House environmental committee examines increasing setback distances for unconventional gas well drilling
Rep. Greg Vitali November 17, 2025 | 3:04 PM
HARRISBURG, Nov. 17 -- The PA House Environmental & Natural Resource Protection Committee held a public hearing at the state Capitol in Harrisburg today on the need to increase the distance for unconventional gas well drilling away from certain buildings and water sources, according to the committee’s chair, state Rep. Greg Vitali, D-Delaware.
Vitali has introduced legislation (H.B. 1946) that would establish greater drilling setback distances from any building, drinking water source or natural body of water, and even greater distances from any school, hospital or long-term care facility. Vitali’s legislation would increase setbacks to 2,500 feet from buildings and 5,000 feet from schools, hospitals, and long-term care facilities along with a setback of 2,500 feet from any drinking water source including water wells, surface water intakes, and reservoirs, and 750 feet from any natural body of water.
Unconventional gas wells target natural gas trapped in shale formations using techniques such as horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing. Current setbacks established in 2012 are 500 feet from buildings and 1000 feet from drinking water extraction points.
Then Attorney General Josh Shapiro convened a grand jury to examine gas drilling operations to increase setbacks. In 2020, the 43rd Grand Jury recommended increasing setbacks to 2,500 feet from buildings and 5,000 feet from schools, hospitals, and long-term care facilities. The report states, “We do not believe such a modest buffer zone is too much to ask when it comes to people’s health and homes.”
Vitali’s legislation is consistent with the grand jury’s recommendations.
“Five-hundred feet is way too close. So is 2,000 feet. That much should be obvious,” Physicians for Social Responsibility president, Dr. Edward Ketyer said. “Fracking should not operate close to where people live and work, where children learn and play, where parents expect their kids will stay healthy and thrive in their homes and communities.”
“Setbacks serve as a reasonable buffer between well development activity and public or private resource,” Marcellus Shale Coalition Government Affairs and Communications vice president Pat Henderson said. “They are not a substitute for a comprehensive and robust regulatory regimen.”
“Township Supervisors are often the first people that residents reach out to if there are issues,” Cecil Township supervisor Cindy Fisher said. Cecil Township has enacted an ordinance which has increased setback requirements. “They reach out with road complaints, truck traffic complaints, air quality issues, water issues, noise complaints and many more. I have stood in residents’ homes while they cried because they couldn’t take the vibrations, noise, or smells anymore. Oil and gas development is a 24/7 operation and often keeps those in close proximity up at night.”
“It should not vary [from] township to township. That’s why I’ve been heavily advocating for increased setbacks across the state of Pennsylvania,” Cecil Township resident Michele Stonemark said. “Increasing the setbacks would not only help to protect residents from the bright lights, heavy flaring, awful smells and massive truck traffic, but it would also make a huge difference in the noise problems associated with unconventional drilling.”
“There is no substitute for distance when it comes to protecting people from the health impacts of fracking,” Pennsylvania policy and field advocate for Earthworks, Melissa Ostroff said.” While Earthworks supports pollution controls to reduce emissions, we know that pollution controls can and do fail. They also cannot completely eliminate exposure to pollution for nearby residents, which is often invisible. We recognize the hundreds of peer-reviewed studies that demonstrate proximity to shale gas extraction is associated with poor health outcomes. As a result, Earthworks supports H.B. 1946 and its goal of increasing setback distances for shale gas wells and infrastructure.”
Following this public hearing, House Bill 1946 awaits a vote in the House Environmental and Natural Resource Protection Committee