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Senate Co-Sponsorship Memoranda
Senate of Pennsylvania
Session of 2021 - 2022
Regular Session
MEMORANDUM
| Posted: | December 31, 2020 11:08 AM |
|---|---|
| From: | Senator Judith L. Schwank |
| To: | All Senate members |
| Subject: | Water resource protection |
| In the near future, I will reintroduce SB 40 from the previous session, the Pipeline Water Resources Protection Act. The growth of the natural gas industry in Pennsylvania has significantly impacted our economy and environment, but new pipeline construction also has resulted in contamination to public and private water supplies and reduced or lost water flow from them. Pipeline operators and owners have accepted responsibility in some of these cases, but there have been numerous reports, including in my district, of others who have failed to remedy the damage in a timely manner and have left people struggling with unsafe and inadequate water supplies. My legislation is modeled on existing oil- and gas-drilling regulations and would impose a rebuttable presumption of liability on owners and operators of pipelines under state jurisdiction when pollution, diminution, or loss of water occurs at a public or private water supply, including wells, within 2500 feet of the pipeline. An operator presumed to be responsible for harming a public or private water supply would be required to restore or replace the quantity and quality of the supply if it does not successfully rebut the presumption. I hope you will join me in co-sponsoring this important piece of legislation. |
Introduced as SB387