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

Senate/House ----------------------------------------------------------------------

-- House Republicans Pass Bill Making Fundamental Changes In Clean Streams Law, Letting Companies Decide When To Report Spills  [PaEN]

-- AP: House Republicans Send Resolution Killing RGGI Regs To Gov. Wolf To Veto, Lack Votes For Override

=-- PG - Laura Legere: House Votes To Reject Gov. Wolf’s Climate Plan For Power Plants; Resolution Headed For Veto

-- WITF - Rachel McDevitt: House Votes To Stop State’s Entrance To Cap-And-Trade Program, But Wolf Veto Likely

-- Inquirer - Frank Kummer: House Votes To ‘Disapprove’ Entering Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, Defying Gov. Wolf

-- Guest Essay: RGGI Fails Pennsylvania On Its Most Basic Promise - Sen. Gene Yaw (R), Majority Chair, Senate Environmental Committee 

-- AP: Governor’s Carbon-Pricing Plan Encounters Hurdle In Final Publication  [RGGI]

-- PA Conservative Energy Forum Supports Solar Energy Development As Economic Driver And Benefit To Landowners [PaEN]

-- YorkDR Guest Essay: Appliance Standards, A Bipartisan Way To Cut Energy Costs And Reduce Air Pollution In PA - Sen. Lindsey Williams (D), PennEnvironment

-- WBTimes: Bipartisan Bill To Help Protect Children From Lead Poisoning Advances In Senate

-- Senate, House Appropriations Committees Set 2022 State Budget Hearing Schedule  [PaEN]

Top 10 Headlines From Harrisburg Last Week -----------------------------------

Because In Politics Everything Is Connected To Everything Else--

-- PA Capitol News: Top 10 Stories From Harrisburg Last Week  [PaEN]

Articles & NewsClips By Topic -------------------------------------------------------

--  61 New Stories - REAL Environmental And Conservation Leadership In PA  [PaEN]

-- Environment & Energy Educational Opportunities For Students And Adults  [PaEN]

Air

-- AP: House Republicans Send Resolution Killing RGGI Regs To Gov. Wolf To Veto, Lack Votes For Override

=-- PG - Laura Legere: House Votes To Reject Gov. Wolf’s Climate Plan For Power Plants; Resolution Headed For Veto

-- WITF - Rachel McDevitt: House Votes To Stop State’s Entrance To Cap-And-Trade Program, But Wolf Veto Likely

-- Inquirer - Frank Kummer: House Votes To ‘Disapprove’ Entering Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, Defying Gov. Wolf

-- Guest Essay: RGGI Fails Pennsylvania On Its Most Basic Promise - Sen. Gene Yaw (R), Majority Chair, Senate Environmental Committee 

-- AP: Governor’s Carbon-Pricing Plan Encounters Hurdle In Final Publication  [RGGI]

-- PA Conservative Energy Forum Supports Solar Energy Development As Economic Driver And Benefit To Landowners [PaEN]

-- Evangelical Environmental Network: It’s Well Past Time For PA To Transition To A Clean Energy Economy  [PaEN]

Alternative Fuels

-- PennDOT: New 511PA App Features Electric Vehicle Charging Stations

-- PG: Healthy Ride Rebuilding Pittsburgh’s Bike-Sharing Program, Adding Electric-Assist Bikes

-- AP: U.S. Electric Vehicle Charging Network Strategy Being Released

-- White House: Fact Sheet On Electric Vehicle Charging Action Plan

Awards & Recognition

-- Tookany/Tacony-Frankford Watershed Partnership Executive Director Julie Slavet Honored By Wyncote Audubon Society  [PaEN]

-- EPA Accepting Nominations For Presidential Innovation Award For Environmental Educators  [PaEN]

-- Nominations For President’s K-12 Environmental Youth Award Now Being Accepted By EPA  [PaEN]

-- PennLive - Marcus Schneck: What Will Be Picked As PA Bird Of The Year?  Odds Are It’s A Species With A ‘Conservation Story To Tell’

Biodiversity/Invasive Species

-- PennLive - Marcus Schneck: What Will Be Picked As PA Bird Of The Year?  Odds Are It’s A Species With A ‘Conservation Story To Tell’

-- Penn State Survey Finds Strong Public Support For Bird Conservation, But Hundreds Of Bird Species Are In Trouble Now  [PaEN]

-- ErieT: Snowy Owls Spotted At Presque Isle State Park, But Keep Your Distance

-- TribLive: Volunteers Sought For Christmas Bird Count

-- PennLive: Public Reports Of Spotted Lanternflies Down 50% In 2021, But That Doesn’t Tell The Whole Story: Researcher

-- Bay Journal: Quest Under Way To Find, Protect Old-Growth Forests In PA, Chesapeake Bay Watershed  [PaEN]

-- WHYY: Philly’s Fairmont Park’s Iconic Maple Tree Is Gone, Arborists Cite Climate Change

-- PA Master Naturalist To Offer Spring Training Courses In Allegheny, Northern Chester,  Washington Counties  [PaEN]

-- Courier Express: PA Endangered Species Series: Eastern Massasauga Rattlesnake

-- WLVR: Japanese Barberry, A Tick Magnet, Banned In Pennsylvania

American Rescue Plan Funding

-- TribLive Guest Essay: PA Has Historic Opportunity To Restore Water Quality Of Beloved Rivers - Sean Hoffmann, Environment America  [American Rescue Plan, Bipartisan Infrastructure Funding]

-- LancasterOnline: Lancaster County Still Waiting For Treasury Guidance Before Spending $106 Million In American Rescue Plan Funding

-- YorkDR: York Mayor To Present Plans To Spend $35 Million In American Rescue Plan Funding

-- NYT: Republicans Who Assailed Biden’s Stimulus Bill Are Embracing The Money

Bipartisan Federal Infrastructure Law

-- WPost: Biden Administration Details Push To Rid Nation Of Millions Of Lead Pipes

-- White House: Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Lead Pipe And Paint Action Plan

-- CourierT: Why $4.4 Billion In Federal Infrastructure Funds Isn’t Enough To Fix PA Roads

-- AP - Laura Legere & Anya Litvak: Hope, Challenges Amid Surge Of Funds To Plug Oil & Gas Wells Abandoned By The Industry For Taxpayers To Deal With

-- TribLive Guest Essay: PA Has Historic Opportunity To Restore Water Quality Of Beloved Rivers - Sean Hoffmann, Environment America  [American Rescue Plan, Bipartisan Infrastructure Funding]

-- EPA Announces Plans To Use Funds From Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill To Expedite Cleanup At 3 Superfund Sites In Berks, Delaware, Montgomery Counties  [PaEN]

-- ReadingE: Crossley Farms, North Penn Water Authority Sites Among Those Receiving EPA Superfund Infusion

-- Inquirer - Frank Kummer: In Philly, EPA Announces $1 Billion To Speed Up Superfund Cleanups, Including 3 Sites In PA

-- WHYY: D.C. Is Sending $30 Million To Fast-Track Cleanup Of Toxic Soil In Philly

-- Gov. Wolf Announces $240 Million In Clean Water Funding From Bipartisan Infrastructure Law  [EPA Announced Dec. 2]

-- PG: Infrastructure Cash Welcome, But Won’t Cover All Needs, Officials Say

Build Back Better Budget Bill

-- PA Wilds Finalist In National Build Back Better Regional Challenge For Up To $100 Million  [PaEN]

-- WESA: Southwestern PA Named Finalist For Up To $100 Million In Build Back Better Money

-- Public Source: Biden’s Agenda Promises Major Clean Energy Investments, What Would That Mean For Western PA?

-- Evangelical Environmental Network: It’s Well Past Time For PA To Transition To A Clean Energy Economy  [PaEN]

-- PennLive Guest Essay: Small Businesses In PA Seek Congressional Action On Build Back Better Climate Initiatives - By Saeid Kamalpour, GlobInK

-- PennLive Guest Essay: The Grinch Will Steal Christmas If Congress Doesn’t Pass Build Back Better Budget - By Jill Sunday Bartoli, Professor Emerita, Elizabethtown College

-- PG: U.S. Senate Has Tough Task Ahead To Get Build Back Better Plan Budget To Biden By Christmas

Budget

-- Senate, House Appropriations Committees Set 2022 State Budget Hearing Schedule  [PaEN]

-- WHYY: New PA Funding Will Connect More Homes With PFAS-Tainted Wells To Public Water

Chesapeake Bay

-- Bay Journal: Chesapeake Bay Program Figures Show PA Led Region In 2020 Cleanup Progress  [PaEN]

-- DEP: 2020 PA Chesapeake Bay Healthy Waters, Health Communities Report

-- DEP: December Chesapeake Bay Health Waters PA Partnership, Progress Newsletter

-- Gov. Wolf Announces $17.4 Million To Improve Local Water Quality In 33 Counties In The Chesapeake Bay Watershed  [PaEN]

-- WilliamsportS: Lycoming County Receives $527,000 Grant For Local Clean Water Projects

-- ABC27: Lancaster County Receives State Grant To Continue Clean Water Conservation Efforts

-- ScrantonT: Putting The Chesapeake Bay Watershed On A Pollution Diet

-- Penn State Plans Survey Of Farm Conservation Practices In 14 PA Counties Starting In January [PaEN]

-- LancasterOnline: Lancaster Twp. Joins $14 Million Project To Improve Little Conestoga Creek

-- Franklin & Marshall College Launches Chesapeake Bay Watershed Initiative Based On Legacy Sediments Research [PaEN]

-- Lancaster Farming: 3 PA Farms Will Test Alley Cropping, A Planting System With Trees

-- Penn State Extension: What Are You Doing For Clean Water?

