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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 -- Gov. Shapiro: We Need Stronger Laws To Deal With The ‘Corporate Greed’ That Let Oil & Gas Operators Get Away With Abandoning Wells For Far Too Long [PaEN] -- Pennsylvania Oil & Gas Weekly Compliance Dashboard - October 14 to 20 - 6 More Abandoned Conventional Wells; Conventional Gas Migration Incident; Inactive Shale Gas Wells [PaEN] -- Gov. Shapiro Marks Plugging 100th Conventional Oil & Gas Well In 10 Months; New Initiative Allows Texting Abandoned Well Photos/Locations To Governor That Need Plugging [PaEN] -- The Center Square - Anthony Hennen: The Long Road Ahead For Conventional Oil & Gas Well Plugging Effort -- Observer-Reporter: Milestone Moment: Hillman State Park Site Of State’s 100th Conventional Abandoned Well Plugging -- StateImpactPA - Rachel McDevitt: 100 Plugged And 300,000+ To Go: Abandoned Conventional Well Cleanup Effort Jumps With Federal Money -- Wilkes-Barre Times Editorial: Praise To Shapiro Administration For Plugging Old Conventional Abandoned Oil & Gas Wells Oil & Gas Health Impact Studies -- 9th Compendium Of Studies On Health & Environmental Harms From Natural Gas Development Released - ‘The Rapidly Expanding Body Of Evidence Compiled Here Is Massive, Troubling And Cries Out For Decisive Action’ [PaEN] -- Inside Climate News - Jon Hurdle: Research By Public Health Experts Shows ‘Damning’ Evidence Of Harms From Natural Gas Development; Industry Rejected The Reports As ‘Junk Science’ -- TribLive: West Deer Twp., Allegheny County Set To Hear Plan For 2nd Olympus Energy Shale Gas Well Pad -- TribLive: Upper Burrell Twp., Westmoreland County To Consider 5th Olympus Energy Shale Gas Well Pad Related Pipelines Budget -- PA Capital-Star: Here’s What’s Still Outstanding In Pennsylvania’s State Budget -- AP: PA Lawmakers Chip Away At Budget Stalemate, Pass Bill To Boost Hospital And Ambulance Subsidies -- Spotlight PA - Stephen Caruso: What’s On The Table To End State Budget Stalemate November 2023 Election -- Environmental Advocates To Spend More Than $250,000 In Support Of McCaffery In Critical PA Supreme Court Race To Protect Constitutional Right To Clean Air, Pure Water [PaEN] Flooding -- PEMA Now Accepting Letters Of Interest For FEMA Flood Mitigation & Building Resilient Infrastructure And Communities Grant Programs [PaEN] -- Scranton Times: Charity Offers Aid To Flood Victims -- AP: Atlantic Hurricanes Now Twice As Likely To Grow From Minor To Whopper Than Decades Ago Study Says Hydrogen Hubs -- Pittsburgh Business Times: DEP Secretary: Hydrogen Hub Announcement ‘Dawn Of Clean Energy Economy;’ DEP Overseeing Projects With Eye Toward Environmental Justice -- Observer-Reporter: Southwest PA Poised To Play Large Role In Hydrogen Energy -- Inquirer - Frank Kummer: New Southeast PA Hydrogen Hub Will Create 20,000 Jobs, May Power SEPTA Buses And Trash Trucks -- The Allegheny Front: Southwestern PA Unions Disappointed Regional Hydrogen Hub Will Be Based In West Virginia -- Post-Gazette - Anya Litvak: Mapping The Hydrogen Hub In The Midst Of DEP’s ‘Environmental Justice’ Communities On PennEnviroScreen -- Pittsburgh Business Times: EQT Confirms What It’s Planning For Appalachian Regional Hydrogen Hub Project Using Natural Gas As Feedstock To Make Low-Carbon Aviation Fuel -- Sharon Herald Editorial: Hydrogen Hubs Are A Positive - But, If That Energy Comes From Fossil Fuels, The Carbon Emissions Can Exceed The Pollution Created By Just Using Natural Gas -- TribLive Editorial: Hydrogen Hubs Coming, And That’s A Positive, If That Energy Comes From Fossil Fuels, The Carbon Emissions Can Exceed The Pollution Created By Just Using Natural Gas -- Post-Gazette Editorial: Don’t Sweat Hydrogen Hub Snub Natural Gas Explosions/Outages -- PUC Updates Investigation Into Dec. 2022 Natural Gas House Explosion In Dauphin County [PaEN] -- PUC Safety Division Investigating Columbia Gas Service Disruptions To 4,000+ Customers In Beaver County [PaEN] -- Beaver County Times: PUC Investigating Ongoing Columbia Gas Service Outage In Beaver County -- Beaver County Times: Natural Gas Service Restored To Communities Experiencing Outages -- WPXI: Mayor Of Economy Boro, Beaver County, Expresses Frustration At Ongoing Natural Gas Outage -- WTAE: Columbia Gas Starts To Restore Service For Thousands Of Beaver County