PEC Offers Support For Pair of House Bills

Support for House Bill 48 (P.N. 42)

On behalf of the Pennsylvania Environmental Council (PEC), I am writing to express our support for Representative Godshall’s House Bill 48 (P.N. 42) which would establish construction and decommissioning standards for private water wells. This legislation parallels bipartisan legislation (House Bill 343) that passed the House with overwhelming support last session.

Pennsylvania remains one of only two states in the nation that has not enacted private water well standards. Without question, this is a critical public health concern for a large percentage of Pennsylvanians throughout our state. Improperly constructed water wells can lead to poor water quality by providing pathways for bacteria and contaminants such as methane gas to migrate into water supplies. Ensuring proper construction from the start will help to prevent water quality and public health problems in the future.

House Bill 48 is a balanced approach to this issue, and does not require metering of private wells (prohibited pursuant to Act 220 of 2002).

This legislation has broad and diverse support; we respectfully ask that you bring this bill up for consideration early in the new session. Thank you for your consideration.

Support for House Bill 81 (P.N. 71)

On behalf of the Pennsylvania Environmental Council (PEC), I am writing to express our support for Representative Harper’s House Bill 81 (P.N. 71) which would establish construction and decommissioning standards for private water wells. This legislation parallels bipartisan legislation (House Bill 343) that passed the House with overwhelming support last session.

Pennsylvania remains one of only two states in the nation that has not enacted private water well standards. Without question, this is a critical public health concern for a large percentage of Pennsylvanians throughout our state. Improperly constructed water wells can lead to poor water quality by providing pathways for bacteria and contaminants such as methane gas to migrate into water supplies. Ensuring proper construction from the start will help to prevent water quality and public health problems in the future.

House Bill 81 is a balanced approach to this issue, and does not require metering of private wells (prohibited pursuant to Act 220 of 2002).

This legislation has broad and diverse support, and gives the Department of Environmental Protection the flexibility to sustain the program. We respectfully ask that you bring this bill up for consideration early in the new session. Thank you for your consideration.