Senate President Pro Tempore Joe Scarnati (R-Jefferson) and Senate Majority Leader Jake Corman (R-Centre) issued the following statement Tuesday regarding 2014 Marcellus Shale impact fee disbursements:

“With 2014 Marcellus Shale impact fee disbursements we will again see over $223 million dollars being collected from the industry for investment by our communities and state.  For over four years our Commonwealth has experienced the substantial benefits of Act 13 of 2012 – bringing the total revenue collected to more than $850 Million. 

“The Marcellus Shale impact fee has done exactly what it was created to do – place a fee on the industry and direct the money back to communities that are affected by drilling, as well as to help support statewide environmental initiatives and monitoring of the industry.

“Through the impact fee it is clear that we have found a way to balance the industry paying their fair share, while fostering strong economic growth across our state. We continue to have severe concerns about Gov. Wolf’s severance tax and the extremely detrimental effect that it would have on jobs and sustained economic growth.  The Independent Fiscal Office analysis projects an average tax rate of over 17 percent under Wolf’s proposed severance tax.

“The shale industry has brought tens of thousands of family-sustaining jobs and economic growth to Pennsylvania, hopefully including a soon-to-be $2 billion ethane cracker plant.  It is important that we continue to see this significant economic growth within our state.”

A copy of the 2014 fee disbursements is available online.  For more information, visit the PUC’s Act 13 Impact Fee webpage.

NewsClips:

PA GOP Projects Impact Fees At $223 Million

PA To Send Out $224M From Drilling Impact Fee

PUC Posts Details On Gas Well Fee Payments

PUC Orders Gas Driller To Pay $500K In Impact Fees

$48M In Impact Fees Coming To Western PA

Impact Fees Total $627K For Lehigh, Northampton

Impact Fees Fund Parks, Trails In Cumberland County

NE PA Sees Increase In Act 13 Impact Fee Disbursements

Video: Turzai, Christiana Discuss Impact Fee Distributions

Northeast Sees Increase In Act 13 Impact Fee Disbursements

House Speaker Says Wolf’s Severance Tax Would Cost Jobs

Turzai Blasts Governor’s Severance Tax Proposal

Drilling Impact Fee Numbers Cited By Severance Tax Foes

Rhetoric Heats Up Over Severance Tax

Op-Ed: Here’s Why Lawmakers Should Support Severance Tax

Editorial: Wolf’s Severance Tax In Its Totality

6/15/2015