Trending...
- ANSI BSR Upholds Appeal of AFDE Member Andrew Sulner, MSFS, JD, finding the AAFS Academy Standards Board (ASB) Violated ANSI Essential Requirements
- 100 Word Fiction Releases Issue #2: Forty Stories, One Hundred Words Each
- RAS AP Consulting Spotlights Managed AP Governance™ at Esker All Access
Governor Tom Wolf today admonished the House Republicans' actions to disapprove Pennsylvania's effort to update its volatile organic compound (VOC) regulation for conventional oil and gas wells — as required under the federal Clean Air Act — causing a delay in the process that will put Pennsylvania at risk of losing nearly a billion dollars in critical federal transportation funding.
"It's simply a disgrace that House Republicans are jeopardizing road and bridge repairs by holding up the administration's efforts to make federally required updates," Gov. Wolf said. "They hastily held a committee meeting this week without advance notice or transparency for the sole purpose of thwarting this regulation, which will jeopardize nearly a billion dollars in federal funding."
On Monday, the House Environmental Resources & Energy Committee chaired by state Representative Daryl Metcalfe convened an unannounced meeting to send a disapproval letter to the Independent Regulatory Review Commission (IRRC) regarding the conventional oil and gas VOC rulemaking. Under Pennsylvania's Regulatory Review Act, this triggers a 14-day waiting period following the meeting of the Independent Regulatory Review Committee where the regulation is considered, currently scheduled for November 17. Because the 14-day waiting period will expire after November 30, when the General Assembly has adjourned, the regulation that the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) has moved forward cannot be finalized before the sanction trigger date of December 16.
More on The PennZone
"As a result of the House Republicans' actions, state and local governments across the commonwealth will lose the authorization to spend hundreds of millions of dollars of federal transportation funding on affected projects," Gov. Wolf said. "Because these regulations are required under the Clean Air Act, failure to submit them in final form to U.S. EPA by December 16, 2022, will result in EPA imposing non-discretionary sanctions, and the federal government would thus withhold nearly $1 billion of transportation funding – funding that cannot be recuperated. Sanctions can threaten a variety of projects, including highway expansion, new roadway construction, and many highway/bridge restoration and maintenance projects. This could result in some roads and bridges being closed or weight limited, longer commutes, longer ambulance response times, more wear and tear on Pennsylvanians' cars, and Pennsylvanians' federal gasoline tax dollars going to other states.
"This regulation is not controversial. It is a federally mandated, technology-based standard. There is no good reason to block the rulemaking but there are extreme consequences for doing so. We have been sounding the alarm for months about the real consequences of these actions and yet they insisted on disapproving the state's VOC rule.
More on The PennZone
"My administration is reviewing all options to prevent the sanctions from being implemented."
Gov. Wolf has served for two terms as a leader consistently at work for the people of Pennsylvania. Learn more about how his Priorities for Pennsylvania have fueled the commonwealth's comeback, leaving Pennsylvania in a much better place than when he arrived.
SHARE Email Facebook Twitter
"It's simply a disgrace that House Republicans are jeopardizing road and bridge repairs by holding up the administration's efforts to make federally required updates," Gov. Wolf said. "They hastily held a committee meeting this week without advance notice or transparency for the sole purpose of thwarting this regulation, which will jeopardize nearly a billion dollars in federal funding."
On Monday, the House Environmental Resources & Energy Committee chaired by state Representative Daryl Metcalfe convened an unannounced meeting to send a disapproval letter to the Independent Regulatory Review Commission (IRRC) regarding the conventional oil and gas VOC rulemaking. Under Pennsylvania's Regulatory Review Act, this triggers a 14-day waiting period following the meeting of the Independent Regulatory Review Committee where the regulation is considered, currently scheduled for November 17. Because the 14-day waiting period will expire after November 30, when the General Assembly has adjourned, the regulation that the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) has moved forward cannot be finalized before the sanction trigger date of December 16.
More on The PennZone
- Qscription Technologies Appoints Dr. Kimberly Beavers as Founding Clinical Advisor
- When Hope Feels Gone, Death2life Is Still Here!
- Sebastian Stroeller Publishes "The MAP Language Canon" — The Complete Practitioner's Guide to Structural Conversation
- OneVizion Appoints Zebra Technologies CIO Matt Ausman to Board of Directors
- GLADYS Magazine Celebrates their 18 Year Anniversary!
