Monday a diverse group of 20 business, oil, coal, aggregate, farm, electric power, builder and chambers of commerce wrote to members of the Senate and House saying the PA Supreme Court’s ruling on the Act 13 drilling law and the Environmental Rights Amendment threatens the ability of Pennsylvania to retain and grow existing businesses and attract new ones.

By John A. Arway, Executive Director, Fish & Boat Commission

Hayley Book, Director of DEP’s Policy Office, told DEP’s Citizens Advisory Council Tuesday the agency was not likely to finalize proposed changes to Chapter 78 drilling regulations until sometime in 2015.

The Independent Regulatory Review Commission Monday provided 19 pages of comments to the Department of Environmental Protection on proposed Chapter 78 drilling regulations required by Act 13.

The Department of Conservation and Natural Resources Wednesday released a copy of its first monitoring report on the impact of shale gas drilling in State Forests based on 15 different monitoring values developed by agency scientists with input from its advisory committees. 

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Prince Gallitzin State Park, Gallitzin State Forest and other award winners will be honored at the 2014 Pennsylvania Parks and Forests Foundation Awards Banquet on May 6 at the West Shore Country Club of Camp Hill near Harrisburg.

PA Environment Digest now has a Google+ Circle called Green Works In PA.  Just go to your Google+ page and search for DHess@CrisciAssociates.com, the email for the Digest Editor David Hess,  and let us join your Circle.

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. Greg Vitali (D-Delaware), Minority Chair of the House Environmental Resources and Energy Committee, Thursday has filed two new Right-to-Know requests seeking information about Gov. Corbett’s plan to raise $75 million through the additional leasing of state parks and forests for natural gas drilling.

The Department of Environmental Protection Wednesday released a work plan outlining efforts to continue studying and sampling the Susquehanna River basin throughout 2014. The plan includes analysis of water quality, water flow, sediment, pesticides, hormones, invertebrates, fish tissue and more.

The Department of Environmental Protection published notice in the April 19 PA Bulletin of the final assessment and listing methodology for determining when waters are impaired under Sections 303(d) and 305(d) of the federal Clean Water Act and required for Pennsylvania’s Integrated Water Quality Monitoring and Assessment Report. 

The Susquehanna River Basin Commission holds a public hearing on water withdrawal requests on May 8 in Room 8E-B East Wing, Capitol Building, Harrisburg starting at 2:30.  (formal notice)

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers published a notice April 11 opening a public comment period on a proposal by the Department of Environmental Protection a new in-lieu fee program called the Pennsylvania Integrated Ecological Services, Capacity Enhancement and Support Program to offset their aquatic resource impacts.  Comments are due May 11.

For the second year in a row, anglers were able to fish for trout along the tributaries of Bennett Branch Sinnemahoning Creek in Clearfield County.  The Fish and Boat Commission stocked the waterway for the first time this year after a private group stocked it last year.

Paddle Without Pollution in Pittsburgh announced their watershed stewardship event schedule for 2014 includes 18 cleanups: Ten Mile Creek (Marianna); Slippery Rock Creek; Moraine, Erie Bluffs, and Presque Isle State Parks; Kiskiminetas River (Leechburg); Allegheny River (Franklin); Chartiers Creek (South Fayette and Upper St. Clair); and the Youghiogheny, Ohio, and Monongahela rivers.

Franklin County homeowners are invited to attend an April 30 or May 7  workshop to learn about the benefits of planting trees on their property and walk away with a box of native species for their own backyard starting at 6:30 p.m. at the Franklin County Ag Heritage building, 185 Franklin Farm Lane, Chambersburg, Franklin County.

Volunteers are being sought to plant more than 300 native trees and shrubs along the Conococheague Creek on the Wilson College campus in Chambersburg, Franklin County, on April 26 as part of a special buffer planting and festival event.

The Friends of the Wissahickon in Montgomery County is hosting a 10K race along Forbidden Drive in the northwest section of Philadelphia on May 18.

American Rainwater Catchment Systems Association is partnering with the Falk School of Sustainability at Chatham University to host an accredited workshop on May 8 and 9 at the University’s Eden Hall Campus, 6035 Ridge Road, Gibsonia, Allegheny County.

It’s Drinking Water Week May 4-10 and the Delaware River Basin Source Water Collaborative is hosting a free webinar highlighting the USGS Water Census study of the Delaware River Basin. 

A broad coalition of Delaware River advocates is urging New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio and the watershed region’s four governors to adopt a more “fair and equitable” water management plan.

The York Water Co. Water Plant in York County recently became the newest member of the Partnership for Safe Water Treatment Program, a voluntary effort to provide safe drinking water.  Presently, the water system provides drinking water service to approximately 159,623 people. 

