PA Environment Digest

[“While the country has emerged as the supplier of last resort, that is not a role it can shoulder alone for every long without sharply higher prices.’]

-- NYT: Why Americans Became More Vulnerable To Oil Price Spikes

[“No matter how often ‘drill, baby, drill’ is held up as a solution,” said Michael Greenstone, a professor of economics and director of the Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago, “the basic economics of it are the U.S. is still a small share of global capacity and global production, and therefore can’t affect the global price very much.”]

-- USA Today: Expect An ‘Extremely Volatile’ Year For Natural Gas

-- WPost: Europe Wants American Natural Gas, That Could Drive Up U.S. Prices

-- U.S. EIA: 7th U.S. Liquefied Natural Gas Export Terminal Begins Production In Louisiana

-- Bloomberg: Europe’s Fragile Energy Market Braces For Putin’s Next Move

-- Reuters: U.S. Refiners Set For Strong First Quarter Earnings Due To Steep Dropoff In Refining Capacity, Crude Oil Supplies Tightening Due To Russia’s War With Ukraine

-- Financial Times: Exxon Triples Stock Buybacks, Chevron Posts Best Profits Since 2012

-- Bloomberg: Exxon, Chevron Will Spend More On Stock Returns Than Production

-- Financial Times: European Natural Gas Prices Soar After Russia Halts Supplies To Poland, Bulgaria [Yours Will Too]

-- WPost: EU Accuses Russia Of ‘Blackmail’ After Natural Gas Cut To Poland, Bulgaria [The penalty we pay for being lashed to natural gas.]

-- Reuters: Russia Stops Natural Gas To Poland, Bulgaria, Opens New Front In Economic War

-- AP: Russia Cuts Off Natural Gas Supplies To Poland, Bulgaria In War Escalation

-- The Guardian: Russia Doubles Fossil Fuel Revenues Since Ukraine Invasion Began

-- Bloomberg: How Russia’s Natural Gas Ban Rips Thru Core Of European Industry

-- Renters: Oil Prices Rally On Report Germany Drops Opposition To Russian Oil Embargo

Energy

-- PA Energy Development Authority To Meet May 3; Click Here for more.

-- AP: Coal Interests Sue To Block Pennsylvania’s Final Reg. Reducing Carbon Pollution From Power Plants [RGGI]

-- Post-Gazette - Laura Legere: Coal Industry, Workers Sue To Halt PA’s Program To Reduce Carbon Pollution From Power Plants

-- Allegheny Conference Report: Decarbonization, Energy Transition Are Critical To The Future Competitiveness Of Pittsburgh Region [PaEN]

-- Frank Lloyd Wright's Fallingwater Goes Solar To Produce Clean, Renewable Energy In Fayette County [PaEN]

-- Post-Gazette: Fallingwater Unveils Solar Panel Array To Help Power Frank Lloyd Wright’s Iconic Fayette County House

-- StateImpactPA - Rachel McDevitt: PA Solar Projects Held Up By Federal Probe, Group Says

-- Bloomberg Green: Half-Built Solar Project Shows Risk From Tariffs To Biden’s Green Agenda [2 PA Projects Included]

-- MCall Guest Essay: How Lehigh University’s Solar Energy Project Went Wrong

-- Penn State Task Force Unveils Recommendations To Eliminate 100% Of Carbon Emissions By 2035 [PaEN]

-- PJM Members Endorse Plan To Speed Up Approval Of Nearly 2,500 Generation Projects, 95% Renewable Or Energy Storage [PaEN]

-- Green Building Alliance Receives Grant From Henry L. Hillman Foundation To Lead Higher Education Climate Consortium Of Pittsburgh [PaEN]

-- PA Council Of Churches: Don’t Let PA Lawmakers Use Ukraine War As Justification For New Fracking

-- Post-Gazette - Anya Litvak: PA Landowners Have Dealt With Coal, Oil, Gas Land Rights, Now There’s Pore Rights [Related To Carbon Capture]

-- Post-Gazette - Laura Legere/Anya Litvak: DEP: Shell, Archaea Energy Take Early Steps Toward Underground Carbon Storage

-- TribLive: Shale Gas Drillers Say 3rd-Party Monitoring Shows Greater Responsibilities, Environmentalists Remain Skeptical

-- Utility Dive: Looking To Start A Hydrogen Hub? Here’s What Experts Say It’s Going To Take

-- Dept. Of Human Services Extends LIHEAP Low-Income Energy Assistance Deadline; Urges Pennsylvanians To Apply For Water, Sewer Assistance Programs [PaEN]

