PRINTER'S NO. 2946
No. 361 Session of 2000
INTRODUCED BY SHANER, ARGALL, S. H. SMITH, RUBLEY, GEORGE,
BELARDI, STAIRS, STABACK, CALTAGIRONE, M. COHEN, GEIST,
DeWEESE, E. Z. TAYLOR, HALUSKA, READSHAW, WOJNAROSKI,
BELFANTI, BEBKO-JONES, SATHER, DALEY, CORRIGAN, HERMAN,
TANGRETTI, TRAVAGLIO, SOLOBAY, GORDNER, GRUCELA, McGEEHAN,
PETRONE, VAN HORNE, JOSEPHS, BATTISTO, THOMAS, FRANKEL,
PISTELLA, MELIO, HARHAI, YOUNGBLOOD, PETRARCA, DeLUCA AND
STEELMAN, FEBRUARY 9, 2000
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON RULES, FEBRUARY 9, 2000
A RESOLUTION
1 Directing the Joint Legislative Air and Water Pollution Control
2 and Conservation Committee to evaluate the feasibility and
3 advisability of establishing a voluntary water quality
4 credits and trading program as an incentive for achieving
5 point and nonpoint source pollution reductions beyond those
6 required by Federal and State clean water laws and to promote
7 cooperative community-driven watershed management planning.
8 WHEREAS, The Department of Environmental Protection is in the
9 process of assessing the quality of over 83,000 miles of
10 Commonwealth waters; and
11 WHEREAS, Of over 12,800 miles of stream already assessed,
12 over 4,300 miles are impaired; and
13 WHEREAS, Per capita water use has risen with population
14 shifts and growth, so that the future availability of clean
15 water may be an increasingly serious problem for this
16 Commonwealth; and
17 WHEREAS, The Department of Environmental Protection is
1 pursuing innovative approaches, including best management
2 practice permits that incorporate stream-based, rather than
3 discharge-based, analysis to reduce water pollution in its coal
4 mining reclamation and remining program, and this program may
5 serve as a model for addressing other sources of water
6 pollution; and
7 WHEREAS, In September 1998, the 21st Century Environment
8 Commission recommended the creation of a watershed-based
9 pollution credit system to improve water quality above standards
10 required for health and safety; and
11 WHEREAS, The 21st Century Environment Commission also
12 recommended the establishment of a pollutant banking system in
13 each watershed to facilitate the trading of point and nonpoint
14 sources of pollution; and
15 WHEREAS, Voluntary water quality credits and trading programs
16 to control and reduce water pollution in other states have been
17 recognized for improving water quality above the level required
18 by clean water standards; and
19 WHEREAS, The United States Environmental Protection Agency
20 (EPA) has issued an Effluent Trading in Watersheds Policy
21 Statement, and the EPA is monitoring water quality credits and
22 trading demonstration programs, such as best management practice
23 permits in Pennsylvania's remining and reclamation program, the
24 Water Quality Trading Workgroup in Michigan and the Great Lakes
25 Trading Network comprised of Great Lakes states; therefore be it
26 RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives direct the Joint
27 Legislative Air and Water Pollution Control and Conservation
28 Committee to evaluate the feasibility and advisability of
29 establishing a voluntary water quality credits and trading
30 program to achieve greater water pollution reductions and
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1 promote cooperative community-driven watershed management
2 planning; and be it further
3 RESOLVED, That the committee review Federal and State
4 regulations, the effluent trading policy of the EPA, the
5 economic and environmental results of best management practice
6 permits in Pennsylvania's remining and reclamation program and
7 the results of other states' programs; and be it further
8 RESOLVED, That the committee conduct public hearings to
9 receive input regarding issues, incentives and barriers related
10 to a water quality credits and trading program and to exchange
11 information among members of the public, environmental groups,
12 the regulated community, other states and other interested
13 parties regarding the type, scope and design of a water quality
14 credits and trading program that could be developed for this
15 Commonwealth; and be it further
16 RESOLVED, That, within 180 days of adoption of this
17 resolution, the committee advise, in writing, the chairman and
18 minority chairman of the Environmental Resources and Energy
19 Committee of the House of Representatives and the chairman and
20 minority chairman of the Environmental Resources and Energy
21 Committee of the Senate of its findings and make
22 recommendations, if necessary, for legislation to authorize and
23 implement a voluntary water quality credits and trading program
24 in this Commonwealth.
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