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State is asked to intervene in forest drilling dispute |
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Written by Publisher
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Saturday, 02 May 2009 |
Photo by Ted Lutz
The Pennsylvania House Republican Policy Committee held a hearing Friday on oil and gas exploration in the Allegheny National Forest. State legislators taking part in the three-hour hearing at the Holiday Inn in Warren are, left to right: Martin Causer of Turtle Point, Kathy Rapp of Warren, Stan Saylor (Policy Committee chairman) of York County, Scott Hutchinson of Oil City, Daryl Metcalfe of Cranberry Township, Matt Gabler of Treasure Lake and Curtis Sonney of Erie County.
By Ted Lutz
Republican Staff
WARREN – The state has been asked to intervene in a dispute that threatens to impede oil and gas operations in the Allegheny National Forest (ANF).
A proposal for state intervention was embraced Friday during a State House Republican Policy Committee legislative hearing at the Holiday Inn in Warren.
State Rep. Stan Saylor of York County said a letter is being sent to state Attorney General Tom Corbett to seek his assistance in protecting private property—the subsurface mineral rights in the ANF.
The federal government owns the surface of the 513,000-acre national forest, but 93 percent of the mineral rights for oil and gas are in private hands.
The Forest Service, which manages the state’s only national forest, is in the process of developing two separate environmental studies involving oil and gas development in the ANF.
A Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS) will be an addition to the 2007 Forest Plan. A separate environmental analysis, linked with a controversial settlement in a lawsuit, will hold up new drilling projects for at least a year.
Saylor, chairman of the House Republican Policy Committee and one of seven state legislators to attend the three-hour hearing, said he is “appalled” that the federal government is trying to usurp plans by drilling companies to legally access their property—the oil and gas reserves in the ANF.
“I’m a little angry,” Saylor said after the hearing. He said the Forest Service “owes the local people an explanation.”
The Forest Service claims the environmental analysis is part of a proposed settlement of a lawsuit filed by the Allegheny Defense Project, the Sierra Club and the Forest Service Employees for Environmental Ethics (FSEEE). The groups jointly filed the suit last November to challenge the issuance of “notices to proceed” for oil and gas development in the ANF.
The plaintiffs claim the Forest Service should have prepared an environmental analysis under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) before issuing the notices.
State Rep. Kathy Rapp (R-Warren), who hosted the hearing, said she has “long held that Pennsylvania has jurisdiction over private property rights” in the ANF.
She said the state Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) already has rigorous standards for oil and gas drilling operations. To her knowledge, the DEP has not “documented” any environmental issues with drilling that it can’t handle on its own as a state watchdog agency.
Rapp’s legislative district includes Kane, Mt. Jewett and Hamilton, Wetmore and Hamlin townships.
Joining Saylor and Rapp at the hearing were Republican state legislators Matt Gabler of Treasure Lake, Martin Causer of Turtle Point, Scott Hutchinson of Oil City, Curtis Sonney of Erie County and Daryl Metcalfe of Cranberry Township in southern Butler County.
U.S. Rep. Glenn “GT” Thompson (R-Centre County) was one of several to testify at the hearing.
He said the oil and gas drilling issue in the ANF ranks as his “number one priority.”
Thompson is a freshman Congressman, who won election in November to the seat formerly held by John Peterson, a Republican from Pleasantville in Venango County.
Peterson, who retired Dec. 31 after a 12-year career in Congress, has been named to succeed Jack Hedlund of Kane as the executive director of the Allegheny Forest Alliance (AFA). Hedlund, who attended the hearing Friday, plans to retire in June.
In his remarks, Thompson said “we need the resources (oil and gas)” from the ANF “more today than ever.”
He said he is “disappointed and outraged” by the proposed lawsuit settlement that he claims will “shoot down production in the long run” due to a lengthy environmental analysis and subsequent appeal process.
He said he has “serious concerns” about the proposed lawsuit settlement because not all parties had a chance to comment on the stipulations. He said the “impact” of holding future drilling projects in abeyance for at least a year is “unacceptable.”
Thompson said there appears to be “some collusion” between the Forest Service and the “radical environmental groups” involved in the lawsuit settlement.
“A policy shift is occurring,” the congressman said. “It’s sad. Hundreds of jobs are impacted here.”
Causer, whose legislative district includes the American Refining Group (ARG) refinery in Bradford, said the proposed settlement is “a complete giveaway” to the plaintiffs. He also said it is “absurd” that the proposed settlement calls for the federal government to pay $19,221.60 in legal fees incurred by the plaintiffs in the suit.
Gabler, whose district includes Elk County, pointed out that the development of resources such as timber, oil and gas is a “specific purpose” for the ANF.
“We’re not using the lands any other way than they were intended,” Gabler said. “It’s not a national park.”
Other speakers at the hearing included Steve Rhoads, president and chief executive officer of the Pennsylvania Oil and Gas Association; Craig Mayer, chief counsel for Pennsylvania General Energy (PGE) in Warren and chairman of the Allegheny Forest Committee for the Pennsylvania Oil and Gas Association; and Harvey Golubock, president of ARG.
Testimony also came from Mike and Jane Collins of Sugar Grove. They operate the Bearcat Oil Company and Collins Drilling and have mineral rights within the ANF.
Other speakers included Jim Decker, president and chief executive officer of the Warren County Chamber of Business and Industry; John Bortz Jr., a Warren County commissioner; and Rocco Camas, a Bradford resident.
The crowd of more than 50 included ANF Supervisor Leanne Marten, Marienville District Ranger Rob Fallon and Bradford District Ranger Tony Scardina. They did not testify at the hearing.
“We came to listen,” Marten said after the hearing.
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Last Updated ( Friday, 12 June 2009 )
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