HARRISBURG - The natural gas industry contributed more than $3 million to statewide and legislative candidates from 2001 through March and spent more than $5 million on lobbying since 2007 when a new public disclosure law took effect, according to a new campaign spending tracking website.

Common Cause PA and Conservation Voters of Pennsylvania recently launched the website www.MarcellusMoney.org to provide a window on industry spending as up to date as possible under the infrequent state campaign finance reporting deadlines. The website is searchable by company, political candidate and contribution amount.

It debuts with intense debate over Marcellus Shale tax and regulatory issues dominating Harrisburg during an election year.

The site identifies 25 natural gas companies as top campaign contributors during the past decade, including several active in Northeast Pennsylvania, a hot spot for drilling and exploration in the Marcellus Shale geological formation. They include Chesapeake ($75,000), Chief Oil & Gas ($16,800), Anadarko ($8,600), Williams Production ($2,750) and Cabot Oil & Gas ($1,500).

Indiana, Pa.-based SW Jack Drilling tops the list with $950,000 in contributions, one-third of the total. But there's an important caveat. The firm's chairwoman is Christine L. Toretti, the national Republican committeewoman and frequent contributor to GOP candidates.

According to the website, the top 10 recipients of driller campaign cash during the past decade include: Attorney General and GOP gubernatorial candidate Tom Corbett ($372,000); Lt. Gov./Senate GOP leader Joseph Scarnati ($117,000); Democratic Gov. Ed Rendell ($84,000); Democratic gubernatorial candidate Dan Onorato ($74,000); Rep. David Reed, R-62, Indiana, ($57,000); Democratic Auditor General and gubernatorial candidate Jack Wagner ($50,000); and Sen. Don White, R-41, Indiana, ($48,000).

Also: Senate Appropriations Chairman Jake Corman, R-34, Bellefonte, ($33,800); Former House Democratic leader Bill DeWeese, D-50, Waynesburg, ($29,400); and House Minority Whip Mike Turzai, R-28, Pittsburgh, ($26,000).

Northeast region lawmakers receiving contributions include House Speaker Keith McCall, D-122, Summit Hill, ($12,000); Senate Minority Leader Robert Mellow, D-22, Peckville, ($7,000); Rep. Matt Baker, R-68, Wellsboro, ($6,200); Sen. Lisa Boscola, D-18, Lower Saucon Twp., ($5,300); Sen. David Argall, R-29, Tamaqua, ($3,900); Rep. Tina Pickett, R-110, Towanda, ($2,500); Sen. Lisa Baker, R-20, Lehman Twp., ($1,500); Sen. Gene Yaw, R-23, Williamsport, ($1,500); Sen. John Gordner, R-27, Berwick, ($1,300); House Majority Leader Todd Eachus, D-116, Hazleton, ($1,250); Rep. Ed Staback, D-115, Archbald, ($500); Rep. John Yudichak, D-119, Nanticoke, ($250); and Rep. Karen Boback, R-117, Harveys Lake, ($250).

"This is such a good issue to demonstrate the power of money in elections in Pennsylvania," said Common Cause director Barry Kauffman, citing the impact of the drilling boom on water quality, local roads and the use of chemicals in fracking fluids. "These are all pretty important issues for people in two-thirds of the state."

Industry spokesmen point to the other side of the coin regarding efforts to influence policy on Marcellus Shale issues.

Two Harrisburg-based nonprofit organizations that advocate for a state severance tax on natural gas production have funding issues of their own, they add. The environmental group PennFuture receives taxpayer-funded grants to promote alternate-energy development, while the Pennsylvania Budget and Policy Center, which issues studies on the tax structure, has major labor leaders on its board. The natural gas industry doesn't receive tax dollars and is transparent about who contributes to its advocacy efforts, said Travis Windle, spokesman for the Marcellus Shale Coalition, an industry trade group.

Alex Kaplan, the Marcellus website creator, built the database using campaign reports filed with the Department of State. The department's campaign finance website allows for searches of individual candidates and PACs, but not anything more in-depth.

"It's impossible to get a sweeping view of an industry on that (state) website," said Mr. Kaplan. He said such analysis is important since Pennsylvania is one of the few states that doesn't limit the amount of campaign contributions.

Contact the writer: rswift@timesshamrock.com