Wednesday, May 15, 2013
'With natural gas drilling of the Marcellus Shale and the infrastructure that comes with it, such as pipelines and processing plants, local government is more important now than ever,' state Rep. Jesse White rights.
Former Speaker of the House of Representatives Tip O’Neill famously declared that “all politics is local.” You can take such a statement in a variety of ways, but there are some profound truths hidden in there. The 2013 Municipal Primary Election is on Tuesday, May 21, and voter turnout is expected to be extremely low. If not for the sea of campaign signs littering landscapes everywhere, most people may not even know which offices are up for election. All federal offices, such as president, senate and members of Congress run in even-numbered years, along with statewide offices such as governor and the state Legislature. In the odd-numbered years, local offices such as borough council, township supervisor, school board director, along with …
Wednesday, November 21, 2012
'I will continue to be a vocal advocate for the responsible development of natural gas drilling,' state Rep. Jesse White said.
As with any issue involving the balancing of individual property rights, environmental concerns, job creation and high economic stakes, the road to developing a fair and reasonable policy on Marcellus Shale gas drilling has been a very bumpy one, filled with potential political landmines. As the elected representative of the communities most impacted by this industry, my approach has been to keep the focus on the important issues instead of political gamesmanship. Throughout this process, I have sought to bring the energy industry, government and the community together as partners in building a brighter future. This has been my position, and it will continue to be my position as we all move forward together. About three weeks ago, I was …
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State Rep. Jesse White
3855 Millers Run Road, Cecil, PA
/articles/why-i-choose-not-to-retaliate-against-range-resources-character-attacks
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Wednesday, October 24, 2012
Read the letter township Manager Don Gennuso wrote to Range Resources refusing the meeting—and explaining why.
Cecil Township Manager Don Gennuso said Wednesday that Range Resources has tried to leverage its “sway” with a leaseholder who filed for a Public Utilities Commission review of its Marcellus Shale gas ordinance in order to secure an informal meeting with the board of supervisors. Gennuso said the first request from Range Resources Local Government Affairs Manager Jim Cannon came in the form of a letter dated Oct. 5. “Range Resources is evaluating the prospect of resuming the permitting of drilling operations in Cecil Township. In light of this proposal, we would like to schedule a meeting with the supervisors to outline our plans and obtain input on the areas of concern that may still exist with officials regarding our activities,” the …
Thursday, September 20, 2012
The brief was filed this week.
Attorneys for the group of municipalities, medical doctor and nonprofit challenging the state’s new law governing Marcellus Shale play filed a brief with the state Supreme Court laying out its argument for why it should affirm a Commonwealth Court’s ruling that portions of Act 13 are unconstitutional. “Act 13’s promulgation of a uniform set of zoning regulations governing oil and gas operations throughout the commonwealth constitutes a single set of statewide zoning whiles which allow for incompatible uses in like zoning districts thereby eliminating the constitutional rationale for such districts,” the court paperwork reads. It continues: “Act 13’s broad brush approach and failure to account for the health, safety and welfare of citizens…
Tuesday, September 18, 2012
Several groups today filed briefs in support of the group of communities, medical doctor and nonprofit that have challenged Act 13.
A group of environmental and community planning organizations, as well as government entities, filed a series of Amicus Briefs with the Pennsylvania Supreme Court today in support of communities’ rights to making zoning decisions about Marcellus Shale play within their borders. The groups—including the Natural Resources Defense Council, Pennsylvania Chapter of the American Planning Association, the Pennsylvania State Association of Boroughs, the Pennsylvania State Association of Township Supervisors, the Pittsburgh City Council, Mountain Watershed Association, and Earthjustice—filed in support of a Commonwealth Court decision that found portions of Act 13 unconstitutional. The groups filing today join a broad spectrum of entities from …
Wednesday, September 5, 2012
The request to deny the motion to intervene in an appeal of Act 13 by two of the state's top Republican leaders was filed Wednesday by the challengers to the law.
