Pennsylvania Lawmakers Advance Bill to Create Landslide Insurance Program

A bill to create a state landslide insurance program for homeowners in Pennsylvania has been advanced by a House committee. The House Environmental Resources and Energy Committee voted 20-5 to move the bill to the full chamber.

The measure would create a new insurance program for those living in landslide-prone areas that would cover damage from landslides, slope movement and sinkholes. The measure also would provide assistance to local governments wanting to mitigate the risk of landslides in their communities.

Damage from landslides is not covered under a typical homeowners insurance or by the National Flood Insurance Program. Landslides affect every state in the nation, causing billions in damages nationwide every year, according to the U.S Geological Survey.

Landslides encouraged by human factors including construction, grading, cutting, and drilling would not be covered under this legislation.

Coverage would be available up to but not exceeding the replacement cost of the insured structure or $150,000, whichever is less. The board would have the authority to change the limit going forward. Policies could be issued for one year, two or three years.

The bill would add the landslide coverage to an existing program in the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) that currently only covers mine subsidence assistance and insurance for losses caused by the collapse of underground coal and clay mines. The mine subsidence fund currently covers about 60,000 structures and has paid out about $40 million since its beginning in 1961.

The program would be run by a new landslide insurance board with claims and most expenses being covered by “actuarially sound” insurance premiums determined by the board and paid by property owners.

Bipartisan Sponsors

The idea behind this legislation has been discussed for years. Reps. Valerie Gaydos (R-Allegheny) and Rep. Emily Kinkead (D-Allegheny) worked together to update the proposal. Last September, they held a series of town hall meetings and invited experts to testify. In January, they visited residents affected by a landslide after heavy rainstorms, some of whom had to evacuate.

“Helping citizens and communities mitigate or recover from major catastrophic events, such as those caused by landslides, is precisely where government assistance should be applied,” said Gaydos.

Western Pennsylvania is particularly susceptible to landslides because of its bedrock land composition of silty shales and clay stones that weather easily and its topography consisting of steep slopes. According to state conservation officials, so-called “backyard” landslides are common in the Pittsburgh area. They are often repaired incompletely or not at all. With repair estimates sometimes exceeding the value of the properties, homes are frequently abandoned, officials say. This past February several homes had to be evacuated in Moon Township due to landslides following heavy rains.

The city of Pittsburgh spends millions of dollars every year cleaning up after landslides. The city and the Federal Emergency Management Agency [FEMA] have initiated buyouts of homes in landslide-prone areas in southern sections of the city. The state transportation department reported last year that its Allegheny crew fixed a total of 29 landslides over a period of just six months.

Kinkead said she is confident that the bill will pass the House with broad bipartisan support and she hopes the Senate will do its part to “establish an actual support system for folks who own property in areas where landslides can occur like southwestern Pennsylvania.”

Topics Legislation Pennsylvania