On July 18 the Oil and Gas Technical Advisory Board wrote to the Department of Environmental Protection recommending DEP not publish the proposed Chapter 78 Marcellus Shale regulation changes required by Act 13 for public comment because they are not fully developed.

Department of Conservation and Natural Resources staff met Wednesday with representatives of several statewide organizations at their request to discuss DCNR’s role in protecting the natural and recreational resources in the Loyalsock State Forest, Lycoming County, where it does not own the subsurface rights.

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

Friday Rep. Matt Baker (R-Tioga) testified before the Congressional Natural Gas Caucus during a field hearing in Williamsport to discuss the economic impacts of natural gas production in the Marcellus Shale region.

Sen. Richard A. Kasunic (D-Somerset) sent a letter Wednesday to Robert Powelson, chairman of the state Public Utility Commission, protesting FirstEnergy Corporation’s decision to close two area power stations.

The July issue of the Environmental Synopsis from the Joint Legislative Air and Water Pollution Control and Conservation Committee is now available.

The Department of Environmental Protection Monday announced an extension of the public comment period for its draft Public Participation Policy for the Permit Review Process. The policy is open for public comment until Aug. 27.

The Chesapeake Bay Trust is now accepting applications for the Mini Grant Environmental Education Program until August 9.

The Delaware River Basin Source Water Collaborative is hosting a free webinar featuring the City of Wilmington’s and United Water Delaware’s local partnership approaches to protecting drinking water in the Christina Basin on August 15 from 1:00 to 2:00 p.m.

The Pennsylvania Infrastructure Investment Authority and the Department of Environmental Protection announced Friday they will host an auction September 11 for the sale and purchase of nutrient credits in the Susquehanna and Potomac watersheds.

The Summer 2013 newsletter from the Pennsylvania Office of the Chesapeake Bay Foundation is now available.  Click Here to read a copy.  Click Here to sign up for your own copy by email.

Pennsylvania farmers can take advantage of nearly $7 million in tax credits to purchase on-farm conservation equipment or install facilities meeting best management practice standards through the Resource Enhancement and Protection Farm Conservation Tax Credit, or the REAP program.

This year’s Penn State Ag Progress Days will be held on August 13-15 and features the latest technology and research exhibits, educational programs on farm conservation and guided tours at the Russell E. Larson Agricultural Research Center at Rock Springs, nine miles southwest of State College, Pa.

Parking-lot sealcoat is the black liquid you see sprayed or painted on many parking lots, driveways, and playgrounds. Intended as a barrier to protect paved surfaces from the elements, which can cause cracking during freezing weather, they contain extremely elevated levels of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs).

Gov. Tom Corbett Thursday announced a $2 million grant has been awarded to New Hanover Township, Montgomery County, to extend public water to area residents whose groundwater is contaminated.

Since the beginning of 2013, the Pennsylvania Office of the Chesapeake Bay Foundation has been working with community leaders young and old to green-up Pennsylvania's capital, Harrisburg.

The PA Section of the American Water Works Association has scheduled a variety of helpful training opportunities for drinking water and wastewater system operators this Fall.

10,000 Friends of Pennsylvania, the state’s leading Smart Growth advocacy organization, recognized Arbor Heights in Norristown as an exemplary “smart growth” residential development in Pennsylvania at its annual Commonwealth Awards ceremony. 

The Chesapeake Bay Trust and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Wednesday announced $400,000 in funding to seven municipalities and nonprofit organizations through the Green Streets, Green Jobs, Green Towns Initiative (G3).

The PA State Association of Township Supervisors has issued a call for presentations for its annual Educational Conference and Trade Show to be held at the Hershey Lodge on April 13-16, 2014.

The Pennsylvania Supreme Court Thursday let stand a Commonwealth Court order requiring the Public Utility Commission to discontinue the review of local ordinances under the Act 13 Marcellus Shale drilling law.

Thursday, U.S. Rep. Matt Cartwright (D) introduced the Closing Loopholes and Ending Arbitrary and Needless Evasion of Regulations (CLEANER) Act along with Rep. Jared Huffman (CA-2). 

Gov. Tom Corbett Friday asked the federal government to provide disaster aid that will help governments and certain non-profit organizations recover from powerful storm damage and significant flooding that began in late June.

The Department of Health will provide free potassium iodide tablets August 8 to Pennsylvanians who live, work or attend school within a 10-mile radius of one of the state's five nuclear power plants.

West Nile Virus and mosquito season are in full swing and the departments of Health and Environmental Protection are beginning to get test results back showing areas of higher risk for West Nile Virus infections.

The Star Gazers’ Stone in the Natural Land Trust’s ChesLen Preserve in Coatesville, Pa is an unassuming quartzite rock measuring no more than 18 inches in height, but it played an outsized role in the political fates of our nation.

Addressing an audience roughly one-third her age, Ellen Ferretti faced the not-so-easy task of establishing common ground with her young listeners. She nailed it with just a few simple sentences:

He had just traveled over 3,000 miles and now he was facing a drive through six or seven counties before he was home, and still Thomas Erdman was gracious with answers when questions were asked. John Hecker could not wait to get home to see his family, but still he waited a little bit more.

Accomplishment in rural and community forestry and personal achievement as a member of a national professional organization have earned a DCNR Bureau of Forestry employee prestigious honors from the Society of American Foresters.

After nearly four years of leading the Marcellus Shale Coalition, CEO Kathryn Klaber, along with the organization’s executive board, are pleased to announce their efforts to begin a nationwide search to identify the organization’s next leader.

The Pennsylvania Office of the Chesapeake Bay Foundation this week welcomed its new Senior Scientist, Ruth Sitler, to the team.

The board of directors of the Friends of the Upper Delaware River announced Wednesday Jeff Skelding has been named the group’s first executive director.

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 - July 27, 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.