Gov. Rendell Asked to Keep His Commitment to Reduce Pollution in PA Waterways, and Support the Fair Share for Clean Water Plan
HARRISBURG, Pa., June 9 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — In a letter to Gov. Edward G. Rendell, the PA Fair Share for Clean Water Coalition asked the Governor to keep his commitment to help sewer system ratepayers and farmers finance improvements needed to reduce nitrogen and phosphorus pollution going into local rivers and streams and the Chesapeake Bay by supporting the PA Fair Share for Clean Water Plan.
The PA Fair Share for Clean Water Coalition includes the Pennsylvania Municipal Authorities Association, Pennsylvania Farm Bureau, Chesapeake Bay Foundation, Pennsylvania Builders Association, the Pennsylvania Association of Conservation Districts, and a growing list of other environmental, business, and local government groups.
“Last December Gov. Rendell told the Chesapeake Executive Council that he would work with the General Assembly to provide state funding to meet nutrient reduction requirements when the federal government provided funding,” said Matthew Ehrhart, Pennsylvania Executive Director for the Chesapeake Bay Foundation. “Congress has now acted by passing the federal Farm Bill which provides Bay states with $440 million to help comply with these mandates and the Environmental Protection Agency just increased Pennsylvania’s funding for clean water projects by $20 million.”
“Pennsylvania’s entire Congressional Delegation was involved in the Farm Bill effort, but we would especially like to thank U.S. Senator Bob Casey and Congressman Tim Holden for their leadership on this issue,” said Ehrhart. “Now we hope Gov. Rendell will keep his commitment by supporting the Fair Share for Clean Water Plan and working with the General Assembly to provide this much needed funding.”
“Farmers welcome the help included in the new Farm Bill, but it is nowhere near enough to cover the $600 million cost the Department of Environmental Protection estimates farmers will have to invest in conservation practices,” said Joel Rotz, State Governmental Relations Director for the Pennsylvania Farm Bureau. “Farmers are more than willing to do their fair share in meeting federal and state regulations, but they cannot do it alone. State funding is urgently needed as farmers face the potentially crippling costs of meeting these new state and federal mandates.”
“For the last several years we’ve seen cuts in the state budget for vital programs that help farmers install conservation practices,” said Susan Marquart, Executive Director of the PA Association of Conservation Districts. “Without technical assistance provided by county conservation districts, Pennsylvania agriculture cannot meet its mandated nutrient reduction goals.”
The Department of Environmental Protection has already issued new permits to the first 63 of over 184 wastewater treatment plants that will have to meet the new nutrient reduction mandates in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed. The cost of the improvements needed at the plants to comply is estimated to be $1 billion.
“Mandated nutrient reductions under the state Chesapeake Bay Tributary Strategy for sewage treatment plants impose a heavy financial burden on communities and ratepayers that could see a doubling or tripling of sewer rates if no help is provided by state government,” said John Brosious, PMAA Deputy Director. “Unlike Virginia and Maryland, Pennsylvania has provided no significant funding to meet these mandates.”
The Coalition pointed to the need for the Commonwealth to improve the existing Nutrient Credit Trading Program to help farmers, wastewater plants, future homeowners and businesses meet the federal and state mandates.
“A functioning, viable nutrient credit trading program, combined with a funding plan that targets money where it can make the greatest environmental impact, can provide sewage treatment plants with a stable, economically feasible alternative to costly capital upgrades and protect future economic opportunity,” said Robert J. Fisher, president of R. J. Fisher and Associates representing the Pennsylvania Builders Association. “But, without help from state government, economic growth and development in large portions of Pennsylvania will be severely curtailed.”
The Pennsylvania Fair Share for Clean Water 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.
Over the course of seven years the Fair Share for Clean Water Plan will invest up to $890 million in upgrades to sewage treatment plants and agricultural practices for nutrient reduction efforts for the Chesapeake Bay and for cleaning up streams statewide.
If you would like to read the letter to Gov. Rendell visit http://www.cbf.org/pafairshareletter
For more information on the PA Fair Share for Clean Water Plan, visit http://www.pafairshareplan.org/
CONTACT: Lamonte Garber of the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, +1-717-234-5550; Mark O’Neill of the PA Farm Bureau, +1-717-731-3583; John Brosious of the PA Municipal Authorities Association, +1-717-737-7655; Scott Elliott of the PA Builders Association, +1-717-730-4380; or Brenda Shambaugh of the PA Association of Conservation Districts, +1-717-238-7223
PA Fair Share for Clean Water Coalition
CONTACT: Lamonte Garber of Chesapeake Bay Foundation, +1-717-234-5550;Mark O’Neill of PA Farm Bureau, +1-717-731-3583; John Brosious of PA MunicipalAuthorities Association, +1-717-737-7655; Scott Elliott of PA BuildersAssociation, +1-717-730-4380; or Brenda Shambaugh of PA Association ofConservation Districts, +1-717-238-7223
Web Site: http://www.cbf.org/pafairshareletterhttp://www.pafairshareplan.org/