Here are 92 new stories in the PA Environment Digest about individuals, groups, local governments, farmers, businesses, watershed groups and many more working all across Pennsylvania to restore and protect the environment and show others the beauty that surrounds us.

Thank you for your leadership!

-- In Memoriam: Jim Brett - Conservation Educator, Naturalist, Recognized For His Local And Global Leadership  [PaEN]

-- Inside Climate News - Jake Bolster: Longtime PA Environmental Official Turned Blogger, Reflects On His Career And The Rise Of Fracking

-- PA Environmental Council In Case You Missed It In December Now Available  [PaEN]

-- DEP Accepting Project Applications For $5 Million Shell Petrochemical Plant Beaver County Environmental Mitigation Community Fund  [PaEN]

-- Beaver County Times: Submissions Open For $5 Million Beaver County Environmental Mitigation Fund Supported By Shell Petrochemical Plant Penalties

-- WPXI: $5 Million In Environmental Project Funding Up For Grabs In Beaver County From Shell Petrochemical Plant Penalties

-- Beaver County Times Guest Essay: The Impact Of The Times On Beaver County; Shell Petrochemical Plant, Other Issues

-- Group Against Smog & Pollution: US Steel Fined $2.2 Million By Allegheny County For Hydrogen Sulfide Exceedances At Clairton Coke [Coal] Works From March to November

-- KDKA: US Steel Fined $2.2 Million By Allegheny County For Air Emission Violations

-- EPA, PennEnvironment, Moms Clean Air Force PA, PECO Host Jan. 9 Webinar On Applying For EPA Clean School Bus Rebate Program  [PaEN]

-- WHYY/Plan Philly: City Of Philadelphia’s Vehicle Fleet Getting Cleaner, But Has A Long Way To Go

-- Inquirer: Public Electric Vehicle Charging Is On The Way, But PA Is ‘Playing Catch-Up’

-- PA Assn. Of Environmental Professionals: Jan. 17 Webinar On Abiotic & Biotic Factors Affecting Restored Pollinator Habitat In Solar Energy Installations, Noon to 1:00 p.m.

-- DEP: Shale Gas Operator Found Responsible For Water Supply Contamination After Investigation Documents Chemical Contamination Spread Across 3 Townships In Greene County  [PaEN]

-- Bob Donnan Blog: Fracked Up Greene County Water - Shale Gas Operator Found Responsible For Water Supply Contamination

-- Bob Donnan Blog: Frack History - The Massive Dunkard Creek Fish Kill 

-- Bob Donnan Blog: Dunkard Creek Fishkill In Greene County Caused By Consol Mine Discharge [Video]

-- PennLive Guest Essay: Gov. Shapiro Has Done An About-Face On Fracking By Aligning Himself With CNX After Charging Them With Environmental Crimes - By Karen Elias, Climate Reality Project, Better Path Coalition

-- Gov. Shapiro: PA Receives Over $44.4 Million In Federal Funding To Plug Active Conventional Gas Wells To Reduce Methane Emissions

-- Saga Continues For DEP Trying To Get A Conventional Operator To Plug Warren County Well Venting Gas Since At Least 2018  [PaEN]

-- Zefiro Methane Corp To Begin Monitoring Abandoned Conventional Wells For Plugging To Create Emission Offsets [PaEN]

-- TribLive Guest Essay: Celebrating EPA’s New Safeguards To Reduce Methane Emissions From Oil and Gas Facilities - By Vanessa Lynch, Moms Clean Air Force

-- PJM Urges United Action To Sustain Grid Reliability Through The Energy Transition, Avoid Unreliability Issues Of Natural Gas, Other Generators  [PaEN]

-- DEP Disapproves Land Recycling Risk Assessment For Dozens Of Chemicals At American Refining Group Refinery In Bradford, McKean County  [PaEN]

-- Bob Donnan Blog: 2023 Savings From Rooftop Solar - Home Energy, Electric Vehicle

-- Post-Gazette - Anya Litvak: Dollar Energy Fund Helps People Keep The Lights On In Dark Times, Now It Runs A Solar Energy Facility To Help Them

-- Inquirer Guest Essay: Pennsylvania Used To Lead On Energy, Now It’s Falling Behind - By Patrick McDonnell, Former DEP Secretary now CEO of PennFuture

