Pa. House Lawmakers Move Ahead With Corbett-Backed Fracking Measures

HARRISBURG, Pa. (CBS) -- A Pennsylvania House committee has approved a bill with wide-ranging provisions addressing natural gas drilling in the commonwealth.

The bill approved by the state House Finance Committee is largely based on Governor Corbett's proposal to impose "impact fees" and regulations on Pennsylvania's burgeoning natural gas-drilling industry.

The measure would supersede most if not all local ordinances related to drilling.

"We believe it provides some standardization across the commonwealth, so that many municipalities that may not have the resources and the ability or the engineers on board within their own department can have a standard practice and protection," said state representative Kerry Benninghoff (R-Centre and Mifflin counties), the committee chairman.

A state senate committee was expected to take up drilling legislation earlier this week but postponed any action because negotiations were continuing.

Benninghoff says the House panel took action because it's time to get the legislation moving, be he denies that it was a reaction to the Senate committee's delay.

Reported by KYW Harrisburg bureau chief Tony Romeo