Former DEP Secretary John Hanger is campaigning to be on the Democrat ticket for governor of Pennsylvania. Recently he released his plans to protect and restore the state’s environment, create jobs and grow the economy.
Below is a summary of his plans:
A $725 million Growing Greener III – “I will champion a new $725 million Growing Greener III effort over seven years to renew our investment in open space conservation, clean air, clean water, environmental restoration and local recreation. And these are good investments. Every Growing Greener dollar attracted an additional $1.25 in matching private funding.”
Double renewable energy for jobs, investment and clean air – “I will build on the success of the Alternative Energy Portfolio Standards Act and double Pennsylvania’s standard for renewable energy to keep and create jobs, attract private investment, generate pollution-free electricity that helps keep electric rates down and helps fight climate change.”
Enact world-class gas drilling standards – “My world-class drilling plan will fairly tax the extraction of natural gas, protect state parks and forests from drilling, cut air emissions from drilling by 90 percent, prevent drilling wastewater from polluting rivers and streams, increase enforcement and compliance with our rules and ensure that drilling companies fully compensate citizens for any damage done by drilling.”
Implement Pennsylvania’s climate action plan – “Taking action to reduce our carbon dioxide pollution by 36 percent by 2020 would also create 65,000 new jobs and add $6 billion to our state’s economy. That’s the conclusion of the Pennsylvania Climate Change Action Plan developed by the Climate Change Advisory Committee (CCAC) that I chaired in 2008.”