By Michelle Kaplan Ognjanovic.

The Pennsylvania State Association of Boroughs is requesting a seat at the table throughout ongoing discussions between the state government and the Marcellus Shale natural gas drilling firms. Boroughs believes Pennsylvania’s taxpayers and natural resources have been unjustly compromised.

For one thing, the severance tax the state government sought to impose on natural gas drillers never went forward. Governor Rendell’s questionable assertion that the natural gas industry was too immature to tax sounded more like a gas lobbyist’s position — especially given the drilling companies are mostly one and the same as the big oil producers and in little danger of failing. Moreover, Rendell’s decision not to tax the drillers will have the immediate consequence of shifting cleanup costs onto Pennsylvania’s taxpayers.

Yet the representatives of the municipalities were increasingly disinvited from the negotiating table throughout the conversations, even as Chesapeake Bay Foundation alleged that he DEP failed to properly assess the impact of erosion caused by a state forest driller and, as the Morning Call quoted AP that a second driller was forced to stop its fracturing technique after run-ins with state regulators over a spill-plagued site. Adding insult to injury, DEP disenfranchised county conservation districts earlier this year from authority to review permit applications for erosion and sediment control despite these environmental mishaps. It’s hardly the resounding sound of democracy when tax-paying residents—arguably the most important stakeholders in their own environmental welfare—have the least say over it.

As a result, the Foundation is currently advocating for the severance tax and for DEP to restore local oversight of drilling applications. It alleges, among other things, that the Department’s policies violate environmental laws including the federal Clean Water Act (an accusation echoed by many environmental groups). Boroughs, for its part, is in favor of a severance tax too and is seeking the revival of House Bill 10 which would reinstate counties’, school districts’ and municipalities’ abilities to tax natural gas in the same manner as coal and above-ground real estate.

Over the summer I attended a presentation in New York City in which a lawyer from the non-profit organization Earthjustice spoke about the natural gas exploration issues as they currently affect New York State. The residents and taxpaying public have largely been left out of discussions there too.

Hence my message: Let’s support the environmental non-profits and municipal voices that speak for us. Whether through calls and emails to our legislators, letters to newspaper and magazine editors, or donations to local environmental groups, stand up and be counted to affect your financial and environmental future.

To lobby for the severance tax, contact:

Governor Edward Rendell … http://www.capwiz.com/politicsol/mail/?id=131335&type=GV&state=PA

DEP Secretary John Hangar… jhanger@state.pa.us

Senator David Argall … http://senatorargall.com/contact.htm

Comments about drilling applications, etc. contact Jennifer Means, Program Mgr, Oil & Gas Program (drilling applications, etc), DEP, jenmeans@state.pa.us