Today Pennsylvania’s Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) has 661 fewer positions than it had in 2002. That means that there are 27% fewer DEP personnel to inspect the more than 120,000 active oil and gas wells in the state that were virtually non-existent in 2002, since there was no fossil fuel extraction from the Marcellus Shale at that time. Meanwhile, staff positions have also gone unfilled in the agency’s Air Quality Program, its Clean Water Program, and Its Hazardous Sites Cleanup.
The budget that was passed in July did provide for some extra funding for the DEP as well as for the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. $50 million will go to programs to protect our rivers and streams from pollution. The Solar for Schools program will receive $25 million to cut the energy costs and carbon footprints from school districts across the commonwealth. There is also a provision for $11 million to be spent on capping abandoned oil and gas wells. Finally, money will be set aside for improving energy efficiency on Pennsylvania’s farms, and language has been added to the PA tax code to prevent energy-intensive crypto-currency farms from using tax credits to fund their operations.
What the budget did not do, however, was to fund DEP to provide staffing anywhere close to 2002 levels. It also continued to allow energy suppliers to continue to claim a tax credit for using waste coal for electric generation. It did not reinstate Whole-Home Repairs Funding, or provide adequate money for public transportation to sustain a system like SEPTA for more than just a few months. It also appears to penalize electric vehicle owners by charging a fee of $200 in 2025, and $250 in 2026. (Anti-tax Republicans feel that the term “fee” is politer than calling it a “tax”).
As with firearms, the minimum wage, full and fair educational funding, and women’s health, the Republican-led state senate is the one body preventing reasonable environmental legislation from becoming a reality in the state. To underscore the extent of the problem Sen. Gene Yaw (R., Lycoming) moonlights as an attorney for the Williamsport-based McCormick Law Firm, which represents gas companies. Yaw is the majority chair of the state Senate Environmental Resources & Energy committee – who has 86ed good environment legislation before it even comes up for a committee vote.
Well, if you’re an environmentalist, and you want to make some changes, particularly in the state senate, check out these endorsements from Conservation Voters of PA. In particular, their endorsements include three candidates in districts that are very flippable – Patty Kim, in SD-15, Dauphin County; Nicole Ruscitto, in SD-37, Allegheny County; and Jim Wertz, in SD-49, in Erie County.
Postcards:
And if you would like to help these candidates out, you can do so by writing postcards for Nicole Ruscitto (SD-37), and Jim Wertz (SD-49). Nicole, a teacher from the district is interested in properly funding public education in Pennsylvania, raising the minimum wage, and protecting women’s health. Her opponent is the incumbent, MAGA Republican Devlin Robinson.
Robinson has signed letters in support of the Texas lawsuit against Pennsylvania’s 2020 election, and delaying certification of the electoral votes from the election. He has been given a score of 0% from Climate Cabinet Action.
Jim Wertz is a teacher, who believes that we need to defend democracy, protect abortion, respect workers, and fund education. His opponent, incumbent Dan Laughlin, has signed a letter in support of the Texas lawsuit against Pennsylvania’s 2020 election. Conservation Voters gave Laughlin a 0% rating in its most recent assessment.
If you are interested in helping to elect Nicole or Jim by writing postcards, please reply to this email.
Also, if you would like to make a contribution to support our postcard effort, you can do so here. Every contribution of $6.00 helps us to purchase 10 postcards with stamps.
Canvass:
Sunday (August 18) there will be a canvass for Anna Payne and Ashley Ehasz. Munroe had an extremely close race in 2022. Help him to keep this very important seat. Canvass starts at 11am in Warminster. Carpool leaves from High Point Café Allen Lane at 9am. You can register here.
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Phone Banking
Matt Cartwright is a Democratic Congressman in CD-8, in the northeastern part of the state. He has weathered some very close elections, and it is crucial that Democrats continue to hold this seat, to keep our state caucus majority in Congress. You don’t need to traipse up Scranton to help Matt. You can phone bank for him in the comfort of your own home, car, or coffee shop by signing up here.
Thanks,
Coleman
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