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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 24, 2006
Contact: Tracy Polovick
Coordinator of Communications and Outreach
(717) 787-8524
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Senate Committee Advances Vance Resolution Regarding Chesapeake Bay

HARRISBURG – The Senate Environmental Resources and Energy Committee today reported out a resolution authored by Sen. Patricia Vance (R-Cumberland/York) that would seek a nine-month moratorium on implementation of Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection's Chesapeake Bay Tributary Strategy.

The strategy's goal is to significantly reduce pollutants that have degraded the bay.

"While I am fully supportive of cleaning up the bay, DEP's plan was devised without input from all the stakeholders despite significant costs it could impose," Vance said. "By implementing a moratorium, a more open process can be undertaken to ensure all parties are heard from and determine if the strategy is the best investment of public and private moneys to accomplish the overall pollution reduction goals."

Vance has been working since late summer to have the department develop a fair and equitable way to reduce pollution.

"I'm pleased that Secretary Kathleen McGinty has agreed to participate in a public meeting on this topic," Vance said. "We are working with the Secretary's staff to finalize the details and look forward to announcing the particulars soon."

Pollutants come from a variety of sources – agriculture, storm water runoff, wastewater treatment plants, septic systems, forested lands and atmospheric deposition. The Commonwealth has been working with other states over the last two decades to implement programs to improve water quality in the Chesapeake Bay. Municipalities are concerned that the strategy places too high a burden on public sewer systems and the plan has not been developed fully in order to be implemented.

Vance's district includes all of Cumberland County and Carroll, Fairview, Franklin, Monaghan, Warrington and Washington townships and Dillsburg, Franklintown and Wellsville boroughs in York County.