Environmental Resources and Energy 09/23/08

The Senate Environmental Resources and Energy Committee met on Tuesday September 23, 2008 and took the following action:

Reported as Committed (unanimously):

SB 1573 (Musto) The bill amends Act 64 of 2008, entitled the Water and Sewer Systems Assistance Act by establishing the Water and Sewers Systems Assistance Bond Fund.

Reported Out as Amended (unanimously):

SR 375 (Dinniman) The resolution urges the members of the Pennsylvania Congressional Delegation to further amend the Natural Gas Policy Act of 1978 so as to preserve the fundamental rights of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and its local governments and its citizens to determine the future of land-use policies.

HB 44 (Rubley) The bill establishes the Mercury-Free Thermostat Act, which prohibits the sale, installation and disposal of Mercury thermostats; and prescribes penalties.

Environmental Resources and Energy 06/30/08

The Senate Environmental Resources and Energy Committee met on Monday, June 30, 2008 and took the following action:

Reported as Committed (unanimously):

HB 1202 (Gerber): This bill creates the Clean Fuels and Energy Independent Act.

HB 2539 (Seip): This legislation authorizes the Department of Environmental Protection to work with local governments on flood control projects. 

HB 2546 (Conklin): This bill authorizes the Department of Environmental Protection to work in cooperation with other government entities on flood control projects.

HB 2549 (Siptroth): This bill authorizes the Pennsylvania Infrastructure Investment Authority (PENNVEST), in consultation with the Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED) and the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), to fund dam safety projects.

SR 344 (Brubaker): This resolution urges Congress and the President to place a high priority on the funding needs of the Mid-Atlantic Commissions.

Environmental Resources and Energy 06/10/08

The Senate Environmental Resources and Energy Committee met on Tuesday, June 10, 2008, and took action as follows:

Reported Out as Committed

SB 1408 (Wozniak) The bill amends the Flood Control Law by authorizing the DEP to utilize nonstructural alternatives to implement flood protection measures.

SB 1409 (Wozniak) The bill amends the Stream Clearance, Rectification and Improvement Act by authorizing the DEP to develop, implement and maintain nonstructural flood protection measures.

HB 1705 (Harkins) The bill authorizes Pennsylvania to join the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence River Basin Water Resources Compact.

Reported Out as Amended

SB 1341 (Musto) The bill authorizes a referendum on the incurrence of $400,000 million indebtedness for water and wastewater improvement projects in the form of grants and loans to municipalities.

HB 1742 (Pashinski) The bill requires the collection of certain information involving scrap material (metals, paper, plastic, rubber and glass) transactions.

Environmental Resources and Energy 05/13/08

The Senate Environmental Resources and Energy Committee met on Tuesday, May 13, 2008, and took action as follows:

Reported Out as Amended

SB 2  (Earll) The bill authorizes the Commonwealth Financing Authority (CFA) to incur indebtedness of up to $750 million for water or sewer, storm water, flood protection and dam safety projects.

Reported Out as Committed

SR 283 (Brubaker) The resolution recognizes the accomplishments of Franklin & Marshall College Professors Robert C. Walter and Dorothy J. Merritts for their extensive research on legacy sediment and on the publishing of their findings in the journal Science.

Environmental Resources and Energy 04/30/08

The Senate Environmental Resources and Energy Committee met on Tuesday, April 29, and took action as follows:

Reported Out as Amended

SB 1062 (Wonderling) The bill authorizes the Secretary of Environmental Protection to enter into redevelopment agreements with developers who remediate brownfield sites.

SB 1330 (D. White) The bill establishes a process to resolve objections between a surface land owner and the mineral rights estate owner regarding the location of coal bed methane wells or access roads.

SR 294 (M.J. White) The resolution re-affirms that the consent of the Commonwealth to the acquisition of lands which created the Allegheny National Forest did not confer any authority to the U.S. government to diminish any existing property rights of the Commonwealth or the rights of private property owners.

Environmental Resources and Energy 02/05/08

The Senate Environmental Resources and Energy Committee met on Tuesday, February 5, 2008 and took action as follows:

Reported Out as Committed

SR 224 (Vance) The bill directs the Legislative Budget and Finance Committee to study the costs for wastewater treatments plants to comply with the Chesapeake Bay Tributary Strategy.

Reported Out as amended

HB 1281 (Freeman) The bill amends the Appalachian Trail Act by requiring municipalities to adopt, implement and enforce zoning ordinances to protect the Appalachian Trail.

Environmental Resources and Energy 01/15/08

The Senate Environmental Resources and Energy Committee met on Tuesday, January 15, 2008 and took action as follows:

Reported Out as amended

SB 949 (Kasunic) The legislation encompasses a complete re-write of the Commonwealth’s mine safety statutes related to bituminous coal mining. It creates a Coal Mine Safety Board to promulgate regulations and continually review and recommend the use of new mine safety technologies.  Additionally, the legislation provides for greater responsibility of owners and operators to ensure safety within mines, and brings state standards in line with existing federal standards where appropriate.

Environmental Resources and Energy 11/04/07

The Senate Environmental Resources and Energy Committee met on Tuesday, December 4, 2007, and took action as follows:

Reported Out as Amended

SB 497 (Robbins) The bill amends Act 586 of 1965, relating to recreational land and water use limited liability for landowners.  The bill adds “ trial” to the definition of land and adds “motorized recreational vehicle riding” to the definition of recreational purpose.

