Jun. 20, 2023
HARRISBURG – State Rep. Clint Owlett (R-Tioga/Bradford) announced today nearly $23.7 million in impact fees from the natural gas drilling industry are coming back to the counties and municipalities in the 68th Legislative District.
“This is great news for our rural communities,” Owlett said. “The impact fee continues to play a vital role in helping our communities address the impacts of drilling while we also benefit from the jobs the industry creates.”
For the reporting year of 2022, natural gas producers paid nearly $279 million in impact fees statewide, for a total of over $2.5 billion over the past 11 years.
Impact fee revenues for 2022 resulted in the following disbursements in the 68th Legislative District:
• Bradford County will receive $7.1 million and Bradford County municipalities in the district will receive $5.5 million.
• Tioga County will receive $4 million and Tioga County municipalities will receive $7 million.
According to the Public Utility Commission (PUC), which is the state agency charged with collecting the fee, this year’s distribution is approximately $44 million more than last year, primarily due to the increase 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.
To view detailed reports of the funding distribution, visit
PUC.pa.gov.
Representative Clint Owlett
68th District
Pennsylvania House of Representatives
Media Contact: Patricia Hippler
717.772.9846
phippler@pahousegop.com
RepOwlett.com /
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