Posted on November 21, 2022
Sen. Devlin Robinson’s (R-37) bill to modernize the Port of Pittsburgh Commission, overseeing 200 miles of Pittsburgh region waterways, was signed into law November 3.
Act 161 of 2022 will reduce the Port of Pittsburgh Commission from 15 members to 13 by retaining the current four legislative appointments, as well as the four members appointed by the governor. The remaining five members will include three appointed by the governor from a list of nominees submitted by the Southwestern Pennsylvania Regional Planning Commission, one member nominated by the Port of Pittsburgh’s Executive Committee and appointed by the port’s board, and one member appointed by the governor from a list of nominees submitted by the port’s board.
“Pittsburgh’s famous three rivers have long served as Pennsylvania’s ‘gateway to the West’ and the Port of Pittsburgh Commission plays a vital role in connecting our region’s businesses with the funding necessary to expand commercial use of these waterways,” Robinson said. “I am pleased to sponsor the first upgrade to the commission’s board membership in over 25 years to provide for improved and more efficient operation.”
Originally founded in 1992, the Port of Pittsburgh Commission is an independent agency of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and serves a 12-county port district that encompasses all 200 miles of commercially navigable waterways in southwestern Pennsylvania.
“This is great news on the final passage by the Pennsylvania General Assembly and signing of SB 1199 by Gov. Wolf,” said Mary Ann Bucci, executive director of the Port of Pittsburgh Commission. “We’ve worked hard in recent years to modernize our aging locks and dams’ infrastructure and this legislation helps us to modernize the composition of our governing body. Furthermore, it expands the current twelve-county Port District to now include Cambria County. We are grateful for the leadership of Sen. Devlin Robinson in steering this legislation through the General Assembly and appreciate the support which it has received throughout the process from both Senate and House leadership.”
