Policy opportunities for the next Pittsburgh
mayor
Pittsburgh mayor Luke Ravenstahl who, when he first
took office, was the youngest mayor to head a major American city, announced this morning in a news conference that he would not
seek re-election, just 11 days after formally announcing his run. This assures
that Pittsburgh will be headed by a new mayor beginning in 2014, two years after
Allegheny County also changed leadership. The new mayor will need to work with
County Executive Rich Fitzgerald to address a host of important economic and
environmental issues ripe for dynamic leadership, including improvements to air
quality, the need for energy benchmarking and other aggressive clean energy
initiatives, a proposal by the Allegheny County Sanitary Authority (ALCOSAN) to
incorporate green infrastructure in plans to address the area's stormwater
management problems, the lack of a utility structure to promote proper
stormwater management, and continued mass transit challenges — to name a
few.
Money talks, conservation walks at DCNR
Conservation organizations have obtained an August 10, 2012 letter from Department of Conservation and
Natural Resources (DCNR) Secretary Richard Allan to the vice president of
Texas-based Anadarko Petroleum showing that DCNR is negotiating the price for
significant natural gas development on a priceless tract of the Loyalsock State
Forest in Lycoming County. But an unusual deed gives DCNR the ability to
restrict or block Anadarko's access to the surface, and thereby
permanently protect, this extraordinary tract of land. The
tract contains the Old Logger's Path, a 27-mile hiking trail, the Devil's
Elbow Natural Area, an Important Bird Area designated by the National
Audubon Society, and much of the Rock Run watershed — an Exceptional Value (EV) stream widely
hailed as the most beautiful in Pennsylvania.
In the letter, Allan notes that Anadarko proposes to pay the Commonwealth $15 million for the use of the surface of these tracts known as the Clarence Moore lands because of the unusual deed. DCNR believes that Anadarko should pay closer to $22.273 million. Anadarko proposes to develop 500 acres of these sensitive lands for well pads, access roads, pipeline rights of way, and compressor stations. The letter betrays a disturbing enthusiasm on the part of DCNR — the state's conservation agency — to open this special part of Penn's Woods for natural gas development.
Meanwhile, DCNR has refused to conduct public hearings and allow for public input into this matter or provide information on the environmental impacts or the alternatives that are being considered.
Whither the state forest moratorium?
In 2010, Gov. Rendell signed an executive order banning further leasing of
Pennsylvania's state forest land for natural gas development. Gov. Corbett, to
his credit, has respected the moratorium since taking office in January 2011.
The executive order is based on an exhaustive and scientific study conducted by DCNR that
concluded that any further leasing of state forest land for
natural gas development would compromise the ecological integrity and wild
character of the forest.
Because of the unusual deed that gives DCNR the ability to control or block any surface activity of the 18,870-acre tract of land, an agreement with Anadarko that opens up these lands for gas development would be a de facto violation of the moratorium and run counter to its spirit, if not its letter.
Look for further information from PennFuture on how you can take action on this critical decision.
Philly takes on construction waste
A
bill recently introduced in Philadelphia City Council would
require contractors to recycle a substantial portion of debris at construction
and demolition (C & D) sites. Since 2007, Philadelphia has quadrupled its
overall recycling rate — from 5 percent to more than 20 percent. But C&D
waste still accounts for one-fifth of the city's waste.
This winter, PennFuture approached City Council members about legislation that would mandate the recycling of C & D waste. As a result of those discussions, Council members Henon, Kenney, and Reynolds-Brown recently introduced a bill requiring that projects greater than 4,000 square feet recycle at least 60 percent of all waste by July 2014. The bill aims to remove tons of polluting waste from landfills and incinerators, while saving money for businesses through decreased waste hauling fees. It would also drive Philly's recycling and salvage market — already thriving thanks to innovative companies like Revolution Recovery and Richard S. Burns & Company.
How sustainable is your municipality?
Municipalities in southwestern Pennsylvania are urged to participate in the
Sustainable Community Essentials Certification. This online municipal
certification program brings hard-earned recognition to communities committed to
facilitating cost savings, using resources smartly, and applying best practices
in municipal government and community development.
To learn more about
the certification program and the best practices being demonstrated among
certified municipalities, visit: www.sustainablecommunityessentials.org.
A good time had by all
PennFuture's
Wilkes-Barre staff worked with the Northeast U.S. office of the National Center for Appropriate Technology (NCAT) to organize
Wilkes-Barre's first Green Drinks gathering. About 40 perse
people — including organic farmers, a social justice worker, an architect, Web
developer, wind developer, abandoned coal mine reclamationist (is that even a
real word?), someone who was crocheting (or was it knitting?), someone who was
coloring pictures, someone who helps winterize homes for people of lower income
— gathered. Some people were relatively new to the area and came from as far
away as Ireland and California. It was a great night that brought together many
folks who met for the first time and talked as if they'd known each other for
years.
