Counties investing drilling dollars into long-term projects
The Center for Rural Pennsylvania released a new report recently analyzing how Marcellus Shale Impact Fee, also known as Act 13 dollars have been invested.
The study, entitled Analysis of Act 13 Spending by Pennsylvania Municipalities and Counties, is an in-depth look at how Act 13 funds received by the 37 county and 1,487 municipal governments in the Marcellus region of Pennsylvania were used during 2012, 2013 and 2014.
Since the inception of the fee in 2011, drillers in Pennsylvania have paid more than $1 billion in impact fee revenues – this is op top of other corporate taxes, permitting fees, and vast investments and upgrades in roads and infrastructure directly paid for by drilling companies. These dollars are paid to all 67 of Pennsylvania’s counties and other programs and agencies.
Some 90% of funds for uses were reported were for three major areas of
focus: capital reserves, public infrastructure construction and emergency
preparedness/public safety.
Here’s how community investments of drilling dollars were allocated: