Pennsylvania auditor to review use of Act 13 impact fee money
Friday, March 11, 2016
Pennsylvania State Auditor Eugene DePasquale will review municipalities’ use of Act 13 drilling impact fee money, according to The Observer-Reporter.
The newspaper reported in December that $30 million in impact fee money was unreported to the state Public Utility Commission and was unaccounted for due to how it was used.
DePasquale’s review will take about seven months, during which he will determine if the PUC accurately calculated and distributed money. He was also review reports to determine if money was used properly, and his auditors will visit some municipalities that received impact fee money.
Read more: The Observer-Reporter > State auditor to review Marcellus Shale impact fee funds
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Shale FAQ
What is fracking?
Fracking is a slang term for hydraulic fracturing. Fracturing is a process by which highly pressurized fluid is pumped thousands of feet into the ground to fracture rock formations. The goal is to release the natural gas that’s locked inside the rock.
Is it safe?
What most concerns people about fracturing is ground water contamination. The worry is that fractures underground, caused by the process, will extending upwards and into aquifers, releasing gas and chemicals into the ground water supply. There’s been no confirmed reports of such a thing happening. Though surface spills and drill site blowouts can lead to localized environmental concerns.
Will my water catch on fire?
Flammable water is caused by the release of methane gas into a drinking water supply. Methane gas occurs naturally and can be released by any kind of drilling, including water wells. In Pennsylvania officials fined Chesapeake Energy $1 million for contaminating ground water with methane. It was determined that the company had not properly cemented it’s boreholes and gas migrated up the well, between rock and into aquifers.