The Post-Gazette PowerSource reported Wednesday the PA Environmental Defense Foundation has filed an application for reconsideration of the January 7 ruling by Commonwealth Court upholding the state’s ability to shift funds out of DCNR’s Oil and Gas Fund to balance the state budget.

The reconsideration group asks the court to reconsider because the judges did not address its fundamental claim: that the state failed to perform its constitutional duty to evaluate the likely environmental impact before leasing tens of thousands of acres of state forests for natural gas extraction and transferring the money out of the conservation fund controlled by the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources.

Gov. Wolf is widely expected to rescind Gov. Corbett’s Executive Order allowing additional non-surface impact drilling under DCNR State Forest and Park lands and issue a moratorium on further drilling.

The FY 2014-15 state budget anticipated another $95 million in revenue from additional drilling under DCNR.

Click Here to read the application for reconsideration.

NewsClips:

Group Files Reconsideration Of Ruling On Drilling Public Land

Peters Twp Looks To Ban Fracking Within 600-Foot Buffer

Peters Twp Moves Toward New Drilling Policy

1/26/2015