Gas Muse 9/6/2008 Change the Names and It Could be Here - Part 2
Appearing in today’s Binghamton Press.
http://www.pressconnects.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080906/NEWS01/809060344/1001/news
It appears the public officials aren’t thinking about the public trust any more in Upstate New York than they are here.
With the amount of money involved in this “play”, why haven’t local officials, among a hundred other items, when leasing public land, made sure they residents of the affected boroughs and school districts made sure that natural gas would be available at market prices for the residents/schools? The argument that it would cost too much is ridiculous.
So when will we have a public investigation of the lack of support, uninformed choices and misuse of the public trust of our local, county and state officials here? They have effectively given away what is potentially the largest single asset they hold - other than our clean water.
You aren’t holding your breath are you? You may need to before it’s all over…
Your thoughts
September 6th, 2008 at 1:15 pm
The County Commissioners Association of Pennsylvania is not interested. This is the page showing their 2008 Legislative Priorities:
http://www.pacounties.org/commissioners/cwp/view.asp?a=1130&q=551589
Their only interest is making money off the gas and oil. Here is the Alert to hell pass HB1373:
http://capwiz.com/pataxfairness/issues/alert/?alertid=11731151&type=CU&show_alert=1
The PA League of Cities & Municipalities doesn’t seem to be very interested either. Here is a list of their priorities:
http://www.plcm.org/index.asp?Type=B_BASIC&SEC={97C6FA97-218A-4D62-AC27-36A60CFCF20D}&DE={D8A6497E-2395-4160-B119-E7FE8D77AC95}
The Pennsylvania State Association of Boroughs also appears to have no interest:
http://www.boroughs.org/legislative/adoptedresolutions0608.pdf
The Pennsylvania State Association of Township Supervisors do not mention the subject in their policy:
http://www.psats.org/Policy_Statement_07-08.pdf
They do have an information page:
http://www.psats.org/townships_today_archive_spring08.html
From the Pennsylvania General Assembly:
HB2227:
http://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/billinfo/billinfo.cfm?&syear=2007&sind=0&body=H&type=B&bn=2227
Senate Bill 1127:
http://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/billinfo/billinfo.cfm?&syear=2007&sind=0&body=S&type=B&bn=1127
House Bill 1373
http://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/billinfo/billinfo.cfm?&syear=2007&sind=0&body=H&type=B&bn=1373
The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection has a new Marcellus page:
http://www.dep.state.pa.us/dep/deputate/minres/OILGAS/new_forms/Marcellus/Marcellus.htm
The health and safety of Pennsylvania residents relative to gas drilling is not on the radar screen of our government - at any level.
September 7th, 2008 at 4:01 pm
I like your thinking of including in municipal leases for gas drilling that those doing the leasing (TAXPAYERS OF THAT PARTICULAR MUNICIPAL ENTITY) be given the opportunity to acquire some of the gas at a reduced price. Is not reducing expenses as much of an economic stimulus as increasing income? Following this same line of thought, as you fault our political leaders for not doing this, how many folks signing leases are or have included this addendum to their personal leases? From those I have reviewed few if any have?Everyone seems more intent on getting more cash as opposed to more value, That is human nature.I quess local political leaders (school boards,townships,counties,boroughs, ect.)have that human nature problem too.
September 9th, 2008 at 12:42 pm
Susquehanna County “Clean and Green”
If you have 200 acre farm in “Clean and Green” and you permit a gas well to be drilled on your property, the entire 200 acres will be in violation of “Clean and Green”. This means that you will have to “roll back” the entire 200 acres. “Roll back” means that you will have to pay the full taxes on your 200 acres for the current year and the previous six years.
The idea that “only the five acres surrounding the well” will be rolled back and the remaining 195 acres remain in “Clean and Green” is wrong.
And, as previously stated here, if you are reimbursed that roll back expense by the drilling company, that money will be treated as “ordinary income” for the purpose of state and federal taxes.
September 10th, 2008 at 9:32 am
Based on the original posting concerning elected officials and their response or lack of it, I am confused as to Thompson’s input. Is Thompson indicating this as appropriate or inappropriate action by certain officials?
October 12th, 2008 at 6:25 am
Penn State has a new booklet: “Natural Gas Exploration - A Landowner’s Guide to Leasing Land in Pennsylvania”. It is available free from the Penn State Extension Office in Montrose or on line at
http://naturalgaslease.pbwiki.com/f/gasprimer08_web.pdf
There is also a sample lease on the web site:
http://naturalgaslease.pbwiki.com/f/PaidUpOilGasLease.pdf