Landslides represent a significant financial burden to our Commonwealth, costing the state millions in damages every year. While landslides that occur as a result of mining practices and mudslides are covered under existing insurance programs, landslides, slope movement, and sinkholes as a result of other natural causes are typically not covered. This lack of protection leaves many Pennsylvanians vulnerably exposed to the financial fallout from the devastation caused by these forces and creates a large burden to communities in a multitude of ways. Western Pennsylvania is particularly susceptible to landslides because of two natural geologic characteristics:

(1) the bedrock land composition, consisting mainly of incompetent mud rocks such as silty shales and clay stones that weather easily; and

(2) the regional topography, consisting of steep slopes.
 
In addition, changing weather patterns, heavy rainfall and increasing flooding has also caused increasingly significant geologic hazards across the state and is a risk to nearly all Pennsylvanians who may not have the ability to financially prepare.
 
This is why we are reintroducing legislation (also HB 589 from the last session) to create a program within the Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED) to provide coverage of landslides, slope movement, and sinkholes throughout the Commonwealth. Landslides encouraged by human factors like construction, grading, cutting, and drilling will not be covered under this legislation.
 
This small measure will have far-reaching impact in safeguarding our residents against nature’s often unpredictable forces. Please join us in sponsoring this much-needed legislation.
 
The following individuals previously sponsored HB 589:  Schlossberg, Pisciottano, Benham, Burgos, Guenst, Sanchez, Deasy, Freeman, Otten, Venkat, N. Nelson, Madden, Hohenstein, Kulik, Delloso, Innamorato, Twardzik, Takac, Gergely, O’Neal, Ortitay, Frankel, Powell, Mercuri, and Madsen.