PA Environment Digest Is Putting The Best Links To Environment & Energy Articles and NewsClips Here.   Are You Telling Your Story?

Links to all the articles and NewsClips in this week’s PA Environment Digest by topic in one place--

Senate/House ----------------------------------------------------------------------

-- Gov. Wolf, Senate, House Republicans Again Fail To Hold Conventional Oil & Gas Drillers Accountable For Protecting The Environment, Taxpayers On Hook For Billions [PaEN]

-- Post-Gazette - Laura Legere: As PA Faces ‘Looming Crisis’ Of New Abandoned Oil & Gas Wells, State Law Will Freeze Well Bonding Rates For A Decade  

“The [Wolf] administration is currently exploring the next steps to ensure the industry is held accountable in order to protect the environment and that we don't lose out on millions of dollars in federal funding for well plugging.”

-- Capital & Main - Audrey Carleton: PA Bill Jeopardizing Millions In Oil Well Cleanup Funding To Be Passed By Governor, Say Sources

-- Guest Essay: Gov. Wolf, Don’t Give Money To The Oil Industry - By Rev. Mitchell Hescox & Kim Anderson, Evangelical Environmental Network [PaEN]

-- PA Environmental Council: Without A Veto Of HB 2644, PA's Abandoned Oil & Gas Well Problem May Be All But Permanent

-- DEP Concerned About Impact Of New Law Blocking Conventional Oil & Gas Well Bonding On New Federal Well Plugging Funds, Regulating Waste Injection Wells  [PaEN]

-- Sen. Yaw To Deny Counties Act 13 Drilling Impact Fee Revenue If They Make Only 99% Of Their Land Area Available For Shale Gas Development [PaEN]

-- TribLive Editorial: Veto Of Fracking In Allegheny County Parks Not A Defeat For County Executive, But A Victory For People And Process

-- Warren Times: Warren City Planners Reject Council’s Inquiry Into Allowing Oil Drilling In Parks, Areas Zoned For Preservation

-- The Center Square: More Transparency Sought In PA Oil & Gas Industry Operations

-- Guest Essay: PA Budget's Historic Investments In Clean Water Is A Watershed Moment - By Bill Chain, Interim Director, Chesapeake Bay Foundation-PA  [PaEN]

-- Inquirer: You Can Have Nice Bike Lanes, But Only Under These Conditions, Harrisburg Republicans Say

Top 10 Headlines From Harrisburg Last Week -----------------------------------

Because In Politics Everything Is Connected To Everything Else--

-- Top 10 Stories: Harrisburg/PA Politics Reported By Local News Media Last Week [PaEN]

Articles & NewsClips By Topic -------------------------------------------------------

-- 74 New Stories - REAL Environmental & Conservation Leadership In PA  [PaEN]

-- Environment & Energy Educational Opportunities For Students And Adults   [PaEN]

-- This Week’s Examples Of Going The WRONG WAY On Environmental, Energy Issues  [PaEN]

Special Feature - 20th Anniversary Of Quecreek Mine Rescue Celebrated In Somerset County

The 20th Anniversary of the Quecreek Mine Rescue is being celebrated this weekend at the  Somerset County Mine Rescue Site organized by the Quecreek Mine Rescue Foundation.

On July 24, 2002 miners broke through into an abandoned, water-filled mine flooding the Quecreek Mine with over 150 million gallons of water.  Nine miners scrambled to safety, but nine were trapped in a pocket of air in the dark, cold, water filled mine.

The nine miners were rescued four days later through the combined efforts of state and federal mine rescue agencies and hundreds of workers and local volunteers.

Here is media coverage about the 20th anniversary this week--

-- TribLive Editorial: Quecreek Mine Rescue Brought Us Together, It Would Serve Us Well To Remember That 

-- WTAJ: 20 Years: Fmr Gov. Schweiker Reflects On Quecreek Mine Rescue [Video]

-- Tribune-Democrat: ‘Lasting Bond’: Fmr Gov. Schweiker Looking Forward To Reunion With Quecreek Miners 

-- TribLive - Renatta Signorini: 20th Anniversary Of The Quecreek Mine Rescue: ‘A Complete Miracle’

-- TribLive - Paul Peirce: ‘77 Hours Of Sheer Hell’: Fmr Gov. Mark Schweiker Says Quecreek Rescue Proof Miracles Do Happen

-- TribLive - Paul Peirce: ‘Burst Of Joy’: Good Feelings Still Reverberate 20 Years After First Word That Quecreek Miners Were Alive

-- TribLive - Renatta Signorini: ‘That Was My Last Day’: Quecreek Miner Says Of Rescue Date After 30-Year Career

-- TribLive - Renatta Signorini: How Rescuers Saved The Trapped Quecreek Miners

-- TribLive - Renatta Signorini:  A Timeline Of Events In Quecreek Mine Rescue

-- TribLive - Deb Erdley: Mine Safety Emerged As Top Priority After Quecreek Mine Accident

-- AP: 6 Of 9 Miners Rescued At Quecreek Mine 20 Years Ago Gather For Reunion

-- Daily American: How 2 Events-- Crash Of Flight 93, Quecreek Mine Rescue-- Less Than A Year Apart Changed Somerset County Forever

-- Erie Times: The Quecreek Mine Rescue: How Excellent Training And Crucial Decisions Saved 9 Lives

-- Tribune-Democrat: ‘Special And Spectacular’: Quecreek Mine Rescuers Celebrate Teamwork 20 Years Later

-- Tribune-Democrat: Quecreek Miners, Rescuers Reunite To Commemorate 20th Anniversary Of Historic Event

-- PennLive: ‘Nine For Nine’: The 20th Anniversary Of The Miraculous Quecreek Mine Rescue

-- KDKA: Quecreek Miner Shares Story Of Survival As 20th Anniversary Approaches

-- WPXI: Quecreek Mine Collapse Survivor, Robert ‘Boogie’ Pugh Looks Back On Experience 20 Years Later

-- Tribune-Democrat: For Miner Unger, Quecreek Rescue Meant Opportunity To Live Life To Fullest

-- Tribune-Democrat: ‘Miracle’ Of Quecreek Mine Rescue Worth Retelling, Remembering For Property Owner Where Rescue Happened 20 Years Ago

-- Post-Gazette: 20 Years Later, Quecreek Mine Visitor Center Works To Keep Story Of Rescue Alive

-- TribLive: Quecreek Miners, Fmr Gov. Schweiker Kick Off Rescue Reunion

-- Post-Gazette: Quecreek 20 Years Later - Miners Reunite At Racetrack

-- WJAC: ‘Nine For Nine’: 20th Anniversary Of Quecreek Mine Rescue Celebrated This Weekend

Resource Links:

-- Commonwealth Media Services: Quecreek Mine Rescue - Critical Decisions  [Video]

-- Click Here for the DEP Commemorative Booklet “Nine for Nine” with lots of photos from each phase of the rescue and the names of key DEP players.

-- Click Here for the DEP Timeline Of The Quecreek Mine Rescue.

-- Feature: Rock - Water - Air: A Personal Account Of The 2002 Quecreek Mine Rescue - By Former DEP Secretary David Hess  [PaEN] 

[Posted: July 23, 2022]

Great Stuff Happening Near You!

-- Check The Calendars For Events Near You: PA Parks & Forests Foundation’s Events webpage and DCNR’s Calendar of Events.

