Natural Gas Drilling Bill Delayed

HARRISBURG, Pa. (CBS) - State Senate action on a bill to regulate and impose fees on natural gas drilling in Pennsylvania has been delayed for at least two weeks.

There was an expectation that natural gas drilling legislation would begin moving in the Senate this week. But Erik Arneson, spokesman for Chester Republican Dominic Pileggi, the Senate majority leader, says negotiators were unable to close the deal in time for action this week.

"Some of the questions that are still being decided include what exactly the fee should be, whether it should be collected by the county or the state, what exact uses the revenue should go to."

Arneson acknowledges that those are the key issues that have swirled around proposed fees on natural gas drilling throughout the process and he says while a deal is closer, there's still no agreement on language that will pass the Senate, which, after this week, does not return to session until the 14th of the month.

Reported by Harrisburg Bureau Chief Tony Romeo, KYW Newsradio 1060