The Senate Environmental Resources and Energy Committee will hold a hearing October 16 to hear comments and alternatives for filling a $40 million funding shortfall in the Hazardous Sites Cleanup Fund.

Department of Environmental Protection Secretary Kathleen McGinty is expected to testify.

Gov. Rendell and the Senate and House put in place a stopgap measure for funding the Hazardous Sites Program over the last two fiscal years by taking money from the popular Growing Greener watershed, nutrient and sediment reduction and abandoned mine reclamation programs and putting it in the HSCA Fund. But that temporary measure ends July 1, 2007 and the Fund will be out of money.

Although some replacement funding was provided for watershed and abandoned mine reclamation programs through the $625 million Growing Greener II, that funding is also due to run out in just four years.

Add to these funding dilemmas, the fact that starting July 1, 2007, the Rendell Administration expects to start paying back the Growing Greener II bond issue with funds taken from the Growing Greener watershed, nutrient and sediment reduction and abandoned mine reclamation program.

The Committee is also looking to schedule a hearing on the status of Growing Greener funding in the next few weeks.

Sen. Mary Jo White (R-Venango) chairs the Committee and Sen. Ray Musto (D-Luzerne) is Minority Chair.

10/13/2006