Air

-- IRRC Unanimously Approves Part I Of Final Reg. Reducing VOC/Methane Emissions From Unconventional Shale Gas Facilities; DEP Moves To Avoid Federal Highway Funding Sanctions [PaEN]

-- DEP To Hold 2 Hearings On Air Quality Permit For Westmoreland Sanitary Landfill Leachate Evaporation System  [PaEN]

-- Courier Times Guest Essay: Cong. Fitzpatrick Wants To Up Rare Earth Metal Production To Support Renewable Energy, EVs - Clean Air Council

-- DEP Declares Air Quality Action Day Wednesday, July 20 In Philadelphia Area

-- DEP Declares Air Quality Action Day For Saturday, July 23 In Philadelphia Area 

-- DEP Declares Air Quality Action Day Sunday, July 24 In The Philadelphia Area

Allegheny National Forest

-- Warren Times: Allegheny National Forest Proposes Indefinite Wildlife Feeding Ban

Alternative Fuels

-- Bloomberg: How Sheetz Partnered With Tesla And Brought EV Charging To Rural America

-- Courier Times Guest Essay: Cong. Fitzpatrick Wants To Up Rare Earth Metal Production To Support Renewable Energy, EVs - Clean Air Council

-- Inquirer: Postal Service Will Increase Electric Truck Purchases To 30%, Up From 10% 

Awards & Recognition

-- Williamsport Sun Editorial: New Robert Porter Allen Natural Area Another Blessing

-- Natural Gas Producer Olympus Energy Earns Premier Environmental Performance Ratings From Project Canary  [PaEN]

-- Pittsburgh Business Times: Natural Gas Producer Gets High Marks From Environmental Assessment

Biodiversity/Invasive Species

-- Fish & Boat Commission: eDNA From Invasive Silver Carp Identified In Lake Erie’s Presque Isle Bay

-- WeConservePA 2-Part Lawn Conversion And Green Infrastructure Why & How Webinars   [PaEN]

-- Cumberland County Master Gardeners: Planting a Butterfly Friendly Garden Talk At Two Mile House, Carlisle Aug. 4  [PaEN]

-- Penn State: Torrey Pine Genetic Research May Benefit Efforts To Save American Chestnut, Ash Trees

-- MCall - Paul Muschick: The Emerald Ash Borer Ate My 3 Trees To Death, It Was Like Losing Members Of My Family

-- TribLive: Murrysville Monarchs Fly Free As Delmont Library Prepares For July 30 Release Party

-- AP: Beloved Monarch Butterflies Now Listed As Endangered Species By International Union For The Conservation Of Nature 

-- Williamsport Sun Editorial: New Robert Porter Allen Natural Area Another Blessing

-- York Dispatch: PennDOT Scraps Part Of Plan To Reduce Mayfly Swarm: ‘Like An Ancient Plague’

-- Ned Smith Center For Nature & Arts: July 30 Nature & Arts Festival In Millersburg, Dauphin County

-- July 30-- Celebrate The Bloom! At The Only Prairie In PA Featuring The Blazing Star. Jennings Environmental Center, Butler County.

American Rescue Plan Funding

-- Scranton Times: Scranton Opens American Rescue Plan Grant Round For Pandemic-Impacted Nonprofits

-- Erie Times: Here’s How Erie County Municipalities Spent $6.3 Million In COVID Relief

-- WHYY: Upper Darby Feuds As $35 Million In American Rescue Plan Funds Remain Unspent

-- Erie Times: Erie County Council Forms Committee To Readdress American Rescue Plan Funds

-- Warren Times: State Distributes American Rescue Plan Funds To Municipalities That Were Unclaimed Last Year

-- $11 Billion In Federal American Rescue Plan Funding To PA State Government, Local Governments Has Yet To Be Invested.  What’s Your Community Doing?

Bipartisan Infrastructure Law

-- DEP Partnering With 15 Engineering Firms To Design Mine Reclamation Projects To Be Funded By Federal Bipartisan Infrastructure Law  ​​[PaEN]

-- PA AML Campaign: Urge Sen. Toomey To Support Abandoned Mine Remediation STREAM Act  [PaEN]

-- U.S. Dept. Of Interior Releases Final Guidance On Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Abandoned Mine Reclamation Funding

Budget

-- York Daily Record: PA Moves Water Quality And Saving The Chesapeake Bay ‘To The Front Burner’

-- Guest Essay: PA Budget's Historic Investments In Clean Water Is A Watershed Moment - By Bill Chain, Interim Director, Chesapeake Bay Foundation-PA  [PaEN]

-- PA Capital-Star: $220 Million PA Clean Streams Fund Could Be ‘Game-Changer’ For Chesapeake Bay Cleanup Efforts

-- WLVR: Where Will PA’s New State Parks Be Located?

-- Susquehanna River Basin Commission: PA State Budget Restores Funding To SRBC

-- Inquirer Guest Essay: What Philadelphia Can Learn From Harrisburg About Using American Rescue Plan Money To Fund Environmental Protection

Chesapeake Bay

-- DEP Submits Final Pennsylvania Chesapeake Bay Watershed Plan To EPA With New State Funds Supporting Partners’ Progress  [PaEN]

-- Lancaster Farming: Pennsylvania Tries Again On Chesapeake Bay Cleanup Plan

-- York Daily Record: PA Moves Water Quality And Saving The Chesapeake Bay ‘To The Front Burner’

-- Guest Essay: PA Budget's Historic Investments In Clean Water Is A Watershed Moment - By Bill Chain, Interim Director, Chesapeake Bay Foundation-PA  [PaEN]

-- PA Capital-Star: $220 Million PA Clean Streams Fund Could Be ‘Game-Changer’ For Chesapeake Bay Cleanup Efforts

-- LancasterOnline - Sean Sauro: Lancaster County Stream Projects Get Funding Due To $1 Million Poultry Plant Settlement

-- Chesapeake Bay Trust Awards 2 Green Infrastructure/Jobs Grants In PA  [PaEN]

-- Ag Progress Days In-Person, Online Tours Cover Livestock, Forest Management, Water Quality Aug. 9-11 [PaEN]

-- Bay Journal: Deer Caught In The Crosshairs As Their Population Grows In Chesapeake Bay Watershed - Ad Crable, Chesapeake Bay Journal

Latest From The Chesapeake Bay Journal

Click Here to subscribe to the free Chesapeake Bay Journal

Citizen Action

-- Gov. Wolf, Senate, House Republicans Again Fail To Hold Conventional Oil & Gas Drillers Accountable For Protecting The Environment, Taxpayers On Hook For Billions [PaEN]

-- DEP Concerned About Impact Of New Law Blocking Conventional Oil & Gas Well Bonding On New Federal Well Plugging Funds, Regulating Waste Injection Wells  [PaEN]

-- Post-Gazette - Laura Legere: As PA Faces ‘Looming Crisis’ Of New Abandoned Oil & Gas Wells, State Law Will Freeze Well Bonding Rates For A Decade  

“The [Wolf] administration is currently exploring the next steps to ensure the industry is held accountable in order to protect the environment and that we don't lose out on millions of dollars in federal funding for well plugging.”

-- Capital & Main - Audrey Carleton: PA Bill Jeopardizing Millions In Oil Well Cleanup Funding To Be Passed By Governor, Say Sources

-- Guest Essay: Gov. Wolf, Don’t Give Money To The Oil Industry - By Rev. Mitchell Hescox & Kim Anderson, Evangelical Environmental Network [PaEN]

-- Post-Gazette - Anya Litvak: A Shale Gas Well Met An Abandoned Conventional Well A Mile Away - How Did It Happen?

-- Public Source: Since EQT Shale Gas Well ‘Frack Out’ In Greene County Community, It’s Been Oily Showers, Mysterious Smells And Thirsty Pets

-- New Lawsuit By WV Landowners Targets Alleged Fraudulent Transfer Of Oil & Gas Wells From EQT To Diversified Energy To Evade Cleanup Obligations

-- The Allegheny Front: Natural Gas Industry Campaign Re-Brands Gas As Climate-Friendly To People Of Color

-- PA Capital-Star: Environmental Watchdogs Petition DCNR To Remove $5,000 Access Fee On Oil & Gas Well Database

-- Petition To Eliminate $5,000 Fee To Access Public Information In DCNR’s ‘EDWIN’ Oil & Gas Well Database

-- TribLive: Allegheny County Council Overturns Veto Of Fracking Ban In County Parks

-- Post-Gazette: Allegheny County Council Overturns Veto Of Fracking Ban In County Parks

-- TribLive Editorial: Veto Of Fracking In Allegheny County Parks Not A Defeat For County Executive, But A Victory For People And Process

-- Environmental Health Project, HealthFirstPA Webinar: PA's Shale Gas Boom: How PA Failed To Protect Public Health And What We Can Do To Correct It Now Available On Demand  [PaEN]

-- Pittsburgh Business Times: Environmental Health Project: PA Should Prioritize Public Health Over Natural Gas Drilling

-- DCNR Conservation & Natural Resources Advisory Council Meets July 27 On State Budget, Forestry Strategic Plan, New E-Bike Policy [PaEN]

-- PA AML Campaign: Urge Sen. Toomey To Support Abandoned Mine Remediation STREAM Act  [PaEN]

-- TribLive: ‘Everything Water’: Jacobs Creek Watershed Assn. Hosts 5th Headwaters Party July 23

-- PennLive: Lower Susquehanna RiverKeeper Settles Pollution Claims Against Lebanon County Poultry Rendering Plant

-- LancasterOnline - Sean Sauro: Lancaster County Stream Projects Get Funding Due To $1 Million Poultry Plant Settlement

-- TribLive: Volunteers Donate Thousands Of Hours Of Time Maintaining Western PA’s Hiking, Biking Trails 

-- TribLive: Despite Popularity, Aging Trails Subject To All Manner Of Abuse In Western PA

-- Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful Seeking Volunteer Waterway Stewards To Reduce Litter  [PaEN]

-- NextPittsburgh: How You Can Protect Yourself Against West Nile Virus In The Pittsburgh Area

-- PennLive - Marcus Schneck: How To Avoid The Stingers And Biters Of Summer, And Deal With Them If You Can’t

-- October 22-- WeConservePA Environmental Advisory Council Fall Gathering. Haverford Community & Environmental Center, Delaware County.

