07/15/24 - 152 New Stories - REAL Environmental & Conservation Leadership In PA: http://tinyurl.com/45529742
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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 -- Post-Gazette - Salena Zito: A Governor Who Governs - Shapiro Looks Back, And Forward, After 100 Days In Office -- Dept. Of Agriculture: PA Senate Confirms Russell Redding To Serve As Secretary Of Agriculture -- City & State PA: Keeping Track Of Senate Confirmation Of Shapiro Cabinet Nominations Budget -- PA Capital-Star: PA House Republican Budget Maven Calls For Reforms In 2023-24 Budget Process -- Post-Gazette - Salena Zito: The Federal Farm Bill Is For Everyone Norfolk Southern Train Derailment -- Post-Gazette: Norfolk Southern Says It Will Compensate Residents Whose Homes Lost Value Within 5 Mile Radius Of East Palestine Train Derailment -- Reuters: Norfolk Southern To Set Up Home Value Reimbursement Fund After Ohio Derailment -- PittsburghUnionProgress.com: Clean Air Council Urges Residents To ‘Opt In’ To Seek Out Information And Maintain Interest, After Norfolk Southern Train Derailment -- TribLive Editorial: Pennsylvania Has Real Role In Regulating Rail -- TribLive: Norfolk Southern Train Derails In New Castle, No Hazardous Materials Released -- KYW/CBSnews: Highways Pose Greatest Danger For Potential PA Hazmat Situations -- The Center Square: U.S. Senate Commerce Committee Advances Railway Safety Act -- PA Politics Of Russian Invasion -- AAA Gasoline Prices: Pennsylvania Average $3.67; National Average $3.53 -- PJM Interconnection: Summer Electricity Supplies Should Be Sufficient Under Anticipated Conditions; Higher Than Expected Generator Outages, Extreme Scenarios Could Bring Risk To Reserve Margins [PaEN] -- Utility Dive Guest Essay: How PJM Interconnection Grid Operator Got Its Electric Reliability Report Wrong - By Casey Roberts, Sierra Club -- Baker Hughes: PA Natural Gas Drilling Rigs Drop By 2 To 24 Last Week -- Reuters: U.S. Weekly Natural Gas Rig Count Falls By Most Since 2016 [17 Rigs], Baker Hughes [Gas Prices Plunged 49% So Far In 2023] -- Bloomberg: Natural Gas Drilling Collapses In U.S. At Fastest Rate In 7 Years Amid Tumbling Prices -- Bloomberg Guest Essay: ‘We Just Want Someone Sane:’ What Happens When A Small Town Goes MAGA - Washington, PA ‘In Pennsylvania, The Big Lie Is Spreading Its Roots’ -- Wall Street Journal: Big Oil/Natural Gas Has $150 Billion In Cash, Investors Want A Share; New Drilling Isn’t Near The Top Of The List -- Bloomberg: European Natural Gas Prices Set For Longest Run Of Weekly Losses Since 2020 -- Bloomberg: Europe’s Natural Gas Buying Slows On Expectations Of Further Price Crash -- Bloomberg: European Natural Gas Prices Extend Drop, Record Amounts Of LNG Idling In Ships At Sea Environment/Energy Issues -- The Guardian: Societal Cost Of PFAS ‘Forever Chemicals’ About $17.5 Trillion Across Global Economy, Report -- Spotlight PA: Federal Money Won’t Be Enough To Solve PA Abandoned Conventional Oil/Gas Well Problem, Current Well Owners Routinely Fail To Plug Their Wells -- PA General Energy Announced It Will Plug Proposed Oil & Gas Waste Injection Well In Grant Twp., Indiana County [PaEN] -- Triumph Township, Warren County Advertising For 100,000 Gallons Of ‘Salt Brine’ To Dump On Township Roads [PaEN] -- Moms Clean Air Force Blog: Happy Mother’s Day To My Growing, Badass Climate Community - By Alexandra Zissu -- Pennsylvania Oil & Gas Weekly Compliance Dashboard - May 6 to 12; Equitrans Gas Storage Area Issued New NOVs [PaEN] -- PA Oil & Gas Industrial Facilities: Permit Notices/Opportunities To Comment May 13 [PaEN] -- Inside Climate News - Jon Hurdle: Ohio Environmentalists, Oil Companies Battle State Over Dumping Of PA/OH Fracking Wastewater -- Republicans On Senate Environmental Committee Report Out Bills To Narrow Grounds For Appealing DEP Actions, Stream Cleaning, Take ‘Protection’ Out Of The Dept. Of Environmental Protection [PaEN] -- Senate Republicans Move Bills To Kill Regulations By Doing Nothing, Waive Any Permitting Requirement, Add Cost, Time, Complexity To Regulatory/Permitting Bureaucracy [PaEN] -- Pittsburgh Business Times: 60+ PA Business Groups Urge Action On State’s Permitting