Jesse White for Governor!

1.Drilling hasn't been banned just more difficult with no uniformity and different regulations from community to community lets hope the state supreme court has more common sense with a state wide industry.
2.as a land owner with mineral rights it has infringed on my rights drilling leases have dried up because of all of this fighting.
3. SHARE THE WEALTH no matter how difficult you make it I have heard that phase before
4.not just a scare tactic ,REALITY move out +no work=loss of jobs and revenue to that area. Not all because of ACT13 other state want the industry and are more friendly ACT 13 would help.And finally big governments way of thinking its terrible when a big industry make a profit.
5.I agree with you it shouldn't be going to other countries maybe try working on that issue as hard as you do the Act 13 issue then we could see lower fuel cost.

I'm glad I have my photo ID ready and intend to vote in every elections

Did you know that if you scramble up the letters of 'proud american' it spells 'tim solobay'? True story.

Victoria Adams if you want to debate the issue fine I like a good debate Senator Solobay is way to busy working on issue for his district to spend time here give it up.

PA- RE: your #2 reply, I am also a landowner with mineral rights, so we have something in common. Drilling leases have dried up because of the low price of natural gas--NOT due to any ordinances that have been developed--although the industry might want you to believe otherwise.

The industry leased so much land initially that companies can't afford to drill all of it now at such low prices. So they are focusing on the leases that are about to expire, and on the most profitable areas from a geological perspective (like wet gas). Were you ever approached for a lease? Did you sign?

I understand that you want to be drilled on, but the reason it's not happening is because of gas prices. Too many leases, too much acreage, too much gas flooding the market and it continues to depress gas prices.

Other states are not "more friendly" Every other state has severance taxes. The gas Industry also adheres to much stricter rules for certain things in Texas.This industry is not leaving. As soon as gas prices improve, you'll see more activity.

To ME - I started getting Jesse White's email updates, and that convinced me of how much he has done for his district. I hope that if the Act 13 appeal is upheld, that the Legislature will allow this issue to be debated in public instead of behind closed doors in a "good old boy" fashion as it was. So if all Jesse White ever accomplishes is bringing this kind of deplorable action to light, I would gladly support him in future elections.

Let's keep it on topic please! (and THANK YOU) - signed, your humble editor

DBR you are partly right and the price drop was also a part of it but their was leases ready to be sign when the issues with the township put them all on hold because of the uncertainly. If you were a big business who is out their to make a profit would you want to stand around and what for a decison on what you were going to be allow to do to run your business. If not here then move on to other states that will welcome the business and revenue.The township took on this fight saying doing it for the residents how do they know what the majority of the residents favor? Did they take a poll, put something on the ballot not as far as I know. Could be their are a lot more voters out their who feel like I do.

DBR says, "... This industry is not leaving. As soon as gas prices improve, you'll see more activity. ..."

Yes, a part of the industry is leaving. The rate of increase in Ohio is significantly higher than most of PA. Yes, prices are low, but the interest for profitability is in "wet gas." That is found in OH. Also, some parts of counties north of here (e.g. Butler) has some "wet gas."

Why would the NG companies hassle with local councils, made up of housewives, accountants, HR directors, etc in finding common ground for ordinances. Act 13 gave them the common ground, but many locals want to retain control. The locals, made up of housewives, accountants, HR directors, etc. believe they are better qualified to develop a patchwork of ordinances through the region.

Just for the record, there is absolutely nothing wrong with housewives, accountants, HR directors. They may be skilled and doing a fine job at their task. But, we saw enough of the meetings a year or so ago to know they are hardly qualified to develop ordinances related to the MS industry. The NG companies realize this fact. Why would they hassle with these folks, when they can go elsewhere and develop profitable operations? The patchwork outcome is a big win for the anti- crowd, who are very happy to see the NG move out.

To those who suggest, "they aren't going anywhere," that position needs to be reconsidered.

That was a interesting articles Roger thank you for posting it. All the supervisors are not up on what it take to run this industry when one does voice a different opinion they get shot down.. The township hires professionals that are suppose to advise them engineers, lawyers,etc. But the only advice I hear is sue , sue the state, sue the industry. Let a housing plan or another business want to come to South Point and the doors are open wide. Sadly I think Cecil Township missed the boat we could have been a Lisbon, Ohio if we had only taken advantage when the opportunity was their. When I think of all the road improvements in Lisbon one can only dream what our deplorable roads would be like today.

