On Monday DEP issued its 2015 Annual Report on the Oil and Gas Regulatory Program which once again shows the number of violations by conventional oil and gas well drillers far exceeds the number of violations by unconventional (Marcellus and Utica Shale) drillers.

A new draft report released Monday from the Department of Environmental Protection lists four miles of the Lower Susquehanna River as impaired for recreation, but not for protecting aquatic life as requested by the Fish and Boat Commission, the Chesapeake Bay Foundation-PA and other groups.

Harry Campbell, Pennsylvania Executive Director for the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, issued this statement following the Department of Environmental Protection’s release of its draft Integrated Water Quality Report, which does not include a recommendation that the Lower Susquehanna River be declared an impaired waterway as it relates to the struggles of its smallmouth bass population.

By Harry Campbell, PA Executive Director, Chesapeake Bay Foundation

The Department of Environmental Protection Tuesday issued a drought watch declaration for 34 Pennsylvania counties and a drought warning declaration for Potter County following a meeting of the Commonwealth Drought Task Force where members evaluated recent data that indicate conditions for water supplies are continuing to deteriorate.

The Foundation For PA Watersheds Wednesday called on Pennsylvanians to contact their member of Congress and urge them to support federal legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives to increase funding for mine reclamation projects that will lead to economic development in coal communities suffering the impacts of the recent downturn in the mining industry.

U.S. Department of Interior Secretary Sally Jewell and Department of Environmental Protection Acting Secretary Patrick McDonnell led a special event Thursday to mark the beginning of work to remediate and reclaim an abandoned mine site in the community of Ehrenfeld, Cambria County.

PA Environment Digest now has a Google+ Circle called Green Works In PA.  Let us join your Circle.

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

Pennsylvania collected $1.972 billion in General Fund revenue in July, the first month of the 2016-17 fiscal year, Secretary of Revenue Eileen McNulty reported Monday.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and the Department of Environmental Protection, Thursday announced Consol Energy Inc., CNX Coal Resources and Consol Pennsylvania Coal Co., LLC have agreed to implement extensive water management and monitoring activities to prevent contaminated discharges of mining wastewater from the Bailey Mine Complex in Greene and Washington counties, to the Ohio River and its tributaries.

The Susquehanna River Basin Commission Monday released a new report, Cumulative Water Use and Availability Study for the Susquehanna River Basin, which shows about 9 percent of the watersheds in the basin, almost all in Pennsylvania, show a potential for water use limitations and warrant further limitation.

The Department of Environmental Protection Friday asked each of the 41 County Conservation Districts in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed in Pennsylvania for a Yes or No to DEP’s request they conduct farm inspections to determine compliance with Pennsylvania’s on-farm environmental regulations.

Penn State Extension educators will be visiting hundreds of farms in the next month to follow up on a survey of Pennsylvania farmers in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed to identify best management practices that may have not been previously counted toward Pennsylvania Bay cleanup efforts.

The Foundation for PA Watersheds is accepting notices of intent to file a grant application, the first step in its grant making process, until August 15, with grant applications due September 19.

The Fish and Boat Commission Monday announced it is now accepting grant applications to improve water quality, aquatic habitat enhancement, and recreational access in the Tulpehocken Creek and Quittapahilla Creek watersheds in Berks and Lebanon counties.

The Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay, Capital Region Council of Governments, and Environmental Finance Center will offer a Strategies for Financing Your Stormwater Project Workshop on August 30 at the Derry Township Municipal Complex, 600 Clearwater Road, Hershey, Dauphin County, starting at 10:00 a.m.

On August 9, the Philadelphia Office of Sustainability will host an open house for residents and partners to preview the updated Greenworks Sustainability Plan.

The Partnership for the Delaware Estuary has extended its deadline for accepting abstracts for its 2017 Estuary Science and Environmental Summit to August 12.

The August 1 edition of the Watershed Winds newsletter is now available from Penn State Extension featuring articles on--

At the direction of Gov. Tom Wolf Sunday, members of the PA Incident Management Team deployed to Maryland to support that state in efforts to respond and recover from devastating flooding in Howard County.

The Department of Environmental Protection published notices in the August 6 PA Bulletin of its intent to renew Air Quality permits for the Dominion Transmission Rochester Mills compressor station in Indiana County (page 4866) and the Sabinsville compressor station in Tioga County (page 4866). 

The Department of Environmental Protection published notice in the August 6 PA Bulletin it is now reviewing the Chapter 102 Erosion Control and Sedimentation General Permit applications at three of its regional offices for Sunoco’s Mariner II East Pipeline project (page 4892).

The Office of Attorney General Thursday announced it has reached a settlement agreement with XTO Energy Inc., a subsidiary of Exxon Mobil Corp., to resolve allegations the subsidiary illegally discharged toxic waste from a Marcellus Shale gas well site in Penn Township, Lycoming County.

The Department of Environmental Protection will host a public hearing August 10 to take testimony regarding the renewal and revision of an Individual National Pollution Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Permit for Eastern Industries, Inc.’s Kutztown Quarry.

The Centre County Recycling & Refuse Authority is proud to announce four students from Park Forest Elementary School Zero Waste Team in State College Area School District will be headed to the White House August 16 to receive the President's Environmental Youth Award.

Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful Tuesday announced registration is now open for Keep America Beautiful’s K-12 Recycle Bowl Competition designed to invigorate student participation in recycling.

Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and Moore Township, Northampton County, will receive new recycling bins for their public parks as a result of grants provided by Dr Pepper Snapple Group/Keep America Beautiful Park Recycling Grant Program.

