Global warming legislation was enacted for the first time in Pennsylvania July 10, when Gov. Ed Rendell signed the Pennsylvania Climate Change Act. The measure was overwhelmingly approved earlier this month by both houses of the Pennsylvania General Assembly.
A coal-rich state, Pennsylvania emits 1 percent of the world's greenhouse gases responsible for global warming, more than the emissions of 105 developing countries combined.
The Climate Change Act is immediately effective and will:
- Require the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental
Protection ("DEP") to conduct an annual inventory
of greenhouse gas ("GHG") emissions in all sectors,
specifically but not limited to transportation, electricity
generation, industrial, commercial, mineral and natural
resources, production of alternative fuel, agricultural, and
domestic sectors, and through such inventory, to establish a
baseline of GHG emissions
- Require DEP, within 90 days of the Act's
effective date, to set up a voluntary registry for business
and industry where they can track their GHG emissions and
potentially get credit for voluntary GHG emission
reductions
- Provide for an 18-member politically appointed
stakeholder advisory group to DEP (the "Climate Change
Advisory Committee" or "Committee"), that will
work with DEP to develop a state plan ("Climate Change
Action Plan") to reduce GHG emissions, which is to be
available within 15 months of the Act's effective
date
- Require DEP to report on potential climate change impacts
and economic opportunities for the state within nine months
of the Act's effective date (revisions to be provided
every three years thereafter)
- Require the Secretary of DEP to monitor the enactment of
laws by the U.S. Congress to determine whether any federal
law is more stringent than Pennsylvania law with regard to
GHG inventory, registry or reporting requirements and, if so,
to identify the affected entities, which must comply with the
more stringent federal regulations through a notice in the
Pennsylvania Bulletin.
This article is presented for informational purposes only and is not intended to constitute legal advice.
