Allegheny County Council Approves Lease for Airport Properties

February 20, 2013
Posted By: Aimee V. Scott

Allegheny County Council voted yesterday to approve a lease with CONSOL Energy Inc., permitting gas drilling at Pittsburgh International Airport, the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reports. County Executive Rich Fitzgerald intends to sign the bill. CONSOL estimates that drilling will start no earlier than late 2014. Current estimates are that gas drilling at the airport could earn the Allegheny County Airport Authority $500 million dollars. Federal law requires that the revenue that the county receives from the lease must go directly to the airport. The Shale Energy Law Blog has more coverage on the airport lease here and here.