Clean Air Council Applauds Governor Wolf for Vetoing SCRRR-1

Harrisburg, PA (January 10, 2022) This afternoon, the General Assembly transmitted Senate Concurrent Regulatory Review Resolution 1 (SCRRR-1) to Governor Wolf’s desk. The resolution, which would block the Environmental Quality Board’s (EQB) CO2 Budget Trading Program from taking effect, was quickly vetoed. The CO2 Budget Trading Program will allow for Pennsylvania’s participation in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI). The Pennsylvania Senate adopted SCRRR-1 on October 27, 2021, and the Pennsylvania House adopted it on December 15, 2021, well over 30 calendar days and ten legislative days after the date on which the resolution was originally reported from the Senate Environmental Resources & Energy Committee (September 14, 2021).

Joseph Otis Minott, Esq., Executive Director and Chief Counsel of Clean Air Council, issued the following statement:

“I applaud Governor Wolf for swiftly using his veto pen to reject SCRRR-1 and push back on dangerous legislative inaction on the climate crisis. Pennsylvania’s participation in RGGI is projected to cut up to 227 million tons of carbon pollution from power plants this decade, while creating family-sustaining jobs, generating hundreds of millions of dollars annually for reinvestment in Pennsylvania communities, and delivering billions of dollars in public health benefits. Because of the cynical and outrageous games played by state legislators in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania’s participation in RGGI has already been unacceptably delayed. Not only is SCRRR-1 wrong on the substance and rightfully deserving of a veto, it is also untimely and should be considered null and void. Pennsylvania’s Regulatory Review Act affords the legislature a clear, unambiguous period of time to vote to disapprove regulations, and the General Assembly missed their deadline to adopt SCRRR-1 by a mile. I thank Governor Wolf for his leadership and urge the legislature to focus instead on making critical investments for the people of Pennsylvania.”