-- Keep PA Beautiful Newsletter: New Waterway Stewards, Young Ambassadors Programs; Healing The Planet Grants, Cigarette Litter Prevention, More!

-- Inside Climate News: A Collision Of Economics And History: In Pennsylvania, The Debate Over Climate Is A Bitter One

Climate

-- IRRC Unanimously Approves Part I Of Final Reg. Reducing VOC/Methane Emissions From Unconventional Shale Gas Facilities; DEP Moves To Avoid Federal Highway Funding Sanctions [PaEN]

-- Post-Gazette - Ashley Murray/Anya Litvak: PA’s Clean Energy Producers Say WV Sen. Manchin Blockade Will Slow, But Not Halt Progress

-- Inside Climate News: A Collision Of Economics And History: In Pennsylvania, The Debate Over Climate Is A Bitter One

-- The Allegheny Front: Natural Gas Industry Campaign Re-Brands Gas As Climate-Friendly To People Of Color

-- Bloomberg: How Sheetz Partnered With Tesla And Brought EV Charging To Rural America

-- Courier Times Guest Essay: Cong. Fitzpatrick Wants To Up Rare Earth Metal Production To Support Renewable Energy, EVs - Clean Air Council

-- WPost: U.S. Plan To Avoid Extreme Climate Change Is Running Out Of Time

-- York Dispatch Editorial: Climate Change Is An Emergency, Whether You Believe It Or Not

-- WITF: Penn State: Changing Fuel For Cement Kilns Could Cut CO2 Emission, But Cost Is An Obstacle

-- WHYY: Thousands Of People Could Live At The Flood-Prone Philly Navy Yard, Will They Be Safe?

-- WHYY: What A ‘Code Red’ And A ‘Heat Health Emergency’ Mean For Philly Residents

-- WHYY: PECO Monitoring Energy Demand As Philly ‘Heat Health Emergency’ Declared

-- Inquirer: Philly Water Shutoffs Won’t Resume This Week Due To Heat

-- WHYY: Over 1,200 Philly Households Left Without Electricity During Heat Wave Despite Pause In Utility Shutoffs

-- Post-Gazette/WPost: The World’s Longest-Lived Trees Couldn’t Survive Climate Change

-- AP: Biden Announces Modest Climate Actions, Pledges More To Come

-- White House Fact Sheet On Biden’s Executive Actions On Climate To Address Extreme Heat And Boost Offshore Wind Energy

-- AP: Biden To Announce Climate Actions Today At Ex-Coal Plant In Mass.

-- Bloomberg: White House Considers Emergency Declaration To Fight Climate Change

-- WPost: Biden Could Declare Climate Emergency As Soon As This Week

-- Bloomberg: Batteries Are Already Helping Power Grids Weather A Hotter World

-- Bloomberg: More U.S. Public Land Available For Oil Leasing Than Solar, Wind, Geothermal Despite Biden’s Climate Promises

-- Inquirer: Postal Service Will Increase Electric Truck Purchases To 30%, Up From 10%

-- AP: Most Major Nations Lag In Acting On Climate-Fighting Goals

-- The Economist: ESG - Three Letters That Won’t Save The Planet - Should Be Boiled Down To One Simple Measure: Emissions

Coal Mining

-- Special Feature - 20th Anniversary Of Quecreek Mine Rescue Celebrated In Somerset County [PaEN]

-- Middle Susquehanna RiverKeeper: Floating Classroom Covers Mining Heritage And Acid Mine Drainage Issues

-- Wilkes-Barre Times: Casey, Colleagues Introduce Bill To Improve Black Lung Benefits Program

Compliance Action

-- Post-Gazette - Anya Litvak: A Shale Gas Well Met An Abandoned Conventional Well A Mile Away - How Did It Happen?

-- Public Source: Since EQT Shale Gas Well ‘Frack Out’ In Greene County Community, It’s Been Oily Showers, Mysterious Smells And Thirsty Pets

-- New Lawsuit By WV Landowners Targets Alleged Fraudulent Transfer Of Oil & Gas Wells From EQT To Diversified Energy To Evade Cleanup Obligations

-- PennLive: Lower Susquehanna RiverKeeper Settles Pollution Claims Against Lebanon County Poultry Rendering Plant

-- DEP Took Action On 634 Permits, 93% Within Permit Decision Guarantee Deadlines; Conducted 1,245 Inspections; Responded To 2 Environmental Emergencies Last Week

Conservation Districts

-- Bradford Era: McKean County Conservation District Held Mine Drainage Tour

-- Tribune-Democrat: Cambria Conservation District Awards Contract For Stream Bank Stabilization Project 

DCNR

-- WLVR: Where Will PA’s New State Parks Be Located?

-- DCNR To Hold COVID Vaccine Clinics In 3 State Parks In Franklin, Indiana, Lackawanna Counties

-- DCNR Conservation & Natural Resources Advisory Council Meets July 27 On State Budget, Forestry Strategic Plan, New E-Bike Policy [PaEN]

-- DCNR Hosts Sept. 30 Hearing On Wild Resource Conservation Program Requests For Funding

-- DCNR Opens New ATV/Snowmobile Project Grant Round August 1  [PaEN]

-- Inquirer - Frank Kummer: $2.5 Million Grant Will Help Extend Schuylkill River Trail From Bartram’s Garden To South Philly

-- TribLive: Volunteers Donate Thousands Of Hours Of Time Maintaining Western PA’s Hiking, Biking Trails 

-- TribLive: Despite Popularity, Aging Trails Subject To All Manner Of Abuse In Western PA

-- Courier Times: A Look Back At The Days Mules And Kids Powered Shipping Along The Delaware Canal In Bucks County

-- July 22 Take Five Fridays With Pam From PA Parks & Forests Foundation  [PaEN]

-- PA Capital-Star: Environmental Watchdogs Petition DCNR To Remove $5,000 Access Fee On Oil & Gas Well Database

-- Petition To Eliminate $5,000 Fee To Access Public Information In DCNR’s ‘EDWIN’ Oil & Gas Well Database

DEP

-- Special Feature - 20th Anniversary Of Quecreek Mine Rescue Celebrated In Somerset County [PaEN]

-- Gov. Wolf, Senate, House Republicans Again Fail To Hold Conventional Oil & Gas Drillers Accountable For Protecting The Environment, Taxpayers On Hook For Billions [PaEN]

-- DEP Concerned About Impact Of New Law Blocking Conventional Oil & Gas Well Bonding On New Federal Well Plugging Funds, Regulating Waste Injection Wells  [PaEN]

-- Post-Gazette - Laura Legere: As PA Faces ‘Looming Crisis’ Of New Abandoned Oil & Gas Wells, State Law Will Freeze Well Bonding Rates For A Decade  

“The [Wolf] administration is currently exploring the next steps to ensure the industry is held accountable in order to protect the environment and that we don't lose out on millions of dollars in federal funding for well plugging.”

-- Capital & Main - Audrey Carleton: PA Bill Jeopardizing Millions In Oil Well Cleanup Funding To Be Passed By Governor, Say Sources

-- Guest Essay: Gov. Wolf, Don’t Give Money To The Oil Industry - By Rev. Mitchell Hescox & Kim Anderson, Evangelical Environmental Network  [Today Last Day For Action On HB 2644]  [PaEN]

-- Post-Gazette - Anya Litvak: A Shale Gas Well Met An Abandoned Conventional Well A Mile Away - How Did It Happen?

