The end begins here.....

[Maurice]

I got this email today. Didn't have time to post, surprised it hasn't shown up here yet. Seems our State Legislature is pushing a bill to eliminate the NPDES permit for Marcellus Shale Gas well site construction. This "Speed bump" referred to by the industry is an unnecessary step is an important milestone toward future permitting and competency truthing. In the language of the bill it is stated that

Section 1. The act of June 22, 1937 (P.L.1987, No.394),
known as The Clean Streams Law, is amended by adding a section
to read:
Section 504. Permits relating to National Pollutant
Discharge Elimination System.--Except as otherwise provided
under the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (62 Stat. 1155, 33
U.S.C. § 1251 et seq.) or Federal regulation, the department
shall not require, consistent with section 402(l)(2) of the
Federal Water Pollution Control Act (62 Stat. 1155, 33 U.S.C. §
1342(l)(2)), a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System
permit for a storm water discharge associated with construction
activity for oil and gas construction activity, unless the oil
and gas construction activity contributes to a violation of
water quality standards.
Section 2. This act shall take effect in 60 days.

Here is the entire Legislation


I am not sure what the course of action being requested by the email I received but I would presume we are being requested to contact our representatives.

 

[David]

Thank you Maurice for posting! I hadn't seen this yet. Disturbing, to say the least. I wonder how much money the drafters of the amendment received from the gas drilling companies?

 

[bikerfish]

I've said it before, I'll say it again, the bastards don't give a #OOPS# about our state or it's future, all they want is the gas. they don't give a rat's *** what is left behind. they care for us as much as the coal companies did.
if this legislation passes, it truly will be the beginning of the end.

 

[tomgamber]

INTRODUCED BY M. WHITE, ORIE, FOLMER, ERICKSON, VOGEL, D. WHITE, MENSCH, EARLL, PICCOLA AND BAKER, JANUARY 27, 2011

All republicans...

....I'm just sayin'...

 

[bikerfish]

Tom, if Onorato would have won, they would have bought him just like they bought Corbett.
we have been sold out.

 

[JackM]

Truth is we all have our price. Question is, how much will it take to buy your soul?

 

[bikerfish]

I've really got nothing to sell :-?
I don't see any kind of severance tax being implented now. they are going to try to ease every regulation against them, these so called "hurdles"
they are running more and more ads on tv proclaiming how great they are.
I always believed if you have to try to sell the idea that your great, your really not that great.

 

[govtmule]

thats unreal...Being a civil engineer and working hard to limit earth disturbances and use BMP's to satisfy requirements is a tough process for a lot of us but we do it. This is a slap in the face....How can New York and PA be at complete opposites sides of this issue?

 

[Maurice]

bikerfish wrote:
Tom, if Onorato would have won, they would have bought him just like they bought Corbett.
we have been sold out.

Thats such BS.....truth is Onorato was campaigning for a gas tax and would have brought some levelness to the playing field. why is it every time the repubs do something you hate you say it would have been no better with the other guy.....just admit it....your party is not behind the things you value.

 

[WildTigerTrout]

My soul is not for sale! I don't know about someone else.

 

[bikerfish]

maurice, I don't have a party. I don't like any politician much, and I trust them about as far as I can throw them. there are things I like and dislike about each side. but back to the argument at hand, the gas companies contributed to both sides, they gave more to corbett, but there is no doubt in my mind if Onorato would have won, they would have pumped many more millions his way. that is what they do.
yes, he wanted the severance tax, and he may have gotten it, but I bet it would have been a fraction of what he originally wanted. don't get me wrong, I would have rather seen onorato in there than corbett.
as for a party being behind the things I value? that is why I'm independant. neither party fits the bill for me. the thing I actually value the most in this state are our state parks. nothing brings me greater joy than camping in our parks and enjoying our land. lets see, the repubs want to drill in them, and when rendell couldn't meet the budget, the first thing he did (two years in a row) was close them and hold them hostage. both sides continually take from their budgets to fund other things.
neither side ever says we need to grow our parks and invest more in them.
how about we use some of this drilling money and expand our park system? build new campgrounds and picnic areas. put young people to work learning a trade, similar to the old ccc.
teach people a trade, give them something they can be proud about, stop just giving handouts with nothing in return.
I could go on and on and on.

 

[bikerfish]

govmule, I hear ya! I'm a builder myself and have to follow certain rules, get permits, get inspections, etc, etc.
then there is the gas industry. must be nice to be above all the rules!

 

[bikerfish]

ha ha, and while they are "donating" millions to the politician of their choice, the gas companies are on TV wanting us to donate to THEM so they can give free gas to folks that can't afford it. hmmm, yeah, where do you want me to send that check?
like I said before, scum!

 

[reds]

I want to start out by saying that I don't think, and pray, that this does not pass. I don't think it will because every other industry that has to abide by these permits will go through the roof.

That being said bikerfish, do you realize that a great deal of the state parks you speak of were bought with money from the old oil and gas fund? Additionally, many of the repairs and improvements done to them came from this same fund. Lastly, state parks only own around 15 percent of the mineral rights under them in the Marcellus region so they liklely will not be leased, but will be drilled.

Lastly, had onorato not gotten the severence tax he wanted it would have been because the repubs did not allow they were the ones who stopped Rendells tax.

 

[bikerfish]

I do know about the old oil and gas fund paying for state parks. and alot of the land for state parks and forests came from the timber industry.
why not continue that idea? with the fund getting bigger, we should have better parks. instead our beloved politicians want to keep cutting funding for parks and using the money elsewhere. yep, I'm selfish, I like my parks, I don't care about most of the other crap they spend the money on. I'm sure alot of it is important to alot of people, just not me.
and with the small percentage of land that state parks have, I think they should be OFF LIMITS, mineral rights or no mineral rights. enough is enough. they can leave some places alone, ain't gonna kill em.
anyways, lets just hope this doesn't pass!

 

[tomgamber]

Shoulda coulda woulda...fact is Corbett sold out. Who didn't, wasn't, might have is all just BS guessing.

And the tea party elected more republicans to the house to ensure legislation like this, authored by other republicans gets passed. I hope they can live with their votes...hopefully the fish can too...

 

[bikerfish]

just a question, not really related to this thread, but does anyone know the requirements for reclaimation after drilling on state land? do they just plant some grass, or do they have to replace the trees they cut down? just curious.

 

[tomgamber]

Wonder if they even have a plan...

 

[jdaddy]

I still believe a severance tax will be implemented. Unfortunately it will go toward the general fund deficit. It's too much "free money" to ignore.

 

[bikerfish]

Wonder if they even have a plan...

Tom, that is what scares me. when I camp in the forest, the rule is "leave no trace", I'm sure the gas companies don't have to follow that rule either.
it would be nice if they had to replant and recontour the land to resemble what was there originally. be nice for our future generations, none of us will ever see the signs erased.