04/22/24 - 117 New Stories - REAL Environmental & Conservation Leadership In PA: http://tinyurl.com/9bh4zbtr
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Senate/House Bills Moving
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The following bills of interest saw movement this week-- Senate Biofuels Exemption: Senate Bill 901 (Scarnati-R-Jefferson) exempting certain small refineries for one year from biodiesel mandate was reported from the Senate Appropriations Committee and passed by the Senate. It now goes to the House for consideration. Permit Extension: Senate Bill 569 (Pileggi-R-Delaware) extending any agency approval or permit for one year for approvals issued after December 31, 2008 and ending before July 2, 2011 was amended on the Senate Floor and passed by the Senate and now goes to the House for action. Hazardous Sites Reporting: Senate Bill 783(MJ White-R-Venango) requiring additional reporting on the Hazardous Sites Cleanup Fund was passed by the Senate and now goes to the House for consideration. Farm-Drilling: Senate Bill 298 (Yaw-R-Bradford) allowing the split off of preserved farmland for drilling purposes was referred to the Senate Appropriations Committee. Landfill Penalties: Senate Bill 547 (Rafferty-R-Montgomery) providing penalties for repeat violations of landfill regulations was referred to the Senate Appropriations Committee. Recycling Fee: Senate Bill 886 (Musto-D-Luzerne) extending the $2/ton Recycling Fee through 2020 and authorizing $1.25 million from the Recycling Fund to cleanup waste tire piles was referred to the Senate Appropriations Committee. House Energy Office: House Bill 786 (George-D-Clearfield) creating a State Energy Office within DEP was passed by the House and now goes to the Senate for consideration. Farms- Energy: House Bill 984 (Kessler-D-Berks) would limit the roll-back taxes when a landowner leases land enrolled in the program for a wind power generation system was passed by the House and now goes to the Senate for action. "This bill would benefit all Pennsylvanians by helping to advance job creation and clean, affordable energy across the state through wind power and preserving farmland," Rep. Kessler said. "My legislation would prevent drastic rollback taxes on entire farms where the owners merely want to offer part of their land for this vital clean-energy resource. Instead, rollback taxes would apply only to the portion of land leased for the wind power generation system, and the remainder of the tract would remain eligible for preferential assessment. Without this change, farmers will be deterred from participating in alternative energy projects." Farms-Coal Bed Methane: House Bill 1394 (Houghton-D-Chester) would clarify the status of land leased for exploration of oil and gas, coal bed methane extraction and commercial wind energy production was passed by the House and now goes to the Senate. Historic Preservation: House Bill 42 (Freeman-D-Lehigh) providing for Historic Preservation Grants was passed by the House and now goes to the Senate for consideration. "The grants and tax credits provided for in my legislation would be effective tools for preserving and revitalizing Pennsylvania’s vast number of historic properties," Rep. Freeman said. "Many of the neighborhoods where these properties exist have been overlooked or succumbed to urban blight over the years. This legislation would give homeowners of historic properties and owners of historic commercial buildings the incentive to restore these significant structures to their former glory. Historic renovation of these properties will enhance their value and help with the overall revitalization of our older urban communities.
"By revitalizing our historic boroughs and small towns, we make them attractive to new residents and businesses, which provides economic momentum and makes it more likely that we can preserve farmland and open space rather than see it turned into development." Owners restoring commercial properties would be eligible for tax credits of up to $500,000; homeowners restoring residential properties would be eligible for grants. Under the program, grants would be used to reimburse owners for up to 70 percent of the costs of exterior rehabilitation or restoration work that meets the criteria for historic properties with a maximum reimbursement of $15,000. Traditional Neighborhoods: House Bill 1609 (Freeman-D-Lehigh) amending the Municipalities Planning code to further define traditional neighborhood development was amended on the floor and passed by the House. It now goes to the Senate for action. "Traditional neighborhood development is an excellent alternative to the type of sprawl development that consumes vast amounts of farmland and creates traffic congestion nightmares," said Rep. Freeman, chairman of the House Local Government Committee. "TNDs are a more compact form of development that use less land, are pedestrian-friendly and provide for a mix of uses and housing options that foster a greater sense of community than conventional suburban developments. A TND creates an actual village or neighborhood rather than a subdivision, thereby reducing dependence on the automobile to meet everyday needs."
Nearly a decade ago, Rep. Freeman authored the original traditional neighborhood development provisions in the state's Municipalities Planning Code. Since then, a number of communities pursued the TND alternative, but provisions in the 2000 law proved somewhat cumbersome to implement. Rep. Freeman said his bill would make changes to current TND provisions to make it easier for municipalities to use them as an alternative to sprawl. Under current law, a TND that is in the form of a new development must be in the form of an overlay zone rather than a designation "by right." The bill would allow municipalities to designate a TND "by right," thereby making it easier to develop mixed-use, traditional neighborhoods. "By allowing municipalities to make an outright TND designation in their zoning codes, it would be a lot easier to create TNDs," Rep. Freeman noted. "Municipalities could ensure that this more compact form of development would be utilized, rather than simply suggesting it to a developer as an alternative. With this added tool in their planning toolbox, local officials would be in a much better position to manage growth more effectively, preserve more open space and reduce people's dependency on the automobile." Program Evaluations: the House adopted House Resolution 17 (Harper-R-Montgomery) directing the Legislative Budget and Finance Committee to review the Growing Greener Program and the Community Conservation Partnerships Program. Natural Gas Severance Tax: House Bill 1489 (George-D-Clearfield) establishing a natural gas severance tax was amended to allocate 40 percent of the revenues to environmental, energy and local government programs and was referred to the House Rules Committee. Alternative Energy/Carbon Sequestration: House Bill 80 (Vitali-D-Delaware) creating a carbon sequestration network and expanding the A lternative Energy Portfolio Standards was reported from the House Rules Committee. Natural Gas Severance Tax: House Bill 1489 (George-D-Clearfield) establishing a natural gas severance tax was amended to allocate 40 percent of the revenues to environmental, energy and local government programs and was reported from the House Environmental Resources and Energy Committee. Capital Greenbelt: Senate Bill 54 (Piccola-R-Dauphin) which would establish a permanent easement to protect the Capital Greenbelt trail on the former State Hospital grounds in Harrisburg was reported from the House State Government Committee and referred to the House Appropriations Committee. "This legislation is so vitally important not only to preserve the Greenbelt corridor but to ensure that area residents and visitors from near and far can continue to enjoy some of the most beautiful and enjoyable natural surroundings this trail and its' parks have to offer. We need to spend more time working to protect public park land for it's an invaluable and tremendous recreational outlet and resource. For this, I encourage all members of the House to recognize the need for my legislation and help to preserve a significant piece of history," said Sen. Piccola.
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6/26/2009 |
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