Customers -- KDKA: Columbia Gas Service Restoration For 4,000 Beaver County Residents Expected To Take Days -- WTAE: Thousands Of Beaver County Columbia Gas Customers To Be Without Service For Several Days -- Post-Gazette: Columbia Gas Begins Service Restoration For 4,000 Customers In Beaver County Over Next Several Days After ‘Issue’ With Natural Gas Village Of Reno Water Supply Contamination -- The Derrick - Makayla Keating: Village Of Reno ‘Getting Back To Normal’ After July Conventional Oil Wastewater Spill Caused Water Crisis [PDF of article] Train Derailments -- The Allegheny Front: National Academies Of Sciences, Engineering, Medicine Gather Health Questions From Norfolk Southern Train Derailment To Consider Future Research -- PittsburghUnionProgress.com: Norfolk Southern Train Derailment A Symptom Of Addiction To Plastic, Says Resident Turned Activist -- WTAE: EPA Facing Criticism For Response To Norfolk Southern Train Derailment PA Politics Of Russian Invasion -- The Allegheny Front: National Academies Of Sciences, Engineering, Medicine Gather Health Questions From Norfolk Southern Train Derailment To Consider Future Research -- PittsburghUnionProgress.com: Norfolk Southern Train Derailment A Symptom Of Addiction To Plastic, Says Resident Turned Activist -- WTAE: EPA Facing Criticism For Response To Norfolk Southern Train Derailment Environmental Heritage -- Sen. Mastriano To Introduce Bill To Establish A Process To Formally Recognize The Lenape Nation In Pennsylvania [PaEN] Environment/Energy Issues -- Senate Environmental Committee Meets Oct. 24 On Garage Drain Water Disposal, Crematory Operating Temperatures; Other Committee Meetings [PaEN] -- 9th Compendium Of Studies On Health & Environmental Harms From Natural Gas Development Released - ‘The Rapidly Expanding Body Of Evidence Compiled Here Is Massive, Troubling And Cries Out For Decisive Action’ [PaEN] -- Inside Climate News - Jon Hurdle: Research By Public Health Experts Shows ‘Damning’ Evidence Of Harms From Natural Gas Development; Industry Rejected The Reports As ‘Junk Science’ -- Senate Committee Briefing Finds No Definition Or Standard For ‘Responsibly Sourced’ Natural Gas; PA Producers Already Below One RS Threshold [PaEN] -- The Center Square - Anthony Hennen: Methane Emissions Monitoring Grabs Senate Committee’s Attention -- PA Physicians For Social Responsibility: Methane Leaks From SEPTA Gas Generation Plant, Philadelphia [Video] -- PA Capital-Star: PA House Environmental Leader Guts His Own Bill To Manage Cryptocurrency Mining Growth -- Lancaster Farming: Legislation Setting Rules For Cryptocurrency Mining Gutted, Threatening Rural Pennsylvania -- The Center Square - Anthony Hennen: House Committee Revives Plans For Impact Study On Cryptocurrency Mining 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 Wildlife Rehabilitation Grants: House Bill 1522 (Probst-D-Monroe) establishing a Wildlife Rehabilitation Grant Program was reported out of the House Appropriations Committee [House Fiscal Note & Summary] and passed by the House 103-100. It now goes to the Senate for action. C-PACE Funding Of EV Chargers: House Bill 1474 (Ciresi-D-Montgomery) that would expand the C-PACE clean energy financing program to include electric vehicle charging infrastructure was referred to the House Appropriations Committee. Cryptocurrency Facility Reporting: House Bill 1476 (Vitali-D-Delaware) establishes reporting requirements for cryptocurrency mining operations on energy use and other information about their facilities and requires DEP to do an impact study of their operations was amended to remove the permit moratorium and reported out of the House Environmental Resources and Energy Committee-- Republicans voting against-- and Tabled. Read more here. Climate Week: House Resolution 228 (Otten-D-Chester) designating the week of October 1 through 7, 2023, as "Climate Week" in Pennsylvania was reported out of the House Environmental Resources and Energy Committee-- Republicans voting against-- and is now on the House Calendar for action. Read more here. Mine Pool Geothermal Energy: House Resolution 185 (Webster-D-Montgomery) directing the Joint State Government Commission to conduct a study on the feasibility of using geothermal energy technologies that utilize abandoned mining locations and operations in the Commonwealth was reported out of the House