The Pennsylvania Environmental Council will be hosting an Environmental Policy Conference on September 16th and 17th in Harrisburg that will feature, among other panelists, all four Chairs of the Senate and House Environmental Resources and Energy Committees.

On August 29, Judge Marc F. Lovecchio of the Court of Common Pleas of Lycoming County decided in favor of local residents in vacating and setting aside a conditional use permit that would have allowed Inflection Energy, LLC to build and operate a natural gas pad in the middle of a residential neighborhood in Fairfield Township.

Auditor General Eugene DePasquale will present the results of his recent audit of DEP’s Marcellus Shale water quality regulatory program to DEP Citizens Advisory Council on September 16.  DEP will present its response to the audit.

Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful Wednesday released its recommendations for reducing illegal dumping in Pennsylvania at the 16th Annual Joint Fall Conference of the Keystone Chapter of the Solid Waste Association of North America, the PA Waste Industries’ Association, the Department of Environmental Protection and the PA Association of Host Municipal Inspectors.

DEP’s Citizens Advisory Council recently sent letters to the chairs of each DEP advisory committee asking for their input into revising the agency’s Advisory Committee Technical Guidance.

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--

Pennsylvania collected $1.8 billion in General Fund revenue in August, which was $17.8 million, or 1 percent, less than anticipated, Secretary of Revenue Daniel Meuser reported Tuesday. 

The Northeast Environmental Partners Thursday announced this year’s recipients of the 24th annual Environmental Partnership Awards and the winner of the 20th annual Thomas P. Shelburne Award.

By Bernard W. Sweeney, Ph.D., Director, Stroud Water Research Center

The Delaware River Watershed Initiative at the Academy of Natural Sciences will hold its monthly happy hour seminar series on September 9 to announce “Delaware River, Inc.”

ClearWater Conservancy has received a $250,000 grant from the Richard King Mellon Foundation of Pittsburgh to restore damaged streams in Centre County and Central Pennsylvania.

Department of Environmental Protection staff Thursday demonstrated the sampling methodologies used in the ongoing study of the Susquehanna River.

The Susquehanna River Basin Commission Thursday held its quarterly business meeting in Corning, N.Y. Among its actions, SRBC--

The Chesapeake Stormwater Training Partnership and the Capital Region Council of Governments are holding a daylong technical stormwater workshop from 9 a.m to 3:30 p.m., on September 16.

The Department of Environmental Protection will hold a webinar September 9 at 10:30 a.m. on Chapter 102 Erosion and Sedimentation Control Regulations and filing and terminating permits.

Producers with expiring U.S. Department of Agriculture Conservation Stewardship Program contracts have until September 12 to renew and add conservation activities that will support their natural resource improvement activities and fine-tune their conservation plans.

We all live downstream … and upstream.  By examining the different ways we use the land along our waterways (is it the site of a factory?  a housing plan?  a wood lot or an open field?), we can learn which choices are good for water quality and good for us and our neighbors.

Green Infrastructure for stormwater management is catching on, because it not only helps reduce flooding, prevent erosion, and improve water quality in waterways, but because it improves livability, provides recreational opportunities, and is a positive influence on community health.

The interactive environmental education organization RiverQuest presents a special Who Works the Rivers educational experience for students grades 9 to 12 on October 14 in Pittsburgh from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m.

The Department of Environmental Protection’s Bureau of Safe Drinking Water, Operations and Monitoring Division conducts a Lead Ban Surveillance Program each year to promote compliance with the Pennsylvania Plumbing System Lead Ban and Notification Act. 

The September edition of Chesapeake Currents is now available from the EPA Chesapeake Bay Program featuring articles on--

The September StormwaterPA newsletter is now available from StormwaterPA.org a GreenTreks Network educational resource featuring articles on--

Autumn is less than a month away and the Department of Environmental Protection would like to remind citizens about important precautions to take as they are closing their pools and filling their home heating oil tanks.

The departments of Environmental Protection and Community and Economic Development will hold two seminars this fall on brownfield redevelopment--

The Department of Environmental Protection  will host a public meeting and hearing on September 17, to hear input about IESI PA Blue Ridge Landfill Corporation’s proposal to increase waste intake at its municipal waste landfill operations in Greene Township, Franklin County.

The PA Resources Council will hold a special 75th Anniversary Dinner and Awards Program on November 13 at the Simeone Foundation Automotive Museum, 6825 Norwitch Dr., Philadelphia.

2014 marks Recyclebank's 10th year of inspiring and rewarding smarter, everyday choices for a more sustainable future.  Founded in 2004, the company set out with a simple idea: could education and incentives get people to recycle more?

The Department of Environmental Protection  recently launched its new electronic informal file review request form that provides a guide to DEP Regional Offices to promote a department-wide uniform standard process for receiving, processing and coordinating Informal File Reviews. 

Gov. Tom Corbett Thursday announced nearly $4 million in Alternative Fuel Incentive Grants to 33 local governments, non-profit organizations and companies making the switch to compressed natural gas (CNG), propane, or electric, for medium to light-weight fleet vehicles.

Penn Power is offering low-income customers an opportunity to make their homes efficient and save money on their electric bills by enrolling in the WARM Energy Conservation Program.

Pennsylvania Farm Bureau has submitted written comments to the Public Utility Commission in response to a proposal to revise the regulatory standards for implementation of the Alternative Energy Portfolio Standards Act of 2004. 

The Department of Environmental Protection Wednesday formally announced that hearing officer Michael Bangs has canceled the October 27 and 28 public hearing sessions and formally closed the docket on Hilcorp Energy Co.’s Application for Gas Well Spacing Units.

The Marcellus Shale Coalition Wednesday released a new online video highlighting the broad-based benefits being realized across Pennsylvania associated with shale impact fee tax revenues entitled “Shale Impact Fee Benefits all of Pennsylvania.”

Several strands of Pennsylvania’s environmental and economic history come together in the Loyalsock State Forest in Northeast Pennsylvania.

The September 4 edition of DEP News is now available from the Department of Environmental Protection featuring articles on--

The Fish and Boat Commission Tuesday announced an invitation for project applications to the State Wildlife Grant Program. These projects will help address high-priority conservation needs for the Timber Rattlesnake and freshwater mussels in the Ohio River.

By Patrick McShea, Carnegie Museum Of Natural History

PA Audubon will hold its 2014 Assembly: Healthy Forests For Birds, People September 19-20 at the Deane Center for Performing Arts, 104 Main St. in Wellsboro.

The September 3 edition of the Resource newsletter is now available from the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources featuring articles on--

The September Edition of Water, Land, Life newsletter is now available from the Western PA Conservancy featuring articles on--

The April-June issue of the PA Natural Heritage Program newsletter is now available featuring articles on--

The Department of Conservation and Natural Resources published notice of opportunity to bid on several projects at Shawnee State Park.

The Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay is seeking candidates for PA Program Assistant.  The deadline for applications is September 25.  Click Here for all the details.

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. NEW means new from last week.  Go to the online Calendar webpage for updates. 

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 Department of Environmental Protection published notice of final technical guidance on Closure Requirements for Aboveground Storage Tank Systems.

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 for updates.

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.

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