On Friday the Judge Quigley denied GOP leaders’ request

to participate in the ‘municipality-rights’ case.

While fracking opponents await a Commonwealth Court judge’s decision on a lawsuit challenging the removal of community zoning rights under the Marcellus Shale Act 13 that went into effect April 14, Pittsburgh City Council (April 9) and Allegheny County Council (April 17) have joined other municipal officials in supporting the law suit. In a separate action, Sen. Daylin Leach (D-Montgomery) has introduced legislation to address the controversy over doctors’ access to fracking fluid composition data as limited by Act 13.