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Weekly PA Environment Digest Newsletter
Crisci Associates, March 27, 2017 Issue #665
(3/27/2017)
* DEP Announces Winners Of 2017 Governor’s Environmental Excellence Awards

Department of Environmental Protection Thursday announced 21 organizations across the Commonwealth will receive the prestigious 2017 Governor’s Award for Environmental Excellence for 16 projects that represent the very best in innovation, collaboration, and public service in environmental stewardship.

* PA Environmental Professionals Announce Winners Of Karl Mason, Walter Lyon Awards

The PA Association of Environmental Professionals Tuesday announced Eric H. Buncher, Manager of Planning Services for the Allegheny County Airport Authority, is the winner of the Karl Mason Award and the PA Senior Environment Corps managed by Nature Abounds is the winner of the Walter Lyon Award.

* Judge Throws Out Landowner Challenge To DRBC De-Facto Moratorium On Drilling

StateImpact reported Friday a U.S. Federal District Court Thursday threw out a lawsuit by a group of Wayne County landowners who said the Delaware River Basin Commission lacks the authority to review and approve natural gas facilities on land owned by the group.

* Senate Takes No Action Yet On Nomination Of Patrick McDonnell As DEP Secretary

The Senate this week again failed to take any action on the nomination of Patrick McDonnell to serve as Secretary of the Department of Environmental Protection.

* Senate, House Had $118M Surplus In 2015-16; 21% Increase In Budget Since 2003

The Legislative Audit Advisory Commission Monday accepted the audit report of the General Assembly’s financing which revealed a surplus of $118,442,957 as of June 30, 2016.

* Senate/House Agenda/Session Schedule/Gov’s Schedule/ Bills Introduced

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

* Senate/House Bills Moving

The following bills of interest saw action this week in the House and Senate--

* Agriculture: Trump Budget Cuts Could Harm PA Agriculture, Rural Communities

The Trump administration’s proposed 21 percent cut to the U.S. Department of Agriculture could cause significant harm to Pennsylvania’s agriculture industry and rural communities, according to state Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding.

* Wolf Opposes Trump Proposal To Eliminate LIHEAP Home Heating Assistance Funding

Gov. Wolf Tuesday expressed his strong opposition to President Trump’s budget proposal and the elimination of funding for the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP). The President’s proposed budget would eliminate critical funding for services to hundreds of thousands of vulnerable citizens.

* PA National Heritage Areas: Trump Budget Would Have Severe Consequences In PA

The National Heritage Areas in Pennsylvania Thursday announced they  strongly oppose the Trump Administration’s Fiscal Year 2018 budget. 

* Report: $61.8M In DEP Budget, $19.4M In DCNR Budget Is State Grants To Others

The Legislative Budget and Finance Committee issued a report Wednesday on state-funded grant programs which said $61.8 million of DEP’s budget and $19.4 million in DCNR’s budget were grants to others funded by the General Fund or other state sources of revenue.

* March Environmental Synopsis Now Available From Joint Conservation Committee

The March edition of the Environmental Synopsis newsletter is now available from the Joint Legislative Air and Water Pollution Control and Conservation Committee featuring articles on--

* EPCAMR Looking For More Partners In Tioga, Dauphin On AMD, Education Projects

The Eastern PA Coalition for Abandoned Mine Reclamation is looking to develop new partnerships with community groups working on abandoned mine drainage (AMD), abandoned mine reclamation, and outdoor environmental education efforts in Tioga and Dauphin counties.

* Brodhead Watershed Assn Streamwatcher Training March 30, April 8 For Monroe County

Brodhead Watershed Association will begin training new volunteers for its popular Streamwatch Program in Monroe County.

* DRBC Reschedules Hearing On Aquatic Life Water Uses In Delaware Estuary For April 6

The Delaware River Basin Commission Thursday announced plans to reschedule the public hearing on aquatic life water uses in the Delaware Estuary for April 6 at the West Trenton Volunteer Fire Company Hall, 40 West Upper Ferry Road, West Trenton, NJ starting at 2:00 p.m.

* PRC Sets 15 Household Chemical, Drug, Hard-To-Recycle Collection Events In Western PA

Mark your 2017 calendar now for dates to drop off a wide variety of materials-- ranging from computers and household chemicals to usable building materials and unwanted medications – at upcoming collection events sponsored by the PA Resources Council and its partners.

* Keep America Beautiful 2016 Recycle-Bowl School Standings In Pennsylvania

Keep America Beautiful Thursday released the final standards in the national Recycle-Bowl recycling competition for elementary, middle and high schools.

