When the Senate and House came back into session after Labor Day in September, there was hope they would take action on a variety of environmental issues.  With, at most, 21 voting days scheduled in the House and 15 in the Senate until the end of the year, time is short to act.

Here are just a few bills they could finish work on and make a positive difference for the environment when the Senate and House return to session October 16--

Bills In The House

-- Recycling Program Shut Down: The House did not yet take final action on legislation-- Senate Bill 646 (Killion-R- Delaware)-- to reauthorize the $2/ton Recycling Fee to fund the state’s local material collection programs, although it was reported out of the House Environmental Resources and Energy Committee with just a one year extension and is now on the House Calendar for action. 

DEP has already shutdown applications for new local recycling implementation, household hazardous waste and education grants due to the 2 to 3 year reimbursements required for approved grants.  Click Here for more.

-- Protect Existing Act 13 Drilling Impact Fee Income: A Commonwealth Court decision in March on the definition of stripper well in Act 13 threatens to reduce revenue from the Act 13 drilling impact fee by another 10 percent ($16 million) a year.  Although the Public Utility Commission is appealing the decision, Rep. Pam Snyder (D-Fayette) introduced House Bill 1283 in April to fix the problem (sponsor summary).  The bill is in the House Environmental Resources and Energy Committee.  Click Here for more.

-- Natural Gas Gathering Pipelines: On October 4, the House Consumer Affairs Committee took action to report out Senate Bill 242 (Baker-R-Luzerne) adding unconventional and larger conventional natural gas gathering pipelines to the PA One Call utility safety program.  The bill then went to the full House.  This legislation represents a significant improvement in utility safety by including the gathering lines.  Click Here for more.

-- Storage Tanks: The Storage Tank Environmental Cleanup and Pollution Prevention Programs in the Storage Tank and Spill Prevention Act expired on June 30, 2017 and with it the ability of DEP to help certain tank owners remove or cleanup the mess left behind by leaking tanks.

Legislation to reauthorize the programs sponsored by Sen. John Yudichak (D-Luzerne), Minority Chair of the Senate Environmental Resources and Energy Committee, was included in House Bill 290 (Metzgar-R-Bedford) and passed by the Senate on July 8, returned to the House for a concurrence vote and is in the House Rules Committee.  Click Here for more.

-- Littering Penalties: On July 8 the Senate passed Senate Bill 431 (Scavello-R-Monroe) to increase the fines for littering significantly. Currently, fines for littering under Title 18 (Crimes and Offenses) run from $50 to $300 for a first-time offense, and $300 to $1,000 for a second and subsequent offense.  Under Senate Bill 431, fines would be increased up to $2,000 for multiple offenses, based on the size and weight of litter.  Click Here for more.

The bill is in the House Transportation Committee.

-- Game, Fish Commission Fees: Legislation passed the Senate in March giving the Game and Fish and Boat Commissions the ability to set their own fees by regulation is now stalled in the House Game and Fisheries Committee. 

Senate Bill 30 (Eichelberger-R-Blair) authorizing the Fish and Boat Commission to adopt its own fees saw no action on the bill in Committee.  Senate Bill 192 (Stefano-R-Fayette) authorizing the Game Commission to adopt its own fees was Tabled in the Committee.  Click Here for more.

-- Local Clean Energy Funding: House Bill 1722 (Harper-R-Montgomery) would authorize local governments to create energy improvement districts to help fund energy efficiency, renewable energy and water conservation projects by commercial and industrial buildings to reduce their operating costs is pending in the House Local Government Committee (sponsor summary).  Thirty-three other states have adopted similar PACE Programs. A companion bill is in the Senate Community, Economic and Recreational Development Committee-- Senate Bill 234 (Blake-D-Lackawanna)-- which is scheduled to consider the bill on October 17.  Click Here for more.

Bills In The Senate

-- Local Stormwater Fees: In June the House voted overwhelmingly to give communities the ability to fund local stormwater and flood prevention projects by passing House Bill 913 (Everett-R- Lycoming) providing for the adoption of stormwater fees by incorporated towns, House Bill 914 (Everett-R- Lycoming) providing for the adoption of stormwater fees by boroughs, House Bill 915 (Everett-R-Lycoming) providing for the adoption of stormwater fees by first class townships and House Bill 916 (Everett-R-Lycoming) providing for the adoption of stormwater fees by Cities of the Third Class.  Click Here for more.

The bills are necessary because the House and Senate continue to cut funding for local stormwater and watershed improvement projects.

They are sponsored by Rep. Garth Everett (R-Lycoming) one of Pennsylvania’s members on the interstate Chesapeake Bay Commission.

The bills are in the Senate Local Government Committee.

-- Lawn Fertilizer Regulation/Education: Application of fertilizer by homeowners, golf courses and athletic fields has long been known to be a source of nutrient runoff.

To deal with the issue, Sen. Richard Alloway (R-Franklin), one of Pennsylvania’s members on the interstate Chesapeake Bay Commission, in June introduced Senate Bill 792 that will reduce the environmental impact of fertilizer by requiring all professional fertilizer applicators to be certified in application techniques and creates an education program.  Click Here for more.

Similar legislation has already been enacted in Maryland, New Jersey and Virginia.

On June 26, the Senate Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee reported the bill out of Committee unanimously and it was referred to the Senate Appropriations Committee on July 17.

-- Electronics Waste Recycling Program Reform: Over the last 3 years electronics waste recyclers, nonprofit groups that run recycling events, DEP and counties have pointed to the problems in Pennsylvania’s Electronics Waste Recycling Program which many say is near collapse or at best just limping along. The General Assembly has held hearings on the issue, but so far has taken no action.  Click Here for more.

At the end of June, Sen. Richard Alloway (R-Franklin) introduced Senate Bill 800 to totally revamp the whole electronics waste recycling law and put in its place a new system that he believes will fix many of the problems.  Click Here for more.

The bill is in the Senate Environmental Resources and Energy Committee.

-- Local Clean Energy Funding: Senate Bill 234 (Blake-D-Lackawanna) would authorize local governments to create energy improvement districts to help fund energy efficiency, renewable energy and water conservation projects by commercial and industrial buildings to reduce their operating costs. Thirty-three other states have adopted similar PACE Programs (sponsor summary).  The Senate Community, Economic and Recreational Development Committee has scheduled a meeting on October 17 to consider the bill.  A companion bill is also in the House Local Government Committee-- House Bill 1722 (Harper-R-Montgomery).  Click Here for more.

-- Designating Eastern Hellbender PA’s State Amphibian: A project of the Chesapeake Bay Foundation’s Student Leaders group, Sen. Gene Yaw (R-Lycoming), one of Pennsylvania’s members on the interstate Chesapeake Bay Commission, introduced Senate Bill 658 in May to name the Eastern Hellbender as Pennsylvania’s state amphibian.  Click Here for more.

The bill was reported out of the Senate State Government Committee on June 14, but then was Tabled in the Senate on July 9 and has not moved.

(Photo: Eastern hellbender.)

[Posted: Oct. 11, 2017]

10/16/2017