Pennsylvania’s natural gas impact tax generated a record $251.8 million in 2018, bringing the seven-year total to $1.7 billion in new revenue for communities and statewide environmental and conservation programs.
“Local governments rely on impact tax revenues to fund a host of priorities, including enhancing road and bridge infrastructure, flood mitigation and prevention, emergency response planning and equipment, and local parks, playgrounds and trails,” MSC’s David Spigelmyer said. “Additionally, more than $450 million has been invested in statewide environmental infrastructure grants, including water and wastewater treatment systems, brownfield site remediation, flood mitigation and prevention, abandoned well plugging and other capital improvement projects.”
Revenues from the annual tax on natural gas development directly benefit all sixty-seven counties across the Commonwealth, including those without active natural gas wells.
Here’s what they’re saying about the record-setting natural gas impact tax collection:
Shale gas impact fees raise $252 million, breaking record
Of the total amount collected for 2018, county and municipal governments that host shale wells will receive $135 million, the Marcellus Legacy Fund will get $90 million and $18 million will go to state agencies. (6/27/19)
Natural gas impact fee total this year hits record
Pennsylvania’s natural gas impact tax is working as designed, as revenues – nearing $1.7 billion since 2012 – from this single tax on our industry are boosting investments in local communities across all sixty-seven counties,” said Marcellus Shale Coalition President David Spigelmyer. “With a record $251.8 million generated last year, the impact tax empowers and supports key local initiatives and community projects that benefit every Pennsylvanian. (6/27/19)
PA communities in line to get share of $251.8 million in natural gas fees
Of the 2018 total, $134.7 million will be distributed to counties and municipalities directly affected by drilling, $89.8 million will be transferred to the Marcellus Legacy Fund and $18.3 million will go to state agencies, according to PUC…PUC said the record revenue was driven primarily by an increase in the number of Pennsylvania wells paying impact fees this year — 9,560 in 2018 compared to 8,518 in 2017. (6/27/19)
Pennsylvania Impact Fee Collections Surpass $252M
A growing number of wells paying impact fees in Pennsylvania increased the fund to $242.9 million for the 2018 reporting year, about $33.4 million more than in 2017, the state Public Utility Commission (PUC) said on Thursday… More than $450 million has been invested in statewide environmental infrastructure grants, including water and wastewater treatment systems, brownfield site remediation, flood mitigation and prevention, abandoned well plugging and other capital improvement projects. (6/27/19)
Washington, Greene to receive $14M in impact fees this year
Washington and Greene counties will receive $14.4 million in total this year from impact fees paid by shale gas drillers…Washington and Greene counties will receive $8.4 million and $6 million, respectively, from the impact fees, making them among the counties receiving the largest share of impact fees. (6/27/19)
Gas impact fee revenue rises to 7-year high
The fee raised almost $252 million for the year, up from $210 million in 2017 and $226 million, the next-highest figure, in 2013… Local authorities spend the money on projects including emergency preparedness, storm water systems and water preservation, with the aim of benefiting from the development of Pennsylvania’s Marcellus Shale. (6/27/19)
Impact fees announced by state
McKean County Commissioner Cliff Lane explained the county receives an allotment, and several municipalities do as well. What we do is put in the budget that we’re going to get roughly $400,000,” Lane explained. “Then we decide where we’re going to put it. Last year it was information technology for $275,000, and social services almost $122,000.” While there are mechanisms in place for municipalities to apply to the county for a portion of those funds, Lane said that is only if drilling really takes off. “For example, in Bradford County, they get $6 million. If our impact fee went to a large amount,” there are provisions set up through which municipalities could apply for some of the funds. With the fee right around $400,000, it is being used to cover expenses with IT and social services, Lane said. “If we didn’t have that revenue, we would have to raise taxes.” (6/29/19)
State’s natural gas tax produces record revenue
Of the $251,830,900 in disbursements this year, Washington County received the highest amount in the state, around $8.5 million, and has the state’s largest well count at 1,747. Marcellus Shale Coalition president David Spigelmyer said the state’s natural gas impact tax is working as designed… More than $450 million has been invested in statewide environmental infrastructure grants, including water and wastewater treatment systems, brownfield site remediation, flood mitigation and prevention, abandoned well plugging and other capital improvement projects. (6/28/19)
County received $10.5 million from gas tax
Commissioner Tony Mussare said “we are blessed” be in an area so rich with natural gas. “We are also fortunate the (state) Department of Environmental Protection implemented regulations that were strict enough to protect our pristine forests and watersheds yet allowing the industry to drill in areas that otherwise may not have been allowed,” he said. Not only county public works, but the municipalities have also done good to invest in economic development projects, he said. “This has improved the quality of life for all the residents of Lycoming County,” said Mussare. David Spigelmyer, Marcellus Shale Coalition president, said $450 million has been invested in statewide projects. “Unique to our state, Pennsylvania’s impact tax continues to be a winning policy solution for the commonwealth,” he said in a recent press release. (6/30/19)
Drilling fees to bring in $340K
By sometime early in July, Indiana County will get $340,515 from fees collected under state Act 13 of 2012 to cover the impact of gas drilling in the reporting year of 2018. That’s $125,045 going directly to the county — a 34 percent increase over 2017 — and $215,469 to be split among all 38 municipalities, the state Public Utility Commission announced Thursday. (6/29/19)
County to get $3.1M from shale gas funds
Butler County’s cut of the $243 million in shale gas impact fees to be distributed in Pennsylvania is the seventh highest in the state. The county will receive $3.1 million in impact fees from 2018, according to a state Public Utility Commission news release. The county contains the seventh-highest number of unconventional gas wells of the counties where drilling is being performed. (6/29/19)
PUC to distribute $242 million in impact fees
Taken together, the PUC is distributing a total of $251,830,900 in impact fees, and over the past eight years the PUC has collected and distributed almost $1.7 billion to communities across Pennsylvania. (6/30/19)
Pa impact fee collections set record
Local governments rely on impact tax revenues to fund a host of priorities, including enhancing road and bridge infrastructure, flood mitigation and prevention, emergency response planning and equipment, and local parks, playgrounds and trails. (6/30/19)
Impact fee hitting new heights with 2019 distribution
There will be $242,964,000 distributed from the natural gas industry tax — $134,740,050 to municipalities and $89,826,700 to the Marcellus Legacy Fund, which supports highway, water and sewer, environmental, and other projects. An additional $8,866,900 will go to municipalities and counties following a Dec. 28 decision from the Pennsylvania Supreme Court upholding an initial PUC order that wells must pay out an impact fee “if their production exceeds 90,000 cubic feet of natural gas per day for even one month of the year.” (6/28/19)
63rd District will benefit from shale gas impact fees
More than $2.3 million in impact fees paid by Marcellus Shale drilling companies will benefit residents of the 63rd state House District, either through direct disbursements to municipalities or to the counties at large, said state Rep. Donna Oberlander. (6/28/19)
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