Gov. Tom Corbett announced on Monday that Pennsylvania's Act 13 has generated more than $204.2 million through a new Marcellus Shale natural gas impact fee.
Most of that money will be distributed directly to local municipalities across the state within the next 10 days.
Baldwin-Whitehall's slice of the pie amounts to $795.26. Baldwin Borough gets $444.69, Whitehall Borough gets $304.55, and Baldwin Township gets $46.02.
Corbett said that county and municipal leaders may use these funds for various
expenses related to impacts from natural gas development, including:
- Construction, repair and maintenance of roads, bridges and other public infrastructure
- Water, storm water and sewer system construction and repair
- Emergency-response preparedness, training and equipment, and recruitment of responders
- Preservation and reclamation of surface and subsurface water supplies
- Records management, geographic information systems and information technology
- Projects that increase the availability of affordable housing for low-income residents
- Delivery of social services, including domestic relations, drug and alcohol treatment, job training, and counseling;
- Offsetting increased judicial system costs, including training
- Assistance to county conservation districts for inspection, oversight and enforcement of natural gas development
- County or municipal planning
Under Act 13, state agencies with responsibility and oversight of natural gas
development will receive $25.5 million in funding, including the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission, the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency, the Office of the State Fire Commissioner and the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission.
In addition, 60 percent of the remaining funds will be allocated directly to Pennsylvania counties and local municipalities that host Marcellus Shale natural gas development. All told, those 1,485 municipalities in 35 counties will share $108.7 million.
The remaining 40 percent of the revenue—or $72.5 million—will be distributed to all 67 Pennsylvania counties and their municipalities and set aside for competitive grants for projects such as water and sewer improvements, local bridge improvements, local community parks and recreation, Growing Greener and other municipal projects.
Monday's announcement comes at a time when nearly 240,000 Pennsylvanians are employed directly and indirectly within the oil and gas industry. The more than $204.2 million in impact fee revenue is in addition to the more than $1.6 billion in corporate, sales and personal income taxes generated by the industry since 2006, including $420 million in 2011.
To see detailed distribution information, visit www.puc.pa.gov.
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