May 28, 2019 Issue 63

Senate Republicans Senator-elect Pittman will represent the Welcome Two New 41st Senatorial District, which includes of Armstrong and Indiana counties and parts of Members Butler and Westmoreland counties.

enate President Pro Tempore served as chief of staff to Sen. Scarnati (R-25) and Senate Majority Don White, who retired in February. Prior S Leader (R-34) to that, he served on the Purchase Line welcomed two new members to the Senate School Board. He currently serves on the Republican caucus. board of directors for the Purchase Line Red Dragon Foundation, a nonprofit that Senator-elects Doug Mastriano and Joe provides scholarships to high school Pittman won special elections to the graduates. Pittman and his wife, Gina, have Pennsylvania Senate on May 21. four children, two boys and twin girls, and live in Indiana. Senator-elect Mastriano will represent the 33th Senatorial District, which includes With the inclusion of Mastriano and all of Adams County and parts of Pittman, Senate Republicans will hold a 28- Cumberland, Franklin and York counties. 22 majority in the State Senate.

A retired U.S Army , and military Source: Senate Republican historian, Mastriano, has a doctorate from Communications, 5/22/2019 the University of New Brunswick and master's degrees in military operations, strategic intelligence, airpower and strategy. Turzai Announces Rep. He earned a bachelor's degree from Eastern Fred Keller Resignation University in St. Davids. Mastriano and his wife Rebecca have a son, Josiah, and live in from State House in Greene Township, Franklin County.

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regulation of perchlorate in public drinking Wake of Congressional water systems. Election The agency is seeking comment on a n May 24, 2019, Speaker of the proposed National Primary Drinking Water House Mike Turzai (R-Allegheny) Regulation (NPDWR) for perchlorate to O announced that Rep. Fred Keller (R- establish a Maximum Contaminant Level Snyder/Union) has officially resigned his (MCL) and a health-based Maximum House seat this week after winning election Contaminant Level Goal (MCLG) at 56 to Congress. micrograms per liter.

"We congratulate Fred on his election In addition, the agency is seeking and wish him all the best as he continues to comment on three alternative regulatory serve the Commonwealth and his options: constituents in Congress," said Turzai.  An MCL and MCLG for perchlorate set The 85th Legislative District office, at 18 micrograms per liter. located in the Mifflinburg Government  An MCL and MCLG for perchlorate set Center, 343 Chestnut St., Suite 1, at 90 micrograms per liter. Mifflinburg, will remain open to serve  Withdrawal of the agency's 2011 constituents. Residents can call and make an determination to regulate perchlorate in appointment for assistance at 570-966-0052. drinking water. The website http://www.repfredkeller.com/ will The agency is requesting comment on all also redirect constituents to many state relevant aspects of the proposed rule but is documents and other helpful information. especially interested in the perchlorate monitoring and reporting requirements for The date for a special election to fill the public water systems and a list of treatment House seat will be announced within a week technologies that would enable water according to Turzai. systems to comply with the MCL, including affordable compliance technologies for The 85th Legislative District includes small systems serving 10,000 persons or less parts of Union and Snyder counties. EPA is also requesting comment on its methodology for deriving the MCLG, the Source: Speaker Turzai Press Release, underlying assumptions and analysis of its 5/24/2019 cost and benefit estimates, and other specific items listed in the proposed rule.

Perchlorate Proposed Perchlorate is commonly used in solid Rulemaking rocket propellants, munitions, fireworks, airbag initiators for vehicles, matches, and

signal flares. Perchlorate may occur n May 23, 2019, the U.S. naturally, particularly in arid regions such as Environmental Protection Agency the southwestern and is found (EPA) is releasing a notice of O as an impurity in hypochlorite solutions used proposed rulemaking that seeks public input for drinking water treatment and nitrate salts on a range of options regarding the

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used to produce nitrate fertilizers, a Commonwealth agency under the explosives, and other products. Governor's jurisdiction.