More than 40 PECO employee volunteers joined Natural Lands Trust to help improve the wildlife habitat at Hildacy Farm Preserve in Media, Chester County, during the company’s National Volunteer Week activities on April 6-12.

For the past 24 years, teams of Chesapeake Bay Foundation educators have taken to the Susquehanna River and other Pennsylvania waterways to explore the vast watershed with students and teachers from 85 different middle and high schools.

An all-time record number of students – 95 from 9 area high schools – are moving into the final days of preparation for the annual Westmoreland County-wide environmental competition known as the Envirothon.

The deadline for registering for the Trout Unlimited and West Branch Susquehanna River Coalition’s second River Researchers Teen Camp in Penfield, Clearfield County, has been extended to May 1.

Midtown Cinema, located at 250 Reily Street in Harrisburg is producing the first annual EarthFest, 4-7 p.m. on April 22.

Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful thanks volunteers from Kiski Township, Roaring Run Watershed, Apollo Ridge School District (as part of their Global Day of Service project), and local residents who removed 3,460 pounds of trash and 260 tires from Dunmire Road and Foster Road in Kiski Township, Armstrong County on April 5th and 6th.

Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful Friday said they have donated high-tech surveillance cameras to the City of Pittsburgh to support enhanced enforcement efforts surrounding the act of illegal dumping within the City limits.

The Spring issue of Recycler magazine is now available from the Professional Recyclers of Pennsylvania featuring stories on recycling facing new challenges, case studies in stewardship-lessons in reuse and the 2014 PROP conference schedule.

The Office of Attorney General has joined the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and local law enforcement officials from across the country in support of National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day.

DEP's Environmental Justice Advisory Board will hold a public listening session from 6-8 p.m., May 6 in Chester, Delaware County, to provide interested stakeholders an opportunity to give public comment on concerns and suggestions regarding environmental justice issues.

The Department of Environmental Protection invites municipal, township and borough leaders, county and city planners, redevelopment authorities, community leaders, and economic and industrial development agencies to a seminar, What All Local Governments Need to Know about Brownfields, on May 14 in Pittsburgh.

A $1 million cleanup of what was left after an arson fire torched 100,000 tires and burned for three days in 1991 in Luzerne County is nearly complete.

The final version of DEP's Community Environmental Projects (CEP) Policy was published in the April 19 PA Bulletin. 

The Public Utility Commission this week launched a mobile-friendly version of www.PAPowerSwitch.com, the agency’s website with information on shopping for electric suppliers, consumer alerts and information, educational videos and more.

Committed to establishing earth-friendly farm practices for future generations, Lancaster County’s Kreider Farms is launching a solar power project that will increase energy efficiency for its four Manheim chicken houses, which are the most state-of-the-art egg processing facilities available in the United States.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Thursday announced High Construction Company Building 105 in Mechanicsburg, Cumberland County, was one of 15 winners of the Energy Star National Building Competition.

To mark the tenth anniversary of the University of Pittsburgh's Mascaro Center for Sustainable Innovation and to build upon the ongoing philanthropy of two of Pitt's most generous donors, Pitt officials announced a new $37.5 million funding initiative comprising various endowments and current funds to support sustainability-related academics and research.

The Department of Environmental Protection Tuesday announced it is awarding nearly $2.1 million in West Nile Virus Control Program Grants to 26 counties.

Pennsylvania’s Agricultural Land Preservation Board Thursday safeguarded 2,778 additional acres on 28 farms in 13 counties through the state’s nationally renowned farmland preservation program.

Join the Delaware Highlands Conservancy, the Pinchot Institute for Conservation and the Pike-Monroe Woodland Owners Group for a forest restoration workshop on May 10 at Grey Towers National Historic Site and the Milford Experimental Forest, a privately owned research forest in Pike County and learn how to improve the health of your forest.

On May 15 the PA Wilds Program will hold its Partnership Summit and Champion Of The PA Wilds Awards Dinner at the Red Fern, 421 Old Kersey Road, Kersey, Elk County starting at 4:30.

The April 16 issue of the Resource newsletter is now available from the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources.

The April 17 issue of DEP’s newsletter is now available from the Department of Environmental Protection.  Click Here to sign up for your own copy.

The Department of Environmental Protection published notice of the opportunity to bid on five projects-- mine reclamation projects in Allegheny County and Centre County and abandoned well plugging projects in Allegheny County, a second project in Allegheny County and one in Elk 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 NewsClips 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--

The Environmental Quality Board published notice of proposed changes to Chapter 121 & 129 Air Quality regulations related to additional RACT requirements for major sources of NOx and VOCs for public comment.  Three public hearings have been scheduled.

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.

CLICK HERE to Print The Entire PA Environment Digest.

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.