THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA

HOUSE RESOLUTION

INTRODUCED BY HORNAMAN, CALTAGIRONE, DALEY, FABRIZIO, FRANKEL, FREEMAN, GEORGE, GOODMAN, HARKINS, KOTIK, PARKER, SCHMOTZER AND WILLIAMS, SEPTEMBER 17, 2012

REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON ENVIRONMENTAL RESOURCES AND ENERGY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2012  

A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION

Directing the Legislative Budget and Finance Committee to

conduct a study of the establishment, implementation and

administration of fees for the consumptive use and

degradation of water by large commercial users.

WHEREAS, Pennsylvania is estimated to have more than 83,000

miles of streams, nearly 4,000 lakes and 80 trillion gallons of

groundwater; and

WHEREAS, The commercial demand for water continues to grow,

with withdrawals of surface and groundwater estimated to exceed

10 billion gallons per day; and

WHEREAS, Billions of gallons of water are either never

returned to Pennsylvania's water cycle or are returned in a

degraded condition each day; and

WHEREAS, The Commonwealth receives no compensation for either

the consumptive use or degradation of water; and

WHEREAS, Section 27 of Article I of the Constitution of

Pennsylvania provides as follows: The people have a right to

clean air, pure water, and to the preservation of the natural,

scenic, historic and esthetic values of the environment.

Pennsylvania's public natural resources are the common property

of all the people, including generations yet to come. As trustee

of these resources, the Commonwealth shall conserve and maintain

them for the benefit of all the people; therefore be it

RESOLVED (the Senate concurring), That the General Assembly

direct the Legislative Budget and Finance Committee to study the

establishment of both a fee for the consumptive use of water by

large commercial users and a fee for the degradation of water by

large commercial users; and be it further

RESOLVED, That the study examine proposed and successful

attempts of other states to assess fees for the consumptive use

or degradation of natural resources; and be it further

RESOLVED, That the study:

(1)  Identify the consumptive and degrading uses to which

the fees would apply.

(2)  Estimate the revenue-generating potential of the

fees.

(3)  Recommend conservation purposes and programs that

should benefit from the revenues generated by the fees.

(4)  Evaluate how to assess, collect, manage and allocate

the proceeds of the fees, including an evaluation of existing

models within this Commonwealth;

and be it further

RESOLVED, That the Legislative Budget and Finance Committee

be authorized to seek a contractor or consultant to assist in

the study; and be it further

RESOLVED, That the Legislative Budget and Finance Committee

report all findings and conclusions of the study to the

Environmental Resources and Energy Committee of the Senate and

the Environmental Resources and Energy Committee of the House of

Representatives within 12 months of the adoption of this

resolution.