Environmental Policy

Legislation Tracker

Click the link above for all relevant legislation related to social policy issues. This tracker is updated regularly by the Environmental Policy Committee.

Straight Scoop on Shale Project

The Marcellus shale area encompasses 104,000 square miles in Pennsylvania, West Virginia, southeast Ohio and upstate New York.  This is a low-permeability shale area and requires the hydraulic fracturing method to extract the natural gas. A series of pipelines across Pennsylvania are used to transport the liquid natural gas.  The Marcellus shale area is the largest source of natural gas in the United States. In 2009 the League studied all issues around hydrofracking of shale.  From the League Study a consensus opinion was formed that hydrofracking of shale was detrimental to the environment.

The League of Women Voters of Pennsylvania’s Citizen Education Fund started an educational project in 2011 called, “The Straight Scoop on Shale Drilling”. Its purpose is to educate and engage the public regarding natural gas extraction from Marcellus Shale. As part of this commitment, The Straight Scoop on Shale Drilling organizes a yearly conference “Shale & Public Health” featuring a large variety of experts speaking to topics related to shale drilling. To further educate the public about environmental topics, The Straight Scoop on Shale Drilling supports other organizations by promoting their events.

Reimagine Program

The League of Women Voters of Pennsylvania  used the United Nations 17 Sustainability Development Goals as a basis for its Reimagine Project.  Heather Harr, Project Director for the Shale Conference created the Reimagine Project in 2017 in conjunction with the Beaver County League and the Indiana League.  The group saw the need for sustainable development in communities where major industries had left. 

There have been seven projects since inception, in the Western part of the state.  The League is working to expand the projects into the Eastern part of the state.  We created an eighth project in April 2022 at Ursinus College in Collegeville PA.  

These projects bring together the League, the community and the local government to create sustainable projects to benefit their respective communities.

According to Heather Harr, “The keys to success for the Reimagine groups include working with a group or individual who identifies with the concept of using civic engagement processes to allow for a variety of project ideas, but also can then focus attention on one big idea plus a few smaller projects that can be more easily implemented.”

Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative

In April 2022, the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative was published in the Pennsylvania Bulletin. Since then, there have been a series of legal issues surrounding this ruling. We continue to follow the court proceedings and legislation related to the usage of RGGI proceeds. We advocate for the fair and transparent utilization of the RGGI proceeds to aid Frontline communities. We also support a bipartisan and stakeholder-driven process for the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) implementation, or a reasonable alternative.

Learn more about RGGI with this video!

Zero Waste Initiative

We are in a Climate Crisis.  We need everyone to understand how they can reduce their carbon footprint.  We are educating the public on everyday practices that impact climate change, such as:

• Reducing waste and using resources locally rather than landfilling them

• Promoting a circular economy

• Helping businesses and residents to be more sustainable and efficient

• Eliminating the use of single-use plastics

• Promoting local food cultivation 

• Educating the public on food waste as a climate issue

• Saving energy and producing clean local energy.

• Promoting “green” marketing 

• Decreasing irrigation water use by applying compost to soils.

• Improving air quality

• Support of zero-emission vehicle

• Reducing the use of toxic products

• Protecting and restoring habitat, biodiversity, and open space

We encourage you to watch our Zero Waste Webinar Series:

• Overview of the Zero Waste Initiative

• Curbside Compost: Media Borough’s Residential Composting Program.

Plastic Use

• Click here to read about the effect of plastics on your community, and how you can make a difference!

• Click here for sample ordinances and other resources for single-use plastic bag bans.

• For more information on chemical recycling and plastic pollution, read the report from Beyond Plastics here.

• Click here to read about the Break Free from Plastic Pollution Act of 2023.

• Click here for a report evaluating Philadelphia’s plastic bag ban.

• Click here for a report on the effectiveness of plastic bag bans.

Principles of Environmental Justice

The fact that communities should not be disproportionally exposed to adverse environmental/health impacts or receive an inequitably low share of environmental benefits is at the core of environmental justice. Historically, low-income, culturally diverse black/brown populations have suffered. The League advocates for the meaningful involvement of all citizens in policy decisions, the equitable treatment/consideration for frontline communities, and mindfulness of environmental decisions on public health. Environmental justice ensures that everyone has an equal seat at the table. The League has active Environmental Justice committees in Chester, Delaware County, and Coatesville, Chester County. The League partners with other non-partisan organizations that uphold the principles of environmental justice.