Legislation on environmental education, the PA Senior Environment Corps, creating an Office of Energy and Pollution Reduction at DEP and regulating fireworks all came out of the Senate Appropriations Committee this week.

Senate Bill 1040 (MJWhite-R-Venango) restoring funding to PA Center for Environmental Education was amended to add DCNR and non-state agency representatives to the governing board appointed by the State System of Higher Education, clarify the Department of Education has responsibility for formal environmental education in the state (K thru 12) and sets a sunset date of 2011.

Senate Bill 1042 (Erickson-R-Delaware) creating an Office of Energy and Pollution Reduction at DEP was amended to help businesses with 100 or fewer employees not 150 and eliminates the requirement to create a Pollution Reduction Index to keep track of pollution reduced through the programs established under the bill.

Senate Bill 1041 (Pippy-R-Allegheny) restoring funding to PA Senior Environment Corps was approved without changes.

Senate Bill 856 (Madigan-R-Bradford) regulating fireworks was approved without changes.

The bills are now in position for final action by the full Senate

6/18/2004