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Weekly PA Environment Digest Newsletter
Crisci Associates, July 27, 2015
(7/27/2015)
* PA Officials Reiterate Commitment To Clean Water, Chesapeake Bay Cleanup

In Washington, DC, Thursday, Department of Environmental Protection Secretary John Quigley and Department of Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding restated Pennsylvania’s commitment to improving river and stream health throughout the Commonwealth, and ultimately, the health of the Chesapeake Bay.

* DEP To Sit Down With Stakeholders On Plan To Meet PA Clean Water Commitments

DEP Secretary John Quigley told the Citizens Advisory Council Tuesday DEP is in the process of developing a plan for rebooting Pennsylvania’s Chesapeake Bay cleanup efforts which it plans to review with stakeholders over the coming months.

* Op-Ed: Commit To Saving Chesapeake Bay

By Former Gov. Dick Thornburgh

* CBF-PA: Pennsylvania Declares Clean Water Counts!

By Harry Campbell, Chesapeake Bay Foundation-PA Executive Director

* DEP Citizens Advisory Council OKs Comments On Act 54 Deep Mining Impact Report

At its Tuesday meeting, DEP’s Citizens Advisory Council finalized its comments on DEP’s Act 54 report on the impact of underground coal mining.   Council also heard a presentation on workforce development and succession planning within DEP and made changes to its policy for accepting public comments during its monthly meetings.

* DCNR: Greene County Lake Dam Damaged By Deep Coal Mining Won’t Be Rebuilt

The Washington Observer-Reporter and Tribune Review Friday reported DCNR Secretary Cindy Dunn announced the agency would not rebuild the Duke Lake dam in Ryerson Station State Park, Greene County, due to concerns about additional settling of an area above an underground coal mine that damaged the original dam.

* State Budget Impasse Day 27: Better Understanding, Productive Talks, No Agreement

Positive noises were coming from the Capitol after meetings between Gov. Wolf and GOP Leaders on the budget this week with phrases like “better understanding,” “ productive talks,” and even a “really rolled up our sleeves” were used to describe the talks.

* PA Environment Digest Google+ Circle, Blogs, Twitter Feeds

PA Environment Digest now has a Google+ Circle called Green Works In PA.  Let us join your Circle.

* Senate/House Agenda/Session Schedule[Updated]/Gov’s Schedule/ Bills Introduced

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

* Senate/House Bills Moving

The following bills of interest saw action this week in the House and Senate--

* Wolf Names Mary Isenhour New Chief Of Staff, Replacing Katie McGinty

Gov. Wolf Thursday named Mary Isenhour as his new chief of staff to replace Katie McGinty who is running for U.S. Senate.  Isenhour was Director of Legislative Affairs for Wolf prior to this position.

* PEC To Hold 2nd Environmental Policy Conference In Harrisburg October 13

The PA Environmental Council Friday announced its Second Annual Environmental Policy Conference, which will be held on October 13 at the Hilton Hotel in Harrisburg.

* 3 PA Farms Receive PACD Clean Water Farm Awards

The PA Association of Conservation Districts, Inc. awarded the operators of three farms with the Clean Water Farm Award during its annual conference on July 8 in Monroeville, Allegheny County.

* 2016 Keystone Coldwater Conference Call For Presenters, Student Posters

The PA Council of Trout Unlimited and other organizers of the 2016 Keystone Coldwater Conference in State College on February 26-27 have issued a call for presenters and student posters with the theme of Coldwater Resources: Connecting Conservation, Protection, Restoration and Stewardship.

* PA Sea Grant Program Research Grant Proposals Due August 14

Pennsylvania Sea Grant is soliciting pre-proposals to fund applied research projects that begin in late February 2016 and end by December 31, 2017. A brief two-page pre-proposal, plus a draft budget and two-page CV, is due by 5:00 PM, EST, August 14.

* Register Now For Mid-Atlantic Volunteer Monitoring Conference Aug. 7-8

Join volunteer monitors, government representatives and water quality groups at the 2015 Mid-Atlantic Volunteer Monitoring Conference at Shenandoah University in Winchester, Virginia August 7-8.

* Perkiomen Conservancy Accepting Nominations For Environmental Awards Thru July 31

The Perkiomen Watershed Conservancy working in Berks, Bucks, Lehigh and Montgomery counties is now accepting nominations for its Annual Environmental Awards until July 31.

