“Today Erie City Council passed a much-needed stormwater user fee. This dedicated fund for long-overdue stormwater maintenance is a cause for celebration. The new funds will bring about stormwater-management improvements that will undoubtedly lead to significant environmental, economic, and human health benefits for all Erie residents,” said Jenny Tompkins, PennFuture’s Campaign Manager for Clean Water Advocacy - Lake Erie Watershed.
“Erie now joins over three dozen Pennsylvania municipalities collecting stormwater fees, including counterparts in Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, Allentown, Lancaster, Bethlehem, and nearby Meadville. As outlined by the Our Water, Our Future campaign's Common Agenda for Protecting Lake Erie's Watershed, stormwater fees provide capacity to tackle a primary source of pollution in our watershed: urban stormwater runoff. We applaud City Council for its decision to approve the stormwater fee ordinance, following through on the recommendations and efforts of so many stakeholders, including PennFuture and our partners.”
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PennFuture is Pennsylvania’s leading environmental advocacy organization with offices in Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Harrisburg, Erie and Mt. Pocono. We are protecting our air, water and land, and empowering citizens to build sustainable communities for future generations.
A Common Agenda for Protecting Lake Erie's Watershed was released in December 2020. The report serves as a guideline for local and state policymakers to implement clean water and other projects that will protect, conserve and support Erie’s aquatic resources. Learn more at: https://www.pennfuture.org/erie