Saw that P-G article yesterday and I agree it's a really good article. I almost posted it myself. Because like anything, parts can be cherry picked to support a particular argument--depending on your own point of view.

As for who's qualified to develop an ordinance, there's no magic to it. These new twp.ordinances seem to be based on Texas ordinances anyway, so they are not original. Roger - Any of the people you mentioned ("housewives, accountants, HR director") could easily exceed the pitifully low bar set by our state legislature in their closed-door dealings as they tried to create a "good" law.

The majority of our lawmakers apparently felt it was a really good idea to allow compressor stations 750 feet from homes, and wells and frack pits 300 feet from homes without any local recourse whatsoever. Maybe had Act 13's provisions been a little more moderate, it wouldnt have been challenged. We'll never know.

At this point, I would much rather see involvement by people who will be living here in the community than have my future voted on by a bunch of people who have been flying to the Superbowl on the gas industry's dime prior to their vote.

As a landowner, I am very hopeful to receive gas royalties in the future. But I expect my home value to be protected also. With proper planning, I believe both can be accomplished. After seeing Act 13, I'll take that team of local housewives, accountants, and HR directors over what Harrisburg dished up any day of the week.

I feel obligated to defend the local municipal leaders. I'd like some proof that they did something specific wrong in crafting their ordinances, because we haven't really seen any. This whole "locals aren't equipped to handle it" theme is perpetuated by the gas company PR people, and it simply isn't true.

I saw this with my own eyes at both the state and local levels, and the locals undoubtedly had a better understanding of what they were passing. They know their towns and asked real questions about how the industry would impact the community; they also had first-hand knowledge of how some companies operated and the corresponding need for greater accountability.

By comparison, many of the state reps/senators in non-drilling areas (and a few in drilling areas) just read the talking points prepared by the industry and figured the vote would never come back to haunt them politically- ask the reps from Bucks and Montgomery Counties how well that worked out when the people got wise.

I've seen some truly outrageous conduct from natural gas industry lobbyists and the supporters they plant in local meetings. If you really think some of these companies came in and made a realistic effort to work with most of our municipalities, you really haven't been paying attention well enough to comment on this.

I live in Cecil Twp- the 8th best place in America to raise a family. Respectfully, if anyone wants to leave for Lisbon, Ohio, I don't see anyone stopping you.

The other false message perpetuated by the gas industry and the Marcellus Shale Coalition is that if you are in favor of gas development, then you are or must be opposed to any significant regulation of the industry.

There are MANY gas leaseholders who WANT regulation. Sure there are a few who just want their money no matter what, and they are the ones who cry the loudest at any possible pushback to the industry.

But more and more leaseholders see the potential impacts in their own neighborhoods. We will all be living here long after the drilling rigs have moved on. Few people want a gas processing plant a few hundred feet from their home -- even if they support gas development. Even though I am a leaseholder, I personally expect gas companies to be responsible, respectful of my property and your property, as well as the environment. There is no reason they cannot do so and still make a decent profit.

Would statewide regulations make it easier for gas companies? Absolutely. Do they need statewide autonomy to be profitable? Absolutely not.

Pennsylvania is playing catch up with the Oil and Gas Act. With Marcellus wells being drilled in PA for almost 8 years now, we're way past due for an update. For the local communities who have taken action to develop responsible ordinances to protect all of their citizens while allowing gas drilling, there is just no reasonable argument as to why those ordinances shouldn't be allowed to stand.

Representative White I love living in Cecil Township even with our terrible roads, have been here long before you where born. Will not be going to Lisbon, Ohio even though I do envy them their smart choices, plan on staying here and fighting what I feel is right one vote at a time.

For what it's worth, I try to sit in the front on the left-hand side during the Cecil Township meetings. I hope to meet some of you there sometime soon :)

To proud american and Roger's comments, I defended the local municipal officials because of generalizations made without any basis in fact that they were somehow doing something wrong. With Act 13, the state has had more natural gas laws declared unconstitutional than all of the municipalities combined- think about that for a minute.

