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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE |
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State
Rep. Ted Harhai |
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Harhai coal refuse disposal bill awaits governor's signature
HARRISBURG, Jan. 28 – A bill sponsored by state Rep. Ted Harhai, D-Westmoreland, that would protect new property from being needlessly used for coal refuse, and establish a board to settle disputes between surface property owners and mineral rights holders involved in methane well drilling, awaits the signature of Gov. Ed Rendell to become law.
"We have learned over the last century in dealing with coal mine refuse piles that they're not only unsightly, but they can damage the environment, too. Compounds leach out of the material over time, and, without proper control, pollute ground and surface water," said Harhai. "My bill would minimize future damage that could come from new coal refuse piles that otherwise could be placed in an environmentally sensitive location.
"We have enough remediation and clean-up challenges already. We don't need more."
The Harhai bill (H.B. 1847) first passed the House overwhelmingly in September. The Senate unanimously passed an amended version in December and on Monday, the House concurred in the amendments by a 183-12 vote, sending the bill to the governor to be signed into law.
Under the Senate amendment, which Harhai supported, a three-member Coal Bed Methane Review Board would be created to find alternative resolutions to disputes over the placement of coal bed methane wells and the roads used for drilling and maintenance.