FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 23, 2010
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Senate Approves Pileggi Bill to Give Local Communities a Share of Air Pollution Fines 

HARRISBURG – When a company is fined by the state for violating Pennsylvania's Clean Air Act, local communities would get a share of that money for environmental projects under legislation introduced by Senator Dominic Pileggi (R-9) and approved unanimously today by the Senate. 

"Under current law, all collected fines go to Harrisburg," said Senator Pileggi. "But the impact of the violation that led to the fine is felt most heavily at the local level. This bill will fix that imbalance by sending 25 percent of the fines to local projects designed to reduce air pollution, to improve parks and trails, or to create open space." 

Under Senate Bill 1250, one quarter of any fine above $50,000 would be available to the municipality in which the violation occurred. Once notified by the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) that funds are available, a municipality will have 180 days to submit a project proposal for DEP's review and approval. 

Senator Pileggi said that the legislation was developed in response to several situations in the Ninth Senatorial District. "Several local officials – most notably from Marcus Hook Borough – told me they were concerned that their communities received absolutely no portion of these fines. In some cases, they were not even notified that a violation had occurred and a fine was levied." 

SB 1250 would also require DEP to notify the municipality in which a violation occurs within five business days after the penalty is final. 

Additional information about state issues is available at Senator Pileggi's web site, www.SenatorPileggi.com, and on his Facebook page, www.facebook.com/SenatorPileggi.

Contact:

Erik Arneson
(717) 787-4712