EPA will accept public comment on the Mendelsohn also brings to the PUC his proposal for 60 days after publication in the public utility experience as a Vice President Federal Register via and Corporate Counsel for American Water http://www.regulations.gov [Docket ID No. Works Company, with responsibilities in EPA-HQ-OW-2018-0780]. For more Pennsylvania, Virginia and Maryland. While information and to view the pre-publication there, Mendelsohn was particularly version of the Federal Register Notice, visit recognized for solving problems with https://www.epa.gov/dwstandardsregulation troubled water companies in Pennsylvania. s/perchlorate-drinking-water He also previously served as a Senior Deputy Attorney General/Attorney-in- Source: EPA, 5/23/2019 Charge for the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General's Bureau of Consumer Protection. New Executive Director Joins PUC He serves as an adjunct instructor of business law, ethical leadership and he Pennsylvania Public Utility corporate governance for the Master of Commission (PUC) announced the Business Administration program at appointment of Seth A. Mendelsohn Lebanon Valley College. Mendelsohn also T teaches a course on leadership in a of Harrisburg, a senior government leader, business and leadership professor, and multicultural global environment as an former corporate vice president, as adjunct associate professor in the Master of Executive Director, effective May 28. Business Administration program at the University of Maryland University College. Mendelsohn replaces Jan H. Freeman, who is stepping down from the position He previously served as an appointee of effective May 28 and will serve as an the Governor on the Citizens Advisory adviser to Chairman Gladys Brown Council of the Pennsylvania Department of Dutrieuille, before leaving the Commission Environmental Protection. on June 28. Freeman served as Executive Director for nearly eight years. Mendelsohn received his bachelor's degree from the University of Pittsburgh, his With more than 20 years of management law degree from The Dickinson School of experience in insurance, government and Law and his Master of Business public utilities, Mendelsohn is concluding Administration degree from Lebanon Valley his current service as Executive Deputy College. Insurance Commissioner, the chief operating officer of the Pennsylvania Insurance As Executive Director of the PUC, Department. In this position, Mendelsohn Mendelsohn will plan, organize and direct established employee retention and day-to-day operations of the Commission. recruitment programs, and an employee mentorship program, the first of its kind for The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission balances the needs of

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consumers and utilities; ensures safe and infrastructure needs, including old dams in reliable utility service at reasonable rates; need of rehabilitation. protects the public interest; educates consumers to make independent and "All across Pennsylvania, DEP is seeing informed utility choices; furthers economic more and more dams that are either failing, development; and fosters new technologies or in serious need of rehabilitation, with the and competitive markets in an safety of thousands of residents at stake," environmentally sound manner. said DEP Secretary Patrick McDonnell. "The cost of the work to fix those dams Visit the PUC's website at could range in the millions of dollars. http://www.puc.pa.gov/ for recent news Restore Pennsylvania could provide a releases and video of select proceedings. funding source for these projects." You can also follow us on , , LinkedIn, Instagram and Middle Dam, which is owned by the YouTube. Search for the "Pennsylvania borough and used as one of its two water Public Utility Commission" or "PA PUC" supplies, has obtained funding through a on your favorite social media channel for state grant for rehabilitation that would bring updates on utility issues and other helpful the 24-foot high structure into compliance consumer information. with state regulations. The work includes reconstructing the spillway, installing a new Source: PUC Press Release, 5/23/2019 piping and drainage system, and construction of new wetlands. The total cost is estimated at $8 million. In 2008, the DEP Wolf Administration declared Middle Dam as "unsafe" due to a Outlines Benefits of seriously inadequate spillway. Approximately 750 people and 33 Restore Pennsylvania for businesses are at risk if the dam were to fail. The drainage area to the dam is 2.7 square Aging Dams, miles which includes the larger East Rehabilitation in Stroudsburg Dam, which was recently rehabilitated. Monroe County "In Monroe County we have some of the n May 20, 2019, representatives highest concentrations of lakes and from Department of Environmental waterways in the commonwealth," said Sen. O Protection's (DEP) Waterways (R-40th). "While we are Engineering and Wetlands Program toured blessed with an abundance of beautiful Middle Dam along Sambo Creek in East waterways, we also have many high hazard Stroudsburg to highlight how the Wolf dams - many of which are in local Administration's Restore Pennsylvania plan communities without the funds to repair. I would comprehensively address aging dams am pleased to join in supporting Restore across the commonwealth. Pennsylvania's efforts to invest back into repairing our dams to protect our Restore Pennsylvania is an aggressive environment and communities for many plan to address the commonwealth's vital years to come."

