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

-- Inquirer/Capital & Main - Audrey Carleton: Gov. Shapiro Promised 30% Renewable Electricity By 2030, Will That Happen?

Budget

-- TribLive: Gov. Shapiro Pitches Plan To Restructure State’s Higher Education To Make It More Efficient, Affordable

-- The Center Square - Anthony Hennen: Private Fiscal Watchdogs Warn Of Medicaid-Induced State Budget Deficit

Oil & Gas Impacts

-- The Energy Age Blog: The Story Of Bryan & Ryan Latkanich In Washington County

-- DEP To Require Unconventional Shale Gas Operators To Disclose Chemicals Used In Drilling, Fracking Operations Earlier In Well Drilling Process Thru PPC Emergency Plan Changes  [PaEN]

-- The Energy Age Blog: Reality - ‘Proprietary’ Fracking Chemicals Remain Secrets, But What About The Bigger Picture? 

-- PA Oil & Gas Weekly Compliance Dashboard - Jan. 20 to 26 - 15 More Abandoned Conventional Wells; Plugging Abandoned Shale Gas Wells; Revolution Pipeline Land Slip; Brief Compressor Fire; Crypto Mining?  What's That Pink Stuff?  [PaEN]

-- 66 Months Later, DEP Worked With Conventional Well Owner, But Multiple Spills At A Well  Site Have Still Not Been Cleaned Up; No Protections In Place For Operators Or Taxpayers  [PaEN]

-- 5 Months Later, Roulette Oil & Gas Still Has Not Resolved Violations For Abandoning A Shale Gas Well Without Plugging It In Potter County  [PaEN]

-- XTO Energy Begins Plugging First Of 4 Abandoned Shale Gas Wells At Butler County Well Pad [PaEN]

Train Derailments

-- PA House Passed Rail Safety Legislation In June 2023, Senate Hasn’t Taken Any Action

-- Beaver County Times: PA Farmers, Rescue Owners Reflect One Year After Norfolk Southern Train Derailment

-- The Allegheny Front: Norfolk Southern Train Derailment: Leaving East Palestine, A Mother’s Story

-- Post-Gazette Guest Essay: A Year Later Officials Tell The People Impacted By Norfolk Southern Train Derailment Everything’s Okay, Is It?

-- WPXI: Norfolk Southern Gives Access To Train Derailment Remediation Site Nearly 1-Year After Derailment

-- Post-Gazette: Norfolk Southern Train Derailment Leads To New Rule To Protect Train Crews

-- TribLive: US DOT Secretary Pushes For Rail Safety, Touts Federal Infrastructur Bill In Pittsburgh Visit

-- Reuters: Norfolk Southern Misses Profit Estimates, Says It Took $1.1 Billion Hit From Train Derailment In 2023

PA Politics Of Russian Invasion

-- AAA Gasoline Prices: PA- $3.34  National- $3.10  Ohio- $2.99

-- Baker Hughes: PA Natural Gas Drilling Rigs Same As Last Week - 21

-- White House Announces Temporary Pause On Pending Approvals Of LNG Natural Gas Exports

-- AP: Liquefied Natural Gas: What To Know About LNG And Biden’s Decision To Delay Gas Export Proposals  [No Impact On LNG Now Going To Europe, Asia, DOE Can Allow Exemptions On Natural Security Grounds]

-- PA Marcellus Shale Coalition And Natural Gas Industry Partners Urge Biden Administration To Maximize US LNG Economic, Environmental And Security Benefits

-- Bloomberg: Biden’s Natural Gas Export Plan Coming Soon As Industry Mounts Lobbying Blitz

-- Reuters: Texas Freeport LNG Natural Gas Export Unit Faces Month-Long Outage After Winter Storm

-- Bloomberg: Natural Gas-Addicted Europe Trades One Energy Risk [Russia] For Another [United States]

Environment/Energy Issues

-- Senators Santarsiero, Comitta Introduce SB 581 Increasing Setback Safety Zones From Natural Gas Drilling Sites, Other Infrastructure, Based On Latest Science  [PaEN]

-- Sen. Yaw: Senate Environmental Committee To Join Ohio Legislators For Feb. 1 Hearing On Energy Reliability, Sustainability, Affordability  [Will They Address Natural Gas Infrastructure Vulnerabilities? ]

-- WTAE: Cybersecurity Task Force Proposed In State House In Response To Aliquippa Water Authority Hack

-- NorthcentralPA.com: Sen. Yaw Elected Chair Of PA Delegation To Interstate Chesapeake Bay  Commission

-- WHYY: PA Senate Committee Scrutinized Water, Wastewater System Privatization Law

-- Post-Gazette - Ford Turner: PA Lawmakers Hear Complaints About Soaring Water, Sewer Rates From Private Water, Wastewater Companies

