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Bus drivers for Northwest trapped during storm that felled power lines

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Where did Luzerne County stand statewide in primary election turnout?

<p>Gov. Tom Wolf has once again proposed a common sense severance tax on natural gas operations in Pennsylvania. Bill O&#8217;Boyle&#8217;s recent coverage spells out many of the benefits of taxing energy companies based on how much natural gas they produce.</p><p>The bill has bipartisan support, and Pennsylvania remains the only major natural gas-producing state that doesn&#8217;t have a similar tax on production. It could lead to billions of dollars in revenue for initiatives throughout the Commonwealth.</p><p>A progressive tax on energy companies for the natural gas they produce &#8211; using the natural resources of our state &#8211; makes sense and is a necessary step for Pennsylvania.</p><p>But make no mistake &#8211; this is not an environmental issue. This is a revenue issue.</p><p>The severance tax would be an important revenue tool for our state, but it should not overshadow or distract from key environmental issues facing Pennsylvania.</p><p>As Harrisburg debates a severance tax, essential regulations curbing dangerous methane emissions at natural gas sites remain unrealized. Methane, the primary component of natural gas, is a powerful greenhouse gas and is emitted alongside other pollutants that have been linked to a host of health issues from low birth weight to asthma to heart disease. As pro-industry groups like the Marcellus Shale Coalition push to kill the severance tax and protect energy conglomerates&#8217; bottom lines, the DEP is critically underfunded. Officials say it is &#8220;mathematically impossible&#8221; for the agency to keep up with required safe drinking water inspections.</p><p>As the debate over a severance tax heats up, Pennsylvania citizens and lawmakers cannot confuse the energy industry&#8217;s responsibility to pay its fair share in taxes with its responsibility to protect the air and water of our commonwealth and the health of our families and communities.</p><p><strong>Joseph O. Minott </strong></p><p>Executive director andchief counsel</p><p>Clean Air Council</p><style>
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Your view: Don’t let severance tax distract from environmental issues