania if new taxes were imposed, and lawmakers cited it the following year when they rejected a 5 percent tax proposed by then- Governor Ed Rendell.

“As an advocacy tool, it worked,” Michael Wood, research director with the non-profit Pennsylvania Budget and Policy Center in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, said in an interview. “If people wanted to find a reason to vote against having the industry taxed in that way, that gave them reason to do it.”

Background:  Chief is a privately owned company which is somewhat unique among Marcellus drillers. Its shares do not trade on the stock market and make it less open to public scrutiny of its activities. Chief cut back its footprint in PA. They have 261 permits and drilled 148 wells in Bradford, Sullivan, Wyoming, and Susquehanna Counties. They sold off their assets outside those counties to EXCO Resources. They also operated pipelines in PA but sold those to Penn Virginia Resource Partners. They have PA offices in Harrisburg, Wexford, and Uniontown. Chief’s Vice President of Government and Regulatory Affairs is Terry R.

Background:  Range is headquartered in Fort Worth, TX with PA offices located in Harrisburg and Canonsburg at Southpointe. They are one of the major drilling companies in SWPA. They are banking on this region as their future and have divested themselves of holdings in other parts of the country. They have 965 permits and haved drilled 553 wells. They have made a large investment in print, TV, and radio ads depicting families that are able to fulfill their dreams since the arrival of shale gas drilling.