The Weekly PA Environment Digest and Daily Blog will be going offline and not publishing October 9 to 16 -- We are taking a break, so you’re on your own - together.

Here are 148 new stories in the PA Environment Digest about individuals, groups, local governments, farmers, businesses, watershed groups and many more working all across Pennsylvania to restore and protect the environment and show others the beauty that surrounds us.

PA Environment Digest Puts Links To The Best Environment & Energy Articles and NewsClips From Last Week Here By Topic--

Tim Herd,  PA Recreation and Parks Society CEO, announced his retirement this week after a 49-year career in recreation and 10 years with PRPs. 

On October 3, the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources issued its second Fall Foliage Report saying colors in Pennsylvania’s forests are relatively unchanged from last week due to stable day-to-day weather that included persistent mist, light rain and clouds.

On October 2, the Department of Environmental Protection announced it will begin accepting applications on October 9 for grants to plug orphan conventional oil and gas wells abandoned by their owners.

DEP’s Air Quality Technical Advisory Committee is scheduled to meet on October 10 to hear a presentation and discuss how DEP proposes to implement the new federal methane reduction rule for conventional oil and gas and shale gas wells and infrastructure.

On September 30, State Fire Commissioner Thomas Cook announced the application period for the 2024 Act 13 Unconventional Gas Well Fund Grant Program is now open. The online application will remain open until November 30, 2024, at 4:00 p.m.

Last week the Department of Environmental Protection issued violations to seven shale gas well drillers for failure to submit monthly waste generation, disposal and gas production reports-- one for the last three years.

From September 28 to October 4, DEP’s Oil and Gas Compliance Database shows oil and gas inspectors filed 650  inspection entries and posted inspection reports from previous week..

The Center for Coalfield Justice will host an October 16 in-person program in Waynesburg, Greene County to help the public understand how to protect public health and resources from shale gas development.

The Department of Environmental Protection has not yet decided whether to approve an April 12, 2024 request from the Shell Petrochemical Plant to classify the composition and flow rate of gases going to be burned off at flares and the air pollution sources and pollution control equipment operating at the Beaver County facility confidential business information.

The following notices were published in the October 5 PA Bulletin related to oil and gas industry facilities.  Many of the notices offer the opportunity for public comments.

The Susquehanna River Basin Commission is scheduled to hold a hearing October 30 on water withdrawal requests, including four supporting shale gas development in Bradford, Susquehanna and Wyoming counties.  (formal notice)

Sen. Gene Yaw (R-Lycoming) has reintroduced legislation-- Senate Bill 1330-- to prohibit state government from owning any clean energy credits and force the sale of those taxpayer assets to plug oil & gas wells routinely abandoned by conventional well owners.

DEP’s Citizens Advisory Council is scheduled to meet October 8 on a variety of topics, including hydrogen hubs, data center development and food processing residuals.

On October 1, Stroud Water Research Center announced it has received a $141,000 sustainability grant from Green Mountain Energy Sun Club for a new 55-kilowatt rooftop solar array system.

On October 2, the Centre County Recycling and Refuse Authority announced it has been awarded a $75,000 grant from the West Penn Energy Fund to support the upcoming solar PV array installation.

On October 1, the House Environmental Resources and Energy Committee reported out legislation codifying decommissioning best practices for utility-scale solar energy facilities and two bills regulating the land application of food processing waste on farms.

In reaction to the House Environmental Resources and Energy Committee moving Senate Bill 211 (Yaw-R-Lycoming) requiring bonding for solar energy facilities [Read more here], Pennfuture issued this statement--

The US Environmental Protection Agency issued a notice of violation in August to Archer-Daniels-Midland Company for failing to construct carbon capture facility wells to contain carbon dioxide in two monitoring wells and failing to follow emergency response procedures based on a review of well records between January 1, 2022 and July 1, 2024 and inspections of the wells done in June, 2024.

The Department of Environmental Protection will hold a November 4 hearing on the proposed renewal of the Title V Air Quality Permit for the Panther Creek Coal Waste-Fired Power Plant in Nesquehoning Borough, Carbon County.  (PA Bulletin, page 6297) 

The Department of Environmental Protection has scheduled a public meeting and hearing for October 28 on the renewal of a Hazardous Waste Storage Facility Permit for the Keystone Cement Company facility in East Allen Township, Northampton County.   (PA Bulletin, page 6342)

On October 2, the Pittsburgh Union Progress reported the Jefferson Regional Foundation has scheduled three October listening sessions as it prepares to launch the Mon Valley Clear Air Fund that will be available to nonprofit organizations affected by a U.S. Steel Clairton Coke [Coal] Works plant December 2018 fire.

The Green and Healthy Homes Initiative's Thriving Communities Grant Program, in collaboration with the the US Environmental Protection, to award $40 million in grants to fund eligible projects in historically disadvantaged communities throughout EPA’s Region 3-- Delaware, District of Columbia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia, and 7 federally recognized tribes.

