Harrisburg – June 13, 2017 – Committed to positioning Pennsylvania as a leader in the battle against global climate change, Sens. Jay Costa (D-Allegheny), Wayne Fontana (D-Allegheny) and Anthony Williams (D-Philadelphia/Delaware), along with Pittsburgh Mayor William Peduto today outlined legislation to support the continuation of the Obama Clean Power Plan.
“The recent actions of President Trump to dismiss the realities of climate change and abandon the Paris climate accord will be felt from Pennsylvania to Paris,” Costa said. “We have a moral and ethical responsibility as elected officials to do the right thing, at the right time for the right reasons.
“Ensuring a healthy future for our children IS the right reason — and the time is now.”
Legislation being introduced by Costa, Fontana and Williams would ensure that Pennsylvania continue to fulfill its responsibility in fighting global climate change, meet commitments under the Paris climate accord and attains the goals set forth in the Obama Clean Power Plan.
Under the Clean Power Plan, Pennsylvania was required to reduce its emissions by 29 million tons, or 24 percent below 2012 levels by 2030. Pennsylvania is well-positioned to meet this target given its current transition from coal generation and growing investments in renewable energy and energy efficiency.
The legislation would require the state Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to revisit the plan it was pursuing just months ago for submission to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Rather than submit the plan to the EPA, the bill would require the DEP to submit it to the General Assembly for final approval and subsequent implementation statewide.
Fontana again called on the president to reconsider his decision and the impact it will have for generations to come, after using Pittsburgh as an example in his announcement to leave the Paris accord.
“Again, I urge President Trump to visit Pittsburgh and meet with city and business leaders to get a better understanding of our city’s transformation from a gritty industrial town to a thriving and economically diverse metropolis,” Fontana said. “They can also explain to him how the Paris Agreement would strengthen Pittsburgh, our region and our country.”
Williams said that the president’s decision to leave the Paris agreement will have significant local impact.
“The Paris climate accord should not be a partisan issue and removing the United States from the agreement was a mistake,” Williams said. “The impact of this decision has significant local impact. Children in the city and suburbs, those with asthma and other breathing disorders, low income families and others will be deeply affected because of the change in the climate.
“We need a singular voice and vision on climate change because it is real and it has such a wide reach. Given the decision on the federal level, Pennsylvania lawmakers have little choice but to move forward on their own and fix the problem.”
Following the president’s decision, mayors from across the nation, including Pittsburgh Mayor William Peduto joined forces and redoubled their collective efforts to combat climate change.
“Pittsburgh — and Pennsylvania — need to keep being leaders in fighting climate change, despite poor decision-making by the President. I want to thank Senators Costa, Fontana and Williams for their commitment to our planet, and to future generations of Pennsylvanians.”
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Harrisburg – June 3, 2017 – Stunned at President Donald J. Trump’s dismissal of climate change and abandonment of the Paris climate accord, Senators Jay Costa (D-Allegheny) and Wayne Fontana (D-Allegheny) today stated their intentions to position Pennsylvania to lead by example, absent federal leadership on environmental protection.
“Like you, Mr. President, I too was elected to represent the people of Pittsburgh – but I’m going to stick to my word. In the absence of federal leadership, I’m going to take steps to ensure a future for our children, providing an environment where people can grow, thrive and live healthy lives with an expectation that the water they’re drinking and the air they’re breathing is clean and safe.
“Pittsburgh has reinvented itself from the smoky city it once was to a modern, high-tech economy that treasures its clean environment. I refuse to idly sit back and be a spectator to this ill-conceived, short-sighted decision to turn back the dial on global progress. This decision needs to be seen for exactly what it is – an attack on humanity and future generations. It’s wrong and counterproductive.”
In response to the president’s announcement, Costa plans to introduce legislation to keep Pa on a steady path in the battle against climate change, requiring the state Department of Environmental Protection to adopt the requirements set forth in the Obama Clean Power Plan. Finalized during the Obama Administration, the plan was designed by the EPA to reduce greenhouse emissions by 32 percent below 2005 levels by 2030.
Under the plan, states were given individual targets, with Pa directed to reduce emissions by 29 million tons by 2030. Based on Pa’s transition from fossil fuels, plus its turn to natural gas production, investment in renewable energy and energy efficiency, the state is well positioned to meet the assigned target.
Costa’s legislation and focus on adopting the requirements of the Obama Clean Power Plan will extend beyond simply protecting the environment. It will recognize the potential of the plan to help grow jobs and build the economy.
“What the president failed to acknowledge while trying to make an example of Pittsburgh is that we are, along with the entire western region, a primary source of energy resources. From coal, to gas, nuclear, hydro and wind, there are benefits beyond measure of pursuing the entire portfolio of existing and renewable energy sources.
“I question why the president would want to stand in the way of progress and put the lives of Americans, especially our children at risk. That would seem in direct conflict with making America great again.”
Sen. Wayne Fontana (D-Allegheny) added, “With the dubious exception of Syria and Nicaragua, all the nations of the world have joined together to do something about climate change. It’s sad and embarrassing that our nation is abandoning this worthy effort – and that our president used Pittsburgh as his example for why he made such a profoundly wrong decision.”
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Harrisburg, May 18, 2017 — Two local organizations focused on community revitalization will share $375,000 in state grant funds to further their efforts, State Senator Jay Costa (D-Allegheny) announced today.
“We’re so fortunate to have organizations in our communities continually working to make the lives of those around them better and our neighborhoods safer,” Costa said. “I’m proud of the investments we make in their work, knowing their selfless acts of kindness will benefit families for generations to come.”
