House Bill 1847 (Harhai-D-Westmoreland)establishing a special review board to arbitrate coal bed methane well-location disputes between land owners and gas companies received final legislative approval this week and is headed to the Governor for his action.

"We have learned over the last century in dealing with coal mine refuse piles that they're not only unsightly, but they can damage the environment, too. Compounds leach out of the material over time, and, without proper control, pollute ground and surface water," said Rep. Ted Harhai. "My bill would minimize future damage that could come from new coal refuse piles that otherwise could be placed in an environmentally sensitive location.  We have enough remediation and clean-up challenges already. We don't need more."

The bill creates five-member Coal Bed Methane Review Board to consider objections by property owners and reach agreements with gas companies on issues such as the location of coal bed methane wells and/or access roads. Currently, disputes between surface land owners and the holders of mineral rights for those properties are often unresolved as landowners have very little recourse if they do not approve of the location of a CBM well.

The proposed Coal Bed Methane Review Board will be made up of a member appointed by the Pennsylvania Farm Bureau, a member appointed jointly by the Pennsylvania Oil and Gas Association, the Independent Oil and Gas Association and the Pennsylvania Coal Association, and a member appointed jointly by the deans of the College of Agricultural Sciences and the College of Earth and Mineral Sciences of Penn State University. The board is required to make a decision within 10 days from the time a hearing is held on a CBM well location dispute.

2/1/2010