By Brian J. Hill, President, Pennsylvania Environmental Council

Pennsylvania’s Hazardous Sites Cleanup Fund is responsible for cleaning up nearly 150 toxic waste sites across the state, but unless the General Assembly acts before they go home for the year, it will run out of money by the end of December.

The Hazardous Sites Program cleans up those sites that are seriously contaminated by toxic materials and owned by bankrupt or out-of-business companies. In other words, we the citizens own a lot of nasty liabilities that will continue to endanger public health if the state doesn’t clean them up.

To understand how critical it is for the General Assembly to act, consider what is funded by the soon-to-be bankrupt Hazardous Sites program:

· Funding to cleanup toxic waste sites and to pay Pennsylvania’s share of federal Superfund cleanups;

· It enables the Department of Environmental Protection to cleanup chemical spills and respond to emergencies;

· Supports Pennsylvania’s nationally-recognized Land Recycling brownfield redevelopment efforts; and

· Pays for investigations of illegal hazardous waste disposal and methamphetamine labs.

Everyone in Harrisburg agrees the program is important. What they have not been able to agree on is how to fund the program.

Governor Rendell had proposed a $2.25 fee on municipal waste disposed in the state. Other legislators suggested earmarking part of the Corporate Net Income or Capital Stock and Franchise businesses taxes to support the program. Still others proposed using a small part of the $650 million budget surplus for the year, or part of the state’s Rainy Day Fund.

Senate Majority Leader Dominick Pileggi and Senator Mary Jo White introduced and the Senate unanimously passed legislation to provide $17 million to keep the program afloat this year by taking money from legislative accounts and to keep the program going at $40 million a year for the next four years by earmarking funds from the Capital Stock and Franchise Tax on businesses.

That legislation or similar legislation needs to be passed – and passed before the General Assembly adjourns.

We also need to keep our hands off the Keystone Recreation, Parks and Conservation Fund and other existing environmental funds to finance the Hazardous Sites Program. Unfortunately, taking money from these funds was proposed in July, but a coalition of groups and legislators beat back the attempt. Robbing Peter to pay Paul by funding one environmental program with another will only take funds away from dealing with critical environmental problems in the Commonwealth.

The bottom line is pretty simple: the Hazardous Sites Cleanup Program needs to be funded and it needs to be funded now. This cannot wait for the New Year

Brian J. Hill, is President and CEO of the Pennsylvania Environmental Council, and can be contacted at 717-230-8044 ext. 16 or by sending email to: BHill@pecpa.org .

The Pennsylvania Environmental Council promotes the protection and restoration of the natural and built environments through innovation, collaboration, education and advocacy with the private sector, government, individuals and communities as partners to improve the quality of life for all Pennsylvanians.

The Council was founded in 1970 and serves the entire state through offices in Meadville, Wilkes-Barre, Pittsburgh, Harrisburg and Philadelphia.

11/30/2007