-- Artists Paint Storm Drain Art To Raise Water Pollution Awareness In York County  [PaEN]

-- Middle Susquehanna RiverKeeper: Volunteer Water Monitors Needed In Lycoming, Clinton Counties For New Stream Team Initiative; Feb. 8 Info Meeting  [PaEN]

-- Penn State Extension: Impact Of Soil On Water Quality In Riparian Buffers

-- Penn State Extension: Watershed Winds Newsletter: Private Well Testing, Salt Watch Monitoring, Impact Of Soil On Water Quality, Much More

-- Chesapeake Bay Journal: After 45 Years, Chesapeake Bay Foundation Will Baker Reflects On The Bay At A Crossroads

Latest From The Chesapeake Bay Journal

Click Here to subscribe to the free Chesapeake Bay Journal

Citizen Action

-- Millions Of Gallons Of Conventional Oil & Gas Wastewater Spread Illegally On Dirt Roads, Companies Fail To Comply With DEP Waste Regulations - By David E. Hess, Former Secretary Department of Environmental Protection  [PaEN]

-- Click Here for a link to a printable version of this article.

-- Better Path Coalition Report: How To Close The Loophole Allowing Uncontrolled Road Spreading Of Conventional Oil & Gas Wastewater & Fix Oil and Gas Waste Reporting System [PaEN]

-- TribLive: 2nd Drilling Waste Injection Well Project In Plum Faces Opposition From Residents, Borough Officials

-- DEP Posts 2022 Schedule For Advisory Committee, Board Meetings; Remote Attendance Options Will Continue To Be Available  [PaEN]

-- Registration Now Open For Keystone Coldwater Conference & PA Chapter of the American Fisheries Society Meeting Feb. 25-26  [PaEN]

-- Tookany/Tacony-Frankford Watershed Partnership Executive Director Julie Slavet Honored By Wyncote Audubon Society  [PaEN]

-- PA Environmental Defense Foundation Files Lawsuit To Stop Northcentral Regional ATV Trail Connector Project As Violation Of Public Trust Responsibilities  [PaEN]

-- PA Parks & Forests Foundation Details Economic Benefits Of PA's Parks & Forests In New Video  [PaEN]

-- Dec. 17 Take Five Fridays With Pam Now Available From PA Parks & Forests Foundation  [PaEN]

-- PA Master Naturalist To Offer Spring Training Courses In Allegheny, Northern Chester,  Washington Counties  [PaEN]

-- Watershed Stewards In Armstrong, Indiana, Westmoreland Counties Plan Salt Watch Monitoring  [PaEN]

-- Middle Susquehanna RiverKeeper: Volunteer Water Monitors Needed In Lycoming, Clinton Counties For New Stream Team Initiative; Feb. 8 Info Meeting  [PaEN]

-- Nominations For President’s K-12 Environmental Youth Award Now Being Accepted By EPA  [PaEN]

-- PA Horticultural Society Webinar: January 25 Starting From Scratch - A Guide To Creating A New Garden With Author Page Dickey. 5:30 to 6:30 p.m.

-- Dept. Of Agriculture Protects 2,569 More Acres Of Farmland On 30 Farms  [PaEN]

-- Lancaster Farming: 3 PA Farms Will Test Alley Cropping, A Planting System With Trees

-- Penn State Extension: What Are You Doing For Clean Water?

-- ReadingE: Berks Conservation District: Restoring Balance - Protecting Cacoosing Creek And Our Waterways

-- DEP Blog: Environmental Education Grant Helps Fund New Montgomery County Meadow

-- DailyLocal: Volunteers Repair Riparian Buffer In Coatesville

-- TribLive: Delmont Residents Given No Notice Of Stormwater Pond Project

-- Penn State Extension: Watershed Winds Newsletter: Private Well Testing, Salt Watch Monitoring, Impact Of Soil On Water Quality, Much More

-- KDKA: PA Resources Council’s 5 Green New Year’s Resolutions [Audio]

-- TribLive: Volunteers Sought For Christmas Bird Count

-- PA-Based Community Environmental Legal Defense Fund Keeping Up The Pressure Following Historic Rights Of Nature Victory In Ecuador  [PaEN]

Climate

-- AP: House Republicans Send Resolution Killing RGGI Regs To Gov. Wolf To Veto, Lack Votes For Override

=-- PG - Laura Legere: House Votes To Reject Gov. Wolf’s Climate Plan For Power Plants; Resolution Headed For Veto

-- WITF - Rachel McDevitt: House Votes To Stop State’s Entrance To Cap-And-Trade Program, But Wolf Veto Likely

-- Inquirer - Frank Kummer: House Votes To ‘Disapprove’ Entering Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, Defying Gov. Wolf

-- Guest Essay: RGGI Fails Pennsylvania On Its Most Basic Promise - Sen. Gene Yaw (R), Majority Chair, Senate Environmental Committee 

-- AP: Governor’s Carbon-Pricing Plan Encounters Hurdle In Final Publication  [RGGI]

-- PA Conservative Energy Forum Supports Solar Energy Development As Economic Driver And Benefit To Landowners [PaEN]

-- Evangelical Environmental Network: It’s Well Past Time For PA To Transition To A Clean Energy Economy  [PaEN]

-- MCall: In Bethlehem, Neighbors Push Back Against A Solar Farm, They Beat Warehouses, Other Lehigh Valley Communities Think

-- PJM Interconnection Releases Initial Results Of Renewable Energy Transition Study

-- Utility Dive: PJM Reports Transition To Renewable Energy Likely Requires Market Changes, Transmission Growth

-- Public Source: Biden’s Agenda Promises Major Clean Energy Investments, What Would That Mean For Western PA?

-- White House: Summary Of Dec. 15 Roundtable Hosted By Working Group On Coal And Power Plant Communities And Economic Revitalization

-- FirstEnergy Invests In Venture Capital Fund To Help Advance Sustainable Energy Innovation

-- ScrantonT: Are Environmental Benefits of Proposed Natural Gas To Gasoline Plant In Luzerne County As Promised?

-- CentreDT: Climate Watch: 2 New Climate Books That Make Excellent Holiday Gifts

-- WHYY: How Climate Scientists Are Decoding Philly’s Warm Weather

-- Penn State Survey Finds Strong Public Support For Bird Conservation, But Hundreds Of Bird Species Are In Trouble Now  [PaEN]

-- ErieT: Snowy Owls Spotted At Presque Isle State Park, But Keep Your Distance

-- WHYY: Philly’s Fairmont Park’s Iconic Maple Tree Is Gone, Arborists Cite Climate Change

-- The Guardian: Biden Calls On EPA To Investigate Role Of Climate Crisis In Deadly Tornadoes

-- USA Today: ‘We Can Expect More’: Did Climate Change Play A Role In The Deadly Weekend Tornadoes?

