After the Senate Environmental Resources and Energy Committee Chesapeake Bay briefing January 8,  Sen. Gene Yaw (R-Lycoming) who serves as Majority Chair of the Committee, told the PA Capital-Star-- “raising that much money [$324 million a year to implement the recommendations in PA’s Clean Water Plan to meet its Bay obligations] through new fees or taxes “isn’t going to happen.” 

On September 30, the state Senate announced the 2020 Talk To Your State Senator statewide student video competition which this year is focused on the topic-- How To Support Agriculture In Pennsylvania.

On January 10, the Sand County Foundation announced Mt-Glen Farms has been selected for the 2019 Pennsylvania Leopold Conservation Award®.

On January 9, the Independent Fiscal Office issued its annual projection of revenue for the Act 13 drilling impact fee which shows a $53.6 million drop in revenue is expected for CY 2019 fee collections to $198.2 million from $251.8 million in CY 2018 fees.

On January 8, the Senate Environmental Resources and Energy Committee put a spotlight on the resources needed to implement Pennsylvania’s Clean Water Plan to meet Chesapeake Bay cleanup obligations at a special public briefing held in conjunction with the PA Farm Show in Harrisburg 

On January 8, Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan directed Attorney General Brian Frosh to pursue legal actions against the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in order to protect Chesapeake Bay restoration efforts.

Register now for the 2020 Riparian Forest Buffer Summit to be held on March 11-12 at the Blair County Convention Center in Altoona, supported by the Western PA Conservancy and the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources.

Registration is now open for the PA Council of Trout Unlimited 14th Keystone Coldwater Conference on February 28-29 at the Ramada Inn Conference Center in State College.  The theme of this year’s Conference is-- Resiliency In A Changing Environment.

The Department of Conservation and Natural Resources will begin accepting applications to support the installation of Riparian Forest Buffers on January 15.  The deadline for applications is April 22.

The Department of Conservation and Natural Resources will shortly be opening grant application periods for its Conservation Partnership Grants-- January 15, and its ATV and Snowmobile Trail Project Grants-- February 3.

DEP’s Office of Water Resources Planning will host the first State Water Plan regional water advisory committee meeting on January 14 in Montgomery County.

The Environmental Quality Board is scheduled to meet on January 21 to finalize regulations putting in place an increase in the oil and gas drilling permit fees and lowering the sulfur content of heating oil.

The House Environmental Resources and Energy Committee is scheduled to meet on January 13 to consider Senate Bill 790 (Scarnati-R-Jefferson) legalizing road dumping of conventional drilling wastewater.

The DEP Oil and Gas Technical Advisory Board is scheduled to meet on January 15 to hear a presentation on DEP’s draft Horizontal Drilling Pipeline Construction Guidance and stakeholder report.

The PA Supreme Court recently accepted a PA Environmental Defense Foundation appeal of a July 29 Commonwealth Court ruling the Foundation said ignored a 2017 opinion of the PA Supreme Court saying revenue from natural gas drilling on State Forest had to be held in trust under the Environmental Rights Amendment to the Constitution and only used for conservation purposes.

On January 6, the PA Environmental Defense Foundation filed an amended lawsuit in Commonwealth Court asking the Court to direct the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources to manage State Forests consistent with its trustee responsibilities under the state constitution's Environmental Rights Amendment.

What better way to mark the start of a new decade of a promising future than to reflect upon our past year?

On January 10, the Game Commission announced charges have been filed against two Brookville, Jefferson County  teenagers who recorded social-media videos of themselves holding down and repeatedly kicking an immobile white-tailed deer.

Students at Dingman-Delaware Middle School in Pike County are helping to encourage Pennsylvanians to do a simple home test for radon in January, National Radon Action Month.

Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful local affiliate groups in just 15 counties collected a total of over 2,168,530 pounds of electronics, 21,018 tires, 6,011 appliances and 61,122 pounds of household hazardous waste from local residents, emphasizing the continued need for disposal options for hard to dispose items.

On January 9,  Gov. Tom Wolf announced a 3 percent reduction in state government electricity, natural gas and steam use for Commonwealth facilities on the first anniversary of his executive order setting a statewide goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

The Joint Legislative Air and Water Pollution Control and Conservation Committee is scheduled to hold a hearing on February 3 on the impact of greenhouse gas cap-and-trade programs on coal waste and co-generation power generators.

The Transportation and Climate Initiative is now accepting comments on a draft Memorandum of Understanding between states in the Northeast to establish a cap-and-invest greenhouse gas pollution reduction program for transportation fuels.  Comments are due February 28.

The Environmental Research Institute of the States, the science and education subsidiary of the Environmental Council of the States, recently launched its first website-- eristates.org.

Here are the Senate and House Calendars for the next voting session day and Committees scheduling action on bills of interest as well as a list of new environmental bills introduced--

The Senate and House were in ceremonial session for one day last week to formally start the second half of the 2019-2020 legislative session.  All the bills start off where they were left last year.  Here are a few highlights from last week’s activities--

On January 3, Sen. Gene Yaw (R-Lycoming) became the new Chair of the tri-state Chesapeake Bay Commission for the 2020 calendar year.  Sen. Yaw is the first member and chairman of the CBC to have a legislative district that covers the northernmost part of the watershed to the New York border.

The House Environmental Resources and Energy Committee is scheduled to hold a January 15  information meeting on “concerns” with the final Triennial Review Of Water Quality regulation.

The House Tourism and Recreation Development Committee is scheduled to hold an informational meeting on January 15 on DCNR’s Penn’s Parks For All, a strategic plan now in the final stages of development to address the challenges faced by State Parks to keep them relevant to the recreational needs of Pennsylvanians for the next 25 years.

