Robert P. Casey Jr.
Bob's Blog
Unemployment Benefits
In August, the unemployment rate in Pennsylvania reached 8.6%, which reflects a total of 540,000 Pennsylvanians without jobs. By the end of the year as many as 70,000 Pennsylvanians will exhaust their unemployment benefits. To respond to their needs, I am cosponsoring S. 1699, the Unemployment Compensation Extension Act of 2009. This bill would provide an additional 13 weeks of unemployment benefits in states, such as Pennsylvania, with unemployment rates at or above 8.5%. Recently, similar legislation overwhelmingly passed in the House of Representatives, and I am hopeful that the Senate too will take quick action on this bill. I encourage you to follow the progress of this bill at THOMAS.gov, legislative information from the Library of Congress.
If you need immediate assistance with applying for unemployment insurance, please contact my Harrisburg office by calling (717) 231-7540 or writing to 22 S. Third Street, Suite 6A, Harrisburg, PA 17101.
Clean Energy Jobs in Pennsylvania
This past Monday, I had the opportunity to see firsthand the positive influence of clean energy jobs in Pennsylvania. Visiting the Exelon-Conergy Solar Energy Center, I toured one of the largest solar electricity generation plants in the country. I am pleased that this company chose to locate in Bucks County, and I am hopeful that more companies will follow this example.
Exelon-Conergy Solar Energy Center, located on a tract of land adjacent to Waste Management's GROWS landfill, can produce enough energy to power 500 homes in Pennsylvania. Clean energy jobs are not a hazy concept of the future -- in Bucks County, and across the Commonwealth, these jobs are already providing paychecks to American workers, re-energizing the manufacturing sector, and transforming the economy. I will continue to support clean energy job creation in the Senate to ensure that many more Pennsylvanians have the same opportunity.
Spill at Gas Drilling Site - Dimock, PA
Last week, the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) reported that at a natural gas drilling site in Susquehanna County, a pipe transporting between 6,000 and 8,000 gallons of fracturing fluid leaked and the fluid spilled into the ground and a neighboring wetland. At this time, information regarding the contents of the fluid has not been released to the Pennsylvania DEP. Without this information, the DEP and community members have no idea what has seeped into the watershed.
Natural gas drilling in the Marcellus Shale region is a major issue for many towns and communities throughout Pennsylvania. The opportunity to drill for our own natural resources has led to job creation, strengthened our state economy and reduced our dependence on foreign oil. However, despite its many benefits, natural gas drilling presents a concern for the people living near these drilling sites. Hydraulic fracturing involves the use of toxic chemicals that are injected underground, sometimes directly into underground sources of drinking water. It is a highly variable and unpredictable process that can lead to unintended consequences and is linked to contamination of drinking water.
I believe it is important that we enact legislation to protect the health and safety of Pennsylvanians as we further develop this natural resource. For this reason, I have introduced the Fracturing Responsibility and Awareness of Chemicals (FRAC) Act that requires chemicals and additives used in hydraulic fracturing be reported to Environmental Protection Agency or appropriate state agencies for public disclosure. The FRAC Act also requires that companies disclose detailed information about chemical usage to medical professionals in the event of a medical emergency. To be clear, I do not oppose natural gas drilling, I only seek to ensure that these operations do not endanger the people of Pennsylvania.
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