Citizens Advisory Council To Host Legislative Forum, Nuclear Power, Seismic Discussions

DEP’s Citizens Advisory Council meeting on April 18 will feature a Legislative Forum on priority issues of the House and Senate Environmental Committees with members or representatives of the four committee Chairs.

The environmental committee chairs invited include: Sen. Gene Yaw (R-Lycoming), Majority Chair; Sen. John Yudichak (D-Luzerne), Minority Chair; Rep. John Maher (R-Allegheny), Majority Chair; Rep. Mike Carroll (D-Luzerne), Minority Chair.

Also on the agenda is a presentation on the Lawrence County Seismic Event Report released by DEP in February that demonstrated a connection between a specific kind of fracking done by Hilcorp Energy Company and a series of low-magnitude earthquakes.

Seth Pelepko from DEP’s Office of Oil and Gas Management and Dr. Andrew Nyblade from the Penn State University Department of Geosciences will make the presentation.

The Council will also hear a presentation by Dr. Dean Murphy from The Brattle Group on the contribution nuclear power plants make to the state’s economy and to reducing climate changing emissions.

The presentation is based on a report issued in December commissioned by the PA Chamber of Business and Industry, the Allegheny Conference on Community Development, the Chamber of Commerce for Greater Philadelphia and the PA Statewide Building Trades Council.

Acting DEP Secretary Patrick McDonnell will provide an update on agency activities.  In addition, DEP’s regular monthly report to Council is also available.  The report include year-to-date numbers on inspections, violations and enforcement actions taken in the Oil and Gas Program.

The meeting will be held in Room 105 of the Rachel Carson Building in Harrisburg starting at 10:00. Click Here to register to attend the meeting via WebEx.

For more information and available handouts, visit the DEP Citizens Advisory Council webpage or contact Katie Hetherington Cunfer, 717-705-2693 or send email to: khethering@pa.gov.