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Let's Turn Down the Heat: Understanding why a 2°C warmer world must be averted    • Philadelphia, 05/18 A Watershed United: First annual meeting and conference of the Coalition of the Delaware River Watershed    • Lambertville, NJ, 06/10 Climate Change Advisory Committee meetings, 2013 Harrisburg open to the public; dates subject to change    • May 21    • July 2    • October 8

Court orders temporary halt to Act 13 zoning provisions
Commonwealth Court Judge Keith Quigley has ordered a 120-day stay to the provision of the Act 13 drilling law that preempts the traditional ability of local governments to regulate the location and other aspects of gas and oil drilling operations in their communities. The order does not affect other sections of Act 13, including the impact fee. According to Quigley, "the court is of the view that municipalities must have an adequate opportunity to pass zoning laws that comply with Act 13 without the fear or risk that development of oil and gas operations under Act 13 will be inconsistent with later validly passed zoning ordinances."

The court ruling stems from a lawsuit that challenged the constitutionality of the local zoning provisions of Act 13 filed by seven municipalities — South Fayette Township in Allegheny County; Cecil, Peters and Mount Pleasant Townships in Washington County; and Nockamixon Township and Yardley Borough in Bucks County. Another judge will rule on the lawsuit's claims regarding the constitutionality of Act 13.

Bradford County approves impact fee
Bradford County commissioners voted 2-1 yesterday to approve the local impact fee authorized in Act 13. This decision clears the way for the county to receive between $6 and $10 million in fee revenue this year, and also preserves nearly a quarter of all impact fee revenue for statewide programs. This revenue was in jeopardy as two of the commissioners initially opposed the fee.

Thirty-two counties have now approved the impact fee.

Let's admit it, the Susquehanna needs help
Since 2005 the Pennsylvania Fish & Boat Commission has been tracking the decline of the smallmouth bass fishery in the Susquehanna River. The evidence of sick and dying fish in the Susquehanna and tributaries such as the Juniata have been increasing. Both young and adult fish have been found with disease, lesions, and most recently, an increase in black spots.

Last summer, PennFuture joined with the Fish & Boat Commission and other conservation organizations to request that the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) list portions of the Susquehanna and Juniata Rivers as impaired and begin working on a cleanup plan. The Fish & Boat Commission last week reinforced this ask with another detailed letter to the DEP.

Water quality in the Susquehanna River basin must improve, just as it must improve downstream in the Chesapeake Bay, if we want to see a rebound in the fishery and in the tourism and recreation economy that's been built on it. We appreciate the leadership exhibited by the Fish & Boat Commission as we look to them and the DEP to help tackle our water-quality problems.

Feds and five states reach deal to facilitate Great Lakes wind
The Obama administration and five states, including Pennsylvania, recently reached an agreement to speed up regulatory review of proposed offshore wind farms in the Great Lakes. Proposed projects would require the approval of a variety of federal and state agencies. Gov. Tom Corbett said, "This agreement will enable states to work together to ensure that any proposed offshore wind projects are reviewed in a consistent manner, and that the various state and federal agencies involved collaborate and coordinate their reviews."

Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, and New York joined Pennsylvania in signing the agreement. Some of the participating federal agencies include the Pentagon, Department of Energy, Environmental Protection Agency, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

PennFuture's Session Daze is designed to be a brief, informative and occasionally humorous look at public policy in Pennsylvania. Please visit our website for more information about PennFuture.

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