Corbett approves fee on Marcellus gas extraction

HARRISBURG - In the privacy of his office, Gov. Corbett signed into law Monday night a long-awaited, long-debated bill that imposes a fee on natural gas extraction in the Marcellus Shale.

His action means Pennsylvania will finally join more than 25 other states in imposing some kind of levy on natural gas drillers.

The 174-page law Corbett signed has been years in the making. Earlier this month, he and top Republican legislators negotiated a deal on a fee that would fluctuate depending on the price of natural gas.

The majority of the fee's proceeds would be channeled to communities most affected by the drilling. But it would also spread money around to the Philadelphia region and other parts of the state for environmental and infrastructure projects.

"This growing industry will provide new career opportunities that will give our children a reason to stay here in Pennsylvania," Corbett said in a statement issued by his office. "Thanks to this legislation, this natural resource will safely and fairly fuel our generating plants and heat our homes while creating jobs and powering our state's economic engine for generations to come."

While it is unusual for governors to sign high-profile bills into law in private, Corbett's aides said he intended to hold an additional public-signing ceremony in the near future.