"As a result of the House Republicans' actions, state and local governments across the commonwealth will lose the authorization to spend hundreds of millions of dollars of federal transportation funding on affected projects," Gov. Wolf said. "Because these regulations are required under the Clean Air Act, failure to submit them in final form to U.S. EPA by December 16, 2022, will result in EPA imposing non-discretionary sanctions, and the federal government would thus withhold nearly $1 billion of transportation funding – funding that cannot be recuperated. Sanctions can threaten a variety of projects, including highway expansion, new roadway construction, and many highway/bridge restoration and maintenance projects. This could result in some roads and bridges being closed or weight limited, longer commutes, longer ambulance response times, more wear and tear on Pennsylvanians' cars, and Pennsylvanians' federal gasoline tax dollars going to other states.
"This regulation is not controversial. It is a federally mandated, technology-based standard. There is no good reason to block the rulemaking but there are extreme consequences for doing so. We have been sounding the alarm for months about the real consequences of these actions and yet they insisted on disapproving the state's VOC rule.
More on The PennZone
- New Townhome Building Released at Heritage at South Brunswick, Offering Private Perimeter Setting and Water Views
- Comics Veteran on Return of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Characters, 3-D Projects, Collaboration with Original 'Star Wars' Toy Engineer
- Flexible Plan Investments Announces Retirement of Executive Vice President Renée Toth
- Sensory Education launches new neuro-affirming psychoeducation book, Sensory Diversity
- Break the Resume Mold: Career Valet Changes How Executives Hunt for Jobs
"My administration is reviewing all options to prevent the sanctions from being implemented."
Gov. Wolf has served for two terms as a leader consistently at work for the people of Pennsylvania. Learn more about how his Priorities for Pennsylvania have fueled the commonwealth's comeback, leaving Pennsylvania in a much better place than when he arrived.
SHARE Email Facebook Twitter
0 Comments
Latest on The PennZone
- Bspin Launches Lightning-Fast Crypto Gaming Expansion With Sportsbook, Poker, VIP Rewards, and Bitcoin Lightning Network Integration
- From Temecula Wine Country to Canyon Lake: Parkway Construction Transforms Outdoor Spaces for Inland Homeowners
- Tim Tebow to Headline BSI CORE Annual Summit, Bringing Nearly 400 Business Leaders Together at Bethlehem's SteelStacks
- Pipeliners Tour Brings Appalachian Basin Rally to Western Pennsylvania
- Gigasoft 2026 JavaScript Chart Comparison: ProEssentials, Highcharts, SciChart, LightningChart, ECharts
- Experienced eXp Realty Agent Kerri Lawless Guides Buyers and Sellers Through Life's Next Chapters in St. Tammany Parish
- Supreme Garage Door Repair Redirects Marketing Dollars Into North Texas Communities
- RAS AP Consulting Spotlights Managed AP Governance™ at Esker All Access
- ANSI BSR Upholds Appeal of AFDE Member Andrew Sulner, MSFS, JD, finding the AAFS Academy Standards Board (ASB) Violated ANSI Essential Requirements
- Prolific Press Publishes 100 Word Fiction Issue #1, the Journal's Debut Anthology
- 100 Word Fiction Releases Issue #2: Forty Stories, One Hundred Words Each
- Kentucky's Plane Crash Data Lands Far from the State's Busiest Airports
- StockResearch AI Initiates Coverage on Apple (AAPL) With New Report Examining Valuation, AI Strategy and Future Growth
- Netberg Announces the Aurora X2 Switch Series, Built on Xsight Labs' Programmable X2 Silicon
- Imagen Golf Named Exclusive Golf Instruction Partner at Wood Lane Golf and Social
- Pete Verbica: America Needs Statesmanship and Common Sense — Not a Cult of Personality
- Heidi G. Villari of The Villari Firm, PLLC Recognized in The Best Lawyers in America 2027 for Construction Law and Personal Injury Litigation
- When the Coroner's Report Isn't Enough: Colorado Families Turn to Private Autopsy for Closure
- Nearly One-Third of CRE Asset Managers Make Major Capital Decisions on Gut Instinct, New Survey Finds
- RemoteBridge Names Dr. John N. Just, Ed.D. Chief Executive Officer