As for how companies like Range can still make money, I know it to be true because I can read. Here's something I found online in about ten seconds on an investment website, posted today using Range's own words:

"We have got such a huge position that is predominately derisked and again you can look in our IR presentation, but we have literally got the opportunity to grow tenfold from where we are today. We're only a 5 TCF company and not counting ethane or those things, we have got the opportunity or resource potential to grow 44 to 60 Ts. And again some of the highest rate of return plays out there."

Funny how what they tell investors and what they tell us rarely match up, huh?

I actually meant to but forgot the link:
http://seekingalpha.com/article/774171-comparing-range-resources-valuation-to-an-unconventional-canadian-producer

And there is a HUGE difference between not letting someone do business in your town and not letting that business do whatever they want. Please tell us all what Cecil wanted to do that was so negative that the drillers would be unable to do business- facts, not just their crocodile tears.

Again, lots of negativity towards the supervisors and the solicitor without facts to back those sentiments up.

I think it's safe to say that I've been to more township meetings, both in Cecil and other places, than just about any 34 year-old in Pennsylvania.

And as for the two instances you referenced, I'm aware of both of them. I believe in both instances, the residents received a favorable outcome from the township. I'm still waiting for the factual proof of what the township wanted to do that would have made it impossible for the drillers to operate and make a profit.

.First of all what do you going to other township meeting have anything to do with Cecil Township. In the last year I have seen you once and that was not for the whole meeting.
You may be aware of the two incidents I spoke of but why did that man have to wait MONTHS and go to court and spend THOUSANDS of dollars to right a wrong because of one residents complaint who lived a good third of a mile from him. His neighbors living next door to him didn't have a problems and a neighbor living next door to the man making the complaint didn't hear him. You feel that is good policy making and decision making when it took month to figure out a nuisence complaint from a legitimate complaint when that man already had a variance. The blight issue is not resolved you must have been at another township meeting when that was last brought up. Should I bring up the bird ordinance issue when one neighbor had a problem with another feeding the birds . The township actually came up with yet another new ordinance that would have possibility cost $1000.00 find if you didn't clean up seed that fell on the ground after birds ate and that was just a small part of this nuisence ordinance.
It is this kind of petty policy making that make it difficult to work in. Not knowning when a petty complaint comes in and the ordinances gets changed once more. State wide industry need state wide law plain and simple this way it is an even playing field state wide.

Proud - In fairness, the board didn't come up with the wild animal ordinance - what was presented that meeting, if I recall correctly, was a document prepared by the zoning officer that gave the sups an idea of how other communities were dealing with related issues. It was never considered after that initial discussion, to my knowledge. Just wanted to clarify that one point! Hope to meet you soon :)

I ask people I know who attend all Cecil Twp meeting and they said they seen Jessie White there 1 time in a year for a short time.

Let me try to put this in general terms and not use things that the township has already done.The township past an ordinance for the oil and gas industry ABCDE ."A "works if "B" works, "B" works if "C" works. etc. They say find we can work with this and proceed to do their work and make a profit and landowners with mineral right make a profit.. Along comes one resident not happy with part "C" , keeps me awake at night. Right away can't have this you have to stop part C. and adds on FG. The industry says wait you gave us ABCDE and it works and with "C" gone because one neighbor doesn't like it even though no one else has complained wasn't a wide spread complaint now D&E won't work unless we shut down and change thing all around or without "C" the rest doesn't work . Two choices shut down loss money or go to court lose money,we go away so does jobs and landowners rights to their profits. The State passes a law XYZ now the industry has a guide line to follow without ever time the wind blows their is a change. The items I have stated previously causes me concern the Township has shown they don't look into the whole picture before acting. You can't have strong laws for a state wide industry when a small community acts this way.Still believe the state law is the way to go.

Thanks, Proud - You know me. I just wanted to clarify!!

To 'me', I'm in Harrisburg quite a bit and have 22 municipalities in my district, so I may not be at every Cecil township meeting, but that's not what I said. I can think of at least five meetings in the past year I've attended, but I'm glad to see an anonymous website commenter is getting intel from another anonymous source and posting it online- tough to argue against that level of credibility.