-- AP: U.S. Electric Vehicle Charging Network Strategy Being Released

-- White House: Fact Sheet On Electric Vehicle Charging Action Plan

-- WPost: Climate Change Has Destabilized The Earth’s Poles, Putting The Rest Of The Planet In Peril

-- NPR: U.N. Verified New Record High Temperature For The Arctic

Coal Mining

-- White House: Summary Of Dec. 15 Roundtable Hosted By Working Group On Coal And Power Plant Communities And Economic Revitalization

-- PG: Coal Miners Could Be Achilles’ Heel Of Biden’s Climate Plan

Compliance Action

-- House Republicans Pass Bill Making Fundamental Changes In Clean Streams Law, Letting Companies Decide When To Report Spills  [PaEN]

-- DEP Acts On 866 Permits, 79% Within Permit Decision Guarantee Deadlines; Conducts 1,380 Inspections; Responded To 5 Environmental Emergencies Last Week

-- Reuters: Federal Energy Regulatory Commission Proposes $40 Million Civil Penalty For Energy Transfer Partners Rover Natural Gas Pipeline Spill In Ohio, Originates In PA [PA has collected over $55 million in penalties from Energy Transfer Partners/Sunoco for pipeline construction violations]

Conservation Districts

-- Gov. Wolf Announces $17.4 Million To Improve Local Water Quality In 33 Counties In The Chesapeake Bay Watershed  [PaEN]

-- WilliamsportS: Lycoming County Receives $527,000 Grant For Local Clean Water Projects

-- ABC27: Lancaster County Receives State Grant To Continue Clean Water Conservation Efforts

-- ScrantonT: Putting The Chesapeake Bay Watershed On A Pollution Diet

-- Penn State Plans Survey Of Farm Conservation Practices In 14 PA Counties Starting In January [PaEN]

Court Decisions

-- PA Environmental Defense Foundation Files Lawsuit To Stop Northcentral Regional ATV Trail Connector Project As Violation Of Public Trust Responsibilities  [PaEN]

-- PA-Based Community Environmental Legal Defense Fund Keeping Up The Pressure Following Historic Rights Of Nature Victory In Ecuador  [PaEN]

DCNR

-- PA Parks & Forests Foundation Details Economic Benefits Of PA's Parks & Forests In New Video  [PaEN]

-- Sen. Casey Seeks Transparent Public Process, Extension Of Comment Period On Proposed Low-Level Combat Training Flights In The PA Wilds  [PaEN]

-- PA Environmental Defense Foundation Files Lawsuit To Stop Northcentral Regional ATV Trail Connector Project As Violation Of Public Trust Responsibilities  [PaEN]

-- DCNR Announces $1.2 Million Grant To Preserve 156 Acres In Chester County For Conservation, Passive Recreational Use  [PaEN]

-- DCNR Receives $250,000 Grant For Outdoor Recreation Concierge Program

-- DCNR Announces $237,500 Grant For Penn Hills Community & Universal Parks In Allegheny County

-- PG: DCNR Removes Historical Marker Using Phrase ‘Anglo-Saxon Supremacy’ From Point State Park In Pittsburgh

-- DCNR To Celebrate The New Year With First Day Hikes Across Pennsylvania

-- WBTimes: DCNR To Celebrate The New Year With First Day Hikes Across PA

-- Dec. 17 Take Five Fridays With Pam Now Available From PA Parks & Forests Foundation  [PaEN]

-- ErieT: 13 Tips For Wintertime Walking At Presque Isle State Park

-- DCNR: PA Outdoor Corps Seeking Crew Members To Gain Real-World Work Skills

-- GantNews: You Can Improve Health With Outdoor Recreation In PA’s Parks & Forests

-- ErieT: Snowy Owls Spotted At Presque Isle State Park, But Keep Your Distance

DEP

-- Millions Of Gallons Of Conventional Oil & Gas Wastewater Spread Illegally On Dirt Roads, Companies Fail To Comply With DEP Waste Regulations - By David E. Hess, Former Secretary Department of Environmental Protection  [PaEN]

-- Click Here for a link to a printable version of this article.

-- Better Path Coalition Report: How To Close The Loophole Allowing Uncontrolled Road Spreading Of Conventional Oil & Gas Wastewater & Fix Oil and Gas Waste Reporting System [PaEN]

-- DEP Issues Revised Erosion Control Permits For PA Pipeline/Mariner East Pipeline Segments In Chester, Delaware Counties  [PaEN]

-- Bay Journal: Chesapeake Bay Program Figures Show PA Led Region In 2020 Cleanup Progress  [PaEN]

-- DEP: 2020 PA Chesapeake Bay Healthy Waters, Health Communities Report

-- DEP: December Chesapeake Bay Health Waters PA Partnership, Progress Newsletter

-- Gov. Wolf Announces $17.4 Million To Improve Local Water Quality In 33 Counties In The Chesapeake Bay Watershed  [PaEN]

-- WilliamsportS: Lycoming County Receives $527,000 Grant For Local Clean Water Projects

-- ABC27: Lancaster County Receives State Grant To Continue Clean Water Conservation Efforts

-- ScrantonT: Putting The Chesapeake Bay Watershed On A Pollution Diet

-- DEP Hosts 8th Round Of State Water Plan Regional Committee Meetings Starting Jan. 11  [PaEN]

-- DEP To Outline Recommendations For Changing Act 101 And Electronics Waste Recycling Laws To Make Them More Effective At Dec. 16 Advisory Committee Meeting  [PaEN]

-- DEP Posts 2022 Schedule For Advisory Committee, Board Meetings; Remote Attendance Options Will Continue To Be Available  [PaEN]

-- DEP Acts On 866 Permits, 79% Within Permit Decision Guarantee Deadlines; Conducts 1,380 Inspections; Responded To 5 Environmental Emergencies Last Week

-- DEP Posts 64 Pages Of Permit-Related Notices In Dec. 18 PA Bulletin  [PaEN]

Delaware River

-- Delaware RiverKeeper: Federal Energy Regulatory Commission Vacates PennEast Natural Gas Pipeline Certificate Of Necessity

-- Delaware River Basin Commission: Highlights Of Dec. 8 Business Meeting

-- YorkDR Letter: Are Delaware Water Gap Rockfall Mitigation Project, River Pointe Development, DRBC Fracking Regulations Connected?

-- Delaware RiverKeeper Dec. 17 RiverWatch Video Report

-- Partnership For Delaware Estuary: 3-Part Webinar Series On Urban Waters - Resilient & Sustainable Communities Starting Jan. 11, 18, 25.  Noon.

-- Coalition For The Delaware River Watershed Names Kelly Knutson Next Director

DRBC

-- Delaware River Basin Commission: Highlights Of Dec. 8 Business Meeting

-- YorkDR Letter: Are Delaware Water Gap Rockfall Mitigation Project, River Pointe Development, DRBC Fracking Regulations Connected?

Drinking Water

-- DEP Hosts 8th Round Of State Water Plan Regional Committee Meetings Starting Jan. 11  [PaEN]

-- TribLive: Lack Of Oversight, Coordination Leads To Wide Disparity In Water Prices Across Western PA

-- TribLive: A-K Valley Residents Pay Wide Range Of Prices For Water Pulled From Same Source

-- Penn State Extension: 353 Private Water Supplies Tested In 15 PA Counties, 29% Failed Coliform Bacteria Test

-- TribLive Editorial: Why Doesn’t PUC Monitor More Water Authorities?

-- Gov. Wolf Announces $240 Million In Clean Water Funding From Bipartisan Infrastructure Law  [EPA Announced Dec. 2]

-- WHYY: New PA Funding Will Connect More Homes With PFAS-Tainted Wells To Public Water

-- WHYY: The PFAS Exposure Study For Bucks, Montgomery Counties Has Started, Here’s How To Join

-- USA Today - Kyle Bagenstose: New EPA Docs Show Widespread Health Risk From PFOA As ‘Likely Carcinogen’

-- WBTimes: Bipartisan Bill To Help Protect Children From Lead Poisoning Advances In Senate

-- WPost: Biden Administration Details Push To Rid Nation Of Millions Of Lead Pipes

-- White House: Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Lead Pipe And Paint Action Plan

Economic Development

-- Sen. Casey Seeks Transparent Public Process, Extension Of Comment Period On Proposed Low-Level Combat Training Flights In The PA Wilds  [PaEN]

-- PA Parks & Forests Foundation Details Economic Benefits Of PA's Parks & Forests In New Video  [PaEN]

-- PennLive - Marcus Schneck: PA Campground Owners Hold Annual Convention, Topics Are All Over The Map

-- MCall: Outdoor Activities On Farms Grew With COVID Pandemic

-- SEEDS Awarded 2 Grants Totaling Nearly $15,000 To Fund Sustainability Initiatives In NE PA  [PaEN]

-- Penn State: Battery Metals From Abandoned Mine Wastewater: Potential Economic Benefits For Pennsylvania  [PaEN]

-- ScrantonT: Are Environmental Benefits of Proposed Natural Gas To Gasoline Plant In Luzerne County As Promised?

-- PennLive Guest Essay: Small Businesses In PA Seek Congressional Action On Build Back Better Climate Initiatives - By Saeid Kamalpour, GlobInK

-- White House: Summary Of Dec. 15 Roundtable Hosted By Working Group On Coal And Power Plant Communities And Economic Revitalization

-- FirstEnergy Invests In Venture Capital Fund To Help Advance Sustainable Energy Innovation

-- PG: Nuclear Waste Excavation Plan In Armstrong County Promises To Add Jobs

-- TribLive Guest Essay: Western Pennsylvania Are Dying-- Or Is It?  - Andrew Cuff

Education

-- Registration Now Open For Keystone Coldwater Conference & PA Chapter of the American Fisheries Society Meeting Feb. 25-26  [PaEN]

-- EPA Accepting Nominations For Presidential Innovation Award For Environmental Educators  [PaEN]

-- Nominations For President’s K-12 Environmental Youth Award Now Being Accepted By EPA  [PaEN]

-- PA Master Naturalist To Offer Spring Training Courses In Allegheny, Northern Chester,  Washington Counties  [PaEN]

-- Franklin & Marshall College Launches Chesapeake Bay Watershed Initiative Based On Legacy Sediments Research [PaEN]

-- Penn State Plans Survey Of Farm Conservation Practices In 14 PA Counties Starting In January [PaEN]

-- Partnership For Delaware Estuary: 3-Part Webinar Series On Urban Waters - Resilient & Sustainable Communities Starting Jan. 11, 18, 25.  Noon.

