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March 10, 2012 I Volume 6 t No. 5 Zoning Bulletin <br />PENNSYLVANIA <br />The Marcellus Shale Bill —a compromise version of Senate Bill 1100 <br />and House Bill 1950—has been passed by both chambers of the legis- <br />lature and was expected to be signed by Governor Corbett. Reportedly, <br />among other things, under the new bill, "most oil and gas operations, <br />including frack wells, pipelines and impoundment pits ... will be required <br />to be permitted uses in all districts. Compressor stations, processing <br />plants and some activities at impoundment pits may be restricted from <br />residential zones, but must be allowed as permitted uses in agricultural <br />and industrial zones." In residential zones, wells and drilling rigs would <br />have to be setback 500 feet from any existing building, and well pad and <br />impoundment pit setbacks would be 300 feet from any existing building. <br />Localities will be prohibited from imposing restrictions on hours of op- <br />eration on the drilling of wells, "subterranean operations", or activities <br />at compressor stations or natural gas processing plants. Additionally, an <br />"impact fee" will be imposed on each well. <br />Source: Switchboard; htty://switchboard.nrdc.ore/blocs <br />WISCONSIN <br />Reportedly state lawmakers are "readying legislation that would take <br />aim at the state's regulation of nonconforming structures, principally by <br />allowing unlimited maintenance and repair and moving state shoreland <br />zoning standards from administrative rule rubric to statutory standard." <br />The legislation is aimed at removing uncertainty as to what can and can- <br />not be done with nonconforming structures. Among other things, the <br />legislation would: allow property owners to perform unlimited mainte- <br />nance and repair without limitations on the dollar value of such mainte- <br />nance or repairs; and effectively prohibit local governments from enact- <br />ing,and enforcing regulations that are more restrictive. <br />Source: The Lakeland Times; www.lakelandtimes.com <br />WYOMING <br />Sweetwater County now has a nine -month moratorium on Commer- <br />cial Wind Farms. The moratorium is intended to "bring county regula- <br />tion on par with state wind farm regulations." <br />Source: The Green River Star; httti://www.greenriverstar.com <br />12 © 2012 Thomson Reuters <br />