Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolfon Thursday signed a bill into law that would allow new environmental regulations for shale oil and gas wells to move forward, and scrap a similar package for conventional wells. The general assembly passed the bill earlier this month (see Shale Daily, June 15). It took more than five years for the state’s Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to draft the rules. Legacy producers, trade groups and other stakeholders had accused the agency of crafting new regulations for conventional wells that would be unnecessary and too costly for the industry. Wolf signed SB 279 into law, which prevents the DEP from implementing the new regulations for conventional operations and establishes an advisory council to help the agency draw up new ones. The new shale regulations must still be reviewed by the state Attorney General’s office. Wolf also signed SB 1195, which allows the general assembly to review the DEP’s strategy for implementing the Obama administration’s Clean Power Plan before it is submitted to theEnvironmental Protection Agency.