Organizing to Improve Public Policy
The Fracking News: Repeating History??
The Fracking News Last week, just in time for Valentine’s Day Governor Corbett signed HB1950, a real sweetheart deal for the industry. This site has a good summary of the bill. How sweet was the deal? We can start with the drilling fee. It’s the lowest in the nation, and that’s even when you consider the impact of … Read more
The Fracking News – A Big Step Backwards
The Fracking News The big news today is that the PA Senate has passed HB1950, which includes the lowest severance tax from any shale producing state (although they’re still calling it an impact fee), and significant restrictions on municipal zoning. There was some debate in the environmental community as to whether we should pass this bill because … Read more
The Fracking News – Organize, Educate, Agitate
Organize, Educate, and Agitate As you know by now, the county has done the right thing, and sent the recommendations for drilling in the conservation zone back to the planning commission. The Gazette has a good summary here, and a quote from CHC. The planning commission will take up the recommendations again on Feb. 8. Also, … Read more
CHC Update – County Sends it Back! Take Action!
Greetings friends, Another reminder about tonight’s POSTPONED hearing, and a few more details about what comes next below. Hearing Postponed; Recommendations Sent Back!! Tonight’s hearing on recommendations for new regulations in the Indiana County conservation zone has been postponed, and the recommendations have been sent back to the planning commission for further work. This is the … Read more
The Fracking News – How much drilling?
The Fracking News – the short form The DEP numbers on how much drilling is happening in PA do not add up. No wonder it’s so hard to get a straight answer about drilling, no one knows!!! Speaking of no one knows, no one knows about how fracking will affect food safety. At least the … Read more
CHC Update – Yellow Creek Marcellus Event TONIGHT; Jan. 11th HEARING POSTPONED
Greetings, Just a quick reminder about tonight’s event at Yellow Creek: All you ever wanted to know about Marcellus Shale in Indiana County TONIGHT, January 9, 6:30pm Yellow Creek State Park 170 Route 259 , Penn Run, Pennsylvania Environmental Learning Classroom, (behind Dragonfly pond, next to the wind turbine) Please join PennFuture and the Coalition … Read more
The Fracking News – Shaking Things Up!!
The Fracking News The PA Legislature should be getting back to work on figuring out updates to the Oil and Gas Act. There’s still a lot of work to be done. The new year has not improved what we’re expecting, so, The Sierra Club, and PennFuture have echoed CHC’s request that the legislature make a clean start and get … Read more
CHC Update – 2 Events Next Week!!
Happy New Year!! Reminder about two important events for CHC NEXT WEEK, below in reverse chronological order: Wednesday, Jan. 11, 2012, 7:30pm Indiana County Courthouse 825 Philadelphia St # 4th Indiana, PA Public Hearing on Conservation Zone Ordinance revision Send It Back! is the message to our county commissioners on January 11th. A final version of the recommendations … Read more
The Fracking News: WHEN, not IF
The Fracking News Just before Christmas, the PA House voted unanimously to nonconcur in Senate changes to House Bill 1950. Basically it means they didn’t like the Senate’s changes, which will set up a conference committee. Here’s a good description of what comes next, with final votes not expected until the third week of the year. Here’s a great … Read more
The Fracking News – Send it back!!
The Fracking News The PA legislature adjourned for the year without finalizing a shale bill. In a final vote, the Senate adopted a version of HB1950, which sets up a conference committee to fully work out a final comprimse bill between the House and Senate. This conference committee will likley meet in January. On Tuesday … Read more
