Many municipalities in Pennsylvania are required by Federal law to obtain NPDES (National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System) permit coverage for stormwater discharges from their municipal separate storm sewer systems (MS4s). This program has resulted in property owners paying burdensome fees to cover the costs of implementation. As not all stormwater management plans are created equally, residents in certain areas of the Commonwealth unfairly pay higher fees for MS4 program implementation than people in other areas.

I will soon be introducing legislation to require the Legislative Budget and Finance Committee to issue a report based on a privately conducted survey that will not use taxpayer dollars and will examine MS4 fees and their implementation by municipal authorities to identify best practices for communities to keep these fees as low as possible.

Please join me in co-sponsoring this important piece of legislation to examine this important issue.