The Coalition for the Delaware River Watershed held its 12th Annual Delaware River Watershed Forum in Bethlehem, PA on September 26-27 attended by over 200 people

On September 30, Denise Coleman, State Conservationist for the USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service in Pennsylvania announced the new fiscal year 2025 sign-up periods for conservation easement programs, including the Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP), and Agricultural Conservation Easement Program (ACEP).

Penn State Extension's Center for Agricultural Conservation Assistance Training is hosting an October 23 webinar on Identifying Environmentally Sensitive Areas On The Farm - Wetlands starting at Noon.

The latest issue of the Catalyst newsletter from the Butler County-based Slippery Rock Watershed Coalition highlights lots of recent activities by the Coalition and its partners.

The US Forest Service’s Eastern Region State, Private, and Tribal Forestry Watershed Forestry Team is hosting an October 10 webinar on Riparian Forest Buffer Successes and Innovations from Noon to 1:00 p.m.

The latest issue of DEP’s Chesapeake Bay Healthy Waters newsletter highlights recent accomplishments, available funding opportunities, county clean water projects and much more.

On October 1, Pennsylvania Environmental Council and Aqua Pennsylvania announced applications will soon be accepted for the Protect Your Drinking Water Grant Program. 

On September 30, PA American Water helps celebrate Source Water Protection Week-- September 29 to October 5-- by offering the public resources and information focused on helping customers do their part to provide safe, clean, reliable water supplies.

The Pike County Conservation District is inviting citizen scientists in the county to participate in a study of microplastics in streams.

The Buffalo Creek Coalition, Audubon Society of Western PA and their partners will meet November 14 at the Buffalo Creek Nature Park, 154 Monroe Road in Sarver, Butler County starting from 3:30 to 5:00 p.m.  [online option available]

The Choose Clean Water Coalition is now accepting applications for mentors and mentees for the Young Professionals of Color Mentorship Program through November 8.

By Tali MacArthur, PA Environmental Council Watershed Program Manager

The latest Upstream newsletter from the Stroud Water Research Center features articles on a variety of topics, including honoring bestselling author Paul Greenberg.

On October 4, Department of Environmental Protection Acting Secretary Jessica Shirley joined Joe Arthur, CEO of the Central Pennsylvania Food Bank,  to announce DEP is now accepting Food Recovery Infrastructure Grants to help nonprofit organizations fight hunger by reducing food waste.

The Pennsylvania Resources Council and Allegheny County will host the final two hard-to-recycle collection events of the year on October 5 & 26 to enable area residents to responsibly recycle a wide variety of items not accepted in curbside collection such as televisions, computers, other e-waste, tires and small Freon appliances.

The Western PA Conservancy, French Creek Valley Conservancy and other partners invite residents of the French Creek Watershed to comment on the French Creek Conservation Plan on October 22 at a public meeting in Saegertown, Crawford County from 7:00 to 8:00 p.m.

The Western PA Conservancy invites residents of the Juniata River Watershed to comment on the draft Juniata River Watershed Conservation Plan that covers 3,400 square miles in Bedford, Blair, Cambria, Centre, Franklin, Fulton, Huntington, Juniata, Mifflin, Perry, Snyder and Somerset counties.

The Hollow Oak Land Trust, based in Coraopolis, Allegheny County, recently shared the story of  Laura Theofanous and her efforts to help propagate milkweed, the monarch butterfly's favorite food, at the Nike missile site in Montour Woods owned by the Trust in Moon Township.

The October 4 Take Five Fridays With Pam is now available from the PA Parks and Forests Foundation featuring articles on--

The PA Environmental Council In Case You Missed It In September is now available featuring articles on--

On September 30, the Delaware Highlands Conservancy announced the winners of its seventh annual juried photo contest-- Confluence: Land, Water, Wildlife-- and a gallery exhibition of the photographs at the ARTery Gallery in Milford, Pike County starting November 7.

On September 30, Game Commission and Fish and Boat Commission announced the offering of the new PA Sportsman license plate!

The Friends of the New Cumberland Library are kicking off their 2024-2025 Cultural Series with a lecture and book signing by Allen J. Dieterich-Ward, author of Cradle of Conservation: An Environmental History of Pennsylvania.

On October 2, the Pittsburgh-based Allegheny Land Trust announced the appointment of Sarah Costlow as its new Vice President of Land Conservation.

Opportunities to learn more about environmental and energy issues affecting Pennsylvania for students and adults--

The information you need to follow legislation in the House and Senate- starting with articles and NewsClips from last week--

Articles and NewsClips about federal actions impacting Pennsylvania--

Click Here for a list of public participation opportunities and a calendar of events.

Click Here for grants, awards, recognition programs and contest deadlines.

Highlights of the environmental and energy notices in the October 5 PA Bulletin--

Send your stories, photos and links to videos about your project, environmental issues or programs for publication in the PA Environment Digest to: PaEnviroDigest@gmail.com.

PA Environment Digest is a supporting member of the PA Outdoor Writers Association, PA PA Council Trout Unlimited, Organization for Watersheds & Rivers and the Doc Fritchey Chapter Trout Unlimited.