The House State Government Committee is scheduled to meet on October 22 to consider Senate Bill 575 (Yaw-R-Lycoming) establishing a taxpayer funded procurement program for nitrogen, phosphorus and sediment reductions needed to comply with the Chesapeake Bay Watershed pollution reduction goals in all or part of 43 counties in the state.

The bill was introduced with the support of the Coalition For Affordable Bay Solutions, an industry-led coalition of private companies promoting complicated and expensive manure treatment technologies and manure-to-energy processing plants.

As written, Senate Bill 575 would guarantee only large companies with access to lots of resources could take part in the complicated bidding process established in the bill.  These companies typically promote higher cost bricks and mortar treatment solutions to deliver nutrient pollution reductions.

No small farmer, who could install much cheaper Best Management Practices in terms of cost per pound of pollution reduced through the installation of proven green infrastructure, would bother to participate in bidding with all that upfront expense and paperwork.

If the only people who can bid in these complicated process are companies with the more expensive options, this process will guarantee it presents agencies with the choice of only picking more expensive options.

Last September, Matt Johnston of the University of Maryland Chesapeake Bay Program and Dr. Emily Trentacoste from the Chesapeake Bay Program presented the PA Chesapeake Bay Watershed Planning Steering Committee with a list of the top 11 most cost effective practices to reduce nitrogen going to the Chesapeake Bay based on all this experience and data in the Chesapeake Bay Program (page 73 of his presentation).

The practices include alternative crops on farmland at $1/pound of nitrogen reduced to exclusion fencing with grass buffers at $6/pound.

In between are-- less expensive to more-- were water quality conservation plans, grass buffers on row crops, barnyard runoff control, water control structures, wetland restoration, forest buffers on row crops ($2/pound), narrow buffers on row crops, narrow forest buffers on row crops and nutrient management on the land.

None of the top 11 most cost effective practices included bricks and mortar treatment solutions which, in one manure treatment configuration, can need a cost of from $10 to $13/pound to operate the promoters have said.

An existing, competitive Nutrient Credit Auction Program run by the PA Infrastructure Investment Authority resulted in nitrogen credit sales of $2.25 per pound last September. 

Since the more expensive pollution reduction technology cannot compete in this market-based program because their costs are too high, a new one had to be created in Senate Bill 575.

Another Pretend Solution

It’s a pretend solution to a real problem.  It is yet another example of the failure of Pennsylvania’s political leadership to invest in real solutions to the Commonwealth’s water quality problem.

Pennsylvania needs $324 million a year for the next 6 years to implement real, cost effective nutrient and sediment reduction practices in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed area.

The PA Chesapeake Watershed Plan was developed through a stakeholder-driven process from the ground up, not dictated by vendors of manure treatment technologies.

Visit DEP’s Chesapeake Bay webpage for more background on the Plan and Pennsylvania’s obligations.

The Committee meeting will be held in Room G-50 of the Irvis Building at the Call of the Chair, which means there is no set time for the meeting.  It could happen at any time the House takes a break from session on the Floor.

Rep. Garth Everett (R-Lycoming) serves as Majority Chair of the House State Government Committee and can be contacted by calling 717-787-5270 or sending email to: geverett@pahousegop.com.   Rep. Kevin Boyle (D-Montgomery) serves as Minority Chair and can be contacted by calling 717-783-4944 or sending email to: RepKevinBoyle@pahouse.net.

NewsClips:

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Republicans Moving Troublesome Bills:

Senate Appropriations Committee Meets Oct. 21 To Consider Bill To Legalize Road Dumping Of Conventional Drilling Wastewater

Senate Environmental Committee Meets Oct. 22 On Bills That Will Slow Down DEP Permit Reviews, Make It More Complex, Costly

Sen. Yaw Introduces Bill To Authorize 3rd Party Review Of Chapter 102, 105 Permit Applications

Related Articles:

Bay Journal: States’ Latest Chesapeake Bay Cleanup Plans Found Lacking By EPA; Pennsylvania Misses Goal, Funding Needs By Substantial Margins

Final PA Chesapeake Bay Implementation Plan Still Falls Short Of Required Water Pollution Reductions

CBF: Pennsylvania's Plan To Reduce Pollution Going To Chesapeake Bay Sorely Deficient

CBF: PA Elected Leaders Failed To Show The Will, Leadership To Restore Pennsylvania's Rivers And Streams

Gov. Wolf Signs Bills Providing $6 Million In Farm Conservation Aid Missing Target By $171 Million Or So This Year

Chesapeake Bay Foundation Urges PA To Meet Its Water Pollution Reduction Goals

Maryland Governor Calls For Action, Accountability On PA's Plan To Reduce Water Pollution Going To Chesapeake Bay

[Posted: October 17, 2019]

10/21/2019