ACT Educational and Accountability Event Mon Oct 15th!

Environmental organizations and community groups will hold an event to educate the public on Act 13 prior to this year’s the State Supreme Court’s ruling. Please join us on Monday, October 15, from 6:30-8:30 PM at the Murrysville Community Center, 3091 Carson Avenue. 

Act 13 is Pennsylvania's controversial new oil and gas law, which stripped local governments of their right to plan where natural gas drilling operation can happen in their communities. In July portions of this new law were challenged by local township government officials, a Monroeville doctor, and Delaware Riverkeeper, and overturned by the Commonwealth Court and declared “unconstitutional.”

But the battle continues, as Governor Tom Corbett and his administration appealed the Commonwealth Court decision. These two sides, will argue their cases before the state Supreme Court on Wednesday, October 17th in Pittsburgh.

Many other municipalities and groups have filed amicus briefs in support of the Commonwealth Court’s decision that preemption of local municipal control over shale gas extraction is unconstitutional, including Pennsylvania Chapter of the American Planning Association, Pennsylvania State Association of Township Officials, State Association of Boroughs, Pittsburgh City Council, Earth Justice, Murrysville Council and Mountain Watershed Association.

Two days before this historic court hearing, the public is invited to a free, educational discussion about the new law, which covers all aspects of natural gas development in the state, as well as how the law came to be.

The event is hosted by PennEnvironment, Clean Water Action, Sierra Club, Westmoreland Marcellus Citizen Group, Local Authority Western Pennsylvania, Mountain Watershed Association. State Representatives of the 59th, 54th, and 25th districts and candidates for those seats have been invited as well. The question and answer period will be moderated by Wanda Guthrie of Local Authority of Western Pennsylvania and Thomas Merton Center.  An optional phone bank to call state legislators will immediately follow. 

For more information, contact Melissa at Mountain Watershed Association, 724-455-4200 ext. 6# or Melissa@mtwatershed.com.