Title
Authorizing the Committee on Commerce and Economic Development to hold public hearings to examine what the Philadelphia Water Department is or could be doing to take advantage of new and existing federal water quality infrastructure funding to address chronic sewage overflows in overburdened communities and improve the water quality of the Delaware and Schuylkill Rivers for public recreational use.
Body
WHREAS, The hearing will include review of a report requested of the Philadelphia Water Department that outlines the Department's plans to (1) identify infrastructure projects that will reduce bacterial contamination, improve water quality, reduce flooding, provide sustainable jobs, and support community health in areas where existing or potential recreational use of the River is occurring or could occur; and (2) obtain federal or state funding to support the implementation of these actions; and
WHEREAS, The Delaware River is one of Philadelphia's--and the nation's--greatest natural resources and rivers; and
WHEREAS, Philadelphians from all parts of the city and all walks of life value the river for its incredible recreational opportunities, scenic beauty and ecological value. Millions of people participate in activities along the riverfront each year, including 20,000 that annually experience the water in boats from the Independence Seaport Museum; and
WHEREAS, The tidal Delaware River as well as the tidal lower Schuylkill are designated by the State of Pennsylvania as recreational water trails and both the PA Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, as well as the PA Fish & Boat Commission recognize their recreational value and seek to promote that value to all Pennsylvanians; and
WHEREAS, Nationally, American Rivers named the Delaware as its River of the Year for 2020, hailing it as a "national success story" for its dramatic revitalization from the decades spent polluted by industrial and sewage waste; and
WHEREAS, Under the Clean Water ...
Click here for full text