Credit: Glenn Fawcett
Pennsylvania’s large personal protective equipment (PPE) stockpile has found a more permanent home.
Pennsylvania Treasurer Stacy Garrity, Pennsylvania Secretary of Agriculture Russell Redding, and the Pennsylvania Department of General Services announced Thursday that the stockpile is to be moved to an undisclosed location for storage.
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The state began storing PPE at the Farm Show Complex in Harrisburg during the pandemic. The centralized space usually hosts large-scale events, but all those events were cancelled due to COVID-19.
“This is a huge win for the agricultural community and for taxpayers. The Farm Show Complex is tremendously important to Pennsylvania’s agricultural community and the state’s overall economy. As long as vast quantities of PPE are stored there, it can’t be used for its intended purpose. It’s essential that the PPE be moved to another location as quickly as possible,” Garrity said. “I’m pleased the trucks will be rolling soon.”
“The Farm Show Complex is a tremendously valuable business and tourism asset for our state and region. But in times of crisis, it has proven to be a priceless asset to Pennsylvania’s safety, security and public health. While we could not safely gather in large numbers, the complex offered a secure distribution hub for crucial public health and food security supplies. Now that we are once again able to gather safely, we are opening up for this weekend’s Food Fest, for large sporting events, horse and cattle shows and other events,” Redding said.
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The storage of the supplies at the space became a political football as some lawmakers worried it could lead to the Farm Show Complex not being used for public events, which bring revenue and tourism dollars to Central Pennsylvania. They also raised concern over security of the supplies, the logic of storing them all at one location, and the potential of flooding at the facility.
State officials said the stockpile will be moved on the coming months and larger events can restart by mid-September. Smaller events were able to begin last month.
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Citing federal guidelines, the state did not release the location of the new warehouse of critical supplies.
The Board of Commissioners of Public Grounds and Buildings, which is made up of the governor and treasurer approved the move.
Pennsylvania Department of General Services Staff will oversee transportation and management of the stockpile.
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