“These critical grant funds make all the difference in the world to the families that call these neighborhoods home.”
In Allegheny County, the Urban Redevelopment Authority of Pittsburgh will receive $350,000 to support a building project in Homewood, while the Wilkinsburg Community Development Corporation was awarded $25,000 to support a parking study along the Keystone Main Street District.
The more than $3.8 million in grant funds announced today were made available through the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development’s Keystone Communities program and will be used to support projects statewide. The program encourages partnerships between the public and private sectors, aiming to support local initiatives that grow and support neighborhoods and communities, ensure diversity and enhance the overall quality of life.
Harrisburg – May 10, 2017 – Concerned at reported mistreatment of children with low balances on school lunch accounts, State Sen. Jay Costa (D-Allegheny) today introduced legislation that would prohibit “lunch shaming” by school administrators and staff.
“These reports of schools consciously making the choice to bully children whose families are struggling to pay for school lunches is disturbing,” Costa said. “When did it become ok for children to be publicly shamed for something over which they have no control? We need to be supporting these families and providing assistance, not shaming their children.”
“These practices are unconscionable.”
Costa’s legislation, Senate Bill 709, would require school districts to serve meals to all children and puts a process in place for schools to reach out and work with families in need. The measure will require districts to implement policies to determine if children are eligible for free or reduced price meals as well as methods for notifying parents of the situation, and require districts to determine if further intervention is necessary.
Most importantly, the bill will prohibit schools from marking children or humiliating them in anyway if their family owes money to a school.
“This legislation sets the bar where it should have always been, preventing anyone from ever singling a child out for any reason, especially their ability to pay for lunch, Costa said. “No one can stamp them, make them wear a bracelet, or require them to do chores to eat, as we’ve heard reports of recently.”
“Our children are our most valuable resource. We must treat them as such and show respect for the families at home supporting them.”
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Harrisburg, April 21, 2017 — Efforts to educate local students about environmental issues will be bolstered by more than $50,000 in state Environmental Education Grant funding, Jay Costa (D-Allegheny) announced today.
“There is nothing more important than providing our children with a solid education focused on science and the environment,” Costa said. “Investments in our schools, our children and their education pay dividends far beyond the classroom. The opportunities provided to our students through these grants further our commitment to STEAM-based education – focused on science, technology, engineering, art and math.
“Most importantly, these grants fund critical programs and community organizations that will open doors to the future that many children otherwise would not have had.”
The grant funds announced today were made available through the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection’s Environmental Education Grant Program. The program uses funds collected annually for environmental education which are collected from pollution fines and penalties.
Since 1993, the program has awarded more than $11 million in environmental education grants.
According to Costa, the following local projects received grant awards:
- School District of Pittsburgh, Trout in the Classroom, $2,952 to improve student performance on the Pennsylvania Biology Keystone Exam and increase student engagement in science related course work;
- Pittsburgh Center for Creative Reuse, Creative Environmental Field Trips, $2,863 to provide field trip opportunities for area students to learn about the importance of reuse as a strategy for reducing negative environmental impacts; and
- Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy (Frick Environmental Center), Sustainable “Freedom Garden” Teaches All of Us, $50,000 for the construction of an interactive outdoor garden and walking trail with wild botanical plants and flowers that honor the horticultural experience of previously enslaved Freedom Seekers from the 1850s in the United States.
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Homewood and Hazelwood to receive significant investments
Harrisburg, April 13, 2017 — Three Pittsburgh communities will share $300,000 in state grant funds awarded through Pennsylvania’s Housing Affordability Rehabilitation and Enhancement Act (PHARE), also known as Pa’s housing trust fund, state Senator Jay Costa (D-Allegheny) announced today.
The PHARE grant funds were approved during today’s Pa Home Financing Authority (PHFA) board meeting in Harrisburg.
“These grant funds provide housing opportunities for our residents — one of the most basic needs that many of us take for granted,” Costa said. “It’s a great feeling when you can return funding back to the community that will directly impact the lives of your friends and neighbors and in many cases, open the door to a warm place to raise their family.
“PHFA is a wonderful organization doing work that changes the lives of families across the state. I’m grateful for their commitment and dedication to the communities and the families that need them the most.”
The Allegheny County Department of Human Services (DHS) will receive $50,000 for its Landlord Mitigation Fund, specifically to provide an enhanced security deposit/guarantee as an incentive to private market landlords who accept Housing Choice Vouchers. With these additional funds, DHS anticipates providing 25 households with an additional guarantee beyond the standard security deposit.
In Homewood, $200,000 in grant funds will be used for the Grassroots Green Homes – Home Boost Homewood program. Funding will allow grant recipient CCI to provide residents with safety evaluations, energy efficiency retrofits and necessary repairs and improvements. Through the Home Boost Homewood project, CCI also plans to hold educational meetings in the community to promote energy savings and ways residents can make their homes healthier and more efficient.
Hazelwood Initiative, Inc. will receive $50,000 in grant funds, which it plans to use to redevelop two local buildings into four affordable housing units. According to the organization, two of the units will serve as homeownership incubators allowing residents to set aside portions of monthly rent to be used toward the purchase of a home in a local neighborhood.
The Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency provides affordable homeownership and rental housing options for older adults, low- and moderate-income families, and people with special housing needs. PHFA promotes economic development initiatives across the state through mortgage programs and investments in multifamily housing developments. The organization was created by the General Assembly in 1972. Since that time, PHFA has generated more than $13.1 billion of funding for nearly 167,400 single-family home mortgage loans, helped fund the construction of 132,531 rental units, and saved the homes of more than 48,800 families from foreclosure.
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