5/16/2012: Act 13 brief from House Dems; study says drillers reduced accident rate.

- With the Act 13 lawsuit awaiting a June 6 hearing before a Commonwealth Court panel, several dozen House Democratic lawmakers filed a "friend of the court" brief to weigh in with their view on the zoning-rights challenge. (Post-Gazette)

- During a policy committee hearing in Beaver County yesterday, one House Republican from the area asked: Could Pennsylvania "be proactive and mark certain areas as no-drill zones?" (Beaver County Times)

- StateImpact Pennsylvania takes a look at DEP Secretary Michael Krancer's often-blistering letters to the EPA.

- Natural-gas drillers in Pennsylvania’s Marcellus Shale reduced the rate of blowouts, spills and water contamination by half since 2008, according to a study based on state-agency actions. (Bloomberg)  

- And CNNMoney questions why DEP isn't more pro-active in alerting landowners to drilling violations that occur on their properties.