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News From PA House & Senate
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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 On Ohio/PA Train Derailment - Week Of Feb. 27 [PaEN] -- Feb. 27: Shapiro Davis Administration Opening PA Health Resource Center In Beaver County Tuesday; Healthcare Providers Webinar; Door-To-Door Health Survey [PaEN] -- March 2: 200 PA Residents Impacted By Norfolk Southern Train Derailment Visit Beaver County Health Resource Center In First Two Days [PaEN] -- TribLive: Hundreds Of PA Residents Turn To Beaver County Resource Center Near Train Derailment Site For Help -- TribLive: PA Residents Seek Answers To Train Derailment-Related Questions At Beaver County Clinic -- Post-Gazette: PA Residents Worried About Ohio/PA Train Derailment Flocking To Beaver County Health Center -- The Guardian: Residents Of Towns Near Toxic Train Derailment Feel Forgotten: ‘No One Is Coming To Save Us’ [OH/PA Residents Included] -- TribLive: Carnegie Mellon Air Quality Data Shows Levels Of One Chemical Of ‘Potential Concern’ From Ohio Train Derailment Site -- WESA: CMU Researchers Find High Levels Of A Hazardous Chemical Acrolein Weeks After Ohio/PA Train Derailment [Acrolein Also Used In Fracking Fluids And To Treat Shale Gas Drilling Impoundments] -- Acting Attorney General Henry Opens Complaint Hotline For Reports Related To Ohio/PA Train Derailment [PaEN] -- Inquirer: We Sat Down With Gov. Shapiro To Talk About His First Month, First Budget, Train Derailment, Here Are Our Takeaways Budget -- AP: Shapiro Will Pitch First Budget As Governor Tuesday - What To Watch For -- TribLive: Shapiro Hints At Budget Priorities For Pittsburgh Region In Visit -- AP: Shapiro To Aim Tax Break At Police Officers, Teachers, Nurses In New Budget -- PA Capital-Star Guest Essay: It’s Time To Hear Bold Leadership On Oil & Gas In Gov. Shapiro’s Budget Address - By Melissa Ostroff, EarthWorks, Member Shapiro Transition Team [PaEN] -- Wilkes-Barre Times: Resurrecting The Natural Gas Severance Tax Debate -- Dept. Of Revenue Reports February State Revenues $351.8 Million Above Estimates, $649.3 Million Over For Fiscal Year -- Independent Fiscal Office Reports February State Revenues $407 Million Above IFO’s Estimates; Up $1.6 Billion For Fiscal Year -- The Center Square - Anthony Hennen: PA State Treasurer: PA’s ‘Silver Tsunami’ Could Mean $18 Billion State Budget Shortfall -- TribLive: Shapiro Hints At Budget Priorities For Pittsburgh Region In Visit -- Inquirer: We Sat Down With Gov. Shapiro To Talk About His First Month, First Budget, Train Derailment, Here Are Our Takeaways -- AP: Shapiro To Aim Tax Break At Police Officers, Teachers, Nurses In New Budget -- PA Capital-Star: PA Lt. Gov. Davis Teases Shapiro’s Spending Priorities [‘Equitable Education’] -- AP: With State Court Win, PA Schools Want Plan, Down Payment On Public School Funding Reform Train Derailment -- Pennsylvania State Actions On Ohio/PA Train Derailment - Week Of Feb. 27 [PaEN] -- Senate Committee Votes 9-1 To Issue A Subpoena To Compel CEO Of Norfolk Southern To Appear At March 8 Hearing On Train Derailment; 2nd Subpoena Expected Next Week For Documents [PaEN] -- PA Capital-Star: PA Senate Committee Votes To Subpoena Norfolk Southern CEO To March 8 Hearing -- Post-Gazette - Ford Turner: PA Senate Committee Subpoenaed Norfolk Southern CEO In Ohio/PA Derailment Probe -- AP: Norfolk Southern CEO To Testify In U.S. Senate March 9 About Ohio/PA Train Derailment -- The Guardian: Residents Of Towns Near Toxic Train Derailment Feel Forgotten: ‘No One Is Coming To Save Us’ [OH/PA Residents Included] -- EnergyWire: Is Shipping LNG Natural Gas By Rail Safe? -- Scranton Times Editorial: Well At Least The Ohio/PA Train Derailment Wasn’t LNG Natural Gas -- The Center Square - Anthony Hennen: PA Senate Hearing: Federal Regulators Tie PA’s Hands On Hazmat Train Safety [Senate Transportation Committee hearing video, testimony] -- Post-Gazette - Ford Turner: PA Senate Consider