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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE |
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State
Rep. Tim Seip |
  
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Seip flood damage-reduction bill sent to full House
HARRISBURG, June 11 – A bill introduced by state Rep. Tim Seip to reduce flood-related damage in Pennsylvania is headed to the full House of Representatives.
As a member of the House Environmental Resources and Energy Committee, Seip joined in the committee's unanimous vote today to approve the bill (H.B. 2539).
Seip said, "My bill would give the Department of Environmental Protection more tools to help reduce the damage that floods do in our communities. For smaller streams in particular, DEP needs the authority to use 'non-structural' options such as voluntary buyouts of property owners, flood proofing, floodplain management, forecasting and educating property owners and residents.
"Under this legislation, DEP could share in non-structural costs on federal projects and could use these approaches on state projects when they are determined to be the most cost-effective and environmentally sound alternatives."
"This bill could benefit communities like Schuylkill Haven and Pine Grove, which have been affected by more than $2 million in flood damage in recent years," Seip noted.
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Attention Radio News Directors: an actuality from Rep. Seip will be available later today by calling 1-800-452-3001. Enter PA125 (7-2-125) and the pound sign (#) at the menu prompt to get today’s sound. You can also download the sound in .mp3 format by visiting www.pahouse.com/mediacenter.