To the Editor:

On March 5, the Chester County Press published an article stating: “On Feb. 26, U.S. Rep. Chrissy Houlahan joined with Republican U.S. Rep. Dan Meuser in introducing potential legislation called the Protecting Mushroom Farmers Act in the U.S. House of Representatives. Houlahan and Meuser are being joined by U.S. Sens. Dave McCormick and John Fetterman, who introduced a companion bill in the U.S. Senate.”

As a resident of Landenberg Hunt in New Garden Township, I would like to offer that Article 27 of the CONSTITUTION of PENNSYLVANIA states: “The people have a right to clean air, pure water, and to the preservation of the natural, scenic, historic and esthetic values of the environment.”

Our elected officials seem to have forgotten that the mushroom industry they support, through composting, adds Hydrogen Sulfide to our community air at levels that corrode our air conditioning systems, electrical systems and propane systems at an alarming rate, as well as adding strong, unpleasant odors to the air we breathe. More importantly, our health may be at risk. If you have any doubts, visit the New Garden Township website and view the news section to read the report on air quality posted on Jan. 10, 2025, provided by Professor Lorenzo Cena of West Chester University.

Where is the political support for providing the people in our community with the right to clean air? Why is the mushroom industry exempt from Pennsylvania State regulations that protect people against industrial pollution from dangerous Hydrogen Sulfide gases above 0.1 parts per million? Have these politicians forgotten the people who elected them? Or, do they think that an industry that provides $1.1 billion in annual revenues and low wage work is more important than the community residents?

Ron Lupo

New Garden Township