State budget a raw deal for the environment

New budget causes massive rollbacks

Last fall’s prolonged budget debate resulted in massive rollbacks to the state’s conservation programs—leaving Pennsylvania’s environment vulnerable to increased destruction.

PennEnvironment voiced disappointment with legislators in Harrisburg for making the environment the target of massive programmatic rollbacks and cuts, and for selling off Pennsylvania’s state forests to the highest bidders.

Land opened for drilling

“The budget deal did a disservice to Pennsylvania’s environment,” stated PennEnvironment Director David Masur. “The outcome would have been much worse if not for the leadership and commitment of the House Democrats to protect the Commonwealth’s environment.”

The deal includes plans to raise money by opening up huge tracts of Pennsylvania’s state forests to damaging gas drilling. Since passing the budget, state officials have announced their intention to open up 32,000 acres of state forests for gas drilling, on top of the 660,000 acres of public lands already available to the industry.

The fight for funding

Environmental agencies took massive cuts—nearly 27 percent from the Department of Environmental Protection and almost 20 percent from the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. More than $100 million was taken from environmental programs that protect state parks and open spaces.

“We knew that environmental programs had to pay their fair share in this tough economy,” stated Masur. “But instead, the full burden is on our environment, and polluters get off scot-free.”

State legislators also stopped efforts to implement a gas removal fee, which would be charged to companies removing gas from under state lands. Pennsylvania remains the only major drilling state in the nation that does not assess such a fee. “Drilling has already led to drinking water contaminated with methane in seven counties and a drinking water advisory for 325,000 Pittsburgh residents,” commented Masur.

PennEnvironment applauded House Democrats for standing up against the ecological damage being proposed and fighting for a better budget deal for Pennsylvania’s environment.