Acting DEP Secretary John Quigley told the Senate Appropriations Committee Wednesday Pennsylvania is not meeting its commitments to clean up the Chesapeake Bay Watershed and that a “reboot” is needed to get the program back on track.

Pennsylvania has 641 days to put the best management practices on the ground needed to eliminate 10 million pounds of nitrogen and 212 million pounds of sediment from going into our rivers and streams to meet the 2017 Chesapeake Bay cleanup milestones.

The Senate and House Appropriations Committee hearings on Gov. Wolf’s proposed budget for the Department of Environmental Protection are now complete.  Here are five things we learned as a result of those hearings--

The Senate has 25 session days (not calendar days) to take a vote on the Governor’s nominees to fill cabinet positions.

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.

Gov. Tom Wolf's work calendar will be posted each Friday and his public schedule for the day will be posted each morning.   Click Here to view Gov. Wolf’s Weekly Calendar and Public Appearances.

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

Game Commission Executive Director R. Matthew Hough Tuesday presented the agency’s 2014 Annual Report to the General Assembly, and delivered testimony before the House Game and Fisheries Committee.

Below-average groundwater levels have caused the Department of Environmental Protection to issue a drought watch for 27 counties across Pennsylvania Tuesday.

Pennsylvania’s County Conservation Districts Friday were awarded more than $55,000 for 30 projects in 26 counties.

Would you like to know what the Brodhead Watershed Association in Monroe County has found in your streams?

The Chester Ridley Crum Watersheds Association is seeking enthusiastic volunteers for its 18th Annual CRC Streams Cleanup on April 25 from 9:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at thirty sites throughout the watersheds in Chester and Delaware counties.  The cleanup event engages over 500 volunteers annually and has removed nearly 600,000 pounds of trash from our streams and streamside lands.

Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful’s local affiliates Keep Cambria County Beautiful, Tri-County CleanWays (Butler, Lawrence, Mercer counties) and Keep Washington County Beautiful are holding special collections this spring, sponsored in part by the Department of Environmental Protection’s Household Hazardous Waste/Small Business Hazardous Waste Collection Program.

Funding from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to Temple University will help plan for health, environmental and economic improvements for Philadelphia’s Kensington area residents through the cleanup and reuse of brownfield properties in a 161-acre area which is part of the North of Lehigh neighborhood.

Department of Community and Economic Development Acting Secretary Dennis Davin Friday announced the Commonwealth Financing Authority will open the Business in Our Sites Program for applications beginning April 1.

The Department of Environmental Protection sent comments to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on March 17 formally supporting setting a new ozone pollution standard at 70 ppb or below, but noted EPA’s studies do not show adverse impacts at the 60 ppb level.

The Department of Environmental Protection Monday announced the members of the Conventional Oil and Gas Advisory Committee. COGAC's mission is to increase transparency and communication about regulating the conventional oil and gas drilling industry.

The PA Environmental Council posted this article by John Walliser, Vice President for Legal & Government Affairs, on its Blog Tuesday commenting on the first meeting of DEP’s revamped Oil and Gas Technical Advisory Board last week--

The Public Utility Commission Thursday approved a pilot program that will change the way Peoples Natural Gas Company LLC, Peoples Natural Gas Company LLC – Equitable Division and Peoples TWP LLC (collectively Peoples Companies) charge customers to extend natural gas service to their homes.

The Public Utility Commission Thursday issued for comment a proposed rulemaking that would provide natural gas shopping customers with greater detail in natural gas supplier disclosure statements and more timely information on “contract renewal” and “change in terms” notices. The proposed rulemaking follows a regulation implemented last year for electric generation suppliers.

Families and businesses in eastern Pennsylvania and New Jersey would have saved more than $890 million in energy costs had the proposed PennEast Pipeline been in place during the 2013-2014 winter, according to a key finding from a comprehensive energy market savings report and analysis released Tuesday by Concentric Energy Advisors, Inc. and PennEast Pipeline Company.

The Department of Environmental Protection published notice in the March 28 PA Bulletin saying it is now accepting public comments on the Air Quality permits required for the Shell ethane facility in Beaver County.  (PA Bulletin page 1518)

Norfolk Southern Friday launched a $53-million energy conversion project at its Juniata Locomotive Shop that will substantially reduce carbon emissions and water usage at the 70-acre facility.

Chris Turk, Senior Vice President, Manufacturing and Operations at Interface, Inc. Interface, the worldwide leader in design, production and sales of environmentally-responsible modular carpet for the commercial, institutional, and residential markets, was the keynote speaker at a March 27 Employee Engagement sustainability program hosted by Sustainable Pittsburgh.

Pennsylvania businesses interested in cutting costs and operating in more environmentally-friendly ways can find the answers they need at a Penn State conference in April.

The Public Utility Commission Thursday sought comments on proposed updates to the Technical Reference Manual, which is used to assess energy savings attributable to energy efficiency and demand response measures for the implementation of the state’s Alternative Energy Portfolio Standards Act (AEPS Act) and the energy efficiency and conservation provisions of Act 129 of 2008.

The Department of Environmental Protection published notice in the March 28 PA Bulletin scheduling an April 23 public hearing on the water obstruction and encroachment permits need for the proposed West Pocono-North Pocono 230kV electric transmission line in Lackawanna and Luzerne counties. (PA Bulletin, page 1564)

Educators and faculty at colleges in communities served by Dominion Resources are invited to apply for higher educational grants to fund energy, environment and workforce development programs.  Applications are due May 15 for the 2015-2016 school year.

At 3:53 a.m., March 28, 1979, the cascading failures of valves, pumps, gauges and reactor operators combined to produce the worst accident in the U.S. commercial nuclear power industry.

The Wildlands Conservancy will hold its annual Earth Day Festival April 18 at the Pool Wildlife Sanctuary, 3701 Orchid Place, Emmaus, Lehigh County, starting at noon.  The same day the Conservancy will host a Rain Barrel Workshop at 1:00.  Click Here to see other special programs during April.

The PA Environmental Council’s popular PA Environment Ride will be held June 6-7 running from Lancaster County to Philadelphia. 

Area artists are invited to participate in the Earth Day celebration to be held 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. April 26 at ForEvergreen Nature Preserve in Monroe County

The March 25 edition of the Resource newsletter from the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources is now available featuring articles on--

Friends of the Wissahickon in Montgomery and Philadelphia counties is hosting two Valley Talks in April and May—one on the flora of the Wissahickon and another on the mysteries of Philadelphia’s sewer system.

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

Heritage Conservancy recently discovered a glimmer of hope at its bat hibernaculum in Durham Township, Bucks County.

Iberdrola Renewables, the wind energy company, Friday announced it is seeking applicants for its 2015 Wildlife Protection Program grants.

With more than a million viewers worldwide, and the news broadcasted widely to local and national audiences, you might already be well aware the spotlight on Pennsylvania’s most well-known bald eagle nest has turned to two new stars.

With spring officially here and warmer weather on the way, anglers are excited to “Catch the Value” of a reduced-price license and get outside for the April 4 regional opening day of trout, which marks the unofficial start of the 2015 fishing season.

Richard Morrison, has been named Acting Chief Counsel at the Department of Environmental Protection, moving over from the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources where he served as Chief Counsel.

The Pennsylvania office of the Chesapeake Bay Foundation currently has three summer internship opportunities.

This section lists House and Senate Committee meetings, DEP and other public hearings and meetings and other interesting environmental events.

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--

No new regulations were published this week. Pennsylvania Bulletin - March 28, 2015

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.