The Pennsylvania House of Representatives and Senate today approved legislation putting a halt to the controversial Chapter 78 regulations for conventional oil and gas operations. Senate Bill 279 also creates the Pennsylvania Crude Development Advisory Council, which the Department of Environmental Protection must consult with during the development of rules and regulations impacting the conventional oil and gas industry. The new regulations for the unconventional industry (Chapter 78A) reportedly will be allowed to take effect without opposition from the legislature.

PIOGA released the following statement regarding the passage of SB 279:

“PIOGA encourages Gov. Wolf to promptly sign this legislation, which was approved by overwhelming majorities in both the House and the Senate, and begin an honest discussion about the importance of Pennsylvania’s traditional oil and gas producers to the economy of many local communities and whether additional regulation of the activities of traditional oil and gas producers is necessary. The process used by the Department of Environmental Protection to promulgate the Chapter 78 and 78A regulations was fatally flawed, and it is rewarding to see that so many legislators from across the Commonwealth concurred with a plan to re-start that process for our conventional producers with their votes in favor of this legislation.”