* July 20 Watershed Winds Newsletter Now Available From Penn State Extension

The July 20 edition of the Watershed Winds newsletter is now available from Penn State Extension featuring articles on--

* June, July Catalyst Newsletters Available From Slippery Rock Watershed Coalition

The June issue of The Catalyst newsletter is now available from the Slippery Rock Watershed Coalition featuring articles on--

* Wolf Announces $98.3M Investment In Water Infrastructure Projects In 12 Counties

Gov. Tom Wolf Wednesday announced the investment of $98.3 million for twelve wastewater and nonpoint source projects across twelve counties through the PA Infrastructure Investment Authority.

* PennVEST Loan Helps Treat Acid Mine Drainage In Mahanoy Creek

Sen. David G. Argall (R-Schuylkill) and Rep. Neal P. Goodman (D-Schuylkill) announced Friday a $2,620,736 loan through the PA Infrastructure and Investment Authority will assist Keystone Anthracite Co. with efforts to remediate acid mine drainage into the Shenandoah Creek and Mahanoy Creek by way of the Weston Tunnel.

* 2 Local Keep PA Beautiful Affiliates Receive Community Tree Planting Grants

National nonprofit Keep America Beautiful and UPS awarded local Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful affiliates-- Keep Philadelphia Beautiful and Keep Westmoreland County Beautiful-- each with a $5,000 Community Tree and Recovery Tree Planting Grant.

* PA Environmental Council Continues Clean Up Work In Northeast PA

Statistics from this spring’s illegal dumpsite cleanups in Susquehanna and Wayne counties have been tabulated and the numbers are quite impressive!

* DEP Takes Control Of Cleanup At Illegal Dump Sites In Carbon, Schuylkill Counties

DEP's Northeast Regional Office decided to step in and clean up six piles of illegally dumped debris on several properties throughout the Poconos. The cleanup took place on July 14.

* July 28 Hearing On Proposed Frey Farm Landfill Expansion, Lancaster County

The Department of Environmental Protection will conduct a public hearing July 28 to receive testimony on Lancaster County Solid Waste Management Authority’s application for a vertical expansion and increase in average and maximum daily volumes of waste accepted for disposal at the Frey Farm Landfill located in Manor Township, Lancaster County.

* Wolf Administration Publishes First Regulatory Agenda

The Governor’s Office published the semi-annual Regulatory Agenda in the July 25 PA Bulletin (beginning on page 4063) outlining regulatory proposals each of the state agencies will be working on over the next six months to a year. 

* State Distributing Free Potassium Iodide Near Nuclear Power Plants Aug. 6

The Department of Health will offer free potassium iodide, or KI, tablets August 6 to Pennsylvanians who are within 10 miles of one of the state's five nuclear power plants.

* DEP Holds First Meeting Of Pipeline Infrastructure Task Force

The Department of Environmental Protection Wednesday held the first meeting of the 48-member Pipeline Infrastructure Task Force which was primarily used as an organization and introductory meeting.

* New PA Energy Infrastructure Alliance Formed

Members of the newly formed PA Energy Infrastructure Alliance Wednesday sent a letter offering to be a resource to members of DEP’s Pipeline Infrastructure Task Force which met for the first time Wednesday.

* DCNR Releases Update To Shale Gas Monitoring Report

Department of Conservation and Natural Resources Secretary Cindy Adams Dunn Thursday updated members of the Natural Gas Advisory Committee on the department’s ongoing efforts to monitor natural gas extraction and management on DCNR lands.

* Study Finds Negligible Radiation In Ten Mile Creek, Greene County

Rep. Pam Snyder (D-Fayette) Thursday said an independent analyses by the West Virginia Water Research Institute found vastly reduced radiation levels in contrast to 2014 test results from Ten Mile Creek in Greene County.

* Op-Ed: Here’s Where We Need To Go Next For Safe Hydraulic Fracturing

By Susan LeGros, Executive Director, Center For Sustainable Shale Development

* DEP Regional Citizens' Roundtable Tours New Panda Patriot Natural Gas Power Plant

On July 20, DEP's Northcentral Regional Citizens' Roundtable held its annual group dinner and field trip to the new 829-megawatt Panda Patriot natural gas-fired power plant under construction in Clinton Township, Lycoming County.

* Small Business Advantage Pollution Prevention, Energy Efficiency Grants Now Available

The Department of Environmental Protection is now accepting applications for its Small Business Advantage Grants to help fund pollution prevention or energy efficiency projects.  (formal notice) 

* U.S. DOE, Pittsburgh Sign MOU On Creating Next Generation Energy Solutions

Pittsburgh Mayor William Peduto Friday signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the National Energy Technology Laboratory on behalf of the U.S. Department of Energy on joint efforts to design 21st Century energy infrastructure for Pittsburgh.

* DEP Offers Free Energy Efficiency Training, Express Your Interest Now!