Reform -- PA Chamber Of Business & Industry, 67 Other Business Groups Call On Lawmakers To Enact Permitting Reform [SB 350] -- Pittsburgh Business Times: Expert: Permitting Reform Needed For Energy Transition -- Penn State Shale [Gas] Network Workshop Features Acting DEP Secretary Richard Negrin May 18-19 In State College [PaEN] -- PJM Interconnection: Summer Electricity Supplies Should Be Sufficient Under Anticipated Conditions; Higher Than Expected Generator Outages, Extreme Scenarios Could Bring Risk To Reserve Margins [PaEN] -- Utility Dive Guest Essay: How PJM Interconnection Grid Operator Got Its Electric Reliability Report Wrong - By Casey Roberts, Sierra Club -- PennLive - Jan Murphy: PA May Lift Ban On Using Recycled Material To Fill Stuffed Toys -- StateImpactPA - Rachel McDevitt: House Lawmakers Examine Cryptocurrency’s Use Of Waste Coal To Generate Power For Data Mining -- Capital & Main - Audrey Carleton: PA’s Largest Coal-Fired Power Plant Is Closing, What Would It Take To Transition The Site To Renewables? -- TribLive: Demo Crews Implode Former 510 MW Elrama Coal-Fired Power Plant In Washington County [Neighbor: “I’m glad it’s gone. There would be constant soot.” Neighbor: “We’re Used To It.” You Had To Scrub Your House Twice A Year.] -- Kleinman Center For Energy Policy, Resources For The Future: The Prospects For Pennsylvania As A RGGI Member - Reducing Emissions, Generating Revenue, Minimal Impact On Electricity Rates -- Inside Climate News - Jon Hurdle: New Study Bolsters Case For PA To Join Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative -- Marcellus Drilling News: UPenn Fake Report Endorses Marcellus-Killing RGGI Carbon Tax -- PennLive Guest Essay: Central PA Is Among The Nation’s Worst Air Pollution - By Evangelical Environmental Network [RGGI] -- Pittsburgh Business Times: New Study Tracks PA’s Top 12 Polluting Power Plant, And Nearly Half Are In Pittsburgh Region -- Tribune-Democrat: Report: Region’s Power Plants Among State’s Top Polluters -- Inquirer - Frank Kummer: Philly-Area Power Plant On Group’s List Of ‘Dirty Dozen’ PA Greenhouse Gas Polluters -- Scranton Times: Invenergy’s Natural Gas Power Plant Among State’s 12 Worst Greenhouse Gas Polluters, Study Shows -- WESA: Nearly Half Of PA’s Top 12 Greenhouse Gas Emitting Power Plants Are In Pittsburgh Region -- PA Capital-Star: Report: Pennsylvania Ranked Fourth Nationally In Greenhouse Gas Emissions In 2020 -- Scranton Times: Invenergy’s Natural Gas Power Plant Among State’s 12 Worst Greenhouse Gas Polluters, Study Shows -- WESA: Nearly Half Of PA’s Top 12 Greenhouse Gas Emitting Power Plants Are In Pittsburgh Region -- PA Capital-Star: Report: Pennsylvania Ranked Fourth Nationally In Greenhouse Gas Emissions In 2020 -- WHYY: Power Plants Among The Largest Industrial Climate Polluters In PA -- MCall: Who Are Top Greenhouse Gas Polluters In Lehigh Valley? New Report Provides Details -- Guest Essay: PA Conventional Oil/Gas Operators Blog: More Carbon Dioxide Is Good, Less Is Bad - By Gregory Wrightstone, CO2 Coalition [PaEN] -- New Jersey Monitor: Critics Of Gibbstown, NJ Plan For LNG Natural Gas Transport From Bradford County Warn Of Global Warming Impact -- Groups File Federal Lawsuit Against Shell Petrochemical Plant In Beaver County For Air Pollution Violations [PaEN] -- AP: Environmental Groups Sue Shell Over Air Quality At Massive New PA Petrochemical Plant -- Beaver County Times: Environmental Groups Sue Shell Petrochemical Plant For ‘Repeated Air Pollution Violations’ -- The Allegheny Front - Reid Frazier: Shell Petrochemical Plant’s Air Pollution Problems Have Some In Beaver County Questioning Its Ability To Be A Good Neighbor -- WESA/The Allegheny Front - Reid Frazier: Shell Petrochemical Plant’s Air Pollution Problems Leave Some Beaver County Locals Concerned -- Inside Climate News - Jon Hurdle: Shell Petrochemical Plant In Beaver County Sued Over Air Emissions -- Post Gazette: Shell Faces Lawsuits From Environmental Groups Over Pollution, Emissions At Its Beaver County Plant -- Reuters: Shell’s Start Up At Beaver County Petrochemical Plant Slower Than Expected, To Take Rest Of 2023 -- ABCNews: Microplastics In Lake Erie Highlight Growing Concern Over