Legislative Activity 2009-2010

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Pennsylvania Legislative Activity (2009-2010 Session)

Enacted Pennsylvania Legislation:

• Act 4 of 2010 (House Bill 1847): Amending the Coal Refuse Disposal Control Act (establishing the Coal Bed Methane Review Board; enacted Feb. 1, 2010).
• Act 15 of 2010 (Senate Bill 297): Amending the Oil and Gas Act (amending production reporting requirements; enacted Mar. 22, 2010)
• Act 88 of 2010 (Senate Bill 298): Amending Farmland & Forest Land Assessment Act of 1974 (amending Clean and Green roll-back provisions; enacted Oct. 27, 2010).

Pennsylvania Legislative Resolutions:

• House Resolution 609: Supporting continued State regulation of hydraulic fracturing and urging the Congress of the United States not to approve legislation that would remove State hydraulic fracturing regulating practices under the Safe Drinking Water Act.
• House Resolution 613: Urging the members of the Congress of the United States to promote the drilling of oil and natural gas in the United States to help meet energy demands.
• House Resolution 684: Urging Congress to repeal the provision in the Federal Safe Drinking Water Act that exempts oil and gas industries from restrictions on hydraulic fracturing operations located near drinking water sources; as well as requiring oil and gas industries to disclose all hydraulic fracturing chemicals and chemical constituents.
• House Resolution 729: Directing the Legislative Budget and Finance Committee to review the Commonwealth's current laws and regulations governing the development of natural gas within the Marcellus Shale formation.
• House Resolution 813: Directing the Department of Environmental Protection to cease and desist issuing, on an expedited basis, Erosion and Sediment Controls General Permits for natural gas drilling activities before conducting a technical review of the permit application.

Pennsylvania Legislative Hearings:

• Impact of Marcellus Shale Drilling on Employment Opportunities (Senate Majority Policy Committee Public Hearing, Nov. 18, 2010)
• Marcellus Shale Gathering Lines and Pipelines (House Majority Policy Committee Public Hearing, June 7, 2010)
• Marcellus Shale Severance Tax (House Finance Committee Hearing, May 20, 2010)
• Marcellus Shale (House Majority Policy Committee Public Hearing, May 20, 2010)
• Marcellus Shale Severance Tax (House Finance Committee Hearing, May 13, 2010)
• Marcellus Shale Severance Tax (House Finance Committee Hearing, May 12, 2010)
• Marcellus Shale Severance Tax (House Finance Committee Hearing, May 11, 2010)
• Marcellus Shale Gas Pipeline Issues (Senate Majority Policy Committee Public Hearing, May 11, 2010)
• Marcellus Shale Well Permit Monitoring and Chemical Disclosure (House Environmental Resources and Energy Committee Hearing, Apr. 7, 2010)
• Wastewater Issues Regarding the Marcellus Shale (Senate Majority Policy Committee Public Hearing, Apr. 7, 2010)
• The Department of Environmental Protection’s Permitting Process (Senate Majority Policy Committee Public Hearing, Mar. 16, 2010)
• Marcellus Shale Hydraulic Fracturing Chemical Disclosure (House Environmental Resources and Energy Committee Hearing, Feb. 18, 2010)
• Water Issues and Development of the Marcellus Shale (House Majority Policy Committee Energy Task Force Public Hearing,  Nov. 9, 2009)
• Allegheny Forest (House Majority Policy Committee Hearing, May 5, 2009)
• Oil and Gas Exploration in the Allegheny National Forest (House Majority Policy Committee Public Hearing, May 1, 2009)
• Marcellus Shale Play (House Environmental Resources and Energy Committee Hearing, Apr. 15, 2009)
• Marcellus Shale (Senate Majority Policy Committee Public Hearing, Apr. 9, 2009)
• Marcellus Shale Severance Tax (House Appropriations Committee Hearing, Apr. 3, 2009)
• Marcellus Shale Exploration (House Environmental Resources and Energy Committee Hearing, Mar. 31, 2009)