The Senate and House both return to voting session on March 12, with the highlight of their activities being in the House adopting the package of reform procedures developed by the Speaker’s Reform Commission and the Senate holding a series of confirmation hearings for agency heads.

House

Calendar: House Resolution 98 (Hanna-D-Centre) designating March 12 as “PA Association of Conservation Districts” Day.

Committees: the Environmental Resources and Energy Committee holds its organizational meeting, the Consumer Affairs Committee has scheduled two informational meetings with the PUC Commissioners and electric industry with industry leaders

Senate

Committees: the Environmental Resources and Energy Committee will hold a hearing on the nomination of Michael DiBerardinis to be Secretary for Conservation and Natural Resources and will consider three bills: Senate Bill 99 (Musto-D-Luzerne) repealing the prohibition on General Fund dollars going to the Wild Resources Conservation Fund, Senate Bill 355 (MJ.White-R-Venango) requiring additional public review of Clean Air State Implementation Plans and their publication on the Internet and Senate Bill 356 (MJ.White-R-Venango) establishing the PA Center for Environmental Education in statute; and the Agriculture and Rural Affairs will hold a hearing on the nomination of Dennis Wolf to be Secretary of Agriculture and a “Building a Vision for Rural Pennsylvania” listening session in Ephrata, Lancaster County.

Other Meetings: Joint Legislative Air and Water Pollution Control and Conservation Committee Environmental Issues Forum providing an Update on the Southwest Regional Water Management Task Force and Joint State Government Commission Task Force on the Kilbuck Township Landslide organizational meeting pursuant to House Resolution 897 (Petrone-D-Allegheny).

Bills Introduced

Several more environmental bills were introduced this week, here’s the rundown…

Landfill Moratorium: Senate Bill 140 (Rhoades-R-Schuylkill) would establish a three year moratorium on issuing permits for new or expanded landfill capacity.

Biosolids Study: Senate Bill 142 (Rhoades-R-Schuylkill) establishing a Biosolids Land Application Study Commission related to the environmental and public health safety of biosolids.

Dam Safety: Senate Bill 145 (Rhoades-R-Schuylkill) authorizing a $1 billion bond issue for the purpose of financing dam safety or repair projects.

Solar Energy Tax Credit: Senate Bill 166 (Erickson-R-Delaware) providing a tax credit for the installation of solar energy systems.

Sewage Laterals: Senate Bill 176 (Pippy-R-Allegheny) authorizing state funding for financing sewage laterals.

Horticultural Education: Senate Bill 208 (Musto-D-Luzerne) establishing the Horticultural Education and Demonstration Fund within the Department of Education.

Restricting Waste Disposal: Senate Bill 212 (Browne-R-Lehigh) restricting waste disposal near schools.

Greenfield Quarries: Senate Bill 244 (Punt-R-Franklin) prohibiting the operation of a greenfield noncoal quarry within 1,500 feet of a school.

Climate Change: Senate Bill 266 (Erickson-R-Delaware) requiring the Department of Environmental Protection to report on potential global warming impacts, inventory greenhouse gases and create a stakeholder process to develop climate change strategies.

EQB Petition Process: Senate Bill 354 (MJ.White-R-Venango) requiring that rulemaking petitions by the Environmental Quality Board deal only with issues regulated by current state or federal law.

Review of Air Pollution Control Plans: Senate Bill 355 (MJ.White-R-Venango) providing additional review of Air Quality State Implementation Plans

Environmental Ed Center: Senate Bill 356 (MJ.White-R-Venango) establishing the PA Center for Environmental Education in statute.

State Energy Office: Senate Resolution 43 (Kasunic-D-Somerset) urging the Governor to reestablish the PA Energy Office.

Regulating Dredge Material: House Bill 621 (Eachus-D-Luzerne) providing for municipal regulation of water dredge material and providing for a referendum.

Mine Rescue Equipment: House Bill 636 (Surra-D-Elk) requiring the availability of self-contained, self-rescue devices in mines.

Wind Power Assessment: House Bill 656 (Bastian-R-Somerset) amending the PA Farmland and Forest Land Assessment Act to allow the use of preserved farmland for wind power generation.

Encouraging Biomass Projects: House Bill 664 (George-D-Clearfield) providing a Sales and Use Tax exemption for biomass projects used for home heating purposes and agricultural products sold by the original producer for fuel. (text not yet online)

Frivolous Lawsuits: House Bill 665 (George-D-Clearfield) further protecting citizens communicating with government and in the regulatory review process from frivolous lawsuits. (text not yet online)

Farmland Assessments: House Bill 667 (Sonney-R-Erie) further providing for removal of land from preferential assessments and for continuation of preferential assessments. (text not yet online)

Definition of Regulation: House Bill 674 (Reed-R-Indiana) requiring certain policy documents from the Department of Environmental Protection to be reviewed under the Regulatory Review Act. (text not yet online)

Plug-In Hybrids: House Bill 690 (Cohen-D-Philadelphia) establishing the Plug-In Hybrid Task Force, House Bill 691 (Cohen) providing an exclusion from Sales and Use Tax for plug-in hybrid vehicles and House Resolution 106 (Cohen) urging auto manufacturers to develop and produce plug-in hybrid electric vehicles. (text not yet online)

Alternative Energy Tax Credits: House Bill 696 (Ross-R-Chester) providing tax credits for the development of qualified alternative energy enterprises. (text not yet online)

Electric Rate Transition: House Bill 697 (Ross-R-Chester) establishing a transition process from rate caps to a market-based system for purchase of electricity. (text not yet online)

Mining and Land Recycling Program: House Bill 710 (Yudichak-D-Luzerne) including previously mined sites with preexisting discharges in the Land Recycling Program. (text not yet online)

PACD Day: House Resolution 98 (Hanna-D-Centre) designating March 12 as “PA Association of Conservation Districts” Day.

Alternative Energy Conference: House Resolution 107 (Cohen-D-Philadelphia) calling for the holding of a conference on the use of alternate energy sources in honor of Benjamin Franklin. (text not yet online)

Climate Change: House Resolution 110 (Ross-R-Chester) directing the Environmental Resources and Energy Committee to study and report on the issue of climate change and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. (text not yet online)

Electronics Recycling: House Resolution 112 (Mann-D-Lehigh) directing the Department of Environmental Protection to implement policies which encourage electronic waste recycling. (text not yet online)

3/9/2007