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

-- Shapiro Administration Now Accepting Nominations For 2024 Governor's Award For Environmental Excellence  [PaEN]

Budget

-- The Center Square - Anthony Hennen: Penn State, Temple, Pitt, Lincoln Universities Secure State Funding With A Catch - More Financial Transparency

-- WITF/AP: Gov. Shapiro Signs Bill Expanding Public Funding Disclosure Requirements Over Penn State, Temple, Lincoln, Pitt

-- Post-Gazette/Capitolwire.com - Robert Swift: PA House Committee OKs Bill To Raise Municipal Waste Recycling Fee

-- The Center Square - Anthony Hennen: Independent Fiscal Office - Silver Tsunami Threatens State Revenues

Natural Gas Explosions

-- Post-Gazette: Plum Community Continues To Rebuild 3 Months After Natural Gas Explosion In Allegheny County

Train Derailments

-- Post-Gazette/AP: Ohio Business Owner Sues Norfolk Southern For Train Derailment That Closed His Companies

-- PA Politics Of Russian Invasion

-- AAA Gasoline Prices: PA Average- $3.60; National Average- $3.33; Ohio Average- $3.16

-- PUC Alert: Dec. 1 Utility Prices Are Changing - Natural Gas (+149% to -64.2%); Electric (+18.8% to -25.7%)  [PaEN]

-- PA Capital-Star: Everything You Need To Know About Applying For Low-Income Home Energy Assistance

-- PUC Winter Natural Gas Reliability Overview Reports Now Available; But Do Not Address Winter Storm Elliot Issues  [PaEN]

-- Post-Gazette - Anya Litvak: Winter Storm Elliot’s Natural Gas Infrastructure Failures Not An Isolated Event; Report Says Electric Grid Still Vulnerable: ‘Winter Is Coming’

-- TribLive: International Natural Gas Commodities Market, Milder Weather Predictions Could Ease Winter Heating Costs

-- Utility Dive: FERC Projects Winter Wholesale Power Prices To Drop 5% In PJM, New York And Southeast

-- Utility Dive: Federal Energy Regulatory Commission Investigating Possible Winter Storm Elliott Market Manipulation By Natural Gas Pipelines, Power Plants, Marketers

-- Baker Hughes: No Change In PA Natural Gas Drill Rigs Since Last Week- 19

-- Reuters: Tougher EU Methane Rules Mean US Natural Gas Sector Must Clean Up Its Act

-- Financial Times: New EU Rules On Methane Leaks To Hit Oil And Gas Importers

-- Reuters: EU Agrees To Law To Hit Fossil Fuel, LNG Natural Gas Imports With Methane Emissions Limits

-- Bloomberg: EU Sets New Rules On LNG Natural Gas Imports - Production, Transportation

-- Financial Times: Oil Price Falls To Lowest Level Since July Ahead Of OPEC+ Meeting

Environment/Energy Issues

-- State Dept. Of Health Pushing For Changes To Reduce Adverse Health Impacts From Natural Gas Development  [PaEN]

-- PA Capital-Star: PA’s Natural Gas Development Is Hurting Its Oldest Residents

-- Observer-Reporter Editorial: Is Shapiro’s Voluntary Agreement With CNX The Right Move For Gas Well Safety?  ‘We Do Not Trust Foxes To Guard Henhouses’

-- Warren Times Editorial: Right Partnership On Gas Wells?  ‘We Do Not Trust Foxes To Guard Henhouses’ [Shapiro-CNX Statement of Mutual Interests]

-- Spotlight PA: PA Leads The Nation For Lyme Disease Cases; Oil & Gas Development, Fragmentation In Forests Boosts The Risk

-- TribLive: PA Leads Nation In Lyme Disease Cases, Oil & Gas Development, Other Forest Fragmentation Boosting The Risk

-- Williamsport Sun: PA Leads The Nation For Lyme Disease Cases; Oil & Gas Development, Fragmentation In Forests Boosts The Risk

-- PA Capital-Star: PA Democrats Seek Balance Between Environmental Policy, Loyalty To Labor

-- PA Capital-Star: PA House Panel Considers How Hydrogen Hubs Can Help Meet Climate Goals

-- Hydrogen Insight: Plug Power Share Price Plunges 40% After Firm Admits It Could Fold In Next 12 Months [Key Player In Western PA Hydrogen Hub]

-- TribLive: Westmoreland Water Authority Warns Of Mandatory Water Restrictions As Dry Autumn Persists, Beaver Run Reservoir Continues To Fall [Shale Gas Drillers Withdrawn Water From The Reservoir For Fracking]

