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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE |
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State Rep. Mike Sturla Chairman, Majority Policy Committee |
State Rep. John Hornaman D-Erie Hearing Co-Chairman |
Majority Policy Committee continues inspection of clean water issues
ERIE, Aug. 5 – The House Majority Policy Committee held a public hearing today at the Raymond Blasco Memorial Library in Erie to examine clean water issues in Pennsylvania, according to Chairman Mike Sturla, D-Lancaster.
State Rep. John Hornaman, D-Erie, requested the hearing and served as its co-chairman.
"The availability of clean water is an issue of importance around the globe," Sturla said. "The Policy Committee has looked at water issues before focusing on other parts of state, including the Chesapeake and Delaware watersheds, but we see a lot of the same concerns regarding Lake Erie. I thank Representative Hornaman for bringing the Policy Committee to northwest Pennsylvania to consider this issue."
Hornaman added, "When we hear of any possible damage to the Great Lakes or any of Pennsylvania’s waterways, whether that damage comes from improperly disposed pharmaceuticals or from invading species that could destroy our fishing industry, we take it as a call to action and band together to create good legislation that will protect these precious natural assets."
Those testifying at the hearing included G. Elliott Cook, doctor of pharmacy and board-certified pharmacotherapy specialist, assistant professor in Department of Pharmacy Practice, Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine; Marti Martz, coastal outreach specialist, Pennsylvania Sea Grant; Thomas Fuhrman, executive director, Lake Erie Region Conservancy; Sonia Rosales, staff member, Earth Action; Douglas Range, director of environmental services, Erie County Health Department; Edward Kissell, spokesman, Sons of Lake Erie; Paul Vojtek, chief executive officer, Erie Water Authority; and Cathy Pedler, spokesperson, Lake Erie Group of the Sierra Club.
For more information about the Policy Committee and hearing materials, go to www.pahouse.com/PolicyCommittee.