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HARRISBURG – State Rep. Clint Owlett (R-Tioga/Bradford/Potter) announced today that more than $14,144,685 in impact fees from the natural gas drilling industry are coming back to the counties and communities that make up the 68th Legislative District.

“The natural gas industry has been a huge economic generator here in the Northern Tier and these funds coming back to our counties and communities are just another benefit of the industry,” said Owlett.

Under Act 13 of 2012, impact fees are generated by the extraction of natural gas, which fluctuate depending on the price of natural gas and the rate of inflation, with a portion of those fees being directed back to the communities impacted by natural gas drilling.

Since 2012, impact fee revenues have topped $1.5 billion, and the statewide figures for 2017 represent a 21 percent increase over the previous year’s distribution dollars.

Impact fee revenues for 2017 resulted in the following disbursements: Bradford County will receive $5,051,257.31 and Bradford County municipalities in the 68th District will receive $2,715,421.55; Potter County will receive $359,070.33 and Potter County municipalities in the 68th District will receive $15,137.84; Tioga County will receive $3,020,364.28 and Tioga County municipalities will receive $2,983,433.70. (See attached list for municipality breakdowns.)

“Bradford County is the third and Tioga County the sixth top-producing natural gas drilling counties in the state,” said Owlett. “The money we receive from the impact fees goes a long way in helping our communities address costly projects without having to implement additional taxes on area residents.”

Fees are collected from the drilling companies with 60 percent returned to benefit our counties and local municipalities affected by drilling. The rest of the money goes into a Marcellus Shale Legacy Fund administered by the state to be used for emergency response planning, training and other activities; water, storm water, and sewer system construction and repair; infrastructure maintenance and repair; as well as statewideenvironmental initiatives.

Owlett noted that Pennsylvania collected a total of $209 million statewide for 2017, which is more than the drilling tax collected by the states of West Virginia, Ohio, Arkansas and Colorado combined – despite these four states combining to produce more natural gas than Pennsylvania.

“Pennsylvania already collects a fair amount of taxes from the natural gas industry, which is why I was pleased that we were able to pass the 2018-19 state budget in the House without implementing an additional severance tax on these businesses, which the governor was requesting,” said Owlett. “We want to benefit from this industry, not drive production to another state.”

The following is the amount of impact fee revenue coming back to each municipality in the 68th Legislative District:

Bradford County

Alba Borough – $5,662.50
Armenia Township – $273,050.87
Canton Borough – $66,053.44
Canton Township – $243,210.67
Columbia Township – $531,200
Granville Township – $110,831.80
Ridgebury Township – $138,528.42
Smithfield Township – $230,929.59
South Creek Township – $80,809.96
Springfield Township – $175,840.89
Sylvania Borough – $7,657.46
Troy Borough – $45,979.44
Troy Township – $497,201.37
Wells Township – $172,148.56
West Burlington Township – $136,316.58

Potter County

Galeton Borough – $10,161.47
Pike Township – $4,976.37

Tioga County

Bloss Township – $189,376.95
Blossburg Borough – $115,072.82
Brookfield Township – $45,479.82
Charleston Township – $412,171.20
Chatham Township – $198,487.96
Clymer Township – $79,850.81
Covington Township – $305,506.61
Deerfield Township – $68,763.80
Delmar Township – $409,582.07
Duncan Township – $104,693.56
Elk Township – $35,636.47
Elkland Borough – $58,039.40
Farmington Township – $73,565.68
Gaines Township – $123,262.32
Hamilton Township – $101,976.99
Jackson Township – $277,505.38
Knoxville Borough – $20,086.30
Lawrence Township – $87,041.98
Lawrenceville Borough – $19,140.58
Liberty Borough – $8,239.90
Liberty Township – $264,645.02
Mansfield Borough – $98,741.96
Middlebury Township – $122,808.62
Morris Township – $57,046.97
Nelson Township – $25,622.82
Osceola Township – $51,798.57
Putnam Township – $12,460.26
Richmond Township – $274,940.07
Roseville Borough – $5,688.72
Rutland Township – $164,849.41
Shippen Township – $44,811.89
Sullivan Township – $531,200
Tioga Borough – $20,502.24
Tioga Township – $61,439.39
Union Township – $244,399.70
Ward Township – $337,830.25
Wellsboro Borough – $108,260.32
Westfield Borough – $33,876.48
Westfield Township – $58,626.11