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

Environment & Energy NewsClips--

Gov. Shapiro

-- Pennsylvania State Actions Last Week On Ohio/PA Train Derailment [PaEN]

-- Feb. 22: Gov. Shapiro Ensuring Local PA Fire Departments Are Reimbursed By Norfolk Southern For Contaminated Equipment  [PaEN]

-- Feb. 21: Gov. Shapiro Visits Ohio/EPA Train Derailment Site; Beaver County To Give Update Hear More From Residents; Case Referred To AG For Criminal Investigation  [PaEN - 2.21.23]

-- ​​Feb. 20: DEP Provides Update On Actions Monitoring Air, Water For Impacts From Ohio/PA Train Derailment  [PaEN]

-- Feb. 25: DEP Has Collected Water Samples From Nearly Every Private Well In PA Within One Mile Of Norfolk Southern Derailment Site; Results Expected Next Week  [PaEN]

-- Post-Gazette - John Hayes: PA Officials Insist Pollution From Ohio/PA Trail Derailment Not Harming Animals In PA

-- NBC News: Gov. Shapiro Said Tuesday DEP Referred The Ohio/PA Train Derailment To The PA Office Of Attorney General For Criminal Investigation

-- PA Capital-Star: Gov. Shapiro Blasts Norfolk Southern For ‘Arrogance And Incompetence’ In Ohio/Train Derailment

-- Pittsburgh Business Times: Gov. Shapiro Vows To Hold Norfolk Southern Accountability For Ohio/PA Train Derailment

Senate/House

-- PA Capital-Star: House Speaker Previews Rules Proposal As Legal Relief For Child Abuse Survivors Advances

-- PA Capital-Star: PA House Speaker Headed For Clash With Senate Republicans On Child Sexual Abuse Survivors’ Bill

Budget

-- PA Capital-Star: PA’s Budget Future: Surpluses Could Give Way To Huge Deficits

-- The Center Square - Anthony Hennen: Report: PA’s Tax Burden Still A Mixed Bag

Ohio/PA Train Derailment

-- Pennsylvania State Actions Last Week On Ohio/PA Train Derailment [PaEN]

-- Sen. Mastriano: PA Senate Committee Hosts Hearing Highlight Effects Of Norfolk Southern Ohio/PA Train Derailment Emergency Response Efforts

-- WESA: PA Leaders Begin To Piece Together What Happened After Ohio/PA Train Derailment

-- Post-Gazette - Ford Turner: PA Residents Describe The Horror Of Ohio/PA Train Derailment At PA Senate Hearing; ‘The Whole Sky Was Black’

-- PennLive: PA Residents Near Ohio/PA Train Derailment Ask Not To Be Forgotten: ‘We Count, Too’

-- TribLive: PA Senate Committee Hears 5 Hours Of Testimony On Ohio/PA Train Derailment

-- The Center Square - Anthony Hennen: Senate Hearing: Railroad’s Cagey Decisions After Ohio/PA Derailment Impeded Response

-- PA Emergency Management Agency Opens New Ohio/PA Train Derailment Webpage

-- Post-Gazette: Norfolk Southern Will Not Attend PA Senate Hearing This Week On Ohio/PA Train Derailment

-- ABC27: Sen. Mastriano Visits Ohio/PA Train Derailment Site  [2 PA Senate Hearings Scheduled]

-- Insider: Sen. Mastriano Told Supporters He Didn’t Take Money From Norfolk Southern, Records Show He Took $1,000 

-- The Center Square Guest Essay: Pennsylvania Deserves Answers About Ohio/PA Train Derailment - Sen. Doug Mastriano (R-Adams)

-- Patch.com: PA Lawmakers Call For Suspension Of Federal Regulations Allowing Rail Transport Of LNG Natural Gas In Wake Of Train Derailment

-- The Guardian: U.S. Averaging One Chemical  Accident Every 2 Days From Train Derailments, Pipeline Ruptures, Truck Crashes, Industrial Spills

Environment/Energy Issues

-- Senate Committee Meets Feb. 27 On Decommissioning Solar Energy Facilities, Limiting 1 Use Of PFAS Chemicals, Resolution Calling For Restart Of Keystone XL Pipeline  [PaEN]

-- The Guardian: What Are PFAS, How Toxic Are They And How Do You Become Exposed?

