House Concurrent Regulatory Review Resolution #1 to kill DEP’s final conventional (Chapter 78) and unconventional (Chapter 78a) drilling regulations remains on the House Calendar and could be voted on at any time when the House comes back to session starting May 16.

As reported last week by PA Environment Digest, discussions are ongoing between House and Senate Republicans and other legislators and the Wolf Administration on whether a deal could be reached to avoid a vote on the Resolution.

The price of avoiding a vote to kill the entire package, however, could be killing the regulations in Chapter 78 applying to conventional drilling and making DEP start over or making other changes to the regulation, already approved by the Environmental Quality Board and the Independent Regulatory Review Commission.

Ultimately, if the House and Senate go ahead and pass the resolution killing the drilling regulations, Gov. Wolf will have to decide whether he will use his veto again and whether that veto could be sustained in the Senate and House.

The House and Senate have 30 calendar days (June 2) or 10 legislative days (June 10) whichever is later to take final action on the resolution.

Interestingly, an electronic copy of HCR Resolution #1 is not available on the General Assembly’s website.

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NewsClips:

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Op-Ed: Protect Public From Environmental Hazards Of Drilling, Adopt DEP Regulations

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Analysis: Will The Confrontation Over Drilling Regs Kill The Entire Package?

PA Environmental Council Urges Committee Not To Oppose DEP Final Drilling Regs

5/16/2016