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Two state representatives acknowledged on Friday that the natural gas industry swayed officials in Harrisburg to remove local oversight through county conservation districts since it would impede drilling operations.
“The gas industry did go to Harrisburg and said we can’t deal with 67 conservation districts,” said State Rep. John Siptroth, whose district includes Monroe and Pike counties. State Rep. Sandra Major, who represents Wayne County, reiterated her colleague’s statement at a “legislator breakfast” sponsored by local chambers of commerce at Ehrhardt’s Waterfront Resort in Palmyra Township, Pike County.
County conservation districts once had regulatory authority to act as a local, government watchdog of natural gas drilling.
That was changed last April when the director of the state Department of Environmental Protection, John Hanger, issued a one-page memo that nixed the conversation districts ability to be a part of the environmental review process for natural gas wells.
The decision came as a surprise then to Wayne County conservation district officials, the Wayne County commissioners, and to state legislators here as well.
“We were all somewhat shocked” at the time, said state senator Lisa Baker, whose district includes Wayne County.
Representatives of the natural gas industry, along with the state Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) officials, argued that having one state regulatory agency - that being DEP - would streamline new, natural gas well permits.
County conservation districts were also duplicating work already performed by DEP in the permitting process, according to the state environmental regulator.
“They (conservation districts) understand the people and they understand the lay of the land,” said state representative Michael Peifer, whose district includes Wayne County. “I don’t think we should circumvent the local authority.”
Two state representatives acknowledged on Friday that the natural gas industry swayed officials in Harrisburg to remove local oversight through county conservation districts since it would impede drilling operations.
“The gas industry did go to Harrisburg and said we can’t deal with 67 conservation districts,” said State Rep. John Siptroth, whose district includes Monroe and Pike counties. State Rep. Sandra Major, who represents Wayne County, reiterated her colleague’s statement at a “legislator breakfast” sponsored by local chambers of commerce at Ehrhardt’s Waterfront Resort in Palmyra Township, Pike County.
County conservation districts once had regulatory authority to act as a local, government watchdog of natural gas drilling.
That was changed last April when the director of the state Department of Environmental Protection, John Hanger, issued a one-page memo that nixed the conversation districts ability to be a part of the environmental review process for natural gas wells.
The decision came as a surprise then to Wayne County conservation district officials, the Wayne County commissioners, and to state legislators here as well.
“We were all somewhat shocked” at the time, said state senator Lisa Baker, whose district includes Wayne County.
Representatives of the natural gas industry, along with the state Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) officials, argued that having one state regulatory agency - that being DEP - would streamline new, natural gas well permits.
County conservation districts were also duplicating work already performed by DEP in the permitting process, according to the state environmental regulator.
“They (conservation districts) understand the people and they understand the lay of the land,” said state representative Michael Peifer, whose district includes Wayne County. “I don’t think we should circumvent the local authority.”
