legislators in the
Pennsylvania General Assembly are trying to use the budget process to hold up
oil and gas regulations that have been in the works for years, and to delay the
state’s action on the Clean Power Plan despite overwhelming public support.
They think that you aren’t watching and they are trying to sneak these provisions
in under your nose. Don’t let them get away with it - make your call NOW!
The secret provisions that
were added to a piece of legislation that is required to implement the state
budget - HB 1327 - would exempt “conventional” oil and gas drillers
from compliance with updated health and safety regulations and prevent
the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) from submitting the
Commonwealth’s plan to reduce carbon emissions from power plants to the federal
government, delaying it for years.
For both the oil and gas
regulations and the Clean Power Plan, DEP has conducted a fully transparent and
public process, inviting and incorporating comments from people just like you.
Throughout those processes DEP heard that the public wants conventional oil and
gas operators to comply with new regulations that will protect the health and
safety of the public, and wants a Clean Power Plan that will reduce emissions
through energy efficiency and renewable energy projects. The legislature on the
other hand, has acted contrary to the public interest with no transparency to
undermine these efforts.
The attempt to stop the
plan by secretly using budget-related legislation is politics at its worst. It
ignores the wishes of the public, and it may be illegal and unconstitutional.
Tell your Senator to VOTE NO on HB 1327 the Fiscal Code bill that includes
secret provisions that would delay the Pennsylvania Clean Power Plan and exempt
the conventional oil and gas sector from much-needed regulations and demand
that legislative leaders remove this from the budget process moving forward.
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