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Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf has signed into law the state’s $32.7 billion budget, which does not include his calls to implement a severance tax on unconventional natural gas production.

The Pennsylvania Environmental Hearing Board (EHB) has denied the appeal of two environmental groups that have for years been challenging permits for six unconventional natural gas wells operated by Rex Energy Corp. near a school in Butler County.

Ascent Resources Marcellus Holdings LLC (ARM) and its subsidiaries have emerged from Chapter 11 bankruptcy. The filing was a negotiated agreement reached with first and second lien term loan holders to restructure the balance sheet, reduce long-term debt and improve liquidity. The company owed more than $1 billion on the loans. The bankruptcy proceedings did not involve Ascent Resources LLC or other affiliates that oversee Utica Shale operations in Ohio. ARM operates more than 40,000 acres in West Virginia.

The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) last week issued three more violation notices to Sunoco Pipeline LP related to spills during horizontal directional drilling (HDD) for the Mariner East 2 (ME2) pipeline project at separate locations in Blair and Lebanon counties.

The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) has slapped Sunoco Pipeline LP with a “historic” $12.6 million fine to resolve dozens of violations related to the company’s Mariner East 2 (ME2) pipeline project, which has also been cleared to restart construction that was suspended early last month.

Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf wants to more than double natural gas well permit fees and give more money to the state Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to reduce a backlog of permits and modernize the application process to make it more efficient.

The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) this week said it has collected a $1.7 million fine from the now-defunct Energy Corporation of America (ECA) for violations at 17 unconventional well sites in Greene and Clearfield counties.

The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) has indicated that it could advance federal recommendations for reducing smog-forming volatile organic compounds (VOC) for the oil and natural gas industry as a way to better address methane emissions from existing sources in the state.

Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) officials said Thursday they expect to finalize and implement new permitting requirements for the natural gas industry sometime early next year.