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, CNX Natural Gas Company Sign Statement Of Mutual Interests To Monitor Air Emissions At Drill Sites, Extend Safety Setbacks While Data Is Being Collected; DEP To Move Ahead With Some Reg Changes  [PaEN]

-- Pittsburgh Business Times: Shapiro Mum On Whether He’ll Appeal RGGI Decision [Still Reviewing Court Decision]

-- Gov. Shapiro Launches Online Money-Back Guarantee System For Some State Permits, Licensing, Certification Processes

Oil & Gas Health Impact Studies

-- University Of Pittsburgh Studies Of Shale Gas Development Health Impacts To Be Discussed At Nov. 14 Joint Meeting Of DEP Citizens Advisory Council, Environmental Justice Advisory Board  [PaEN]

-- PA League Of Women Voters, University Of Pittsburgh Graduate School Of Public Health Nov. 14 Shale Gas & Public Health Conference  [PaEN] 

-- House Committee Hearing On Increasing Safety Setbacks Zones Around Natural Gas Facilities Heard About First-Hand Citizen Experiences On Health Impacts, From Physicians On Health Studies And The Gas Industry On Job Impacts  [PaEN]

-- Sen. Yaw, Republican Chair Of Senate Environmental Committee, Calls Bill To Reduce Shale Gas Industry Impacts On Health, Environment ‘Stupid’  [PaEN] 

-- Williamsport Sun: Sen. Yaw Calls Legislation Expanding Natural Gas Infrastructure Safety Zones ‘Stupid’

-- The Center Square - Anthony Hennen: Health Versus Wealth Raised During House Hearing On Bill To Expand Safety Setbacks From Natural Gas Infrastructure

-- Pennsylvania Oil & Gas Weekly Compliance Dashboard - Oct. 28 to Nov. 3 - Fire At PA General Energy Shale Gas Well Pad; 5 More Abandoned Conventional Wells; Replugging Shale Gas Well  [PaEN]

-- Williamsport Sun Editorial: We Hope Legislators Continue To Defend Natural Gas Industry From Proposals Like Expanding Safety Zones Around Gas Infrastructure

-- Philadelphia LNG Export Task Force Issues Report On The Best Ways To Increase Exports Of PA's Natural Gas; Minority Report Rebuts Need For LNG Facility, Outlines Impacts  [PaEN]

-- Environmental Health News: Majority-Black Pennsylvania Community Fights Back Against Proposed $6 Billion LNG Natural Gas Terminal [Chester, Delaware County]

-- Inquirer Guest Essay: PA Needs To Do More To Defend Public Health From Shale Gas - By Alison Steele, Environmental Health Project

-- Gov. Shapiro, CNX Natural Gas Company Sign Statement Of Mutual Interests To Monitor Air Emissions At Drill Sites, Extend Safety Setbacks While Data Is Being Collected; DEP To Move Ahead With Some Reg Changes  [PaEN]

-- Evangelical Environmental Network Thanks Gov. Shapiro For Defending Children's Health Thru An Agreement With CNX Natural Gas; Believes In Repenting Of Sins, 2nd Chances  [PaEN]

-- TribLive Editorial: Is Shapiro’s Voluntary Agreement With CNX The Right Move For Gas Well Safety?  [‘We do not trust foxes to guard henhouses’] 

Budget

-- ABC27: PA House Leaders Point Fingers As State Budget, School Funding Remains Unresolved

-- Spotlight PA - Stephen Caruso: PA Senate Agreement Needed To Send $642 Million To Penn State, Temple, Other State-Related Universities

-- PennLive - Jan Murphy: Nearly 70,000 PA School, Government Retirees Have Had No COLA Increase In 21 Years

-- The Center Square: PA’s Rainy Day Budget Reserve Fund Rectified

-- Dept. Of Revenue Reports October State Revenue $119.8 Million - 3.8%-- Over Their Estimates; Year-to-Date Up $47.5 Million Over Estimates

-- Independent Fiscal Office Reports October State Revenue $116.7 Million - 3.7%-- Above IFO Estimates; Fiscal Year $18.6 Million Over Estimates

November 7, 2023 Election

-- Spotlight PA: Nov. 7 Election: How To Vote, Where To Vote And Everything You Need To Know

