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Senate Approves White Measure to Fund
State Hazardous Sites Cleanup Program
HARRISBURG -- The
state Senate today approved legislation sponsored by Sen. Mary Jo White (R-21)
that would continue funding Pennsylvania’s Hazardous Sites Cleanup Fund without
the tax increases sought by the Rendell administration.
Senate Bill 149 directs an amount equal to a
quarter-mill of the Capital Stock and Franchise Tax -- about $36 million -- from
the General Fund to the Hazardous Sites Cleanup Fund (HSCA). The legislation
would use the same revenue stream that funded HSCA until 2002
“We recognize this is not a permanent fix, but it
helps address the critical and immediate needs facing HSCA,” said White, who
chairs the Senate Environmental Resources and Energy Committee. “Administration
officials have been traveling the state telling communities that a lack of HSCA
funding is putting citizens in danger. We have listened, and fully expect the
Administration to support this infusion of much needed funding.”
[“Dangerous levels of toxic chemicals are loose in
our environment and the department does not have the money to protect
residents.” -- Environmental Protection Secretary Kathleen McGinty, Dec. 9,
2004.]
The only alternative Gov. Rendell has offered is to
impose a new Toxic Release Inventory Tax and trash disposal tax to partially
fund HSCA. There is clearly little support for this in the General Assembly;
the governor’s proposal has not even been introduced in the Senate in more than
a year, said White.
Additionally, even if the General Assembly passed
the governor’s tax increases today, there is no way the new taxing and funding
system could be implemented in time to avert the “crisis” cited by DEP, the
senator noted.
“DEP has stopped remediation and cleanup efforts;
stopped investigations into illegal contamination of hazardous sites; threatened
to furlough 225 employees beginning April 1, 2005; and stated publicly to
communities facing contamination that they are in danger,” said White. “Given
the rhetoric and actions of the administration, we have a collective obligation
to provide immediate funding to HSCA.”
Senate Bill 149 does not affect the commitment by
Senate Republicans to phase-out the Capital Stock and Franchise Tax by 2010, or
earlier.
The
bipartisan “Green Ribbon Commission”, created to address Pennsylvania’s
environmental funding needs, met earlier today. The Commission recommended
immediate funding for HSCA. It also recommended putting an environmental bond
question on the May 17 primary election ballot.
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