Earlier this year, many Pennsylvania municipal waste treatment plants were put on notice that they had to clean up their act, and meet much tougher clean water standards. Instead of biting the potentially huge local tax burden, they responded by suing the Department of Environmental Protection.
Governor Ed Rendell responded by proposing a modest increase in funding for local sewage treatment plant upgrades. This week, a broad coalition of organizations announced a much larger proposal of their own. Agriculture has a piece of what’s called the Pennsylvania Fair Share for Clean Water Plan.
The plan, supported by Pennsylvania Farm Bureau, Pennsylvania Municipal Authorities Association, Pennsylvania Builders Association, Pennsylvania Association of Conservation Districts and the Chesapeake Bay Foundation would help wastewater plant ratepayers and farmers finance improvements needed to address Chesapeake Bay and statewide water quality improvement mandates.
“For the first time, the five groups that have the most at stake in meeting the water quality mandates have put together a funding plan we hope will help end the controversy over how these projects should be paid for,” noted Matthew Ehrhart, CBF’s Executive Director for Pennsylvania. Here’s what’s in the $170 million package:
$100 million to help wastewater plants finance required improvements;
$50 million in direct cost share aid to farmers to install conservation practices, including $35 million for REAP farm tax credits and $15 million in cost share grants;
$10 million to county conservation district to expand technical assistance to farmers;
$10 million to restore cuts to the Department of Agriculture budget in farm programs.
The plan also calls for reforms to the state’s nutrient credit trading program that will help to make it a viable alternative to provide for both environmental improvements to the Bay and sufficient future sewage capacity for new development.
Why state must face its commitment
“Production agriculture is facing significant and potentially devastating economic burdens, said Joel Rotz, governmental relations director for Pennsylvania Farm Bureau. “Farmers are trying to comply with increased regulations recently imposed under revisions to federal and state regulations governing the handling and land application of manure and other nutrients, but they cannot do it alone.”

americanagriculturist.com