House Republicans are planning final votes shortly on House Bill 1107 (O'Neal-R- Washington) and House Bill 1106 (Puskaric-R- Allegheny) that will demolish the current environmental permit programs, stop development in its tracks for 3-5 years and cut the public out of all environmental permit reviews.  

The Senate Environmental Resources and Energy Committee is scheduled to meet on September 24 to consider Senate Bill 790 (Scarnati-R-Jefferson) which sets environmental protection standards for conventional (not Shale gas) oil and gas well drilling and operation and legalizes the road dumping of drilling wastewater from conventional wells.

By Siri Lawson, Farmington Township, Warren County

On September 17, officials from the departments of Environmental Protection and Health told DEP’s Citizens Advisory Council the Governor’s PFAS Action Team will be releasing a report in the near future on the status of the state response to PFAS contamination issues, recommendations for next steps, and outlining a significant need for additional funding to address this problem.

On September 17, the Commonwealth Financing Authority announced it had approved more than $20 million in funding for flood mitigation, greenways, trails and recreation, sewage facility and watershed restoration projects funded by the Act 13 drilling impact fee.

On September 17, National Fish and Wildlife Foundation announced 41 grant awards totaling more than $6.9 million for water quality restoration and habitat conservation throughout the Delaware River watershed.

On September 19, the U.S. Department of Justice, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the Department of Environmental Protection, and the Allegheny County Health Department announced a proposed modification of a 2008 consent decree with Allegheny County Sanitary Authority (ALCOSAN) to improve its sewer system by 2036 to reduce sewer overflows by an estimated 6.6 billion gallons per year.

On September 18, the Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority reported it is 10 months ahead of DEP's required replacement schedule for lead drinking water service lines by completing 855 replacements before the June 30, 2020 deadline. 

Another in a series of reports on water quality done based on results from the Susquehanna River Basin Commission’s Remote Water Quality Monitoring Network shows again streams in watersheds affected by natural gas drilling on State Forest and other land show no adverse impact from drilling operations.

On September 19, the Public Utility Commission issued a Secretarial Letter dismissing the complaint filed by Sen. Andy Dinniman (D-Chester) against the Mariner East Pipelines in Chester County as required by a September 9 Commonwealth Court decision.

More than 230 guests joined Stroud Water Research Center, its board of directors and the presenting sponsor, Wilmington Trust, at the 17th annual Water’s Edge gala as they honored the Chad Pregracke of Living Lands & Waters at Longwood Gardens in Kennett Square, Chester County.

On September 20, Department of Conservation and Natural Resources Secretary Cindy Adams Dunn was joined by September 11th National Memorial Trail Alliance and local officials for a visit to the Flight 93 National Memorial in Somerset County, and to discuss how the Restore PA Infrastructure Plan will address the most significant trail gaps across the state.

The Department of Conservation and Natural Resources has teamed up with the Keystone Trails Association on a new initiative to recognize any hiker who completes the entire 798 miles of the State Forest Hiking Trail system with the coveted State Forest Trails Award.

The autumnal equinox marking formal beginning of Fall is on September 23 at 3:50 a.m.

You now have the chance to tell Keep PA Beautiful, PennDOT and DEP what you think about the millions of pieces of litter along Pennsylvania’s roadways costing governments and taxpayers millions of dollars every year by taking an online survey.

On September 19 the House Environmental Resources and Energy Committee held a wide-ranging 60-minute informational meeting on the Wolf Administration’s climate change initiatives with DEP Secretary Patrick McDonnell.

The following testimony by DEP Secretary Patrick McDonnell was presented to the House Environmental Resources and Energy Committee on September 19, 2019 outlining the Wolf Administration’s policy on climate change and urging immediate action to deal with the issue. [Click Here for a summary of the Committee meeting.]

On September 17, Pennsylvania’s first probable human case of West Nile Virus infection in 2019 has been detected in a Philadelphia resident. Samples are being sent to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for confirmatory testing.

On September 21, the departments of Agriculture and Health warned Pennsylvanians to take precautionary measures against mosquito bites for themselves and their animals--  specifically horses-- as the rare mosquito-transmitted viral infection Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE) has been confirmed in Erie, Carbon, and Monroe counties.

