The Senate Environmental Resources and Energy Committee approved legislation Tuesday to extend natural gas service into unserved or underserved areas, on sewer lateral funding and an independent counsel for the Environmental Quality Board.  The bills include--

-- Senate Bill 214 (Yaw-R-Lycoming) promoting the expansion of natural gas service into unserved or underserved areas (sponsor summary);

--  Senate Bill 307 (Yudichak-D-Luzerne) providing for an independent counsel for the Environmental Quality Board (sponsor summary); and

--  Senate Bill 289 (Fontana-D-Allegheny) funding for sewage lateral line improvements and repair (sponsor summary).

“The impetus for this bill (Senate Bill 214) started in Bradford County a few years ago,” Sen. Yaw said. “The Center for Rural Pennsylvania held a hearing and during the course of that hearing it became apparent that a significant part of Pennsylvania was not served by natural gas, although we’re sitting on one of the largest deposits of natural gas in the world. This bill will provide the opportunity for residents to obtain gas service should they choose that source of energy.”

"There is widespread interest in seeing locally produced natural gas used locally to benefit our area businesses and homeowners," Sen. Yaw added.

Sen. Gene Yaw (R-Lycoming) serves as Majority Chair and Sen. John Yudichak (D-Luzerne) serves as Minority Chair.

3/2/2015