-- Spotlight PA: Election 2023: When To Expect Results, How Officials Are Preparing, And More

-- AP: What To Expect In Pennsylvania’s General Election

Emergency Response

-- Marcellus Drilling News: Mariner East 2X Natural Gas Liquids Pipeline Being Repaired After Dent Discovered In Chester County During Maintenance Check  [PaEN]

-- WPXI: DEP Will Work To Fix Abandoned Mine Subsidence Damage In Lincoln Place

-- PUC Issues Emergency Order To PA American Water To Operate Troubled East Dunkard Water Authority In Greene County; Lawsuit Filed Alleging Water Tainted By Mine Drainage, Shale Gas Operations  [PaEN]

-- Observer-Reporter: PUC Emergency ‘Receivership’ Requested For East Dunkard Water Authority In Greene County

-- Observer-Reporter: East Dunkard Water Authority Treatment Plant Back Online After Shutdown

-- York Dispatch: Crews Respond To Methane Gas Leak At Wastewater Treatment Plant

-- Scranton Times: Scranton Flood Grant Sessions Well Attended As Application Period Remains Open From Community Foundation

-- Scranton Times: Scranton Holding Flood Recovery Grant Outreach Sessions Thru Friday

-- Shell Accountability Campaign Hosts Nov. 2 Shell Petrochemical Plant Town Hall Meeting On Emergency Response Plans In Beaver County  [PaEN]

-- 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund Holds Nov. 8 Open Enrollment Meeting In Somerset County  [PaEN] 

Natural Gas Explosions

-- Attorney General Henry Announces Criminal Charges Against Equitrans For 2018 Natural Gas Explosion That Destroyed Home In Greene County  [PaEN]

-- AP: PA Attorney Charges Equitrans With Crimes In 2018 Natural Gas Explosion That Leveled Home, Hurt 3, Including 4-Year-Old Boy

-- Post-Gazette - Anya Litvak: Criminal Charges Against Equitrans Should Be A Deterrent To Environmental Violators, Attorney General Says 

-- TribLive: Equitrans Faces Criminal Charges In Connection With 2018 Greene County Natural Gas Explosion That Destroyed Home

-- Post-Gazette - Anya Litvak: PA Attorney General Files Criminal Charges Against Equitrans In 2018 Greene County Home Natural Gas Explosion Caused By Leaking Conventional Well At The Pratt Gas Storage Facility

-- WTAE: Criminal Charges Filed Against Equitrans After Natural Gas Explosion Destroyed Greene County Home In 2018 

-- Observer-Reporter: State AG Files Criminal Charges Against Equitrans, Faults Company For 2018 Natural Gas Explosion That Destroyed Home In Greene County

-- TribLive: Natural Gas Leak Forces Evacuation At New Store In Allegheny Twp., Westmoreland County

-- Reading Eagle: Lawmakers Propose Eliminating Pipe Linked To Natural Gas Explosion At Reading Factory

Train Derailments

-- PittsburghUnionProgress.com: Notes From Times Beach Residents To Victims Of Norfolk Southern Train Derailment: ‘Don’t Give Up’ and ‘Do It As A Community’

PA Politics Of Russian Invasion

-- AAA Gasoline Prices: PA- $3.67; National- $3.43; Ohio- $3.13

-- StateImpactPA - Rachel McDevitt: PA Electric Customers Would Save With More Power Sharing Between Regions, Study Says

-- Meadville Tribune: Reliability Of Power Grid In PA Threatened As Energy Sources Dwindle: Industry Experts

-- National Fuel Gas Increases Gas Supply Costs For Typical Customers From $64.05 to $70.53

-- LancasterOnline: PPL Electric Utilities Set To Lower Residential Rates By 9%; Med-Ed To Increase Rates 10%

-- Baker Hughes: PA Natural Gas Drilling Rigs Down 2 From Last Week- 20

-- Financial Times: PA-Based EQT Chief Says Natural Gas Pipeline Fights Endanger Industrial World 

-- Bloomberg: European Natural Gas Prices Post 3rd Weekly Drop As Impact Of 2nd War Is Limited

-- Bloomberg: European Natural Gas Prices Rise As Risks Mount For Egypt LNG Flows