The U.S.D.A. Natural Resources Conservation Service is inviting public comments on its interim rule for the Agricultural Conservation Easement Program.

On January 7, the Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority reported its Community Lead Response Program again surpassed the number of lead line replacements required by the Department of Environmental Protection.

By Codi Yeager, Chesapeake Bay Foundation

The Audubon Society of Western PA will host the first meeting of the Buffalo Creek Watershed Coalition on January 23 at the Worthington-West Franklin Community Library, 214 E. Main Street, Suite 1, Civic Center, Building B in Worthington, Armstrong County from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m.

Registration is now open for Chesapeake Bay Landscape Professional certification training, a voluntary, regional credential for professionals who design, install, and maintain sustainable landscapes in the Bay watershed. 

The Wild and Scenic Film Festival will visit Chester County on February 27-28 with all proceeds benefiting the Stroud Water Research Center and the Land Conservancy for Southern Chester County.  The program is hosted by Trail Creek Outfitters.

The Susquehanna River Basin Commission is scheduled to hold a February 6  hearing on a proposed policy to provide guidance and assistance to project sponsors in meeting the existing requirements for metering or monitoring of withdrawals, consumptive uses, or diversions of water.

On January 23, 1971, the Susquehanna River Basin Compact went into effect, launching a partnership between the federal government and the states of New York, Pennsylvania and Maryland to wisely manage the water resources of the Susquehanna basin.

The Delaware River Basin Commission is now accepting applications for non-reserved positions on its Water Management Advisory Committee.

The Green Mission, Inc. recently partnered with the Construction Junction and the PA Resources Council to coordinate clean-out and donation of office furniture and other items following Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney's Pittsburgh office move from One Oxford Centre to the Union Trust Building.

On January 9, the Department of Environmental Protection announced it has approved Chrin Landfill’s application for a permit renewal and an expansion at its facility in Williams Township, Northampton County.

The Department of Environmental Protection has scheduled public hearings [if needed] on RACT II Air Quality Plans for the Nova Chemicals facility in Beaver County, Carpenter Technology Corp facility in Berks County, Consol PA Coal Company facility in Greene County, two Dart Container Corporation facilities in Lancaster County, the Jessop Steel LLC facility in Washington County, the Vandergrift Facility, ATI Flat Rolled Products Holdings, LLC in Westmoreland County and the York Group, Inc casket manufacturing facility in York County.

On January 7, the Public Utility Commission released the results of its annual Cold Weather Survey, which showed more than 18,350 households across the state entered the winter season without heat-related utility service or using unsafe heating sources. 

On January 8, the Public Utility Commission released the 2019 Winter Reliability Overview Reports from the state’s major natural gas distribution companies, along with a related Readiness Report from the Energy Association of Pennsylvania.

On January 8, the Department of Environmental Protection reminds the more than 2.5 million Pennsylvania households that heat with oil or propane to take a commonsense approach to maintaining their fuel supply for a safe winter.

The PA Construction Codes Academy, in partnership with DEP, the U.S. Department of Energy and Performance Systems Development, will be offering three Improving Community Resilience With Energy Efficient Buildings Webinars.

The Board of Supervisors of Mount Joy Township in Adams County will hold a hearing on January 15 at 7:00 p.m. in the Alpha Fire Company #1, 40 East King Street in Littlestown, Adams County to receive comments on a proposed 75 WM, 532-acre solar energy project by Brookview Solar I, LLC.

Pittsburgh-based housing start-up Module, which creates urban homes that can be expanded as the owner’s needs, family or lifestyle changes, has closed on land and financing for its latest four-unit, Zero Energy Ready, mixed-income development in Pittsburgh’s Garfield neighborhood.

The Green Building Alliance will hold the first of its 2020 Inspire Speakers Series on January 30 with a Moth-style event featuring inspiring stories at the intersections of climate, equity and health.  The speakers will be--

The January 10 Take Five Fridays With Pam is now available from the PA Parks & Forests Foundation featuring articles on--

The Penn-Del Chapter of the International Society of Arboriculture will hold its 55th Annual Shade Tree Symposium February 10-11 at the Lancaster Marriott and Convention Center.

The Delaware Highlands Conservancy is accepting applications from eligible high school seniors for the Delaware Highlands Conservancy/Yeaman Scholarship and the Vanessa Van Gorder Memorial Scholarship, both for $1,000.

On January 9, Organic Farmers Association, the nation’s unified voice for certified organic farmers sponsored by Berks County-based Rodale Institute, has named Patty Lovera as its new Policy Director.

The Berks County Conservation District is seeking qualified candidates to fill the position of Urban Resource Conservationist.

The Cumberland County-based PA Parks and Forests Foundation is seeking qualified candidate to fill a Bookkeeper position.

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

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 are highlights of actions taken by agencies on environmental regulations, technical guidance and permits. 

CLICK HERE to View or Print the 133 page 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: PaEnviroDigest@gmail.com.

The PA Environment Digest is a proud sponsor of the 2020 Keystone Coldwater Conference February 28-29 in State College.  Registration is now open.  Click Here for more.

The PA Environment Digest is a proud sponsor of the 2020 Riparian Forest Buffer Summit March 11 & 12 in Altoona.  Registration is now open.  Click Here for more.

PA Environment Digest is a supporting member of the Pennsylvania Outdoor Writers Association, Pennsylvania Council Trout Unlimited and the Doc Fritchey Chapter Trout Unlimited.