Appellate

A Pennsylvania appellate court has upheld a conditional use permit issued by a township in Lycoming County to allow natural gas drilling to go forward in a residential area there. The key ruling finds that such operations are compatible with local residential zoning.

During oral arguments Thursday, two out of three appellate court judges appeared to challenge FERC’s claim of authority to prosecute alleged manipulation in the natural gas futures market.

During oral arguments last Thursday, two out of three appellate court judges appeared to challenge FERC’s claim of authority to prosecute alleged manipulation in the natural gas futures market.

An appellate court in Pennsylvania on Friday ordered a lower court to reconsider a request by two newspapers to have court records in a water contamination case unsealed.

The Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) Monday would not say whether it plans to appeal the appellate court decision tossing out the agency’s rule on limiting speculative trading, but some in industry are keeping their fingers crossed that the CFTC will take another route: start all over again on the rule.

A coalition of grassroots organizations in Ohio has started a campaign to restore local governments’ ability to regulate oil and natural gas drilling, a “home rule” power that could potentially be used by opponents of hydraulic fracturing (fracking) to ban the practice in their communities.

The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is asking the state Supreme Court to expedite its appeal of an appellate court ruling that said portions of Act 13, the state’s new omnibus Marcellus Shale law, are unconstitutional.

The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is asking the state Supreme Court to expedite its appeal of an appellate court ruling that said portions of Act 13, the state’s new omnibus Marcellus Shale law, are unconstitutional.

An appellate court in Pennsylvania has ruled that compressor stations fit the legal definition of “gas production” and therefore can’t be banned by localities where other aspects of natural gas production are already permitted.