-- Reuters: Oil Price Settles Down, Posts Weekly Loss As Geopolitical Risk Premium Ebbs

-- The Intelligencer: Oil Prices Could Reach ‘Uncharted Waters’ If Israel-Hamas War Escalates, World Bank Says

Environment/Energy Issues

-- House Committee Hearing On Increasing Safety Setbacks Zones Around Natural Gas Facilities Heard About First-Hand Citizen Experiences On Health Impacts, From Physicians On Health Studies And The Gas Industry On Job Impacts  [PaEN]

-- Sen. Yaw, Republican Chair Of Senate Environmental Committee, Calls Bill To Reduce Shale Gas Industry Impacts On Health, Environment ‘Stupid’  [PaEN] 

-- Williamsport Sun: Sen. Yaw Calls Legislation Expanding Natural Gas Infrastructure Safety Zones ‘Stupid’

-- The Center Square - Anthony Hennen: Health Versus Wealth Raised During House Hearing On Bill To Expand Safety Setbacks From Natural Gas Infrastructure

-- Pennsylvania Oil & Gas Weekly Compliance Dashboard - Oct. 28 to Nov. 3 - Fire At PA General Energy Shale Gas Well Pad; 5 More Abandoned Conventional Wells; Replugging Shale Gas Well  [PaEN]

-- Williamsport Sun Editorial: We Hope Legislators Continue To Defend Natural Gas Industry From Proposals Like Expanding Safety Zones Around Gas Infrastructure

-- TribLive Editorial: Is Shapiro’s Voluntary Agreement With CNX The Right Move For Gas Well Safety?  [‘We do not trust foxes to guard henhouses’]

-- Philadelphia LNG Export Task Force Issues Report On The Best Ways To Increase Exports Of PA's Natural Gas; Minority Report Rebuts Need For LNG Facility, Outlines Impacts  [PaEN]

-- Environmental Health News: Majority-Black Pennsylvania Community Fights Back Against Proposed $6 Billion LNG Natural Gas Terminal [Chester, Delaware County]

-- Warren Times: Group Wants Governor To Ban PFAS ‘Forever Chemicals’ In Oil & Gas Wells 

-- Inquirer Guest Essay: PA Needs To Do More To Defend Public Health From Shale Gas - By Alison Steele, Environmental Health Project

-- PJM Interconnection Proposal To Expand The Electric Grid To Meet Needs Of Data Centers, Generator Retirements, New Generation Resource Capacity In Mid-Atlantic Region 

-- StateImpactPA - Rachel McDevitt: PA Electric Customers Would Save With More Power Sharing Between Regions, Study Says

-- Meadville Tribune: Reliability Of Power Grid In PA Threatened As Energy Sources Dwindle: Industry Experts

-- The Center Square: PA House Passes Bill To Provide Private, C-PACE Funding For Electric Vehicle Chargers

-- PA Capital-Star: Bill In PA House Would Make It Easier To Recycle Electronics Waste

-- Erie Times Guest Essay: We Have A Path To Reduce Climate Pollution, It Is Time To Launch Market-Based RGGI - By Environmental Defense Fund & Ceres

-- WTAE: Rep. Major Wants To Chomp Down Exotic Animal Release After Multiple Gators In Kiski River

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

Flood Insurance 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 amended and passed by the Senate. The House concurred in Senate amendments [House Fiscal Note & Summary] and the bill was signed into law by Gov. Shapiro as Act 22.

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 reported out of the House Appropriations Committee [House Fiscal Note & Summary] and passed by the House.  The bill now goes to the Senate for action.

Bill Calendars

House (November 13): 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 (November 13): Senate Bill 265 (Laughlin-R-Erie) amending the Sewage Facilities Act to allow garage floor drains to discharge into on-lot septic systems;  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; 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; 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; House Bill 1246 (Malagari-D- Montgomery) reducing the operating temperatures of crematories from 1,800 degrees to 1,600 degrees.  <> Click Here for full Senate Bill Calendar.

Committee Meetings

House   

<>  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

November 13, 14, 15

December 11, 12, 13

House

November 13, 14, 15

December 11, 12, 13

[Posted: November 5, 2023]

11/6/2023