PRINTER'S NO. 782
No. 80 Session of 1997
INTRODUCED BY WALKO, THOMAS, TRELLO, JAMES, TRAVAGLIO, RAMOS,
READSHAW, PESCI, OLASZ, LAUGHLIN, WOJNAROSKI, ITKIN, PRESTON,
LYNCH, SHANER, GIGLIOTTI, BELFANTI, YOUNGBLOOD, ROBINSON,
BELARDI, ROSS AND HENNESSEY, MARCH 11, 1997
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON RULES, MARCH 11, 1997
A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
1 Establishing a committee to study and report on mitigating the
2 problems which result from slope movement in this
3 Commonwealth.
4 WHEREAS, Geologists have studied with alarm underground
5 movement of the geological formations in this Commonwealth and
6 its impending effects on the vertical and horizontal natural and
7 man-made surfaces; and
8 WHEREAS, Landslides and slope movement have historically been
9 the norm throughout most parts of this Commonwealth; and
10 WHEREAS, These landslides and slope movements occur without
11 regard for municipal boundaries, ordinances, planning codes,
12 politics and economies, thereby making local officials unable to
13 deal effectively with the development and implementation of
14 methods and standards to control the devastation these natural
15 forces can cause; and
16 WHEREAS, Landslides and slope movement have caused an
17 enormous amount of damage to homes and roadways in southwestern
1 Pennsylvania; and
2 WHEREAS, Landslides and slope movement will continue to
3 plague southwestern Pennsylvania; and
4 WHEREAS, Increasingly, as the population grows, residential
5 housing developments are being constructed on masses of land
6 without an adequate study of that land's geological ability to
7 support that construction; and
8 WHEREAS, There is currently no Statewide system for making
9 easily understood geological studies available to architects and
10 contractors, nor is there a unified Statewide planning standard
11 regarding constructing, mortgaging and insuring housing and
12 commercial buildings which are exposed to the problem of slope
13 movement and landslides; and
14 WHEREAS, The intent of this act is to establish a committee
15 for the purpose of studying the nature of landslides and slope
16 movement in this Commonwealth and investigating the problems
17 which can and do result from landslides and slope movement in
18 this Commonwealth; therefore be it
19 RESOLVED, (the Senate concurring), That a committee be
20 appointed to study the nature of landslides and slope movement
21 in this Commonwealth and to investigate the problems which can
22 and do result from landslides and slope movement in this
23 Commonwealth; and be it further
24 RESOLVED, That the committee be composed of one member
25 appointed by the President pro tempore of the Senate, one member
26 appointed by the Minority Leader of the Senate, one member
27 appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives and one
28 member appointed by the Minority Leader of the House of
29 Representatives and the Secretary of Environmental Protection,
30 who shall serve ex officio; and be it further
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1 RESOLVED, That the committee elect a chairperson from its
2 members; and be it further
3 RESOLVED, That the committee hold hearings, take testimony
4 and make its investigations at such places as it deems necessary
5 in this Commonwealth; and be it further
6 RESOLVED, That the committee be authorized to issue subpoenas
7 under the hand and seal of its chairperson commanding any person
8 to appear before the committee and to answer questions touching
9 matters properly being inquired into by the committee and to
10 produce papers, records and documents the committee deems
11 necessary; and be it further
12 RESOLVED, That the subpoenas be servable upon any person and
13 have the same effect as subpoenas issued out of the courts of
14 this Commonwealth and that any person who willfully neglects or
15 refuses to testify before the committee or to produce papers,
16 records or documents be subject to the penalties provided by the
17 laws of this Commonwealth in such case; and be it further
18 RESOLVED, That each member of the committee have power to
19 administer oaths and affirmations to witnesses appearing before
20 the committee; and be it further
21 RESOLVED, That the committee make a report, including
22 recommendations for proposed legislation, on the results of the
23 study by July 31, 1997.
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