-- Rodale Institute Urges Farmers, Families To Learn More About How To Grow Clean Water  [PaEN]

-- DEP, PA Sea Grant, Partners Host Virtual PA Lake Erie Environmental Forum Jan. 25  [PaEN]

-- PA Horticultural Society Webinar: January 25 Starting From Scratch - A Guide To Creating A New Garden With Author Page Dickey. 5:30 to 6:30 p.m.

-- Now On Demand: Physicians For Social Responsibility-PA Host Virtual Conference On Health Hazards Of Oil & Gas Industry In Pennsylvania  [PaEN]

-- Penn State Extension: What Are You Doing For Clean Water?

-- Artists Paint Storm Drain Art To Raise Water Pollution Awareness In York County  [PaEN]

-- Penn State Extension: Impact Of Soil On Water Quality In Riparian Buffers

-- DEP Blog: Environmental Education Grant Helps Fund New Montgomery County Meadow

-- Penn State Extension: Watershed Winds Newsletter: Private Well Testing, Salt Watch Monitoring, Impact Of Soil On Water Quality, Much More

-- KDKA: PA Resources Council’s 5 Green New Year’s Resolutions [Audio]

-- Pocono Record - Brain Whipkey: Deer Camp Owner In Pocono Mountains Introduces People To The Outdoors

-- DCNR: PA Outdoor Corps Seeking Crew Members To Gain Real-World Work Skills

-- PRPS/Park Maintenance Institute 2021 Year In Review Webinar Dec. 15. 1:00 - 2:00 p.m.

-- PA Recreation & Park Society: Virtual Certified Park & Recreation Professional With Me Study Group. Jan. 28- March 4

-- PA Recreation & Park Society: Virtual Directors & Supervisors Roundtable Jan. 26, March 30, May 25, Aug. 24, Nov. 16

-- PA Recreation & Park Society: Annual Conference & Expo March 29-April 1

-- TribLive: Fox Chapel Winter Lantern Walk On Dec. 18 Aims To Connect People With Nature

-- Foundation For Sustainable Forests, French Creek Valley Conservancy Host Online Our Woods & Waters Film Series Jan. 21, Feb. 25  [PaEN]

-- Foundation For Sustainable Forests Fall/Winter Newsletter

 -- Stroud Water Research Center: Latest Newsletter On Education, Activities, Upcoming Events

-- CentreDT: Climate Watch: 2 New Climate Books That Make Excellent Holiday Gifts

-- Environmental Health News: The Emerging Field Of Pollution And Mental Health Research

-- WITF Smart Talk: Harrisburg University Professor Names Newly Discovered Dinosaurs

Emergency Response

-- House Republicans Pass Bill Making Fundamental Changes In Clean Streams Law, Letting Companies Decide When To Report Spills  [PaEN]

Emergency Response - Tornado Recovery

-- Gov. Wolf: 2 Members of PA-Task Force 1 Deployed To Kentucky To Assist In Search & Rescue Efforts

-- TribLive: Army Corps’ Pittsburgh District Sends 16 Workers To Provide Temporary Power In Tornado Aftermath

-- WilliamsportS: Lycoming County Firefighters To Take Equipment To Kentucky

-- Inquirer: Philly Area Nonprofits Deploy To Kentucky After Deadly Tornadoes

-- The Guardian: Biden Calls On EPA To Investigate Role Of Climate Crisis In Deadly Tornadoes

-- USA Today: ‘We Can Expect More’: Did Climate Change Play A Role In The Deadly Weekend Tornadoes?

Energy

-- AP: House Republicans Send Resolution Killing RGGI Regs To Gov. Wolf To Veto, Lack Votes For Override

=-- PG - Laura Legere: House Votes To Reject Gov. Wolf’s Climate Plan For Power Plants; Resolution Headed For Veto

-- WITF - Rachel McDevitt: House Votes To Stop State’s Entrance To Cap-And-Trade Program, But Wolf Veto Likely

-- Inquirer - Frank Kummer: House Votes To ‘Disapprove’ Entering Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, Defying Gov. Wolf

-- Guest Essay: RGGI Fails Pennsylvania On Its Most Basic Promise - Sen. Gene Yaw (R), Majority Chair, Senate Environmental Committee 

-- AP: Governor’s Carbon-Pricing Plan Encounters Hurdle In Final Publication  [RGGI]

-- PA Conservative Energy Forum Supports Solar Energy Development As Economic Driver And Benefit To Landowners [PaEN]

-- Evangelical Environmental Network: It’s Well Past Time For PA To Transition To A Clean Energy Economy  [PaEN]

-- MCall: In Bethlehem, Neighbors Push Back Against A Solar Farm, They Beat Warehouses, Other Lehigh Valley Communities Think

-- White House: Summary Of Dec. 15 Roundtable Hosted By Working Group On Coal And Power Plant Communities And Economic Revitalization

-- PJM Interconnection Releases Initial Results Of Renewable Energy Transition Study

-- Utility Dive: PJM Reports Transition To Renewable Energy Likely Requires Market Changes, Transmission Growth

-- SEEDS Awarded 2 Grants Totaling Nearly $15,000 To Fund Sustainability Initiatives In NE PA  [PaEN]

-- FirstEnergy Invests In Venture Capital Fund To Help Advance Sustainable Energy Innovation

-- DEP Encourage Pennsylvanians To Winterize Their Homes For Savings On Utility Bills

-- PUC: Highlights Ways Consumers Can Manage Energy Use, Cost To Help Control Size Of Winter Energy Bills

-- Williamsport Sun Editorial: Natural Gas Heating Bills Higher, But Natural Gas Jobs, Impact Fee Benefit Region

-- PUC Highlights 2021 Accomplishments

-- PUC Approves Nearly 12% Rate Increase For Columbia Gas

-- PUC Approves 4.23% Rate Increase For Duquesne Light

-- PG - Anya Litvak: Rate Increases For Columbia Gas, Duquesne Light Customers Begin In Coming Weeks

-- Public Source: Biden’s Agenda Promises Major Clean Energy Investments, What Would That Mean For Western PA?

-- Utility Dive: Regional Electric Grid Operator In New England Warns They Can Meet Winter Power Demand ‘If The Weather Is Mild’

-- PG/AP: Congress Improves Import Ban Targeting Forced Labor In China

Energy Conservation

-- DEP Encourage Pennsylvanians To Winterize Their Homes For Savings On Utility Bills

-- PUC: Highlights Ways Consumers Can Manage Energy Use, Cost To Help Control Size Of Winter Energy Bills

-- FirstEnergy Invests In Venture Capital Fund To Help Advance Sustainable Energy Innovation

-- YorkDR Guest Essay: Appliance Standards, A Bipartisan Way To Cut Energy Costs And Reduce Air Pollution In PA - Sen. Lindsey Williams (D), PennEnvironment

Environmental Health

-- Millions Of Gallons Of Conventional Oil & Gas Wastewater Spread Illegally On Dirt Roads, Companies Fail To Comply With DEP Waste Regulations - By David E. Hess, Former Secretary Department of Environmental Protection  [PaEN]

-- Click Here for a link to a printable version of this article.

-- Better Path Coalition Report: How To Close The Loophole Allowing Uncontrolled Road Spreading Of Conventional Oil & Gas Wastewater & Fix Oil and Gas Waste Reporting System [PaEN]

-- Now On Demand: Physicians For Social Responsibility-PA Host Virtual Conference On Health Hazards Of Oil & Gas Industry In Pennsylvania  [PaEN]

-- WHYY: New PA Funding Will Connect More Homes With PFAS-Tainted Wells To Public Water

-- WHYY: The PFAS Exposure Study For Bucks, Montgomery Counties Has Started, Here’s How To Join

-- WBTimes: Bipartisan Bill To Help Protect Children From Lead Poisoning Advances In Senate

-- WPost: Biden Administration Details Push To Rid Nation Of Millions Of Lead Pipes

-- White House: Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Lead Pipe And Paint Action Plan

-- Watershed Stewards In Armstrong, Indiana, Westmoreland Counties Plan Salt Watch Monitoring  [PaEN]

-- Environmental Health News: The Emerging Field Of Pollution And Mental Health Research

-- GantNews: You Can Improve Health With Outdoor Recreation In PA’s Parks & Forests

-- Penn State Extension: 353 Private Water Supplies Tested In 15 PA Counties, 29% Failed Coliform Bacteria Test

-- Penn State: Black Bears Could Play Important Role In Dispersal Of Ticks Carry Lyme Disease And Other Pathogens

