Five Counties of Southeastern Penna. Will Share $3.4 Million of Marcellus Shale Fees
By Tony Romeo
HARRISBURG, Pa. (CBS) -- Philadelphia will get almost $1.3 million while the four suburban counties in Southeastern Pennsylvania will receive a total of more than $2 million through the disbursement of natural gas drilling "impact fees" announced by the Corbett administration today.
Statewide, the new fees on natural gas activities raised more than $204 million. Most of that money will go to local governments in areas directly affected by natural gas development in the Marcellus Shale formation.
But a portion of the money -– about 40 percent -– is being distributed to all 67 counties in the Commonwealth.
Patrick Henderson, Gov. Corbett's energy executive, says those dollars can be used for so-called "greenway" projects, "which is open trails, recreation, parks, that sort of thing -- many similar projects that they have been receiving and applying for funding over the last several years from the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, for example. This is supplemental money that will, I think, complement a lot of their efforts that are already underway."
The portion of the money going to all counties will also be used for water-and-sewer and bridge improvement projects.
Montgomery County will receive about $679,000, Bucks County about $530,000, Delaware County about $474,000, and Chester County about $423,000.
