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

-- PennLive - Jan Murphy: Gov. Shapiro Viewed Favorable 3 Months Into His Term: Poll

-- Erie Times: New Poll: Who Are Most Popular/Unpopular State Officials In PA?

-- The Center Square - Anthony Hennen: New Poll: Despite Economic Pessimism, Hope Abounds In PA

Budget

-- DEP Blog: Gov. Shapiro’s Proposed Budget Supports Pennsylvania’s Environment

-- Post-Gazette - Ford Turner: Lawmaker Says DEP Bullies Hazardous Dam Owners; Acting Secretary Hopes To Change Culture At DEP

-- Dept. Of Revenue Reports March State Revenues $499.4 Million Over Its Estimates - 8.8%; Up $1.1 Billion For Fiscal Year

-- Independent Fiscal Office: March State Revenues $494.1 Million Above IFO Estimate -8.9%; Up $2.1 Billion For Fiscal Year

Norfolk Southern Train Derailment

-- City & State PA: Norfolk Southern Spent Millions On Lobbying And Political Donations In Harrisburg/Washington, D.C., Will It Pay Off?

-- The Center Square: OH. PA Congressional Lawmakers Want Commitment National Institutes Of Environmental Health To Help Respond To Norfolk Southern Train Derailment

-- Post-Gazette Editorial: PA’s U.S. Senators Leading The Way In Holding The Rail Industry Accountable

-- PennWest University California To Host April 13 In-Person/Online Program Ask The Expert: Environmental Disasters On Norfolk Southern Train Derailment  [PaEN]

-- FracTracker Alliance StoryMap Explores Environmental, Community Impacts Of Norfolk Southern Train Derailment

-- TribLive: Norfolk Southern Train Derails In Pittsburgh Carrying Empty Steel Cars

-- The Center Square - Anthony Hennen: Train Derailment One Of Many Environmental Disaster In PA [Abandoned Oil/Gas Wells, PFAS, Lack Of Resources To Enforce Laws]

-- USA Today: Families Weigh Future After Toxic Train Derailment: ‘I Don’t Want To Leave Them Behind’

-- WPost: Federal Regulators Called On Railroads To Review ‘Train Makeup’ Amid Rising Derailments Of Long Trains

Bucks County/Delaware River Chemical Spill

-- Courier Times: Trinseo, The Company Behind The Bucks County Chemical Spill, Here’s What We Know

-- WHYY: Philly Water Dept. Confirms Water Continues To Test Clean After Bucks County Chemical Spill

-- WHYY: Chemical Spill Prompts Review Of How Climate Change Could Threaten Philly’s Drinking Water

Environment/Energy Issues

-- Ohio Research Confirms Health, Environmental Hazards In Conventional Oil & Gas Drilling Wastewater Dumped On Roads, Just Like In PA  [PaEN]

-- New University Of Chicago Medical Study Connects Natural Gas Development In PA To Real, Serious Human Health Outcomes And Should Be A Call To Action For Policy Makers - By Alison Caldwell, PhD,  University of Chicago News  [PaEN]

-- House Bill Would Expand Safety Zones Around Oil/Gas Wells, Infrastructure To Reduce Adverse Health, Environmental Impacts As Recommended By AG Shapiro’s Grand Jury Report  [PaEN]

-- Pennsylvania Oil & Gas Weekly Compliance Dashboard - April 1 to 7; Leaking Gas Well On State Game Lands #87 Fixed  [PaEN]

-- DEP Inspection Finds Two Repsol Oil & Gas Shale Gas Wells Venting Natural Gas To Atmosphere, Defective Well Casing/Cementing In Susquehanna County; Violations Continue From May 2017  [PaEN]

-- PA Oil & Gas Industrial Facilities: Permit Notices/Opportunities To Comment - April 8  [PaEN]

-- PA Capital-Star: Bipartisan PA Bill Would Authorize [Real] Community Solar Projects, Green Light More Than 230 Projects In 48 Counties [At No Cost To Taxpayers]

-- Scranton Times Editorial: Lift Shade On Community Solar Power

-- PJM This Week Sends Penalty Assessments Of Up To $2 Billion To Electric Generators That Failed To Perform During December’s Winter Storm Elliot; Natural Gas Power Plants Had 63% Of Outages  [PaEN]

-- Utility Dive: Natural Gas-Fired Power Plant Owner Nautilus Power Seeks FERC Protection From PJM Nonperformance Penalties During Winter Storm Elliot

-- Utility Dive: Four More Power Plant Owners Seek FERC Protection From PJM Nonperformance Penalties For Winter Storm Elliott

-- The Center Square Guest Essay: Realizing Our Energy Potential And Ensuring Our Security - By Rep. Joshua Kail (R-Beaver)  [Produce More Natural Gas, Build More Pipelines, End Red Tape]

