Rep. Causer bill to ensure oil, gas industry oversight passes in House

A bill sponsored by Pennsylvania Rep. Martin Causer (R-Turtlepoint) that would ensure reasonable and responsible oversight of the conventional oil and gas industry passed the state House Wednesday.

House Bill 144, the Conventional Oil and Gas Wells Act, would govern the conventional, shallow-well oil and gas industry, including such things as conventional oil and gas well locations, operations in shallow, low-pressure formations, low-pressure wells, and natural gas systems which mostly feed local consumers, like homes, schools, and hospitals.

“The notion that we have to choose between the industry and the environment is a false narrative that is harmful to workers, small business owners, and our local economy, not to mention the state’s energy economy,” Causer said. “We can and should strive to develop regulations that will both protect the environment and ensure our 160-year-old conventional oil and gas industry can remain a vital source of jobs and energy in the Northern Tier.”

The bill would serve as a framework for future changes to rules impacting the conventional industry and is the latest step in a years-long fight to stop the state’s Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) from applying regulations intended to address the unconventional industry to smaller, conventional operations.

“The industry is struggling immensely, and a significant cause of that struggle is the lack of understanding and purposeful misrepresentation of how our conventional oil and gas operations work in a safe and environmentally conscious manner,” Causer said.

A similar bill passed both the House and the Senate last year but was later vetoed by Gov. Tom Wolf.

The bill, which passed by a vote of 113-88, will now go before the Senate.