Gov. Tom Wolf recently signed legislation modernizing the commission overseeing 200 miles of Pittsburgh region waterways into law.
Under Act 161 of 2022, the Port of Pittsburgh Commission, an independent state agency, will reduce from 15 members to 13. The members will include one member appointed by the governor from a list of nominees submitted by the port’s board, one member nominated by the Port of Pittsburgh’s Executive Committee and appointed by the port’s board, three members appointed by the governor from a list of nominees submitted by the Southwestern Pennsylvania Regional Planning Commission, four members appointed by the General Assembly, and four members appointed by the governor.
“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,” state Sen. Devlin Robinson (R-Allegheny/Washington) 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.”
The Port of Pittsburgh Commission was founded in 1992 and serves a 12-county port district encompassing all 200 miles of commercially navigable waterways in southwestern Pennsylvania.