HOUSE AMENDED
PRIOR PRINTER'S NO. 867 PRINTER'S NO. 1278
No. 98 Session of 2003
INTRODUCED BY MUSTO, KUKOVICH, BOSCOLA, LAVALLE, KITCHEN,
TARTAGLIONE, O'PAKE, STOUT, SCHWARTZ, RAFFERTY, WAGNER,
MELLOW, SCARNATI, ERICKSON, COSTA, CONTI, MOWERY, LOGAN,
RHOADES, LEMMOND, WOZNIAK, EARLL, M. WHITE, KASUNIC, STACK
AND C. WILLIAMS, MAY 16, 2003
AS REPORTED FROM COMMITTEE ON ENVIRONMENTAL RESOURCES AND
ENERGY, HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, AS AMENDED,
NOVEMBER 18, 2003
A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
1 Urging the Congress of the United States to increase the annual
2 Federal capitalization grant to the Clean Water State
3 Revolving Fund to better address the tremendous needs across
4 the United States and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
5 WHEREAS, The Congress of the United States established the
6 Clean Water State Revolving Fund to lend money to communities to
7 help pay for urgently needed wastewater infrastructure projects;
8 and
9 WHEREAS, The Clean Water State Revolving Fund has been one of
10 the most effective and practical ways to address the United
11 States' rapidly deteriorating water infrastructure system; and
12 WHEREAS, In 1994, when authorization for the Clean Water
13 State Revolving Fund expired, the Congress continued to approve
14 money to capitalize the Clean Water State Revolving Fund without
15 authorization; and
16 WHEREAS, The United States Environmental Protection Agency's <--
1 1996 Clean Water Needs Survey Report to Congress documented 20-
2 year capital investment needs for publicly owned wastewater
3 treatment facilities that are eligible for funding under the
4 Environmental Protection Agency's Clean Water State Revolving
5 Loan Fund Program and found national needs of more than $139
6 billion; and
7 WHEREAS, That same study found the total needs across
8 Pennsylvania to be in excess of $6.3 billion, including $1
9 billion for treatment facilities, $886 million for new collector
10 and interceptor sewers and more than $4 billion for the combined
11 sewer overflow problem; and
12 WHEREAS, THE UNITED STATES ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY'S <--
13 2000 CLEAN WATERSHEDS NEEDS SURVEY REPORT TO CONGRESS DOCUMENTED
14 FIVE-YEAR CAPITAL INVESTMENT NEED FOR PUBLICLY OWNED WASTEWATER
15 TREATMENT FACILITIES THAT ARE ELIGIBLE FOR FUNDING UNDER THE
16 ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY'S CLEAN WATER STATE REVOLVING
17 LOAN FUND PROGRAM AND FOUND NATIONAL NEEDS OF MORE THAN $181
18 BILLION; AND
19 WHEREAS, THAT SAME STUDY FOUND THE TOTAL NEEDS ACROSS
20 PENNSYLVANIA TO BE IN EXCESS OF $8 BILLION, INCLUDING $1 BILLION
21 FOR TREATMENT FACILITIES, $1.6 BILLION FOR NEW COLLECTOR AND
22 INTERCEPTOR SEWERS AND MORE THAN $4 BILLION FOR THE COMBINED
23 SEWER OVERFLOW PROBLEM; AND
24 WHEREAS, A 1999 Environmental Protection Agency Needs Gaps
25 Study found that sanitary sewer overflow needs in the 1996 study
26 were grossly underestimated, bringing the total national
27 wastewater infrastructure needs to more than $200 billion; and
28 WHEREAS, Independent studies indicate that when 20-year
29 replacement costs are added, the total wastewater infrastructure
30 needs will exceed $300 billion; and
20030S0098R1278 - 2 -
1 WHEREAS, The performance of the Clean Water State Revolving <--
2 Fund has leveraged more than $19 billion in capitalization
3 grants into more than $34 billion in water infrastructure
4 projects; and
5 WHEREAS, THE PERFORMANCE OF THE CLEAN WATER STATE REVOLVING <--
6 FUND HAS LEVERAGED MORE THAN $21.2 BILLION IN CAPITALIZATION
7 GRANTS INTO MORE THAN $38.7 BILLION IN WATER INFRASTRUCTURE
8 PROJECTS; AND
9 WHEREAS, Up to 55,000 new jobs are created for every $1
10 billion expended on water infrastructure; and
11 WHEREAS, The gap between funding and needs continues to grow
12 despite the significant amounts contributed to the Clean Water
13 State Revolving Fund in capitalization grants; therefore be it
14 RESOLVED (the House of Representatives concurring), That the
15 Senate of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania acknowledge the key
16 role of the Clean Water State Revolving Fund Program in
17 enhancing public health and safety, protecting the environment
18 and maintaining a strong economic base by increasing labor
19 productivity, creating jobs, rehabilitating old neighborhoods
20 and ensuring the availability of recreational use of our
21 waterways and shorelines; and be it further
22 RESOLVED, That the General Assembly of the Commonwealth of
23 Pennsylvania recognize the Clean Water State Revolving Fund
24 Program as the most pragmatic and effective program that
25 provides states vital financial resources to address their
26 wastewater infrastructure needs; and be it further
27 RESOLVED, That the General Assembly of the Commonwealth of
28 Pennsylvania encourage all communities in the Commonwealth of
29 Pennsylvania to participate in this important program; and be it
30 further
20030S0098R1278 - 3 -
1 RESOLVED, That the General Assembly of the Commonwealth of
2 Pennsylvania urge the Congress of the United States to increase
3 the annual Federal capitalization grant to the Clean Water State
4 Revolving Fund to better address the tremendous needs across the
5 United States and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania; and be it
6 further
7 RESOLVED, That copies of this resolution be transmitted to
8 the President of the United States, the presiding officers of
9 each house of Congress and to each member of Congress from
10 Pennsylvania.
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