Court Won't Take Another Look At Allegheny Forest Ruling

A federal court will not reconsider a decision leading to more natural gas drilling in the Allegheny National Forest, as the AP reports.

ERIE, Pa. (AP) — The 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has refused to reconsider a ruling last year that ended a ban on drilling in the Allegheny National Forest in northwestern Pennsylvania.
The appeals court ruled in September that the U.S. Forest Service only controls surface rights, not the mineral rights below the forests lands. The court says the mineral rights are privately owned, and those owners should enjoy reasonable access to the surface to drill for oil and gas.

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