HARRISBURG, Nov. 16 – State Rep. Greg Vitali and 22 other legislators urged the state Independent Regulatory Review Commission to approve at its meeting Thursday an update of rules governing the drilling, monitoring and plugging of Marcellus Shale natural gas wells.
 
The legislators sent a letter to IRCC today.
 
“Better drilling regulations would reduce the chance of water supplies being contaminated,” said Vitali, D-Delaware. “It’s generally believed that sloppy drilling standards allowed natural gas to migrate to water supplies in Dimock Township, Susquehanna County.”
 
A nearly $12 million water line is being built to bring water to 14 Dimock homes with contaminated well water.
 
Vitali said IRCC approval would bring Pennsylvania’s rules in line with standards already in place in other states.
 
If the IRCC approves the regulations, the state Attorney General’s Office would review their legality. Once the Attorney General’s Office signs off, they would be published in the Pennsylvania Bulletin, the Commonwealth’s official gazette for information and rulemaking, and then have full force and effect of law.
 
Click here to read the full letter. (http://www.pahouse.com/Documents/IRRC_Lutkewitte_letter.pdf)
 
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Attention Radio News Directors: an actuality from Rep. Vitali is available by calling 1-800-452-3001. Enter PA166 (7-2-166) and the pound sign (#) at the menu prompt to get today’s sound. You can also download the sound in .mp3 format by visiting www.pahouse.com/mediacenter.