Local Legislator Calls House Marcellus Bill 'Horrific'

Editor's Note: This story was updated at 11:07 a.m. to include a link to state Rep. Jesse White's floor speech. It can be viewed here. Also added was comment from state Rep. Brandon Neuman.

State Rep. Jesse White called a “horrific plan.”

House Bill 1950 was approved by a vote of 107-76 Thursday night.

Both , D-Cecil, and state Rep. , D-North Strabane, voted no.

“This bill effectively would eliminate the right of local municipalities to pass reasonable ordinances dealing with natural gas operations, which also includes pipelines and compressor stations,” White said. “Although proponents claim the bill would make our communities safer, those claims do not stand up to reality. Making drilling a permitted use anywhere, allowing compressor stations to be built within 750 feet of homes, and no protection for school zones cannot be considered adequate by anybody with common sense.”

He continued: “Under this bill, the state effectively would be saying that or Robinson or South Fayette Township is no different than any other municipality in the commonwealth, and that all of their local rules related to gas drilling should be tossed out the window. Such an approach is beyond ridiculous."

The legislator said he recognizes the economic growth that has been created by the natural gass industry, but that “nothing in House Bill 1950 would create new jobs for Pennsylvania residents or provide an economic benefit for anyone who wasn't benefitting already. Despite the claims of a 'balanced approach,' House Bill 1950 is as unbalanced as it gets."

White said local officials had asked for accountability from drillers—something he said is lacking in the bill.

“Local officials were only asking for a common-sense level of accountability from an industry that is literally drilling in their own backyards,” he said. “Unfortunately, common sense is considerably lacking in House Bill 1950, and anyone who tells you otherwise is either knowingly spewing propaganda or dangerously ignorant of reality.”

And White said he was displeased with a parliamentary tactic called ‘moving the previous question’ that was employed by Republican members of the House to “cut off debate and block my—and other similar—amendments from being debated or voted on. That is not open and transparent government. That is not governing responsibly. And unfortunately, neither is House Bill 1950.”

Neuman said he voted no because the bill just didn't go far enough to help local folks.

"I feel HB 1950 didn't do enough for Washington County," he said. "It didn't do enough to address the issues we have here."

But House Majority Leader Mike Turzai said in a statement that House Bill 1950 “creates uniformity to specifically help those communities dealing with the drilling; strengthens the laws, regulations and oversight to protect water and the environment; and brings needed, dedicated funding for programs benefitting the state’s environmental resources.”

He described it as “local government enabling legislation that allows communities to enact fees to respond to local impacts as a result of natural gas drilling.”

The legislation also includes language that prohibits any impact fee from being passed on to property owners or leaseholders, he said.

The bill is awaiting action by the Senate.