In 2010, the Deepwater Horizon oil spill devastated the Gulf Coast region affecting wildlife, industry, and the economy. As a result of the spill, BP was ordered to pay more than $4.5 billion in damages. Following the spill, the US government began collecting and analyzing extensive data to learn how […]
Legal Voice
Pennsylvania’s Clean and Green Act: Amendments to Balance Land Preservation with Energy Development
In 1974, Pennsylvania passed into effect Act 319 entitled, “The Pennsylvania Farmland and Forest Land Assessment Act”. More commonly known as the “Clean and Green Act”, this act provides a preferential tax assessment for land used for agricultural and forestry purposes. The purpose of the act is to encourage landowners […]
Bell v. GenOn: A Transformation of Operator Liability?
On August 20, 2013, the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit (Third Circuit) held that a class of nearly 1500 residents could sue a coal-fired power plant under state tort law for damage caused to their property although the plant was in full compliance with the Clean […]
Senate Bill 259: Not So Forced Pooling
On July 9th, 2013 you could hear the outcry resounding throughout Pennsylvania from the numerous Oil and Gas owners (“owners”) when Governor Tom Corbett signed Senate Bill 259 into law. Senate Bill 259 amends a 1979 act that “regulates the terms and conditions of certain leases regarding natural gas and […]
From Renz to Shugert: Going West, Young Man?
In 2004 the U.S. energy profile changed drastically as Range Resources, Inc. (NYSE: RRC) reported positive results from its recently drilled Renz well. This well would soon become the epicenter of development of the Marcellus Shale and the godfather of oil and gas development in Ohio. Now a roaring household […]
HYDROKINETICS: An Alternative to the Alternatives
While hydropower deals with energy produced from falling water, hydrokinetics is the study and development of energy harnessed from the natural power of water movement: waves, tidal streams, natural flow of rivers and ocean currents. New technologies can enable us to harness the kinetic energy that results from its motion. […]
Robinson Township Oral Arguments: A Mixture of Oil and Water
There’s no doubt that the oil and gas industry has brought Pennsylvania wealth and created more jobs. However, oil and gas drilling also brings with it environmental concerns. One of the most hotly contested issues regards whether the common oil and gas recovery technique of “fracing” contaminates nearby water sources. […]