Opportunities to learn more about environmental and energy issues affecting Pennsylvania for students and adults--

Awards/Recognition

-- Myers Family Farm In Centre County Receives 2023 PA Leopold Conservation Award  [PaEN]

-- PA Dept. Of Agriculture Honors 300-Year-Old Chester County Farm

-- DCNR Blog: Message From The Secretary On New Beginnings In 2023 - By DCNR Secretary Cindy Adams Dunn  [PaEN]

-- The Allegheny Front: Meet The Nominees For PA’s 2024 River Of The Year

-- Public News Service: Keystone 10 Million Trees Partnership Has Tracked The Planting Of More Than 5.9 Million Trees In PA To Improve Water Quality  [PaEN]

-- Public News Service: Keystone 10 Million Trees Partnership Has Planted More Than 5.9 Million Trees In PA To Improve Water Quality

-- PennLive Guest Essay: We Must Do More To Protect Pennsylvania’s Forests & Streams - By Imani Jackson, Student at Dauphin County Technical School

-- Warren Times: Warren Conservation District Hosting Art Contest For Students In Grades K to 12 - Theme ‘May The Forest Be With You’

Grants

-- PA Interfaith Power & Light, Chesapeake Bay Foundation Offering Free Native Trees & Shrubs To Plant This Spring Anywhere In PA  [PaEN]

-- Wildlife For Everyone Foundation Accepting Applications For Student Scholarships  [PaEN]

-- Appalachian Audubon Society Chapter Offering Scholarships To Hog Island Audubon Camp In Maine  [PaEN]

-- PA Sea Grants: Grade 5-12 Teachers Can Apply Now For Spot Aboard EPA's Lake Guardian Research Vessel For Hands-On Scientific Exploration Of Lake Erie In July  [PaEN]

-- WESA: Casey- Federal Funding To Grant PA Schools Clean Energy Buses

-- DCNR Begins Accepting Community Conservation Partnership Grant Applications Jan. 16; Snowmobile/ATV Grants Feb. 1  [PaEN]

-- CFA Begins Accepting Applications For Act 13 Watershed Restoration, Mine Reclamation, Sewage, Flood Mitigation, Recreation Grants Feb. 1  [PaEN]

-- Warren Times: Nature Knows Best - DCNR Grant Program Aims To Convert Lawns To Native Meadows, Aid Pollinators

-- Susquehanna Greenway Partnership Awards Mini-Grants; New Grant Round Now Open  [PaEN]

-- Williamsport Sun: Susquehanna Greenway Mini-Grants Awarded, 2nd Application Round Announced

-- PA Capital-Star: PA To Receive $47.3 Million For Federal Clean School Bus Program

Help/Interns Wanted

-- WESA: PA Outdoor Corps Seeking Young Adult Crew Members

-- Interns Wanted: Department Of Environmental Protection,  Conservation & Natural Resources, Agriculture - Deadline Feb. 16 [PaEN]

-- Intern Wanted: Penn State/The American Chestnut Foundation  [PaEN]

-- Help Wanted: Penn State Agriculture & Environment Center Agricultural Outreach Specialist  [PaEN]

-- Erie Times - Brian Whipkey: How To Participate In PA’s Third Bird Atlas, The Birds Could Benefit From Your Help

Upcoming Events

-- Williamsport Sun: Trout Unlimited Priority Waters Program, Abandoned Mine Reclamation To Be Featured At Jan. 10 Meeting

-- Shenango River Watchers, US Army Corps Of Engineers Host 4th Annual Eagle Fest At Shenango River Lake Jan. 13 In Mercer County  [PaEN]

-- Warren Times: Audubon Center Little Explorers Learn About Bears Jan. 13

-- Warren Times: Audubon Community Nature Center To Host Day Camp Jan. 15

-- Penn State Extension Hosts 9-Part Woods In Your Backyard Webinar Series Starting Jan. 17  [PaEN]

-- NRCS-PA: Pennsylvania State Technical Advisory Committee Meeting Jan. 18  [PaEN]

-- Still Time To Register!  PA Recycling Markets Center’s PA ReMaDE Conference Jan. 18-19  [PaEN]

-- Foundation For Sustainable Forests Woods & Water Film Series Jan. 19 & Feb. 23

-- The Derrick: Seneca Rocks Audubon Holding Bird Seed Sale Until Jan. 20

-- Jewish Earth Alliance, Beth Am Israel Hosting Jan. 23 Online Program Rethinking Our Connection To Fossil Fuels - A Discussion  [PaEN]

-- Warren Times: Eagle Watch At Allegheny Reservoir To Be Held Feb. 3

-- Penn State Extension: Feb. 19 Webinar - Climate Change Projections For PA & Conservation Practices To Help Farmers Cope  [PaEN]

Programs/Information

-- Game Commission: Howard Nursery Seedling Sale Accepting Orders; Seedlings For Schools Program Ordering Begins Feb. 5  [PaEN]

