Growing Greener II Bond Approved

Legislation will provide funding for Growing Greener II

In the early morning hours of July 7, shortly before summer adjournment, the General Assembly approved the legislation necessary to implement the $625 million Growing Greener II bond, which was overwhelmingly approved by voters in the May Primary. This legislation provides significant, new funds to clean and protect the water, land, and air. However, the legislation could also divert some existing funds to pay the debt on the bond. And provisions in the final bill could decrease funding for environmental programs in seven years.

Although the bill is an advance for agricultural land preservation, open space, and clean water, environmentalists must ensure that minimal amounts of money are transferred out of the Environmental Stewardship Fund to finance the bond. If this fund is used to repay the bonds, new sources of revenue will have to be found in seven years to continue current programs.

The bill, which passed on July 7th, approves the following uses for the $625 million bond over the next six years:

• $27.5 million to the Fish & Boat Commission to repair and restore fish hatcheries and other needs.
• $20 million to the Game Commission, to preserve and protect state game lands.
• $80 million for farmland preservation, to be administered by the state Agriculture Department.
• $230 million to the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), which includes:
  o $10 million for the Pennsylvania Energy Development Authority;
  o $5 million for brownfields redevelopment;
  o at least $60 million for acid mine pollution cleanup, oil and gas well plugging, flood protection, and geological hazard mitigation.
• $217.5 million the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR), which includes:
  o up to $90 million in open space funding;
  o at least $100 million in State Park and Forest improvements.
• $60 million to the Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED), including up to $10.5 million for historic preservation tax credit, which is contingent upon another piece of legislation being implemented.

County governments are eligible to receive up to $90 million taken from the budgets of DEP, DCNR and DCED, with various eligibility rules.

The Environmental Stewardship Fund (ESF), which currently funds Growing Greener programs and gets about $88 million a year from the $4.25 a ton garbage fee will now be used for:
• The Hazardous Sites Clean Up Fund, with $20 million this year, $30 million next year.
• A $2.6 million sales tax holiday for purchasers of energy efficient products (this is contingent upon another piece of legislation being implemented.
• The state’s green energy purchases of approximately $2 million this year.
• DEP, DCNR and the Pennsylvania Infrastructure Investment Authority (PENNVEST), which will receive the remaining $55.4 million.

In addition, the legislation authorizes up to $60 million a year from the Environmental Stewardship Fund to be used for debt service on the bond; however, the legislation does not require that the Environmental Stewardship Fund is used to pay the bonds. Sierra Club and other environmental advocates oppose the use of ESF monies for debt service.
While Sierra Club does not support the county block grant program and the use of fund monies for debt service, legislation implementing the Growing Greener bond was an important step forward for the environment.

Contact your county government officials to find out how they plan to spend their Growing Greener funds and let us know what you think of their priorities.

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