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

-- Inquirer: These Backroom Deals Helped Shapiro Complete PA State Budget  [But It’s Not Done Yet]

-- PennLive - Charles Thompson: PA State Workers Ratify AFSCME Contract With Largest Pay Raises In Years

-- WPost Column: PA’s Josh Shapiro Is Showing How To Break The Politics Of Resentment

-- Warren Times Editorial: Gov. Shapiro Gaining Clout In US

Budget

-- Post-Gazette - Ford Turner: PA Spending Bill Sets Up Stability For State Police, But Bigger Budget Disagreements Still Fester

-- The Center Square - Anthony Hennen: Commonwealth Foundation Says Shapiro’s Budget ‘Already In The Red’

-- Post-Gazette Editorial: A Roadmap To A Practical State Budget Deal

-- Scranton Times Editorial: No Recess For General Assembly Until Budget Passes

-- Scranton Times Editorial: Cheap Budget Stunt Carries, High, Rising Price

-- City & State PA: Whole-Home Repairs Program Is Remaking The Housing Landscape

-- WHYY: PA’s Whole-Home Repairs Money In Limbo Despite Shapiro’s Budget Signature

Train Derailments

-- HealthFirstPA, Partners Host Aug. 8 Webinar On Pollution And Children’s Health - Norfolk Southern Train Derailment And Beyond 9:00 a.m.  [PaEN]

-- Williamsport Sun Editorial: Inaction On Rail Safety Reflects Poorly On Congress [No Action In PA Senate Either]

-- KDKA: Norfolk Southern To Pay $49,000 In Fines Following OSHA Inspection In East Palestine, OH

-- AP: Norfolk Southern Content With Minimum Safety Too Often, Regulators Say After Ohio Train Derailment

-- Post-Gazette: Six Months Later, An Unending Nightmare Continues After Norfolk Southern Train Derailment

-- AP: EPA Weighs Formal Review Of Vinyl Chloride, The Toxic Chemical That Burned In Norfolk Southern Train Derailment

PA Politics Of Russian Invasion

-- AAA Gasoline Prices: Pennsylvania $3.90; National $3.84; Ohio $3.63

-- TribLive: Respite From Gasoline Price Increases May Be Brief With Saudi Oil Production Cut, Hurricane Season

-- Baker Hughes: PA Natural Gas Drilling Rig Count Down 3 From Last Week To 19

-- Bloomberg: European Natural Gas Prices Slump As Rising Stockpiles Blunt LNG Strike Fears

-- Bloomberg: European Natural Gas Surges 40% On Australian Strike Fears 

-- Bloomberg: European Natural Gas Prices Ease As Winter Fuel Stockpiles Keep Rising

-- Reuters: Coterra Energy Quarterly Profit Slumps As Natural Gas Prices Tumble 

Environment/Energy Issues

-- Pennsylvania Oil & Gas Weekly Compliance Dashboard - August 5 to 11; Routine Venting Of Conventional Wells, Shale Gas Wells; Major Conventional Spills; Pipeline Subsidence  [PaEN]

-- Mayor Of Sugarcreek Asks For Donations To Refill Village Of Reno Water Tank After Contamination In Venango County; Emergency Water Distribution Resumes; Contamination From Conventional Oil Wastewater Tanks Suspected  [PaEN]

-- The Derrick - Kara O’Neil: Oil City Approves Water Sale Plan To Help Out Reno Pending DEP OK  [PDF of article]

-- The Derrick - Makayla Keating: Water Distribution Will Resume In Village Of Reno, Venango County Affected By Suspected Conventional Oil Well Wastewater Spill  [PDF of article ]

-- The Derrick - Makayla Keating: DEP: No Time Frame On When Water Will Be Safe To Drink In Reno; Water Distribution On Hold Due To Low Chlorine Levels  [PDF of article]

-- The Derrick - Makayla Keating: Do Not Consume Water Advisory Continues For Reno, Venango County, Aug. 11 Event Set To Raise Money For Water Fund  [PDF of article ]

-- The Derrick - Makayla Keating: DEP Inspection Report Outlines Findings In Reno, Venango County Water System Contamination Case [PDF of article] 

-- The Derrick: Volunteers Signing Up To Help With Emergency Water Distribution In Reno  [PDF of article]

-- The Derrick: Reno Water Customers Turn Out To Air Concerns About Ongoing Water Issues At Sugarcreek Borough Council Meeting [PDF of article]

-- The Derrick: Reno Water Customers Advised Not To Consume Water [PDF of article]

-- EPA: G2 STEM LLC Withdraws Application For Oil/Gas Wastewater Underground Injection Well Permit In Fayette County  [PaEN]

-- The Center Square - Anthony Hennen: Uproar Cancels Fayette County Oil/Gas Wastewater Injection Well; Locals Not ‘Easy Pickings’

-- Post-Gazette: EPA: Virginia Company Withdraws Application For Controversial Oil/Gas Wastewater Disposal Well In Fayette County