-- PennLive - Marcus Schneck: Black Bears May Be Major Factor In Spread Of Ticks In PA

-- PG: Healthy Ride Rebuilding Pittsburgh’s Bike-Sharing Program, Adding Electric-Assist Bikes

-- USA Today - Kyle Bagenstose: New EPA Docs Show Widespread Health Risk From PFOA As ‘Likely Carcinogen’

Environmental Heritage

-- Chesapeake Bay Journal: After 45 Years, Chesapeake Bay Foundation Will Baker Reflects On The Bay At A Crossroads

Environmental Justice

-- PG: DCNR Removes Historical Marker Using Phrase ‘Anglo-Saxon Supremacy’ From Point State Park In Pittsburgh

EPA

-- WPost: Biden Administration Details Push To Rid Nation Of Millions Of Lead Pipes

-- White House: Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Lead Pipe And Paint Action Plan

-- EPA Announces Plans To Use Funds From Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill To Expedite Cleanup At 3 Superfund Sites In Berks, Delaware, Montgomery Counties  [PaEN]

-- ReadingE: Crossley Farms, North Penn Water Authority Sites Among Those Receiving EPA Superfund Infusion

-- Inquirer - Frank Kummer: In Philly, EPA Announces $1 Billion To Speed Up Superfund Cleanups, Including 3 Sites In PA

-- WHYY: D.C. Is Sending $30 Million To Fast-Track Cleanup Of Toxic Soil In Philly

-- Gov. Wolf Announces $240 Million In Clean Water Funding From Bipartisan Infrastructure Law  [EPA Announced Dec. 2]

-- EPA Accepting Nominations For Presidential Innovation Award For Environmental Educators  [PaEN]

-- Nominations For President’s K-12 Environmental Youth Award Now Being Accepted By EPA  [PaEN]

-- EPA Awards PA Company XCMR, Inc. Innovative Technology Grant For Pathogen Killer

-- The Guardian: Biden Calls On EPA To Investigate Role Of Climate Crisis In Deadly Tornadoes

-- USA Today: ‘We Can Expect More’: Did Climate Change Play A Role In The Deadly Weekend Tornadoes?

Farming

-- Bay Journal: Chesapeake Bay Program Figures Show PA Led Region In 2020 Cleanup Progress  [PaEN]

-- DEP: 2020 PA Chesapeake Bay Healthy Waters, Health Communities Report

-- DEP: December Chesapeake Bay Health Waters PA Partnership, Progress Newsletter

-- Gov. Wolf Announces $17.4 Million To Improve Local Water Quality In 33 Counties In The Chesapeake Bay Watershed  [PaEN]

-- WilliamsportS: Lycoming County Receives $527,000 Grant For Local Clean Water Projects

-- ABC27: Lancaster County Receives State Grant To Continue Clean Water Conservation Efforts

-- ScrantonT: Putting The Chesapeake Bay Watershed On A Pollution Diet

-- Penn State Plans Survey Of Farm Conservation Practices In 14 PA Counties Starting In January [PaEN]

-- MCall: Outdoor Activities On Farms Grew With COVID Pandemic

-- LancasterOnline: Lancaster Twp. Joins $14 Million Project To Improve Little Conestoga Creek

-- Franklin & Marshall College Launches Chesapeake Bay Watershed Initiative Based On Legacy Sediments Research [PaEN]

-- Dept. Of Agriculture Protects 2,569 More Acres Of Farmland On 30 Farms  [PaEN]

-- Lancaster Farming: 3 PA Farms Will Test Alley Cropping, A Planting System With Trees

-- McCaffrey Family And Natural Lands Partner To Protect 35 Acre Farm In Chester County Next To Hibernia County Park  [PaEN]

-- Penn State Extension: Impact Of Soil On Water Quality In Riparian Buffers

-- Rodale Institute Urges Farmers, Families To Learn More About How To Grow Clean Water  [PaEN]

-- CitizensV: Application Deadline For Luzerne County Farmland Preservation Program Feb. 1

-- WESA: Farming Is Grueling Work, But Pittsburgh Startup Is Using Technology To Make It Easier

-- WITF: PA Organic Farmers Face Uncertain 2022 As They Battle Inflation

-- PennLive: Public Reports Of Spotted Lanternflies Down 50% In 2021, But That Doesn’t Tell The Whole Story: Researcher

-- Help Wanted: Penn State College Of Agricultural Sciences Seeking Watershed Project Coordinator

Flooding

-- ScrantonT: Couple Who Sold Flood-Ravaged Home To Luzerne County Wants $200/Month Lease-Back

Forests

-- Sen. Casey Seeks Transparent Public Process, Extension Of Comment Period On Proposed Low-Level Combat Training Flights In The PA Wilds  [PaEN]

-- PA Parks & Forests Foundation Details Economic Benefits Of PA's Parks & Forests In New Video  [PaEN]

-- PA Environmental Defense Foundation Files Lawsuit To Stop Northcentral Regional ATV Trail Connector Project As Violation Of Public Trust Responsibilities  [PaEN]

-- Dec. 17 Take Five Fridays With Pam Now Available From PA Parks & Forests Foundation  [PaEN]

-- Lancaster Farming: 3 PA Farms Will Test Alley Cropping, A Planting System With Trees

-- York Daily Record: 3 Groups, Across 3 Generations Create Natural Ornaments For 3 Live Christmas Trees

-- PennLive: Public Reports Of Spotted Lanternflies Down 50% In 2021, But That Doesn’t Tell The Whole Story: Researcher

-- GantNews: You Can Improve Health With Outdoor Recreation In PA’s Parks & Forests

-- DCNR: PA Outdoor Corps Seeking Crew Members To Gain Real-World Work Skills

-- WHYY: Philly’s Fairmont Park’s Iconic Maple Tree Is Gone, Arborists Cite Climate Change

-- Bay Journal: Quest Under Way To Find, Protect Old-Growth Forests In PA, Chesapeake Bay Watershed  [PaEN]

-- Foundation For Sustainable Forests, French Creek Valley Conservancy Host Online Our Woods & Waters Film Series Jan. 21, Feb. 25  [PaEN]

-- Foundation For Sustainable Forests Fall/Winter Newsletter

Game Commission

-- PennLive: Game Commission Warns Of Possible Rabid Fox In Cumberland County

-- PG - John Hayes: Private Hunting Clubs Sue Game Commission Over Searches

Geology

-- WITF Smart Talk: Harrisburg University Professor Names Newly Discovered Dinosaurs

Grants/Funding

-- Gov. Wolf Announces $17.4 Million To Improve Local Water Quality In 33 Counties In The Chesapeake Bay Watershed  [PaEN]

-- WilliamsportS: Lycoming County Receives $527,000 Grant For Local Clean Water Projects

-- ABC27: Lancaster County Receives State Grant To Continue Clean Water Conservation Efforts

-- ScrantonT: Putting The Chesapeake Bay Watershed On A Pollution Diet

-- NextPittsburgh: $9.2 Million RACP State Grant Includes 20-Block Riverfront Park In Pittsburgh’s Strip District

-- DCNR Announces $237,500 Grant For Penn Hills Community & Universal Parks In Allegheny County

-- DCNR Receives $250,000 Grant For Outdoor Recreation Concierge Program

-- Franklin & Marshall College Launches Chesapeake Bay Watershed Initiative Based On Legacy Sediments Research [PaEN]

-- SEEDS Awarded 2 Grants Totaling Nearly $15,000 To Fund Sustainability Initiatives In NE PA  [PaEN]

-- EPA Announces Plans To Use Funds From Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill To Expedite Cleanup At 3 Superfund Sites In Berks, Delaware, Montgomery Counties  [PaEN]

-- ReadingE: Crossley Farms, North Penn Water Authority Sites Among Those Receiving EPA Superfund Infusion

-- Inquirer - Frank Kummer: In Philly, EPA Announces $1 Billion To Speed Up Superfund Cleanups, Including 3 Sites In PA

-- WHYY: D.C. Is Sending $30 Million To Fast-Track Cleanup Of Toxic Soil In Philly

-- EPA Awards PA Company XCMR, Inc. Innovative Technology Grant For Pathogen Killer

-- WPost: Biden Administration Details Push To Rid Nation Of Millions Of Lead Pipes

-- White House: Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Lead Pipe And Paint Action Plan

Green Infrastructure

-- Bay Journal: Chesapeake Bay Program Figures Show PA Led Region In 2020 Cleanup Progress  [PaEN]

-- DEP: 2020 PA Chesapeake Bay Healthy Waters, Health Communities Report

-- DEP: December Chesapeake Bay Health Waters PA Partnership, Progress Newsletter

-- Gov. Wolf Announces $17.4 Million To Improve Local Water Quality In 33 Counties In The Chesapeake Bay Watershed  [PaEN]

