Trending
Help could be on the way to protect and restore many of the waterways across the state resulting in improved drinking water and investments in tourism and agriculture.
State Sen. Gene Yaw, R-Loyalsock Township, is working with Republican Senate colleagues to seek $250 million of the state's allocation from the American Rescue Plan Act to establish a Clean Streams Fund.
Yaw, chair of the Senate Environmental Resources and Energy Committee and a member of the Chesapeake Bay Commission, said the plan could improve some 85,000 miles of rivers and other streams.
"Unfortunately, a legacy of intensive land use has left almost one-third of those waters unsafe for either humans or aquatic life," he said. "By restoring these waters, we will reduce the cost of drinking water treatment and invest in our top two industries -- tourism and agriculture -- by helping farms improve soil health and increasing recreational opportunities throughout the Commonwealth."
Major streams such as the Susquehanna River and Loyalsock Creek would most certainly benefit from the plan, according to Yaw.
Allocations for specific streams would need to be worked out during the budget process and with legislative leaders.
American Rescue Plan Act money cannot be used to reduce taxes or fund government pension systems.
States can use the funding for only certain actions to mitigate the impacts of the pandemic on households, businesses, and government operations, or to make new investments in water, sewer or broadband infrastructure, Yaw noted.
The state's total allocation is expected to be $7 billion and is only available through 2024.
Of the known sources of pollution, 70 percent is attributed to either agriculture or abandoned mine drainage.
"The investments made in rehabilitating and improving Pennsylvania's waterways provide tangible economic benefits to local communities, while enhancing recreational activities for anglers and boaters and preserving these valuable resources for future generations," state Sen. Dan Laughlin, R-Erie, said. "Pennsylvania is committed to protecting and restoring the natural beauty of our waterways and the Clean Streams Fund would provide a substantial boost to those efforts."