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For Immediate Release
November 16, 2011
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Joint Panel Holds Two Days of Hearings on Flood
Mitigation and Stormwater Management
Senate Environmental Resources and Energy, Majority
Policy committees hear from engineers, local, state and federal officials.
Harrisburg - The Senate Environmental Resources and Energy Committee,
chaired by Sen. Mary Jo White (R-21), and the Senate Majority Policy
Committee, chaired by Sen. Ted Erickson (R-26), held joint public
hearings Tuesday and Wednesday on flood mitigation and stormwater management.
Many Pennsylvania communities face ongoing flooding issues, with
several hit especially hard by Hurricane Irene and Tropical Storm Lee.
The joint panel heard from engineers and infrastructure experts, along
with local, state and federal officials.
"What we're trying to do is identify the causes of flooding across
our commonwealth – and the causes are different in different areas – and
then look at possible solutions, such as the use of environmental
engineering design concepts to manage stormwater and regional
cooperation to address runoff issues," said Erickson. "Ultimately,
preventing flooding by channeling and reducing runoff where possible
will cost less than flood recovery."
"In the wake of the recent flooding across Pennsylvania, we heard
from a number of communities that were devastated," said White. "While
the impacts differed in size, and in the effects on towns, personal
lives and the economy, these hearings will allow us to gather
information on what federal, state and local agencies are currently
doing and what we could do better as we move forward. What can we do to
mitigate damages and to limit the burdens on the residents of
Pennsylvania?"
On Tuesday, the committees heard from academics, environmental
engineers, and other water resources experts who discussed engineering
solutions to stormwater runoff, such as the use of green infrastructure
design and ongoing maintenance of stormwater systems. Rain gardens,
porous asphalt, and restoring eroded floodplains were cited as examples
of successful stormwater management techniques. Also discussed were
regional approaches to watershed management, financial incentives to
encourage green infrastructure, and the regulatory hurdles faced by
communities to manage stormwater.
On Wednesday, the panel took testimony from representatives of the
state Department of Environmental Protection, the Pennsylvania Emergency
Management Agency, the Pennsylvania Association of Conservation
Districts and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. DEP's Deputy Secretary
for Water Management Kelly Heffner told committee members that
communities can obtain emergency permits to clear streams of debris
during and after weather events, a fact of which many communities may not be aware.
Also testifying were officials from Wyoming and Lycoming counties,
which experienced severe flood damage from Hurricane Irene and Tropical
Storm Lee. The local officials discussed steps state agencies could take
to aid flood mitigation, such as revising Act 167 regulating stormwater planning.
In addition to exploring ways to improve flood prevention and
mitigation, the Senate was poised Wednesday to approve a comprehensive,
bipartisan legislative package aimed at bringing relief to those
affected by September's hurricane-related flooding.
NOTE: Hearing video, agendas and testimony are available at Senator
White's website, senatormjwhite.com,
and Senator Erickson's website, senatorerickson.com.
CONTACTS:
Adam Pankake 717-787-9684 (Sen. White)
Michele Hansarick 717-787-1350 (Sen. Erickson) | 
