PRINTER'S NO. 1123
No. 153 Session of 2005
INTRODUCED BY LaGROTTA, DeWEESE, SAINATO, BELFANTI, BROWNE, CALTAGIRONE, CAWLEY, EACHUS, FABRIZIO, FRANKEL, FREEMAN, GEIST, GEORGE, GOODMAN, GRUCELA, McCALL, MELIO, MUNDY, O'NEILL, PALLONE, PHILLIPS, PISTELLA, READSHAW, SCAVELLO, SHANER, SOLOBAY, TANGRETTI, THOMAS, TIGUE, WALKO AND YOUNGBLOOD, MARCH 16, 2005
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON ENVIRONMENTAL RESOURCES AND ENERGY, MARCH 16, 2005
A RESOLUTION 1 Urging the Pennsylvania Infrastructure Investment Authority and 2 the Department of Environmental Protection to establish a 3 task force to study the feasibility of implementing a water 4 resource restoration sponsorship program. 5 WHEREAS, The House of Representatives is increasingly 6 concerned with the restoration and preservation of Commonwealth 7 streams and wetlands; and 8 WHEREAS, A current lack in funding is deterring the 9 Commonwealth from readily addressing this important 10 environmental concern; and 11 WHEREAS, Ohio has established a program known as the Water 12 Resource Restoration Sponsor Program to permit communities to 13 provide funding toward stream and wetland restoration and 14 preservation projects in conjunction with improvements and 15 repairs to wastewater collection systems and treatment plants; 16 and
1 WHEREAS, Any community that receives a loan for wastewater 2 treatment or other improvements and agrees to sponsor a water 3 resource restoration project receives a reduction in their loan 4 interest rate under the Ohio program; and 5 WHEREAS, The loan recipient receives an additional reduction 6 in its interest rate as an incentive; and 7 WHEREAS, The lower interest rate produces a net savings for 8 the loan recipient over what the original loan would have cost 9 to repay without the sponsorship; and 10 WHEREAS, Ohio's program has successfully provided more than 11 $35 million to numerous restoration projects since its inception 12 in 2000; and 13 WHEREAS, Other states, including Washington, Michigan, Oregon 14 and Iowa, have established similar water restoration sponsorship 15 programs; and 16 WHEREAS, It is imperative that restoration and preservation 17 of streams and wetlands throughout this Commonwealth receive 18 adequate funding to further protect and conserve the environment 19 as a whole; therefore be it 20 RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives urge the 21 Pennsylvania Infrastructure Investment Authority and the 22 Department of Environmental Protection to establish a task force 23 to study the feasibility of establishing a water resource 24 restoration sponsorship program in this Commonwealth; and be it 25 further 26 RESOLVED, That the task force be urged to present its 27 findings to the General Assembly. A10L82BIL/20050H0153R1123 - 2 -