“The impact fee plays a vital role in helping our
communities address the impacts of drilling while also benefitting from the
jobs the industry creates,” Owlett said. “I am pleased to see this funding
coming back home instead of being doled out by Harrisburg.”
For the reporting year of 2019, natural gas producers paid
more than $200 million in impact fees statewide, for a total of over $1.9
billion over the past nine years.
Impact fee revenues for 2019 resulted in the following
disbursements in the 68th Legislative District: Bradford County will receive
$4.85 million and Bradford County municipalities will receive $2.6 million;
Potter County will receive $342,619 and Potter County municipalities will
receive $29,551; Tioga County will receive $2.75 million and Tioga County
municipalities will receive $4.8 million.
According to the Public Utility Commission (PUC), which is
the state agency charged with collecting the fee, this year’s distribution is
approximately $42.6 million lower than last year, primarily due to a drop in
the average price of natural gas.
Under Act 13 of 2012, impact fees are collected from the
drilling companies with 60% returned to counties and municipalities affected by
drilling. The rest of the money goes into a Marcellus Shale Legacy Fund, a portion
of which is provided to counties. The remaining funds are used by the state for
emergency response planning, training and other activities; water, storm water,
and sewer system construction and repair; infrastructure maintenance and
repair; as well as statewide environmental initiatives.