-- Scranton Times: End Of Utility Shutoff Moratorium Concerns Consumer Advocates

-- MCall Guest Essay: Expect High Gasoline Prices As We Address Climate Change - Misericordia University President Emeritus

Environmental Health

-- DEP: Latest Penn State Report On Environmental Impact Of Road Dumping Conventional Drilling Wastewater Will Have ‘Immediate,’ ‘Large,’ ‘Intense’ Impact In PA, Nationally [PaEN]

-- Physicians For Social Responsibility Release 8th Compendium of Scientific, Medical, Media Findings On Risks, Harms Of Fracking And Oil & Gas Infrastructure [PaEN]

-- DEP: Federal Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Prompting Review Of On-Site Disposal Options For Oil & Gas Well Plugging Wastes; Radioactive Waste Disposal [PaEN]

-- Post-Gazette - John Hayes: PA Is Poised For A Summer Of Ticks And The Diseases They Carry

-- AP: Climate Change May Increase Risk Of New Infectious Diseases

Environmental Heritage

-- Hawk Mountain Sanctuary In Berks County Listed On National Register Of Historic Places [PaN]

-- PennLive - Marcus Schneck: Hawk Mountain Sanctuary Earns Spot On National Register Of Historic Places

-- TribLive: Closed Cheswick Coal-Fired Power Plant Documented For History

Environmental Justice

-- Post-Gazette - Laura Legere: Ask Me About… How Environmental Justice And Economic Opportunities Are Linked

-- EPA Recognizes University Of Pennsylvania Project In Annual Campus RainWorks Challenge [PaEN]

-- DEP: Latest Penn State Report On Environmental Impact Of Road Dumping Conventional Drilling Wastewater Will Have ‘Immediate,’ ‘Large,’ ‘Intense’ Impact In PA, Nationally [PaEN]

-- DEP: Federal Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Prompting Review Of On-Site Disposal Options For Oil & Gas Well Plugging Wastes; Radioactive Waste Disposal [PaEN]

-- Inquirer Guest Essay: Philly’s Poor Waste Management Is Environmental Injustice

EPA

-- EPA Recognizes University Of Pennsylvania Project In Annual Campus RainWorks Challenge [PaEN]

-- News Tribune: Lincoln University Renews Partnership With EPA On Internships, Promoting Environmental Research, Scientific Collaboration

-- Reuters: U.S. EPA Issues Waiver To Allow Temporary Sales Of Summertime E15 Higher Ethanol Fuel

Farming

-- Lancaster Farming Guest Essay: Growing A Greener Tomorrow - By Russell Redding, PA Secretary Of Agriculture [PaEN]

-- Keep PA Beautiful, The GIANT Company Support Projects At Horn Farm Center For Ag Education, York County, Centre County Recycling Center [PaEN]

-- Penn State Student Dana Sanchez Recognized For Research On Water, Nutrient Management Solutions For PA Farms [PaEN]

-- Republican Herald - Doyle Dietz: Praying Mantises Zeroing In As Nemesis To Invasive Spotted Lantern Flies

-- TribLive: PA Garden Centers, Landscapers Begin Phasing Out Newly Banned Plants

Fish & Boat Commission

-- Fish & Boat Commission Awards Grants For Boating Access In Erie, Takes Steps Against Spread Of Invasive Species, Other Actions At Quarterly Meeting

-- PennLive - Marcus Schneck: Fish & Boat Commission Moves To Begin Gaining Control Over Unregulated Stocking Of Fish

Game Commission

-- PennLive - Marcus Schneck: National Deer Assn. Calls For Authority Over Deer Farms In PA To Move From Agriculture To Game Commission

Flooding

-- PennLive Letter: New System To Rate Flood Risks Accurate And Fair - PA Assn. Of State Floodplain Managers

-- Republican Herald: Guilford Employees, Schuylkill Conservation District Team Up On Flood Mitigation Plan In Pine Grove

-- Delaware Currents: Delaware River Flooding Concerns Spill Over At Upper Delaware Council Meeting

Forests

-- Bay Journal: Volunteers Needed In PA To Help Maintain Trails Strained By Record Use - By Ad Crable [PaEN]

-- PennLive - Marcus Schneck: Outdoor Recreation Contributes Nearly $60 Billion In PA, New Study Says

-- Post-Gazette - John Hayes: PA Is Poised For A Summer Of Ticks And The Diseases They Carry

-- DCNR To Begin Spraying Forests In Spongy Moth Suppression Effort [PaEN]

-- April 29 Take Five Fridays With Pam From PA Parks & Forests Foundation [PaEN]

-- May 13 South Mountain Partnership Spring Meeting. Lakeview Pavilion, Gifford Pinchot State Park, York County. 9:00 to 11:30 a.m.