Potential Health Effects [Shale Gas Wells, Shell Petrochemical Plant] -- Bloomberg Guest Essay: ‘We Just Want Someone Sane:’ What Happens When A Small Town Goes MAGA - Washington, PA ‘In Pennsylvania, The Big Lie Is Spreading Its Roots’ -- Post-Gazette - Ford Turner: Pittsburgh’s E-Scooter Program Gets First Green Light In Harrisburg, But Will Face Opposition 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 Kill Regulations By Doing Nothing: Senate Bill 188 (DiSanto-R- Dauphin) authorizing the General Assembly to kill regulations by doing nothing [Read more here] was reported out of the Senate Appropriations Committee [Senate Fiscal Note & Summary] and passed by the Senate 28 to 21, with Republicans supporting. The bill now goes to the House for action. Read more here. ‘Sunset Review’ Of Regulations: 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 [Read more here]. The bill was reported out of the Senate Appropriations Committee [Senate Fiscal Note & Summary] and then passed by a vote of 28 to 21, with Republicans supporting. The bill now goes to the House for action. Read more here. Review Of Permit Applications By Private Contractors: Senate Bill 350 (Phillips-Hill-R- York) requires all state agencies to establish a program to require the review of permit applications by private contractors for applications that have been “delayed,” eliminating agency review of permit applications on behalf of the public and adding more state bureaucracy and cost on taxpayers [Read more here]. The Senate Intergovernmental Operations Committee amended the bill to include, among other provisions, a “deemed approved” requirement and reported it out by a party-line vote, Republicans supporting. The bill was then referred into and out of the Senate Appropriations Committee [Senate Fiscal Note & Summary]. The bill was then passed by the Senate 29 to 19, Republicans supporting. The bill now goes to the House for action. Read more here. Allow Waiving Of Any Permit Requirement In Regulatory ‘Sandbox’: Senate Bill 633 (Coleman-R-Bucks) establishing a Regulatory Relief Office in the Governor’s Office with the authority to waive or replace any regulatory requirements proposed by permit applicants with minimal public review [Read more here] about similar legislation last session was reported out of the Senate Intergovernmental Operations Committee by a party-line vote, Republicans supporting and was re-referred to the Senate Appropriations Committee. Read more here. Limiting Grounds Of Appeal Of DEP Actions: Senate Bill 198 (Bartolotta-R-Washington) which would create a new standard for the review for appeals of DEP permit actions before the Environmental Hearing Board by limiting parties appealing permit decisions-- a company or a citizens group-- to issues raised in and information contained in a record of decision of a permit prepared by DEP. This would prevent a citizens group or anyone else from raising issues DEP missed or misinterpreted. Read more here. DEP and the Shapiro Administration opposed the bill. The bill was reported out of the Senate Environmental Resources and Energy Committee on a party-line vote, Republicans supporting, and is now on the Senate Calendar for action. Read more here. Limiting Terms of Environmental Hearing Board Members: Senate Bill 199 (Bartolotta-R- Washington) requires members of the Board whose terms have expired to be reappointed by the Governor and confirmed by the Senate. DEP and the Shapiro Administration opposed the bill. The bill was reported out of the Senate Environmental Resources and Energy Committee on a party-line vote, Republicans supporting, and is now on the Senate Calendar for action. Read more here. 10-Year ‘Stream Cleaning’ Permit: Senate Bill 689 (Yaw-R-Lycoming) would authorize DEP to issue a 10-year “stream cleaning” permits to local governments or PennDOT without need for further preapprovals for actions in the stream regardless if stream conditions changes within their jurisdictions. Read more about DEP’s less complex program to authorize stream maintenance to avoid flooding. DEP and the Shapiro Administration opposed the bill. The bill was reported out of the Senate Environmental Resources and Energy Committee on