PennFuture Calls for Renewal of Growing Greener, Passage of Impact Fee on Deep Gas Drilling

HARRISBURG, Pa.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Citizens for Pennsylvania’s Future (PennFuture) today called on the legislature to take action to renew the Growing Greener program to continue building our state’s economy and protecting our environment. The organization also urged the legislature to adopt an impact fee on deep gas drilling with a portion of that fee dedicated to the state’s Environmental Stewardship Fund. These entreaties come as the state’s nonpartisan Legislative Budget and Finance Committee (LBFC) released its study of the state’s Growing Greener II program. Representative Kate Harper (R-Montgomery) sponsored the House Resolution directing the committee to conduct the study.

PennFuture’s President and CEO Jan Jarrett lauded the report saying, “The funding under Growing Greener II has had positive economic and environmental impacts across the state, saving hundreds of farms, creating thousands of jobs, cleaning up more than 500 abandoned mine and gas drilling sites, and preserving nearly 50,000 acres of open green space. Certainly, the faith the voters overwhelmingly placed in the stewards of the Growing Greener program has been repaid many times over.

“Unfortunately, this report also provides us with a solemn warning,” said Jarrett. “The money to invest in our environment and economy is almost gone, and too many are tempted to use money dedicated to the environment to plug holes in the general fund. But now is not the time to break faith with the voters, especially when solutions are right in front of us. Enacting an impact fee on gas drillers in the Marcellus Shale region – which nearly every other state already charges – and devoting a portion to environmental funding, and renewing Growing Greener will help us continue growing our economy and protecting our environment.”

More than 60 percent of Pennsylvania voters approved the $625 Growing Greener bond in a statewide initiative in May 2005. Since then, Growing Greener has funded state park improvements, fish hatchery repairs, preservation of farmland and green space, cleanup of abandoned mines and streams and rivers polluted by mine drainage, community revitalization, and local recreation and park facility improvements. PennFuture helped lead the campaign to pass the initiative.

The report released by the legislative committee (available at PennFuture’s website) showed that, with just over half of the money spent, the program has had vast statewide impact. The remaining funds are already committed to be spent by the end of the next fiscal year. So far, the program’s investments have been used to “preserve 33,714 acres of farmland in perpetuity (Department of Agriculture); create 1,500 jobs, improve 41 buildings, leverage $140.4 million in private dollars, remediate 1 site, and construct 4 new buildings (Department of Community and Economic Development; purchase, either outright or through conservation easements, 42,357 acres of open spaces (Department of Conservation and Natural Resources) and remediate 1,619 acres of abandoned mine lands, plug 239 orphaned and/or leaking gas and oil wells (Department of Environmental Resources).”

“Renewing Growing Greener and passing a gas drilling impact fee will be a triple win – terrific for the environment, great for the economy, and a proven home run for voters,” said Jarrett. “The legislature should take action now to keep this good thing going.”

PennFuture is a statewide public interest membership organization, founded in 1998. Working from the premise that “Every environmental victory grows the economy,” PennFuture successfully advocated for landmark environmental legislation, including the largest ever environmental funding bond, the Alternative Energy Portfolio Standards Act, funding for green energy and energy efficiency, the Clean Vehicles Program, the law requiring a statewide climate change action plan, and regulations to protect babies from mercury pollution from coal-fired power plants.