The PA Resources Council and its partners will hold a Household Chemical Collection Event on August 13 at the Boyce Park Ski Lodge parking lot in Allegheny County from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

The August edition of the PA Resources Council newsletter is now available featuring articles on--

On July 25, members of the DEP Northcentral Regional Citizens’ Roundtable toured several stream improvement projects being done in Union County through a partnership involving the Northcentral Pennsylvania Conservancy, Union County Conservation District, Fish and Boat Commission and DEP funded by DEP’s Growing Greener Grant Program.

The August 4 edition of DEP News is now available from the Department of Environmental Protection featuring articles on--

Pittsburgh’s Re:NEW Sustainability Festival is a month-long celebration centered on the themes of creative reuse, sustainability and transportation to be held this year from September 9 through October 9.

The Pittsburgh Green Building Alliance is holding a Living Building Challenge Project Update on August 11 at the Phipps Conservatory’s Center for Sustainable Landscapes in Pittsburgh from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m.

A new automated power restoration system is turning the lights back on for PPL Electric Utilities customers in minutes, even before a work crew has made repairs.

Examining the role of public policy in shaping the future electric marketplace is the focus of the next PJM Interconnection Grid 20/20 forum, Public Policy Goals & Market Efficiency, which will be held August 18.

Sustainable Energy Fund and West Penn Power Sustainable Energy Fund, nonprofits that support and finance energy users seeking a sustainable energy future, Thursday announced the winners of the 2016 Energy Sprout competition.

The PA Environmental Council Thursday announced it has received a $20,000 grant from the West Penn Power Sustainable Energy Fund to complete feasibility assessments for three potential hydropower projects in Western Pennsylvania state parks.

Project Learning Tree offers grants up to $1,000 to schools and youth organizations for environmental service-learning projects that link classroom learning to the real world.  The deadline for applications is September 30.

DCNR’s Wild Resource Conservation Program is now accepting applications for grants to protect the state's native biodiversity.  Applications are due September 28.

The PA Chapter of the American Planning Association recently recognized four Pennsylvania trails and greenways with its 2016 Great Places In PA Award.

The Pennsylvania Wilds Program will hold a PA Wilds Fall Biking Seminar on October 21 at the Allegheny Grille in Foxburg, Clarion County.

The July edition of In Case You Missed It is now available from the PA Environmental Council featuring stories on--

Moving to protect wild trout beset by high water temperatures and low stream levels, The Department of Conservation and Natural Resources and Fish and Boat Commission Thursday temporarily posted two sections of Penns Creek to prevent fishing and disturbance of massed fish by passersby.

We love to watch wildlife. Television networks such as Animal Planet or National Geographic are testimony to the public’s interest in learning about the natural world.

The Summer edition of the PA Council Of Trout Unlimited newsletter is now available featuring stories on--

Beginning August 20, people can hike, bike, run or ride a horse in the Wissahickon Valley Park in Montgomery County  and explore all 50 miles of the park as part of the All Trails Challenge, a fundraising effort by Friends of the Wissahickon to benefit the park.

The August 3 edition of the Resource newsletter is now available from the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources featuring articles on--

The Lackawanna Valley Conservancy and Lackawanna River Conservation Association are hosting a Butterflies Along The River Program By David Folk on August 14 starting at 1:00 p.m. at the Kosciuska Healing Garden, 26 E. Market Street in Scranton.

The August edition of the e-Connections newsletter from the Susquehanna Greenway Partnership is now available featuring articles on--

The August/September edition of the Nature newsletter from the PA Chapter of The Nature Conservancy is now available featuring articles on--

For the second time in a week, volunteer firefighters from Pennsylvania have answered the call to battle wildfires raging in two Western states, Department of Conservation and Natural Resources Secretary Cindy Adams Dunn announced Friday.

Department of Agriculture officials Saturday announced the Spotted Lanternfly quarantine has been expanded to Maxatawny Township and Kutztown Borough in Berks County and Upper Millford Township and Emmaus Borough in Lehigh County. (formal notice)

The PA Horticultural Society, Penn State Extension and DCNR’s Bureau of Forestry will host Tree Tender Training Workshops in Southeast Pennsylvania in October.  The workshops are scheduled for—

The Grey Towers mansion in Milford, Pike County, is open for free, self-guided tours on August 11 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. in honor of Gifford Pinchot’s 151st birthday.

The Erie Community Foundation will hold its Erie Gives Day on August 9 from 8:00 to 8:00 p.m. to provide a single place for interested citizens to support nonprofit organizations in the region, including the Foundation for Sustainable Forests.

Wild Excellence Films Tuesday announced it is working on a new project with the non-profit organization Friends of Flight 93 National Memorial in Somerset County to educate visitors and the general public about the Memorial to encourage a more meaningful visitor experience. 

The Department of Environmental Protection has named Krishnan Ramamurthy, a 36-year veteran of public service in the Air Quality Program,  Acting Director of the Bureau of Air Quality.

The Green Building Alliance in Pittsburgh is seeking qualified students to fill a Fall paid intern position in its Pittsburgh 2030 District Program. Applications are due August 19.

The Chesapeake Bay Foundation-PA, based in Harrisburg, is seeking qualified individuals to fill the position of PA Outreach and Advocacy Manager.  The deadline for applications is August 12.  Click Here for all the details.

The PA Recycling Markets Center, Inc. is pleased to announce a position vacancy for the role of Recycling Program Manager.  Click Here for a full position description and how to apply.

This section lists House and Senate Committee meetings, DEP and other public hearings and meetings and other interesting environmental events.

This section gives you a heads up on upcoming deadlines for awards and grants and other recognition programs.  NEW means new from last week.

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

No new regulations were published this week.  Pennsylvania Bulletin - August 6, 2016

CLICK HERE to Print The Entire PA Environment Digest.

Send your stories, photos and links to videos about your project, environmental issues or programs for publication in the PA Environment Digest to:  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.