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HARRISBURG – The Marcellus Shale Impact Fee has generated more than $198,000,000 in revenue for 2012, according to Senator Joe Scarnati (R-Jefferson). Over the past 8 months, more than $400 million in revenue has been generated by the impact fee. The fee revenue for 2012 was due to the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (PUC) by April 1st, 2013. Under the Marcellus Shale Impact Fee, Act 13 of 2012, the PUC is responsible for the collection and distribution of impact fees. “I am pleased to see the positive effect that the Marcellus Shale Impact Fee revenue funds are having across our state,” Scarnati said. “This reasonable impact fee on the industry provides the necessary funding to protect Pennsylvania’s natural resources, particularly during a time when we continue needing to find ways to stretch our tax dollars.” Senator Scarnati was a chief architect of the Marcellus Shale Impact Fee legislation, which was enacted last year after considerable discussion among state gov...

A Commonwealth Court judge’s injunction in a lawsuit challenging a portion of the impact fee law has prompted the state Public Utility Commission to delay action on a final implementation order. For the full story go to PA Matters.com The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

HARRISBURG –Today’s decision by the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (PUC) to dismiss a scheduled geographic split for the 814 area code is good news for area residents and local businesses, according to Senator Joe Scarnati (R-Jefferson), who has been working to find a solution to the proposed change. “This is a real victory for the many residents who came to public hearings to offer their opinions and express their concerns about dividing communities into 582 and 814 area codes,” Scarnati said in a news release. “I would like to thank the PUC for giving consideration to the businesses and citizens in this area that would have been placed into a new area code before rendering its decision.” In 2010, the PUC approved a plan to split the 814 area code along geographic boundaries to avoid running out of phone numbers. That plan would have created a new area code for many customers. But after hearing public input and reviewing more than 40 petitions for reconsideration, th...

The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission voted to put the 814 area code relief plan on hold at least until 2018. The commission voted 5-0 this morning to dismiss the petition filed by North American Number Planning Administrator that said numbers in the area code would be running out this month and they needed to do something about it. New studies show numbers won’t run out for six more years. “This is certainly great news, as I recognize that any form of area code relief has an impact on industry and the public. Today’s action certainly helps minimize that impact,” said PUC Vice Chairman John F. Coleman Jr. in a news release. The PUC had originally said the 814 area code region would be cut in half, with people in the western half of the region getting a new area code. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

When Governor Corbett signed Act 13 into law on February 14th of this year, it marked the culmination of three years of work by the Legislature in crafting a comprehensive Marcellus Shale legislative package. The final legislation contained strong environmental safeguards, a mechanism for fair and predictable municipal regulation of the industry and a robust, yet competitive, impact fee. Perhaps the most closely scrutinized aspect of the Marcellus Shale legislation was the establishment of a local impact fee. The Governor and legislative leaders, including myself, spent a great deal of time discussing and debating this critical topic. The outcome of this process was the creation of a local impact fee, with the amount set by the state and proceeds collected by the Public Utility Commission (PUC). Counties and municipalities where Marcellus Shale drilling is taking place would be given the option to adopt the fee or risk losing their share of the revenue generated by the...

Harrisburg - Governor Tom Corbett has signed House Bill 1950, the Marcellus Shale bill, into law. The bill enhances protection of our natural resources through stronger environmental standards, authorizes counties to adopt an impact fee, and builds upon efforts to help move Pennsylvania toward energy independence. The historic measure is the first comprehensive re-write of the state’s Oil and Gas Act since 1984. It contains much of what Corbett outlined in his Marcellus Shale proposal last October. His plan followed the work of the Governor’s Marcellus Shale Advisory Commission. House Bill 1950 contains 24 of the legislative recommendations offered by the advisory commission. “This growing industry will provide new career opportunities that will give our children a reason to stay here in Pennsylvania,” Corbett said. “Thanks to this legislation, this natural resource will safely and fairly fuel our generating plants and heat our homes while creating jobs and powering our state’s economi...

The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission announced this afternoon it will continue to suspend any plan to divide the 814 area code, or overlay another area code on it, at least until April. PUC commissioners made their decision after learning the area code is not expected to run out of available numbers until early 2016. Earlier predictions called for the area code to exhaust its supply of numbers by 2013. Commissioners voted in 2010 to split the 814 area-code region to prevent it from running out of available numbers. The plan was supposed to take effect in February of this year, with some people switching to the 582 area code. Petitions against the split, and then new predictions for the exhaustion date convinced the PUC to hold off on the changes. The PUC is scheduled to receive an update in April on when numbers in the 814 area code could run out. http://www.puc.state.pa.us/general/press_releases/Press_Releases.aspx?ShowPR=2914 \ The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

Gov. Tom Corbett has signed into law legislation authorizing increased state oversight of natural gas pipelines in Pennsylvania. State Representative Matt Baker says the new law will allow Pennsylvania for the first time to regulate and conduct oversight of pipelines. "This is very important given the fact that the Marcellus Shale industry has taken off. This will also allow the Public Utility Commission to draw down more federal funding to hire additional pipeline safety inspectors. So the more pipeline safety inspectors we have out in the field, the better we think it'll be for all consumers in Pennsylvania," Baker said. Baker said he’s pleased that the governor and General Assembly recognized the need for quick action on the legislation. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

A new forecast predicts the 814 area code won't run out of numbers until early 2016. The forecast released today by the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission says the numbers will run out one year later than forecast just six months ago, and could delay any decision the PUC makes about splitting the area code or laying another area code on top of it. The PUC voted in 2010 to split the 814 area code geographically to prevent it from running out of available numbers. After public outcry, the PUC later voted to delay the split and consider alternatives. The commission is currently reviewing more than 40 petitions for reconsideration. The PUC says there’s no timeline for a decision.