Rep. White why do you feel that Cecil Township citizens who atend regular meetings and wish to remain anonymous for various reasons have no credibility? Just because someone post a name( may not be their own name) does that give them more credibility? I have attended regular meetings for over a year and have missed at the most 3 seen you their 1 time and you didn't stay very long. Know you are busy you have other municipalities can't be at all of them just saying what I have seen. Why is so important for you to have a residents name to debate issues I have seen people who post their names have their facts wrong.

Roger - Great questions. As to whether Range could still make a decent profit, their forecast information to investment analysts is available to the public online. Since 2004, when Range drilled the first Marcellus well, their forecasts are all VERY favorable even with local ordinances in place.

As to "Why does it take local governing bodies to insure the NG companies will "be responsible, respectful of my property, etc." ...My answer is because in the 8 years since the first Marcellus well was drilled locally, the state did nothing at all to update the existing PA Oil and Gas Act, so it was not reflective of the large-scale industrial activity seen today near homes and schools. So the local communities had to do something or do nothing & simply be run over. The Oil and Gas Act made no mention of compressor stations, processing facilitiies, frack ponds. How were these to be regulated in the communities already experiencing activity then if not by local ordinance?

I am not saying that the only way for the industry to be regulated is locally, but... if local communities have experienced problems, or have watched their neighboring communities experience problems, these officials with firsthand experience are now in a much better position to understand the true impacts and create laws based on real experience. I believe they have a better, more balanced perspective on it than a legislator from a non-drilling area who might be more motivated by monetary issues only.

I attended a local meeting during which public comment was being heard regarding an oil and gas ordinance that was under consideration. One gentleman stood to comment who had a unique perspective.

First, he was a Range Resources leaseholder. Second, he was a Range Resources shareholder, and said, "They are a good company that makes money." Then, he quickly added that, third, Range Resources was now active in his own neighborhood, and they were "the worst neighbor you could have."

So, here's a guy who 1) supports natural gas development, 2) liked Range Resources enough to invest and become a shareholder 3) Based on his actual firsthand experiences believes an ordinance is needed because of inadequate performance.

I always remember that whenever I hear people who want desperately to believe that the industry will always do the right thing. Many times they do. But sometimes they need a push. In my opinion, that's what the local ordinances are designed to do.

For the sake of full disclosure, I'm a Cecil resident, a Range leaseholder, and a shareholder of Range, MarkWest, and Patterson-UTI. I respect and admire Jesse White, John Smith, the Cecil Supervisors and the Zoning board. They've been put in a tough spot by the rapid influx of the industry and have done a good job in coming up to speed on the issues surrounding drilling. I've studied closely the development of the oil and gas industry in this area since mid-2008, from both the pro and anti-drilling perspectives. I've toured the MarkWest plant and the Brigich compressor station. Last summer I spent some time in Fort Worth and Dish, Texas to check out the anti-drilling allegations. That being said, I'm cautiously pro-drilling in Cecil Twp. I like the idea of transitioning to a cleaner burning fuel while solar, wind, and other renewables are made cost-effective. I do not oppose the proposed compressor station on Coleman Rd/Rt 980. And yes, it would border my property. I see local control of the O&G industry as problematic since the ordinances could change daily at the whim of the supervisors. I see Act 13 as too generic to address each community's concerns. I think the answer is somewhere in between, at the county or state level, that provides an increased keep-away distance from housing plans and schools but allows drilling, containment ponds and compressor stations in less populated residential areas, not just industrial zoned areas.

As you all argue over Act 13 and the zoning. Also the impact it has on locals and the gas and drilling companies, there is a little thing that you need to read and see how tightly knit the Act is to a little UN agenda, Agenda 21. In fact there is a county and a city that are members of the Agenda 21, Allegheny would be that county and Pittsburgh would be the city. Now I know the first thing is to call me a conspiracy theorist, but if you feel that urge read the UN's Agenda 21 and see if the wording in both documents resemble each other. Then look at the list of UN Agenda 21 members is the US. (Which holds the largest membership.)

Sorry I wanted to give you this. http://www.iclei.org/index.php?id=11454