GOP writes gas drilling tax bill - Local

State Senate Republicans have begun drafting legislation for a sweeping overhaul of Pennsylvania’s oil and gas law that includes proposals for a new tax on the extraction of natural gas from the Marcellus Shale formation and limitations on municipal zoning that affects drilling. Senate Republicans had been quiet on their plans, while House Democrats had pressed for an extraction tax beginning as far back as last year and proposed tougher environmental laws on drilling earlier this year. In addition, the Senate GOP package would introduce state regulation of gas pipelines and an improved state system of disclosure of violations by Marcellus Shale drilling operators. It also aims to settle a dispute between gas and coal companies, which don’t want drills piercing coal seams, and impose new responsibilities on drilling companies for cleaning up well sites and maintaining local roads that bear their heavy truck traffic. The package will include a number of environmental-protection ideas similar to ones already proposed by House Democrats, such as well-site inspection standards, expanded chemical disclosure requirements and new penalties on drillers that break the law.