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Legislative Update - December 2007 STORMWATER MANAGEMENT PERMITTING EFFICIENCY ACT Recently Representative Doug Reichley introduced HB 2128. This legislation entitled, “The Stormwater Management Permitting Efficiency Act,” requires DEP to develop and implement a permit review process for National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) post-construction stormwater permits. The department would also develop and implement a process that utilizes a simultaneous review process for erosion and sediment control and post-construction stormwater plan review. Additionally, the bill requires DEP to provide an expedited permit review in circumstances when an applicant has municipal or county conservation district approval of a Post-Construction Stormwater Management (PCSM) plan and the plan has been sealed by a qualified licensed professional who has attended Best Management Practices manual training.
PACD may be considering a policy position on this bill at our upcoming
winter meeting in January. We would like your input on the bill as we
develop a position paper to present to the PACD Legislative Committee.
Please e-mail your comments to brenda-shambaugh@pacd.org
by December 31, 2007. We look forward to your comments and suggestions. U. S. ENERGY DEPARTMENT AGREES TO RECONSIDER POWER LINE PLACEMENT U. S. Energy officials announced they will re-examine a decision to
declare a large amount of the Mid-Atlantic region including 57 of Pennsylvania's
67 counties as a priority area for new power lines. The U.S. Department
of Energy said it would grant a re-hearing on its October decision to
declare two areas of the country "national interest electric transmission
corridors," a new legal designation to prod power line construction
in order to ease the threat of blackouts. The mid-Atlantic power corridor
runs from Virginia and Washington, D.C., north to include most of Maryland,
all of New Jersey and Delaware and large sections of New York, Ohio,
Pennsylvania, and West Virginia. Under the energy corridor map announced
by federal authorities, a major power line could be approved by Washington
if state authorities fail to approve it after a year. Such a decision
would mark the first time the federal government assumed that type of
authority over what has historically been regarded as a state decision. SPECIAL SESSION ENERGY LEGISLATION The PA General Assembly is moving on a number of bills related to energy
initiatives. One of these bills in the Senate, Special Session SB 1,
includes an amendment appropriating $650 million for alternative energy,
energy efficiency, and low-income energy assistance programs over a
ten year period. Of greatest importance to conservation districts is
a $200 million tax credit program to support alternative energy production
projects using waste coal, biofuels, biomass, solar power, wind energy,
geothermal technologies, and clean coal technologies to distribute renewable
energy. LANDOWNER LIABILITY LEGISLATION Legislation was introduced, SB 1157, which establishes a Flood Prevention and Remediation Fund from a portion of the liquor tax fund. The legislation is meant to be a proactive approach by taking steps to prevent future flooding. The intent is to establish an ongoing unified program on a large-scale, regional basis to identify and complete projects which will reduce the Commonwealth's annual exposure to flooding emergencies. For a copy of SB 1157 go to: |
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