Rep. Dan Frankel was elected to the state House of Representatives in 1998 to represent the 23rd District (parts of Pittsburgh). He is chairman of the Allegheny County Democratic Delegation and a longtime champion for environmental legislation.

What will be your environmental priorities for the new legislative session?
I think it will be crucial for the new Democratic majority in the House to defend environmental progress that the Rendell administration has made and to scrutinize carefully any proposals to modify those initiatives. We recently became one of 11 states to protect our residents’ health by adopting the California standards for emissions, which are stronger than the federal standards. The emissions that are being limited include pollutants that contribute to global warming.

Another initiative for which Gov. Ed Rendell and DEP Secretary McGinty should be commended is the new regulation to sharply limit the amount of mercury emitted from Pennsylvania’s coal-burning power plants. This is another area where we are right to go beyond federal standards. The governor and the secretary have been very progressive on these types of things.

What role does Pennsylvania have in solving the problem of global warming?
One of the most important things we can do is retain the vehicle emissions regulation that recently went into effect. I think that is one of the quiet success stories of the Rendell administration. In addition, as a large industrial state, we can take a leading role and also put our economy in good shape for the future by increasing our investment in cleaner alternative energy. While Gov. Rendell’s energy independence strategy will probably change somewhat as it goes through the legislative process, his leadership on the issue is important.

What role does a group like PennEnvironment play in the legislative process?
PennEnvironment brings substantive expertise throughout the process on environmental legislation that is being debated. And more broadly, citizens speaking up together as a group typically have more clout in Harrisburg than they would have individually.

Why is public involvement important in promoting strong environmental policy?
There was a good line in a “West Wing” episode that says it well: “Decisions are made by those who show up.” It’s the same reason it’s important to vote. Polluters often oppose stronger environmental policies saying they hurt our economy.

What do you think of the jobs vs. environment argument?
I think that we have disproved that it is jobs vs. the environment and that strong environmental protections can’t go hand-in-hand with a healthy economy—and my district in Pittsburgh proves it. Pittsburgh is becoming known internationally as a leader in the construction of green buildings and a producer of green technology. The city is more environmentally healthy than ever before, and has a growing economy around its academic and medical institutions and an ever-improving quality of life.

What environmental issues do you see as the most important in Pennsylvania?
In addition to preserving the new initiatives on vehicle emissions and mercury, which are vital for cleaner air, some key environmental concerns for our state include clean water, reinvesting in our urban cores to curb sprawl and pollution—which also helps to preserve farmland and open space, cleaning up pollution and the damage done by past coal mining, and leading the way in cleaner, alternative energy.