I am writing with my weekly district update.

Standing with the Nurses of St. Mary

Last night, I was proud to stand with the nurses of St. Mary Medical Center during their informational picket. Our frontline workers deserve our recognition and respect as they put their own safety on the line to keep our community healthy.  I will continue to stand alongside these dedicated professionals as they advocate for safe staffing, fair wages and benefits.

PennDOT Aggressive Driving Enforcement and Highway Safety Survey

Beginning on Wednesday, July 29th, and running through August 23rd, over 60 police departments from Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery, and Philadelphia counties will join Pennsylvania State Police in a coordinated aggressive-driving enforcement wave.  The goal of the effort is to help reduce the number of crashes, injuries, and deaths on roadways.

The following police departments in the 10th District will be participating: Central Bucks Regional Police Department, Doylestown Township, Buckingham Township, Hilltown Township, New Britain Township, Dublin Borough, Newtown Township, and Plumstead Township.

The enforcement wave will focus on red light running, tailgating, pedestrian safety, and heavy truck violations. Motorists exhibiting other aggressive actions or unsafe behaviors, such as speeding or distracted driving, may also be cited.

PennDOT is also seeking motorists’ input on traffic safety and driving behaviors through its annual online Highway Safety Survey found at www.PennDOT.gov/Safety.  The survey is available on PennDOT’s website through August 17th  and should take about five minutes to complete. All responses, including the “comments” fields, are anonymous.  Please consider taking this survey to assist PennDOT in better understanding motorist’s road safety behaviors and priorities.

Household Hazardous Waste Collection Events

Have you unearthed old batteries, flammables, or other hazardous household waste during spring cleaning?  The 2020 Bucks County Household Hazardous Waste Collections schedule is out, and the next collection event is Saturday, August 8th. This is a contactless event and pre-registration is required. Register for a timeslot here.

$1 Million in Energy Grants for Farmers

The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) announced the availability of $1 million in grant funding to Pennsylvania small businesses and farmers for energy efficiency, pollution prevention, and natural resource protection projects through the Small Business Advantage grant program. New to the program this year is the opportunity for farmers to install solar pumping systems for their agricultural operations. 

Eligible projects include adopting or acquiring equipment or processes that reduce energy use or pollution. Examples of eligible projects are HVAC and boiler upgrades, high-efficiency LED lighting, solvent recovery and waste recycling systems, and auxiliary power units deployed as anti-idling technology for trucks.  For additional information and application instructions, visit the DEP Small Business Advantage Grant website.

$3 Million for Preschool Early Intervention Programs

I am pleased to share that Governor Tom Wolf is dedicating $3 million for Preschool Early Intervention Programs, serving children 3 to 5-years-old, to purchase personal protective equipment and other pandemic-related supplies. This funding will help to keep students and staff safe and meet the unique challenges of COVID-19. Preschool Early Intervention Programs offering classroom services to eligible children may request funds to provide personal protective equipment, sanitization and disinfecting supplies, and additional staff to support COVID-19 mitigation and training on health and safety practices. 

The funding, made available under the CARES Act, allows the Governor to determine the educational use of Governor's Emergency Education Relief (GEER) Funds.  For more information, visit the Pennsylvania Department of Education Early Intervention website.

Stay Up-to-Date

Please visit the district newsroom to view additional stories, videos, and photos from across the district and the commonwealth.

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Offices of State Senator Steve Santarsiero

All offices are temporarily closed to visitors due to COVID-19.

www.senatorstevesantarsiero.com