-- DCNR Celebrates Induction Of Boyd Big Tree Preserve In Dauphin County Into The Old-Growth Forest Network [PaEN]

-- PennLive - Marcus Schneck: Boyd Big Tree Preserve In Dauphin County Added To National Old-Growth Network

-- Lancaster Conservancy's Otter Creek Nature Preserve In York County Inducted Into Old-Growth Forest Network [PaEN]

-- Ross Family Partners With Natural Lands To Preserve Haycock Mountain In Bucks County [PaEN]

-- Erie Times: 650 New Trees Take Root In Erie’s Downtown, On Mercyhurst Campus On Arbor Day

-- Stroud Water Research Center, Academy Of Natural Sciences, Shippensburg University: Quantifying The Value Of Forest Protection For Clean Water, Impact Of Remote Working [PaEN]

-- Williamsport Sun: Brush Fire Consumes About 10 Acres

-- Warren Times: Prescribed Fires Planned In Allegheny National Forest

-- Warren Times: Prescribed Burns Provide Benefits To Forest Lands

-- Met-Ed Green Team To Celebrate Arbor Day April 29 With Tree Planting In Reading

-- TribLive: Pittsburgh Celebrating Arbor Day April 30 In Mellon Park

-- WHYY: On Arbor Day, Iconic Philly Tree Replaced With 3 New Ones

-- Republican Herald: Arbor Day Celebrated In Pottsville

-- Williamsport Sun: Arbor Day In Williamsport Brings Laughter, Joy, Memories

-- Warren Times: Arbor Day Highlights Role Of Trees In The Community

-- Williamsport Sun - Bill Bower: Reflections On Nature: Leeks Grow Wild Throughout Northern PA

-- The Center Square: Surface Drilling On State Lands In PA Could Spur Hundreds of Millions In Royalties [No, 65% Of Current Shale Gas Leases On State Forest Land Are Undeveloped]

-- WPost: Massive Wildfires Helped Fuel Global Forest Losses In 2021

-- Republican Herald - Doyle Dietz: Praying Mantises Zeroing In As Nemesis To Invasive Spotted Lantern Flies

Forests - Wildfire

-- MCall: Wildfire Spreads Over Large Area In Bucks County, At Least One Air Drop Performed

-- TribLive - Mary Ann Thomas: Wildfire Fighters Train With Controlled Blazes In Parks Township

-- Williamsport Sun: Brush Fire Consumes About 10 Acres

-- Warren Times: Prescribed Fires Planned In Allegheny National Forest

-- The Guardian: One Dead, Thousands Forced To Flee As Wildfires Sweep Across U.S.

Geologic Hazards

-- Bloomberg: Fracking Boom Turns Texas Into Earthquake Capital Of The U.S.

Grants/Funding

-- DEP Now Accepting Applications For $17.9 Million In Growing Greener Plus, Section 319 Water Quality Improvement Grants [PaEN]

-- PA Energy Development Authority To Meet May 3; Click Here for more.

-- DEP Awards $30.5 Million In Recycling Grants To 157 Counties, Municipalities

-- Susquehanna River Basin Commission Awards $6.6 Million In Consumptive Use Mitigation Grants [PaEN]

-- Lancaster Clean Water Partners Announced $1.7 Million In Grants For Watershed Restoration Projects; Apply For Next Round Of Grants [PaEN]

-- WKOK: Susquehanna University Freshwater Institute Awarded $625,000 Grant From Mellon Foundation

-- TribLive: Pittsburgh Awarded $56.8 Million In State RCAP Funding For Parks, Infrastructure, Affordable Housing

-- DCNR Announces $250,000 Grant For Dickson City Park Rehab Project In Lackawanna County

-- DCNR Announces $70,000 Grant For Greenfield Twp. Park Project In Lackawanna County

-- Scranton Times: State Delivers Park Grants In Dickson City, Greenfield Twp.

-- Fish & Boat Commission Awards Grants For Boating Access In Erie, Takes Steps Against Spread Of Invasive Species, Other Actions At Quarterly Meeting

-- Keep PA Beautiful, The GIANT Company Support Projects At Horn Farm Center For Ag Education, York County, Centre County Recycling Center [PaEN]

-- Penn State Awarded Manufacturing PA Grant To Improve Glass Recycling Technology

-- Green Building Alliance Receives Grant From Henry L. Hillman Foundation To Lead Higher Education Climate Consortium Of Pittsburgh [PaEN]

Green Infrastructure

-- DEP Now Accepting Applications For $17.9 Million In Growing Greener Plus, Section 319 Water Quality Improvement Grants [PaEN]

