Tell Pennsylvania Senators: “Don’t Put Polluters in Charge of our Air & Water Quality”

Earlier this year, the Pennsylvania Senate narrowly passed HB 542, a bad budget deal riddled with special interest favors that have absolutely nothing to do with balancing the state budget but are designed instead to undermine vital environmental and public health protections.

It is unfortunate that Gov. Tom Wolf backed this bad deal. Pennsylvanians deserve better. They deserve leaders who will stand up to special interests and protect the families of the Commonwealth.

One of the worst measures tucked inside the legislation is a provision that creates a committee, apart from DEP, with the power to block clean air protections that reduce methane emissions and cut natural gas waste. This would create a political bureaucracy that is more susceptible influence peddling by the oil and gas industry.

Another bad “fox guarding the henhouse” provision would outsource drilling permits – and the future of our environment – to third-party, fee-for-hire agents. The bill would also set an arbitrary deadline of 45 days where all drilling permits would be automatically approved, locking the public out of the process.

Dave Hess, former DEP Secretary under Republican Governors Ridge and Schweiker, had choice words about this scheme saying, “This proposal is so far away from the norm that it is almost incomprehensible and, I think, irresponsible.”

Simply put, this bad budget deal gives the oil and gas industry free reign to pollute.

Please take a moment to sign the petition below asking Senators not to trade away our air and water protections that have nothing to do with balancing the state budget.