HOLLIDAYSBURG — Blair County’s share of the Marcellus Shale revenue being distributed this year by the state is $173,729, almost twice the amount the county received two years ago.

Commissioner Chairman Bruce Erb referred to the record amount as good news for the county, which has to follow Act 13 rules in deciding how to spend the money.

Blair County has chiefly used Marcellus Shale revenue toward its farmland preservation program, Erb said. By doing that, the county is able to leverage additional state money toward support of the county farmland preservation program.

Act 13 also permits the county to use Marcellus Shale revenue for other reasons, including public infrastructure construction, emergency preparedness and public safety improvements.

In late June, the state Public Utility Commission announced that it would distribute $157 million to 32 counties and more than 1,200 municipalities this year, an additional $104 million to the Marcellus Legacy Fund for qualified projects and $17 million for state agencies.

In its announcement, the PUC reported that the money was available for distribution because natural gas drillers paid more than $278 million in impact fees in 2022, the largest amount since payments began in 2012.

The PUC also indicated that the impact fees reflected a higher average price of natural gas and the addition of 574 wells.

Erb said he was grateful for the increase but added that next year’s projections indicate that revenue will fall by 30%.

The state’s records show the county’s allocations was $162,800 for 2018 before it fell to $125,632 in 2019 and to $85,996 in 2020, then rebounded to $145,731 in 2021 and hit the record $173,729 for 2022’s distribution that arrives this year.

The PUC also posted information indicating that in addition to the county, this year’s distribution of 2022’s impact fee revenue includes $30,087 for Juniata Township, where there are six Marcellus Shale wells, and smaller amounts for other municipalities within the county.

The PUC’s information also showed distributions of $559,042 for Clearfield County, $157,769 to Cambria County, $57,120 for Huntingdon County and $56,655 for Bedford County.

Mirror Staff Writer Kay Stephens is at 814-946-7456.