-- Williamsport Sun: Annual Game Commission Seedlings Sale Officially Underway

-- Susquehanna River Basin Commission Guardian Newsletter Features Groundwater Recharge Study; Octoraro StoryMap; Stream Salinization Study; Tioga River Stewards Honored; More!  [PaEN]

-- Williamsport Sun - Bill Bower: Reflections In Nature - Look At The Alarms Given By Animals In Nature

-- Erie Times: Solar Eclipse Crosses Erie In April, Here’s What To Know

-- New PA Parks & Forests Foundation Video Explores The Benefits Of Nature & Silence [PaEN]

-- Scranton Times: ShiverFest 2024 Runs High And Fast On Swollen Lackawanna River In Scranton

-- WNEP: Hundreds Shiver By The Lackawanna River In Scranton

Public Participation

-- PA Oil & Gas Industrial Facilities: Permit Notices/Opportunities To Comment - January 13  [PaEN]

-- DEP Reviewing Equitrans Act 2 Soil Cleanup Report On Rager Mountain Gas Storage Area Conventional Well That Failed Venting 1.1 Billion Cubic Feet Of Natural Gas In Cambria County  [PaEN]

-- ReImagine Appalachia Blog: Good-Paying Jobs For Appalachians: The American Climate Corps Initiative - Attend An Upcoming Listening Session

-- PUC Sets 6 Days Of Hearings With 2 Sessions Each Day On PA American Water Proposed Rate Increase Starting Jan. 29

-- DEP Sets Feb. 27 Hearing On Helix Ironwood Gas-Fired Power Plant Air Quality Permit Renewal, Lebanon County  [PaEN]

-- DEP Posted 61 Pages Of Permit-Related Notices In January 13 PA Bulletin  [PaEN]

Background On Issues

-- Interim DEP Secretary Shirley Tells Citizens Advisory Council Priorities Of Permitting Reform, Environmental Justice, Customer Service, Moving Forward  [PaEN]

-- DEP Issued At Least 512 Violations To 95 Conventional Oil & Gas Operators For Abandoning Wells Without Plugging Them In 2023; 10 Shale Gas Operators Were Issued NOVs For Abandoning Wells  [PaEN]

-- DEP Issues Record 6,860 Notices Of Violation To Conventional Oil & Gas Operators In 2023-- Nearly 52% More Than In 2021; ‘Culture Of Non-Compliance’ Continues  [PaEN]

-- 2023 Shale Gas Operator Compliance Report: 1,310 Violations; Explosions; Pad Fire, Evacuation; Uncontrolled Gas Venting; Frack-Outs; Polluting Water Supply; Spills; Pipeline Crashing Thru A Home; More  [PaEN]

-- PA Oil & Gas Weekly Compliance Dashboard - Jan. 4 to 12 - 9 More Abandoned Conventional Wells; Leaking Wastewater Tanks; Rager Mountain Gas Storage Area Cleanup Continues; Pipeline Land Slips  [PaEN]

-- PA Oil & Gas Industrial Facilities: Permit Notices/Opportunities To Comment - January 13  [PaEN]

-- DEP Reviewing Equitrans Act 2 Soil Cleanup Report On Rager Mountain Gas Storage Area Conventional Well That Failed Venting 1.1 Billion Cubic Feet Of Natural Gas In Cambria County  [PaEN]

-- DEP Issues Water Quality Certification For Equitrans Project To Replace Abandoned Natural Gas Storage Wells In Greene County Due To Coal Mining  [PaEN]

-- Warren Times - Josh Cotton: 2,195 Acre Land-For-Oil Deal Between Game Commission, PA General Energy Oil & Gas Company Draws Ire From Some In Community

-- Post-Gazette - Anya Litvak: Chesapeake Energy Buys Southwestern Leapfrogging EQT As Biggest Gas Producer In US

-- Inside Climate News: Plan For Shale Gas Drilling Spree Using Fluid Carbon Dioxide Instead Of Water In New York’s Southern Tier Draws Muted Response From Regulators, But Outrage From Green Groups

-- Chesapeake Bay Journal: When Is A Little PFAS ‘Forever Chemical’ Too Much To Eat In Fish?