Environmental Resources and Energy Committee-- with three Republicans voting against-- and Tabled. Read more here. County Open Space Tax: House Bill 913 (Shusterman-D-Chester) authorize counties to adopt open space taxes (sponsor summary) was reported from the House Local Government Committee-- Republicans voting against-- and Tabled. Restoring Authority To Increase Conventional Oil & Gas Well Bonding Amounts: 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 was Tabled due to inaction for 15 legislative days. Hydrogen Hubs: House Resolution 79 (Pisciottano-D-Allegheny) urging the Biden Administration and Congress to designate Pennsylvania as a hydrogen hub was Tabled. Senate Flood Insurance Premium Assistance Task Force: House Bill 735 (Warren-D-Bucks) establishing a Flood Insurance Premium Assistance Task Force to develop recommendations on premium discount programs, local government flood mitigation efforts, potential changes to statutes or practices of this Commonwealth, strategies for public education on flood risks and insurance choices, as well as methods to encourage the purchase of flood insurance was reported out of the Senate Appropriations Committee [Senate Fiscal Note & Summary) and is now on the Senate Calendar for action. [Note: This bill was first introduced on January 4, 2019 - nearly five years ago]. Bill Calendars House (October 30): House Resolution 196 (Matzie-D-Beaver) designating the week of September 18-24 Rail Safety Week; House Resolution 228 (Otten-D-Chester) designating the week of October 1 through 7, 2023, as "Climate Week" in Pennsylvania. <> Click Here for full House Bill Calendar. Senate (October 23): Senate Bill 723 (Phillips-Hill-R-York) prohibits public employees from lobbying the agencies they worked for for two years, but does not apply to lawmakers or lawyers; House Bill 735 (Warren-D-Bucks) establishing a Flood Insurance Premium Assistance Task Force to develop recommendations on premium discount programs, local government flood mitigation efforts, potential changes to statutes or practices of this Commonwealth, strategies for public education on flood risks and insurance choices, as well as methods to encourage the purchase of flood insurance. <> Click Here for full Senate Bill Calendar. Committee Meetings House October 26-- House Veterans Affairs & Emergency Preparedness, Subcommittee on Security & Emergency Response Readiness informational meeting on cancer and other occupational diseases in firefighting, including PFAS ‘Forever Chemicals’ in firefighting equipment. Warminster Twp. Administration Building, 401 Gibson Ave., Warminster. 1:00 p.m. October 30-- House Environmental Resources and Energy Committee holds a hearing on House Bill 170 (Otten-D-Chester) extending setback safety zones around natural gas facilities. LTBA. Read more here on the bill. Read more on similar Senate Bill. <> Click Here for full House Committee Schedule. Senate October 23-- Senate Game & Fisheries Committee and Agricultural & Rural Affairs Committee joint hearing on crop damage with Game Commission. Hearing Room 1, North Office Building. Noon. Click Here to watch live. October 24-- Senate Environmental Resources and Energy Committee meets to consider Senate Bill 265 (Laughlin-R-Erie) amending the Sewage Facilities Act to allow garage floor drains to discharge into on-lot septic systems and House Bill 1246 (Malagari-D-Montgomery) reducing the operating temperatures of crematories from 1,800 degrees to 1,600 degrees. Room 451 Main Capitol. 10:00 a.m. Click Here to watch live. October 25-- Senate Democratic Policy Committee hearing on water, sewer and stormwater infrastructure. Room 8E-B East Wing Capitol Building. 1:30 p.m. Click Here to register to attend via Zoom. Click Here to watch live. November 2-- Senate Environmental Resources and Energy Committee hearing with the Ohio Public Utilities Committee on interstate relationships with the PJM Interconnection and the election grid. William Penn Omni Hotel, Lawrence Welk Room, Pittsburgh. 10:00 a.m. <> 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 October 23, 24, 25 November 13, 14, 15 December 11, 12, 13 House October 23 (non-voting), 30, 31 November 1, 13, 14, 15 December 11, 12, 13 [Posted: October 22, 2023] |
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10/23/2023 |
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