Agenda: Senate Environmental Committee Sets Sept. 11 Hearing On MS4 Stormwater Program; Communities Need Help Funding Local Projects
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The Senate Environmental Resources and Energy Committee is scheduled to hold a hearing on the federal MS4 Stormwater Water Pollution Reduction Program September 11 in Chambersburg, Franklin County.

Those expected to offer testimony during the hearing include--

--  Joe Adams, DEP Deputy Secretary for Field Operations;

-- Melissa Batula, Director for the Bureau of Project Delivery, PennDOT; and

-- Officials from the Borough of Greencastle; Antrim Township; Antis Township, Blair County; the Blair County Conservation District, and local residents.

Background

Greencastle Borough and Antrim Township have been considering the adoption of stormwater management fees as have most communities required to implement the MS4 Stormwater Water Pollution Reduction Program.

The fees would pay for local stormwater management projects designed to reduce flooding and cleanup stormwater runoff.

Sen. Judy Ward (R) represents the Borough and Township.

The hearing will start at 1:00 p.m. at the Antrim Brethren in Christ Church, 24 Kauffman Road East, Chambersburg.  Click Here for more information when posted.

No Help From State

The local fees are necessary because the General Assembly has failed to adopt any new funding initiatives to help communities pay for these costs.

At a June 19 hearing by the House Environmental Resources and Energy and Local Government Committees on the MS4 Program, local government associations again asked the General Assembly to provide additional financial support for their stormwater pollution reduction and flood reduction efforts. 

The final stakeholder-driven PA Chesapeake Bay Watershed Planning Steering Committee submitted to EPA in August reported communities and farmers needed an estimated $324 million annually over the next 6 years to implement the final plan.

Without the additional funding, the 43 counties in Pennsylvania that are part of the Chesapeake Bay Watershed would not meet the 2025 pollution reduction goals until 2044-- 19 years late.

That help did not come, in fact the FY 2019-20 state budget cut $16 million in funding that could have helped them.

More than two and a half years ago-- January 24, 2017-- the bipartisan Pennsylvania members of the Chesapeake Bay Commission dramatically wrote to all members of the Senate and House to spotlight the need for many more resources to address water pollution cleanup obligations across the state.

They highlighted the need for a dedicated Clean Water Fund.

The letter was signed by Sen. Gene Yaw (R-Lycoming), Majority Chair of the Senate Environmental Resources and Energy Committee, Sen. Rich Alloway (R-Franklin)- now retired, Rep. Garth Everett (R-Lycoming), Rep. Keith Gillespie (R-York) and Rep. Mike Sturla (D-Lancaster).

What happened?  Nothing.

These failures by the General Assembly fly in the face of overwhelming public support for funding green infrastructure projects designed to reduce water pollution, flood damage and cleanup Pennsylvania’s rivers and streams.

So what were Senate and House members proud of in the FY 2019-20 budget?  They were proud they passed an on time budget... but meanwhile in the real world it continues to rain, continues to flood and our streams are polluted.

Sen. Gene Yaw (R-Lycoming) serves as Majority Chair of the Senate Environmental Committee and can be contacted by calling 717-787-3280 or sending email to: gyaw@pasen.gov.   Sen. John Yudichak (D-Luzerne) serves as Minority Chair and can be contacted by calling 717-787-7105 or sending email to: yudichak@pasenate.com.

NewsClips:

Maryland Won’t Fund Pennsylvania’s Clean Water Goals For Chesapeake Bay Governor Says

Enviros Fume As Maryland Governor Downplays Rift With PA Over Chesapeake Bay Cleanup

Chesapeake Bay Executive Council Looks To The Future

WITF Smart Talk: Is Pennsylvania Doing Enough For The Chesapeake Bay Cleanup?

Maryland Governor Re-elected Chair Of Chesapeake Bay Executive Council

Sean Sauro: Harrisburg Mayor: Plan To Reduce Raw Sewage Going Into Susquehanna River Not Good Enough

PA Capitol Pumps Wastewater Directly Into Susquehanna River, Chesapeake Bay’s Biggest Tributary

Letter: Pennsylvania Needs To Clean Up Its Chesapeake Bay-Polluting Act

Letter: We Have A Right To Clean Water

South Williamsport, DuBoistown Consider Stormwater Partnership In Lycoming County

Wyoming Valley Sanitary Authority Releases Stormwater Pollution Reduction Plan

New Report Marks Land Conservation Progress In Chesapeake Bay Watershed

WITF Smart Talk: Urban Forests Enhance Quality Of Life - Audio Online Now

Click Here for Last Week’s Environment & Energy NewsClips

Related Articles:

Chesapeake Bay Foundation Urges PA To Meet Its Water Pollution Reduction Goals

Pennsylvania Has Permanently Protected More Land In Chesapeake Bay Watershed Than Any Other Individual Bay State

Op-Ed: Commit To Saving Chesapeake Bay - Fmr Gov. Dick Thornburgh

Op-Ed: Time For Greater State, Federal Support Of Farmers' Clean Water Efforts

Baltimore Sun: Let's Sue Pennsylvania To Get Serious About Cleaning Up Its Water Going To The Chesapeake Bay, Part II

Op-Ed: PA Efforts To Curb Chesapeake Bay Pollution Have Stalled, Leaving Bay At Risk - By Former EPA Administrators Gina McCarthy & William Reilly

Maryland Governor Calls For Action, Accountability On PA's Plan To Reduce Water Pollution Going To Chesapeake Bay

DEP, Agriculture, DCNR Layout Their Hopes For Final Chesapeake Bay Healthy Waters, Healthy Communities Watershed Plan

Harrisburg Sewage System Released Nearly 1.4 Billion Gallons Of Inadequately Treated Wastewater Into Susquehanna In 2018, An Increase Since 2016

Final PA Chesapeake Bay Implementation Plan Still Falls Short Of Required Water Pollution Reductions

CBF: Pennsylvania's Plan To Reduce Pollution Going To Chesapeake Bay Sorely Deficient

New Poll Shows Overwhelming Public Support For Restore PA Infrastructure Plan; When Will It Translate Into Legislative Votes?

Gov. Wolf Signs Bills Providing $6 Million In Farm Conservation Aid Missing Target By $171 Million Or So This Year

“Do Unto Those Downstream As You Would Have Those Upstream Do Unto You"

Growing Greener Coalition: Cuts Made To Environmental Stewardship (Growing Greener) Funding Could Have Planted 32,000 Acres of Stream Buffers

Major Environmental Priorities Not Addressed In FY 2019-20 State Budget, Shell Game Continues

CBF: PA Elected Leaders Failed To Show The Will, Leadership To Restore Pennsylvania's Rivers And Streams

CBF: State Needs To Step Up Support For Those Working Hard To Cleanup PA's Rivers And Streams - Harry Campbell

Op-Ed: Conservation Efforts Lose Out In State Budget - Len Lichvar

[Posted: September 4, 2019]


9/9/2019

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