(The Center Square) – Neither naturally occurring landslides nor sinkholes are new phenomena in Pennsylvania. Receiving help when they destroy homes and businesses, however, would be a welcome development for those who live in vulnerable areas.
House legislators passed a bipartisan bill Monday that would establish an insurance fund for landslides, slope movement, and sinkholes through the Department of Community and Economic Development.
It’s the second time the House has taken up the bill in as many years, with Rep. Emily Kinkead, D-Bellevue, and Rep. Valerie Gaydos, R-Moon Township, spearheading the effort. Last session, it did not make it to a final vote on the House floor. This year, it received a resounding 152-51 majority on final consideration, with all negative votes coming from Republicans.
“I want you all to imagine being a newlywed starting a life with somebody, putting your life savings into a house because you have been told that this is the way that you build generational wealth; this is how you take care of your family moving forward,” said Kinkead. “And then, because of a major rainstorm, your house, and everything in it is gone in an instant. That happens to people all across Pennsylvania all the time, and yet, there are no ways for people in Pennsylvania to be able to recover from Landslide damage or from sinkhole damage.”
House Bill 589 is modeled after an existing program available to people who are impacted by geological damage from mining. When private insurance balked at covering damage from land movement, the state stepped in to create a program. That program is funded entirely by premiums from those who are enrolled in it.
The new legislation follows this model but applies exclusively to naturally occurring land movement not precipitated by drilling, grading, construction, or other local projects affecting the earth.
“With it being a dedicated fund, a lot of people will say, well, ‘why are we creating a brand new fund?’” asked Gaydos. “The reality is, is that your tax dollars are going to pay for these things anyway through emergency funding. This puts it into a dedicated fund so that it can help and assist municipalities and individuals in an expedited manner, in an expedited way and a dedicated way. It’s much more accountable to do it this way to help our communities.”
The bill’s sponsors say this is especially important for western Pennsylvania due to its topography and the composition of the land. Steep slopes combined with unstable layers of shale and clay stones create the perfect environment for potential disasters.
“I recognize that in the history of this body, this legislation will be less than a footnote,” said Kinkead. “In fact, it’s probably not even the most significant or memorable legislation that will move today, but it will transform lives, and it will ensure that people do not go into bankruptcy because they have lost their home through no fault of their own.”