-- Public Source: Since EQT Shale Gas Well ‘Frack Out’ In Greene County Community, It’s Been Oily Showers, Mysterious Smells And Thirsty Pets

-- New Lawsuit By WV Landowners Targets Alleged Fraudulent Transfer Of Oil & Gas Wells From EQT To Diversified Energy To Evade Cleanup Obligations

-- DEP Posts 59 Pages Of Permit-Related Notices In July 23 PA Bulletin; Notice Of 6 Oil & Gas Facility Cleanups  [PaEN]

-- IRRC Unanimously Approves Part I Of Final Reg. Reducing VOC/Methane Emissions From Unconventional Shale Gas Facilities; DEP Moves To Avoid Federal Highway Funding Sanctions [PaEN]

-- DEP To Hold 2 Hearings On Air Quality Permit For Westmoreland Sanitary Landfill Leachate Evaporation System  [PaEN]

-- DEP Submits Final Pennsylvania Chesapeake Bay Watershed Plan To EPA With New State Funds Supporting Partners’ Progress  [PaEN]

-- Lancaster Farming: Pennsylvania Tries Again On Chesapeake Bay Cleanup Plan

-- York Daily Record: PA Moves Water Quality And Saving The Chesapeake Bay ‘To The Front Burner’

-- DEP Partnering With 15 Engineering Firms To Design Mine Reclamation Projects To Be Funded By Federal Bipartisan Infrastructure Law  ​​[PaEN]

-- DEP Hosts Aug. 4 Hearing On Proposed Water Quality Permit To Construct Rutter's Convenience Store In Antis Twp., Blair County  [PaEN]

-- DEP Took Action On 634 Permits, 93% Within Permit Decision Guarantee Deadlines; Conducted 1,245 Inspections; Responded To 2 Environmental Emergencies Last Week

Deep Mine Safety

-- Special Feature - 20th Anniversary Of Quecreek Mine Rescue Celebrated In Somerset County [PaEN]

Delaware River

-- Villanova Urban Stormwater Partnership Stormwater Management Symposium Oct. 12-13  [PaEN]

-- Coalition For The Delaware River Watershed: U.S. House Passes Delaware River Basin Conservation Reauthorization Act

-- Delaware RiverKeeper July 22 RiverWatch Video Report

-- Partnership For The Delaware Estuary 2021 Annual Report

Drinking Water

-- PennVEST Makes $269 Million Investment In 11 Water Infrastructure Projects In 10 Counties  [PaEN]

-- Post-Gazette: Pittsburgh Water & Sewer Authority Receives $209 Million PennVEST Loan For Massive Drinking Water System Overhaul

-- Pittsburgh Water & Sewer Authority: PennVEST Awards Authority $209 Million For Water Reliability Plan Projects

-- TribLive: Westmoreland County Authority Water Still Contaminated With PFAS In McKeesport

-- Inquirer: Philly Water Shutoffs Won’t Resume This Week Due To Heat

-- WHYY: Over 1,200 Philly Households Left Without Electricity During Heat Wave Despite Pause In Utility Shutoffs

-- Inquirer: Water Shutoffs Resume In Philadelphia This Week But Help Remains Available For Unpaid Bills

-- WHYY: Philly Tap Water A-OK, According To Latest Drinking Water Report

-- Centre Daily Times: State College Borough Votes To Stop Adding Fluoride To Water

Economic Development

-- TribLive: Carrie Blast Furnace Site Gets $7.5 Million In State Funding To Move Forward With Redevelopment

-- PennLive - Marcus Schneck: National Park Sites Pumped Nearly $300 Million Into PA Economy Last Year

-- Courier Times Guest Essay: Cong. Fitzpatrick Wants To Up Rare Earth Metal Production To Support Renewable Energy, EVs - Clean Air Council

Education

-- Special Feature - 20th Anniversary Of Quecreek Mine Rescue Celebrated In Somerset County [PaEN]

-- Environmental Health Project, HealthFirstPA Webinar: PA's Shale Gas Boom: How PA Failed To Protect Public Health And What We Can Do To Correct It Now Available On Demand  [PaEN]

-- Pittsburgh Business Times: Environmental Health Project: PA Should Prioritize Public Health Over Natural Gas Drilling

-- PPL Foundation Scholarships Support Next Generation Of Leaders, STEM Education

-- TribLive: ‘Everything Water’: Jacobs Creek Watershed Assn. Hosts 5th Headwaters Party July 23

-- July DCNR State Parks Environmental Ed Newsletter Highlights New Ecology Education Standards; Educator Training Opportunities & Activities  [PaEN]

-- Villanova Urban Stormwater Partnership Stormwater Management Symposium Oct. 12-13  [PaEN]

-- Call For Presenters, Sponsors For 2022 PSATS Regional Stormwater Conference Workshops  [PaEN]

-- PA Assn. Of Environmental Professionals: 2022 Annual Conference Oct. 5-7, Sponsorships, Exhibit Space Available

-- Students Bring International Focus To Pittsburgh's High-Performance, Energy Efficient Building Design [PaEN]

-- PUC Urges Consumers To Be Alert For Energy Marketing Scams

-- The Sentinel: Dickinson College Plans $1.5 Million Project To Convert Waste Into Biogas For Cooking And Heating

-- Cumberland County Master Gardeners: Planting a Butterfly Friendly Garden Talk At Two Mile House, Carlisle Aug. 4  [PaEN]

-- Middle Susquehanna RiverKeeper: Floating Classroom Covers Mining Heritage And Acid Mine Drainage Issues

-- MCall: Lehigh Valley School Districts Create Outdoor Classrooms

-- Lehigh Valley Wildlands Conservancy: Beat The Heat With Summer Programs At The Conservancy!

-- York Dispatch: PennDOT Scraps Part Of Plan To Reduce Mayfly Swarm: ‘Like An Ancient Plague’

-- TribLive: Murrysville Monarchs Fly Free As Delmont Library Prepares For July 30 Release Party

-- TribLive: Free Science-Based Children’s Program On Tap At Vandergrift Public Library

-- Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful Seeking Volunteer Waterway Stewards To Reduce Litter  [PaEN]

-- Keep PA Beautiful Newsletter: New Waterway Stewards, Young Ambassadors Programs; Healing The Planet Grants, Cigarette Litter Prevention, More!

-- LancasterOnline - Ad Crable: Snorkel Backyard Streams To Discover Underwater Spectacles

-- TribLive: 35-Unit Rachel Carson EcoVillage On Chatham University Eden Hall Campus OK’d By Richland Officials

-- WITF: Penn State: Changing Fuel For Cement Kilns Could Cut CO2 Emission, But Cost Is An Obstacle

-- MCall/Reading Eagle: Rodale Institute Celebrates $3 Million State Grant For A New Science Center

-- Western PA Conservancy: Fallingwater Soirée August 13 6:00 to 9:00 p.m. 

-- WeConservePA 2-Part Lawn Conversion And Green Infrastructure Why & How Webinars   [PaEN] 

-- WeConservePA Drones And Conservation Work Webinar Sept. 29 

-- October 22-- WeConservePA Environmental Advisory Council Fall Gathering. Haverford Community & Environmental Center, Delaware County.

-- PennLive - Marcus Schneck: How To Avoid The Stingers And Biters Of Summer, And Deal With Them If You Can’t

-- USGS Pennsylvania Water Science Center Summer Newsletter Now Available [PaEN]

-- WLVR: One Year Later, Researchers Still Don’t Know What Killed Hundreds Of Songbirds Last Summer In PA

-- Ned Smith Center For Nature & Arts: July 30 Nature & Arts Festival In Millersburg, Dauphin County

-- July 30-- Celebrate The Bloom! At The Only Prairie In PA Featuring The Blazing Star. Jennings Environmental Center, Butler County.

