State hazardous sites cleanup program reauthorized
State legislators waited until the very last moment to reauthorize
Pennsylvania’s cornerstone toxic cleanup program this past winter, when
the program was on the verge of bankruptcy as 2007 came to a close.
Since 1988, the Hazardous Sites Cleanup Act (HSCA) has been responsible
for cleaning up the toxic pollution that remains in Pennsylvania due to
the state’s extensive industrial history. Hundreds of abandoned
industrial waste sites across the commonwealth continue to scar
Pennsylvania’s landscape, drag down our local economies and endanger
the health of local communities and our environment.
Many of the pollutants found at these toxic dumpsites are known to
cause cancer, birth defects or other health problems, leaching into our
soil and groundwater and evaporating into our air. So the need for
reauthorizing HSCA couldn’t be clearer.
Sadly, recent years have seen the Pennsylvania General Assembly
repeatedly cut HSCA’s funding sources, leading to the program’s slow
but steady path toward bankruptcy. From 1992 to 2006, HSCA’s budget for
cleaning up toxic pollution was cut in half. This led to staffing cuts,
delayed cleanups and remediation projects being put on the backburner.
Still, over the last 20 years, HSCA has funded the cleanup of hundreds
of contaminated dumpsites while creating and retaining thousands of
jobs.
PennEnvironment was shocked to find many legislators unwilling to come
up with a new sustainable and dedicated funding source for
HSCA—especially given HSCA’s long-standing track record of success when
it comes to cleaning up industrial waste sites in our communities.
PennEnvironment jumped into action to help reauthorize this program.
Our staff garnered news coverage, called upon our citizen members and
activists to phone and e-mail their legislators, and had our advocates
work around the clock in the state capitol, meeting with members of the
Senate and House to promote funding solutions to the HSCA crisis.
“Tackling Pennsylvania’s toxic pollution is a top priority for me,”
said state Rep. Kate Harper (Montgomery County). “And PennEnvironment
worked hard to build bipartisan support for HSCA and push for its
reauthorization.”
With only a handful of days left before HSCA was set to expire, and
after weeks of debate and negotiation, our state legislators finally
approved new funding which will add $17 million to HSCA’s coffers
through July 2008 and $40 million annually into 2011.
“I fought hard in 2007 to get funding reauthorized for HSCA,” remarked
state Rep. Rick Taylor (Montgomery County), who introduced one of the
proposals to fund HSCA. “Montgomery County has some of the worst of the
worst toxic sites in the state, so I knew this would be important to my
constituents.”
PennEnvironment will remain vigilant to ensure that elected officials
don’t attempt to raid this money in the coming years. We’ll be fighting
for a long-term, sustainable and dedicated financial solution for HSCA.
Learn more.
