PRINTER'S NO. 2716
No. 320 Session of 1999
INTRODUCED BY GEORGE, SURRA, VEON, McCALL, VITALI, SHANER, COY,
CAPPABIANCA, SANTONI, MANN, GORDNER, LEDERER, WALKO, KAISER,
RAMOS, OLIVER, LEVDANSKY, SOLOBAY, WILLIAMS, VAN HORNE,
COLAFELLA, BENNINGHOFF, FREEMAN, STEELMAN, YOUNGBLOOD, BEBKO-
JONES, BELFANTI, WOJNAROSKI, FRANKEL, TIGUE, CAWLEY, GRUCELA,
HALUSKA, MANDERINO, ROONEY, ROBINSON, LAUGHLIN, M. COHEN,
PESCI, NAILOR, GIGLIOTTI, EVANS, COSTA, McILHINNEY, SEYFERT,
THOMAS, MUNDY AND WASHINGTON, DECEMBER 1, 1999
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON RULES, DECEMBER 1, 1999
A RESOLUTION
1 Directing the Committee on Environmental Resources and Energy to
2 conduct hearings relating to the balances in and the
3 operation of the Recycling Fund; urging the Department of
4 Environmental Protection to provide information relating to
5 the Recycling Fund to the House of Representatives; and
6 urging the Governor not to make any further disbursements
7 from the fund except under certain circumstances.
8 WHEREAS, Recycling is an integral way that Pennsylvanians and
9 their government work to follow our constitutional mandate to
10 conserve and maintain clean air and pure water and protect our
11 resources; and
12 WHEREAS, The recycling rate in this Commonwealth has not
13 significantly increased since reaching the legislatively
14 mandated goal of 25%; and
15 WHEREAS, A recent audit by the Auditor General revealed
16 significant problems with State oversight of recycling programs
17 throughout this Commonwealth, specifically in the area of
1 performance grants; and
2 WHEREAS, The inaccurate information uncovered by the Auditor
3 General suggests that the recycling rate in this Commonwealth
4 may not have even reached the legislatively mandated 25%
5 recycling level; and
6 WHEREAS, The actual spending level of recycling expenditures
7 by State government has been less than 50% of what is
8 communicated to the General Assembly in the Governor's Annual
9 Budget each of the last three fiscal years; and
10 WHEREAS, Instead of using available funds to promote more
11 recycling and improve oversight, there is an effort to reduce
12 the Recycling Fund to pay for unrelated expenditures; therefore
13 be it
14 RESOLVED, That the Committee on Environmental Resources and
15 Energy be directed to hold hearings on the balances in and
16 operations of the Recycling Fund and all State-sponsored
17 recycling operations in this Commonwealth; and be it further
18 RESOLVED, That the Department of Environmental Protection be
19 urged to swiftly and accurately provide the House of
20 Representatives information on the applications to and the
21 actual expenditures from the Recycling Fund over the past four
22 fiscal years, including, but not limited to: the name of the
23 applicant, the amount of funding requested and an explanation of
24 any difference between the amount requested by the applicant and
25 the amount offered by the Department of Environmental
26 Protection; and be it further
27 RESOLVED, That the Governor be urged not to disburse any
28 funds from the Recycling Fund for any nonrecycling purpose other
29 than those already provided for in current law or until an in-
30 depth review has been completed and the Commonwealth has
19990H0320R2716 - 2 -
1 achieved the 35% recycling goal proposed by the administration.
K9L82DMS/19990H0320R2716 - 3 -