-- WilliamsportS: Lycoming County Receives $527,000 Grant For Local Clean Water Projects

-- ABC27: Lancaster County Receives State Grant To Continue Clean Water Conservation Efforts

-- ScrantonT: Putting The Chesapeake Bay Watershed On A Pollution Diet

-- Franklin & Marshall College Launches Chesapeake Bay Watershed Initiative Based On Legacy Sediments Research [PaEN]

-- Lancaster Farming: 3 PA Farms Will Test Alley Cropping, A Planting System With Trees

-- LancasterOnline: Lancaster Twp. Joins $14 Million Project To Improve Little Conestoga Creek

-- Artists Paint Storm Drain Art To Raise Water Pollution Awareness In York County  [PaEN]

-- Penn State Extension: Impact Of Soil On Water Quality In Riparian Buffers

-- ReadingE: Berks Conservation District: Restoring Balance - Protecting Cacoosing Creek And Our Waterways

-- DEP Blog: Environmental Education Grant Helps Fund New Montgomery County Meadow

-- DailyLocal: Volunteers Repair Riparian Buffer In Coatesville

-- TribLive: Delmont Residents Given No Notice Of Stormwater Pond Project

-- NextPittsburgh: New ‘Living Street’ With Rain Gardens & A Meadow Landscaped With Native Plants Will Connect Larimer And Homewood Residents To Bakery Square And Mellon Park

-- CitizensV: Application Deadline For Luzerne County Farmland Preservation Program Feb. 1

-- BeaverT: Brighton Twp., Beaver County To Focus On Land Preservation In Next Decade

-- Bay Journal: Quest Under Way To Find, Protect Old-Growth Forests In PA, Chesapeake Bay Watershed  [PaEN]

-- Foundation For Sustainable Forests, French Creek Valley Conservancy Host Online Our Woods & Waters Film Series Jan. 21, Feb. 25  [PaEN]

-- Foundation For Sustainable Forests Fall/Winter Newsletter

Hazardous Sites Cleanup

-- EPA Announces Plans To Use Funds From Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill To Expedite Cleanup At 3 Superfund Sites In Berks, Delaware, Montgomery Counties  [PaEN]

-- ReadingE: Crossley Farms, North Penn Water Authority Sites Among Those Receiving EPA Superfund Infusion

-- Inquirer - Frank Kummer: In Philly, EPA Announces $1 Billion To Speed Up Superfund Cleanups, Including 3 Sites In PA

-- WHYY: D.C. Is Sending $30 Million To Fast-Track Cleanup Of Toxic Soil In Philly

Hazardous Substances

-- Millions Of Gallons Of Conventional Oil & Gas Wastewater Spread Illegally On Dirt Roads, Companies Fail To Comply With DEP Waste Regulations - By David E. Hess, Former Secretary Department of Environmental Protection  [PaEN]

-- Click Here for a link to a printable version of this article.

-- Better Path Coalition Report: How To Close The Loophole Allowing Uncontrolled Road Spreading Of Conventional Oil & Gas Wastewater & Fix Oil and Gas Waste Reporting System [PaEN]

-- Now On Demand: Physicians For Social Responsibility-PA Host Virtual Conference On Health Hazards Of Oil & Gas Industry In Pennsylvania  [PaEN]

-- WHYY: New PA Funding Will Connect More Homes With PFAS-Tainted Wells To Public Water

-- WHYY: The PFAS Exposure Study For Bucks, Montgomery Counties Has Started, Here’s How To Join

-- USA Today - Kyle Bagenstose: New EPA Docs Show Widespread Health Risk From PFOA As ‘Likely Carcinogen’

-- WBTimes: Bipartisan Bill To Help Protect Children From Lead Poisoning Advances In Senate

-- WPost: Biden Administration Details Push To Rid Nation Of Millions Of Lead Pipes

-- White House: Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Lead Pipe And Paint Action Plan

-- Environmental Health News: The Emerging Field Of Pollution And Mental Health Research

-- Watershed Stewards In Armstrong, Indiana, Westmoreland Counties Plan Salt Watch Monitoring  [PaEN]

Land Conservation

-- PA Environmental Defense Foundation Files Lawsuit To Stop Northcentral Regional ATV Trail Connector Project As Violation Of Public Trust Responsibilities  [PaEN]

-- Dept. Of Agriculture Protects 2,569 More Acres Of Farmland On 30 Farms  [PaEN]

-- DCNR Announces $1.2 Million Grant To Preserve 156 Acres In Chester County For Conservation, Passive Recreational Use  [PaEN]

-- WeConservePA: Local Municipal Open Space Referendums In PA 2021 Status Report

-- Lancaster Conservancy Preserves 155 Acres Along Conewago Recreation Trail  [PaEN]

-- LancasterOnline - Sean Sauro: Environmental, Recreational Benefits Celebrated As Lancaster Conservancy Announces 50th Preserve

-- McCaffrey Family And Natural Lands Partner To Protect 35 Acre Farm In Chester County Next To Hibernia County Park  [PaEN]

-- ReadingE: 200 Acres Preserved In 5 Recent Conservation Deals In Berks County

-- BeaverT: Brighton Twp., Beaver County To Focus On Land Preservation In Next Decade

-- CitizensV: Application Deadline For Luzerne County Farmland Preservation Program Feb. 1

-- PA Master Naturalist To Offer Spring Training Courses In Allegheny, Northern Chester,  Washington Counties  [PaEN]

-- Bay Journal: Quest Under Way To Find, Protect Old-Growth Forests In PA, Chesapeake Bay Watershed  [PaEN]

-- Foundation For Sustainable Forests, French Creek Valley Conservancy Host Online Our Woods & Waters Film Series Jan. 21, Feb. 25  [PaEN]

-- Foundation For Sustainable Forests Fall/Winter Newsletter

Land Recycling

-- NextPittsburgh: New Plan Could Revive Carrie Furnace Mill Site, The Stakes Are High For Rankin 

Lake Erie

-- DEP, PA Sea Grant, Partners Host Virtual PA Lake Erie Environmental Forum Jan. 25  [PaEN]

Mine Reclamation

-- Penn State: Battery Metals From Abandoned Mine Wastewater: Potential Economic Benefits For Pennsylvania  [PaEN]

-- Susquehanna River Basin Commission PA Online Abandoned Mine Drainage Location GIS Map

Oil & Gas

-- Millions Of Gallons Of Conventional Oil & Gas Wastewater Spread Illegally On Dirt Roads, Companies Fail To Comply With DEP Waste Regulations - By David E. Hess, Former Secretary Department of Environmental Protection  [PaEN]

-- Click Here for a link to a printable version of this article.

-- Better Path Coalition Report: How To Close The Loophole Allowing Uncontrolled Road Spreading Of Conventional Oil & Gas Wastewater & Fix Oil and Gas Waste Reporting System [PaEN]

-- AP - Laura Legere & Anya Litvak: Hope, Challenges Amid Surge Of Funds To Plug Oil & Gas Wells Abandoned By The Industry For Taxpayers To Deal With

-- Watershed Stewards In Armstrong, Indiana, Westmoreland Counties Plan Salt Watch Monitoring  [PaEN]

-- TribLive: 2nd Drilling Waste Injection Well Project In Plum Faces Opposition From Residents, Borough Officials

-- Now On Demand: Physicians For Social Responsibility-PA Host Virtual Conference On Health Hazards Of Oil & Gas Industry In Pennsylvania  [PaEN]

-- Citizens Voice Letter: Editorial Ignored Contributions Of PA Natural Gas Industry - Marcellus Shale Coalition

-- Williamsport Sun Editorial: Natural Gas Heating Bills Higher, But Natural Gas Jobs, Impact Fee Benefit Region

-- ScrantonT: Are Environmental Benefits of Proposed Natural Gas To Gasoline Plant In Luzerne County As Promised?

-- Public Source: Biden’s Agenda Promises Major Clean Energy Investments, What Would That Mean For Western PA?

-- YorkDR Letter: Are Delaware Water Gap Rockfall Mitigation Project, River Pointe Development, DRBC Fracking Regulations Connected?

