The Governor’s Sustainable Water Infrastructure Task Force this week held public hearings on water infrastructure needs in several parts of Pennsylvania and at each one the PA Fair Share for Clean Water Plan to fund nutrient reduction efforts by wastewater plants and farmers found lots of support.

How state government is going to help sewer system ratepayers and farmers fund improvements needed to meet Chesapeake Bay and statewide nutrient reduction mandates, while also providing a mechanism that will allow for future economic growth in Pennsylvania, is the most pressing water infrastructure issue facing the state today.

At the Pittston hearing chaired by Sen. Ray Musto (D-Luzerne), the Scranton Sewer Authority, Wyoming Valley Sanitary Authority, Greater Hazleton Joint Sewer Authority and the Williamsport Sanitary Authority expressed their support for the Fair Share Plan.

The Scranton Authority alone faces $30 million in costs to meet the new nutrient reduction standards and at the Wyoming Valley Authority the bill for nutrient removal just went to $14.7 million.

“We will not shirk our responsibility to cleanup our water,” said Eugene Barrett, Executive Director of the Scranton Authority, “but if there is any way the state can help us it is desperately needed.”

Matt Ehrhart, Pennsylvania Executive Director of the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, provided the panel with an overview of the Fair Share Plan and the need for state government to be a partner in nutrient reduction.

Video Blog: Matt Ehrhart Comments to Task Force

At the Task Force hearing in Red Lion chaired by Rep. Stan Saylor (R-York), Mike Kyle, Executive Director of the Lancaster Area Sewer Authority, estimated their ratepayers will have to finance more than $20 million in wastewater treatment plant improvements to meet the nutrient reduction requirements of the permit just issued by the Department of Environmental Protection.

Kyle said the Fair Share Plan would provide wastewater plants and farmers with the financial help they need to meet these new requirements.

Video Blog: Mike Kyle, Lancaster Area Sewer Authority

Several other commentators, including John A. Klinedinst, C.S. Davidson, Inc. and James Holley, James R. Holley and Associates, noted state government has offered no financial support to meet the new nutrient reduction requirements and in some cases cut funding that did support wastewater plants.

Lamonte Garber, Senior Agriculture Program Manager with the Chesapeake Bay Foundation said the nutrient reduction requirements will benefit Pennsylvanians first by cleaning up their streams and rivers, then the Bay. He provided background on why the mandates were adopted and outlined the PA Fair Share for Clean Water Plan in more detail.

Video Blog: Lamonte Garber on the Fair Share for Clean Water Plan

The Pennsylvania Fair Share for Clean Water Plan proposes to invest $500 million to help finance the upgrades needed by wastewater plants to meet the new nutrient reduction standards and $390 million to help farmers install conservation practices over seven years. In both cases, local wastewater system ratepayers and farmers would shoulder half the costs of the upgrades and practices.

The proposal also calls for improvements to the state’s Nutrient Credit Trading Program that will help reduce the costs of complying with these new limits by promoting wastewater plant-farmer cooperation on projects to reduce nutrients and allow for future growth and development.

The Fair Share for Clean Water Coalition includes the Pennsylvania Municipal Authorities Association, Pennsylvania Farm Bureau, Pennsylvania Builders Association, Pennsylvania Association of Conservation Districts, the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, and a growing list of 26 other environmental, business and local government groups.

Specifically for the FY 2008-09 state budget year, the Fair Share Plan would invest $170 million in 2008-09 in several ways to reduce the financial burden on ratepayers and farms:

· $100 million to help wastewater plants finance required improvements;

· $50 million in direct cost share aid to farmers to install conservation practices ($35 for REAP farm tax credits and $15 million in cost share grants);

· $10 million to county conservation district to expand technical assistance to farmers;

· $10 million to restore cuts to the Department of Agriculture budget in farm programs; and

· Proposes reforms to the state’s nutrient credit trading program that will help to make it a viable alternative to provide for both environmental improvements to the Bay and sufficient future sewage capacity for new development.

The next meeting of the Governor’s Task Force is on June 3 in Harrisburg. (See Calendar of Events)

For more information on the PA Fair Share for Clean Water Plan, visit www.PaFairSharePlan.org .

NewsClips: Hearing Focuses on PA’s Water Systems

Separate Sewage Lines, Panel Told

Authorities Could Use More State Funds for Cleanup Panel Told

Legislator Hopes to Soften Blow of Chesapeake Bills

Older Water Systems Worry Wastewater Group

Editorial: Chesapeake Cleanup Help, It’s About Equal Treatment

Video Blog: Remarks By Coalition Partners on the Fair Share Clean Water Plan

Video Blog: Sen. Brubaker’s Remarks on Fair Share Plan

Links: Coalition Proposes Fair Share Clean Water Funding Plan, Original Announcement

16,000 Miles of Polluted Streams Add Urgency to Call for Clean Water Funding

CBF, Other Groups Ask State to Be a Partner in Chesapeake Bay Cleanup Plan

40,000 More Acres of Corn, Soybeans Increase Conservation Needs

Brubaker, Musto Say Senate Infrastructure Bill Should Be Expanded

New Federal Farm Bill Promises Aid, But PA Farmers Need $600 M for Cleanup

Rep. Perry, 37 Co-Sponsors Introduce Chesapeake Bay Nutrient Reduction Plan

New House Bill Opens Debate on How to Fund Nutrient Pollution Cleanup

Support for PA Fair Share For Clean Water Plan Grows, New Website Open

5/30/2008