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LWV League of Women Voters of Pennsylvania Citizens Education Fund
Smart Voter
State of Pennsylvania November 4, 2008 Election
Referendum Act-64
Water and Sewer Improvements Bond Referendum
State of Pennsylvania

Majority Approval Required

Pass: 2,879,592 / 62.3% Yes votes ...... 1,744,555 / 37.7% No votes

See Also: Index of all Referendums

Results as of Dec 5 11:00am, 100.00% of Precincts Reporting (9,284/9,284)
Information shown below: Full Text

Do you favor the incurring of indebtedness by the Commonwealth of $400,000,000 for grants and loans to municipalities and public utilities for the cost of all labor, materials, necessary operational machinery and equipment, lands, property, right and easements, plans and specifications, surveys, estimates of costs and revenues, prefeasibility studies, engineering and legal services and all other expenses necessary or incident to the acquisition, construction, improvement, expansion, extension, repair or rehabilitation of all or part of drinking water system, storm water, nonpoint source projects, nutrient credits and wastewater treatment system projects?

  Official Information

PA Department of Environmental Protection

Nonprofit Organizations

PA Fair Share For Clean Water Coalition

Commonwealth Foundation - For Public Policy Alternatives PennFuture (Citizens for Pennsylvania's Future) News and Analysis

Philadelphia Inquirer

Pittsburgh Tribune Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Williamsport-Sun Gazette Lebanon Daily News
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Full Text of Referendum Act-64
WATER AND SEWER IMPROVEMENTS BOND INDEBTEDNESS REFERENDUM PLAIN ENGLISH STATEMENT OF ACT 64 OF 2008

The purpose of the ballot question is to determine whether Pennsylvania voters approve of the Commonwealth borrowing $400,000,000 to make grants and loans to municipalities and public utilities for the acquisition, construction, improvement, expansion, extension, repair or rehabilitation of drinking water system, storm water and nonpoint source projects, nutrient credits and wastewater treatment system projects.

A "drinking water system" consists of reservoirs, wells, water treatment facilities and equipment such as pipes, tanks, filters and pumps, which collect, treat, store and supply safe drinking water for public use.

"Storm water" is drainage runoff from the surface of land resulting from precipitation or snow or ice melt.

A "nonpoint source" is a pollution source not regulated under the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) caused by rainfall or snowmelt moving over and through the ground. Examples include pollution from past mining activities, urban and agricultural runoff, atmospheric deposition, on-lot sewage systems and sediment.

A "nutrient credit" is a unit of compliance approved by the Department of Environmental Protection that corresponds to a pound of reduction of nitrogen or phosphorus.

A "wastewater treatment system" consists of sewage treatment facilities and equipment such as pipes, tanks, filters and pumps, which collect, treat, store and discharge wastewater from homes, business and industry.

A limitation of the ballot question is that, of the $400,000,000 borrowed, the amount that may be use for grants, as opposed to loans, may not exceed $200,000,000. Another limitation is that the amount of a grant, loan or combination of grant and loan awarded for a project may not exceed the monetary limits set by Act 64 of 2008, which vary based on the annual average daily flow of a sewage treatment system or the population served by a water system.

The effect of the ballot question is to authorize the Commonwealth to borrow $400,000,000 to fund grants and loans to municipalities and public utilities for the acquisition, construction, expansion, extension, repair or rehabilitation of drinking water system, storm water and nonpoint source projects, nutrient credits and wastewater treatment system projects. The grants and loans are to be awarded by the Pennsylvania Infrastructure Investment Authority, which is given authority under Act 64 of 2008 to adopt regulations and take all other actions necessary to implement and administer Act 64 of 2008.


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