In a frank and open conversation this week at DEP’s Citizens Advisory Council, interim DEP Secretary Chris Abruzzo said his agency must do a much better job communicating with the public and engaging with all agency stakeholders saying, “we are sometimes our own worst enemy.”

On Wednesday, DEP’s Citizens Advisory Council voted unanimously to recommend over a dozen improvements to the way the Department of Environmental Protection involves the public in the development of regulations and technical guidance.

The Department of Environmental Protection this week has begun posting agency events both in Harrisburg and its regional and district offices in an updated Calendar of Events.  Take it for a spin!

Here are the Senate and House Calendars and Committee meetings showing bills of interest as well as a list of new environmental bills introduced--

Rep. Jesse White (D-Washington) this week introduced a trio of House bills to protect landowners who lease property to natural gas and oil drillers in Pennsylvania, and help others obtain mineral rights that may exist under their property but are deemed abandoned.

The Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University has received a major grant from the William Penn Foundation to support watershed protection and restoration in the Delaware watershed that is intended to coordinate and demonstrate a region-wide impact on improving water quality.

The PA Association of Environmental Professionals held their Annual Conference titled The Power Within our Environment in State College, May 8 – 10 and awarded two Karl Mason Awards at the conference:

By Amy Wolfe, Director of the Eastern Abandoned Mine Program, Trout Unlimited

The Water Resources Education Network, a project of the League of Women Voters of Pennsylvania Citizen Education Fund, has announced Friday 15 community partnerships across the Commonwealth have been awarded a share of grant funds totaling $68,400 in funding.  

Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences recently hosted the 2013 PA Groundwater Symposium on May 8 held during National Drinking Water Week in recognition of the importance of groundwater to both public and private drinking water supplies across Pennsylvania.

A Lackawanna County sixth grader from South Abington Township earned the top statewide prize in Pennsylvania American Water’s 11th Annual “Protect Our Watersheds” Art Contest.

Pennsylvania American Water Monday announced 10 students throughout Pennsylvania, including four high school seniors from the Pittsburgh area, have been selected to receive Stream of Learning Scholarships.

The Department of Environmental Protection Thursday issued a reminder to public water supplier and water users that water use reports are now due.

Private and public pool owners, as well as pool management companies, should remember that chlorinated wastewater must be handled responsibly, Acting Department of Environmental Protection Secretary Chris Abruzzo said Friday.

The Scranton Times reported last Sunday oil and gas development has damaged or disrupted water supplies either temporarily or permanently for at least 161 homes, farms, churches and businesses between 2008-2012, according to records obtained by the paper through a Right-To-Know Act request to the Department of Environmental Protection.

Department of Conservation and Natural Resources Secretary Richard Allan Wednesday announced that the department will hold a public meeting on Marcellus Shale issues in the Loyalsock State Forest, Lycoming County, from 4 to 6 p.m. on June 3 at Lycoming College in Williamsport.

The Department of Environmental Protection Friday announced it is issuing a drilling permit for Flatirons Development LLC in Snyder Township, Jefferson County, requiring an aquifer protection plan for the Brockway Borough Municipal water supply. 

The Marcellus Shale Coalition Wednesday released Recommended Practices for Pipeline Boring, the seventh in a series of guidance documents developed by the coalition’s various subject-specific committees.

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Wednesday announced a Clean Water Act settlement with Fluid Recovery Services, LLC, which operates three wastewater treatment plants in Venango and Indiana counties. The settlement resolves discharge permit violations associated with the treatment of wastewater generated from oil and gas extraction activities.

(Updated) The Department of Environmental Protection published notice of the final Policy for Pennsylvania Natural Diversity Inventory Coordination During Permit Review (021-0200-001) in the May 25 PA Bulletin.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and three partner organizations are planting 5,500 new trees on 70 acres of mountainside at the Palmerton Zinc Superfund Site along the Appalachian Trail in Palmerton, Carbon County, that will be in place by Memorial Day.

