Pennsylvania State Capitol. Photo credit: Zack Frank/Shutterstock.com

School Safety

Increased access to mental health services and effective integration of law enforcement and school resource officers were among the recommendations in a school safety task force's report to Gov. Tom Wolf and Auditor General Eugene DePasquale that was unveiled Aug. 27. The task force was created in the wake of February's school shooting in Parkland, Florida. The report also called for increasing teaching of social-emotional skills through 12th grade; currently those programs only reach students in kindergarten through eighth grade. It addressed bullying and social isolation as creating conditions for violence.

“Task force participants shared that students need more support to address bullying and harassment,” the report said. “Several parents and school personnel reported seeing numerous unsuccessful attempts to address bullying, saying too much happens online and out of adults' sight.”

Strengthening school security was also a topic of the report, with students recommending to the task force that classroom doors be locked while class is in session, and the report called on retrofitting older buildings to upgrade safety and security.

Prison Lockdown

The Department of Corrections on Aug. 29 decided to lock down all 25 state prisons because of illnesses suffered by staff as the result of toxic substances. In a statement, Wolf indicated that the illnesses may be linked to the production of synthetic drugs on site.

“I spoke to Secretary [of Corrections John] Wetzel today and [Corrections officials] continue to work diligently to address the emerging issue of synthetic drugs in our prison system, and my office and I have been supporting his efforts,” Wolf said. “Today's action to lock down all of the state's correctional facilities is a necessary step to ensure the safety of our officers and provide the department the opportunity to assess and control the situation.”

Later in the statement however Wolf said the specific causes of illness have not been determined. Media reports have focused on synthetic substances that imitate marijuana and home-made fentanyl ingredients as possible toxic substances in the prisons.

Drinking Water

State Rep. Tom Murt, R-Montgomery, on Aug. 28 presented to Wolf administration officials a petition signed by 3,000 constituents demanding that Pennsylvania drinking water quality standards be raised.

Murt has introduced House Bill 705, which would lower the state standard for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in drinking water to the nearly undetectable five parts per trillion. PFAS are man-made chemicals—many of them used in food packaging and commercial household products—that do not break down over time, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

The current state standard for PFAS in water is 70 parts per trillion.

According to a statement from Murt, drinking water quality in parts of eastern Montgomery County may have been impacted by the use of PFAS chemicals at the former Willow Grove Naval Air Station Joint Reserve where the U.S. Department of Defense used the chemicals in training to extinguish fires.

EMINENT DOMAIN

State Rep. Chris Quinn, R-Delaware, on Aug. 28 said his recently introduced Landowner Bill of Rights would allow property owners to better understand their rights during eminent domain negotiations.

House Bill 2609 would require the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General to create a brief document to clearly outline the rights and responsibilities property owners have during any land acquisition negotiations where eminent domain is being used. Quinn said he introduced the legislation after hearing from many residents that they felt pressured to give up easements and other land rights during the early stages of the Mariner East 2 pipeline project.

“Unfortunately, too many residents do not understand the laws and their rights in these situations,” Quinn said in a statement. “By having a resource available to residents that clearly outlines their rights, they will be more prepared and empowered to negotiate in their own best interest.”

Quinn said the pipeline issue was not the only impetus for his legislative effort, but that the bill would provide benefits to property owners across the state. •