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

Here are the Senate and House Calendars for the next voting session day and Committees scheduling action on bills of interest as well as a list of new environmental bills introduced--

On September 17, a bipartisan group of state legislators joined environmental organizations to urge Gov. Tom Wolf to advance a crucial state Department of Environmental Protection rule to cut methane pollution from the natural gas industry.

On September 20, a bipartisan group of over 30 Pennsylvania state House members sent a letter to Gov. Tom Wolf urging him to take immediate action on regulations which would reduce methane leakage from natural gas wells in Pennsylvania.

By Tony Guerrieri, Executive Director

On September 16, Representatives James Struzzi (R-Indiana), Donna Oberland (R-Clarion) and Pam Snyder (D-Fayette) announced plans to introduce legislation to protect coal-fired power plants from any proposed carbon tax by requiring the approval of the General Assembly to join the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative or similar programs.

On September 24, the House Environmental Resources and Energy Committee will hold an informational meeting on House Bill 1808 (Mackenzie-R-Lehigh) exempting certain plastic materials from being regulated as waste (sponsor summary).

The September newsletter from the Joint Legislative Air and Water Pollution Control and Conservation Committee features articles on--

Rep. Tarah Toohil (R-Luzerne) has introduced  House Bill 1844 (Toohil-R-Luzerne) designating the Regal Fritillary butterfly as the official state butterfly of the Commonwealth (sponsor summary).

On September 20, Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro joined Attorneys General from 22 other states in filing a lawsuit against the Trump Administration for revoking California's Authority to set vehicle emission standards.

On September 18, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is now accepting nominations for the 2020 Green Chemistry Challenge Awards for companies or institutions that have developed a new process or product that helps protect public health and the environment.  Entries are due December 31.

The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, in partnership with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Environmental Protection, is now accepting proposals for local government projects to implement one or more high-priority nutrient and sediment load reduction practices within 8 counties, consistent with Pennsylvania’s Phase 3 Watershed Implementation Plan and the Chesapeake Bay Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL).

The Department of Environmental Protection will hold an open house on September 23 in Mansfield, Tioga County to answer questions from landowners and municipal officials about doing work in streams affected by flooding and erosion.

The Schuylkill Action Network is now accepting registrations for its Annual Meeting on December 10 at Albright College, 1621 North 13th Street in Reading, Berks County from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Just a reminder presentation proposals for the 2020 Riparian Forest Buffer Summit on March 11-12 in Altoona are due on October 15.

The Lebanon Valley Conservancy is seeking volunteers to help plant 1,000 trees in Lebanon County as part of the Keystone 10 Million Tree Partnership administered by the Chesapeake Bay Foundation-PA.

Nature has always inspired artists. This year, the Pike County Conservation District’s Annual Dinner on October 25 will feature a performance and presentation exploring how nature has influenced composers and musicians.

By: Janice Vollero, Water Program Specialist, Bureau of Clean Water

The Susquehanna River Basin Commission is inviting comments on proposed changes to its regulations governing consumptive water use mitigation and a related consumptive water use mitigation policy. 

At the Delaware River Basin Commission’s third-quarter Business Meeting last week, Assemblywoman Carol Murphy (NJ-7) presented Joint Legislative Resolutions from the State of New Jersey for the winners of the Commission’s 2019 Summer Delaware River Basin Photo Contest. 

On September 16, Department of Environmental Protection will host a public hearing on October 16 to take public comments on a permit application from Tri-County Landfill, Inc. to re-open the existing closed municipal waste landfill in Liberty and Pine townships, Mercer County.

In October, the PA Resources Council and its partners will host the final collection events of the year in Western Pennsylvania to accept household chemicals, electronics waste, hard-to-recycle materials and prescription medications.

On September 18, the Department of Environmental Protection announced it has opened a follow-up investigation of Erie Coke (Coal) Plant benzene emissions after DEP's new air monitors found benzene concentrations exceeded an action level set in the sampling plan.