* DEP Orders Nulife To Remove 17 Million Pounds Of Cathode Ray Tubes Not Recycled

The Department of Environmental Protection Tuesday ordered Nulife Glass NY (Nulife) to remove all 17 million pounds of stored CRT materials from all five warehouses it uses in Pennsylvania within a year.

* DEP Reschedules Solid Waste Advisory Committee Meeting For March 27

The DEP Solid Waste Advisory Committee is scheduled to meet on March 27 to hear an update on managing waste from Marcellus Shale drilling operations.  The previous meeting was canceled due to Winter Storm Stella.

* Save The Date: National Brownfields Conference In Pittsburgh Dec. 5-7

The national Brownfields 2017 Conference -- Sustainable Communities Start Here-- will be held December 5-7 in the LEED-certified David L. Lawrence Convention Center in Pittsburgh. 

* Flood Information Provided To Residents In Centre County Areas Hit By Flooding In 2016

Insurance Commissioner Teresa Miller, PA Emergency Management Agency Director of the Bureau of Recovery and Mitigation Steve Bekanich, and State NFIP Coordinator Dan Fitzpatrick of the Department of Community and Economic Development Monday presented information on flood insurance and potential grant availability to homeowners in Centre County hard hit by flooding in October 2016.

* PEMA: Winning Turn Around, Don’t Drown Student PSA Now Airing

The PA Emergency Management Agency Monday announced the winning entry in the student TV PSA Contest held earlier this year is now airing on TV stations across the state through the end of the month.

* Philadelphia Announces Energy Efficiency Pilot Project At Lankenau High School

Philadelphia Schools Superintendent Dr. William R. Hite, Philadelphia City Council President Darrell L. Clarke, Councilman Bobby Henon, Councilman Curtis Jones, Jr., the Philadelphia Energy Authority, and representatives of labor met at Lankenau High School Monday to announce the launch of an energy efficiency pilot program.

* PECO To Power Down Iconic Crown Lights For Earth Hour, Encourages Energy Audits

PECO will power down its iconic LED Crown Lights system for Earth Hour 2017 on March 25 from 8:30 to 9:30 p.m. Earth Hour is the world’s largest annual voluntary environmental action event to raise awareness about climate change.

* National Governors Assn: PA, 4 Other States Advance Energy Goals Thru NGA Program

The National Governors Association Thursday announced five states— Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Washington—will participate in a state retreat to help them explore innovative policies and programs to reduce energy costs and consumption, conserve natural resources, enhance the use of clean energy resources and improve resiliency in the public sector.

* DEP Launches Oil & Gas Electronic Report Review Tool For Accelerated Public Access

Gov. Tom Wolf Tuesday announced the Department of Environmental Protection has launched the e-submissions public review tool to make documents submitted electronically by unconventional oil and gas operators more quickly available to the public.

* Call For PUC’s Powelson To Step Down After Jihad Remarks About Pipeline Opponents

Joseph Otis Minott, Esq., Executive Director and Chief Counsel, Clean Air Council Thursday issued this statement in response to comments made by Public Utility Commission member Robert Powelson Tuesday about opponents to pipeline projects:

* Joint Conservation Committee: Natural Gas Methane Leaks Impacting Local Air Quality

The following article is reprinted from the March Environmental Synopsis newsletter from the Joint Legislative Air and Water Pollution Control and Conservation Committee, Sen. Scott Hutchinson (R-Venango), Chair.  The article was written by Coleen P. Engvall, Research Analyst with the Committee.

* Wolf Releases Report On Enhancing Manufacturing Using Natural Gas Liquids In PA

Gov. Tom Wolf and the Team Pennsylvania Foundation Tuesday released a comprehensive study conducted by IHS Markit on manufacturing opportunities using natural gas liquid assets and attracting additional ethane cracker plants, and petrochemical and plastics manufacturing.

* PA Chamber Annual Environmental Conference & Trade Show April 12 In Lancaster

The PA Chamber of Business and Industry will hold its 2017 Environmental Conference and Trade Show in Lancaster on April 12.

* DCNR, L&I Seeking Student Applicants For Expanded PA Outdoor Corps

Department of Conservation and Natural Resources Secretary Cindy Adams Dunn Thursday joined Department of Labor & Industry Secretary Kathy Manderino and Student Conservation Association representatives in announcing applicants are being sought to expand the highly successful PA Outdoor Corps to work in state parks and state forests across the state.

* Goddard Leadership Legacy Institute Now Accepting Applications For Youths 13-15

The Central PA Conservancy Wednesday announced it is now accepting applications for the July 10-15 Goddard Leadership Legacy Institute residential leadership and conservation program for youths ages 13 to 15.

