Here are 38 new stories in the PA Environment Digest about individuals, groups, local governments, farmers, businesses, watershed groups and many more working all across Pennsylvania to restore and protect the environment and show others the beauty that surrounds us.

On October 6, the Department of Environmental Protection announced the 13 schools, businesses and community organization winners of the 2021 Governor's Awards for Environmental Excellence.

The Tookany/Tacony-Frankford Watershed Partnership (TTF) will celebrate watershed heroes for the tenth year at its Annual Watershed Milestones Ceremony on October 20.

By Jake Solyst, Chesapeake Bay Program

On October 4, Natural Lands announced the permanent preservation of 392 acres of vulnerable open space in Elizabeth Township, Lancaster County.

The Zook Family recently partnered with the Lancaster Farmland Trust to sign a conservation easement and add their 100-acre farm to the growing list of preserved farms in Lancaster County.

The PA Wilds Center for Entrepreneurship is pleased to announce the recipients of the 2021 Champions of the PA Wilds Awards. These individuals, businesses, events and places from across the region will be honored in a virtual celebration this fall.

On October 8, the Department of Transportation announced its Ohiopyle Multimodal Gateway Project is among the Top 12 finalists in the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials’ 2021 America’s Transportation Awards competition.

Here are statements issued by the Foundation for Sustainable Forests, and WeConservePA on the passing of Dr. Jim Finley--

Links to all the articles and NewsClips in this week’s PA Environment Digest by topic in one place--

The Department of Environmental Protection is now reviewing 17 conventional oil and gas drilling operators for their compliance with a self-certification program that allows the road dumping of drilling wastewater, according to Ali Tarquino Morris, Director of  DEP’s Bureau Of Waste Management.

DEP’s Citizens Advisory Council is scheduled to meet in-person and virtually on October 19 to hear a presentation from DEP on radiation decontamination and decommissioning of oil and gas wastewater treatment facilities, nuclear power plants, waste dump sites and other sites in Pennsylvania.

On October 9, the Better Path Coalition submitted a letter signed by 80 organizations and businesses and more than 1,800 concerned citizens to Secretary Patrick McDonnell and Deputy Secretary Scott Perry calling on the agency to ban road spreading of conventional oil and gas drilling wastewater.

On October 4, more than 65 environmental groups from across the United States appealed to the Biden Administration to protect the public from toxic and radioactive materials that are present in oil and gas waste.

In anticipation of Congress passing a version of the federal infrastructure bill that includes money for states to plug abandoned oil and gas wells, the Department of Environmental Protection is inviting companies to take an electronic survey aimed at gathering information from existing and prospective plugging contractors and service companies/consultants working in the Northern Appalachian Basin.

On October 5, Attorney General Josh Shapiro, in conjunction with the 45th Statewide Investigating Grand Jury,announced the Office of Attorney General’s Environmental Crimes Section has charged Energy Transfer, L.P. (Energy Transfer), the corporate successor to Sunoco Pipeline L.P., with 46 counts of environmental crimes for their conduct during the construction of the Mariner East 2 Pipeline.

The following is the opening statement by Attorney General Josh Shapiro at the announcement his Office was filing 48 counts of environmental crimes in 11 counties against the owners of the Mariner East Pipeline on October 5--

Sen. Carolyn Comitta (D-Chester), Minority Chair of the Senate Environmental Resources and Energy Committee, issued the following statement on Attorney General Shapiro announcement of criminal charges against the Mariner East Pipeline--

On October 5, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court agreed to hear an appeal by the the Clean Air Council, Mountain Watershed Association, and the Delaware Riverkeeper Network of a Commonwealth Court decision denying attorneys fees in the groups’ successful challenge to a Mariner East Pipeline Permit.

On October 7, the Independent Fiscal Office reported revenue from the Act 13 drilling impact fee could increase by nearly $75 million to a total of $221 million in April 2022 up from $146.2 million in 2021, due to the significant increase in the price of natural gas.

On October 4, Sen. Carolyn Comitta (D-Chester), Minority Chair of the Senate Environmental Committee, called for hearings on the failure of the Commonwealth to invest in the state's clean energy infrastructure.

On October 4, Interim Acting PA Consumer Advocate Christine Maloni Hoover told the Senate Community Development and Environmental Committees residential consumers heating with natural gas will see a 20 percent increase or so in their heating bills this winter, if current natural gas prices hold.

The FracTracker Alliance is now accepting nominations for the annual Community Sentinel Award for Environmental Stewardship.  Nominations are due October 29.

The Environmental Quality Board is scheduled to meet October 19 in person and virtually on a proposed regulation setting compliance schedules for communities with combined sewer overflow problems.

On October 4, the  Brandywine Conservancy announced it has received more than $400,000 in grants from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation.

Allegheny College in Crawford County has received a $1.25 million grant from the Richard King Mellon Foundation to establish a Watershed Conservation Research Center

Responding to a resolution authored more than three years ago by Rep. Martin Causer (R-Cameron), state Auditor General Tim DeFoor has launched an audit of nonpoint source management transactions authorized by the Pennsylvania Infrastructure Investment Authority.

The Department of Environmental Protection has scheduled an October 27 meeting/hearing on the proposed Centre Lime & Stone Company mining permit located in Centre Township, Perry County.  (PA Bulletin, page 6481)

On October 4, the Delaware River Basin Commission is pleased to announce Elizabeth "Beth" Koniers Brown has joined the Commission as its new Director, External Affairs and Communications.

