PRINTER'S NO. 782
No. 80 Session of 1997
INTRODUCED BY WALKO, THOMAS, TRELLO, JAMES, TRAVAGLIO, RAMOS, READSHAW, PESCI, OLASZ, LAUGHLIN, WOJNAROSKI, ITKIN, PRESTON, LYNCH, SHANER, GIGLIOTTI, BELFANTI, YOUNGBLOOD, ROBINSON, BELARDI, ROSS AND HENNESSEY, MARCH 11, 1997
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON RULES, MARCH 11, 1997
A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 1 Establishing a committee to study and report on mitigating the 2 problems which result from slope movement in this 3 Commonwealth. 4 WHEREAS, Geologists have studied with alarm underground 5 movement of the geological formations in this Commonwealth and 6 its impending effects on the vertical and horizontal natural and 7 man-made surfaces; and 8 WHEREAS, Landslides and slope movement have historically been 9 the norm throughout most parts of this Commonwealth; and 10 WHEREAS, These landslides and slope movements occur without 11 regard for municipal boundaries, ordinances, planning codes, 12 politics and economies, thereby making local officials unable to 13 deal effectively with the development and implementation of 14 methods and standards to control the devastation these natural 15 forces can cause; and 16 WHEREAS, Landslides and slope movement have caused an 17 enormous amount of damage to homes and roadways in southwestern
1 Pennsylvania; and 2 WHEREAS, Landslides and slope movement will continue to 3 plague southwestern Pennsylvania; and 4 WHEREAS, Increasingly, as the population grows, residential 5 housing developments are being constructed on masses of land 6 without an adequate study of that land's geological ability to 7 support that construction; and 8 WHEREAS, There is currently no Statewide system for making 9 easily understood geological studies available to architects and 10 contractors, nor is there a unified Statewide planning standard 11 regarding constructing, mortgaging and insuring housing and 12 commercial buildings which are exposed to the problem of slope 13 movement and landslides; and 14 WHEREAS, The intent of this act is to establish a committee 15 for the purpose of studying the nature of landslides and slope 16 movement in this Commonwealth and investigating the problems 17 which can and do result from landslides and slope movement in 18 this Commonwealth; therefore be it 19 RESOLVED, (the Senate concurring), That a committee be 20 appointed to study the nature of landslides and slope movement 21 in this Commonwealth and to investigate the problems which can 22 and do result from landslides and slope movement in this 23 Commonwealth; and be it further 24 RESOLVED, That the committee be composed of one member 25 appointed by the President pro tempore of the Senate, one member 26 appointed by the Minority Leader of the Senate, one member 27 appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives and one 28 member appointed by the Minority Leader of the House of 29 Representatives and the Secretary of Environmental Protection, 30 who shall serve ex officio; and be it further 19970H0080R0782 - 2 -
1 RESOLVED, That the committee elect a chairperson from its 2 members; and be it further 3 RESOLVED, That the committee hold hearings, take testimony 4 and make its investigations at such places as it deems necessary 5 in this Commonwealth; and be it further 6 RESOLVED, That the committee be authorized to issue subpoenas 7 under the hand and seal of its chairperson commanding any person 8 to appear before the committee and to answer questions touching 9 matters properly being inquired into by the committee and to 10 produce papers, records and documents the committee deems 11 necessary; and be it further 12 RESOLVED, That the subpoenas be servable upon any person and 13 have the same effect as subpoenas issued out of the courts of 14 this Commonwealth and that any person who willfully neglects or 15 refuses to testify before the committee or to produce papers, 16 records or documents be subject to the penalties provided by the 17 laws of this Commonwealth in such case; and be it further 18 RESOLVED, That each member of the committee have power to 19 administer oaths and affirmations to witnesses appearing before 20 the committee; and be it further 21 RESOLVED, That the committee make a report, including 22 recommendations for proposed legislation, on the results of the 23 study by July 31, 1997. A27L82VDL/19970H0080R0782 - 3 -