Senators Mary Jo White (R-Venango) and Ray Musto (D-Luzerne), Majority and Minority Chairs of the Senate Environmental Resources and Energy Committee, are working on a series of proposed environmental reform bills for the new session. Here are several of the measures they plan to introduce—

Environmental Funds Reporting: “The Environmental Funds Reporting and Disclosure Act” would require the Department of Environmental Protection to provide a comprehensive update of all special funds and their expenditures, the number and nature of violations of environmental statues and the number and nature of criminal referrals by DEP to the Attorney General for prosecution. The bill would also require that if fines and penalties collected by a specific fund increase more than five period, the excess funds would be required to be transferred to the General Fund. (Sen. White)

Independent Counsel: Giving the Environmental Quality Board authority to appoint legal counsel independent of the Department of Environmental Protection to advise members on any matter before the Board. (Sen. Musto)

Review of Air Quality Plans: Specifically require the public availability of Clean Air State Implementation Plans on the Internet and submission of proposed and final SIPs for review by the Senate and House Environmental Resources and Energy Committees. (Sen. White)

Rulemaking Petitions: The Environmental Quality Board would be prohibited from accepting a rulemaking petition to regulate an emission or discharge which is not required to achieve, maintain or satisfy either a federal or state environmental statute. (Sen. White)

For more information, visit the Senate Environmental Resources and Energy Committee webpage.

1/5/2007