-- WTAE/CNN: Plastic Chemicals Linked To $249 Billion In US Health Care Costs In 2018 Alone, Study Says

-- Post-Gazette: New Study Finds Nanoplastics In Water From 3 Common Bottled Water Brands

-- Public News Service: Actions Urged To Reduce, Prevent Wildlife-Vehicle Collisions In PA

-- PA Wilds Blog: Jillia Ceramics Expresses Beauty Of PA Wilds Region Thru New Product Line

-- PJM Interconnection: Winter Weather Forces Natural Gas Pipeline Fuel Restrictions, ‘Conservative Operations’ Declared To Assure Electric Grid Reliability Through Jan. 17  [PaEN]

-- Investing.com: Winter Storm Causes Widespread Power Outages On US East Coast, Echoing 2022 Winter Storm Nearly Causing The  Collapse Of Power, Natural Gas Systems

-- USA Today: A Polar Vortex Is Just The Beginning; January Weather Forecast Is Chaotic And Dangerous

-- Utility Dive: Natural Gas Power Plants ‘Disproportionately Vulnerable To Failure’ Warns Union Of Concerned Scientists Report

-- Reuters: PJM Interconnection Asks Talen Energy To Postpone Retirements Of Oil, Natural Gas-Fired Power Plants In Maryland Due To Grid Reliability Concerns

-- Utility Dive: PJM Interconnection Triples Annual Electric Grid Load Growth To 2.4% Driven By Data Centers, Electrification

-- Financial Times: Resurgent US Electricity Demand Sparks Power Grid Warnings

-- The Center Square - Anthony Hennen: Partisan Split On Energy, Environment Makes Compromise Unlikely

-- PA Capital-Star Guest Essay: Time For Pennsylvania To Speed Up Transition To Clean Energy - By PennEnvironment

-- PUC Calls On PA Congressional Delegation To Support Permanent Program To Provide Financial Assistance For Water, Wastewater Services To Low-Income Households [PaEN]

-- The Center Square - Anthony Hennen: PUC Commissioners Ask For Permanent Federal Low-Income Water, Wastewater Bill Assistance

-- Observer-Reporter: Receivership For East Dunkard Water Authority Nearing Potential Settlement Following Mediation

-- WESA: Wilkinsburg Group Lands Over $575,000 For Local Watershed Restoration In Allegheny County

-- Gettysburg Times: What’s Next For The Watershed Alliance Of Adams County?

-- Delaware RiverKeeper Jan. 12 RiverWatch Video Report

-- PittsburghUnionProgress.com: PA Resources Council Asks You To Consider Some Green Resolutions And Help The Environment

-- NPR: US Researchers Find Massive Number Of Plastic Particles In Bottled Water

-- Inquirer Guest Essay: Electric Vehicle Tax In PA Would Punish Drivers For Being Responsible - By Energy Innovation: Policy & Technology

-- No False Solutions PA Coalition Issues Position Statement On Hydrogen, Carbon Capture & Storage, Chemical Recycling Of Plastics, Other Climate 'Solutions'  [PaEN]

-- The Allegheny Front - Jon Hurdle, Inside Climate News: Pittsburgh Lauded For Its ‘Innovative’ Rules To Curb Climate-Fueled Flooding

-- WESA - Jon Hurdle, Inside Climate News: Once Known For Its Pollution, Pittsburgh Becomes Poster Child For Climate Consciousness

-- Centre Daily Times - Climate Watch: Local Sources Of Climate Inspiration For A New Year

-- Marcellus Drilling News: CNX CEO Nick Deiuliis Presents Rational Thinker’s Guide To Climate Change Part 1 [Video]

-- Erie Times: Venango Twp. Supervisors Give Thumbs Down To Proposed Solar Energy Facility, Developer Can Appeal

-- Citizens Voice: Proposed Solar Energy Facility In Plains Twp. Awaits Zoning Approval

-- LancasterOnline: Solar United Neighbors Uses Co-Op Model To Bring Solar Energy To Lancaster County

-- LancasterOnline: New Solar Energy Customers Face Unexpected Hurdles

-- Williamsport Sun: 2nd Solar Energy Facility Proposed For Muncy Area Draws Interest

-- Williamsport Sun Guest Essay: Green Energy Agendas And Political Cliffs - By Commonwealth Foundation  [Gov. Shapiro]

-- TribLive Editorial: Hydrogen Isn’t Clean If It Adds To Climate Pollution; Biden’s Rules Are A Good Start

-- Financial Times: US Shale Oil, Natural Gas Magnate Harold Hamm Trying To Sell Oil And Gas Jobs To Generation Z

-- Bloomberg: US Greenhouse Gas Emissions Fell 1.8% In 2023, Ending Post-Pandemic Rebound

-- Financial Times: Oil Tanker Seized By ‘Unauthorized Persons’ Near Gulf Of Oman And Diverted Towards Iran

-- Bloomberg: Huge Wave Of LNG Investment May Delay Global Energy Transition

-- Bloomberg: Wave Of New LNG Natural Gas Plants Will Keep World Hooked On Fossil Fuel

-- WSJ: America’s Gas Bonanza Brings Biden New Political Dilemmas

-- Reuters: World To Get More ‘Gassy’ Despite Energy Transition Momentum

Visit the PA Parks & Forests Foundation’s Events webpage and DCNR’s Calendar of Events for activities happening near you.

Visit DEP’s Teaching Green webpage to learn about more environmental education resources.

Visit the PA Environment Digest Calendar Of Events for more opportunities.

[Posted: January 14, 2024]

1/15/2024