Rep. Perry

Rep. Scott Perry (R-Cumberland) said this week he will introduce legislation that will help increase the environmental quality of the Chesapeake Bay without placing an unfair burden on local governments or taxpayers.

“This bill calls for greater accountability, organization and cohesiveness in the deployment of the Chesapeake Bay Tributary Strategy developed by the Department of Environmental Protection,” Rep. Perry said.

Rep. Perry explained the Commonwealth entered into an agreement with several other states to improve the environment in and around the Chesapeake Bay. These agreements outline certain standards for states to curtail pollution to the bay, and from these agreements, DEP put together a Chesapeake Bay Tributary Strategy.

To help limit pollution to the bay and fulfill the goals and standards set in the Chesapeake Bay Tributary Strategy many wastewater treatment plants around the Commonwealth will need to be upgraded.

“While the Tributary Strategy has a laudable environmental goal, its practicality in terms of implementation costs, especially to local governments, is proving to be very problematic,” Rep. Perry said. “Businesses and homeowners are already seeing the effect in their sewer bills.”

The proposed legislation, known as the Chesapeake Bay Strategy Improvement Act, would address several key issues including:

· Providing an appropriation of up to $300 million over 10 years to help local governments fund the needed plant upgrades to reduce nutrient discharges;

· Providing an appropriation of up to $50 million over 10 years to help fund agricultural best management practices to reduce nutrient and sediment runoff;

· Affording wastewater treatment facilities access to low-interest loan financing to assist in meeting local matching funds requirements;

· Creating the Pennsylvania Chesapeake Bay Nutrient Trading Board. The board will be made up of stakeholders in the nutrient trading process. Its overall mission will be to provide independent oversight and management to a reliable and viable nutrient trading process;

· Authorizing changes to municipal biding requirements to facilitate the acquisition of nutrient credits by wastewater treatment facilities;

· Requiring an economic impact study of the overall costs and benefits of the Chesapeake Bay Tributary Strategy;

· Authorizing a more appropriate and realistic phase-in schedule for wastewater treatment plan compliance; and

· Requiring that nutrient and sediment reduction, storm water control and other water quality requirements be encompassed in legislation subject to review and approval by the General Assembly.

Rep. Perry said he is currently seeking co-sponsors for his legislation and will introduce within the month.

2/1/2008