Almost $3.4 million in drilling impact fees for Philadelphia area
Though there are no natural-gas wells near Southeastern Pennsylvania, the Philadelphia region will receive nearly $3.4 million of the $202.5 million collected last year from the state's Marcellus Shale impact fee.
Though there are no natural-gas wells near Southeastern Pennsylvania, the Philadelphia region will receive nearly $3.4 million of the $202.5 million collected last year from the state's Marcellus Shale impact fee.
Philadelphia alone will get nearly $1.3 million from the fee imposed on "unconventional" wells drilled into deep shale formations, according to figures released Thursday by the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission.
Four suburban counties will split about $2.1 million.
The impact fee, established by the legislature last year, generated slightly more revenue in 2011, the first year it was collected, because of higher natural-gas prices.
About half the money is disbursed to counties and municipalities based on a formula that takes into account population and well-drilling activity.
All told, the state collected fees from 4,920 wells.
The largest shares are allotted to counties with the most drilling: Bradford County, $7.3 million; Washington County, $4.7 million; Tioga County, $4.4 million; Lycoming County, $4.4 million; and Susquehanna County, $4.2 million.
All 67 counties get a share of the bounty, however. Montgomery County will receive $673,000; Bucks County, $525,000; Delaware County, $469,000; and Chester County, $422,000.
Lawrence Township, Clearfield County, will receive the largest share of any municipality, $797,000. Only towns affected by drilling get impact-fee funds.
More details on the impact-fee allocations are available on the PUC's website: http://bit.ly/196AlcB