The House Environmental Resources and Energy Committee reported out legislation adopting an electric transmission line compact, establishing a Coal Methane Review Board, funding waste tire removal, brownfields redevelopment, encouraging reclamation of mine sites with biomass and a resolution to review the Growing Greener II bond program.

The bills include:

>>House Bill 2480(DeWeese-D-Greene) providing for the adoption of the Mid-Atlantic Area National Electric Transmission Corridor Compact;

>>Special Session House Bill 55(Brooks-R-Crawford) providing incentives for using switchgrass and other biofuels feedstock to reclaim abandoned mine lands;

>>Special Session House Resolution 107(Cohen-D-Philadelphia) resolution calling for the holding of a conference on the use of alternative energy sources in honor of Benjamin Franklin;

>>House Resolution 883(Harper-R-Montgomery) directing the Legislative Budget and Finance Committee to review where grants were made under the Growing Greener II program;

>>Senate Bill 1330(D.White-R-Indiana) establishing the Coal Methane Review Board, which was amended to include additional protections for surface property rights owners;

>>Senate Bill 1062(Wonderling-R-Montgomery) reimbursing brownfield developers for certain costs; and

>>Senate Bill 1050(Baker-R-Luzerne) establishing the Used Tire Pile Remediation Account and making an appropriation, which was amended to reduce the funding from $3 million to $1.5 million.

Rep. Camille George (D-Clearfield) serves as Majority Chair of the Committee and Rep. Scott Hutchinson (R-Venango) serves as Minority Chair.

9/26/2008