Almost $3.4 million in drilling impact fees for Philadelphia area

Though there are no natural-gas wells near Southeastern Pennsylvania, the Philadelphia region will receive nearly $3.4 million of the $202.5 million collected last year from the state's Marcellus Shale impact fee.

Philadelphia alone will get nearly $1.3 million from the fee imposed on "unconventional" wells drilled into deep shale formations, according to figures released Thursday by the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission.

Four suburban counties will split about $2.1 million.

The impact fee, established by the legislature last year, generated slightly more revenue in 2011, the first year it was collected, because of higher natural-gas prices.

About half the money is disbursed to counties and municipalities based on a formula that takes into account population and well-drilling activity.

All told, the state collected fees from 4,920 wells.

The largest shares are allotted to counties with the most drilling: Bradford County, $7.3 million; Washington County, $4.7 million; Tioga County, $4.4 million; Lycoming County, $4.4 million; and Susquehanna County, $4.2 million.

All 67 counties get a share of the bounty, however. Montgomery County will receive $673,000; Bucks County, $525,000; Delaware County, $469,000; and Chester County, $422,000.

Lawrence Township, Clearfield County, will receive the largest share of any municipality, $797,000. Only towns affected by drilling get impact-fee funds.

More details on the impact-fee allocations are available on the PUC's website: http://bit.ly/196AlcB