PEC Supports House Bill 417

Today PEC sent the following letter to the House Consumer Affairs Committee in support of House Bill 417.

February 10, 2017

To:  Members of the House Consumer Affairs Committee
From:  John Walliser, Pennsylvania Environmental Council
Re:  Support for House Bill 417 (P.N. 423)

Dear Representatives:

On behalf of the Pennsylvania Environmental Council (PEC), I am writing to express our support for House Bill 417, introduced by Representative Godshall, which would establish construction and decommissioning standards for private water wells. This bill is a reintroduction of legislation from last session that received broad, bipartisan support but unfortunately did not see final passage.

Pennsylvania is one of the last remaining states in the nation that has not yet enacted private water well standards. The absence of standards is a critical public health concern for a large percentage of Pennsylvanians – improperly constructed water wells can lead to poor water quality by providing pathways for bacteria and contaminants 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 417 is a balanced approach to this issue, and does not require metering of private wells (prohibited pursuant to Act 220 of 2002).

We commend the sponsor, and respectfully ask that you support this legislation for early passage in the new session. Thank you for your consideration.