HARRISBURG – Rep. Martin Causer (R-Turtlepoint) is encouraging area residents concerned about a proposed change to the 814 area code to take advantage of the opportunity to participate in a public hearing in Bradford hosted by the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (PUC). The hearing, to gather further input on the impact of various options to address a shortage of numbers in the 814 area code, will be held on Tuesday, Aug. 16, at the Bradford Township Fire Department, 368 Interstate Parkway. The hearing will begin at 6 p.m. “I am pleased the PUC listened to the overwhelming opposition to its original plan to split the region in half, assigning a new area code to McKean County and points west while maintaining the existing code in the rest of the region,” Causer said. “People need to take advantage of the opportunity to voice their opinion about how best to address the number shortage.” Other options available include different geographic split proposals, as well as an overlay that...

The Public Utility Commission has delayed a decision to split the state's 814 area code because it probably won't run out of phone numbers until 2015. The PUC approved a plan in December to switch the area code to 582 for the northwestern part of the state, but in January commissioners said they would revisit the issue after receiving a number of petitions and complaints. The other option is an overlay, which would give all new numbers in the region the 582 area code but allow current customers to keep 814. The commission is still planning to hold public hearings on the matter. http://www.puc.state.pa.us/General/press_releases/Press_Releases.aspx?ShowPR=2738

The controversy over the 814 area code came up during today’s House Appropriations Committee budget hearings. State Representative Marty Causer asked members of the Public Utility Commission how they came to their decision to split the area code instead of doing an overlay. “My mother is in Eldred, and even she gave me a hard time,” joked Commissioner James Cawley before giving his answer. He explained that the commission thought it was doing the right thing by making the split and assigning a new area code (582) to the western part of the region. “We thought we were splitting it in the area up there that we thought was going to grow, including Eldred – believe it or not – and Erie, (and) they would need lots of new numbers,” he said, “and then the part that was left at 814 – we thought that’s not going to grow very much.” Cawley also said the commission didn’t hear from businesses before their decision, and that public hearings on the matter were sparsely attended. The PUC will be hol...

The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission is reviewing last week’s announcement that the 814 area code will not run out of numbers as soon as originally predicted. The North American Numbering Plan Administration has pushed back the expected exhaust date for the 814 area code by two years – from 2013 to 2015. The PUC says it will plan formal action at an upcoming regularly scheduled meeting. The next two meetings are scheduled for March 17 and 31. The original plan was to assign the 582 area code to McKean, Elk, Jefferson, Erie and parts of several other counties. After receiving more than 40 petitions against the plan, the commission decided to reconsider, and to gather more public input.

An investigation is continuing into the cause of an explosion that destroyed a Bradford Township home Monday morning. Thomas Federspiel was outside the home at 10 Helen Lane when the explosion happened at 7:20 a.m. Monday. The explosion caused part of the home to collapse and ignited a fire inside, causing an estimated $250,000 in damage, according to a fax sent to WESB and The HERO by state police fire marshal Greg Agosti. Federspiel was able to rescue his two dogs from the home before Bradford Township firefighters arrived. He was treated at the scene for a minor injury. National Fuel Gas assisted Agosti and the fire department with the investigation. The natural-gas distribution system, along with local gas distribution facilities were examined and tested and found to be safe. The Pennsylvania Public Utilities Commission, the state Department of Environmental Protection and the McKean County Emergency Management Agency also assisted.

The North American Numbering Plan Administration has pushed back the expected exhaust date for the 814 area code by two years, which may mean a delay in plans to change the number in the region. The area code is now projected to run out of numbers in early 2015. The earlier forecast said available numbers would be gone by early 2013. The administration says one reason for the change is that telephone-service providers in the 814 area-code region needed fewer new numbers in 2010 than they thought they would. The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission postponed a pre-hearing conference scheduled for Tuesday in Harrisburg to discuss when and where to hold public hearings and technical conferences about the 814 area code. Now, commissioners say they will take the new projection into consideration before deciding how to proceed. The PUC had decided to split the region in two and assign the 582 area code to most of the western half of the region.

The state Public Utility Commission has voted to review its decision to split the 814 area code and to assign the area code 582 to most of the western part of the state. The PUC got about 40 petitions asking it to reconsider the December 16 decision to divide the area code along geographic boundaries. The commission voted 5-0 today to do that, but did not say when they would make a decision on that matter. In a news release, they said they could rescind, modify or affirm the original decision. http://www.puc.state.pa.us/General/press_releases/Press_Releases.aspx?ShowPR=2696

Natural gas prices could be going up almost 9 percent. National Fuel today filed its projection for gas purchases to be made from August 1 of this year through July 31 of 2012. The company projects an increase in cost, meaning the bill of a typical residential customer would go from $83 a month to $90 a month. This is just a forecast for prices to be experienced later this year and must be reviewed and approved by the PUC before becoming effective. No change is being made at this time.