EcoCAR 2: Plugging In to the Future today named Pennsylvania State University its Year Two winner at the EcoCAR 2013 Competition in San Diego.

The Public Utility Commission Thursday issued for comment a policy statement on the pricing labels used when selling electric generation service to residential customers.

The Public Utility Commission Thursday approved the petition of PPL Electric Utilities Corp. and of Peoples Natural Gas Co. and Peoples TWP to implement a distribution system improvement charge (DSIC).

The Public Utility Commission Thursday approved revisions to the conservation service provider registration process and application as a way to expedite the process and reduce administrative burdens.

This summer, wind power company Clean Currents will kick off “Lots of Power,” an exciting new mentoring program to address one of Philadelphia's greatest problems, vacant lots.

The Penn State Department of Ecosystem Science and Management will hold its annual Forest Fest on September 15 from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at the Arboretum at Penn State, Bigler Road and Park Ave., University Park.

Pennsylvania’s State Park system is celebrating its 120th anniversary. The first state park in Pennsylvania was established at what is now Valley Forge National Historical Park.

Visitors at Pine Grove Furnace State Park, Cumberland County, will have the choice of two beaches this season – one that allows smoking or another where smoking is prohibited.

Hikers once again will be picking their pace and path through Pennsylvania’s bountiful outdoors when Hiking Week 2013 begins on May 25, offering participants a variety of organized hikes across the state.

The Friends of the Wissahickon in Montgomery County are offering a variety of summer trail hikes and environmental education programs in June.  Click Here for a calendar of upcoming events.

Both novice and experienced campers will find two promotional programs fueling new interests and activities as the Memorial Day weekend kicks off the traditional camping season at state parks across the state.

The Department of Conservation and Natural Resources has designated a new Wild Plant Sanctuary in Bloom Township, Clearfield County.

Our region’s natural assets drive our local economy. A recent local conference, Natural Economies, featured leading businesses, business development agencies, and economic researchers sharing their unique stories and perspectives of how these natural assets—working farmlands, healthy forests, and the clean waters of the Upper Delaware—are our economic engine.

The Fish and Boat Commission and Wildlands Conservancy recently completed the Lehigh River Fish Passage Improvement Feasibility Study through a contract to KCI Technologies, Inc., an engineering consulting firm.

Families and friends visiting Pennsylvania’s popular outdoor spots this holiday weekend can enjoy a day of free fishing, thanks to the Fish and Boat Commission.

Game Commission officials Wednesday announced that they, along with officials from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Wildlife Services, have renewed a program to sustain and protect a historic nesting colony of great egrets and black-crowned night-herons – two state endangered species – on Wade Island, a three-acre isle near Harrisburg in the Susquehanna River.

The Department of Environmental Protection published notice of an opportunity to bid on a well plugging project in Allegheny County.

This section gives you a continuously updated thumbnail sketch of issues to be considered in upcoming advisory committee meetings where the agendas have been released

This section gives you a heads up on upcoming deadlines for awards and grants and other recognition programs.  NEW means new from last week.

Here's a selection of NewClips on environmental topics from around the state--

Here are NewsClips on topics related to Marcellus Shale natural gas drilling---

Here are NewsClips on watershed topics from around the state--

No new regulations were published this week.  Pennsylvania Bulletin - May 25, 2013

Upcoming legislative meetings, conferences, workshops, plus links to other online calendars.  Meetings are in Harrisburg unless otherwise noted.  NEW means new from last week.  Go to the online Calendar webpage.

Send your stories, photos and links to videos about your project, environmental issues or programs for publication in the PA Environment Digest to:  DHess@CrisciAssociates.com.

PA Environment Digest is a supporting member of the Pennsylvania Outdoor Writers Association, Pennsylvania Council Trout Unlimited and the Doc Fritchey Chapter Trout Unlimited.

Due to a Friday evening commitment by the editor on May 31, the PA Environment Digest may be delayed in arriving in your emailbox next week.  Sorry for any inconvenience.