-- TribLive Guest Essay: Private Water, Wastewater Companies Help Keep PA’s Water Safe - By PA Chamber Of Business & Industry

-- The Center Square: Voter Referendum For New Warehouses Proposed

-- PA Capital-Star: PA House Lawmakers Propose Restricts On Foreign Ownership Of Farmland And Critical Infrastructure

-- Reuters: NY Stock Exchange Pulls Plan To Allow Private Entrepreneurs To Establish New Tradeable Asset Class Called Natural Asset Companies That Buy And Hold Rights To Ecosystem Services

-- Warren Times: Sen. Hutchinson, Rep. Rapp Oppose NYSE Proposal To Allow Private Entrepreneurs To Establish Private Natural Asset Companies That Buy And Hold Rights To Ecosystem Services

-- Warren Times: Vote By Warren School District, Warren City Council To Oppose Natural Asset Company Rule Bad Process

-- Williamsport Sun: Casey Secures $387,500 Grant For Pennsylvania Wilds Center For Entrepreneurship

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]

Bill Calendars

Senate (February 5): 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; House Bill 95 (Bullock-D- Philadelphia) increasing penalties for scattering rubbish <> Click Here for full Senate Bill Calendar.

House (February 6):  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.

Committee Meetings

House   

February 14-- House Consumer Protection, Technology & Utilities Committee hearing on House Bill 1842 (Schweyer-D-Lehigh) authorizing community solar energy programs.  Room G-50 Iris Building. 10:00 a.m.  Click Here to watch online.

February 22-- House Appropriations Committee budget hearing - Dept. Of Agriculture.  Room 140 Main Capitol. 1:00 p.m. Click Here to watch online.

February 28-- House Appropriations Committee budget hearing - Departments Of Conservation & Natural Resources and Environmental Protection.  Room 140 Main Capitol. 1:00 p.m. Click Here to watch online.

March 19-- House Game & Fisheries Committee informational meeting on Fish & Boat Commission’s 2023 Annual Report.  Room 523, Irvis Building. 9:00 a.m. Click Here to watch online.

March 20-- House Game & Fisheries Committee informational meeting on Game Commission’s 2023 Annual Report.  Room 523, Irvis Building. 9:00 a.m. Click Here to watch online.

<>  Click Here for full House Committee Schedule.

Senate

February 1-- Senate Environmental Resources and Energy Committee Joint Hearing With Ohio Legislature On Electric Grid Reliability. Ohio State House, Room 313, 1 Capitol Square, Columbus, OH. 10:00 a.m.  Read more here.

February 27-- Senate Appropriations Committee budget hearing - 9:30 a.m. - Fish & Boat Commission; 1:00 p.m. - Dept. of Agriculture. Hearing Room 1, North Office Building. Click Here to watch online.

February 29-- Senate Appropriations Committee budget hearing - 9:30 a.m. - Dept. Of Environmental Protection. Hearing Room 1, North Office Building. Click Here to watch online.

<>  Click Here for full Senate Committee Schedule.

Other Meetings

January 30-- Independent Fiscal Office Mid-Year Update On Economic And State Revenue Outlook.  1:30 p.m.  Click Here to RSVP.

Bills Introduced

Extending Gas Facility Safety Zones:  Senate Bill 581 (Santarsiero-D-Chester, Comitta-D -Chester) to increase setback safety zones from natural gas drilling sites and other infrastructure based on the latest science.  Read more here.

Attorney General Concurrent Jurisdiction For Environmental Crimes--

     -- Senate Bill 587 (Santarsiero-D-Chester, Collety-D-Montgomery):  Providing the state Attorney General with concurrent jurisdiction in environmental crimes under Solid Waste Management Act;

     -- Senate Bill 588 (Santarsiero-D-Chester, Collety-D-Montgomery): Providing the state Attorney General with concurrent jurisdiction in environmental crimes under Clean Streams Law; and

     -- Senate Bill 589 (Santarsiero-D-Chester, Collety-D-Montgomery): Providing the state Attorney General with concurrent jurisdiction in environmental crimes under Safe Drinking Water Act;

DEP Revolving Door: Senate Bill 586 (Santarsiero-D-Chester, Kearney-D-Delaware): to require a two year waiting period before employees from DEP can be employed by the oil and gas industry.

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

February 5, 6, 7

Budget Hearings: February 20, 21, 22, 27, 28, 29; and March 5, 6, 7 

Click Here for Senate Agency Budget Hearing Schedule.

March 18, 19, 20

April 8, 9, 10, 29, 30

May 1, 6, 7, 8

June 3, 4, 5, 10, 11, 12, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30

House

February 6

House Agency Budget Hearing Schedule

March 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 27

April 8, 9, 10, 15, 16, 17, 29, 30

May 1, 6, 7, 8, 20, 21, 22

June 3, 4, 5, 10, 11, 12, 17, 18, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28

[Posted: January 28, 2024]

1/29/2024