Gas industry lobbyists advise Corbett on energy issues

Governor-elect Tom Corbett is getting heat over who is advising him on energy issues for the state.

 

Corbett received almost a million dollars in campaign contributions from the natural gas industry. Now some of those industry lobbyists are on his energy and environment transition team.

It includes lobbyists for Cabot Oil and Gas — the company that the current head of the Department of Environmental Protection plans to sue for polluting water supplies in Dimock.

Jan Jarrett is president of the environmental group Pennfuture.

“Industry sectors and individuals who give very large campaign contributions at the very least expect to have really good access to the decision-makers. And I think what you see here is that at least in access those campaign contributions paid off.”

Jarrett says the 30-member group includes industry representatives who are subjects of investigations, or have enforcement matters before the Department of Environmental Protection.

The committee also includes a few environmentalists. Corbett’s transition office did not return repeated calls for comment.