Pennsylvania

Legislation Filed to Create State Hydraulic Fracturing Health Registry

Last week, Pennsylvania State Rep. Karen Boback (R-Columbia/Luzerne/Wyoming) filed new legislation that would require health care practitioners to report all health concerns that may be related to hydraulic fracturing in order to create a statewide registry to evaluate health impacts in the Marcellus Shale. This action follows recommendations arising from the 2011 Governor’s Marcellus Shale Advisory Commission.  Rep. Greg Vitali (D-Delaware) previously introduced similar legislation calling for health studies in areas with high drilling activities.  Rep. Vitali’s bill has stalled in the Pennsylvania House’s Environmental Resources and Energy Committee.

Speaking at the Shale Insight Conference, former Pennsylvania Governor Tom Ridge stated, “I think there will wind up being a severance tax in this state[…] Just my feeling,” nothing that he believes movement on a tax will occur after the November elections. Governor Corbett, who is up for reelection this November, has been opposed to a severance tax out of fears that it will hurt the shale industry. Corbett is currently down in the polls to Democrat Tom Wolf by an average of 16 points, according to Real Clear Politics.