By Ezra P. Thrush

During a year in which so much is at stake with our environment in Washington, D.C. and Harrisburg, Gov. Tom Wolf's 2018 budget address fell flat.

Ezra Thursh (PennFuture photo)

PennFuture applauds the governor for calling for an $11 million increase for environmental protection and conservation, but it's a drop in the bucket compared to the yawning investment deficit for protecting our water, air, land, and climate.

Rather than chartering a new path for environmental prosperity, Wolf instead paid special attention to attracting the petrochemical industry to Pennsylvania, one of the most polluting and harmful in the United States.

State funding for our environmental protection agencies - the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) and the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) - pale in comparison their peak funding well over a decade ago. Policy leaders on both sides of the aisle have cut both agencies' budgets so severely that DEP itself has lost nearly 800 jobs and 40 percent of its funding.

This could make sense if the Commonwealth's environmental degradation was vastly improving and new challenges were easily being dealt with, but that is furthest from the truth.

Pennsylvania's environmental challenges are growing and it's clear that our protection agencies are not at capacity to address them to the fullest extent. There are far less state regulators providing a watchful eye over big polluters, even though Pennsylvania faces a sprawling pipeline infrastructure buildout, dozens of new power plants under development, and a hulking cracker plant under construction in Beaver County, just north of Pittsburgh.

Allegheny County stands among the top 10 most-polluted places in the nation with regard to year-round particulate pollution, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the American Lung Association, giving it a failing grade, yet Wolf continues to tout his support for an industry that will only make it worse.

Federal regulators warn that state agencies are so underfunded, they can't possibly monitor safe drinking water standards, leaving children and families at risk. Most streams aren't protected from stormwater runoff.

And the state continues to dangerously pollute the Susquehanna River basin to the detriment of its ecology, recreation, and economic impact.

The governor's special attention to the Shell Global cracker plant in Beaver County is of particular concern.

It's no less than advocating for a petrochemical project that sets the stage for Southwestern Pennsylvania to become the country's newest Cancer Alley, rather than moving the region forward from its polluted history.

Pennsylvanians deserve more than the false choice that's being peddled between jobs and lives free from the same toxins and carcinogens.

Pennsylvania can have good-paying jobs that don't harm its neighbors, children, air, and water, but our elected leaders have to fight for them. This year's budget address was certainly not a battle cry for providing a future safe from pollution.

Those who believe budgets are values statements would be led to judge the governor is more interested in the profits of big polluters over the clean air and water of his constituents.

We ask that the Wolf administration look beyond promoting polluting industries of the past and instead level the playing field with cleaner, more innovative kinds of industries that are rapidly growing around the country and world, such as clean energy.

As the Keystone State, Pennsylvania could be the nationwide leader in workforce development, engaging communities and higher education institutions to create new and engaging curricula and public investments in research and development for clean energy jobs.

Pennsylvanians know that solar and wind energy is the way of the future and these sectors already see significant job growth.

We applaud the governor for proposing to double the budget contributions to the Susquehanna River Basin Commission, the Delaware River Basin Commission, and the Interstate Commission on the Potomac River Basin, which will greatly benefit the water quality and sustainability of our precious water resources and storied watersheds.

This move is critical as Pennsylvanians enjoy tourism from paddling and fishing in these regions' headwaters and challenges to water quality continue to be moving targets for the commonwealth.

The Delaware River basin alone contributes $8.6 billion to Pennsylvania's economy and $6.8 billion is contributed by activity and recreation in the Susquehanna River Basin.

Moreover, millions of Pennsylvanians rely on these waterways for their drinking water and any compromise on their protections is unacceptable. We thank the Governor for his continued support for Chesapeake Bay restoration work and funding programs to clean our local streams and rivers.

We believe strongly it's up to the General Assembly to take bold steps and create a dedicated water fund for best management practices and stewardship projects this year.

As we wade into the thick of budget hearings and negotiations, we remind Wolf and the General Assembly that our health and environment are not bargaining chips or funds from which one is authorized to pull at his or her leisure.

As taxpayers, we expect our elected officials to be good stewards of our environment as we are expected individually. Nevertheless, the Wolf administration's budget proposal and the Legislature's policy priorities do not reflect strong stewardship of these resources.

This week's budget proposal starts the months-long conversation between the Governor's Office and General Assembly on how our state invests its money for 2018.

Let's invest in Pennsylvanians' health and our shared environment, while paving the way to a clean energy future.

Ezra P. Thrush is director of policy for PennFuture, a Harrisburg-based environmental advocacy group.