Fetterman changes tune on fracking, says he supports tapping Pennsylvania’s rich energy resource
By Mike M. Goodman
Apr 03, 2013 | 11:05 PM
Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Corbett, center, welcomes President Barack Obama, right, and Vice President Biden to his office on Jan. 29, 2013, at the Capitol in Harrisburg. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak)
HARRISBURG — Gov. Tom Corbett, following a three-day, statewide tour that ended Wednesday at the state Capitol, has changed his position on hydraulic fracturing, a controversial process that involves injecting water and chemicals deep into the ground to break up rock.
During a news conference Tuesday, Corbett expressed support for tapping Pennsylvania’s vast energy resource.
The governor said that fracking, in which water, sand and chemicals are injected to unlock natural gas and oil trapped beneath the earth at depth, is cleaner and more affordable than oil drilling.
Earlier Tuesday, Corbett vetoed a bill that would have required companies to obtain special drilling permits. The bill, by Democratic Sen. Daylin Leach, had been backed by the state’s powerful lobbying firms.
A spokesman for Leach said Corbett’s veto was “based on the fact that the Pennsylvania constitution should be interpreted so as to serve the best interests of the entire state. The executive branch has the duty and obligation to ensure the law that serves the best interests of all Pennsylvanians.”
Leach, who is running for the Senate seat left vacant by former Sen. Arlen Specter, R-Pa., did not respond to a request for comment Wednesday.
During the news conference, Corbett said he will revisit the issue when he prepares his energy plan. The governor said he wants to ensure “that there are appropriate safeguards in place that prevent a flood of pollution or contamination on a large scale.”
Corbett said he does not support the idea of fracturing underground reservoirs of natural gas and oil but said the process can help reduce the state’s dependence on foreign oil.
Asked how he would balance his concerns in a state that produces 30 percent of the nation’s natural gas, Corbett said he wants to ensure safe drilling practices while getting