-- PennLive Guest Essay: Clean Energy Makes Economic And Environmental Sense For Pennsylvania - By Greg Alvarez, Energy Innovation

-- Courier Times Guest Essay: Shapiro, PA’s Divided Legislature Can Work Together To Reduce Energy Costs - Commonwealth Foundation [Build More Pipelines]

-- Homer City Coal-Fired Power Plant To Close In Indiana County; Low Price Of Natural Gas, High Price Of Coal, Regulatory Burdens, RGGI Cited As Causes; Solar Projects Waiting To Fill Gap  [PaEN]

-- Indiana Gazette: Homer City Power Plant To Be Idled In June

-- Post-Gazette - Anya Litvak: Homer City Coal Power Plant, The Largest In PA, Will Close By June, Solar Energy Projects Waiting To Fill Gap

-- Pittsburgh Business Times: Homer City, One Of PA’s Last Coal-Fired Power Plants, To Shut Down

-- StateImpactPA - Reid Frazier: Homer City, PA’s Largest Coal-Fired Power Plant, Has Been Operating At Only 20% In Recent Years

-- The Center Square: PA’s Biggest Coal Power Plant Will Shutter By July

-- Pittsburgh Business Times: Industry Groups Say RGGI, Regional Grid Cited As Factors In Closing Homer City Coal Plant

-- Utility Dive: Acadia Report: Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative Speeds Declines In Power Plant Emissions, Spurs Economic Growth

-- Pittsburgh Business Times/PittsburghINNO: Free Solar And EV Charger Installation Co-Op Program Launches For Eligible Allegheny County Residents

-- Reminder: Washington & Jefferson College Hosts April 5 Webinar On Justice40 - Bringing Energy Transition Benefits To Disadvantaged Communities  [PaEN]

-- AP: Biden Offers $450 Million For Clean Energy Projects At Coal Mines

-- Reuters: U.S. Details Plan To Draw Clean Energy Facilities Into Oil, Coal Communities

-- WITF: Why There’s An Ode To Natural Gas In The Pennsylvania Capitol Building

-- TribLive Guest Essay: Federal Farm Bill A Bipartisan Opportunity To Ensure America’s Bounty, Sustainability - By Molly Parzen, Conservation Voters Of PA

-- Post-Gazette: Democratic Allegheny County Executive Candidates Weigh In On Environmental Policy

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 (April 24): 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 in a process similar to what was called “sunset reviews” decades ago. That process was abandoned by the General Assembly because it became a costly, time-consuming exercise with little benefit; Senate Bill 508 (Mastriano-R-Adams) providing for a Train Derailment Emergency Grant Program to provide financial support for residents and small businesses impacted by the February Ohio/PA train derailment;  Senate Bill 466 (Brown-R-Lackawanna) providing for land bank environmental cleanup liability; Senate Resolution 59 (Mastriano-R- Adams) recognizing the impact of the February Ohio/PA train derailment on Pennsylvania residents.  <> Click Here for full Senate Bill Calendar.

House (April 24): <> Click Here for full House Bill Calendar.

Committee Meetings 

House   

April 11-- House Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee information meeting on organic production in PA.  Rodale Institute Visitor’s Center, Kutztown.  1:00 p.m.

<>  Click Here for full House Committee Schedule.

Senate

May 1-- [Tentative] Senate Environmental Resources and Energy Committee informational briefing from energy industry operators to discuss grid reliability as well as PJM policies and procedures.  Room 8E-B East Wing Capitol Building. 10:00 a.m.

 <>  Click Here for full Senate Committee Schedule.

Bills Introduced

Increasing Safety Zones Around Natural Gas Facilities: House Bill 170 (Otten-D-Chester) would expand safety zones around oil and gas wells and related natural gas infrastructure to help reduce their adverse impacts on public health and the environment.  Read more here.

Pipeline Emergency Response: House Bill 801 (Otten-D-Chester) would establish a Pipeline Early Detection and Warning Program, charge fees on pipeline operators to provide grants to municipalities, school districts and counties to develop pipeline emergency detection and public warning systems.

State Pollinator Task Force: House Bill 832 (Robb-D-Philadelphia) establishing a state Pollinator Task Force to promote the protection of pollinators.

Increasing Oil & Gas Act Penalties: House Bill 837 (Howard-D-Chester) would double the penalties for Oil and Gas Act violations from $1,000 to $2,000 for summary offenses and from $5,000 to $10,000 for willful misdemeanor violations and retain the provision which says each day a violation continues is a separate offense.

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

Budget Hearings: 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

Budget hearings: 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: April 9, 2023]

4/10/2023