Action Alert: Governor Rendell Proposes Increase in Waste Disposal Tipping Fees
June 25, 2007
ACTION ALERT
BACKGROUND: On February 7, Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell, in his 2007-2008 budget address, proposed a permanent funding source for Department of Environmental Protection programs. Several of these programs will support economic development and protect public health and safety by cleaning up contaminated industrial sites and dangerous abandoned mines, upgrading drinking and wastewater facilities and supporting watershed restoration and protection. All are important issues to Pennsylvania’s future, but what does it mean to your company’s bottom line?
- The proposed $2.75 per ton increase in trash taxes would cost Pennsylvania residents, municipalities and business nearly $41 million more each year in higher costs for collection and disposal of trash.
- Just five years ago, state taxes on trash totaled $2.25 per ton — $2 for recycling and 25 cents for the tipping fee. Then the tipping fee was increased to $4.25.
- The latest proposed hike would push trash taxes to $9 per ton. That would be a 400-percent increase in trash taxes in a five-year period!
| Current Tipping Tax | $4.25 per ton |
| Recycling Tax | 2.00 |
| Current Total | 6.25 |
| PROPOSED Tipping Tax Increase | 2.75 |
| TOTAL IF TAX HIKE APPROVED | $9.00 per ton |
While the administration is calling this a fee increase, it’s a tax on residents, municipalities and businesses. If this new tax hike is enacted, the cost of trash disposal will increase for everyone and it will especially harm large generators of trash — particularly Pennsylvania businesses. Furthermore, raising the cost of doing business in Pennsylvania will discourage businesses from locating here or expanding their operations.
IMMEDIATE ACTION NEEDED: Contact Governor Rendell and your legislators and tell them that you oppose a trash tax hike.
| CONTACT INFORMATION | DISTRICT FAX | HARRISBURG FAX | E-MAIL ADDRESS |
| Governor Ed Rendell | 814/455-3709 | 717/772-8284 | |
| Senator Jane Earll | 814/871-4640 | 717/772-1588 | jearll@pasen.gov |
| Senator Mary Jo White | 814/437-4820 | 717/772-3459 | mwhite@pasen.gov |
| Senator Bob Robbins | 724/983-5711 | 717/772-0577 | rrobbins@pasen.gov |
| Representative Flo Fabrizio | 814/455-6593 | 717/780-4774 | ffabrizi@pahouse.net |
| Representative Pat Harkins | 814/871-4854 | 717/780-4775 | pharkins@pahouse.net |
| Representative John Hornaman | 814/835-2885 | 717/780-4767 | jhornama@pahouse.net |
| Representative Curt Sonney | 814/897-2083 | 717/787-2005 | csonney@pahousegop.com |
| Representative John Evans | 814/734-4543 | 717/772-7099 | jevans@pahousegop.com |
| Representative Brad Roae | 814/878-5778 | 717/705-2032 | broae@pahousegop.com |
| Representative Michele Brooks | 724/588-5464 | 717/705-1948 | mbrooks@pahousegop.com |
Visit www.legis.state.pa.us to obtain an entire listing of Pennsylvania House and Senate members or visit www.pawasteindustries.org to send an electronic message.
Thank you in advance for you help on this opposition to a tax increase. Please call Sheila Sterrett at 814/833-3200 or e-mail ssterrett@manp.org if you have any questions.