Posts Tagged ‘food’

Saying plan likely will be revived in 2010, Rendell adds that he wants industry to get off to a good start.

AMY WORDEN and MARIO F. CATTABIANI The Philadelphia Inquirer

HARRISBURG – Gov. Rendell said Monday after meeting with industry officials that he would agree to delay his push to impose a tax on natural gas extracted from the Marcellus Shale.

“It won’t be in the mix this year,” he said, adding that he would likely revive the proposal next year. “We felt we should let the industry get off to a good start, and that surpasses our need for money.”

For months, Rendell had lobbied for the tax on the gas-rich Marcellus Shale reserve. At one point, the administration estimated it could produce $100 million in revenue in the first year.

But the Democratic governor said on Monday that he reconsidered the idea after watching natural gas prices plummet to near-record lows and meeting with industry representatives who have invested millions to explore the natural gas reserve hundreds of feet beneath the ground.

The Marcellus Shale is a vein of rock containing vast reserves, running hundreds of feet below ground from New York to Virginia. Its exploration and extraction – estimated to be worth billions – has been made possible in recent years by advances in technology.

Senate Majority Leader Dominic Pileggi, R- Delaware County, said it was no surprise that Rendell had abandoned the effort, noting that taxing an industry in its infancy was an unpopular move even among some members of Rendell’s own party.

“The governor has recognized the realities of the situation,” Pileggi said.

Although Rendell said he was no longer interested in the tax this year, Democrats who control the state House said it remained among the mix of possible revenue sources.

“It is definitely not off the table,” said Johnna A. Pro, press secretary to House Appropriations Chairman Dwight Evans, D-Philadelphia.

Other so-called niche taxes still on the table include higher cigarette taxes and a new levy on smokeless tobacco. Also under consideration is the elimination of a slew of long-standing sales-tax exemptions on such items as candy and gum, land-based phones, and basic cable. Rendell has said the removal of exemptions on all items except food and clothing and certain services could generate $1 billion.

Copyright: Times Leader

Tuesday’s program will include presentation on Marcellus Shale and questions from audience.

By Rory Sweeneyrsweeney@timesleader.com
Staff Writer

The Pennsylvania Council of Professional Geologists will hold a seminar Tuesday on gas drilling in the Marcellus Shale, and it’s prepared to take on even the most technical of questions, from the science of the drilling itself to the legal issues surrounding it.

“We’re going to try to answer those questions,” said Rhonda Hakundy-Jones, the council’s executive director. “We’ve certainly heard those questions before. Some of them don’t have definitive answers; they have, shall we say, a range of answers.”

The deadline to register for the Tuesday event, set at the Quality Inn on Kidder Street across from the Wyoming Valley Mall, has been extended to today and applicants can contact the council to make arrangements if they won’t be able to get the entry fee in on time, Hakundy-Jones said.

The council has a subcommittee that’s been tracking shale-gas issues, she said, and “this was just the next logical step … to provide some of that educational material that we have collected, and our geologic knowledge, and present it to the public. … We are trying to make it a rather broad overview, and it’s geared more to professionals … people with some understanding of regulations in general and science in general.”

The panelists, who include two geologists, an attorney, a laboratory technician and representative of an environmental management company, plan to tackle the issues from an in-depth, technical perspective, Hakundy-Jones said, to explain “what those things are, how they work,” particularly hydraulic fracturing.

Additionally, after a 45-minute presentation and more than an hour for questioning, the event will host an hour-long session for informal discussion during which food will be available.

Hakundy-Jones expects, however, there will be interaction with the audience during the formal sessions as well. “We find that’s a great way to get additional information,” she said.

So far, about 20 people have registered, and she expects that may double.

“There should be plenty of opportunity for people to ask their questions,” she said. “Of course, how often, for example, can you get an attorney’s advice for $50?”

If you go

What: “A Rock ’n Rules Review” of issues concerning gas-drilling in the Marcellus Shale

When: 2:30 to 6 p.m. Tuesday

Where: The Quality Inn on Kidder Street, Wilkes-Barre

Cost: $50

Who: Experts in the various fields involved in drilling will speak on technical topics, then take questions.

For information: Go to: www.pcpg.org/Marcellus_intro.asp for a registration form or call 717-730-9745.

Rory Sweeney, a Times Leader staff writer, may be reached at 970-7418.

Copyright: Times Leader