On January 16, the Commonwealth Financing Authority approved an estimated $27 million in funding for 166 local recreation, watershed protection, flood mitigation, sewage facility and an abandoned conventional oil well plugging.

The projects were funded by Act 13 drilling impact fees assessed on unconventional shale gas drillers annually.  Conventional oil and gas operators do not pay this fee.

The number of projects funded in each Act 14 support program include--

-- Abandoned Mine Drainage Treatment: None

-- Baseline Water Quality Data: None

-- Greenways, Trails and Recreation: 135 Projects, $21.1 million

-- Watershed Protection: 15 Projects, $2.1 million

-- Flood Mitigation: 11 Projects, $2.4 million

-- Sewage Facilities Program: 4 Projects, $111,000

-- Orphan or Abandoned Well Plugging: 1 Project, $139,801

Click Here for a list of projects approved.

In 2022, the CFA awarded $18.2 million in grants for the Act 13 programs.  Read more here.

Act 13 fees yielded a record $278.9 million in revenue in 2023 to support this program and direct funding and allocations to local and county governments.

Fees To Drop In 2024

The Independent Fiscal Office, however, projects a $104.8 million drop in Act 13 fee revenue for fees due in 2024 to $174 million due to the way the fee is calculated.  Read more here.

The Act 13 fees are based on the number of wells drilled and producing gas.  They are not based on the amount of gas produced by the wells, like other gas producing states do.  423 new unconventional shale gas wells were drilled in 2023.

In contrast, natural gas production in Pennsylvania has steadily climbed, with a few small decreases, according to the Independent Fiscal Office.  Read more here.

[Note: In 2022, Sen. Gene Yaw (R-Lycoming), Majority Chair of the Senate Environmental Resources and Energy Committee, received 20.5% of all Act 13 drilling impact fees collected for his Senatorial district in Bradford, Lycoming, Sullivan, Susquehanna and Union counties.  Read more here.]

Natural Gas Pipeline Funding

The CFA also approved a $552,084 grant to the Lycoming Mall in Lycoming County to extend a natural gas pipeline to serve the facility under the Pipeline Investment Program.

CFA accepts applications for the PIPE Program at any time.

New Act 13 Grant Round Opening

The Commonwealth Financing Authority begins accepting applications for Act 13 Program watershed restoration, abandoned mine drainage abatement, baseline water quality data, orphaned or abandoned well plugging, sewage facilities, flood mitigation programs and recreation grants on February 1.

The deadline for applications is May 31.

Applicants are strongly urged to contact their House and Senate member to make them aware you intend to submit an application for funding under these programs and ask for their endorsement.

2023 Oil & Gas Compliance Reports:

-- DEP Issued At Least 512 Violations To 95 Conventional Oil & Gas Operators For Abandoning Wells Without Plugging Them In 2023; 10 Shale Gas Operators Were Issued NOVs For Abandoning Wells  [PaEN]

-- DEP Issues Record 6,860 Notices Of Violation To Conventional Oil & Gas Operators In 2023-- Nearly 52% More Than In 2021; ‘Culture Of Non-Compliance’ Continues  [PaEN]

-- 2023 Shale Gas Operator Compliance Report: 1,310 Violations; Explosions; Pad Fire, Evacuation; Uncontrolled Gas Venting; Frack-Outs; Polluting Water Supply; Spills; Pipeline Crashing Thru A Home; More  [PaEN]

-- PA Environment Digest: Articles On Oil & Gas Facility Impacts

PA Oil & Gas Industry Public Notice Dashboards:

-- PA Oil & Gas Weekly Compliance Dashboard - Jan. 4 to 12 - 9 More Abandoned Conventional Wells; Leaking Wastewater Tanks; Rager Mountain Gas Storage Area Cleanup Continues; Pipeline Land Slips  [PaEN]

-- PA Oil & Gas Industrial Facilities: Permit Notices/Opportunities To Comment - January 13  [PaEN]

-- DEP Posted 61 Pages Of Permit-Related Notices In January 13 PA Bulletin  [PaEN]

Related Articles - Watersheds:

-- Game Commission: Howard Nursery Seedling Sale Accepting Orders; Seedlings For Schools Program Ordering Begins Feb. 5  [PaEN]

-- PA Interfaith Power & Light, Chesapeake Bay Foundation Offering Free Native Trees & Shrubs To Plant This Spring Anywhere In PA [PaEN]

-- DCNR Begins Accepting Community Conservation Partnership Grant Applications Jan. 16; Snowmobile/ATV Grants Feb. 1 [PaEN]

-- CFA Begins Accepting Applications For Act 13 Watershed Restoration, Mine Reclamation, Sewage, Flood Mitigation, Recreation Grants Feb. 1 [PaEN]

Related Articles This Week:

-- Apply Now For Schuylkill River Restoration Fund Grants, Deadline Feb. 15  [PaEN]

-- From Trees To Teaching, Master Watershed Steward Cindy Pizziketti Makes A Difference In York County; Sign Up Now For Master Steward Spring Training  [PaEN]

-- DEP Awards $101.1 Million In Federally-Funded Grants To Support Local Abandoned Mine-Related Restoration; Deadline For Next Round Of Grants Feb. 19  [PaEN]

-- Trout Unlimited: Bipartisan Abandoned Mine Cleanup 'Good Samaritan' Bill Reported Unanimously From US Senate Committee  [PaEN]

-- CFA Approves $27 Million In Watershed, Recreation Projects Funded By Act 13 Drilling Impact Fees; Fees Dropping $104 Million In 2024; New Grant Round Opening  [PaEN]

-- Agenda Announced!  Interfaith Partners For The Chesapeake Bay Faith & Waters Restoration Summit Feb. 19  [PaEN]

-- Registration Open For March 23 Watershed Congress At Montgomery County Community College; Call For Presenters  [PaEN]

-- 2024 Woodland Owners Conference Set For Feb. 10 In Clarion  [PaEN]

-- PA Organization For Watersheds & Rivers Hosts Feb. 6 Webinar On Creating Stronger Connections: A Communication Best Practices Workshop  [PaEN]

-- DEP Releases Final Guidance On Environmental Considerations In Using Trenchless Technology To Construct Natural Gas, Other Pipelines  [PaEN]

-- Susquehanna River Basin Commission Sets Feb. 1 Hearing On Water Withdrawal Requests, Including 8 Related To Shale Gas Development; And On Cooperative Fish Nursery General Permit  [PaEN]

-- DEP Sets Feb. 21 Meeting/Hearing On Proposed Expansion Of Pierson Rheems Quarry In Donegal Creek Watershed, Lancaster County  [PaEN]

-- Penn State Extension: Homeowner Perspectives Needed For On-Lot Septic System Maintenance Survey; More!  [PaEN]

-- Berks County-based Rodale Institute, Propagate Ag Design, Implementation Firm Form Partnership To Grow Adoption Of Agroforestry  [PaEN]

-- PA Cong. Thompson, Deluzio Introduce Bipartisan Bill To Provide Flexibility To States Implementing The Federal Conventional Orphan Oil & Gas Well Plugging Program  [PaEN]

-- Help Wanted: Sign-Up Begins Jan. 29 For Pittsburgh-based Landforce Crew Member Workforce Training Program; Projects Also Wanted  [PaEN]

[Posted: January 17, 2024]

1/22/2024