The information you need to follow legislation in the House and Senate- starting with articles and NewsClips from last week.

Environment & Energy NewsClips--

-- Sen. Argall: More Water Quality Restoration Needed In Schuylkill River Watershed; Here’s An Idea - You Have $5 Billion Laying Around Doing Nothing  [PaEN]

-- ReadingE: Schuylkill River Has Come A Long Way, But More Work Needs To Be Done, Officials Say

-- ScrantonT Editorial: Use American Rescue Plan Cash For Susquehanna, Chesapeake Bay Cleanup

-- Bipartisan Legislation Introduced In Senate To Create Clean Streams Fund For Pennsylvania To Deal With Non-Point Water Pollution  [PaEN]

-- Sen. Muth, Rep. Friel Otten: One Year After Mariner East Pipeline Spill 33 Acres Of Marsh Creek State Park Lake Is Still Off Limits, No Remediation Done  [PaEN]

PA Capitol News: Top 10 Stories From Harrisburg Last Week--

Because In Politics Everything Is Connected To Everything Else--

-- PA Capitol News: Top 10 Stories From Harrisburg Last Week  [PaEN]

Bill Calendars

Senate (September 20): Senate Bill 284 (Yaw-R-Lycoming) would load up renewable energy projects, energy efficiency products and high-efficiency  locomotives with bonds to prevent their development.  Read more here; Senate Bill 435-- encouraging the development of clean transportation infrastructure to support electric, natural gas and hydrogen vehicles; Senate Bill 545 (Yaw-R- Lycoming) changes the definition of what constitutes reportable water pollution under the state Clean Streams Law. Read more here; Senate Bill 597 (Stefano-R- Fayette) would impose conflicting and expensive requirements on small water and wastewater systems for no benefit to their customers and if they can’t comply they would come under the regulation of the Public Utility Commission Read more here; Senate Bill 717 (Bartolotta-R-Washington) create a new stand for review of DEP permit actions that narrows the grounds for appeals by citizen groups and companies. Read more here; Senate Bill 718 (Bartolotta-R-Washington) shorten the terms of a judge on the Environmental Hearing Board from six to five years. Read more here. <> Click Here for full Senate Bill Calendar.

House (September 27): House Bill 591 (Zimmerman-R-Lancaster) providing for exemptions for NPDES water quality permits;  House Bill 763 (B-Miller-R-Lancaster) would require PennDOT to develop a list of native vegetation species that can be used in roadside work that is done throughout the state. <> Click Here for full House Bill Calendar.

Committee Meetings

House   

-- August 17-- House Environmental Resources and Energy Committee hearing on the “environmental and economic benefits of pipelines.”  Room G-50 Irvis Building.  11:00 a.m.  Click Here to watch live.  Click here for more on the agenda.

-- August 25-- House Democratic Policy Committee Tour and Roundtable - Cumberland Mine.  Cumberland Mine, 576 Maple Rund Road, Waynesburg.  8:00 a.m.

-- August 26-- House Consumer Affairs Committee hearing on solar energy in PA.  Penn State Brandywine Campus, Media, Delaware County. 10:00 a.m.  Click Here to watch live [if available].

<>  Click Here for full House Committee Schedule.

Senate

-- August 18-- Senate Environmental Resources and Energy Committee meets to vote on letter disapproving final Carbon Pollution Reduction Regulation Covering Power Plants.  Room 461 Main Capitol. 10:00 a.m.  Click Here to watch online.   Click Here for more on the agenda.

-- August 24-- Center for Rural Pennsylvania public hearing on invasive species in rural Pennsylvania.  10:00 a.m.  Click Here to register to attend online.  Click Here for more on the agenda.

 <>  Click Here for full Senate Committee Schedule.

Bills Introduced

Clean Streams Fund: Senate Bill 832 to establish a Clean Streams Fund for Pennsylvania to address non-point source water pollution funded by allocating $250 million of American Rescue Fund monies.  Read more here.

Right To Community Self-Protection: House Bill 1716 (Friel Otten-D-Chester, Herrin-D-Chester) proposes to amend the state constitution to allow communities to protect the inherent constitutional rights of their residents to health, safety, a clean environment, private property, and protect their economic interests (sponsor summary).

Extending Storage Tank Cleanup Programs:  House Bill 1780 (Armanini-R-Clearfield)  extending the sunset dates of the Underground Storage Tank Environmental Cleanup Program and the Underground Storage Tank Pollution Prevention Program from June 30, 2022 to December 31, 2027.

Bills Pending In Key Committees

Check the PA Environmental Council Bill Tracker for the status and updates on pending state legislation and regulations that affect environmental and conservation efforts in Pennsylvania.

Session Schedule

Here is the latest voting session schedule for the Senate and House--

Senate

September 20, 21, 22, 27, 28, 29

October 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 27

November 15, 16, 17

December 13, 14, 15

House 

September 27, 28, 29

October 4, 5, 6, 25, 26, 27

November 8, 9, 10, 15, 16, 17

December 13, 14, 15

8/16/2021