-- Environmental Health Project Executive Director Alison Steele Selected For Indo-Pacific Leadership Lab Climate Change And Adaptation Initiative

-- PA Lung Association: High Levels Of Cancer-Causing Radon Gas Detected In 40% of PA Homes; Test Kits Available At No Charge In Priority ZIP Codes  [PaEN]

-- DEP Highlights National Radon Action Month, Provides Free Radon Test Kits

-- PittsburghUnionProgress.com: Residents Urged To Check Homes For Radon In January

-- DEP Announces Over $12 Million In Watershed Restoration, Stormwater Infrastructure Grants Funded In-Part By Mariner East Pipeline Penalties, Federal American Rescue Plan Funding  [PaEN]

-- DEP Chesapeake Bay Update: Funding Opportunities, Projects Supported; County Clean Water Updates; Much More!   [PaEN]

-- USDA Announces March 1 Application Deadline For Conservation Stewardship Program In PA  [PaEN]

-- Farm & Dairy: USDA Grant Will Help Beginning Farmers In Pennsylvania

-- Appalachian Region Independent Power Producers Assn. Accepting Applications For Mine Reclamation Grants  [PaEN]

-- Wilkes-Barre Times: Luzerne County Manager Checks Out Coal Refuse Bank Removal Project

-- Penn State College Of Agricultural Sciences Jan. 9 Online/In-Person Town Hall Discussion On State Of Pennsylvania Agriculture, 3:30.

-- Lancaster Farmland Trust: The Salisbury Township Story - The Impact Of Community Outreach On Farm Conservation Work [Video]

-- Chesapeake Bay Journal - Ad Crable: Volunteers Aim To Restore Stream With Artificial Beaver Dams

-- Huntingdon Daily News: Novel Penn State Tool Informs Land Use And Nutrient Control In Troubled Waters

-- McCall: Monocacy Creek Advocacy Group Concerned About Proposed Lehigh Valley Warehouse

-- Penn State Extension Hosts Jan. 29 Webinar On Green Infrastructure And Salty Stormwater  [PaEN]

-- PA Organization For Watersheds & Rivers Hosts Jan. 12 In-Person Workshop On Climate Art And Networking For Watershed Leaders & Stewards  [PaEN]

-- Interfaith Partners For The Chesapeake Host Jan. 15 Webinar On Climate Change Impact On Black Communities  [PaEN]

-- Inquirer Guest Essay: At My Farm In Mercer County The Creeks Have Run Dry, We Need A Climate-Smart Federal Farm Bill - Michael Kovach

-- Chesapeake Bay Landscape Professionals: Registration Now Open For Level I Training, Certification; PA DCNR Offering Scholarships  [PaEN]

-- PA Sea Grant, Partners Offer Choose Native Plants Workshops For Landscape Professionals In Erie, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia  [PaEN]

-- Western PA Conservancy Conserve Magazine: Preserving Biodiversity In Pennsylvania

-- Penn State Extension: Home Garden News: Highlights Of 2023 From Master Gardener Program

-- The Guardian: Invasive Plants, Birds, Feral Pigs Cost US Millions [Includes PA]

-- Warren Times: Warren Conservation District, Sportsmen’s Clubs Accepting Applications For College Scholarships

-- Delaware Highlands Conservancy Accepting College Scholarship Applications  [PaEN]

-- Pike Conservation District: 2023 Water Quality Report; Pennsylvania's Forests; Vote For Lackawaxen River!  [PaEN]

-- Protecting Clean Water Together: What’s The Big Deal About Water Anyway? - By Carol Hillestad for the Brodhead Watershed Association   [PaEN]

-- Water At Risk Series: The Brodhead Watershed Association Helps Monroe County Municipalities Protect Clean Water - How About Yours? - By Carol Hillestad for the Brodhead Watershed Association   [PaEN]

-- Water Center At Penn Hosts Jan. 25 Webinar On Lower Delaware River Bacteria Study  [PaEN]

-- New Flood Insurance Premium Assistance Task Force Seeks Public Input On Flood Insurance Access, Affordability In Pennsylvania  [PaEN]

-- WESA: PA Task Force Seeks Public Comment On Flood Insurance

-- PA Emergency Management Agency, DRBC, FEMA Host Jan. 18 Webinar On Flood Loss Reduction Project Funding In Bucks, Carbon, Lehigh, Luzerne, Northampton Counties   [PaEN]

