Pennsylvania's five-member MMI Preparatory School from Luzerne County came in 15th during last week's international Canon Envirothon competition at Susquehanna University in Selinsgrove.

On July 6 the the new federal Surface Transportation Bill (HR 4348) was signed into law.  Included in the bill within Section 100125 was an amendment sponsored by U.S. Senator Max Baucus (D-Montana) which will reduce federal Abandoned Mine Reclamation Funding to Pennsylvania by $200 million over the next 10 years.

Pennsylvania's Dents Run abandoned mine reclamation project in Elk County was recognized this week as one of five winners of the 2012 federal Office of Surface Mining Mine Reclamation Awards.

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

The Department of Revenue reported Wednesday Pennsylvania collected $1.8 billion in General Fund revenue in July, the first month of the 2012-13 fiscal year, which is $100 million more than the state collected in July 2011.

The Friends of the Tom Ridge Environmental Center are now accepting nominations for the John C. Oliver Environmental Leadership Award.  Nominations are due August 31.

The Department of Environmental Protection filed a complaint and proposed consent decree July 27 in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania against First Energy Generating Corp. requiring the company to submit a plan to close the Little Blue Run coal waste impoundment in Beaver County.

Scott Detrow of WITF's StateImpact PA reports the Williamsport Sun-Gazette reports a Tioga County Commissioner’s meet­ing was dom­i­nated by ques­tions about Shell’s Union Township methane migra­tion prob­lems, which StateIm­pact Penn­syl­va­nia pro­vided an update on Monday.

By Paul O. Swartz, Executive Director, Susquehanna River Basin Commission

The Chesapeake Bay Trust is pleased to announce the creation of a new grant initiative, the Environmental Education Capacity Building Program.  Applications are due August 31.

Chesapeake Bay Foundation President William C. Baker issued this statement Wednesday concerning a proposal by the leadership in the House of Representatives that would fund drought relief to ranchers at the expense of conservation funding nationally.

The Delaware Riverkeeper Network is doing a survey of middle Schuylkill River recreation users as part of a feasibility study on forecasting river pathogens.  Click Here to take the survey.  Your results are needed by August 15.

Local officials and project leaders gathered this morning to get a firsthand look at the results of a recently completed abandoned mine reclamation project in Reilly Township, Schuylkill County.

The Department of Environmental Protection announced Friday it has reduced rates for Mine Subsidence Insurance which covers losses resulting from abandoned coal or clay mining and from damage caused by the sudden discharge of water that may be contained in a mine void.

Energy -- be it solar, wind, biofuels from plants or natural gas extracted from the Marcellus Shale -- again will be a focus at Ag Progress Days, August 14-16.

A comical and inspirational video was voted as best entry to the 5th Annual PROP Recycling Film Festival held at the annual conference of the Professional Recyclers of Pennsylvania in Lancaster, PA on July 25th.

The PA Resources Council, E-Covanta and Materials Processing Corporation are sponsoring a series of electronic waste collection events in Eastern Pennsylvania-- August 11 in Quakertown and September 15 at the John Heinz Wildlife Refuge in Philadelphia.  For more information, visit PRC’s E-Waste webpage for Eastern PA or send an email to Jayne Young at: young@prc.org.

The Pennsylvania Resources Council has scheduled a series of Backyard Composting, Worm Composting, Rain Barrel and Healthy Body, Healthy Home, Healthy Planet Workshops beginning on August 28.

The Public Utility Commission Thursday adopted a Final Implementation Order on the future of energy efficiency and conservation programs established under Act 129 of 2008.

The Public Utility Commission Thursday issued a Final Order that implements portions of Act 11 of 2012, which among other things, provides for a distribution system improvement charge (DSIC) for electric, natural gas, water and wastewater utilities.

The Public Utility Commission Thursday conducted a binding poll on the issues related to the default service programs for FirstEnergy companies including Metropolitan Edison Co., Pennsylvania Electric Co., Pennsylvania Power Co. and West Penn Power Co. (FirstEnergy).

PPL Electric Utilities completed its third and final solicitation for solar renewable energy credits on July 16, 2012, which will help the company provide power from alternative energy sources for residential customers who elect to remain on the utility’s default electric supply.

Chatham University has received grants from the J.B. Finley Charitable Trust through the PNC Charitable Trust Grant Review Committee and the Snee-Reinhardt Charitable Foundation totaling $35,000 to support infrastructure initiatives relating to sustainable agriculture at Eden Hall Campus.

Gov. Tom Corbett was joined Thursday by elected state officials and representatives of labor and business to highlight the importance of continued state efforts to bring a petrochemical complex to Pennsylvania.

Toyota and the National Audubon Society Wednesday awarded over $1 million in TogetherGreen Innovation Grants funding to 41 innovative environmental projects nationwide, including two grants in Pennsylvania.

The Emerald Ash Borer beetle has been discovered in Bucks, Franklin, Jefferson, Perry, Snyder and Venango counties. With these new finds, 28 counties are now dealing with the invasive ash tree-killing pest.

The Pinchot Chapter Allegheny Society of American Foresters is sponsoring a one-day Invasive Plant Management Workshop on September 26 at Nescopeck State Park in Luzerne County.

Through iConservePA.org, Mike Kern from DCNR’s Bureau of Forestry and Smokey Bear give home and farm owners tips about how they can keep their property safe from wild fires.  Click Here to watch the video.

A registration deadline is approaching for a series of workshops—addressing street tree inventories and the latest computer tools available to effectively compile them—that are planned in the eastern and western sections of the state.

The Trust for Public Land has permanently protected 310 acres of forest in the Township of Blooming Grove, Pike County. The property was transferred to DCNR’s Bureau of Forestry as an addition to the 80,267-acre Delaware State Forest.

Marking its longstanding commitment to recreational and open space improvements throughout Philadelphia, the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources will join city representatives and neighborhood groups August 4 in dedicating significant renovations at Fairhill Square Park in the city’s West Kensington section.

The Department of Conservation and Natural Resources is reminding citizens that there is still time to try camping at a Pennsylvania state park before summer comes to a close.

The Fish and Boat Commission just released a video of the July 17 unveiling of a Pennsylvania Historic Marker recognizing Ralph W. Abele, the former executive director of the Commission.  Click Here to view the video.

The 10th Anniversary of the 2002 rescue of nine miners trapped in the Quecreek Mine in Somerset County was celebrated Saturday, July 28 with a special program featuring former Gov. Mark Schweiker, other state and federal mine rescue officials, private companies involved in the rescue and several of the rescued coal miners.

The PA Emergency Management agency is now accepting applications for its Fire Company and Volunteer Ambulance Services Grant Program until October 19.  Written guidelines, instructions and applications for the grants will be available online no later than September 5. (formal notice)

Two new members were appointed to DEP’s Citizens Advisory Council this week: William Fink from Bedford County and the Environmental Management Specialist for Country View Family Farms and David Hess, former Secretary of the Department of Environmental Protection.

The Department of Conservation and Natural Resources published a notice inviting bides on State Park facilities in Bedford County.

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 NewClips 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--

The Public Utility Commission formally published notice of its procedures for implementing the drilling impact fee under Act 13.

Upcoming legislative meetings, conferences, workshops, plus links to other online calendars.  Meetings are in Harrisburg unless otherwise noted.  NEW means new from last week.  Go to the online Calendar webpage. 

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.