-- PennLive - Marcus Schneck: Susquehanna River Among Waterways Targeted As U.S.G.S. Takes Closer Look At Blotchy Bass Syndrome

-- Centre Daily Times: Eagle Scout Project Makes Centre County Wetlands Accessible

-- Bay Journal: Deer Caught In The Crosshairs As Their Population Grows In Chesapeake Bay Watershed - Ad Crable, Chesapeake Bay Journal

-- Williamsport Sun - Julie Cramer-Le: A Little Spite Helped Turn Bird Watching Into A Passionate Hobby

-- York Daily Record: Purple Martin Colony Thrives At Mark’s Harness Shop

-- TribLive: New Kensington Native To Patrol Ohio River As Part Of Fish & Boat Commission’s Newest Officer Class

-- Warren Times: Book Tells Of Life As Fish & Boat Law Enforcement Officer

-- PennLive - Marcus Schneck: Original U.S. ‘Murder Hornet’ Nest Highlights Smithsonian ‘People And Nature’ Exhibit

-- WPSU: PA Is Tracking Wild Turkeys By GPS To Find Out Why Populations Are Declining

-- Game Commission Seeking Public’s Assistance In Wild Turkey Survey

-- Williamsport Sun - Bill Bower: Reflections In Nature - There Are Many Species Of Brambles 

Emergency Response

-- Post-Gazette - Anya Litvak: A Shale Gas Well Met An Abandoned Conventional Well A Mile Away - How Did It Happen?

-- Public Source: Since EQT Shale Gas Well ‘Frack Out’ In Greene County Community, It’s Been Oily Showers, Mysterious Smells And Thirsty Pets

-- Warren Times: Lessons Learned From Sulfuric Acid Spills On Roads In City Of Warren To North Warren

-- Warren Times: New Equipment To Help Handle Spills In Warren County

6th Oil/Natural Gas Price Spike: True Energy Independence Means Renewables

[There Is No Limit To What Oil/Natural Gas Industry Can Make You Pay]

-- TribLive: Gasoline Prices Continue To Fall On Drop In Demand, Declining Oil Prices

-- WESA: Gasoline Prices Falling In Western PA

-- Pittsburgh Business Times: PA Marcellus A Big Part Of Natural Gas Production, Even With Pipeline Limits

-- Pittsburgh Business Times: Shale Gas Producers Urge Biden To Hold Off On Declaring Climate Emergency

-- Guest Essay: Key To Lower Energy Prices And Energy Freedom Is Diversifying Electricity Generation With Solar, Renewable Energy - By Sharon Pillar, Pennsylvania Solar Center  [PaEN]

-- The Express Letter: Drilling Is Not The Way To Energy Independence

-- Baker Hughes: No Increase In PA Natural Gas Drill Rigs Last Week And In July

National/International

-- WSJ: Heat Wave Sends Natural Gas Prices Soaring, Futures Climbed 48% In July Reviving A Key Driver Of Inflation

-- Reuters: U.S. Natural Gas Futures Jump 7% To 5-Week High On Hotter Forecasts 

-- Reuters: U.S. Regulators To Inspect Shuttered Texas LNG Plant, Expected To Remain Out Of Service Until October

-- Reuters: Closed Texas LNG Plant Pulls In Natural Gas To Produce Power For Texas

-- Reuters: Company Seeks More Time To Build U.S. Gulf Of Mexico LNG Export Plant

-- Reuters: European Natural Gas Prices Jump As Heat Wave Boosts Cooling Demand

-- Reuters: Europe Must Slash Natural Gas Demand Now Before ‘Hard’ Winter, IEA Warns

-- Bloomberg: EU Set To Target 15% Reduction In Natural Gas Use

-- AP: EU Draws Up Energy Plan In Case Of Russian Natural Gas Cutoff

-- Reuters: Europe Races To Cut Natural Gas Usage Amid New Putin Warning

-- Bloomberg: UK Moves To Boost Green Hydrogen Amid Soaring Natural Gas Prices

-- The Guardian: Oil & Natural Gas Sector’s ‘Staggering’ $2.8 Billion-A-Day Profits For Last 50 Years

Energy

-- Guest Essay: Key To Lower Energy Prices And Energy Freedom Is Diversifying Electricity Generation With Solar, Renewable Energy - By Sharon Pillar, Pennsylvania Solar Center  [PaEN]

-- Post-Gazette - Ashley Murray/Anya Litvak: PA’s Clean Energy Producers Say WV Sen. Manchin Blockade Will Slow, But Not Halt Progress

-- PUC Urges Consumers To Be Alert For Energy Marketing Scams

-- Inside Climate News: A Collision Of Economics And History: In Pennsylvania, The Debate Over Climate Is A Bitter One

-- WITF: Penn State: Changing Fuel For Cement Kilns Could Cut CO2 Emission, But Cost Is An Obstacle

-- PPL Foundation Scholarships Support Next Generation Of Leaders, STEM Education

-- WHYY: What A ‘Code Red’ And A ‘Heat Health Emergency’ Mean For Philly Residents

-- WHYY: PECO Monitoring Energy Demand As Philly ‘Heat Health Emergency’ Declared

-- Inquirer: How To Get Help With PECO Energy Bills

-- Inquirer: Philly Water Shutoffs Won’t Resume This Week Due To Heat

-- WPost: U.S. Plan To Avoid Extreme Climate Change Is Running Out Of Time

-- Bloomberg: Batteries Are Already Helping Power Grids Weather A Hotter World

Energy Conservation

-- TribLive: 35-Unit Rachel Carson EcoVillage On Chatham University Eden Hall Campus OK’d By Richland Officials

Environmental Health

-- Environmental Health Project, HealthFirstPA Webinar: PA's Shale Gas Boom: How PA Failed To Protect Public Health And What We Can Do To Correct It Now Available On Demand  [PaEN]

-- Pittsburgh Business Times: Environmental Health Project: PA Should Prioritize Public Health Over Natural Gas Drilling

-- DEP Posts 59 Pages Of Permit-Related Notices In July 23 PA Bulletin; Notice Of 6 Oil & Gas Facility Cleanups  [PaEN]

-- TribLive: Westmoreland County Authority Water Still Contaminated With PFAS In McKeesport

-- DEP To Hold 2 Hearings On Air Quality Permit For Westmoreland Sanitary Landfill Leachate Evaporation System  [PaEN]

-- WHYY: What A ‘Code Red’ And A ‘Heat Health Emergency’ Mean For Philly Residents

-- WHYY: PECO Monitoring Energy Demand As Philly ‘Heat Health Emergency’ Declared

-- Inquirer: Philly Water Shutoffs Won’t Resume This Week Due To Heat

-- WHYY: Over 1,200 Philly Households Left Without Electricity During Heat Wave Despite Pause In Utility Shutoffs

-- Post-Gazette: Annual Raccoon Rabies Baiting Program To Begin July 25 In Allegheny County

-- Dept. Of Agriculture: PA Rabies Cases As Of March

-- DCNR To Hold COVID Vaccine Clinics In 3 State Parks In Franklin, Indiana, Lackawanna Counties

-- Reading Eagle: Advisory Issued On Algal Bloom At Blue Marsh Lake

-- Post-Gazette: Salmonella Outbreak Linked To Small Pet Turtles Includes 2 PA Cases

Environmental Heritage

-- Special Feature - 20th Anniversary Of Quecreek Mine Rescue Celebrated In Somerset County [PaEN]

-- Courier Times: A Look Back At The Days Mules And Kids Powered Shipping Along The Delaware Canal In Bucks County

Farming

-- DEP Submits Final Pennsylvania Chesapeake Bay Watershed Plan To EPA With New State Funds Supporting Partners’ Progress  [PaEN]

-- Lancaster Farming: Pennsylvania Tries Again On Chesapeake Bay Cleanup Plan

-- York Daily Record: PA Moves Water Quality And Saving The Chesapeake Bay ‘To The Front Burner’

-- Guest Essay: PA Budget's Historic Investments In Clean Water Is A Watershed Moment - By Bill Chain, Interim Director, Chesapeake Bay Foundation-PA  [PaEN]

-- PA Capital-Star: $220 Million PA Clean Streams Fund Could Be ‘Game-Changer’ For Chesapeake Bay Cleanup Efforts

-- LancasterOnline - Sean Sauro: Lancaster County Stream Projects Get Funding Due To $1 Million Poultry Plant Settlement

-- Chesapeake Bay Trust Awards 2 Green Infrastructure/Jobs Grants In PA  [PaEN]

-- Ag Progress Days In-Person, Online Tours Cover Livestock, Forest Management, Water Quality Aug. 9-11 [PaEN]

-- MCall/Reading Eagle: Rodale Institute Celebrates $3 Million State Grant For A New Science Center

-- The Sentinel: Dickinson College Plans $1.5 Million Project To Convert Waste Into Biogas For Cooking And Heating

-- Dept. Of Agriculture: Highlights Of Weeklong Urban Agriculture Week Tour

-- Post-Gazette: Inflation Is Pushing The Cost Of Food To Record Highs, Could Urban Agriculture Help?