The Department of Environmental Protection is offering two free energy efficiency training opportunities for facility managers and HVAC technicians at K-12 schools and local governments throughout Pennsylvania's northern tier.

* July 23 DEP News Now Available

The July 23 edition of DEP News is now available from the Department of Environmental Protection featuring articles on--

* Environmental Author, Strategist Speaking At Duquesne Sustainability Graduation

Thirty members of Duquesne University’s MBA Sustainability Program will be inspired at their graduation ceremony by globe-trotting environmentalist Paula DiPerna.

* July 30 Hearing On Short Term Air Emission Plan For the Homer City Power Station

The Department of Environmental Protection will hold a public hearing July 30 to hear from residents on the new pollution control measures for the Homer City Power Station in Indiana County.

* Outdoor Recreation, PA Waterways Subject Of PEC TV Program Now Online

Outdoor recreation on Pennsylvania’s waterways is the topic of conversation in the second “Environmental Focus,” a half-hour television talk show from the PA Environmental Council.  The program is now available online for viewing.

* Students In Goddard Leadership Legacy Institute Explored LeTort Spring Run In Carlisle

The Central PA Conservancy reported Friday the students (age 13-15) and staff participating in the Goddard Leadership Legacy Institute enjoyed a wonderful week of good weather and programming at Pine Grove Furnace State Park and beyond.

* The Circuit Trails Show Increased Use, Wins USA TODAY’s Best Urban Trail

The Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission Thursday released the first year of data from its permanent bicycle and pedestrian counters that have been placed on 11 trails around Greater Philadelphia.

* PEC Pocono Forest & Waters Conservation Landscape Mini-Grants Awarded

The Pocono Forest and Waters Conservation Landscape Assistance Program Thursday announced the award of its 2015 mini-grants, according to the PA Environmental Council.  The grants were awarded to:

* Health Concerns Close Lake At Cowans Gap State Park, Fulton County

The departments of Health and Conservation and Natural Resources Wednesday announced the beach at Cowans Gap State Park, Fulton County, has been closed for swimming until further notice. The park remains open for camping and other activities.

* Brodhead Creek Watershed Assn Hosts 2 Hikes On August 29 In Monroe County

The free hiking series Get Outdoors Poconos by the Brodhead Creek Watershed Association continues August 29 in Barrett Township, Monroe County with two hikes.

* Health Department Calls For Increased Lyme Disease Awareness, Detection

With Pennsylvania leading the nation in reported cases of Lyme disease, Department of Health Secretary Karen Murphy Friday called for increased awareness about this serious disease and outlined the Department 's efforts to combat tick-borne diseases in Pennsylvania.

* Snyder County Mosquito Spraying Set For July 27

The Department of Environmental Protection will be conducting an ultra-low volume (ULV) mosquito control operation to reduce high populations of nuisance mosquitoes on July 27 in Monroe Township, Snyder County.

* Wildlands Conservancy Highlights August Programs

Campfires and shooting stars, greenway walks, a musikfest and National Honeybee Day are just some of the special programs the Wildlands Conservancy has planned for August in and around Allentown, Bethlehem and Emmaus.  Click Here for all the details.

* Game Commission Seeks Input On Osprey Recovery Plan

The Game Commission is seeking public input on its draft Osprey Recovery And Management Plan.  Developed by biologists within the agency’s Wildlife Diversity Division, the osprey recovery and management plan establishes management goals through 2025.

* Help Wanted: Berks Conservation District Looking To Fill Technician Position

The Berks County Conservation District is seeking qualified applicants for an Erosion and Sedimentation Technician responsible for implementing several state-delegated regulatory programs. those programs include Chapter 92 (NPDES), Chapter 102 (Erosion Control, PCSM (Stormwater) and Chapter 105 (Dam Safety and Waterway Management).

* Office Space: PACD Has Office Space Available For Immediate Rent In Harrisburg

The PA Association of Conservation Districts has immediate office space available for rent located at 25 North Front Street, Harrisburg PA and convenient to city, county and state buildings. 

* Public Participation Opportunities/Calendar Of Events

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

* Grants & Awards

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

* Environmental NewsClips - All Topics

Here are NewsClips from around the state on all environmental topics, including General Environment, Budget, Marcellus Shale, Watershed Protection and much more--

* Regulations, Technical Guidance & Permits

The Governor’s Office published the semi-annual Regulatory Agenda in the July 25 PA Bulletin (beginning on page 4063) outlining regulatory proposals each of the state agencies will be working on over the next six months to a year.  This was the first Regulatory Agenda published by the Wolf Administration.

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