June 13, 2023
HARRISBURG – Today, Lt. Gov. Austin Davis led a required meeting of the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Council to review the Proclamation of Disaster Emergency signed yesterday by Gov. Josh Shapiro. This is the first proclamation signed by Gov. Shapiro and Lt. Gov. Davis’s first time leading the council.
The Governor’s proclamation makes $7 million of state funds immediately available for the reconstruction of the roadway and authorizes the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency, the Department of Transportation, and the Pennsylvania State Police to use all available resources and personnel, as necessary. The proclamation also cuts red tape, waiving bidding and contracting procedures, as well as other formalities normally prescribed by law.
“Today’s council meeting shows that our Administration is quickly and effectively working to coordinate resources and support Pennsylvania communities during a time of crisis,” said Lt. Gov. Austin Davis. “We know this incident will significantly affect life in and around Philadelphia — and considering the number of vehicles that use I-95 on a daily basis, we know how critical it is that we repair I-95 safely and as efficiently as possible. The Shapiro-Davis Administration will continue working around the clock to coordinate the resources and personnel we need to effectively respond to this incident.”
The Pennsylvania Emergency Management Council is required to meet within 72 hours of the governor’s signing of the proclamation. Council members include the governor and lieutenant governor, cabinet secretaries whose agencies have emergency response and recovery capabilities, and General Assembly leaders.
The Proclamation of Disaster Emergency will remain in effect for 21 days unless extended by the legislature.
For information on Administration’s response to the I-95 collapse, Pennsylvanians can visit pa.gov/I95updates.
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