Palmyra officials approve hazard mitigation plan with objection to climate change language
Palmyra Borough officials approved a resolution adopting a new hazard mitigation plan, but objected to "politically motivated rhetoric" on language defining climate change.
Council members Tuesday unanimously adopted the Lebanon County 2023 Hazard Mitigation Plan as the borough's mitigation plan, which makes the borough eligible for certain federal disaster relief funds. Council members were looking for language to be removed regarding the climate change provisions.
Borough solicitor Josele Cleary wrote a section that "objects to what this council considers to be politically motivated rhetoric and irrelevant language within Section 4.3.2" of the plan. The resolution marks language examples including "pace and severity of climate change" and "possible mass extinction due to climate change."
Council members consider the language "to be superfluous and its inclusion or exclusion is irrelevant to the implementation of the Hazard Mitigation Plan and this Borough's actions to mitigate or address a disaster which may in the future occur," according to the resolution.
In part of a two-page definition on climate change, the plan states that activities such as large scale consumption of fossil fuels and deforestation have caused atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration to significantly increase. The result of rapid climate change being "unparalleled in Earth's history and an extinction event approaching the level of a mass extinction."
"The corresponding rise of average atmospheric temperatures is intensifying many natural hazards, and further threatening biodiversity," the plan states. "The effects of climate change on these hazards are expected to intensify over time as temperatures continue to rise, so it is prudent to be aware of how climate change is impacting natural hazards."
Councilwoman Jane Quairoli, who objected to the language at the March 12 meeting, said she still worries that the climate change language could be provisions the state and federal governments could use to penalize the borough in the future.
"I'll be honest with ya, I still don't like it, but I understand it has to be done," she said to council members.
According to the Disaster Mitigation Act of 2000, which amended the Stafford Act, county and local governmental agencies need to have a hazard mitigation plan that is updated every five years to receive certain types of federal assistance. These plans must be updated in accordance with the requirements set forth by the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency and the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
Officials said that if the Palmyra Borough Council were to reject the county's hazard mitigation, they could use their own resources to develop their own to qualify for federal disaster relief funds. However, to receive federal assistance, it would still need to include requirements set forth by PEMA and FEMA.
The Lebanon County Commissioners unanimously approved the hazard mitigation plan at their Feb. 3, 2024 meeting.
"This makes us eligible for federal funding in a disaster," borough Manager Roger Powl said.
Other hazards identified from the planning team included natural hazards such as wildfires, hurricanes and tropical storms, pandemics and infectious diseases, and extreme temperatures. The team also listed human-caused hazards that included utility disruption, civil disturbance and the opioid epidemic.
"It's just the municipality going on record saying this is the part we don't like," Quairoli said. "Again not sure what it's going to do... but at least we are voicing our opinions."
New council member
In a 4-2 vote, council members appointed Marcus Riddell to fill the seat of former council member William Garber II. A resident of the borough for two years, Riddell served as a Tower City borough council member and the Tower City Fire Company. He is currently the safety manager at FreeBird Chicken out of Fredericksburg.
During his interview process, Riddell said his number one issue is blight removal and wanting to improve downtown Palmyra. Riddell also expressed concerns about sinkholes in the area.
"I want to help improve our borough," he said. "I want to be here for the residents of our borough, which is what being a borough council member is."
Council President Beth Shearer and council member Nancy Fleegle voted against Riddell's nomination Tuesday.
Garber was appointed as the borough's assistant zoning & codes enforcement officer and resigned from the borough council during the Marc 12 meeting.
Matthew Toth is a reporter for the Lebanon Daily News. Reach him at mtoth@ldnews.com or on X at @DAMattToth.
This article originally appeared on Lebanon Daily News: Hazard plan OK'd as Palmyra officials object climate change language
