HARRISBURG, Pa. (WTAJ) — New warehouses popping up in Pennsylvania could face problems with a new House bill that’s been introduced.
Due to the rise of online shopping and Pennsylvania’s location for shipping, new warehouses and distribution centers have been popping up for years all across the Commonwealth. Now one lawmaker wants to put it in the voter’s hands.
On Wednesday, Jan. 31, Rep. Joe Emrick (R-Northampton County) introduced House Bill 1960 . According to the bill, it would leave the decision in the hands of local voters with a voter referendum on any warehouse development located in their municipality, including distribution centers.
Emrick said in a memorandum to the House:
“Because of the growth in online shopping and our prime geographic location for nationwide shipping, Pennsylvania, and particularly the Lehigh Valley, has seen a dramatic increase in the number of warehouse developments. These developments can have a substantial negative impact on our local communities, including reduced air quality, the loss of open space and farmland, significant increases in truck traffic and noise, and increased wear and tear on local infrastructure.”