Flooding

-- WHYY: Thousands Of People Could Live At The Flood-Prone Philly Navy Yard, Will They Be Safe?

-- AP: FEMA Report: Flood Insurance Hikes Will Drive 1 Million From Market

Forests

-- DCNR Conservation & Natural Resources Advisory Council Meets July 27 On State Budget, Forestry Strategic Plan, New E-Bike Policy [PaEN]

-- Penn State: Torrey Pine Genetic Research May Benefit Efforts To Save American Chestnut, Ash Trees

-- MCall - Paul Muschick: The Emerald Ash Borer Ate My 3 Trees To Death, It Was Like Losing Members Of My Family

-- Post-Gazette/WPost: The World’s Longest-Lived Trees Couldn’t Survive Climate Change

-- July 22 Take Five Fridays With Pam From PA Parks & Forests Foundation  [PaEN]

Forests - Wildfires

-- The Guardian: Unprecedented Wildfires Envelop Alaska

Fish & Boat Commission

-- Fish & Boat Commission Board’s Quarterly Meeting To Be Held July 26

-- PennLive - Marcus Schneck: Susquehanna River Among Waterways Targeted As U.S.G.S. Takes Closer Look At Blotchy Bass Syndrome

-- Fish & Boat Commission: eDNA From Invasive Silver Carp Identified In Lake Erie’s Presque Isle Bay

-- TribLive: New Kensington Native To Patrol Ohio River As Part Of Fish & Boat Commission’s Newest Officer Class

-- Warren Times: Book Tells Of Life As Fish & Boat Law Enforcement Officer

Game Commission

-- Post-Gazette - John Hayes: Game Commission Hands Over Evidence In Constitutional Case On Privacy Rights

-- Bay Journal: Deer Caught In The Crosshairs As Their Population Grows In Chesapeake Bay Watershed - Ad Crable, Chesapeake Bay Journal

Geology

-- USGS Pennsylvania Water Science Center Summer Newsletter Now Available [PaEN]

Grants/Funding

-- PennVEST Makes $269 Million Investment In 11 Water Infrastructure Projects In 10 Counties  [PaEN]

-- Post-Gazette: Pittsburgh Water & Sewer Authority Receives $209 Million PennVEST Loan For Massive Drinking Water System Overhaul

-- Pittsburgh Water & Sewer Authority: PennVEST Awards Authority $209 Million For Water Reliability Plan Projects

-- LancasterOnline - Sean Sauro: Lancaster County Stream Projects Get Funding Due To $1 Million Poultry Plant Settlement

-- Chesapeake Bay Trust Awards 2 Green Infrastructure/Jobs Grants In PA  [PaEN]

-- MCall/Reading Eagle: Rodale Institute Celebrates $3 Million State Grant For A New Science Center

-- DCNR Opens New ATV/Snowmobile Project Grant Round August 1  [PaEN]

-- DCNR Hosts Sept. 30 Hearing On Wild Resource Conservation Program Requests For Funding

-- Inquirer - Frank Kummer: $2.5 Million Grant Will Help Extend Schuylkill River Trail From Bartram’s Garden To South Philly

Green Buildings

-- TribLive: 35-Unit Rachel Carson EcoVillage On Chatham University Eden Hall Campus OK’d By Richland Officials

-- Students Bring International Focus To Pittsburgh's High-Performance, Energy Efficient Building Design [PaEN]

Green Infrastructure

-- DEP Submits Final Pennsylvania Chesapeake Bay Watershed Plan To EPA With New State Funds Supporting Partners’ Progress  [PaEN]

-- Lancaster Farming: Pennsylvania Tries Again On Chesapeake Bay Cleanup Plan

-- York Daily Record: PA Moves Water Quality And Saving The Chesapeake Bay ‘To The Front Burner’

-- Guest Essay: PA Budget's Historic Investments In Clean Water Is A Watershed Moment - By Bill Chain, Interim Director, Chesapeake Bay Foundation-PA  [PaEN]

-- LancasterOnline - Sean Sauro: Lancaster County Stream Projects Get Funding Due To $1 Million Poultry Plant Settlement

-- Chesapeake Bay Trust Awards 2 Green Infrastructure/Jobs Grants In PA  [PaEN]

-- Call For Presenters, Sponsors For 2022 PSATS Regional Stormwater Conference Workshops  [PaEN]

-- WeConservePA 2-Part Lawn Conversion And Green Infrastructure Why & How Webinars   [PaEN]

-- Tribune-Democrat: Cambria Conservation District Awards Contract For Stream Bank Stabilization Project

-- WeConservePA Drones And Conservation Work Webinar Sept. 29

-- Williamsport Sun Editorial: New Robert Porter Allen Natural Area Another Blessing

Hazardous Substances

-- Environmental Health Project, HealthFirstPA Webinar: PA's Shale Gas Boom: How PA Failed To Protect Public Health And What We Can Do To Correct It Now Available On Demand  [PaEN]

-- Pittsburgh Business Times: Environmental Health Project: PA Should Prioritize Public Health Over Natural Gas Drilling

-- DEP Posts 59 Pages Of Permit-Related Notices In July 23 PA Bulletin; Notice Of 6 Oil & Gas Facility Cleanups  [PaEN]

-- TribLive: Westmoreland County Authority Water Still Contaminated With PFAS In McKeesport

-- DEP To Hold 2 Hearings On Air Quality Permit For Westmoreland Sanitary Landfill Leachate Evaporation System  [PaEN]

-- Warren Times: Lessons Learned From Sulfuric Acid Spills On Roads In City Of Warren To North Warren

-- Warren Times: New Equipment To Help Handle Spills In Warren County

-- Altoona Mirror: Household Hazardous Waste Collection Event Set For July 22-23 In Blair County Municipalities

Land Conservation

-- Williamsport Sun Editorial: New Robert Porter Allen Natural Area Another Blessing

-- WeConservePA Drones And Conservation Work Webinar Sept. 29

-- WeConservePA 2-Part Lawn Conversion And Green Infrastructure Why & How Webinars   [PaEN]

-- Lehigh Valley Wildlands Conservancy: Beat The Heat With Summer Programs At The Conservancy!

-- Western PA Conservancy: Fallingwater Soirée August 13 6:00 to 9:00 p.m.

Land Recycling

-- DEP Posts 59 Pages Of Permit-Related Notices In July 23 PA Bulletin; Notice Of 6 Oil & Gas Facility Cleanups  [PaEN]

-- TribLive: Carrie Blast Furnace Site Gets $7.5 Million In State Funding To Move Forward With Redevelopment

Littering/Illegal Dumping

-- Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful Seeking Volunteer Waterway Stewards To Reduce Litter  [PaEN]

-- Keep PA Beautiful Newsletter: New Waterway Stewards, Young Ambassadors Programs; Healing The Planet Grants, Cigarette Litter Prevention, More!

Mine Reclamation

-- DEP Partnering With 15 Engineering Firms To Design Mine Reclamation Projects To Be Funded By Federal Bipartisan Infrastructure Law  ​​[PaEN]

-- PA AML Campaign: Urge Sen. Toomey To Support Abandoned Mine Remediation STREAM Act  [PaEN]

-- U.S. Dept. Of Interior Releases Final Guidance On Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Abandoned Mine Reclamation Funding

-- Bradford Era: McKean County Conservation District Held Mine Drainage Tour

-- Middle Susquehanna RiverKeeper: Floating Classroom Covers Mining Heritage And Acid Mine Drainage Issues

Oil & Gas

-- Gov. Wolf, Senate, House Republicans Again Fail To Hold Conventional Oil & Gas Drillers Accountable For Protecting The Environment, Taxpayers On Hook For Billions [PaEN]

-- DEP Concerned About Impact Of New Law Blocking Conventional Oil & Gas Well Bonding On New Federal Well Plugging Funds, Regulating Waste Injection Wells  [PaEN]

-- Post-Gazette - Laura Legere: As PA Faces ‘Looming Crisis’ Of New Abandoned Oil & Gas Wells, State Law Will Freeze Well Bonding Rates For A Decade  

“The [Wolf] administration is currently exploring the next steps to ensure the industry is held accountable in order to protect the environment and that we don't lose out on millions of dollars in federal funding for well plugging.”