-- Ohio River Valley Institute: Report: 177,000 Low-Producing Oil & Gas Wells Continues To Grow, States Could Be Left With Bill For Plugging [PA Included]

Pipelines

-- DEP Issues Revised Erosion Control Permits For PA Pipeline/Mariner East Pipeline Segments In Chester, Delaware Counties  [PaEN]

-- Delaware RiverKeeper: Federal Energy Regulatory Commission Vacates PennEast Natural Gas Pipeline Certificate Of Necessity

-- Reuters: Federal Energy Regulatory Commission Proposes $40 Million Civil Penalty For Energy Transfer Partners Rover Natural Gas Pipeline Spill In Ohio, Originates In PA [PA has collected over $55 million in penalties from Energy Transfer Partners/Sunoco for pipeline construction violations]

Permitting

-- DEP Issues Revised Erosion Control Permits For PA Pipeline/Mariner East Pipeline Segments In Chester, Delaware Counties  [PaEN]

-- DEP Posts 2022 Schedule For Advisory Committee, Board Meetings; Remote Attendance Options Will Continue To Be Available  [PaEN]

-- DEP Acts On 866 Permits, 79% Within Permit Decision Guarantee Deadlines; Conducts 1,380 Inspections; Responded To 5 Environmental Emergencies Last Week

-- DEP Posts 64 Pages Of Permit-Related Notices In Dec. 18 PA Bulletin  [PaEN]

Public Participation

-- DEP Posts 2022 Schedule For Advisory Committee, Board Meetings; Remote Attendance Options Will Continue To Be Available  [PaEN]

-- DEP Hosts 8th Round Of State Water Plan Regional Committee Meetings Starting Jan. 11  [PaEN]

-- Upcoming Friends Of The Wissahickon Events To Keep Wissahickon Valley Park Clean & Green  [PaEN]

-- DEP Posts 64 Pages Of Permit-Related Notices In Dec. 18 PA Bulletin  [PaEN]

PUC

-- PUC Highlights 2021 Accomplishments

-- PUC: Highlights Ways Consumers Can Manage Energy Use, Cost To Help Control Size Of Winter Energy Bills

-- PUC Approves Nearly 12% Rate Increase For Columbia Gas

-- PUC Approves 4.23% Rate Increase For Duquesne Light

-- PG - Anya Litvak: Rate Increases For Columbia Gas, Duquesne Light Customers Begin In Coming Weeks

-- TribLive Editorial: Why Doesn’t PUC Monitor More Water Authorities?

Radiation Protection

-- PG: Nuclear Waste Excavation Plan In Armstrong County Promises To Add Jobs

-- LancasterOnline - Sean Sauro: Lancaster Woman’s Collection of Warped Plants From Around Three Mile Island Nuclear Plant Headed To Smithsonian

Recreation

-- Sen. Casey Seeks Transparent Public Process, Extension Of Comment Period On Proposed Low-Level Combat Training Flights In The PA Wilds  [PaEN]

-- PA Parks & Forests Foundation Details Economic Benefits Of PA's Parks & Forests In New Video  [PaEN]

-- PA Environmental Defense Foundation Files Lawsuit To Stop Northcentral Regional ATV Trail Connector Project As Violation Of Public Trust Responsibilities  [PaEN]

-- DCNR To Celebrate The New Year With First Day Hikes Across Pennsylvania

-- WBTimes: DCNR To Celebrate The New Year With First Day Hikes Across PA

-- Dec. 17 Take Five Fridays With Pam Now Available From PA Parks & Forests Foundation  [PaEN]

-- ErieT: 13 Tips For Wintertime Walking At Presque Isle State Park

-- NextPittsburgh: $9.2 Million RACP State Grant Includes 20-Block Riverfront Park In Pittsburgh’s Strip District

-- NextPittsburgh: Pittsburgh Will Soon Have 6 New Parks Spanning 300-Plus Acres And 11 Neighborhoods

-- PA Cap-Star: SW PA Trail Council Maintains Its Portion Of Great Allegheny Passage Trail Thru Donations, Volunteers

-- DCNR Announces $1.2 Million Grant To Preserve 156 Acres In Chester County For Conservation, Passive Recreational Use  [PaEN]

-- DCNR Announces $237,500 Grant For Penn Hills Community & Universal Parks In Allegheny County

-- DCNR: PA Outdoor Corps Seeking Crew Members To Gain Real-World Work Skills

-- PG: DCNR Removes Historical Marker Using Phrase ‘Anglo-Saxon Supremacy’ From Point State Park In Pittsburgh

-- PRPS/Park Maintenance Institute 2021 Year In Review Webinar Dec. 15. 1:00 - 2:00 p.m.

-- PA Recreation & Park Society: Virtual Certified Park & Recreation Professional With Me Study Group. Jan. 28- March 4

-- PA Recreation & Park Society: Virtual Directors & Supervisors Roundtable Jan. 26, March 30, May 25, Aug. 24, Nov. 16

-- PA Recreation & Park Society: Annual Conference & Expo March 29-April 1

-- CentreDT: Centre Region Parks And Recreation Selects Bids For Whitehall Road Regional Park

-- Upcoming Friends Of The Wissahickon Events To Keep Wissahickon Valley Park Clean & Green  [PaEN]

-- City Of Philadelphia: Protected Bike Lanes Doubled In 2021

-- WBTimes: Wilkes-Barre Bike Gang Helps Clear Storm Damage From Nesbitt Park Trail

-- TribLive Guest Essay: Western Pennsylvania Are Dying-- Or Is It?  - Andrew Cuff

-- PennLive - Marcus Schneck: PA Campground Owners Hold Annual Convention, Topics Are All Over The Map

-- GantNews: You Can Improve Health With Outdoor Recreation In PA’s Parks & Forests

-- TribLive: Fox Chapel Winter Lantern Walk On Dec. 18 Aims To Connect People With Nature

-- Upcoming Friends Of The Wissahickon Events To Keep Wissahickon Valley Park Clean & Green  [PaEN]

-- WBTimes: Parks And Rec To The Rescue In West Wyoming, Luzerne County

-- WBTimes Editorial: Local Rec Board’s Efforts A Shining Example Of Holiday Spirit

-- PG: Healthy Ride Rebuilding Pittsburgh’s Bike-Sharing Program, Adding Electric-Assist Bikes

-- TribLive: Seven Springs Sale Seen As Possible Boost To Tourism

Recycling/Waste

-- DEP Outlines Recommendations For Changing Act 101 And Electronics Waste Recycling Laws To Make Them More Effective At Dec. 16 Advisory Committee Meeting  [PaEN]

-- KDKA: PA Resources Council’s 5 Green New Year’s Resolutions [Audio]

-- YorkDR: New CRCD Global Plant In York Turns Plastic Waste Into Concrete Enhancing Mix [Video]

-- TribLive: Experts Join Discussion About Potential Plastic Bag Ban In Pittsburgh

-- Inquirer Guest Essay: Philly’s Plastic Bag Ban Needs Revising To Add Fees And Eliminate Loopholes

-- PennLive Guest Essay: We Need To Repair, Restore And Reuse More Things To Save Planet Earth - Christina Ciocirlan, Fulbright Scholar, Elizabethtown College

-- Millions Of Gallons Of Conventional Oil & Gas Wastewater Spread Illegally On Dirt Roads, Companies Fail To Comply With DEP Waste Regulations - By David E. Hess, Former Secretary Department of Environmental Protection  [PaEN]

-- Click Here for a link to a printable version of this article.

-- Better Path Coalition Report: How To Close The Loophole Allowing Uncontrolled Road Spreading Of Conventional Oil & Gas Wastewater & Fix Oil and Gas Waste Reporting System [PaEN]

-- TribLive: 2nd Drilling Waste Injection Well Project In Plum Faces Opposition From Residents, Borough Officials

Regulations

-- DEP Posts 2022 Schedule For Advisory Committee, Board Meetings; Remote Attendance Options Will Continue To Be Available  [PaEN]

-- AP: Governor’s Carbon-Pricing Plan Encounters Hurdle In Final Publication  [RGGI]

Renewable Energy

-- AP: House Republicans Send Resolution Killing RGGI Regs To Gov. Wolf To Veto, Lack Votes For Override

=-- PG - Laura Legere: House Votes To Reject Gov. Wolf’s Climate Plan For Power Plants; Resolution Headed For Veto

-- WITF - Rachel McDevitt: House Votes To Stop State’s Entrance To Cap-And-Trade Program, But Wolf Veto Likely

-- Inquirer - Frank Kummer: House Votes To ‘Disapprove’ Entering Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, Defying Gov. Wolf

-- Guest Essay: RGGI Fails Pennsylvania On Its Most Basic Promise - Sen. Gene Yaw (R), Majority Chair, Senate Environmental Committee 

-- AP: Governor’s Carbon-Pricing Plan Encounters Hurdle In Final Publication  [RGGI]

-- PA Conservative Energy Forum Supports Solar Energy Development As Economic Driver And Benefit To Landowners [PaEN]

-- Evangelical Environmental Network: It’s Well Past Time For PA To Transition To A Clean Energy Economy  [PaEN]

-- MCall: In Bethlehem, Neighbors Push Back Against A Solar Farm, They Beat Warehouses, Other Lehigh Valley Communities Think

-- SEEDS Awarded 2 Grants Totaling Nearly $15,000 To Fund Sustainability Initiatives In NE PA  [PaEN]

-- Penn State: Battery Metals From Abandoned Mine Wastewater: Potential Economic Benefits For Pennsylvania  [PaEN]

-- PennLive Guest Essay: Small Businesses In PA Seek Congressional Action On Build Back Better Climate Initiatives - By Saeid Kamalpour, GlobInK

-- White House: Summary Of Dec. 15 Roundtable Hosted By Working Group On Coal And Power Plant Communities And Economic Revitalization

-- PJM Interconnection Releases Initial Results Of Renewable Energy Transition Study

-- Utility Dive: PJM Reports Transition To Renewable Energy Likely Requires Market Changes, Transmission Growth

-- FirstEnergy Invests In Venture Capital Fund To Help Advance Sustainable Energy Innovation

-- Public Source: Biden’s Agenda Promises Major Clean Energy Investments, What Would That Mean For Western PA?

