PA Newsletters: Past Volumes
November/December 1999

For the past several years, Clean Water Action has been fighting to stop two regulations proposed by the PA Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) that would have allowed more pollution of our rivers, lakes and streams.

The first, DEP’s so-called antidegradation strategy, would have done the exact opposite of its name. Instead of preventing degradation of our waterways, it would have allowed more pollution of our rivers and streams. After two years of organizing by Clean Water Action, including generating over 1,500 letters to the DEP, we won! In the spring of this year, the state changed its original proposal, eliminating most of the provisions to which we had objected!

The second package of regulations was the proposed Water Quality Standards. Even though Pennsylvania is second in the nation for toxic discharges to our waterways, with over 38 million pounds discharged in 1997, DEP wanted to weaken our Water Quality Standards.

Their proposed changes would have:

eliminated enforceable standards for 75 toxic chemicals;

allowed toxic discharges using quick and dirty "general permits";

allowed general permits in High Quality streams, some of the better streams in our state;

allowed pollution trading with little or no protection for our streams.

After an aggressive campaign by Clean Water Action last fall, DEP conceded the first two issues, but insisted on moving forward on the rest. So we kept up the fight, using our canvasses to generate hundreds of letters to the Governor, DEP and our legislators. Now, DEP has published a new proposal that eliminates all the changes we objected to, leaving the stronger language now in place!

Drinking Water Right to Know Survey Released

October 19 marked the deadline for water utilities to release their Right to Know reports (also called Water Quality Reports) telling consumers about any contaminants found in their water supply. These reports will contain critical information to help consumers protect their health and the environment. However, millions of residents throughout Pennsylvania may never see this information, because utilities are only required to mail the reports to their bill paying customers. While they are supposed to make a "good faith effort" to reach non-bill paying consumers, such as people in apartment buildings, nursing homes, schools and workplaces, they are given considerable leeway on how to achieve this.

Clean Water Action and Clean Water Fund surveyed 60 utilities throughout the state this summer to determine how they intend to get the report out to consumers in their service area. The survey confirmed concerns that in many communities, non-bill paying customers may never receive a report.

Clean Water Action and Clean Water Fund recommend that utilities use Postal Patron ("Dear Occupant") mailings or door-to-door distribution, delivery of multiple copies to health care providers and community organizations, and media efforts to increase public awareness of the reports.

The state of Illinois recently passed two bills requiring Integrated Pest Management in schools and requiring schools to notify parents before they spray pesticides in schools. That’s what our Pesticide Notification Act (HB 1364 and SB 895) would do. But while Illinois acts to protect their children, nothing has happened on our bills. While the legislature delays, children in Pennsylvania continue to be exposed to toxic pesticides in their schools.

What You Can Do: Write to Sen. Joseph Loeper and Rep. John Perzel, the Senate and House Majority Leaders, and urge them to pass the Pesticide Notification Act this year. Also, write to Governor Tom Ridge and tell him to support the Pesticide Notification Act too! Their addresses are Main Capitol, Harrisburg PA 17120.

Beginning in January 2000, the Department of Environmental Protection will launch the Source Water Assessment Program, designed to identify the places where our drinking water comes from and determine how they are, or could be, impacted by pollution. Once completed, these assessments can be a valuable tool for protecting our watersheds and drinking water.

Over the next five years, the Governor wants to take $195 million from the state Recycling Fund, Hazardous Sites Cleanup Fund and Landfill Closure Accounts to pay for his Growing Greener Initiative. The Initiative is a good program, but it should be funded with new money from a bond issue or the General Fund surplus. Raiding money from existing programs that protect our health and the environment is foolish and short sighted.

What You Can Do: Write to your state Representative and Senator and urge them to support amendments like those adopted by the House Environmental Resources Committee that would eliminate the Recycling Fund, Hazardous Sites Cleanup Fund and Landfill Closure Accounts as funding sources for Growing Greener Initiative. Tell them to find new sources of funding for Growing Greener, not to raid existing programs. Their address is Main Capitol, Harrisburg PA 17120.

CWA continues its work to clean up Shenango’s long out of compliance Coke Works on Neville Island. With air pollution violations continuing by Shenango, CWA, in coalition with Citizens for Pennsylvania’s Future and Group Against Smog and Pollution (GASP), has filed a citizen suit against Shenango for violations of the Clean Air Act.

CWA’s legal action seeks to bring neighborhood residents to the table and to put an end to Shenango’s illegal pollution. For more information, contact the Pittsburgh CWA office.

Other News:

CWA's organizing helped block adoption of proposed state water quality standards which would have increased toxics discharges in rivers, lakes and streams. State officials had hoped to eliminate enforceable standards for 75 toxic chemicals and allowed "quick and dirty" general permits for toxics dischargers. Nearly 23 million pounds of toxics are already discharged into Pennsylvania's waterways each year, more than any other state except Louisiana CWA also persuaded the state's two largest school districts, in Pittsburgh and Philadelphia, to adopt tough pesticide use reduction policies. Both districts must now employ Integrated Pest Management techniques which minimize or eliminate pesticide use. Spraying in the schools is restricted to periods when students will not be present for 24 hours, and requires that parents be notified in advance of any pesticide use. CWA's proposed Pesticide Notification Act would extend these protections to all public schools in the states A recent study by CWA, Clean Water Fund, and the U. of Pittsburgh School of Public Health found elevated cancer rates in communities surrounding highly industrialized Neville Island. The resulting report calls for a comprehensive environmental health assessment by county health officials, examining area residents' exposure to toxics. Area residents are also using the findings to oppose permits for a new Neville Island coke plant, arguing that no new pollution should be allowed in the area. CWA is also demanding that officials bring the facility, which has a six-year history of air and water violations into compliance with current law.