| Share this: | ||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
Environmental Committee Reports John Hanger Nomination To Full Senate
|
|
The Senate Environmental Resources and Energy Committee this week unanimously reported the Governor's nomination of John Hanger to be Secretary of Environmental Protection to the full Senate for consideration.
The Senate has until April 22 to act on the nomination. Acting Secretary Hanger was originally nominated last September.
In a statement before the Committee, Acting Secretary Hanger provided a comprehensive review of the environmental accomplishments of the Rendell Administration since 2003.
He said the Governor directed him to work on five objectives when he was nominated:
-- Help to enact the remainder of his Energy Independence legislative package which at that point was Act 129 that was passed in October 2008 and which will make Pennsylvania a leading electricity conservation state;
-- Implement the numerous landmark energy and environmental statutes and regulations passed since 2003 such as the Alternative Energy Portfolio Standards law passed in 2004, Growing Greener II, and Act 1 or the $650 million alternative energy funding bill passed in 2008, so that Pennsylvania generates new energy supply from alternative sources, creates thousands of green jobs, and reduces pollution that harms people and ecosystems;
-- Work with Climate Change Advisory Committee to write the climate change plan required by Act 70 that was passed in July 2008;
-- Focus on a series of water issues, including the Chesapeake Bay, buffers, the state water plan, water and sewer infrastructure projects and funding, dam and flood protection projects and flooding, and drilling for Marcellus shale gas where the Governor stated he wanted to produce the gas and protect our waters; and
-- Operate and manage the daily operations of the Department of Environmental Protection to insure that it is achieving its mission of protecting Pennsylvania’s natural resources.
“By being a clean energy powerhouse in energy conservation, natural gas, solar, carbon capture and storage technology, as well as wind, geothermal, hydro, bio-diesel, and cellulosic ethanol, Pennsylvania will create hundreds of billions of new wealth, hundreds of thousands of new jobs and cut substantially the pollution of our air, land, and water that harms ecosystems and sickens human beings,” Acting Secretary Hanger said.
Acting Secretary Hanger concluded his remarks by assuring Committee members he “fully understands the difference between being an advocate in the private sector and being a public servant.”
Sen. Mary Jo White discussed two letters she sent to Acting Secretary Hanger to clear up issues related to his former employer, PennFuture. One letter dealt with pending litigation involving PennFuture and the other involved grants and contracts received by PennFuture.
Video of the hearing is available online at the Senate Environmental Resources and Energy Committee webpage.
Sen. Mary Jo White (R-Venango) serves as Majority Chair of the Committee and Sen. Ray Musto (D-Luzerne) serves as Minority Chair.
|
|
|
4/3/2009 |
|
| Go To Preceding Article Go To Next Article |
