Wednesday, December 5, 2012
Township supervisors will hold a public hearing on the matter tonight.
The Moon Board of Supervisors will vote on adoption of a new oil and gas drilling ordinance following a public hearing at 7 p.m. at the municipal building. Supervisors will adopt one of three versions of the revised ordinance, which must be modified to include restrictions specific to Marcellus shale drilling. "The first step and the only prerogative for the township is determining the zoning, where in the township this could take place," said Marv Eicher, chairman of the Moon Board of Supervisors. The township must comply with new conditions of the state's Act 13 law concerning Marcellus shale drilling activities in the state. In 2011, the Pennsylvania General Assembly approved a piece of legislation, known as Act 13, that stripped …
Thursday, October 4, 2012
The township re-examines local Marcellus shale zoning issues.
Moon Township will host a public hearing in December to solicit resident input on the community's oil and gas drilling ordinances, including local regulations for Marcellus shale drilling. Township supervisors will likely adopt an ordinance that evening, restricting oil and gas drilling activities to non-residential portions of the community. The township must comply with new conditions of the state's Act 13 law concerning Marcellus shale drilling activities in the state. In 2011, the Pennsylvania General Assembly approved a piece of legislation that stripped communities of the ability to control oil and gas drilling within their municipality. Moon officials spent much of the year working to revise the township's existing oil and gas …
Friday, September 21, 2012
The amicus brief filed in support of affirming the efforts of seven municipalities, a medical doctor and a nonprofit challenging the state's Marcellus Shale law was filed Tuesday.
State Sen. Jim Ferlo has enlisted the support of 15 of his Senate Democratic colleagues in signing on to an amicus brief affirming the efforts of the seven municipalities that sued the Commonwealth to overturn zoning provisions of Act 13—although state Sen. Tim Solobay was not among those who signed. Solobay represents three of the Pennsylvania communities that challenged the law. The amicus brief specifically requests that the Pennsylvania Supreme Court affirm the decision of the Commonwealth Court’s majority ruling that found that these sections of Act 13 were unconstitutional. “In my opinion, it means higher taxes, higher energy costs and loss of jobs and I don’t support any of that,” Solobay said, explaining why he did not sign onto …
Monday, August 27, 2012
The motion to intervene was filed Friday.
Two state Republican leaders on Friday entered a motion to intervene in the appeal made by the state in the wake of a Commonwealth Court judge striking down provisions of the new Marcellus Shale law that dealt with local control of zoning—deeming them unconstitutional. State Senator Pro Temore Joe Scarnati and state Leader of the House Rep. Samuel H. Smith made the request to intervene in the appeal, which was filed a day after the Commonwealth Court ruled that portions of the new law was unconstitutional. The request was previously made to the Commonwealth Court, which found that Scarnati and Smith had no basis to intervene in the Act 13 litigation. To read the motion, click on the PDF attached. To read about the challenge, click here. To…
Saturday, July 28, 2012
The appeal was announced Friday.
A day after the state Commonwealth Court threw out portions of the recently enacted legislation regulating Act 13, calling them unconstitutional, the Public Utilities Commission appealed the decision to the state Supreme Court. The court on Thursday found that portions of Act 13 that stripped local zoning control away from municipalities as unconstitutional following a challenge filed by a cluster of communities and others represented by Cecil attorney and solicitor John Smith. “We anticipated the appeal and we’re fully prepared to go forward and defending the Commonwealth Court’s decision,” Smith said when reached Friday afternoon. In a press release, Gov. Tom Corbett announced the appeal. “The provisions struck down by the Commonwealth …
Thursday, June 7, 2012
A panel of seven judges heard the argument Wednesday morning.
A panel of Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court judges Wednesday morning heard oral arguments in the legal challenge to Act 13—the state’s newly passed law governing Marcellus Shale drilling activities. A panel of seven judges heard the arguments from lawyers representing the state, as well as those representing a cluster of communities, which filed the constitutional challenge to the portion of the act that eliminated local zoning control. In order to comply with Act 13, Moon Townshp officials earlier this year suspended months-long work on an amendment to the community's gas and drilling ordinance that would regulate Marcellus shale activities in the township. Moon and Allegheny County's Robinson townships are not involved in the suit. Cecil…
Thursday, May 10, 2012
Opponents of Pennsylvania's Act 13 continue legal challenges, citing erosion of local jurisdiction.
The flurry of legal activity surrounding Pennsylvania’s new drilling law continues. moon On Wednesday, attorneys representing seven municipalities and other entities opposing state Act 13 filed further motions with Commonwealth Court in attempts to strike down portions of the legislation. At issue is the diminished ability of local government to regulate oil and gas activities. Opponents contend that the law “deprives municipal officials of carrying out their legally binding duty to protect air, water and natural environmental values,” according to a lawsuit filed in March by seven municipalities and other entities. Cecil Township attorney John Smith, who represents the suit’s petitioners, said Wednesday’s actions seek to prevent …
Thursday, April 12, 2012
'Pre-existing ordinances must remain in effect until or unless challenged pursuant to Act 13 and are found to be invalid,' the order read.
A Commonwealth Court judge on Wednesday afternoon granted a preliminary injunction regarding the state's new Marcellus Shale law, known as Act 13. The order means that implementation of portions of the new law slated to go into effect Saturday will be delayed for 120 days. The order reads: "While the ultimate determination on the constitutionality of Act 13 is not presently before the Court, the Court is of the view that municipalities must have an adequate opportunity to pass zoning laws that comply with Act 13 without the fear or risk that development of oil and gas operations under Act 13 will be inconsistent with later validly passed local zoning ordinances." It continues: "For that reason, pre-existing ordinances must remain in effect…
clearfield
10:32 am on Wednesday, December 5, 2012
Remember, that a vertical well ends up moving horizontally for miles underground. In addition, one well will extract over 4,300,000!!!! gallons of fresh water from our drinking source to pump out the gas as it is mixed with toxic chemicals. http://www.museumoftheearth.org/files/marcellus/Marcellus_issue7.pdf more ›