-- NYT: Green Energy Race Draws An American Underdog To Bolivia’s Lithium

-- PG/AP: Congress Improves Import Ban Targeting Forced Labor In China

Stormwater

-- Bay Journal: Chesapeake Bay Program Figures Show PA Led Region In 2020 Cleanup Progress  [PaEN]

-- DEP: 2020 PA Chesapeake Bay Healthy Waters, Health Communities Report

-- DEP: December Chesapeake Bay Health Waters PA Partnership, Progress Newsletter

-- Partnership For Delaware Estuary: 3-Part Webinar Series On Urban Waters - Resilient & Sustainable Communities Starting Jan. 11, 18, 25.  Noon.

-- Franklin & Marshall College Launches Chesapeake Bay Watershed Initiative Based On Legacy Sediments Research [PaEN]

-- Artists Paint Storm Drain Art To Raise Water Pollution Awareness In York County  [PaEN]

-- LancasterOnline: Lancaster Twp. Joins $14 Million Project To Improve Little Conestoga Creek

-- Penn State Extension: Impact Of Soil On Water Quality In Riparian Buffers

-- ReadingE: Berks Conservation District: Restoring Balance - Protecting Cacoosing Creek And Our Waterways

-- DEP Blog: Environmental Education Grant Helps Fund New Montgomery County Meadow

-- DailyLocal: Volunteers Repair Riparian Buffer In Coatesville

-- NextPittsburgh: New ‘Living Street’ With Rain Gardens & A Meadow Landscaped With Native Plants Will Connect Larimer And Homewood Residents To Bakery Square And Mellon Park

-- TribLive: Delmont Residents Given No Notice Of Stormwater Pond Project

SRBC

-- Middle Susquehanna RiverKeeper: Volunteer Water Monitors Needed In Lycoming, Clinton Counties For New Stream Team Initiative; Feb. 8 Info Meeting  [PaEN]

-- Susquehanna River Basin Commission PA Online Abandoned Mine Drainage Location GIS Map

Sustainability

-- SEEDS Awarded 2 Grants Totaling Nearly $15,000 To Fund Sustainability Initiatives In NE PA  [PaEN]

Technical Guidance

-- DEP Posts 2022 Schedule For Advisory Committee, Board Meetings; Remote Attendance Options Will Continue To Be Available  [PaEN]

Water Resources

-- DEP Hosts 8th Round Of State Water Plan Regional Committee Meetings Starting Jan. 11  [PaEN]

Wastewater Facilities

-- Gov. Wolf Announces $240 Million In Clean Water Funding From Bipartisan Infrastructure Law  [EPA Announced Dec. 2]

Watershed Protection

-- Bay Journal: Chesapeake Bay Program Figures Show PA Led Region In 2020 Cleanup Progress  [PaEN]

-- DEP: 2020 PA Chesapeake Bay Healthy Waters, Health Communities Report

-- DEP: December Chesapeake Bay Health Waters PA Partnership, Progress Newsletter

-- Gov. Wolf Announces $17.4 Million To Improve Local Water Quality In 33 Counties In The Chesapeake Bay Watershed  [PaEN]

-- WilliamsportS: Lycoming County Receives $527,000 Grant For Local Clean Water Projects

-- ABC27: Lancaster County Receives State Grant To Continue Clean Water Conservation Efforts

-- Franklin & Marshall College Launches Chesapeake Bay Watershed Initiative Based On Legacy Sediments Research [PaEN]

-- ScrantonT: Putting The Chesapeake Bay Watershed On A Pollution Diet

-- Penn State Plans Survey Of Farm Conservation Practices In 14 PA Counties Starting In January [PaEN]

-- Tookany/Tacony-Frankford Watershed Partnership Executive Director Julie Slavet Honored By Wyncote Audubon Society  [PaEN]

-- Lancaster Farming: 3 PA Farms Will Test Alley Cropping, A Planting System With Trees

-- LancasterOnline: Lancaster Twp. Joins $14 Million Project To Improve Little Conestoga Creek

-- Partnership For Delaware Estuary: 3-Part Webinar Series On Urban Waters - Resilient & Sustainable Communities Starting Jan. 11, 18, 25.  Noon.

-- Rodale Institute Urges Farmers, Families To Learn More About How To Grow Clean Water  [PaEN]

-- Registration Now Open For Keystone Coldwater Conference & PA Chapter of the American Fisheries Society Meeting Feb. 25-26  [PaEN]

-- NextPittsburgh: New ‘Living Street’ With Rain Gardens & A Meadow Landscaped With Native Plants Will Connect Larimer And Homewood Residents To Bakery Square And Mellon Park

-- Penn State Extension: What Are You Doing For Clean Water?

-- Artists Paint Storm Drain Art To Raise Water Pollution Awareness In York County  [PaEN]

-- Middle Susquehanna RiverKeeper: Volunteer Water Monitors Needed In Lycoming, Clinton Counties For New Stream Team Initiative; Feb. 8 Info Meeting  [PaEN]

-- Watershed Stewards In Armstrong, Indiana, Westmoreland Counties Plan Salt Watch Monitoring  [PaEN]

-- DEP, PA Sea Grant, Partners Host Virtual PA Lake Erie Environmental Forum Jan. 25  [PaEN]

-- ReadingE: Berks Conservation District: Restoring Balance - Protecting Cacoosing Creek And Our Waterways

-- DEP Blog: Environmental Education Grant Helps Fund New Montgomery County Meadow

-- DailyLocal: Volunteers Repair Riparian Buffer In Coatesville

-- TribLive: Delmont Residents Given No Notice Of Stormwater Pond Project

-- Penn State Extension: Impact Of Soil On Water Quality In Riparian Buffers

-- Penn State Extension: Watershed Winds Newsletter: Private Well Testing, Salt Watch Monitoring, Impact Of Soil On Water Quality, Much More

-- House Republicans Pass Bill Making Fundamental Changes In Clean Streams Law, Letting Companies Decide When To Report Spills  [PaEN]

-- Delaware River Basin Commission: Highlights Of Dec. 8 Business Meeting

-- Delaware RiverKeeper Dec. 17 RiverWatch Video Report

-- Help Wanted: Penn State College Of Agricultural Sciences Seeking Watershed Project Coordinator

Latest From The Chesapeake Bay Journal

Click Here to subscribe to the Chesapeake Bay Journal

Wildlife

-- Registration Now Open For Keystone Coldwater Conference & PA Chapter of the American Fisheries Society Meeting Feb. 25-26  [PaEN]

-- LancasterOnline - P.J. Reilly: 3 Years In, Plenty Of PA Deer Hunters Say They ‘Hate’ The Saturday Gun Opener

-- PennLive - Marcus Schneck: What Will Be Picked As PA Bird Of The Year?  Odds Are It’s A Species With A ‘Conservation Story To Tell’

-- Penn State Survey Finds Strong Public Support For Bird Conservation, But Hundreds Of Bird Species Are In Trouble Now  [PaEN]

-- TribLive: Volunteers Sought For Christmas Bird Count

-- ErieT: Snowy Owls Spotted At Presque Isle State Park, But Keep Your Distance

-- PennLive: Washington County Residents Call 911 On 100-Pound Tortoise ‘Walking Down The Street’

-- Pocono Record - Brain Whipkey: Deer Camp Owner In Pocono Mountains Introduces People To The Outdoors

-- PennLive - Marcus Schneck: Will 2021 PA Bear Kill Rank In Top 10?

-- Penn State: Black Bears Could Play Important Role In Dispersal Of Ticks Carry Lyme Disease And Other Pathogens

-- PennLive - Marcus Schneck: Black Bears May Be Major Factor In Spread Of Ticks In PA

-- Courier Express: PA Endangered Species Series: Eastern Massasauga Rattlesnake

-- PennLive: Game Commission Warns Of Possible Rabid Fox In Cumberland County

-- PG - John Hayes: Private Hunting Clubs Sue Game Commission Over Searches

Opportunities

-- Coalition For The Delaware River Watershed Names Kelly Knutson Next Director

-- Help Wanted: Penn State College Of Agricultural Sciences Seeking Watershed Project Coordinator

Other

-- YorkDR Editorial:  Can Kindness And Compassion Make A Comeback In 2022?

CLICK HERE to View or Print the December 20 PA Environment Digest.

[Posted: December 19, 2021]

12/20/2021