Two critical bills that would alter PA’s environmental regulations and make those regulations less stringent are on their way to Governor Tom Wolf’s desk just as a rift is continuing to grow between the Governor and pro-environment politicians.
The first bill, S.B. 279, would undo conventional oil and gas drilling regulations outlined in Chapter 78 regulations which were designed to make conventional and unconventional drilling safer in PA.
The second bill, S.B. 1195, would delay implementation of the state’s Clean Power Plan as long as possible without being imposed on by a federal plan.
Both bills were approved by the House and the Senate on Wednesday but State Rep. Greg Vitali is urging Wolf to veto both bills.
“Cancelling any portion of these regulations would be very bad for Pennsylvania,” Vitali said. “These bills are incredibly damaging to Pennsylvania’s environment and to public health…The governor is a chief steward of the environment, so I urge him to veto these bills.”
Environmentalists are nervous about what actions Wolf will take act on the bills because of several recent events in which Wolf appeared to be distancing his political agenda from the agenda of environmentalists.
Former Department of Environmental Protection John Quigley is reported to have complained about Wolf’s action (or inaction) on environmental issues in private emails to environmental groups, and resigned from his position shortly thereafter under heavy pressure from the Governor.
Additionally, according to Marie Cusick of StateImpactPA, Wolf is reportedly finding more common ground with the Republican-led legislature on environmental and climate change policies, particularly with respect to the oil and gas industry.
“The environment has historically been the low man on the totem pole in budget negotiations,” stated Vitali. ““I don’t know why he’s caving on the environment, but he clearly is caving.”
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6 Responses
I hate Penn State but I love their science. Economical removal of coal ree’s will make Pa. a monster player going forward in electronics, lasers and communications. While I piss on Joepa’s grave, I hail P.S.U.
Wolf doesn’t have to drink the water from Fracked communities.
Pass a bill that Harrisburg elected officials have to drink water from fracked communities, and you will see fracking end and environmental regulations enforced.
Why does anybody care what Greg Vitali thinks? All this guy ever does is whine about another battle he lost.
These are political disagreements rather than differences in substance. There’s a reason why these bills passed with overwhelming and bipartisan support. They make sense and have an incalculably small impact on the environment if there’s any impact at all. Unfortunately for Wolf, his bedfellows are driving a wedge right into his back. They chose the wrong bills. Hopefully it’s their Waterloo.
Wolf is just another Frackers’ Lackey, like Corbett, Rendell, McGinty, Turdseye, etc. Big Gas slips money under the door, and Wolf does what they tell him to do.
article should read wolf is siding with the majority of Pennsylvanians by taking a moderate approach to fossil fuels. This is a smart move by the administration in positioning wolf for a 2nd term. The environmental freaks like Vitali are the Vocal minority that comprise the tiniest portion of the electroate