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Weekly PA Environment Digest Newsletter
June 29, 2009
(6/29/2009)
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* House Committee OKs Natural Gas Severance Tax With Environmental Funding Set Asides
The House Environmental Resources and Energy Committee this week reported out House Bill 1489 (George-D-Clearfield) establishing a natural gas severance tax.after amending the bill to set aside 40 percent of the revenues for environmental, energy and local government programs.

* Governor Announces Additional Environmental Funding Cuts

* Submissions For Growing Greener Anniversary Grants Due July 20

* On the Senate/House Agenda/Session Schedule/Bills Introduced

The House and Senate return to voting session on June 29. 

* Senate/House Bills Moving

The following bills of interest saw movement this week-- 

* Senate Environmental Committee Unanimously Reports Out Quigley As DCNR Secretary
The Senate Environmental Resources and Energy Committee this week unanimously reported the nomination of John Quigley to be Secretary for Conservation and Natural Resources to the full Senate for consideration.

* Joint Conservation Committee Releases Survey On State Parks

The Joint Legislative Air and Water Pollution Control and Conservation Committee this week released the findings of the 2009 Mansfield University Statewide Survey asking the public about how they used Pennsylvania's State Parks.

* Resolution Adopted To Evaluate Growing Greener, Community Conservation Grant Programs

The House this week adopted House Resolution 17 (Harper-R-Montgomery) directing the Legislative Budget and Finance Committee to review the Growing Greener II and DCNR's Community Conservation Partnerships programs.

* Schuylkill Action Network Honors Local MVPs-- Most Valuable Partners
The Schuylkill Action Network, a group of over 100 member-organizations and individuals, has awarded five recipients with MVP, or Most Valuable Partner Awards, for their work in carrying out restoration and enhancement projects that reduce water pollution in the Schuylkill River watershed of southeastern Pennsylvania.

* Wildlands Conservancy Announces 2009 Friend Of The Lehigh River Award Recipients

* Gas Drilling Wastewater Banned From Jersey Shore Borough Treatment Plant
The Department of Environmental Protection this week ordered Jersey Shore Borough in Lycoming County to immediately stop accepting wastewater from oil and gas drilling for treatment at the borough’s sewage treatment plant.

* DEP Holds Public Meeting On Drilling Wastewater Treatment Plant July 8
The Department of Environmental Protection will answers questions and take comments at a public meeting at 6:30 p.m. on July 8, at the Loyalsock Township High School auditorium, 1801 Loyalsock Drive, Williamsport, regarding an industrial waste discharge permit application submitted by TerrAqua Resource Management LLC to treat and discharge 400,000 gallons per day of gas well drilling wastewater to the West Branch of the Susquehanna River.

* $17.1 Million In State Grants Awarded For Five Schuylkill County Dam Projects

* Westmoreland Conservation District Offers Tips On Repairing Flood Damaged Driveways

* Water Resources Education Network Leaders Hold Successful Conference

* Ron Mordosky Recognized With R. Emmet Doherty Award
The Lehigh Valley/Berks County Air Quality Partnership, the American Lung Association of Pennsylvania and Woman’s Club of Allentown this week presented the 38th R. Emmet Doherty Clean Air Award to Ron Mordosky, former DEP Air Quality Program supervisor, during a ceremony in Bethlehem.

* Carnegie Mellon Prof Wins 2009 Presidential Green Chemistry Challenge Award
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency this week recognized chemical technologies developed by leading researchers and industrial innovators with the 2009 Presidential Green Chemistry Awards, including a professor at Carnegie Mellon University.

* DEP Now Accepting Applications For PA Energy Conservation Works Grants
The Department of Environmental Protection is now accepting applications for $22.2 million in grants under its PA Conservation Works Program to fund energy efficiency, conservation and renewable energy projects by local governments and nonprofit organizations.

* Western PA Energy Consortium Awarded EPA Green Power Partner Recognition

* Economic Recovery Funding Will Energize Bucks County Research Park

* PPL, Interstate Waste Services, Adams Electric Partner On Landfill Gas Project
The Cumberland County Landfill in Shippensburg, Pa., will no longer flare off the methane gas produced there. Instead, through a renewable energy project PPL Renewable Energy and Interstate Waste Services, the methane will be used to generate enough electricity to power 4,800 homes.

* PUC Partnership Provides Long-Term Evaluation Of Utility Energy Efficiency Programs

* Waste Transportation Safety Annual Report Shows 32,847 Waste Trucks Licensed In PA
The Department of Environmental Protection this week issued a 2008 annual report on the Waste Transportation Safety Program which licenses waste haulers disposing of waste in Pennsylvania.

* Geologists Offer Programs On Marcellus Shale, Uniform Environmental Covenants Act
The PA Council of Professional Geologists are offering programs in July providing an overview of Marcellus Shale natural gas drilling and questions and answers on the Uniform Environmental Covenants Act.

* Game Commission 2009 Citizen Advisory Committee Reports Posted Online
The Game Commission has posted the 2009 Citizen Advisory Committee reports, including their recommendations for deer population changes, on the agency's website. Five CACs were conducted in 2009 in Wildlife Management Units 1A, 2E, 3A, 4A and 5B.

* Prowl The Sproul State Forest Activities Set For July 17-19
The Department of Conservation and Natural Resources and the Keystone Trails Association again are jointly sponsoring the sixth "Prowl the Sproul" hiking adventure from July 17-19 in the Pennsylvania Wilds in Clinton County.

* DEP Hosts Minority, Women-Owned Business Solicitation Workshops For PennVEST Projects
The Department of Environmental Protection has scheduled workshops around the state for engineers, municipal entities, contractors, and disadvantaged, women-owned and minority-owned businesses to learn about guidelines for bidding state- and federally-funded PennVEST projects.

* DEP Provides Notice Of Bid Opportunity In Schuylkill County for Reclamation Project
The Department of Environmental Protection published notice of an opportunity to bid on a mine reclamation project in Schuylkill County.

* Help Wanted: Executive Director Jacobs Creek Watershed Association
The Jacobs Creek Watershed Association in Westmoreland County is seeking to fill the position of Executive Director who is responsible for all aspects of implementing the mission of the organization.

* Feature - Live Bluebird Nestbox Camera Debuts On Game Commission Website

* Grants & Awards

This section gives you a heads up on upcoming deadlines for grants and financial assistance as well as nominations for awards and other recognition programs.  NEW means from last week— 

* Quick Clips
Here’s a selection of NewsClips on environmental topics from around the state--

* Watersheds NewsClips
Read a sampling of NewsClips on watershed topics from around Pennsylvania.

* Regulations
The Governor's Office published its semi-annual Regulatory Agenda which lays out the regulations now in development or planned by state agencies  (Pa Bulletin page 3247)  The Environmental Quality Board  published notice accepting a rulemaking petition on the redesignation of Shohola Creek in Pike County.
* Technical Guidance & Permits
The Department of Environmental Protection  published draft policy on establishing the quantity of water in low-yield wells and the  Priority List of Hazardous Sites For Remedial Response.
* Calendar Of Events

Upcoming conferences, meetings, workshops, plus links to other online calendars.  Meetings are in Harrisburg unless otherwise noted. NEW indicates new from last week.   Go To: PA Environment Digest Calendar Page

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