HARRISBURG — State officials will announce how much money drillers paid to offset the impact of natural gas wells sunk in 2011. A state law signed in February imposes a so-called “impact fee” on energy companies exploring the Marcellus Shale gas field. Drillers must pay $50,000 for each horizontally drilled well and $10,000 for each vertical well. The money was due Sept. 1. The Public Utility Commission will announce today how much it’s collected so far. Sixty percent of the fee will be split among 37 counties and hundreds of municipalities hosting gas wells. The money can be used to fix roads, bridges and other infrastructure, restore water supplies, buy equipment for first responders, among other expenses. The rest will be split among several state agencies dealing with Marcellus Shale impacts.