The Department of Environmental Protection is inviting public comments on a proposed Title V Air Quality Permit and RACT II Plan for American Craft Brewery in Upper Macungie Township, Lehigh County.  (Sept. 21 PA Bulletin page 5479)

The Department of Environmental Protection will hold a hearing October 21, if requested, on the RACT II Air Quality Plan for Hydro Carbide, Inc. located in Unity Township, Westmoreland County. (Sept. 21 PA Bulletin page 5483)

On September 19, the Public Utility Commission took a pair of related actions to advance proposals focused on achieving energy affordability for the Commonwealth’s most vulnerable households.

On September 17, the Commonwealth Financing Authority announced the award of three grants totaling $2.8 million to extend natural gas service in Bradford, Lancaster, and Lebanon counties under the Pipeline Investment Program.

As the next step in its sustainability journey, Crown Holdings, Inc., a Bucks County-based packaging developer and manufacturer, has signed onto the Science-Based Targets Initiative, a project that aims to spur corporate climate action in the transition to a low-carbon economy.

The spotted lanternfly doesn’t look dangerous. In fact, it’s a rather pretty insect: brightly colored and dotted with black, just as its name suggests.

If asked whether they would be happy in a world without insects, some people might answer in the affirmative. But such a scenario would be disastrous for Earth and its inhabitants, according to entomologists.

On September 20, the PA Wilds Center for Entrepreneurship, Inc. announced they have been awarded an $860,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration to accelerate the growth of the Pennsylvania Wilds entrepreneurial ecosystem.

Presentation proposals are now being accepted by the PA Land Trust Association for the 2020 PA Land Conservation Conference to be held in Gettysburg April 1-3.  The deadline for proposals is November 1.

The PA Organization for Watersheds and Rivers will host a webinar October 11 from Noon to 1:00 on the Conservation Opportunity Area Tool, a web-based application to support local conservation planning for at-risk species.

The Kittatinny Coalition is inviting individuals who live, work and play on or near the Kittatinny Ridge to participate in an online survey coordinated by the Center for Land Use and Sustainability at Shippensburg University.

Trail users in parts of New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia can now plan bike rides on shared use trails with a bit of help from regional trail advocates. The Industrial Heartland Trails Coalition has produced and updated a dozen trail itineraries for use in a 52-county area.

On October 6, join volunteers from Independence Conservancy to explore the Rocky Bend Nature Preserve in Potter Township, Beaver County from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m.  The event is part of the statewide Walk in Penn's Woods initiative.

Love trails? Consider serving on the DCNR’s Pennsylvania Trails Advisory Committee!  The deadline for expressions of interest is October 31.

Chris Strohler is the Senior Conservation Planner with the [Lehigh Valley-based] Wildlands Conservancy. Chris’s enthusiasm for clean, healthy rivers has inspired him to be a leader in river conservation work.

The September 20 Take Five Fridays With Pam is now available from the PA Parks and Forests Foundation featuring articles on--

The September 18 Resource newsletter is now available from the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources featuring articles on--

The Lehigh Valley-based Wildlands Conservancy recently highlighted the education programs and activities coming up in October, here’s a sampling--

The Wildlife for Everyone Foundation is inviting entries to its Autumn In The Wetlands Photo Contest at the Tom Ridge Wetlands Preserve in Centre County.  The deadline for entries is October 14.

The Partnership for the Delaware Estuary has named Kathy Klein its new Executive Director.  She has served as the Partnership’s interim executive director since March.

PennFuture is seeking qualified candidates to fill the position of Clean Water Advocacy Campaign Manager based in Erie.  The deadline for applications is October 11.  Click Here for all the details.

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

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 highlights of actions taken by agencies on environmental regulations, technical guidance and permits.

CLICK HERE to View or Print the 141 page 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: PaEnviroDigest@gmail.com.

PA Environment Digest is proud to be a sponsor of the Watershed Coalition of the Lehigh Valley’s 8th Lehigh Valley Watershed Conference on October 15 at Lehigh University, Bethlehem.

PA Environment Digest is a supporting member of the Pennsylvania Outdoor Writers Association, Pennsylvania Council Trout Unlimited and the Doc Fritchey Chapter Trout Unlimited.