Sep. 20, 2019
TUNKHANNOCK – Standing alongside county officials and leaders of local production companies that currently pay the Marcellus Shale impact fee, Rep. Jonathan Fritz (R-Susquehanna/Wayne) voiced his continued support of the natural gas industry and the benefits the impact fee has generated across the Commonwealth at an event in Tunkhannock sponsored by the Marcellus Shale Coalition.
“The revenue the impact fee generates goes to rural counties and rural municipalities, like ours,” said Fritz. “It is a rare example of funds benefiting country regions instead of cities. It is essential that we protect the present structure and prevent any redirection into the Harrisburg black hole.”
Wayne County Commissioner Brian Smith, also in attendance of this event, added, “Act 13 is absolutely functional and helps distribute funds across the state especially in Wayne County. We have been able to use the funds from the impact fee to help leverage many more grant funds, especially grants aimed at preserving our local historical sites.”
Act 13 of 2012 established the Marcellus Shale impact fee to support communities in which drilling takes place as well as revenue source for statewide environmental and conservation programs. One of the recent concerns is that, should the governor be successful in imposing a severance tax, the tax would replace the impact fee and send all the money to Harrisburg instead of being distributed back into the counties and municipalities.
Founded in 2008, the Marcellus Shale Coalition works with exploration and production, midstream and supply chain partners in the Appalachian Basin and across the country to address issues regarding the production of clean, job-creating, American natural gas from the Marcellus and Utica Shale plays.
Representative Jonathan Fritz
111th Legislative District
Pennsylvania House of Representatives
Media Contact: Abby Krueger
717.260.6617
akrueger@pahousegop.com
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