Bill Text: PA HR233 | 2011-2012 | Regular Session | Introduced

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Bill Title: Urging the United States Department of the Interior and the United States Environmental Protection Agency not to intervene in state permitting matters and from adopting regulations that unwisely reduce coal production, eliminate mining jobs and weaken the economy.

Sponsorship: Moderate Partisan Bill (Republican 28-4)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2011-04-25 - Referred to ENVIRONMENTAL RESOURCES AND ENERGY [HR233 Detail]

Download: Pennsylvania-2011-HR233-Introduced.html

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PRINTER'S NO. 1590
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
HOUSE RESOLUTION
No. 233 Session of2011
INTRODUCED BY KRIEGER, CAUSER, HESS, SWANGER, SACCONE, BARBIN, METZGAR, BLOOM, GINGRICH, GOODMAN, GEIST, PICKETT, D. COSTA, TALLMAN, OBERLANDER, VULAKOVICH, RAPP, REESE, MARSHALL, MURT, EVANKOVICH, DUNBAR, CREIGHTON, PYLE, GABLER, HUTCHINSON, METCALFE, PERRY, DENLINGER, PETRARCA AND BENNINGHOFF, APRIL 25, 2011
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON ENVIRONMENTAL RESOURCES AND ENERGY, APRIL 25, 2011
A RESOLUTION
Urging the United States Department of the Interior and the
United States Environmental Protection Agency not to
intervene in state permitting matters and from adopting
regulations that unwisely reduce coal production, eliminate
mining jobs and weaken the economy.
WHEREAS, The environmental regulation of coal mining
activities is essentially performed in a holistic manner by the
states; and
WHEREAS, In 1982, The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania became the
primary governmental body responsible for developing,
authorizing, issuing and enforcing regulations and permits for
coal mining and reclamation operations in this State subject to
provisions of the Federal Surface Mining Control and Reclamation
Act of 1977; and
WHEREAS, The Federal Clean Air Act was written by the
Congress of the United States to regulate criteria pollutants,
not greenhouse gases, and its implementation remains subject to
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oversight and guidance from elected representatives; and
WHEREAS, Despite a stringent and effective holistic State
program for regulating the environmental effects of mining,
Federal agencies such as the Department of the Interior, through
the Office of Surface Mining, and the Environmental Protection
Agency have steadily usurped the State's statutory and
regulatory authority by unilaterally imposing new program
requirements on this State or developing overreaching
regulations to curb coal mining that are harsh, misguided and
not supported by science; and
WHEREAS, Through a flawed rewrite of an internal agency
directive, the Office of Surface Mining has overstepped its
regulatory oversight of this State's mining program by
aggressively inserting itself in State permitting decisions; and
WHEREAS, The Office of Surface Mining is also developing a
regulation under the guise of "enhanced stream protection" that
it freely acknowledges will be of little environmental benefit,
but will alter the use of certain mining technologies, stifle
coal production and cost thousands of jobs; and
WHEREAS, The Environmental Protection Agency has proposed or
is proposing numerous new regulations, particularly in the area
of air quality and regulation of greenhouse gases designed to
transform the generation of electricity away from coal, despite
recent air quality trends in this State showing a marked
reduction in most emission pollutants, including NOx (44%
decrease) and SO2 (39% decrease), from coal-fired power plants
in this State since 1999; and
WHEREAS, The cumulative impact of these air quality rules
could have a deleterious effect on the price and reliability of
the supply of electricity in this State and negatively impact
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jobs in the generation, transport and mining sectors; and
WHEREAS, The steam coal market is the largest market for
Pennsylvania-produced coal; and
WHEREAS, The coal mining industry is a significant
contributor to this State's economy, with an economic worth
valued at more than $7 billion annually and a creator of 41,500
direct and indirect jobs; and
WHEREAS, Because of coal's cost and reliability, it is the
major fuel of choice for electricity, accounting for almost 50%
of the nation's total electric production and about 54% of this
State's generation; and
WHEREAS, Unnecessary and unilateral intrusions by Federal
agencies into this State's coal mine regulatory program will
adversely affect production, jobs and the economy without any
documented measurable environmental improvement to this State;
therefore be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania urge the Department of the
Interior's Office of Surface Mining and the Environmental
Protection Agency to respect Pennsylvania's permitting authority
and stop its unfettered intervention in this State's permitting
affairs; and be it further
RESOLVED, That the Congress of the United States be urged to
adopt legislation prohibiting the Environmental Protection
Agency from regulating greenhouse gases; and be it further
RESOLVED, That a copy of this resolution be transmitted to
the Secretary of the Interior, the Environmental Protection
Agency Administrator, the Director of the Office of Surface
Mining, all members of Congress from Pennsylvania and the
Governor.
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