Here are 47 new stories in the PA Environment Digest about individuals, groups, local governments, farmers, businesses, watershed groups and many more working all across Pennsylvania to restore and protect the environment and show others the beauty that surrounds us.

While PA Environment Digest’s priority is to highlight positive examples of environmental and energy leadership, 2022 is an election year which demands accountability to voters.

PA Environment Digest Is Putting The Best Links To Environment & Energy Articles and NewsClips Here.   Is Your Story Being Told?

From 2016 to 2021, DEP approved 752 plans for the permanent disposal of drill cuttings at oil and gas well drilling sites through the decades-old practice of “dusting”-- forcefully blowing drill cuttings on the ground around their drilling sites, according to DEP’s response to a Right To Know request.

On May 6, Laura Legere of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported the Department of Environmental Protection is re-evaluating the final regulation to reduce methane emissions from oil and gas operations over a 2016 law requiring separate regulations for conventional oil and gas operations.

On May 5, Republican Senators Doug Mastriano (R-Adams) and Scott Hutchinson (R-Venango) introduced Senate Bill 1219 they said “to stabilize energy costs for Pennsylvanians, protect against market volatility in the long term, and utilize Pennsylvania’s unique natural resources to finally cement the Commonwealth as a premier energy powerhouse.”

DEP’s Citizens Advisory Council is scheduled to meet May 18 to hear a presentation on DEP’s expanded conventional abandoned well plugging program funded by the federal Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.

By B.J. Small, Chesapeake Bay Foundation - PA

By Karl Blankenship, Chesapeake Bay Journal

On May 2, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced the award of $40 million from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) for actions to help restore the Chesapeake Bay and advance efforts to promote environmental justice and counter climate change.

On May 6, Chesapeake Bay cleanup advocates welcomed the announcement by U.S. Department of Agriculture Under Secretary for Farm Production and Conservation Robert Bonnie that USDA plans to direct an additional $22.5 million this year to helping farmers in the watershed adopt conservation practices that improve water quality in the Bay and its tributaries.

On May 2, Gov. Tom Wolf announced Pennsylvania collected $6.5 billion in General Fund revenue in April, which was $1.8 billion, or 38.7 percent, over estimate, and the most tax revenue ever collected in a single month.

On May 3, Department of Conservation and Natural Resources Secretary Cindy Adams Dunn visited Moraine State Park in Butler County to tour the park and to call attention to the park’s infrastructure need, also highlighting how pandemic recovery funds could be used to address outdated facilities and public safety preparedness across the state.

Lisa Daniels has been named Acting Deputy for Water Programs at the Department of Environmental Protection. 

On May 4, Conservation and Natural Resources Secretary Cindy Adams Dunn and Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding joined members of the Chesapeake Bay Commission to plant a streamside forest buffer in Lancaster to improve the water quality of Landis Run, and eventually the Chesapeake Bay.

[Postponed - Watch For New Date]  On May 7 there was supposed to be big doings for planting trees in Lancaster and York counties, and for a private Lancaster school and the Keystone 10 Million Trees Partnership making it happen, but it was postponed due to heavy rain.

By John Zaktansky, Middle Susquehanna RiverKeeper

The latest Pike County Conservation District newsletter includes an overview of wetlands conservation, an announcement of a new Environmental Resources for New Homeowners webpage and an Intern Help Wanted notice.

The Department of Environmental Protection will hold a May 25 virtual informal public conference on a proposed expansion of LCT Energy Rustic Ridge #1 underground coal mine in Donegal Township, Westmoreland County from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m.

The Environmental Quality Board is scheduled to meet May 18 on a proposed Land Recycling Program regulation on vanadium and a final regulation on coal refuse disposal.

On April 29 and 30, the Centre County Recycling and Refuse Authority collected approximately 44,000 pounds of hazardous material and nearly two miles of fluorescent tubes during a  Household Hazardous Waste Collection Event.

The Pennsylvania Resources Council will launch its 2022 Hard-To-Recycle Collection Events campaign in Allegheny County by hosting an event at Galleria at Pittsburgh Mills, Frazer Township, on June 4, from 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. 

Residents who register with Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful’s Pick Up Pennsylvania Program before May 31 will receive free bags, gloves and safety vests, as supplies last, to help with their community improvement events.

The ClearWater Conservancy celebrated Earth Day weekend on April 23 alongside 451 community volunteers at its 26th Annual Watershed Cleanup Day.

On May 5, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Energy announced the winners of the 2022 ENERGY STAR Awards.

By Ad Crable, Chesapeake Bay Journal

Penn State and its College of Agricultural Sciences have renamed the Center for Private Forests at Penn State in honor of its founder, the late James C. (Jim) Finley, an outstanding academic scholar and teacher whose pioneering work at the interface of people and forests reached hundreds of thousands of people.

