State Announces Gas Drilling ‘Impact Fee’ Disbursements

Potter County’s townships and boroughs and the county government itself will be receiving revenue from the state’s new “impact fee” on shale gas drilling before the end of the month. Amount of each check from the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (PUC) is based on gas production that took place in 2011. Annual allotments will continue in future years based on the previous year’s production.

PUC will send the county government $529,536, which has restricted uses by the county commissioners based on regulations that were passed by the legislature in Pa. Act 13. The county will also receive $50,000 from a state-operated “legacy fund” and can use that money for greenways, natural areas and other environmental projects.

Breakdown of payments coming to the townships and boroughs in Potter County by the end of the month is as follows: Abbott $23,660, Allegany $51,922, Austin $8,624, Bingham $19,159, Clara $69,705, Coudersport $43,578, Eulalia $26,432, Galeton $16,016, Genesee $16,155, Harrison $30,702, Hebron $28,837, Hector $48,939, Homer $11,371, Keating $39,171, Oswayo Borough $2,769, Oswayo Township $12,021, Pike $7,798, Pleasant Valley $122,914, Portage $3,185, Roulette $28,915, Sharon $22,189, Shinglehouse $7,454, Stewardson $3,983, Summit $6,481, Sweden $44,018, Ulysses Borough $9,109, Ulysses Township $16,083, West Branch $167,020, Wharton $32,359.

About $204 million has been collected by the PUC. Of that, $108.7 million is being distributed: 36 percent to county governments with wells subject to the fee; 37 percent for host municipalities with wells subject to the fee; and 27 percent for all local governments in counties with wells.

Both the PUC and the Pa. Dept. of Environmental Protection (DEP) have posted information about the Act 13 impact fee and related topics on their websites.