HB 109 – Cumulative Impact Bill Passed the Committee!
On Monday, April 7th, 2025, the Environmental and Natural Resources Protection Committee of the Pennsylvania House passed House Bill 109! HB109 enhances protection for environmental justice communities by requiring cumulative impacts and public input to be considered for the issuance of permits. CRCQL and C4 have hosted rounds of calling campaigns to urge the representatives to support the bill, and HB109 finally passed the committee with 14 of the 26 reps voting yes.
During the meeting, Representative Greg Vitali, the prime sponsor of the bill, introduced the bill to the floor, emphasizing how HB109 will provide more protection to EJ areas by requiring permit issuants to consider the results of cumulative studies and public hearings. Rep Vitali also mentioned that the EPA will have added authority to modify and deny permits based on their analysis. A discussion of Amendment 274 followed to accommodate the feedback from the stakeholders. This amendment, although not touching on the adoption of stronger and more specific languages, made tweaks to the definition of cumulative environmental justice impact to include public health and broadened the scope of facilities and electric facilities. Before voting, Representative Jack Rader expressed concerns that third and fourth businesses issuing permits might lose the opportunity to operate despite meeting the environmental standards when considering cumulative impacts. Rep Vitali responded by saying that the house has the responsibility to protect all citizens when issuing permits.
There is still much work to be done to get this bill passed so talk to your local reps about it. CRCQL will have updated call to action on HB 109 soon. Stay tuned!
You can watch the full video below:
