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

-- NOTE: Governor’s nomination of Richard Negrin as DEP Secretary and Cindy Adams Dunn as DCNR Secretary will be on legislative Day 16 of 25 when the Senate returns to session on June 5.  June 27 is the last day for action.  No Committee action scheduled yet. 

-- NOTE: Rodney R. Akers, Esq. has been nominated to the Environmental Hearing Board as a placeholder to replace Thomas Renwand who retired.

Environment & Energy NewsClips--

Gov. Shapiro

-- DCNR: Gov. Shapiro Opens New Lehigh Gorge State Park Access Point To Highlight How Proposed Budget Investments In Parks, Forests Will Benefit Public, Economy

-- Citizens Voice: Gov. Shapiro Opens Trail, Boat Access On Lehigh River At White Haven, Luzerne County

Budget

-- Independent Fiscal Office Releases Initial Revenue Estimate For FY 2023-24

-- The Center Square: Economic Outlook Projects Modest Growth In Pennsylvania

Federal Budget

-- Bloomberg: Here’s Why Energy Permitting Reform Is On The Table In U.S. Debt-Limit Talks

Norfolk Southern Train Derailment

-- Post-Gazette: NTSB Sets June 22-23 Hearing On Norfolk Southern Train Derailment

PA Politics Of Russian Invasion

-- The Center Square - Anthony Hennen: Familiar Skepticism Clouds Outlook For Philadelphia LNG Natural Gas Export Hub

-- Baker Hughes - PA Natural Gas Drill Rigs Same As Last Week 24

-- Reuters: European Union Natural Gas Use Expected To Shrink By More Than Its Russian Impacts

-- Bloomberg: Natural Gas Price Plunge Brings Relief To Europe After Energy Panic

-- Bloomberg: Plunging LNG Natural Gas Prices Put U.S. Export Cancellations In The Frame

-- Bloomberg: European Natural Gas Price Slumps Again As Industries Struggle To Boost Demand

Environment/Energy Issues

-- Things Are Different In The House: Hearing On Hydrogen Hubs Became ‘Democracy’ vs. ‘Open Mic Night’  [PaEN]

-- House Bill Introduced To Create Veterans Entering The Sustainability Sector Workforce Incentive Program  [PaEN]

-- Democrats On House Environmental Committee Report Out Bill To Help Prevent The Routine Abandonment Of 561 Conventional Oil/Gas Wells A Year  [PaEN]

-- The Daily Item:  Conventional Well Plugging Bill Amended To Give It Better Shot At Passing Through House - Rep. Vitali

-- Spotlight PA: PA Limited A Board’s Power To Regulate Oil & Gas Wells, Democrats Want To Restore It

-- Republican Herald Editorial: Hold Conventional Oil/Gas Industry Responsible For Capping Wells

-- Conventional Oil/Gas Industry Bothered By DEP Records Showing They Receive NOVs For Abandoning An Average Of 561 Oil/Gas Wells A Year  [PaEN]

-- Citizens Voice Editorial: Renew Bonds To Close, Cleanup Conventional Oil, Gas Wells  [PaEN]

-- The Center Square Guest Essay: Accountability, Stronger Bonding Rules Can Ease Routine Conventional Well Abandonment Problem - By Sierra Club

-- Warren Times Editorial: Keeping A Natural Lifeline Pure With Environmental Rights Amendment - Environmental Quality A Right Not A Luxury [The Heart Of The Conventional Oil & Gas Drilling Industry]  [PaEN]

-- Observer-Reporter Editorial: Court Drills Down On Environment - Environmental Quality A Right Not A Luxury [The Heart Of The Unconventional Shale Gas Drilling Industry]  [PaEN]

-- Citizens Voice Editorial: PA Supreme Court Reaffirms Environmental Quality Is A Right Not A Luxury In Shale Gas Drilling Ruling   [PaEN]

-- Pennsylvania Oil & Gas Weekly Compliance Dashboard - May 20 to 26; DEP Issues More NOVs For Conventional Well Abandonments  [PaEN]

-- PA Oil & Gas Industrial Facilities: Permit Notices/Opportunities To Comment - May 27   [PaEN]

-- House Committee Unanimously Reports Out Bill Creating Solar Energy Grant Program For Schools; Also Moves Resolution Urging Hydrogen Hub In PA  [PaEN]

-- Evangelical Environmental Network Supports Legislation Creating Solar Energy Grant Program For Schools - Bills Will Defend Children’s Health  [HB 1032, SB 230]

-- PennLive - Jan Murphy: Bill Would Fund More PA Schools To Tap Sunshine To Power Their Buildings

-- Post-Gazette Editorial: Solar Energy Facility Better Than Nothing For Toxic Coal Waste Site

-- The Center Square - Anthony Hennen: Hydrogen Hubs Threaten Taxpayer Waste Without Thoughtful Design

-- Pittsburgh Business Times: How Appalachia Is Vying For Big Hydrogen And What It Will Mean To Win

-- The Center Square - Anthony Hennen: Hydrogen Hubs Threaten Taxpayer Waste Without Thoughtful Design

-- Forbes - Cyrus Farivar: How PA Politics Are Shaking Up The State’s Cryptocurrency Scene - Tax Credits, Energy Options To Power Bitcoin Data Mining Operations

-- Inquirer Guest Essay: Cryptocurrency Data Mining In PA Must Be Regulated - By Rep. Greg Vitali, Charles McPhedran, Earthjustice

-- AP: PA Supreme Court Appears Split Over PA Plan To Force Power Plants To Pay For Carbon Emissions [RGGI]

-- PA Capital-Star: PA Supreme Court Hears Arguments On Order Halting Greenhouse Gas Reduction Program

