Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf has signed an executive order that ends a short-lived effort by former Gov. Tom Corbett to expand the extraction of natural gas from rock buried deep beneath Pennsylvania's state parks and forests.
The Democrat signed the order restoring a moratorium on new drilling leases involving public lands Thursday at Benjamin Rush State Park in northeast Philadelphia.
It supersedes an order that Republican Corbett signed in May and reinstates the ban former Gov. Ed Rendell, a Democrat, instituted in 2010.
"Natural gas development is vital to Pennsylvania's economy, but so is the economic and environmental viability of our parks and forests," said Wolf. "This is about striking the right balance. Our state parks and forests are unique assets that should be preserved, protected, and utilized by our residents for recreational purposes."
Environmentalists are praising the move, saying it reflects Wolf's support for strong environmental regulation, but the Marcellus Shale Coalition, an industry trade group, is sharply criticizing the governor, saying it's a political move that unnecessarily bans the safe development of natural gas.
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