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An ordinance of the County of Allegheny, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, amending and supplementing the Allegheny County Code of Ordinances, Division 2 (entitled “County Government Operations”) through the creation of a new Chapter 272 in order to provide for public access to oil and gas lease information relating to property located within Allegheny County.
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Whereas, by Order of Court issued January 7, 2008, all power and authority previously vested in the elected Allegheny County Recorder of Deeds Office is now vested in the Allegheny County Department of Real Estate; and,
Whereas, the Department of Real Estate, maintains and preserves all legal documents affecting title to real property, such as deeds, liens, mortgages, and/or the leasing or retention of subsurface mineral, coal and/or natural gas ownership; and
Whereas, legal instruments, such as deeds, are recorded either for giving legal public notice of their existence, or for safekeeping and future reference; and,
Whereas, as of May 2, 2018, the, PA Department of Environmental Protection has issued 258 drilling permits in Allegheny County. There are now 141 operating wells, with an additional 117 wells permitted. It is estimated that 18% of Allegheny County land, both public and private lands, have been leased for gas extraction purposes; and,
Whereas, Allegheny County has no readily available means of documenting for the benefit of the public, where private and/or public land is leased for the express purpose of the extraction of oil and natural gas; and,
Whereas, in order to promote the orderly development of land, the tracking of ownership of sub-surface property held by individuals, partnerships, corporations, and governmental entities, it is critical to ensure that the public has the ability to accurately access available information that indicates where lands have been leased, by whom, and for oil and natural gas extraction activities; and,
Whereas, ordinary citizens attempting to ...
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