Clean out the garage…the basement…the overflowing closets throughout the house in preparation for two large-scale collections of materials to be REUSED by local nonprofits.

On October 8, Department of Conservation and Natural Resources Secretary Cindy Adams Dunn joined state Senator John Gordner for a tour of Shikellamy State Park in Union and Northumberland counties to assess infrastructure needs for parks, forests and trails across Pennsylvania.

October 6, the House Game and Fisheries and Tourism and Recreation Development Committees held a hearing on how to maintain the increase in outdoor recreation that happened during the COVID pandemic.

The Department of Conservation and Natural Resources is seeking three volunteer members for the 2022 Pennsylvania Trails Advisory Committee, Department of Conservation and Natural Resources Secretary Cindy Adams Dunn announced.

The Delaware Riverkeeper Network, the Tinicum Conservancy and the National Park Service are calling on the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources to release more water into the Tohickon Creek in Bucks County to help improve recreational conditions in the stream.

Military veterans from southwest Pennsylvania enjoyed beautiful fall weather on October 2 catching trout as part of the annual Veterans Service Program sponsored by Forbes Trail Chapter of Trout Unlimited. 

By Ad Crable, Chesapeake Bay Journal

On October 7, the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources issued its second Fall Foliage Report that gives a preview of the leaf viewing season. 

The October 8 Take Five Fridays With Pam is now available from the PA Parks & Forests Foundation.

The Department of Environmental Protection invites county parties awarded a grant in 2021 to apply for the State Appropriated Fiscal Year 2022 Mosquito-borne Disease Control reimbursable county grants starting October 15.  (formal notice)

The Delaware County-based Brandywine Conservancy is seeking qualified individuals to fill two positions--

Opportunities to learn more about environmental and energy issues affecting Pennsylvania for students and adults--

With the sudden and tragic passing of Dr. Jim Finley, coupled with the rise in COVID-19 cases, the PA Forestry Association Annual Symposium Committee has decided to postpone the event scheduled for October 9 at Toftrees Resort in State College, PA.

The Department of Environmental Protection and the PA Sea Grant Program will host the next Pennsylvania Lake Erie Virtual Environmental Forum on October 26 from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m.

Penn State Extension will hold another in its series of virtual Water Cooler Talks on October 27 on Riparian Buffer Ecosystem Services from Noon to 1:00 p.m.

By Tom Horton, Chesapeake Bay Journal

The Lancaster Clean Water Partners Stormwater Action Team will host a series of five Lunch & Learn Webinars starting at Noon.  The scheduled includes--

The Audubon Society of Western Pennsylvania and the Buffalo Creek Watershed Coalition are hosting a series of six environmental education programs at ASWP’s new Buffalo Creek Nature Park, located at 154 Monroe Road, Sarver in Butler County.

Join the Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay and partners during the virtual 2021 Sportsmens Forums.   All are welcome to attend; you do not need to be an expert!

The Susquehanna River Basin Commission's fall newsletter The Guardian is now available featuring articles on--

The PA Environmental Council’s In Case You Missed It In September is now available featuring these articles--

What happened to all the spotted lanternflies this year? What’s being done to control their future spread and damage? Join Philadelphia-based Friends of the Wissahickon to learn the answers to these and other questions about this unwelcome insect at a virtual Valley Talk on October 12.

The information you need to follow legislation in the House and Senate- starting with articles and NewsClips from last week--

On October 4, Republicans on the House Environmental Resources and Energy Committee approved legislation to redefine water pollution letting companies decide when to report spills and a bill on prescriptive easements

The House Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee is scheduled to hold a hearing October 25 on Senate Bill 251 (Yaw-R-Lycoming) which sets standards for the application of fertilizer to turf, provides for the certification of professional fertilizer applicators and for labeling and an education program.

The House Environmental Resources and Energy Committee is scheduled to hold a hearing October 25 on “biosolids management permit revisions.”

Articles and NewsClips about federal actions impacting Pennsylvania--

On October 7, U.S. Senators Bob Casey (D-PA), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Michael Bennet (D-CO), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Tina Smith (D-MN) and Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) introduced the American Energy Worker Opportunity Act, which would provide critical resources and training opportunities to assist and empower workers whose jobs are affected by the energy industry’s move toward renewable sources.

On October 4, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced a $4,978,200 grant to the Department of Environmental Protection to improve water quality in rivers and streams throughout the state.

On October 7, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced a $498,673 grant was awarded to the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources to enhance its wetlands program for state parks and forests.

Click Here for a list of public participation opportunities and a calendar of events.

Click Here for grants, awards, recognition programs and contest deadlines.

Highlights of the environmental and energy notices in the latest PA Bulletin--

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.

PA Environment Digest is a proud sponsor of the 2021 Virtual PA Abandoned Mine Reclamation Conference to be held October 27-28.  Click Here to register.

PA Environment Digest is a proud sponsor of the 2021 Statewide Watershed Conference hosted by the PA Organization of Watersheds and Rivers on November 7-8, with special webinars on November 10-11.

PA Environment Digest is a proud sponsor of the 2022 Joint Meeting of the Keystone Coldwater Conference and PA Chapter of the American Fisheries Society on February 25-26, 2022, at the Ramada Conference Center in State College.

PA Environment Digest is a supporting member of the PA Organization for Watersheds & Rivers, PA Outdoor Writers Association, PA Council Trout Unlimited and the Doc Fritchey Chapter Trout Unlimited.