Reported Out as Committed

SB 1050 (Baker) The bill amends Act 190 of 1996, relating to waste tire recycling. The bill transfers $3 million annually from the Recycling Fund to the Used Tire Pile Remediation Restricted Account for FY 2007-2008 through FY 2011-2012.

HB 410 (Deweese) The resolution designates December 19, 2007, as “Coal Miner’s Day” in Pennsylvania.

Environmental Resources and Energy 10/24/07

The Senate Environmental Resources and Energy Committee met on Wednesday, October 24, 2007 and took action as follows:

Reported Out as Committed

SB 1100 (Pileggi) The bill provides for the Hazardous Sites Cleanup Act by requiring the transfer of $40 million annually of revenue generated by the capitol stock-franchise tax to the HSCA fund.

Environmental Resources and Energy 10/23/07

The Senate Environmental Resources and Energy Committee met on Tuesday, October 23, 2007 and took action as follows:

Reported Out as Amended

SB 266 (Erickson) The bill requires the DEP to prepare and publish a report on the potential impact of global warming and climate change.

Environmental Resources and Energy 10/16/07

The Senate Environmental Resources and Energy Committee met on Tuesday, October 16, 2007 and took action as follows:

Reported Out as Committed

SB 305 (Rafferty) The bill amends the Solid Waste Management Act by requiring any permit applicant to certify that the operator has no outstanding violations of act, and has complied with any enforcement orders. DEP shall not accept an application until it verifies the certification required.

SB 1017 (Brubaker) The bill amends the Phosphate Detergent Act by requiring household dishwashing cleaning agents to contain 0.0% phosphorous.

SB 1068 (M. White) The bill amends the Hazardous Sites Cleanup Act by requiring any civil penalties assessed under Hazardous Sites Cleanup Act be deposited in the Hazardous Cleanup Fund.

SB 1069 (M. White) The bill amends the Keystone Recreation, Park and Conservation Act by requiring the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, Department of Education, PA Historical and Museum Commission and the State System of Higher Education to each submit an annual report to the General Assembly.

SB 1086 (Regola) The bill amends the Flood Control Law by increasing the minimum amount which must be bid through a public advertising process from $4000 to $25,000 for flood control products performed by the Water and Resources Board.

Environmental Resources and Energy 07/14/07

The Senate Environmental Resources and Energy Committee met on Saturday, July 14, 2007 and took action as follows:

Reported Out as Amended

Environmental Resources and Energy 07/10/07

The Senate Environmental Resources and Energy Committee met on Tuesday, July 10, 2007 and took action as follows:

Reported Out as Amended

Environmental Resources and Energy 06/26/07

The Senate Environmental Resources and Energy Committee met on Tuesday, June 26, 2007and took action as follows:

Reported Out as Committed

SR 129 (Stout) The resolution opposes the designation of national interest electric transmission corridors and memorializes the Congress of the United States to repeal or modify certain provisions of the Energy Policy Act of 2005.

HB 483 (Bastian) The bill establishes the Mine Families First Program to ensure two-way communication between those persons in command of mine emergency response operation and the families of miners trapped.

Reported Out as Amended

HB 496 (George) The bill amends the Radiation Protection Act by increasing various fees related to nuclear facilities and transportation.

Environmental Resources and Energy 06/13/07

The Environmental Resources and Energy Committee met on Wednesday, June 13, 2007and took action as follows:

Reported Out as Amended

SB 715 (Musto) The bill amends the Alternative Energy Portfolio Standards Act (Act 213-2004) by further providing for the definition “force majeure” and for alternative energy portfolio standards.

SB 913 (M.White) The bill creates the Environmental Funds Reporting and Disclosure Act, which would require the DEP to annually report all fines collected.

Environmental Resources and Energy 05/01/07

The Senate Environmental Resources and Energy Committee met on Tuesday, May 1, 2007, and took action as follows:

Reported Out as Committed

SB 815 (Musto) - The bill amends the Storage Tank and Spill Prevention Act by repealing the June 30, 2007 sunset date, which allocates $500,000 to assist underground home heating oil storage tank owners. The bill also extends the sunset date of the Underground Storage Tank Environmental Cleanup Program and the Underground Storage Tank Pollution Prevention Program to June 30, 2012.

SB 782 (M. White) - The bill amends the Radiation Protection Act by increasing various fees related to nuclear facilities and transportation.

Environmental Resources and Energy 04/17/07

The Senate Environmental Resources and Energy Committee met on Tuesday, April 17, 2007, and took action as follows:

Reported Out as Committed (Unanimously)

SB 76(Tomlinson) The bill creates the Home Energy Assistance Act.

SB 105(Musto) The bill provides for independent advice and council for EQB members.

SB 176(Pippy) The bill authorizes municipalities which have a special sewage system fund to use public funds for private lateral sewer lines when in public interest.

SB 354(White, MJ) The bill prohibits EQB acceptance of certain rulemaking petitions.

SR 79(Rafferty) The resolution designates April 22, 2007 as "Earth Day" in PA.

Environmental Resources and Energy 03/27/07

The Senate Environmental Resources and Energy Committee met on Tuesday, March 27, 2007, and unanimously reported out the re-nomination of Kathleen McGinty as Secretary of Environmental Protection.

Environmental Resources and Energy 03/13/07

The Senate Environmental Resources and Energy Committee met on Tuesday, March 13, 2007, and unanimously reported out the following bills as committed:

SB 99 The bill repeals prohibition on General Fund dollars going to the Wild Resources Conservation Fund.

SB 355 The bill requires that all air quality State Implementation Plans be posted on the web.