a party-line vote, Republicans supporting, and is now on the Senate Calendar for action. Read more here. County ‘Stream Cleaning’ Permit: Senate Bill 690 (Yaw-R-Lycoming) would authorize county conservation districts to develop a complex and expensive program related to “reconstruction emergency permit authorizations” to conduct “stream cleaning” operations. Read more about DEP’s less complex program to authorize stream maintenance to avoid flooding. DEP is neutral on the bill because the prime sponsor worked together on changes cooperatively. The Senate Environmental Resources and Energy Committee reported out the bill by a largely bipartisan vote, and is now on the Senate Calendar for action. Read more here. Renaming DEP Dept. Of Environmental Services: Senate Bill 691 (Yaw-R-Lycoming) would rename the Department of Environmental Protection to the Department of Environmental Services. The bill also opens up Act 18 of 1995 creating DEP and the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources to any and all amendments. DEP and the Shapiro Administration opposed the bill. The bill was reported out of the Senate Environmental Resources and Energy Committee on a party-line vote, Republicans supporting, and is now on the Senate Calendar for action. Read more here. Bill Calendars Senate (June 5): Senate Bill 100 (Brooks-R-Crawford) further providing for Lyme disease and tick-borne illness medical coverage; Senate Bill 198 (Bartolotta-R-Washington) which would create a new standard for the review for appeals of DEP permit actions before the Environmental Hearing Board by limiting parties appealing permit decisions-- a company or a citizens group-- to issues raised in and information contained in a record of decision of a permit prepared by DEP. This would prevent a citizens group or anyone else from raising issues DEP missed or misinterpreted [Read more here]; Senate Bill 199 (Bartolotta-R- Washington) requires members of the Board whose terms have expired to be reappointed by the Governor and confirmed by the Senate [Read more here]; Senate Bill 689 (Yaw-R-Lycoming) would authorize DEP to issue a 10-year “stream cleaning” permits to local governments or PennDOT without need for further preapprovals for actions in the stream regardless if stream conditions changes within their jurisdictions [Read more here]; Senate Bill 690 (Yaw-R-Lycoming) would authorize county conservation districts to develop a complex and expensive program related to “reconstruction emergency permit authorizations” to conduct “stream cleaning” operations [Read more here]; Senate Bill 691 (Yaw-R-Lycoming) would rename the Department of Environmental Protection to the Department of Environmental Services. The bill also opens up Act 18 of 1995 creating DEP and the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources to any and all amendments [Read more here]. <> Click Here for full Senate Bill Calendar. House (May 22): House Bill 797 (B.Miller-R-Lancaster) providing for the use of native plants along highways by PennDOT; House Resolution 87 (Daily-D-Montgomery) directing the Legislative Budget and Finance Committee to study the benefits of wildlife conservation corridors. <> Click Here for full House Bill Calendar. Committee Meetings House May 19-- Philadelphia LNG Natural Gas Export Task Force hearing on feasibility consideration for a potential LNG export terminal in or around the Port of Philadelphia. Steamfitters Local Union 420, 14420 Townsend Road, Philadelphia. 10:00 a.m. <> Click Here for full House Committee Schedule. Senate May 19-- Senate Democratic Policy Committee hearing on unsafe practices in the railroad industry. Pittsburgh Federation of Teachers, 10 S. 19th Street, Pittsburgh. 11:00 a.m. <> Click Here for full Senate Committee Schedule. <> Click Here for full Senate Committee Schedule. 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 May 22, 23, 24 June 5, 6, 7, 12, 13, 14, 20, 21, 22, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30 Senate June 5, 6, 7, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30 [Posted: May 14, 2023] |
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5/15/2023 |
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