DEP’s Citizens Advisory Council is scheduled to meet June 21 to hear an update on Oil and Gas Technical Advisory Board activities and discuss its DEP Legacy Issues Report and a new transition paper for the next Governor.

This will also be DEP Secretary Patrick McDonnell’s last Council meeting report before he leaves the agency on July 2.

Jeff Walentosky, P.G., Council’s appointment to the Oil and Gas Technical Advisory Board, will give the update on Board activities.

The Board has been meeting on a wide variety of issues including DEP draft Environmental Justice Policy revision, proposed permit fee increases for oil and gas well permits, radioactive monitoring of drilling wastes going to waste disposal facilities, updates to the conventional oil and gas drilling regulations and on the issue of road spreading conventional oil and gas drilling wastewater.

The Council is also scheduled to discuss developing a transition paper to present policy and organizational issues the administration of the next Governor should address.

DEP’s monthly written report to Council highlighting agency activities is also available.

Public Comments

Individuals interested in providing public comments during the meeting must sign up prior to the start of the meeting by contacting Keith Salador at ksalador@pa.gov, 717-787-8171.

The meeting will be held in Room 105 Rachel Carson Building starting at 12:30 p.m.  Click Here to register to attend via WebEx.  Audio of the meeting will be available by conference call: +1-415-655-0003 Access code: 2632 319 715.

The next meeting of Council is scheduled for July 19.

For more information, visit DEP’s Citizens Advisory Council webpage.  Questions should be directed to Keith Salador, Executive Director, ksalador@pa.gov, 717-787-8171.

Related Articles This Week:

-- Oil & Natural Gas Facility Health Impacts Assessment Bill Introduced In The House

-- Penn State Beaver Seeking Volunteers For June 23 Focus Group On Energy Development, Groundwater Quality & Public Health In Western PA 

-- Who’s Protecting Taxpayers?  House To Take Up Bill Exempting Conventional Oil & Gas Wells From Plugging Bonds Sticking Taxpayers With $5.1 Billion In Cleanup Liability 

-- Post-Gazette Editorial: Republican Lawmakers Poised To Cost PA Billions In Highway Funding At Behest Of Oil & Gas Industry 

-- EQB Adopts Part I Of Final Regulation Reducing Oil & Gas VOC/Methane Emissions; DEP Documents 80% Of Methane Emissions Come From Conventional Oil & Gas Facilities

-- IRRC To Consider EQB Regulation Reducing VOC/Methane Emissions From Unconventional Shale Natural Gas Facilities July 21

-- PUC Distributes $234 Million In 2021 Revenue From Act 13 Drilling Impact Fee; Represents Lowest Effective Tax Rate On Natural Gas Companies On Record - IFO

-- PA Dept. Of Agriculture Temporarily Suspends Requirement For 2% Biodiesel For Out-Of-State Fuel Sold In PA In Response To Rolling Outages Of Diesel Fuel 

NewsClips:

-- Inquirer - Andrew Maykuth: A Proposed LNG Natural Gas Plan In Chester Would Be Gigantic And Hardly Anyone Knows About It

-- WHYY: Could Delaware County Get A Major LNG Natural Gas Plant, How Will It Clash With Environmental Justice Goals In Chester 

-- Post-Gazette - Anya Litvak: U.S./PA Natural Gas Exports Bind America To The World [And Spiking World Prices]

-- Scranton Times Editorial: Process LNG Natural Gas Where It’s Shipped Not Where It’s Taken Out Of The Ground

-- Post-Gazette - Laura Legere: DEP Splits Long-Stalled Oil & Gas Air Pollution Rule; Rule Loses Roughly 80% Of Reduction Benefit By Excluding Conventional Oil & Gas Sources

-- StateImpactPA: DEP Drops Major Source Of Methane From New Rule Limiting Oil & Gas Facility Emissions

-- Post-Gazette: Allegheny County Executive Defends Record On Fracking Amid Calls For Drilling Ban In County Parks

-- Beaver County Times: Big Sewickley Creek Plan Pits Drilling Company Against Watershed Defenders

-- PennLive: Natural Gas Royalty Payments On The Rise In Shale Gas Regions Of PA

[Posted: June 16, 2022]

6/20/2022