The Senate Environmental Resources and Energy Committee this week approved legislation encouraging the redevelopment of brownfield sites, setting up a board to resolve coal bed methane rights disputes and on the Allegheny National Forest.

Senate Bill 1330 (D.White-R-Indiana) establishes a process to resolve objections between a surface land owner and the mineral rights estate owner regarding the location of coal bed methane wells or access roads.

The legislation was the product of a process initiated after the Committee held a public hearing on the subject last year. Under the bill, a well operator intending to drill or construct an access road must provide written notification to the surface owner. The notification must advise the surface owner of the right to file objections with a Coal Bed Methane Review Board, which is established by the bill. The Board will work with the surface owner and well operator and attempt to find common ground on the location of the well and accompanying access roads.

Senate Bill 1062 (Wonderling-R-Montgomery) is designed to encourage the redevelopment of contaminated property known as "brownfield sites." The bill authorizes the state Secretary of Environmental Protection to enter into redevelopment agreements with developers who remediate brownfield sites, with developers eligible to receive a reimbursement of up to 75 percent of the remediation costs.

Senate Resolution 294 (MJ.White-R-Venango) addresses a forest management plan adopted by the Allegheny National Forest in February. The plan imposes new restrictions on the development of mineral rights underneath the forest. More than 90 percent of the minerals underneath the forest are privately held, and were retained when the surface was sold to create the forest.

Senate Resolution 294 urges the federal government to re-evaluate the plan, and reaffirms that when the commonwealth allowed land to be acquired to create the Allegheny National Forest it did not confer any authority to the U.S. government to diminish the Commonwealth's property rights or the rights of private property owners.

A similar House Resolution 693 was passed the House in April.

Sen. Mary Jo White (R-Venango) serves as Majority Chair of the Committee and Sen. Ray Musto (D-Luzerne) serves as Minority Chair.

For more information on the Committee's activities, visit the Senate Environmental Resources & Energy Committee webpage.

5/2/2008