The following is from the Harrisburg Patriot-News / Pennlive.com:

Sweeping changes to Pennsylvania’s oil and gas regulations were approved by an oversight body Thursday, setting the stage for a likely showdown between Gov. Tom Wolf and the Legislature.

Over the course of more than seven hours, the Independent Regulatory Review Commission (IRRC) heard testimony from drillers large and small, environmental advocates, residents from the Marcellus Shale region and state officials. More than 100 people filled the Harrisburg meeting room, with some watching the proceedings from an adjacent overflow room.

“I believe the process was transparent,” said Commissioner Dennis Watson, before voting to approve the new rules. “There was considerable effort to get input from as many people as possible.”

At issue was the Department of Environmental Protection’s proposed changes to the state’s “Chapter 78” rules, which place new restrictions on where drilling can take place, how it can be carried out and how spills should be cleaned up.

But the IRRC’s split 3-2 decision to advance the regulations will likely mark the beginning of a new battle.The Legislature’s two environmental committees will have 14 days to consider

The Legislature’s two environmental committees will have 14 days to consider the IRRC’s action. Based on their disapproval last week, most observers say it’s likely they will proceed with a concurrent resolution to reject the new regulations.

If that resolution passes both chambers, it would likely face a veto from Gov. Tom Wolf, who’s advocated for tougher regulation of the industry since his 2014 campaign. That, in turn, would set up a veto override attempt in which the House and the Senate would need a two-thirds vote.

Opponents to the new rules, which have been in the works since 2010, point to the potential chilling effect they could have on an industry already contracting due to lower gas prices.They also said the DEP’s process ignored the input of key stakeholders and a 2014 amendment to the fiscal code requiring separate rules for the two types of drilling.

They also said the DEP’s process ignored the input of key stakeholders and a 2014 amendment to the fiscal code requiring separate rules for the two types of drilling: unconventional, which uses a horizontal leg to reach fuel buried underground, and conventional, which reaches fuel through more traditional vertical wells.

“Much has been made that this product before you today is years in the making and has been subject to an unprecedented amount of public involvement,” said Pat Henderson, director of regulatory affairs for the Marcellus Shale Coalition. “However, many of the most onerous proposals have been unveiled in the last year.”

The goal, Henderson said, should have been to reimplement Act 13 — an earlier law that had major components invalided via court decisions — instead of rewriting the regulations wholesale.

Nathan Sooy, of the environmental group Clean Water Action, said the regulations proferred by the DEP were long overdue.

“I have personally seem what leaking frack pits can do,” he told the commission. “Ultimately, your job as stewards in this process is to protect the innocent . . . not protect profits, not to protect special interests but to protect the innocent.”

In a statement before voting against the rules, Vice Chair John Mizner said he believed everyone had come together in good faith. Mizner said he didn’t think the DEP’s proposed rules were in the public interest, although he conceded that his decision may have been colored by his upbringing in northeastern Pennsylvania.

“Maybe I’m wrong to do this, but I trust in (drillers’) willingness to do what’s right and seek to protect the environment,” he said. “If it passes, I wish the best to everybody and if it doesn’t, I hope the package is a little better.”

Had the IRRC not approved the rules, the DEP would have had 40 days to make amendments and resubmit their proposal.

How do you know an issue is red hot? When a government agency warns that fire codes could keep the public from attending a public meeting in person.

Environmental Secretary John Quigley, in a written statement, said the rules had been the result of tremendous input from the various stakeholders.

“This final regulatory package will improve protection of water resources, add public resources considerations, protect public health and safety, address landowner concerns, enhance transparency, and improve data management,” he said.

Of course, the future of the new regulations will now be decided by opposing factions within the Legislature and Gov. Tom Wolf’s pen.