The House Environmental Resources and Energy Committee is scheduled to meet on September 30 to consider legislation to exempt some water supplies used by the public from clean water standards and require the recycling of solar panels through the state’s  broken electronic waste recycling program.

The bills on the agenda include--

-- Exempting Public Water Supplies:  House Bill 707 (Zimmerman-R-Lancaster) would exempt any facility owned by a church or an association of churches, including schools, daycare centers and camps, from the need to meet Safe Drinking Water Act clean drinking water standards.

At a June 12, 2019 information meeting on the bill, DEP told the Committee not assuring the drinking water at these facilities serving the public meet safe drinking water standards would put Pennsylvania at risk of losing primary for administering the federal Safe Drinking Water Act which requires the regulation of these water supplies.

If Pennsylvania loses primacy, the $34 million and more in federal funds the Commonwealth receives each year to fund drinking water system improvements and $5.5 million in support to pay for inspectors and permit reviewers for the program would be lost.

There would need to be a change in federal law to make the change proposed in House Bill 707.  Read more here.

-- Recycling Solar Panels In A Broken System: House Bill 2197 (Dush-R-Clearfield) would add solar panels-- “photovoltaic modules”-- to the state’s Electronic Waste Recycling Program-- Covered Device Recycling Act--  requiring manufacturers to support recycling programs that collect solar panels for recycling.

In April of 2019, the House Environmental Committee held a hearing on recycling, and electronic waste recycling in particular, and heard testimony about how the e-waste program is broken, both for the communities it serves and the electronics product manufacturers that support it.  Read more here.

The program continues to be broken and needs major changes for it to function.

At a September 16 Committee information meeting on the bill, the PA Recycling Markets Center, the PA Resources Council, the Solar Energy Industries Associates and DEP said the Covered Device Recycling Act is not an appropriate program for recycling solar panels, according to Rep. Greg Vitali (D-Delaware), Minority Chair of the Committee.

Click Here for a copy of the Solar Energy Industries Association comments.  Click Here for a PA Recycling Markets Center comments.

The issue of recycling solar panels has been brought up frequently by Rep. Dush and other conservatives in hearings on climate change and renewable energy.

They contend the state should not rush into promoting renewable energy until there is a viable way to recycle the panels.

In the Senate, Sen. Gene Yaw (R-Lycoming) is proposing legislation to load up solar energy projects with bonds which will have the effect of killing $2 billion in private solar investment.  Read more here.

Also on the Committee agenda is House Bill 2002 (Kaufer-R-Luzerne) eliminating the obsolete Anthracite Coal Tax Act.

The meeting will be held in Room 60 East Wing of the Capitol starting at 9:00 a.m.  Click Here to watch online.

Rep. Daryl Metcalfe (R-Butler) serves as Majority Chair of the House Environmental Committee and can be contacted by calling 717-783-1707 or sending email to: dmetcalf@pahousegop.com. Rep. Greg Vitali (D-Delaware) serves as Minority Chair and can be contacted by calling 717-787-7647 or sending email to: gvitali@pahouse.net.

Related Article This Week:

House Environmental Committee Holds Sept. 30 Info Meeting On Bill Redefining Spills, Discharges To Streams As No Longer Pollution

Related Articles:

-- House Republican Environmental Committee Chair Advises Religious Groups Not To Let DEP Staff On Their Property To Protect Their First Amendment Rights

-- House Environmental Committee Meets Sept. 16 On Recycling Solar Panels; But E-Waste Law Is Broken

-- Sen. Yaw Wants To Load Up Solar Energy Projects With Bonds; Will Kill $2 Billion In Private Solar Investment, Hurt Family Farms, Increase Electricity Costs

[Posted: Sept. 23, 2020]

9/28/2020