09/16/24 - 98 New Stories - REAL Environmental & Conservation Leadership In PA: http://tinyurl.com/2zvd7hju
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Rep. Harper To Introduce Marcellus Shale Severance Tax To Support Growing Greener
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Rep. Kate Harper (R-Montgomery) this week announced she will be introducing a new Marcellus Shale natural gas production severance tax she says will answer many of the criticisms other proposals have attracted. Monies collected from the severance tax would be used to support the Environmental Stewardship Fund (Growing Greener Program), distributed to counties and municipalities affected by drilling, used to support community colleges and higher education in the Commonwealth, fund county conservation districts and for other purposes.
"As we continue to experience the growth of his industry in Pennsylvania, this new source of revenue will provide important funding for a variety of programs that continue to face difficult economic conditions," said Rep. Harper in a memo to House members inviting co-sponsors for the new bill.
The legislation uses a tax formula similar to that of Arkansas and would assess a tax of 1.5 percent of the gross value of units severed at the wellhead during the first 60 months of production and a 5 percent gross value of units during reporting periods thereafter for wells producing in excess of 90,000 cubic feet of gas per day.
Revenue collected through the tax would be distributed into the Natural Gas Severance Tax Account to be distributed as follows:
-- 32 percent to the Education Supplemental Account whereby 2/3 would be used to support basic education and one-third would be to support community colleges and higher education in the Commonwealth;
-- 29.6 percent to the Environmental Stewardship Fund (Growing Greener);
-- 32 percent to the Local Government Services Account, to be further distributed to counties and municipalities affected by natural gas drilling, as well as ten percent to the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency;
-- 1.6 percent to the Hazardous Sites Cleanup Fund;
-- 1.3 percent to the Conservation District Fund for distribution to county conservation districts pursuant to guidelines established by the State Conservation Commission;
-- 1.4 percent to the Fish and Boat Commission;
-- 1.3 percent to the Department of Public Welfare to provide cash and crisis grants to low-income households under the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program; and
-- 0.8 percent to the Department of Environmental Protection for State dam removal, restoration and repair projects.
Rep. Harper can be contacted through her website.
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4/18/2011 |
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