Real Life Real Issue -- Marcellus Shale impact fee

Friday, 20 May 2011 14:03

Real Life Real Issue -- Marcellus Shale impact fee

Written by Scott LaMar, Director of Radio Smart Talk

Radio Smart Talk for Monday, May 23:

Natural gas drilling beneath the Marcellus Shale affects the land under which the drilling and extraction takes place, but also the community that surrounds it. While much has been stated about the potential economic benefits of a company moving into town to drill for natural gas, according to local and county governments, gas drilling creates higher costs in infrastructure, law enforcement and environmental protection.

Gas companies cite efforts to work with local governments to mitigate such costs, but some would still like to see funds developed and designated for local communities to address this impact.

We'll explore the local impact of natural gas extraction beneath the Marcellus Shale as part of our continuing Real Life | Real Issues series for May.

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# Jim 2011-05-23 08:55

Let's see if I've got this right - if I own a house, I pay real estate taxes on this property. If I own an office building, I pay property taxes on that. If I own a manufacturing plant, I pay property taxes on that. But, if I drill for oil or gas, and in the process tear up the roads, cause noise pollution and inject mysterious chemicals into the substructure, I pay no taxes on this. And every other state around me DOES impose a tax on this activity.

Now, please explain to me again why this is fair and reasonable?

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# Robert Colgan 2011-05-23 09:22

I saw in Risk And Insurance magazine where insurance underwriters are deeply concerned about the damages from shale drilling decades from now . . . looking for ways to avoid accountability for the longterm costs to protect insurers.

The immediate costs such as road damage and water use are obvious ones ----but the industry people know that it is over the long haul that the real costs mount: environmental health is the victim.

The benefits of the drilling industry, like the benefits of building weapons and using them in warfare, means jobs and profits for some but ultimately society pays for those short term profits, and society is lesser for it.

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# Jeremy 2011-05-23 09:35

I don't know if either of your guests are qualified to answer this question but, "Will the impact fee be considered by an oil/gas company as Post Production Cost?" If so, given the Pa Supreme court case of, "Kilmer v. Elexco, No. 2008-57," won't that fee just be passed onto Pa residents in their 1/8 royalty?

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# Bonita 2011-05-23 10:05

I fear that PA will look like West Virginia when they cleared all the mountain tops for coal . This will be a very sad day for PA to know that the state learned nothing from the days of oil and coal earlier. the future of pa is in a disaster situation. the gas is also being sent over seas and we are all be duped !!!!!!!

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