By Senate Majority Leader Dominic Pileggi

When the annual state budget was passed in mid-July, it did not include any funding for the Hazardous Sites Cleanup Fund – one of the most important programs in state government.

Pennsylvania's Hazardous Sites Cleanup Act, often referred to as HSCA, provides funding for many vital environmental cleanups. Perhaps most importantly, it pays for the state's portion of the federal Superfund program, which cleans up abandoned hazardous waste sites.

In large part because of our industrial heritage, Pennsylvania currently has at least 269 Superfund sites, according to the federal Environmental Protection Agency. Our commitment to HSCA is not optional.

HSCA also provides funding to clean up other contaminated sites, to investigate illegal hazardous waste disposals and methamphetamine labs, to allow the Department of Environmental Protection to stabilize serious chemical spills, and to maintain a statewide emergency response network.

In June and July, the administration sought to pay for this key program by increasing the tax on trash, which would affect every homeowner and business in the state.

HSCA is such an important priority that we should find a way to fund it from existing state revenues. We should not rely on a tax increase very unlikely to pass the General Assembly.

In October, the Senate passed Senate Bill 1100, legislation I introduced to transfer about $17 million to HSCA from legislative accounts for the current fiscal year. Recent estimates indicate that amount is enough to keep the program afloat through the end of June. By using money from legislative accounts, we ensure that no state program is cut to fund HSCA.

The Senate also passed legislation, Senate Bill 1068, to ensure that any fines or penalties levied for violations of HSCA are used to fund HSCA-related environmental activities, rather than being used for other government programs.

Going forward, Senate Bill 1100 would dedicate $40 million in existing revenues for HSCA from the Capital Stock and Franchise Tax in fiscal year 2008-2009 through fiscal year 2010-2011. That tax is scheduled to be eliminated at the end of 2010; this proposal will not delay that phase-out.

In other words, my legislation will ensure that HSCA is properly funded for the next four years. During this time, we can work to find a longer-term funding source.

Senate Bill 1100 passed the Senate unanimously. I hope the House will also act quickly, so that it can be sent to the governor for his signature by the end of November and Pennsylvania's very real environmental needs can continue to be met.

Sen. Dominic Pileggi (R-Delaware) is the Majority Leader in the Pennsylvania state Senate. He was first elected to the Senate in 2002. More information about state issues can be found on his website, www.senatorpileggi.com .

11/23/2007