Scarnati Bill, SB 1100

The Scarnati Bill, SB 1100,  puts to rest  any remaining  hope that state level politicians support locally based decisions.  This bill mandates that  a state “model” ordinance must be adopted by each municipality if the municipality wants to receive gas drilling impact fees.  And anyone paying attention is aware that  the state's only goal is to protect the drilling industry.


Please let your legislators know that this bill will strip away local communities rights to pass drilling ordinances. 


You can also sign a petition of opposition at this link: http://www.change.org/petitions/do-not-let-corporate-gas-drillers-trump-local-rights-of-pennsylvanians-say-no-to-sb-1100 


Below is a letter to the editor from some of our members:

Amending a bad law with a WORSE law 


We the undersigned are extremely concerned and unequivocally opposed  to Senate Bill 1100, also known as theScarnati Bill.  This bill strips local governments of their right to pass strong ordinances to regulate oil and gas drilling by convincing them to accept a local gas impact fee.  The bill accomplishes this through the forced imposition of a “model” zoning ordinance which gives the oil and gas industry a blank check to do as they please in regard to drilling.

This bill will eliminate local community powers to regulate land use regarding the gas industry.  It will punish municipalities by withholding "impact fees” from those communities that fail to follow the “model ” ordinance. Senate Bill 1100 blatantly not only punishes local communities but resorts to “blackmail” to accomplish this.

We have come to the realization that the only rights we the citizens have with respect to natural gas drilling is to live under the yoke of the archaic and discriminatory Oil and Gas Act.  This act was written of, by, and for the oil and gas industry.  It clearly establishes the rights of a corporation over the protection of citizens’ health, safety and welfare and over citizens’ constitutional right to clean air, clean water, and the preservation of natural resources.

If this bill passes, we wonder if we can next expect the elimination of neighborhoods and the introduction of industrial zones across the entire State of Pennsylvania.

We urge our legislative representatives to do all in their power to defeat this most onerous bill.