Pa. lawmakers argue over state soil

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May 24, 2004 | HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) -- State lawmakers are throwing mud over a proposal to name an official state soil.

The state House voted 177-22 two weeks ago to designate Hazleton soil as the official state soil. The soil, named for the city in Luzerne County, is found in 34 counties.

The Pennsylvania Association of Professional Soil Scientists has pressed for the designation, which awaits Senate action, but some lawmakers say the Legislature should be dealing with more important issues.

"Enough is enough," said state Rep. Kelly Lewis, who previously cast votes against naming celestite the state mineral and polka the state dance. "I'm sure Hazleton soil is important to someone in the state. My people didn't elect me to worry about that stuff."

But Bruce P. Willman, president of the soil association, said that having a state soil would bolster Pennsylvania's credibility when it hosts the 18th World Congress of Soil Science in Philadelphia in 2006.

"We are asking only a symbolic acknowledgment from our state government for the value of soils in our state," Willman said. "This is not a trivial undertaking and is not presented as a whimsical pursuit."

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