Issuing Subpoena To Norfolk Southern To Compel Testimony -- NextPittsburgh: Pittsburgh Scientists Answer Questions On Ohio/PA Train Derailment; Experts Agreed That Pittsburghers Are Probably Safe, But Maybe Not Residents In Beaver, Butler Counties -- PA Capital-Star: PA’s Cong. Deluzio, California’s Khanna Look To Beef Up Regs For Toxic Trains -- PA Capital-Star: PA’s U.S. Senators Casey, Fetterman Join Bill Aimed At Preventing Future Train Derailments -- Altoona Mirror Editorial: Norfolk Southern Has Some Image Work To Repair Environment/Energy Issues -- Senate Committee Meets March 8 To Consider Bill Allowing General Assembly To Kill Regulations By Doing Nothing [PaEN] -- Senate Committee Meets March 6 On Bill Prohibiting Elected Officials In Local Governments From Moving To Cleaner Energy Sources To Combat Climate Change [PaEN] -- Bay Journal: PA Conventional Gas Wells Routinely Abandoned, Left Unplugged - By Ad Crable, Chesapeake Bay Journal [PaEN] -- The Center Square - Anthony Hennen: PA’s Program To Plug Abandoned Conventional Wells Lacks Public Oversight -- Republican Herald Editorial: Hold Owners Of Natural Gas Wells Accountable For Abandoned Wells -- PA Capital-Star Guest Essay: It’s Time To Hear Bold Leadership On Oil & Gas In Gov. Shapiro’s Budget Address - By Melissa Ostroff, EarthWorks, Member Shapiro Transition Team [PaEN] -- Observer-Reporter Guest Essay: Natural Gas Pipelines Can Secure Our Energy And Economic Future - By Republican Sen. Bartolotta [DEP hasn’t denied any pipeline permits in PA, But they are the most heavily penalized for violations of any industry in PA history] -- Senate Hearing On Electric Grid Reliability: Natural Gas Continues To Have Reliability Problems; Renewables Aren’t Coming Online Fast Enough; Energy Office To Be Proposed [PaEN] -- Sen. Yaw Proposes Independent Energy Office To Promote Development Of PA’s Diverse Energy Portfolio - Natural Gas, Nuclear Power, Coal [PaEN] -- Post-Gazette: Smoke Stacks From Closed Hatfield’s Ferry Coal-Fired Power Plant Demolished, Closing Chapter In PA Industrial History In Greene County: ‘I’m Ecstatic. It Was The Dirtiest, Dirtiest Place Ever. It Put A Blight On Our Community’ -- StateImpactPA - Rachel McDevitt: PA Lawmakers Hear Challenges To Electric Grid Reliability; Experts Call For Clear Policy -- Republican Herald Guest Essay: Living On The Electric Grid Could Mean Living On The Edge - By Gregory Maresca, Freelance Writer From Northumberland County -- PJM Interconnection Study Shows Renewable Energy Sources Not Coming Online Fast Enough To Replace Fossil Fuel Plants; Critical Path Analysis Started To Avoid Grid Reliability Risks [PaEN] -- Latest PJM Interconnection Electricity Capacity Auction Shows Price Decrease, But Mixed Results In PA [PaEN] -- Utility Dive: PJM Launches Fast-Track Capacity Market Reform Process In Face Of Shrinking Generation Reserve Margins -- Republicans On Senate Committee Report Out Bills On Decommissioning Solar Energy Facilities, Limiting 1 Use Of PFAS Chemicals, Resolution Calling For Restart Of Keystone XL Pipeline [PaEN] -- Senate Republicans, 4 Democrats Pass Resolution Urging Restart Of Keystone XL Oil Pipeline Abandoned By Company [BTW Not In PA] [PaEN] -- PA Senate Republican Caucus Lays Out Priorities & Principles: Protect PA Jobs (Energy Independence & Affordability), Empower PA Families, Defend PA Freedoms 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] Senate, House Bills Moving Last Week The following environmental and energy bills saw movement last week-- Senate Restarting Keystone XL Pipeline: Senate Resolution 9 (Langerholc-R-Cambria) urging President Biden to restart construction of Keystone XL Pipeline, which is not in Pennsylvania was reported out of the Senate Environmental Resources and Energy Committee on a party-line vote, Republicans supporting and adopted by Senate 31 to 18. [Read more here.] TC Energy abandoned its plans for the Keystone XL Pipeline for good in June 2021 to carry Canadian oil to Steele City, Kansas. The existing Keystone