PA Governor Corbett Appeals Commonwealth Court Decision on New Marcellus Shale Law

HARRISBURG, Pa., July 27, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Governor Tom Corbett today announced that the state has appealed to the state Supreme Court yesterday's Commonwealth Court split decision which set aside key provisions of the state's new Marcellus Shale law.

"The provisions struck down by the Commonwealth Court are critically important for job creators who are employing more than 240,000 Pennsylvanians, for landowners seeking to exercise their property rights, and for local governments looking for guidance on how they may reasonably regulate oil and gas operations," Corbett said. "The provisions are also integral to the enhanced environmental standards and impact fee revenue portions of the Act. Indeed, there would be no Act without each of these crucial pieces."

"It is important to note that the provisions casually set aside by the court were the result of months of compromise and negotiation, with significant input and support from Pennsylvania's local government associations," Corbett said. "Both the County Commissioners Association of Pennsylvania and the Pennsylvania State Association of Township Supervisors, which represents 1,455 municipalities, urged passage of the law. This decision endangers the jobs of tens of thousands of Pennsylvanians and deprives citizens of their property rights.

"It is the General Assembly and Governor's prerogative to establish policy; it is the court's job to pass judgment on the constitutionality of this policy, not its merits. Act 13 clearly meets the constitutionality test, and I am confident the Supreme Court will adhere to its responsibility in a prompt and timely manner."

For more information, visit www.pa.gov.

Media contact: Eric Shirk, 717-783-1116

SOURCE Pennsylvania Office of the Governor