-- Capital & Main - Audrey Carleton: PA Bill Jeopardizing Millions In Oil Well Cleanup Funding To Be Passed By Governor, Say Sources

-- Guest Essay: Gov. Wolf, Don’t Give Money To The Oil Industry - By Rev. Mitchell Hescox & Kim Anderson, Evangelical Environmental Network   [PaEN]

-- Post-Gazette - Anya Litvak: A Shale Gas Well Met An Abandoned Conventional Well A Mile Away - How Did It Happen?

-- Public Source: Since EQT Shale Gas Well ‘Frack Out’ In Greene County Community, It’s Been Oily Showers, Mysterious Smells And Thirsty Pets

-- DEP Posts 59 Pages Of Permit-Related Notices In July 23 PA Bulletin; Notice Of 6 Oil & Gas Facility Cleanups  [PaEN]

-- IRRC Unanimously Approves Part I Of Final Reg. Reducing VOC/Methane Emissions From Unconventional Shale Gas Facilities; DEP Moves To Avoid Federal Highway Funding Sanctions [PaEN]

-- DEP To Hold 2 Hearings On Air Quality Permit For Westmoreland Sanitary Landfill Leachate Evaporation System  [PaEN]

-- Natural Gas Producer Olympus Energy Earns Premier Environmental Performance Ratings From Project Canary  [PaEN]

-- Pittsburgh Business Times: Natural Gas Producer Gets High Marks From Environmental Assessment

​​-- The Allegheny Front: Natural Gas Industry Campaign Re-Brands Gas As Climate-Friendly To People Of Color

-- PA Capital-Star: Environmental Watchdogs Petition DCNR To Remove $5,000 Access Fee On Oil & Gas Well Database

-- Petition To Eliminate $5,000 Fee To Access Public Information In DCNR’s ‘EDWIN’ Oil & Gas Well Database

-- TribLive: Allegheny County Council Overturns Veto Of Fracking Ban In County Parks

-- Post-Gazette: Allegheny County Council Overturns Veto Of Fracking Ban In County Parks

-- Sen. Yaw To Deny Counties Act 13 Drilling Impact Fee Revenue If They Make Only 99% Of Their Land Area Available For Shale Gas Development [PaEN]

-- TribLive Editorial: Veto Of Fracking In Allegheny County Parks Not A Defeat For County Executive, But A Victory For People And Process

-- Warren Times: Warren City Planners Reject Council’s Inquiry Into Allowing Oil Drilling In Parks, Areas Zoned For Preservation

-- Pittsburgh Business Times: PA Marcellus A Big Part Of Natural Gas Production, Even With Pipeline Limits

-- Pittsburgh Business Times: Shale Gas Producers Urge Biden To Hold Off On Declaring Climate Emergency

-- The Express Letter: Drilling Is Not The Way To Energy Independence

-- Environmental Health Project, HealthFirstPA Webinar: PA's Shale Gas Boom: How PA Failed To Protect Public Health And What We Can Do To Correct It Now Available On Demand  [PaEN]

-- Pittsburgh Business Times: Environmental Health Project: PA Should Prioritize Public Health Over Natural Gas Drilling

-- Inside Climate News: A Collision Of Economics And History: In Pennsylvania, The Debate Over Climate Is A Bitter One

Pipelines

-- Pittsburgh Business Times: PA Marcellus A Big Part Of Natural Gas Production, Even With Pipeline Limits

PennVEST

-- PennVEST Makes $269 Million Investment In 11 Water Infrastructure Projects In 10 Counties  [PaEN]

-- Post-Gazette: Pittsburgh Water & Sewer Authority Receives $209 Million PennVEST Loan For Massive Drinking Water System Overhaul

-- Pittsburgh Water & Sewer Authority: PennVEST Awards Authority $209 Million For Water Reliability Plan Projects

Permitting

-- DEP Hosts Aug. 4 Hearing On Proposed Water Quality Permit To Construct Rutter's Convenience Store In Antis Twp., Blair County  [PaEN]

-- DEP Posts 59 Pages Of Permit-Related Notices In July 23 PA Bulletin; Notice Of 6 Oil & Gas Facility Cleanups  [PaEN]

-- DEP Took Action On 634 Permits, 93% Within Permit Decision Guarantee Deadlines; Conducted 1,245 Inspections; Responded To 2 Environmental Emergencies Last Week

Public Participation

-- DEP Hosts Aug. 4 Hearing On Proposed Water Quality Permit To Construct Rutter's Convenience Store In Antis Twp., Blair County  [PaEN]

-- DEP To Hold 2 Hearings On Air Quality Permit For Westmoreland Sanitary Landfill Leachate Evaporation System  [PaEN]

-- DEP Posts 59 Pages Of Permit-Related Notices In July 23 PA Bulletin; Notice Of 6 Oil & Gas Facility Cleanups  [PaEN]

-- DCNR Hosts Sept. 30 Hearing On Wild Resource Conservation Program Requests For Funding

-- Courier Times: Bucks County Authority To Host Forums On Potential $1.1 Billion Sale To Aqua

PUC

-- PUC Urges Consumers To Be Alert For Energy Marketing Scams

-- Courier Times: Bucks County Authority To Host Forums On Potential $1.1 Billion Sale To Aqua

Recreation

-- DCNR Conservation & Natural Resources Advisory Council Meets July 27 On State Budget, Forestry Strategic Plan, New E-Bike Policy [PaEN]

-- WLVR: Where Will PA’s New State Parks Be Located?

-- DCNR To Hold COVID Vaccine Clinics In 3 State Parks In Franklin, Indiana, Lackawanna Counties

-- Reading Eagle: Advisory Issued On Algal Bloom At Blue Marsh Lake

-- July 22 Take Five Fridays With Pam From PA Parks & Forests Foundation  [PaEN]

-- TribLive: Volunteers Donate Thousands Of Hours Of Time Maintaining Western PA’s Hiking, Biking Trails 

-- TribLive: Despite Popularity, Aging Trails Subject To All Manner Of Abuse In Western PA

-- Scranton Times: Parker Street Landing Gets New Canoe/Kayak Launch

-- TribLive: Cheswick, East Deer Among Municipalities Working To Connect Trails To Three Rivers Heritage Trail

-- Post-Gazette: Always B Smiling Wants Its Own Trailside Activity Center To Take More People For A Ride

-- TribLive: Allegheny River Trail Park’s Concert Series A Hit With Families

-- WESA: Inaugural Paddlesports Festival Comes To Pittsburgh’s Allegheny River

-- WNEP: Selinsgrove Kayakers Paddling The 444 Miles Of The Susquehanna River Come Thru Central PA

-- Inquirer - Frank Kummer: $2.5 Million Grant Will Help Extend Schuylkill River Trail From Bartram’s Garden To South Philly

-- PennLive - Marcus Schneck: National Park Sites Pumped Nearly $300 Million Into PA Economy Last Year

-- Lebanon Valley Conservancy: 4th Annual Tower To Town 10-Miler Oct. 2

-- Inquirer: You Can Have Nice Bike Lanes, But Only Under These Conditions, Harrisburg Republicans Say

-- PennLive - Marcus Schneck: How To Avoid The Stingers And Biters Of Summer, And Deal With Them If You Can’t

Recycling/Waste

-- DEP Concerned About Impact Of New Law Blocking Conventional Oil & Gas Well Bonding On New Federal Well Plugging Funds, Regulating Waste Injection Wells  [PaEN]

-- DEP To Hold 2 Hearings On Air Quality Permit For Westmoreland Sanitary Landfill Leachate Evaporation System  [PaEN]

-- PA Festival Of The Arts Visitors Helped Meet Zero Waste Goal By Recycling 1,500 Pounds In State College  [PaEN]

-- Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful Seeking Volunteer Waterway Stewards To Reduce Litter  [PaEN]

-- Keep PA Beautiful Newsletter: New Waterway Stewards, Young Ambassadors Programs; Healing The Planet Grants, Cigarette Litter Prevention, More!

