30 Ways in 30 Days: Flood Control

Budget Cuts Endanger Thousands in Flood Zones

Thousands of Pennsylvania families living near flood-prone rivers and streams would be placed at increased risk due to a 24% reduction in the appropriation to the Department of Environmental Protection that includes funding for flood control projects, storm water management and sewage facility grants.
 
HARRISBURG (June 10, 2009) - Thousands of Pennsylvania families will continue to face devastating flood and stormwater run-off problems if budget cuts contained in Senate Bill 850 are passed by the General Assembly.  The Senate-approved spending plan reduces funding to the state Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) by 24%, putting an array of state flood protection, stormwater management and sewage control projects at risk. 

With more than 86,000 miles of waterways (second only to Alaska) and an average rainfall of 42 inches, Pennsylvania is more prone to flooding than virtually any other state.  The Keystone State also has one of the most extensive flood protection programs in the nation, with more than 200 flood control projects undertaken over the past half-century by DEP.

Scores of repair and flood control projects are in jeopardy as DEP waits to see whether the Senate cuts are allowed to stand.  DEP annually awards more than a half million dollars to communities across the state for flood and stream improvement projects, as well as for flood damage repairs and non-routine maintenance construction needs.  The department also oversees nearly $6 million in direct allocations for similar projects.

"We are very concerned about the impact that the proposed budget cuts may have on projects in the Susquehanna Watershed," said Harrisburg Fire Chief and Emergency Management Coordinator Daniel Soulier.  "The Susquehanna is one of the most flood-prone rivers in the nation; it is critical we maintain and improve our flood protection infrastructure, as the costs of not doing so, both in terms of lives and property lost, is exponentially greater than the small investment amounts we're talking about today."

Additional funding for the repairs of dams, streambank stabilizations, stormwater run-off abatement and a host of similar flood control efforts is critically needed, Soulier said.  "While Pennsylvania has made great strides in addressing its backlog of water-related work, thanks in part to the $800 million allocated for such projects in last year's H2O bond [issue], there remains much more work to be done." 

You can contact Chief Daniel Soulier of the Harrisburg Bureau of Fire at 717-255-6465 to discuss this issue.

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