When Corbett created the panel in March, he barred it from looking at a tax. He has steadfastly opposed such a levy since his 2010 campaign. Recently, he has said he might consider an "impact fee" only after he heard from the commission. And on Page 114, a fee is what the commission favors.
On this red-hot issue, the panel said it "recommends the enactment of - or authorization to impose a fee for - the purpose of mitigating and offsetting" the cost of proven impacts of gas drilling on citizens and municipalities.
Examples of impacts, the report said, include damage to local roads, increased cost of police, fire, and emergency services, and "environmental remediation associated with natural gas development."
The panel did not suggest fee amounts or other specifics, but cautioned that any fee should reflect "the ongoing nature of certain impacts" - and should be imposed "in a manner that does not discourage . . . partnerships between well operators and local communities."
The panel also called for the Public Utility Commission to begin regulating the safety of the natural gas pipelines being built across the state - including those in the most rural areas. At the same time, it said the state should make it easier for pipeline companies to obtain permits.
And it called on the state Health Department to start a system for investigating health complaints and create a registry to follow people who live within a mile of any drilling or production site.
Among other recommendations in the report, which can be read at http://tinyurl.com/ShaleReport:
Training Pennsylvanians to work in the industry and promoting the use of vehicles powered by natural gas.
Doubling fines for environmental violations.
Increasing the distance between drilling sites and drinking-water sources or streams.