-- Guest Essay: Forestal Or Foresee - The Energy Transition And The Pennsylvania Legislature - By Ralph Kisberg, Responsible Drilling Alliance, Lycoming County   [PaEN] 

-- PA Capital-Star: Republican Rep. Struzzi Plans To Introduce Bill To ‘Eliminate’ RGGI Regulation To Reduce Carbon Pollution From Power Plants

-- Scranton Times: PPL Customers Say Their Electric Bills Are Still Wrong

-- Wilkes-Barre Times: PPL CEO: ‘We Should Have And Could Have Done Better’ With Incorrect Customer Bills, Utility Still Working To Correct Customer Problems

-- PA Capital-Star Guest Essay: PA’s Electric Deregulation Law Has Again Let Down Consumers, PPL’s Billing Problem Proves It

-- Utility Dive: FERC Approves PJM’s Mid-Auction Capacity Rule Change Over Protests From Some Generators

-- PA Capital-Star: After A Series Of Winter Storms, FERC Approves New Standards For Power Plants To Prevent Power Failures During Extreme Weather  [PJM’s December Freeze Included]

-- Warren Times: Rep. Causer To Introduce Bill To Preempt Natural Gas Stove, Furnace Bans

-- Lehigh Valley Live: Lawmaker Wants Study Of Conservation Corridors To Protect Wildlife

Top 10 Stories On Harrisburg/PA Politics 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]

Bill Calendars

Senate (February 27): Senate Bill 115 (Stefano-R-Fayette) adopting federal requirements for replacement of oil and oil filters on diesel-powered underground coal mining equipment. <> Click Here for full Senate Bill Calendar.

House (February 27): <> Click Here for full House Bill Calendar.

Committee Meetings

House   

<>  Click Here for full House Committee Schedule.

Senate

February 27-- Agenda Posted. Senate Transportation Committee holds hearing on hazardous materials moved by rail in PA.  Hearing Room 1, North Office Building. 11:00.  Click Here to watch the hearing online.  (Click Here for more on the agenda.)

February 27-- Agenda Posted. Senate Environmental Resources & Consumer Protection Committees hold joint hearing on Electric Grid Reliability And Winter Storm Elliot. Room 8E-B East Wing Capitol Building. 10:00 a.m.   Click Here to watch the hearing live.  (Click Here for more on the agenda.)

February 27--  Senate Environmental Resources and Energy Committee meets to consider Senate Bill 144 (Yaw-R-Lycoming) would restrict the use of PFAS ‘forever chemicals’ in firefighting foams, which is only a very small use for the chemicals that can be found in thousands of products; Senate Bill 211 (Yaw-R-Lycoming) the bill-- the former Senate Bill 284-- sets decommissioning rules for utility-scale solar energy facilities, including preempting local ordinances and regulations on decommissioning; and requiring compliance with the federal Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act; Senate Bill 254 (Yaw-R-Lycoming) would suspend DEP’s regulations setting heavy-duty diesel emissions standards based on California standards. DEP already did this in November 2021 allowing federal standards to remain in place; Senate Resolution 9 (Langerholc-R-Cambria) urging President Biden to restart construction of Keystone XL Pipeline, which is not in Pennsylvania.  TC Energy abandoned its plans for the Keystone XL Pipeline for good in June 2021 to carry Canadian oil to Steele City, Kansas.  Senate Rules Room.  Off The Floor.  No video coverage.  Click Here for more on the agenda.)

March 9--Senate  Transportation Committee hearing on charging electric vehicles.  University of Pittsburgh, Alumni Hall, Room 121, Pittsburgh. 1:00 p.m. Click Here to watch live.

 <>  Click Here for full Senate Committee Schedule.

Bills Introduced

Changing Definition Of Water Pollution:  Senate Bill 286 (Yaw-R-Lycoming) fundamentally changing the definition of water pollution and letting businesses decide whether they want to report spills.  Read more here.

Oil & Gas Industry Permit Changes:  Senate Bill 364 (Bartolotta-R-Washington) which makes fundamental changes in the erosion and sedimentation permitting requirements for conventional and unconventional oil and gas activities, including well pads, pipelines, processing and treatment facilities at the request of the oil and gas industry. Read more here.

Eminent Domain Bill Of Rights:  Senate Bill 369 (Mastriano-R-Adams) Providing for a property owner’s bill of rights statement in the case of eminent domain actions by government or private companies.

Lake Erie Groin Fee Exemption: Senate Bill 382 (Laughlin-R-Erie) exempting certain landowners from state fees for groin structures into Lake Erie.

Protection Of Water Supplies From Pipelines:  Senate Bill 392 (Schwank-D-Berks) establishing a 2,500 foot rebuttable presumption for liability for private wells and water sources contaminated by oil and gas pipelines.

Pipeline Eminent Domain:  Senate Bill 404 (Comitta-D-Chester) providing oversight for eminent domain actions by pipeline companies

Bills Pending In Key Committees

Check the PA Environmental Council Bill Tracker for the status and updates on pending state legislation and regulations that affect environmental and conservation efforts in Pennsylvania.

Session Schedule

Here is the latest voting session schedule for the Senate and House-- 

House

February 27, 28

March 1, 6, 7, 8

April 24, 25, 26

May 1, 2, 3, 22, 23, 24

June 5, 6, 7, 12, 13, 14, 20, 21, 22, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30

Senate

February 27, 28

March 1, 6, 7, 8

Budget hearings: March 20, 21, 22, 23, 27, 28, 29, 30 and April 11, 12, 13

April 24, 25, 26

May 1, 2, 3, 8, 9, 10

June 5, 6, 7, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30

[Posted: February 26, 2023]

2/27/2023