* New Season Bringing More Smoke-Free Beaches To Pennsylvania State Parks

Visitors to state parks this upcoming summer season will find more swimming beaches designated as “smoke free” at the 121 state parks across the state, Department of Conservation and Natural Resources Secretary Cindy Adams Dunn announced Tuesday.

* PennDOT Outlines Biking Improvements For 150 Miles Of Route 6

As part of its effort to improve bicycle safety, accessibility, and connectivity along Route 6, the Department of Transportation has completed a report outlining enhancements for the route’s 150 miles from the Ohio border to the McKean/Potter county line, as well as Route 6N in Erie County.

* Delaware & Lehigh April 8 First Trails Cleanup, Hugh Moore Park Northampton County

Celebrate National Volunteer Month and Rails-to-Trails Conservancy’s Opening Day for Trails by giving back to the Delaware & Lehigh National Heritage Corridor and join other volunteers to help clean up Easton’s Hugh Moore Park in Northampton County on April 8 from 9:00 a.m. to Noon.

* DCNR Secretary Urges Caution In The Outdoors To Prevent Wildfires

With the start of spring and Wildfire Prevention Week, Department of Conservation and Natural Resources Secretary Cindy Adams Dunn warns the combination of bright sun, strong winds, and warming temperatures quickly can increase wildfire dangers across Pennsylvania’s forests and brush lands.

* Feature: A Woman And Her Woods-- Nancy Baker, Bradford County

By Stephanie Smith, Web Content Manager, Chesapeake Bay Program

* Agriculture, Partners To Train Volunteers To Combat Invasive Spotted Lanternfly

The Department of Agriculture, in conjunction with Penn State Extension and Berks County Conservation District, will host a series of April public meetings to train volunteers to assist in eradicating the invasive Spotted Lanternfly.

* PEC: Get Your Hands Dirty In Luzerne, Columbia County State Forests, Plant Trees

Join the PA Environmental Council, DCNR Bureau of Forestry and Keep PA Beautiful to celebrate Earth Day 2017 by helping with tree plantings in Pinchot State Forest in Luzerne County and Weiser State Forest in Columbia County on April 21-22.

* Western PA Conservancy: Volunteers Needed For Spring Tree Planting Dates

The Western PA Conservancy is seeking volunteers for a series of tree planting events in the Pittsburgh region as part of its Treevitalize and Pittsburgh Redbud Project.

* TreePhilly Program Again Offering Free Trees To Plant In Philadelphia

The Philadelphia Parks and Recreation Department and the Fairmount Park Conservancy Monday announced the TreePhilly Program will again be offering free trees to plant starting April 1.

* New Tools Available To Help With Trees In Buffers, Communities

Two new websites are now available to help those working to plant and protect trees throughout the Chesapeake Bay watershed. Pennsylvania is connected to these efforts through its Forest Buffer and TreeVitalize efforts.

* PA Forest Heritage Assn. Spring Newsletter Now Available

The PA Forest Heritage Association’s Spring edition of the Burning Issues newsletter is now available featuring stories on--

* March 22 Resource Newsletter Now Available From DCNR

The March 22 edition of the Resource newsletter is now available from the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources featuring articles on--

* Hawk Mountain Hosts Lecture By Private Lives Of Vultures Author Katie Fallon April 8

Hawk Mountain Sanctuary in Berks County will host author Katie Fallon on April 8 at 2 p.m. as she presents a look into her newest book, VULTURE: The Private Life of an Unloved Bird. Her lecture will be immediately followed by an exclusive book signing.

* Bradley Mallory Joins PA Parks & Forests Foundation Board

The PA Parks and Forests Foundation Wednesday announced the appointment of Bradley Mallory to its board of directors, effective immediately.

* Help Wanted: DEP District Mining Manager In Moshannon Office

The Department of Environmental Protection is seeking qualified candidates to fill the position of District Mining Manager in its Moshannon District Mining Office in Philipsburg.  Click Here for the complete job announcement and instructions on how to apply.

* DEP: Opportunity To Bid On Mine Reclamation Project In Clearfield County

The Department of Environmental Protection published notice in the March 25 PA Bulletin of an opportunity to bide on a mine reclamation project in Clearfield County.

* Public Participation Opportunities/Calendar Of Events

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

* Grants & Awards

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

* Environmental NewsClips - All Topics

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

* Regulations, Technical Guidance & Permits

No new regulations were published this week.  Pennsylvania Bulletin - March 25, 2017

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* Supporting Member PA Outdoor Writers Assn./PA Trout Unlimited

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