-- TribLive: Westmoreland Water Authority Halts Fracking Water Withdrawals By CNX, Olympus Energy At Beaver Run Reservoir As Part Of Water Conservation Plan [Shale Gas Operators Took 301 Million Gallons From Reservoir This Year]

-- Williamsport Sun: Fracking Wastewater Spills At Eureka Resources Facility In Williamsport

-- Williamsport Sun Letter: Fracking Falsehood Spread By Sen. Yaw, Others - By Dean Marshall, Lock Haven

-- PennLive Letter: The Fossil Fuel Industry Carries Too Much Weight In Pennsylvania

-- Republican Herald: Lawmakers Tour Abandoned Mine Drainage Sites In Schuylkill County

-- PA Business Report: PA House Republicans Ask Shapiro Not To Appeal RGGI Court Decision

-- TribLive Guest Essay: RGGI Court Decision And Executive Overreach - By Rep. Bryan Cutler, PA House Republican Leader

-- The Center Square - Anthony Hennen: PA Senators Ask For $30 Million To Replace Schools’ Lead Pipes

-- TribLive Editorial: Rep. Major’s Bill Isn’t ‘See You Later, Alligator’

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

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 was passed by the Senate in a party-line vote, Republicans supporting.  The bill now goes to the House for action.

DEP and the Shapiro Administration opposed the bill when it was reported out of the Senate Environmental Resources and Energy Committee in May. The Environmental Committee reported out the bill by a party-line vote, Republicans supporting. Read more here.

Read more about DEP’s less complex program to authorize stream maintenance to avoid flooding.  Last week, DEP also released a new online tool to assist applicants in determining when permits are or are not needed.  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 was passed by the Senate in a largely party-line vote, Republicans supporting.  The bill now goes to the House for action.

DEP is neutral on the bill because the prime sponsor worked with DEP on changes when it was reported out of the Senate Environmental Committee in May.  Read more here.

Read more about DEP’s less complex program to authorize stream maintenance to avoid flooding. Last week, DEP also released a new online tool to assist applicants in determining when permits are or are not needed.  Read more here.

Apply For Injection Well Primacy/Providing For Carbon Sequestration: 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 US Environmental Protection Agency and establish a legal and regulatory framework for potential carbon dioxide capture, utilization and sequestration in Pennsylvania was removed from the Table and is now on the Senate Calendar for action.  [Note: DEP submitted a notice of intent to apply for injection well primacy to EPA in April  Read more here. Sen. Carolyn Comitta (D-Chester) has expressed significant concerns with the legislation and the capacity of the state to safely regulate all aspects of carbon sequestion from pipelines to injection wells.  Read more here.]

Operating Temperatures Of Crematories: House Bill 1246 (Malagari-D- Montgomery) reducing the operating temperatures of crematories from 1,800 degrees to 1,600 degrees was referred to the Senate Appropriations Committee.

House

Increasing Recycling Fee On Municipal Waste: House Bill 223 (Isaacson-D-Philadelphia) increasing the recycling fee on municipal waste disposed in the state to $5/ton from $2/ton (sponsor summary) was reported out of the House Local Government Committee by a vote of 21 to 4 and was Tabled on the House Floor [normal procedure].

Solar Energy On Farms: House Resolution 224 (Rabb-D-Philadelphia) directing the Joint State Government commission to do a study and establish an advisory committee to analyze opportunities for solar energy facilities on farms (sponsor summary) was reported out of the House Local Government Committee by a vote of 24 to 1 and was Tabled on the House Floor [normal procedure].

Study Mine Pool/Oil & Gas Well 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 mine locations and operations was amended to add potential of “reconfiguration of abandoned oil and gas wells for geothermal production” to the study and passed by the House 199 to 4. [Read more here.] No further action is needed for the Commission to begin its study.

Comparing Gas Drilling Fees & Severance Taxes: House Resolution 131 (Steele-D- Allegheny) directing the Legislative Budget and Finance Committee to conduct a study to compare oil and gas drilling fees and severance taxes in the largest natural gas producing states and examine the competitive business climate for the industry in those states was amended significantly on the House Floor in ways that take it far from the original purpose of the resolution and passed by a party-line vote of 102 to 101-- Democrats supporting.

Bill Calendars

House (December 11): 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 (December 11): 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 831 (Yaw-R- Lycoming) would direct the state to apply for primary authority to regulate Class VI carbon dioxide underground injection wells from the US Environmental Protection Agency and establish a legal and regulatory framework for potential carbon dioxide capture, utilization and sequestration in Pennsylvania. <> 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

December 11, 12, 13

House

December 11, 12, 13

[Posted: November 19, 2023]

11/20/2023