The House Environmental Resources and Energy Committee voted 15 to 14 to report out legislation that would impose a new $2.75/ton fee on municipal waste disposed in Pennsylvania to support the Hazardous Sites Cleanup Program and partially fund debt service for the Growing Greener II bond issue.

The Committee amended the bill—House Bill 1206 (Surra-D-Elk)-- to take out all the permit application and administrative fees included in the bill and left only the $2.75 fee.

Republicans on the Committee attempted to offer an amendment that would eliminate the fee in favor of restoring the Hazardous Sites Cleanup Fund’s original source of funding, the Capital Stock and Franchise Tax. That effort was blocked on procedural grounds.

Also reported out of Committee were:

· House Bill 1320 (Siptroth-D-Monroe) establishing a program within DEP for the disposal of home-generated medical sharps; and

· Senate Bill 815 (Musto-D-Luzerne) extending the storage tank pollution prevention program through 2012.

Rep. Bud George (D-Clearfield) serves as Chair of the House Environmental Resources and Energy Committee and Rep. Scott Hutchinson (R-Venango) serves as Minority Chair.

NewsClips: Editorial: Funding for Hazardous Sites Cleanup Will Disappear

6/22/2007