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Restore Pennsylvania proposes a Restore Pennsylvania, funded by the commonsense severance tax that would monetization of a commonsense severance invest $4.5 billion over the next four years tax, will invest $4.5 billion over the next in significant high-impact projects four years in significant high-impact throughout the commonwealth, that would projects throughout the commonwealth to rebuild Pennsylvania's infrastructure and help catapult Pennsylvania ahead of every increase resources for blighted properties, state in the country in terms of technology, storm preparedness, and disaster recovery to development, and infrastructure. help make Pennsylvania a leader in the 21st century. Restore Pennsylvania will expand efforts to remove PFAS and other contaminants Learn more about the Restore from communities across the commonwealth Pennsylvania plan where these chemicals have also been https://www.governor.pa.gov/restore- discovered, threatening the safety of pennsylvania/. residents' drinking water. The cleanup costs associated with addressing these chemicals Source: Governor Wolf's Press Office, can be significant with few funding options 5/20/2019 available at the state level.

Horsham Township did receive Pennvest Gov. Wolf's Restore funding to help purchase the GAC filters Pennsylvania Can Help now in place to filter out PFAS on 11 wells in the township. Clean Up Contaminated Perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl Drinking Water substances - PFAS - are man-made chemicals resistant to heat, water and oil, n May 21, 2019, Governor Tom and persist in the environment and the Wolf joined local and state officials human body. PFAS are not found naturally O on a tour of a Horsham Water and in the environment. They have been used to Sewer Authority well equipped with a make cookware, carpets, clothing, fabrics Granular Activated Carbon (GAC) filter to for furniture, paper packaging for food, and see what the township is doing to mitigate other materials that are resistant to water, Perfluoroalkyl and Polyfluoroalkyl grease, or stains. They are also used in Substances (PFAS) contaminants in its firefighting foams and in a number of water system and how his Restore industrial processes. Pennsylvania plan can help communities across the commonwealth. In September 2018, Governor Wolf announced the establishment of a multi- "Restore Pennsylvania will provide agency PFAS Action Team funding needed to remediate PFAS on a https://www.governor.pa.gov/governor- statewide basis, so families living in places wolf-takes-executive-action-address-pfas- like Horsham have peace of mind when they concerns-protect-pennsylvanians/ and other fill a glass with tap water or when a child executive actions to address growing takes a sip from a drinking fountain," Gov. national concerns surrounding PFAS. The Wolf said. "And that's why we are working PFAS Action Team places Pennsylvania at together to pass Restore Pennsylvania."

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the forefront of states taking proactive action to address PFAS and other water contaminants.

"Republican or Democrat, senator or representative, every elected official understands that clean drinking water is a critical issue," Gov. Wolf said. "We all want Pennsylvanians to live the happiest, healthiest lives possible."

Learn more about how Restore Pennsylvania https://www.governor.pa.gov/restore- pennsylvania/ can help your community protect drinking water, improve infrastructure, remove blight and increase access to broadband.

Source: Governor Wolf's Press Office, 5/21/2019

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This newsletter provides general information, not legal advice as to any specific matter. It should not be used as a substitute for appropriate legal advice.

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