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Senate Co-Sponsorship Memoranda
Senate of Pennsylvania
Session of 2017 - 2018
Regular Session
MEMORANDUM
| Posted: | December 9, 2016 10:21 AM |
|---|---|
| From: | Senator Vincent J. Hughes |
| To: | All Senate members |
| Subject: | Creation of a Lead SuperFund |
| In the near future I plan to introduce a bill that would create a Lead SuperFund in this Commonwealth. News reports on the contaminated water supply in Flint, Michigan have brought the conversation about lead to the national forefront. We believe we must be proactive in analyzing Pennsylvania’s lead situation to protect our residents against the possibility of a Flint-like incident occurring here. A 2014 Department of Health study found that children in more than eighteen communities throughout the Commonwealth have tested positive for lead at levels higher than those in Flint. Some of the communities in that report are: Allentown, Altoona, Bethlehem, Erie, Johnstown, Harrisburg, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, Reading, and Scranton. While the tragedy in Flint focuses on the water supply, the dangers of lead in Pennsylvania also extend to our schools, day cares, and housing stock through lead-based paint. It is time we take action to analyze the commonwealth’s potential lead issues and ensure that our children and our communities are safe. The SuperFund may be utilized by entities, such as schools and day cares, to defray costs associated with remediating lead. Some of those remediation projects may include: replacing lead or copper lead-soldered pipes, removing lead paint, or removing soil with elevated lead levels. Please join me in cosponsoring this bill. If you have any questions you, please contact my Chief Counsel, Michael Deery, at mdeery@pasenate.com or 787-7112. |
Introduced as SB405