Pennsylvania Preserves Environmental Regulation Enforcement

By: Nicole Yeh

In late September, Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf vetoed major legislation that prevents the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) from taking action to “control or limit carbon dioxide emissions” without the General Assembly’s approval. 

In a letter to the House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Governor Wolf stated that the climate crisis is “one of the most important and critical challenges we face.” The legislation fails to address the effects of climate change, and continues to put the greater Pennsylvanian community at risk. 

Without Governor Wolf’s veto, the bill would have stripped the DEP of the ability to regulate “carbon pollution across all sectors and block Pennsylvania’s participation in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI).” According to the Natural Resources Defense Council, Governor Wolf vetoed the bill in   an effort to protect the safety and health of Pennsylvanians. Health concerns amongst Pennsylvanians include asthma attacks and other problems. 

In addition to the health concerns, an article from the Philadelphia Magazine highlighted a correlation between high poverty rates and a lack of trees, exemplified in some neighborhoods in   West and Southwest Philadelphia.

As part of the Penn community, it is essential for us to consider how Philadelphia legislation impacts West Philadelphia and the greater Philadelphia region. While Governor Wolf’s actions have certainly helped diminish the effects of the climate crisis on Philadelphia neighborhoods, it’s crucial that we continue to promote legislation that works toward reducing carbon emissions in Pennsylvania.