Pipeline system is still functioning delivering Canadian oil to Oklahoma, Houston and Illinois. The Keystone Pipeline shutdown in January after spilling 600,000 gallons of oil which will cost an estimated $480 million to clean up. The pipeline has experienced nearly two dozen accidents since going into service in 2010. Suspending Certain Truck Diesel Emissions Standards: 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 was reported out of the Senate Environmental Resources and Energy Committee on a party-line vote, Republicans supporting and was passed by the Senate. It now goes to the House for action. [Read more here] Diesel Mining Equipment: Senate Bill 115 (Stefano-R-Fayette) adopting the federal standard for replacing oil and oil filters on diesel-powered coal mining equipment was reported out of the Senate Appropriations Committee and passed unanimously by the Senate. Now goes to the House for action. PFAS Firefighting Foam: 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 was reported out of the Senate Environmental Resources and Energy Committee on a party-line vote, Republicans supporting and was referred to and reported from the Senate Appropriations Committee and is now on the Senate Calendar for action. [Read more here about the threats posed by PFAS chemicals and their spread in the environment. “For the general public, the main sources of PFAS exposure are from drinking water and food, such as eating fish, eggs, or milk, or livestock that has fed on contaminated land. Direct exposure can also come via cosmetics, sprays or dust from consumer products, but little is known of the impacts through these pathways.”] Decommissioning Solar Energy Facilities: 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 was reported out of the Senate Environmental Resources and Energy Committee on a party-line vote, with Republicans and Sen. Carolyn Comitta (D-Chester) supporting and was referred to the Senate Appropriations Committee. Bill Calendars Senate (March 6): 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. <> Click Here for full Senate Bill Calendar. House (March 6): <> Click Here for full House Bill Calendar. Committee Meetings House <> Click Here for full House Committee Schedule. Senate March 6-- Senate Local Government Committee meets to consider Senate Bill 143 (Yaw-R-Lycoming)-- that would take away the authority of elected local government officials to move to cleaner sources of energy to address climate change. Room 8E-A East Wing Capitol Building. Noon. Click Here to watch online. Click Here to read more on the agenda. March 8-- Senate Veterans Affairs and Emergency Preparedness Committee hearing to question Alan Shaw, CEO of Norfolk Southern on the Ohio/PA train derailment [subpoena issued for his appearance]. Hearing Room 1, North Office Building. 9:00 a.m. Click Here to watch live. Click Here to read more on agenda. March 8-- Senate Intergovernmental Operations Committee meets to consider Senate Bill 188 (DiSanto-R-Dauphin) amending the Regulatory Review Act to authorize the General Assembly to kill “economically significant” regulations by doing nothing; Senate Bill 190 (Brooks-R- Crawford) requiring an automatic three-year review of economically significant regulations. Room 461. 10:00 a.m. Click Here to watch live. Click Here to read more on 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 Opening Land For Recreation: House Bill 33 (Struzzi-R-Indiana) opening land for recreational purposes and limiting liability. Land Bank Environmental Liability: Senate Bill 466 (Brown-R-Lackawanna) extending environmental liability protections to land banks. 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 March 6, 7, 8 Budget Hearings: March 20, 21, 22, 23, 27, 28, 29, 30, April 11, 12, 13, 14 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 March 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: March 5, 2023] |
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3/6/2023 |
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