Marcellus Shale Safety Bill Heading to Governor

A bill requiring shale well operators to upgrade safety procedures is headed to Gov. Tom Corbett's desk following final approval last Wednesday in the Senate.

The measure sponsored by Sen. Lisa Baker, R-20, Lehman Twp., requires operators of new and existing wells to provide sophisticated siting information to emergency responders and develop response plans to deal with accidents and spills.

"Senate Bill 995 fills a gaping information hole," said Ms. Baker. "When something goes wrong, having emergency information posted at the site, and a plan that is shared with key emergency personnel, are vital parts of a risk reduction plan."

The bill specifies that operators are to post signs at the well site bearing their GPS coordinates so firefighters, ambulance crews and hazmat teams know where wells and access roads are located and also to register those coordinates with county and state officials

The Department of Environmental Protection is directed to write regulations on an emergency basis to implement the bill. This will allow quicker enforcement of the law, said Ms. Baker. Otherwise, the regulations would have to be reviewed by the Independent Regulatory Review Commission - a process that could take up to 18 months, she added.