-- Lancaster Clean Water Partners Announced $1.7 Million In Grants For Watershed Restoration Projects; Apply For Next Round Of Grants [PaEN]

-- Erie Times: 650 New Trees Take Root In Erie’s Downtown, On Mercyhurst Campus On Arbor Day

-- Williamsport Sun: Stream Restoration Project To Help Reduce Pollution Loads In Old Lycoming Twp

-- LancasterOnline: Ephrata Twp. Approve $798,000 Cocalico Creek Restoration Project

-- Scranton Times Editorial: Stormwater Management Isn’t Just Pipes

-- Stroud Water Research Center, Academy Of Natural Sciences, Shippensburg University: Quantifying The Value Of Forest Protection For Clean Water, Impact Of Remote Working [PaEN]

-- Frank Lloyd Wright's Fallingwater Goes Solar To Produce Clean, Renewable Energy In Fayette County [PaEN]

-- Post-Gazette: Fallingwater Unveils Solar Panel Array To Help Power Frank Lloyd Wright’s Iconic Fayette County House

-- Western PA Conservancy Protects 289 Acres Of Forestland, Headwater Streams In Westmoreland County [PaEN]

-- EPA Recognizes University Of Pennsylvania Project In Annual Campus RainWorks Challenge [PaEN]

-- May 13 South Mountain Partnership Spring Meeting. Lakeview Pavilion, Gifford Pinchot State Park, York County. 9:00 to 11:30 a.m.

Hazardous Substances

-- DEP: Latest Penn State Report On Environmental Impact Of Road Dumping Conventional Drilling Wastewater Will Have ‘Immediate,’ ‘Large,’ ‘Intense’ Impact In PA, Nationally [PaEN]

-- Physicians For Social Responsibility Release 8th Compendium of Scientific, Medical, Media Findings On Risks, Harms Of Fracking And Oil & Gas Infrastructure [PaEN]

-- DEP: Federal Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Prompting Review Of On-Site Disposal Options For Oil & Gas Well Plugging Wastes; Radioactive Waste Disposal [PaEN]

Land Conservation

-- Western PA Conservancy Protects 289 Acres Of Forestland, Headwater Streams In Westmoreland County [PaEN]

-- Musser Gap To Valleylands Conservation Plan Moving Forward With Community Input In State College [PaEN]

-- DCNR Celebrates Induction Of Boyd Big Tree Preserve In Dauphin County Into The Old-Growth Forest Network [PaEN]

-- PennLive - Marcus Schneck: Boyd Big Tree Preserve In Dauphin County Added To National Old-Growth Network

-- Frank Lloyd Wright's Fallingwater Goes Solar To Produce Clean, Renewable Energy In Fayette County [PaEN]

-- Post-Gazette: Fallingwater Unveils Solar Panel Array To Help Power Frank Lloyd Wright’s Iconic Fayette County House

-- May 10 Chester County Planning Commission Open Space Summit. Springton Manor Farm, Glenmoore. 4:00 to 7:00 p.m.

-- Stroud Water Research Center, Academy Of Natural Sciences, Shippensburg University: Quantifying The Value Of Forest Protection For Clean Water, Impact Of Remote Working [PaEN]

-- WildLands Conservancy Highlights Upcoming Programs & Activities In Lehigh Valley

-- TribLive: Enjoy Nature At Allegheny Land Trust’s Barking Slopes Conservation Area In Plum

Land Recycling

-- Courier Times: Fmr U.S. Steel Site In Falls Finds New Life As Massive Warehouse Park

-- Register Now For American Society For Reclamation Sciences Annual Meeting June 12-16 In Duluth, MN; Research Findings, Film Festival Videos & Student Posters Invited [PaEN]

Lehigh River

-- Delaware Currents: Lehigh River Watershed Threatened By Explosive Warehouse Growth In Delaware Watershed

Littering/Illegal Dumping

-- Keep PA Beautiful, The GIANT Company Support Projects At Horn Farm Center For Ag Education, York County, Centre County Recycling Center [PaEN]

-- MCall - Paul Muschick: Inspiring Story Of An Emmaus H.S. Student Tackling Litter Problem

-- PA Capital-Star: Pennsylvania’s Litter Program - The Numbers Racket

-- Susquehanna Greenway: Communities Across The Susquehanna Unite To Collect Thousands Of Pounds Of Trash [PaEN]

-- Warren Times: Be Part Of Audubon Spring Roadside Cleanup May 7

-- Warren Times: Volunteers Needed For Allegheny Reservoir Cleanup May 14

-- Dept. Of Drug & Alcohol Encourages Participation In National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day April 30

