The February 1 PA Environment Digest is now available. Here are just a few of the headlines--
The PA Environmental Council has been active over the last 6 years seeking to toughen Pennsylvania’s laws and regulations on the oil and natural gas drilling industry. With DEP’s Chapter 78 (conventional) and 78A (unconventional) regulations coming up for a critical vote February 3, PEC posted this statement on its blog marking this important milestone--
In one week the Environmental Quality Board will be voting on Final Rulemaking from the Department of Environmental Protection to implement a series of critical improvements to Pennsylvania’s oil and gas regulations.
This rulemaking, which has been in development for over four years, is in the final stages
of the approval process. But first it must be approved by the EQB.
The Department of Environmental Protection published notice in the January 30 PA Bulletin saying the next update to the Pennsylvania Climate Change Action Plan is now available for public review. Comments are due March 30.
The Public Utility Commission published notice in the January 30 PA Bulletin that 2015 Act 13 drilling impact fees will drop by $5,000 per horizontal well, except for wells 3 years old.
The Independent Fiscal Office released its economic outlook and state revenue forecast on Wednesday adding more bad news to the state’s budget situation. State revenues under the current structure will increase only 3.3 percent a year from FY 2015-16 to FY 2020-21, while expenditures will increase by 4.5 percent annually.
Oil and Gas Lease Fund revenues are expected to drop 38 percent in the current FY 2015-16 to $71 million from $115 million last fiscal year. Revenues will increase slowly in the coming years and not recover to $118 million until FY 2018-19 (page 73).
The PA Farm Bureau is urging farmers in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed to fill out a new survey that measures conservation practices implemented by farmers to improve water quality.
By Harry Campbell, Chesapeake Bay Foundation-PA
York County has again taken the initiative to address clean water issues. Based on support from residents, the county commissioners approved moving forward with a study of how to establish a stormwater authority.
The Open Space Institute is now accepting applications for Capital Grants from the Delaware River Watershed Protection Fund. Applications are due March 18.
Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful, its local affiliates and partners, held cleanup events in 2015 resulting in removing over 7.5 million pounds of trash, 1.9 million pounds of electronics waste, over 53,000 tires and involved over 590,500 volunteers.
Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful, the PA Waste Industries Association, and the Department of Environmental Protection are again sponsoring the 2016 Great American Cleanup of PA Video Contest. The deadline for entries is June 3.
The PA Organization for Watersheds and Rivers Friday announced it is now accepting applications for 2016 Pennsylvania River Sojourns Grants. Applications are due February 26.
The Williams Pipeline Company recently donated $2,400 to the Game Commission to be used for camera-aided enforcement to protect bat caves from intrusions. The funds will go toward adding six new cameras in two new sites.
To read the Digest, visit: www.PaEnvironmentDigest.com. Click Here to print the entire Digest.
PA Environment Digest is edited by David E. Hess, former Secretary Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, and is published as a service of Crisci Associates.
PA Environment Digest was the winner of the PA Association of Environmental Educators' 2009 Business Partner of the Year Award.
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Questions?: Send email to David Hess at: DHess@CrisciAssociates.com
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