On August 11, Senators Gene Yaw (R-Lycoming), Scott Martin (R-Lancaster) and Dan Laughlin (R-Erie) and Sen. Jay Costa (D-Allegheny) introduced Senate Bill 832 to establish a Clean Streams Fund for Pennsylvania to address non-point source water pollution.

The program would be funded by allocating $250 million from federal American Rescue Plan monies available to Pennsylvania and was first announced on March 18.

The Senators said this on introducing the bill--

Almost one-third of Pennsylvania’s surface water does not meet state water quality standards for either fish or human health. On a map, these “impaired” waters are depicted as bright red blemishes in every corner of the state. In reality, these waters scar our landscape and diminish our economy.

We now have multiple generations of Pennsylvanians who see a highly polluted orange stream as natural or believe that rain-swollen creeks are supposed to look like chocolate milk. They’re not.

In accepting these polluted waters as normal, Pennsylvania towns and cities pay millions more to treat our drinking water supplies and squander millions of dollars in recreation and economic development opportunities.

Of the known sources of impairment, 70 percent are attributed to either agriculture or abandoned mine drainage (AMD). Both sources are known as “non-point” pollution. They are diffuse across the landscape, often on private land, and are not regulated like an end-of-pipe “point” source such as a wastewater treatment plant.

Without a regulatory permit, and without any ratepayers or user fees to support them, the burden of protecting our local streams and creeks from non-point sources falls on individual farmers and landowners.

But the impacts of non-point pollution – and the benefits of its clean-up – are felt by all of us, and we all have a role to play in ensuring the cleanup of Pennsylvania’s impaired waters.

That is why we are proposing a new “Clean Streams Fund” for Pennsylvania, dedicated to the practices and programs that will address non-point sources and invest in the future of our farms and communities.

Non-point sources are best addressed through “best management practices” (BMPs). These BMPs are relatively low-tech and low-cost compared to engineered water treatment plants, yet they yield substantial improvements to water quality.

Some examples of agricultural BMPs are grassed or forested stream buffers, cover crops, no-till farming (planting into the residue of the last crop rather than plowing), fencing livestock out of streams except for managed crossings, barnyard improvements, and manure storage.

For mitigating AMD, the most effective BMPs involve creating a series of treatment pools that allow sediments and minerals to settle out of the water, buffered by limestone and vegetation, before re-emerging into a free-flowing stream.

A High Return on Investment

Despite the costs, local economic benefits of these practices are far greater.

Non-point BMPs require materials, equipment and labor that are sourced locally. For every dollar invested, $1.60 is returned to the community. For every mile of stream improved, over $100,000 will be generated in the local economy from improved fishing and boating opportunities. Every ten percent increase in tree cover reduces water treatment costs by 20 percent.

Furthermore, new mapping and data technology is now available to identify the most strategic places and practices for action, so that we will see real improvement in our local waters in the shortest amount of time.

A Clean Streams Fund should be permanently created by law. The stimulus money must be spent by 2024, and the initial infusion of $250 million can be used to accelerate and expand the work needed to restore Pennsylvania’s clean water, but a long-term funding source will need to be identified to sustain our efforts after the stimulus money runs out. A long-term investment will reap long-term economic and water quality rewards.

The pandemic has underscored the vital importance of a local food supply, abundant natural resources and accessible outdoor recreation.

By using a small part of federal relief funds to shore up the health of these vital industries and grow the economy as a whole, future generations of Pennsylvanians might only know streams that run clean and can be safely enjoyed by everyone.

Other Proposals

Senators John Gordner (R-Columbia), Bob Mensch (R-Montgomery), Carolyn Comitta (D-Chester) and others have introduced bipartisan legislation proposing to allocate $500 million from the federal American Rescue Plan to fund Growing Greener watershed, farm conservation, mine reclamation and recreation projects in Senate Bill 525.  Read more here.

Another bipartisan bill-- Senate Bill 465 introduced by Senators Gene Yaw (R-Lycoming), Carolyn Comitta (D-Chester) and others-- would establish the Agricultural Conservation Assistance Program to also address farm conservation issues. It establishes a program framework, the proposal is not funded.  Read more here.

Your Voice Can Be Heard!

The Growing Greener Coalition is urging concerned citizens to contact their Senate and House members and urge them to support allocating a portion of the American Rescue Plan dollars to fund local green infrastructure projects.

Click Here to see how you can get involved.

Related Articles:

-- 90% Of Voters Want MORE Funding For Critical Environmental, Conservation Programs & Local Projects-- Whose Budget Proposal Does That?

-- PA Farm Bureau Calls On Senate, House To Pass And Fund Legislation To Support On-Farm Conservation Efforts To Improve Water Quality

-- Growing Greener Coalition: American Rescue Plan For Water & Green Infrastructure

-- WeConservePA Urges Groups To Work With County, Local Govts. To Invest Federal Rescue Funds For Watershed Restoration, Land Conservation, Park & Trail Improvement Projects

-- House Republicans Now Want To Take Away All DEP’s Application Fee Revenue To Further De-Fund Environmental Protection Programs

Related Articles This Week:

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

[Posted: August 11, 2021]

8/16/2021