-- The Sentinel: Dickinson College Plans $1.5 Million Project To Convert Waste Into Biogas For Cooking And Heating

-- Altoona Mirror: Household Hazardous Waste Collection Event Set For July 22-23 In Blair County Municipalities

-- Williamsport Sun: Lycoming County Landfill Embarks On $8.7 Million Field Closure Project

Renewable Energy

-- Guest Essay: Key To Lower Energy Prices And Energy Freedom Is Diversifying Electricity Generation With Solar, Renewable Energy - By Sharon Pillar, Pennsylvania Solar Center  [PaEN]

-- Post-Gazette - Ashley Murray/Anya Litvak: PA’s Clean Energy Producers Say WV Sen. Manchin Blockade Will Slow, But Not Halt Progress

-- Inside Climate News: A Collision Of Economics And History: In Pennsylvania, The Debate Over Climate Is A Bitter One

-- Courier Times Guest Essay: Cong. Fitzpatrick Wants To Up Rare Earth Metal Production To Support Renewable Energy, EVs - Clean Air Council

-- WPost: U.S. Plan To Avoid Extreme Climate Change Is Running Out Of Time

-- Bloomberg: Batteries Are Already Helping Power Grids Weather A Hotter World

Stormwater

-- DEP Hosts Aug. 4 Hearing On Proposed Water Quality Permit To Construct Rutter's Convenience Store In Antis Twp., Blair County  [PaEN]

-- Tribune-Democrat: Cambria Conservation District Awards Contract For Stream Bank Stabilization Project

-- Villanova Urban Stormwater Partnership Stormwater Management Symposium Oct. 12-13  [PaEN]

-- Call For Presenters, Sponsors For 2022 PSATS Regional Stormwater Conference Workshops  [PaEN]

-- WeConservePA 2-Part Lawn Conversion And Green Infrastructure Why & How Webinars   [PaEN]

SRBC

-- Susquehanna River Basin Commission: PA State Budget Restores Funding To SRBC

Susquehanna River

-- Middle Susquehanna RiverKeeper: Floating Classroom Covers Mining Heritage And Acid Mine Drainage Issues

-- WNEP: Selinsgrove Kayakers Paddling The 444 Miles Of The Susquehanna River Come Thru Central PA

-- PennLive: Lower Susquehanna RiverKeeper Settles Pollution Claims Against Lebanon County Poultry Rendering Plant

-- Susquehanna River Basin Commission: PA State Budget Restores Funding To SRBC

Sustainability

-- TribLive: 35-Unit Rachel Carson EcoVillage On Chatham University Eden Hall Campus OK’d By Richland Officials

-- Students Bring International Focus To Pittsburgh's High-Performance, Energy Efficient Building Design [PaEN]

-- Natural Gas Producer Olympus Energy Earns Premier Environmental Performance Ratings From Project Canary  [PaEN]

-- Pittsburgh Business Times: Natural Gas Producer Gets High Marks From Environmental Assessment

-- The Economist: ESG - Three Letters That Won’t Save The Planet - Should Be Boiled Down To One Simple Measure: Emissions

Wastewater Facilities

-- PennVEST Makes $269 Million Investment In 11 Water Infrastructure Projects In 10 Counties  [PaEN]

-- Post-Gazette: Pittsburgh Water & Sewer Authority Receives $209 Million PennVEST Loan For Massive Drinking Water System Overhaul

-- Pittsburgh Water & Sewer Authority: PennVEST Awards Authority $209 Million For Water Reliability Plan Projects

-- Courier Times: Bucks County Authority To Host Forums On Potential $1.1 Billion Sale To Aqua

Watershed Protection

-- DEP Submits Final Pennsylvania Chesapeake Bay Watershed Plan To EPA With New State Funds Supporting Partners’ Progress  [PaEN]

-- Lancaster Farming: Pennsylvania Tries Again On Chesapeake Bay Cleanup Plan

-- York Daily Record: PA Moves Water Quality And Saving The Chesapeake Bay ‘To The Front Burner’

-- Guest Essay: PA Budget's Historic Investments In Clean Water Is A Watershed Moment - By Bill Chain, Interim Director, Chesapeake Bay Foundation-PA  [PaEN]

-- PA Capital-Star: $220 Million PA Clean Streams Fund Could Be ‘Game-Changer’ For Chesapeake Bay Cleanup Efforts

-- LancasterOnline - Sean Sauro: Lancaster County Stream Projects Get Funding Due To $1 Million Poultry Plant Settlement

-- Chesapeake Bay Trust Awards 2 Green Infrastructure/Jobs Grants In PA  [PaEN]

-- Ag Progress Days In-Person, Online Tours Cover Livestock, Forest Management, Water Quality Aug. 9-11 [PaEN]

-- DEP Partnering With 15 Engineering Firms To Design Mine Reclamation Projects To Be Funded By Federal Bipartisan Infrastructure Law  ​​[PaEN]

-- PA AML Campaign: Urge Sen. Toomey To Support Abandoned Mine Remediation STREAM Act  [PaEN]

-- Bradford Era: McKean County Conservation District Held Mine Drainage Tour

-- Tribune-Democrat: Cambria Conservation District Awards Contract For Stream Bank Stabilization Project

-- PennVEST Makes $269 Million Investment In 11 Water Infrastructure Projects In 10 Counties  [PaEN]

-- Post-Gazette: Pittsburgh Water & Sewer Authority Receives $209 Million PennVEST Loan For Massive Drinking Water System Overhaul

-- TribLive: ‘Everything Water’: Jacobs Creek Watershed Assn. Hosts 5th Headwaters Party July 23

-- LancasterOnline - Ad Crable: Snorkel Backyard Streams To Discover Underwater Spectacles

-- Call For Presenters, Sponsors For 2022 PSATS Regional Stormwater Conference Workshops  [PaEN]

-- Middle Susquehanna RiverKeeper: Floating Classroom Covers Mining Heritage And Acid Mine Drainage Issues

-- Coalition For The Delaware River Watershed: U.S. House Passes Delaware River Basin Conservation Reauthorization Act

-- Delaware RiverKeeper July 22 RiverWatch Video Report

-- Partnership For The Delaware Estuary 2021 Annual Report

Latest From The Chesapeake Bay Journal

Click Here to subscribe to the Chesapeake Bay Journal

Wildlife

-- WLVR: One Year Later, Researchers Still Don’t Know What Killed Hundreds Of Songbirds Last Summer In PA

-- Williamsport Sun - Julie Cramer-Le: A Little Spite Helped Turn Bird Watching Into A Passionate Hobby

-- York Daily Record: Purple Martin Colony Thrives At Mark’s Harness Shop

-- Bay Journal: Deer Caught In The Crosshairs As Their Population Grows In Chesapeake Bay Watershed - Ad Crable, Chesapeake Bay Journal

-- Post-Gazette - John Hayes: Game Commission Hands Over Evidence In Constitutional Case On Privacy Rights

-- Warren Times: Allegheny National Forest Proposes Indefinite Wildlife Feeding Ban

-- Post-Gazette: Annual Raccoon Rabies Baiting Program To Begin July 25 In Allegheny County

-- Dept. Of Agriculture: PA Rabies Cases As Of March

-- Post-Gazette: Salmonella Outbreak Linked To Small Pet Turtles Includes 2 PA Cases

-- York Daily Record - Brain Whipkey: Washington County Teen Shares Her Passion For Racoon Hunting With Help From Her Family And Dog

-- PennLive - Marcus Schneck: Susquehanna River Among Waterways Targeted As U.S.G.S. Takes Closer Look At Blotchy Bass Syndrome

-- Centre Daily Times: Eagle Scout Project Makes Centre County Wetlands Accessible

-- LancasterOnline - Ad Crable: Snorkel Backyard Streams To Discover Underwater Spectacles

-- York Dispatch: PennDOT Scraps Part Of Plan To Reduce Mayfly Swarm: ‘Like An Ancient Plague’

-- Fish & Boat Commission: eDNA From Invasive Silver Carp Identified In Lake Erie’s Presque Isle Bay

-- TribLive: New Kensington Native To Patrol Ohio River As Part Of Fish & Boat Commission’s Newest Officer Class

-- Warren Times: Book Tells Of Life As Fish & Boat Law Enforcement Officer

-- WPSU: PA Is Tracking Wild Turkeys By GPS To Find Out Why Populations Are Declining

-- Game Commission Seeking Public’s Assistance In Wild Turkey Survey

-- PennLive - Marcus Schneck: Original U.S. ‘Murder Hornet’ Nest Highlights Smithsonian ‘People And Nature’ Exhibit

West Nile/Zika Virus

-- NextPittsburgh: How You Can Protect Yourself Against West Nile Virus In The Pittsburgh Area

-- PennLive - Marcus Schneck: How To Avoid The Stingers And Biters Of Summer, And Deal With Them If You Can’t

CLICK HERE to View or Print the July 25  PA Environment Digest.

[Posted:  July 24, 2022]

7/25/2022