-- Post-Gazette: Residents In This Fayette County Town Are Going To Battle With EPA Over An Oil & Gas Wastewater Disposal Well Permit

-- Damascus Citizens: Comments Point Out Significant Deficiencies In  Proposed Fayette County Oil/Gas Wastewater Injection Well

-- DEP Extends Comment Period On Proposed Roulette Oil/Gas Wastewater Injection Well In Clara Twp., Potter County To Sept. 7  [PaEN]

-- Williamsport Sun: American Petroleum Institute Of PA Oil/Natural Gas Industry Group Frustrated With Permitting Process  [Federal Pipeline Issues - Pipelines Are PA’s Most Penalized Industry For Environmental Violations]

-- WeConservePA: North Branch Land Trust, Earth Conservancy Highlight Major Conservation Projects In Luzerne County During Site Visit

-- Bradford Era Editorial: PA Must Help Protect Chesapeake Bay

-- Republican Herald Editorial: Keystone State Needs To Do Its Part To Protect Chesapeake Watershed

-- The Nature Conservancy-PA: Bipartisan Poll Finds Broad Support In PA For Clean Energy Transition  [PaEN]

-- Williamsport Sun: Rep. Flick Proposes Bill To Exempt Lycoming County From Vehicle Emissions Inspection Program

-- TribLive Guest Essay: New EPA Vehicle Emissions Standards Call Electric Vehicle Promises Into Question - By RealClearEnergy

-- PA-Based Evangelical Environmental Network: Over 51,000 Christians Call For Stronger Standards On Fossil Fuel Power Plants  [PaEN]

-- PJM Interconnection, Other Grid Operators Express Concerns Proposed EPA Power Plant Rule Will Accelerate Retirements Of Fossil Fuel Plants Without Reliable Renewable, Storage Technologies To Replace Them  [PaEN]

-- Utility Dive: PJM, MISO, Other Grid Operators Warn Of ‘Significant Power Shortages’ From Epa’s Power Plant Carbon Rule

-- TribLive Guest Essay: As Climate Change Becomes Harder To Ignore, Proposed EPA Power Plant Standards Give Hope - PennEnvironment

-- Utility Dive: Constellation Energy CEO ‘Disappointed’ To See Peers Opposing EPA’s Power Plant Carbon Rule

-- Post-Gazette - Anya Litvak: CONSOL’s Shift In Strategy Has Most Of Its Coal Going Abroad, Preventing Panic Over Proposed Power Plant Limits

-- Pittsburgh Business Times: CONSOL Shifts Coal Business To Exports As Domestic Power Plant Business Declines

-- Post-Gazette - Ford Turner: After 7 Months With A PUC Executive Director, Senator Asks If One Is Actually Needed

-- PA Interfaith Power & Light, Jewish Earth Alliance Aug. 16 Webinar: Why Should We Care About, Advocate For A Climate-Friendly Federal Farm Bill?  [PaEN]

-- Warren Times - Josh Cotton: Sen. Dush Proposes Raising In-Lieu Of Tax Payments To Local Governments For Some State Land

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 (September 18): Senate Bill 286 (Yaw-R-Lycoming) would redefine when a spill needs to be reported by letting the polluter decide when to notify DEP taking into account control and remedial measures, whether the discharge will harm receiving waters or public health  Read more here; Senate Bill 382 (Laughlin-R-Erie) exempting Lake Erie coastal property owners from annual groin structure fees; Senate Bill 831 (Yaw-R-Lycoming) would direct the state to apply for primary authority to regulate Class VI carbon dioxide underground injection wells from the U.S. EPA  Read more here.  <> Click Here for full Senate Bill Calendar.

House (September 26): House Bill 962 (Vitali-D- Delaware) to restore DEP’s authority to review conventional oil and gas well plugging bonding amounts to help prevent the routine abandonment of between 400 and 600 conventional oil and gas wells a year by operators Read more here;  House Resolution 79 (Pisciottano-D- Allegheny) urging the Biden Administration and Congress to designate Pennsylvania as a hydrogen hub.<> Click Here for full House Bill Calendar.

Committee Meetings

House   

August 22-- House Philadelphia LNG Natural Gas Export Task Force hearing on economic impact and other consideration for a potential LNG export terminal in or around the Port of Philadelphia.  Widener University, University Center, Webb Room, One University Place, Chester, Delaware County.  10:00 a.m.  Click Here to watch online [If Available]

September 8-- House Agriculture and Rural Affairs informational meeting on invasive species in Pennsylvania.  Temple University - Ambler, 580 Meetinghouse Road, Ambler.  9:30 a.m.  Click Here to watch live online.

<>  Click Here for full House Committee Schedule.

Senate

 <>  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--

Senate

September 18, 19, 20

October 2, 3, 4, 16, 17, 18, 23, 24, 25

November 13, 14, 15

December 11, 12, 13

House

September 26, 27

October 2, 3, 4, 16, 17, 18, 30, 31

November 1, 13, 14, 15

[Posted: August 13, 2023]

8/14/2023