Attorneys for a cluster of communities, medical doctor and nonprofit challenging Pennsylvania's new law governing Marcellus Shale play on Wednesday asked the state Supreme Court to deny the request of two top state Republican leaders to intervene in an appeal of Act 13. State Senator Pro Temore Joe Scarnati and state Leader of the House Rep. Samuel H. Smith made the request to intervene in the appeal, which was filed a day after the Commonwealth Court ruled that portions of the new law dealing with zoning was unconstitutional last month. In its motion, attorneys for the Act 13 challengers, which include the communities of Cecil and Peters townships, said Scarnati and Smith's request should be denied for several reasons—including the fact …
Saturday, August 25, 2012
The motion to intervene was filed Friday.
Two state Republican leaders on Friday entered a motion to intervene in the appeal made by the state in the wake of a Commonwealth Court judge striking down provisions of the new Marcellus Shale law that dealt with local control of zoning—deeming them unconstitutional. State Senator Pro Temore Joe Scarnati and state Leader of the House Rep. Samuel H. Smith made the request to intervene in the appeal, which was filed a day after the Commonwealth Court ruled that portions of the new law was unconstitutional. The request was previously made to the Commonwealth Court, which found that Scarnati and Smith had no basis to intervene in the Act 13 litigation. To read the motion, click on the attached PDF. To read about the challenge, click here. To…
Thursday, August 16, 2012
A caveat in state law had lawyers arguing in Commonwealth Court Wednesday over a legal technicality that left Act 13 provisions in effect despite an earlier ruling indicating they were unconstitutional.
Cecil attorney John Smith said Thursday that 99 out of 100 municipalities in Pennsylvania might not have realized it, but despite a Commonwealth Court ruling that struck down portions of Act 13—the state’s new Marcellus Shale law—as unconstitutional July 26, the provisions were still technically in effect the next day. That’s because of a caveat in state law dictating that the decisions of a lower court in which the state is a defendant are stayed until an appeal is hashed out. The state appealed the ruling July 27. That’s why Smith said he travelled to Harrisburg to argue that the Commonwealth Court reinstate its order—telling the judge that it would cause “chaos” at the municipal level and give officials a no-win scenario if the law was …
Thursday, August 9, 2012
The company asked for a stay in the case until the outcome of the Act 13 Supreme Court appeal is known.
MarkWest asked a Commonwealth Court judge to stay an injunction it lodged against Cecil regarding plans for a proposed compressor station planned off Coleman Road in the township. An attorney for the company asked in paperwork filed Tuesday that the stay be granted until the outcome of an appeal on a court ruling that struck down the zoning portions of Act 13 is hashed out in the state Supreme Court. The company also asked for expedited consideration of the matter, because a court hearing had been scheduled for argument on the matter Aug. 15. "Given MarkWest's pending motion for preliminary injunctive relief, currently scheduled for hearing on Aug 15, and the township's pending preliminary objections, MarkWest respectfully asks the court …
Saturday, August 4, 2012
'The residential and commercial growth of Pennsylvania municipalities is currently hampered if not practically halted during the pendency of this court’s decision,” the court filing read.
Pennsylvania’s Department of Environmental Protection and the Public Utilities Commission last week asked the state Supreme Court to consider an expedited hearing for its appeal of a Commonwealth Court ruling that struck down the zoning portions of the Keystone State’s new Marcellus Shale law. On Friday, attorneys for the cluster of communities—including Cecil and Peters townships—a medical doctor and a nonprofit that filed the challenge to Act 13 that spawned the ruling have joined the state in its request—but not for the same reasons. “The inherent uncertainty of this court’s pending determination for municipalities and local officials and municipalities and local officials to perform any effective land-use planning,” attorneys said in …
Jesse White, State Representative, 46th District
11:41 am on Wednesday, May 15, 2013
Understood, but since it was Act 13, a state law, that preempted local zoning, and you mentioned both me and Senator Solobay, I want to make my position clear. As for my thoughts on Range, I believe what I believe and I have substantiated it with facts. Actually, I just got more information that furthers those beliefs, and I stand by them. more ›