Western Pennsylvania’s congressional delegation this week vowed to continue urging the Environmental Protection Agency to suspend a requirement that gasoline distributors begin selling a “summer” blend of fuel despite shortages affecting gas stations.

The EPA announced May 13 that it would not grant Pennsylvania’s request for a waiver that would have allowed gasoline terminals in Butler, Allegheny, Beaver, Fayette, Washington and Westmoreland counties to continue selling a winter blend of gasoline through the end of the month to mitigate supply shortages caused by a recent outage at a New Jersey refinery and a since-repaired leak in the Buckeye pipeline that connects the Philadelphia and Pittsburgh markets.

The members of the delegation, U.S. Reps.

Jason Altmire, D-4th,

Mark Critz, D-Johnstown,

Mike Doyle, D-Pittsburgh and

Tim Murphy, R-Mount Lebanon, released this statement:“Rising gas prices are already causing pain at the pump for Pennsylvania’s families. While disappointed in today’s decision by the EPA, we urge the agency to monitor on a moment-by-moment basis the supplies in Western Pennsylvania and react swiftly should the situation deteriorate.“We will work together to do all that we can to ensure this issue is resolved quickly.”———Gov.

Tom Corbett last week signed into law legislation sponsored by state Sen.

Mary Jo White, R-21st, to establish adequate and safe spacing between natural gas well clusters and workable coal seams.Under the law, no permit for a gas well will be issued unless the well cluster is at least 2,000 feet from the nearest well cluster, unless the permit applicant and the owner of the coal seam consent.“With the increase in natural gas development, Pennsylvania needs to have clear standards in place for the safe, ordered extraction of these valuable energy sources,” White said.“Enactment of this new law will provide organized development between natural gas wells and workable coal seams.”———U.S. Rep.

Mike Kelly, R-3rd, last week introduced a resolution urging

President Obama to submit the Korea-United States Free Trade Agreement to Congress for immediate consideration and enactment.Kelly’s legislation urges prompt implementation of KORUS through legislative procedures set forth in the Bipartisan Trade Promotion Authority Act of 2002.Originally signed in June 2007 and later modified in December 2010, KORUS removes obstacles to free and fair trade with South Korea by reducing tariffs and other nontariff barriers imposed by South Korea on U.S. exporters.Kelly issued this statement:“As the 10th largest exporter in the U.S., Pennsylvania’s businesses exported $34.8 billion in goods in 2010 alone, and in 2008 roughly 285,000 jobs in Pennsylvania were related to the export industry. KORUS will only work to expand our exports, especially in key sectors such as chemicals, steel, machinery, beef, dairy, and poultry,” Kelly said.“KORUS will create tens of thousands of jobs that our nation and the commonwealth terribly need, and the time to act is now.”Earlier this month, South Korea ratified its free trade agreement with the European Union. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce said that 345,000 U.S. jobs could be lost if this agreement, and other major agreements that South Korea is pursuing, go into effect before KORUS.———District Judge

Kevin O’Donnell of Butler Township was recently recertified as a member of Pennsylvania’s Unified Judicial System after completing his 2011 continuing legal education work.The weeklong instruction program in Harrisburg by the Minor Judiciary Education Board and the Administrative Office of the Pennsylvania Courts is required for district judges.