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Natural Gas Impact Fee: Area Counties Get Millions

HARRISBURG — Bradford County will get $8.4 million, Lycoming County $4 million and Susquehanna County $3.9 million from the impact fee the state is now co...

HARRISBURG -- Bradford County will get $8.4 million, Lycoming County $4 million and Susquehanna County $3.9 million from the impact fee the state is now collecting from the natural gas industry.

The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission announced the disbursement of the impact fee monies on Monday.  In total, the state is distributing $110.3 billion in impact fees this year to counties, townships, boroughs and cities.  This is the first payout of the monies after the legislature passed the impact fee last year.

The state charges the natural gas industry a set fee per well that is drilled in Pennsylvania.  Much of that money is allocated to the municipalities impacted the most by the drilling and the natural gas activity.

Money from the impact fee can be used by those municipalities to pay for road repairs, water system upgrades, creation of affordable housing, increased court costs and other impacts of the natural gas industry.

Counties seeing activity with the natural gas industry get the most money.  All counties in the state are eligible for monies from a Legacy Fund established through this impact fee, even if there are no natural gas wells within those counties.  That money is allocated based on county population.  That Legacy Fund is providing the most money to Philadelphia ($1.3 million) and Allegheny County ($1.03 million).

In Northeastern and Central Pennsylvania, this is the breakdown for counties getting money for having wells plus getting a share of that Legacy Fund.  Counties with no natural gas drilling are noted:

  • Bradford: $8,428,630
  • Tioga: $4,792,619
  • Lycoming: $4,025,904
  • Susquehanna: $3,937,702
  • Wyoming: $881,083
  • Clinton: $739,338
  • Centre: $660,181
  • Sullivan: $386,849
  • Luzerne: $272,267 (no gas wells)
  • Lackawanna: $190,754
  • Monroe: $144,094 (no gas wells)
  • Schuylkill: $125,808 (no gas wells)
  • Columbia: $74,744
  • Carbon: $55,357 (no gas wells)
  • Pike: $48,671 (no gas wells)
  • Wayne: $44,814 (no gas wells)
  • Union: $38,133 (no gas wells)
  • Snyder: $33,683 (no gas wells)
  • Montour: $25,000 (no gas wells)

Local municipalities such as townships, boroughs and cities are also getting a share of the impact fee depending on the amount of drilling in those municipalities or the proximity of those communities to the drilling.

The largest distribution for local municipalities is $500,000.  That is going to several townships in Bradford, Susquehanna, Lycoming and Tioga Counties.  Places like Dimock and Springville Townships in Susquehanna County; Armenia and Troy Townships in Bradford County and Cummings and Penn Townships in Lycoming County are each getting that half million dollars along with others.

To see a complete breakdown of the Impact Fee numbers by municipality click on this link:

Pennsylvania Impact Fee Disbursement Numbers

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