As the state with the highest number of Lyme disease cases in the nation, Sen. Michele Brooks (R-Crawford) has been committed to making inroads as Pennsylvania combats a surging tick population and works to increase awareness of testing, diagnosis and treatment of tickborne diseases.

The May 6 Take Five Fridays With Pam is now available from the PA Parks & Forests Foundation.

The PA Environmental Council’s In Case You Missed It In April features articles on--

The PA Forestry Association’s Forest Heritage Discovery Center located in the Caledonia State Park near Fayetteville, Franklin County is seeking to contract for the services of a part-time assistant to staff and help manage the Discovery Center.

Opportunities to learn more about environmental and energy issues affecting Pennsylvania for students and adults--

The latest newsletter from the Butler County-based Slippery Rock Watershed Coalition includes announcements of the Statewide Abandoned Mine Reclamation Conference in June, the Northwest PA GIS Conference in October and background on the Synchronous Firefly Season.

Extension natural resources, energy and sustainability professionals from around the country will converge on Penn State's University Park campus May 15-18 for the joint 2022 National Extension Energy Summit and National Sustainability Summit.

The Allegheny County Conservation District and its partners are hosting a May 9 Flood Education Workshop for Homeowners and Business Owners at the Millville Food & Energy Hub, 112 East Sherman Street, from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m.

Join the Penn State Initiative for Resilient Communities, Bucknell University, and the Selinsgrove Flood Task Force in an open dialogue about flood resilience at the Flood Resilience Fest May 7 from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m at the Isle of Que Boat Ramp, Front Street in Selinsgrove.

The PA Emergency Management Agency and Delaware River Basin Commission are hosting a series of three virtual Hazard Mitigation Workshops.

The Water Science Institute is pleased to announce that registration is now open for the Dam Removal Forum to be held May 17 at the Susquehanna River Basin Commission’s Harrisburg Conference Center at 4423 North Front St., Harrisburg from 8:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m..

The PA Invasive Species Council is launching the first Pennsylvania Native Species Day on June 17 to celebrate and protect our native plants, trees, insects and animals.

The Pollinator Partnership will celebrate Pollinator Week June 20 - 26 to raise awareness for pollinators and spread the word about what we can do to protect them.

The Penn State College of Agricultural Sciences will hold a May 18 Collection Connection webinar on Utility Scale Solar Energy - Consideration and Impacts from 1:00 to 2:00 p.m.

The Penn State Center for Energy Law and Policy will sponsor “Scaling Up Equitable Distributed Energy Workshop,” an expert panel of professors, former government representatives and industry leaders to explore potential solutions and legal and technical impediments to achieving scale and equity in the distributed, localized energy space.

The Penn State Institutes of Energy and the Environment will host Penn State Energy Days on May 25 and 26 at the Penn Stater Hotel and Conference Center and online.

WeConservePA, in partnership with the Diversity Equity Inclusion and Justice (DEIJ) Community, will convene a virtual roundtable on May 25 for current Pennsylvania Environmental Advisory Council (EAC) members to examine the topic of environmental justice at a municipal level from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m.

The Water Center at the University of Pennsylvania and the Delaware River Basin Commission are hosting another in its series of Water Exchange Speakers May 11 on Climate Change Planning and Adaption from Noon to 1:00 p.m.

By Brodhead Watershed Association, Monroe County

By Brodhead Watershed Association, Monroe County

The Delaware Highlands Conservancy is pleased to announce its fifth annual juried photo contest for the Upper Delaware River region, open to professional and amateur photographers.

WeConservePA and Bird Town PA will host a webinar June 2 on Advocating For Local Bird-Friendly Policies from 7:00 to 8:30 p.m.

The information you need to follow legislation in the House and Senate- starting with articles and NewsClips from last week--

On May 4, Rep. Shelby Labs (R-Bucks) introduced House Bill 2385 establishing a broad, new Regulatory Sandbox Program that allows state agency heads and individual permit applicants to permanently waive and replace any requirement in regulation for any permit to provide “relief from needlessly cumbersome regulations.”

Articles and NewsClips about federal actions impacting Pennsylvania--

On May 4, the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation announced the 2022 Request for Proposals for the America the Beautiful Challenge, a public-private grant program designed to support locally led, voluntary ecosystem restoration projects.

Click Here for a list of public participation opportunities and a calendar of events.

Click Here for grants, awards, recognition programs and contest deadlines.

Highlights of the environmental and energy notices in the latest PA Bulletin--

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.

The PA Abandoned Mine Reclamation Conference will be held in-person and virtually June 22-23 at the Ramada Inn and Conference Center in State College.  This year's theme-- New Opportunities On The Horizon!  Registration Open!    Read more here.

PA Environment Digest is a supporting member of the PA Organization for Watersheds & Rivers, PA Outdoor Writers Association, PA Council Trout Unlimited and the Doc Fritchey Chapter Trout Unlimited.