-- Politics PA: PA Supreme Court Considers Whether Power Plants Should Pay For Greenhouse Gas Emissions

-- AP: PA Supreme Court To Consider Plan To Make Power Plants Pay For Greenhouse Gas Emissions

-- TribLive Guest Essay: Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative Can Help Communities Throughout PA - Sierra Club

-- PennLive - Jan Murphy: Bill Aims To Curb PA Litter Problem With Hefty Fines, Community Service For Offenders

-- Cameron County Chamber Of Commerce Announces Participants In PA Wilds Remote Working Project To Visit The County In July  [PaEN]

-- The Center Square - Anthony Hennen: Lifestyle Goals May Spark Rural Renaissance

-- TribLive: Ohiopyle’s Other Side: Fewer Than 30 People Live In The Borough Dwarfed By A State Park

-- TribLive Guest Essay: Should PA’s State Park Serve Alcohol?  By Mark Nicastre  [Spoiler - Yes]

-- House Adopts Bipartisan Resolution To Study Wildlife Habitat Corridors To Protect Wildlife And People  [PaEN]

-- YourErie.com: Republican Cong. Kelly Voices Opposition To Proposed French Creek Wildlife Refuge

-- The Ripon Advance: PA Republican Cong. Kelly, Thompson Seek Federal Reconsideration Of Proposed French Creek Watershed National Wildlife Refuge

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--

House

Notify Property Owners Of Flood Map Changes: House Bill 246 (T.Davis-D-Bucks) would require notification of property owners of changes to the FEMA federal flood maps was reported out of the House Appropriations Committee [House Fiscal Note & Summary] and passed by the House by a vote of 160 to 41 and now goes to the Senate for action.

PennDOT Native Vegetation: House Bill 797 (B.Miller-R-Lancaster) require PennDOT to plan native vegetation along highways was reported out of the House Appropriations Committee [House Fiscal Note & Summary] and passed by the House unanimously and now goes to the Senate for action.

Enhanced Rail Safety Requirements: House Bill 1028 (Matzie-D-Beaver, Marshall-R-Beaver) would set the first new state rail safety requirements in response to the Norfolk Southern train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio was referred to the House Appropriations Committee.  Read more here.

Correction Of Conventional Oil/Gas Well Plugging Bonding: House Bill 962 (Vitali-D-Delaware) would restore DEP’s authority to review conventional oil and gas well plugging bonding amounts every two years was amended and reported out of the House Environmental Resources and Energy Committee and was Tabled.  Read more here.

School Solar Energy Grant Program: House Bill 1032 (Fiedler-D-Philadelphia) establishing a Solar Energy For Schools Grant Program was reported out of the House Consumer Protection, Technology and Utilities Committee and Tabled.  Read more here.

Land Bank Cleanup Liability Protection: Senate Bill 466 (Brown-R-Lackawanna) providing environmental cleanup liability protection for land banks was reported out of the House Housing and Community Development Committee and Tabled.

Increasing Fines For Littering/Illegal Dumping: House Bill 95 (Bullock-D-Philadelphia) increasing the penalties for littering and illegal dumping was reported from the House Appropriations Committee.

Urging Designating Of Hydrogen Hubs In PA:  House Resolution 79 (Pisciottano-D- Allegheny) urging the Biden Administration and Congress to designate Pennsylvania as a hydrogen hub was amended to allow for the possibility of more than one hub in the state and was reported out of the House Consumer Protection, Technology and Utilities Committee and is now on the House Calendar for action.  Read more here.

Chesapeake Bay Awareness Week: House Resolution 104 (Sturla-D- Lancaster, Benninghoff-R-Mifflin) designating June 4 to 10 Chesapeake Bay Awareness Week was unanimously reported out of the House Environmental Resources and Energy Committee and is now on the House Calendar for action.  Read more here.

Bill Calendars

House (June 5):  House Bill 797 (B.Miller-R-Lancaster) providing for the use of native plants along highways by PennDOT;  House Resolution 79 (Pisciottano-D- Allegheny) urging the Biden Administration and Congress to designate Pennsylvania as a hydrogen hub; House Resolution 104 (Sturla-D- Lancaster, Benninghoff-R-Mifflin) designating June 4 to 10 Chesapeake Bay Awareness Week. <> Click Here for full House Bill Calendar.

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.

Committee Meetings

House   

June 5-- Tentative. House Environmental Resources and Energy Committee hearing on House Bill 652 (Bullock-D-Philadelphia) on environmental justice and permitting. LTBA.

<>  Click Here for full House Committee Schedule.

Senate

June 20--  Senate Consumer Protection and Professional Licensure Committee hearing on solar energy’s impact on Pennsylvania ratepayers.  Hearing Room 1, North Office Building. 9:00 a.m.  Click Here to watch live.

 <>  Click Here for full Senate Committee Schedule.

Bills Introduced

Require Hydrogen To Sequester Carbon To Receive Tax Credit:  House Bill 1215 (Vitali-D- Delaware) requires hydrogen producing companies to sequester a larger proportion of carbon emissions to receive a tax credit under state Act 108 (sponsor summary).

Veterans Entering Sustainability Sector: House Bill 1239 (Webster-D-Montgomery) establishing a Veterans Entering the Sustainability Sector Program to provide grants to employers hiring veterans and imposing duties in the departments of Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources, Environmental Protection and Military and Veterans Affairs (sponsor summary).

Establishing A Uniform DEP Permit Review Process: Senate Bill 705 (Mastriano-R-Adams) sending a deadline for DEP to make a decision on any of its permits within 45 days (sponsor summary).

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

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 28, 2023]

5/29/2023