Republican lawmakers said the amendment was offered as a compromise to Democrats, to gain support for the bill and help conventional drillers.
In the Senate Tuesday, backers argued the bill appropriately scales standards for conventional drillers, which have been operating in the state for 160 years.
Sen. Scott Hutchinson (R-Venango) described conventional drillers as “mom and pop” operations who got caught up in laws meant to govern “the big guys” in the Marcellus Shale.
“We are talking about making the law fit the size of the business,” he said.
Opponents said the companies still pose an environmental hazard.
“This bill would allow corporations to spill more than a bathtub’s worth of oil without any regulatory oversight. This is simply unacceptable,” said Sen. Katie Muth (D-Montgomery).
In a letter to the General Assembly in May, 35 environmental groups said they appreciated the changes offered in the amendment, but they still opposed the bill because of health and environmental risks.
The groups said the bill limits measures operators must take to ensure they clean up and plug unused wells, which could saddle taxpayers with a new generation of remediation costs. They also expressed concerns the bill eliminates responsibility for drillers to provide adequate replacement water when operations have affected a landowner’s water supply.
Jacquelyn Bonomo, president of PennFuture, said the bill “loosens environmental regulations currently governing the conventional oil and gas industry at a time when we need more stringent rules to protect public health” because of the COVID-19 crisis. She’s calling on Wolf to veto the bill.
DEP Secretary Patrick McDonnell sent a letter to lawmakers urging a no vote in January. He acknowledged conventional drillers have gotten less competitive since unconventional drilling took off, but he said the government “cannot allow corners to be cut that could contribute to a legacy of environmental degradation.”
He added the bill “runs afoul” of the state constitution, which guarantees clean air and water and the preservation of natural resources for all citizens.