-- TribLive: Communities Across Pittsburgh Region Participate In Drug Take Back Day April 30

-- Republican Herald: With Prevalence Of Overdoses, Drug Take Back Day Important, Schuylkill County Sheriff Says

Mine Reclamation

-- WFMZ: Hopes Rise Federal Bipartisan Infrastructure Dollars Will Go Towards Addressing Contamination Of Catawissa Creek In Schuylkill County

-- DEP Now Accepting Applications For $17.9 Million In Growing Greener Plus, Section 319 Water Quality Improvement Grants [PaEN]

-- Register Now For American Society For Reclamation Sciences Annual Meeting June 12-16 In Duluth, MN; Research Findings, Film Festival Videos & Student Posters Invited [PaEN]

Oil & Gas

-- DEP: Latest Penn State Report On Environmental Impact Of Road Dumping Conventional Drilling Wastewater Will Have ‘Immediate,’ ‘Large,’ ‘Intense’ Impact In PA, Nationally [PaEN]

-- Physicians For Social Responsibility Release 8th Compendium of Scientific, Medical, Media Findings On Risks, Harms Of Fracking And Oil & Gas Infrastructure [PaEN]

-- Attorney General’s Office Reported To Be Investigating Conventional Oil & Gas Operators For Illegally Road Dumping Drilling Wastewater [PaEN]

-- Financial Assurance, Plugging Regulations To Be Reviewed To Prevent New Abandoned Oil & Gas Wells Under Federal Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Plugging Program [PaEN]

-- DEP: Federal Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Prompting Review Of On-Site Disposal Options For Oil & Gas Well Plugging Wastes; Radioactive Waste Disposal [PaEN]

-- DEP: Draft Updates Coming To Regs. On Conventional Oil & Gas Waste Disposal As Early As July; Waste Reporting Changes Invited [PaEN]

-- DEP Not Seeing Uptick In Oil & Gas Drilling; Expects $8 Million Deficit In Funding Oil & Gas Regulatory Program [PaEN]

-- Post-Gazette - Anya Litvak: Appalachian Natural Gas Companies Aren’t Enjoying Those High Prices - Yet

-- PA Council Of Churches: Don’t Let PA Lawmakers Use Ukraine War As Justification For New Fracking

-- WESA: Allegheny County Council To Reconsider Ban On Fracking In County Parks

-- Post-Gazette - Laura Legere/Anya Litvak: DEP: Shell, Archaea Energy Take Early Steps Toward Underground Carbon Storage

-- The Center Square: Surface Drilling On State Lands In PA Could Spur Hundreds of Millions In Royalties [No, 65% Of Current Shale Gas Leases On State Forest Land Are Undeveloped]

-- TribLive: Shale Gas Drillers Say 3rd-Party Monitoring Shows Greater Responsibilities, Environmentalists Remain Skeptical

-- NYT: Why Americans Became More Vulnerable To Oil Price Spikes

-- Reuters: U.S. Petroleum Fills The Gap Left By Russian Exports: Kemp

[“While the country has emerged as the supplier of last resort, that is not a role it can shoulder alone for every long without sharply higher prices.’]

-- Pittsburgh Business Times: CNX CEO Took Aim At Paris Climate Accord, Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative For Hampering Natural Gas Industry

-- NGI: Range Resources CEO Calls For Federal, State Support For Pipelines, Compression, LNG Terms To Increase Natural Gas Supply

-- Reuters: U.S. EPA Issues Waiver To Allow Temporary Sales Of Summertime E15 Higher Ethanol Fuel

-- NYT: Why U.S. Oil Companies Aren’t Riding To Europe’s Rescue [“Executives Fear That Oil And (Natural) Gas Prices Won’t Stay High”]

-- Financial Times: European Natural Gas Prices Soar After Russia Halts Supplies To Poland, Bulgaria

-- USA Today: Expect An ‘Extremely Volatile’ Year For Natural Gas

-- MCall Guest Essay: Expect High Gasoline Prices As We Address Climate Change - Misericordia University President Emeritus

-- Reuters: U.S. Refiners Set For Strong First Quarter Earnings Due To Steep Dropoff In Refining Capacity, Crude Oil Supplies Tightening Due To Russia’s War With Ukraine

-- TribLive: Oil Market Volatility Brings End To Declining Gasoline Prices, Analysts Say

-- Utility Dive: Looking To Start A Hydrogen Hub? Here’s What Experts Say It’s Going To Take

-- Reuters: U.S. To Boost Green Jobs, Curb Emissions By Plugging Old Oil & Gas Wells

-- Bloomberg: Fracking Boom Turns Texas Into Earthquake Capital Of The U.S.