Governor Tom Corbett on Thursday told Philadelphia-based radio host Dom Giordano that his in-development Marcellus Shale legislation would include a call for a local impact fee, as recommended in a July report compiled by the governor’s Shale advisory commission.

Revenue generated by the fee would be used to reimburse local governments that encounter infrastructure damages and other negative impacts as a result of drilling activity.  Most of the money, Corbett said, would be given to county governments, which would then work with individual municipalities to distribute it.  A smaller amount would be used to augment Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency (PEMA) efforts and “environmental cleanup.”

Though Corbett has long opposed new taxes or fees – during the campaign, he signed the Americans for Tax Reform pledge against levying them – he has been under consistent pressure from Democrats and an increasing number of Republicans to impose a fee on the Keystone State’s burgeoning Marcellus Shale industry.  It was unclear whether Corbett will seek to balance the fee by cutting spending elsewhere.

The interview took place during the first edition of Corbett’s monthly radio program, which will air on Talk Radio 1210 WPHT in Philadelphia.