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 -