Cumulative Impacts Campaign in Pennsylvania
Following the ASSESS Community and Environmental Health Study in August 2024., MHANPH and Clean Air Council launched an advocacy campaign to introduce a Cumulative Impacts law in Pennsylvania.
Cumulative impact laws can protect environmental justice communities that are disproportionately exposed to pollution by considering the combined impacts of exposures that can accumulate over time. They offer an added layer of protection for impacted communities when new permits for industrial facilities are being issued or proposed. States across the country are introducing cumulative impacts bills, and in some states, like New Jersey, these bills have already become law. You can learn more here.
Southern Delaware County is home to multiple industrial facilities located in close proximity to each other. Currently, no permitting agency is looking at the cumulative impacts of so many facilities in the same area, and how all these facilities together overburden frontline environmental justice communities. Residents in these communities are also facing many non-chemical stressors and burdens such as food insecurity, inadequate housing and limited access to medical care.
In August 2024, the Community Co-Investigators on the ASSESS study began advocating for a Cumulative Impacts bill to be introduced in Pennsylvania. By January 2025, HB109 was introduced by State Representative Greg Vitale. From there, a statewide advocacy campaign, made up of residents, community leaders, and organizations from across the state began working together to support this legislation. By October 2025 a companion senate bill SB 1048 had also been introduced.
HB109 and SB1048
House Bill 109 and Senate Bill 1048 would require the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to consider cumulative impacts when reviewing permits for projects in environmental justice areas. This bill is critical for protecting overburdened communities in Pennsylvania from the harmful, compounding health impacts of environmental pollution from multiple sources.
These laws would require permit applicants to submit detailed cumulative environmental impact statements for new or expanding facilities as part of their application. Furthermore, by requiring a more robust public hearing process, HB 109 would allow impacted communities to have a voice while increasing transparency and fairness in the permit review process.
Watch the Cumulative Impacts Webinar Below!
Presentations
Cumulative Impacts Flyer