-- Williamsport Sun: Sen. Casey: $8 Million Levee Investment ‘Peace Of Mind’ For Thousands In Community

-- PEMA: Homeowners, Renters Can Now Apply For State Disaster Recovery Assistance When Federal, Other Assistance Not Available  [PaEN]

-- Pittsburgh Business Times: Pitt And Carnegie Mellon University Close On Sites For Major Development At Hazelwood Green Brownfield Redevelopment Site

-- PA Resources Council: Resolve To Waste Less In 2024, PRC Has Lots Of Tools To Help  [PaEN]

-- Still Time To Enter! Keep PA Beautiful Accepting Entries For Litter Hawk Youth Award Program For Students In Grades K to 6  [PaEN]

-- PA Resources Council Now Accepting Entries For 2024 Lens On Litter Photo Contest  [PaEN]

-- Inquirer: Plastic Bag Bans Coming To Philly Suburbs, What You Need To Know

-- Tribune-Democrat: Somerset County Electronics Waste Collection Event Jan. 20

-- Republican Herald: Solar-Powered Compacting Trash Receptacles Debut In Pottsville

-- Registration Open!  WeConservePA PA Land Conservation Conference April 3-5 In Bethlehem  [PaEN]

-- Tinicum Conservancy Protects 86 Acres In Little Tinicum Creek Watershed Bucks County  [PaEN]

-- Western PA Conservancy Protects 163 Acres Of Forestland, Streams In Westmoreland County  [PaEN]

-- Natural Lands Preserves 458-Acre Girl Scout Camp In Montgomery County  [PaEN]

-- Inquirer - Frank Kummer: 458-Acre Girl Scout Camp Preserved In Montgomery County; Part Will Be Open To Public

-- Outdoor News: Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, Game Commission Conserve 649 Acres Of Private Land In The Heart Of PA’s Elk Range

-- WeConservePA Hosts Jan. 30 Webinar On Building Reliable Support For Land Preservation [PaEN]

-- The Nature Conservancy: Pennsylvania Nature News - 2023 Accomplishments

-- Altoona Mirror: Altoona Man Walks Entire Appalachian Trail

-- LancasterOnline - Ad Crable: At 92, Manheim Resident Jay Harold Mummau Pedals For His Life

-- Wilkes-Barre Times: Ricketts Glen State Park Trail Voted Among Top 150 Nature Walks In US

-- WNEP: Hiking Into The New Year In Lackawanna County

-- LehighValleyLive: No Shortage Of New Year’s Resolution Opportunities For Lehigh Valley Outdoor Enthusiasts

-- Wilkes-Barre Times: Back Mountain Trail 5K Draws Huge Turnout

-- Cameron County Chamber of Commerce Announces Schedule For Sinnemahone Triple Crown Events In 2024  [PaEN]

-- Discover NE PA: Practicing Responsible Recreation With PA Environmental Council - Leave No Trace

-- WESA: Photography Exhibit Celebrates Frick Park During Pandemic In Pittsburgh

-- Clean Air Council's Feet First Philly Announces Award Of Mini-Grants To 21 Public Space Enhancement Projects  [PaEN]

-- Reading Eagle: Schuylkill County 13-Year-Old Teen Snags Rare Piebald Deer Nicknamed ‘The Ghost’ As Her First Deer

-- Williamsport Sun: Collaborative Grant Award To Restore Freshwater Mussels In West Branch Susquehanna River

-- Middle Creek Wildlife Management Area Visitor Center Reopens Jan. 16; 2024 List Of Events Available  [PaEN]

-- NYT: Why Mister Grouse Is The Friendliest Bird In The Forest

-- York Daily Record - Brian Whipkey: Body Armor-Wearing Men Face Multiple Charges After Shooting Near PA Game Wardens, Hunter

Visit the PA Environment Digest website to learn more.

Going The RIGHT WAY:

-- 92 New Stories - REAL Environmental & Conservation Leadership In PA

-- 35 New Stories - REAL Environmental & Conservation Leadership In PA

-- 4,258 Stories In 2023 - Environmental & Conservation Leadership, Significant Events In PA  [PaEN]

-- 3,190 New Stories In 2022 - REAL Environmental & Conservation Leadership [PaEN]

[Posted: January 7, 2024] 

1/8/2024