PA Environment Digest Blog: Tuesday PA Environmental NewsClips

Meetings TODAY:

9:30: Senate Transportation Committee: Senate Bill 742 (Ward-R-Westmoreland) exempting vehicles from emissions testing for 8 years after manufacturing; Senate Bill 743 (Ward-R-Westmoreland) replace annual emission inspections with inspections every 2 years for vehicles more than 8 years old; Senate Bill 744 (Langerholc- R-Bedford) exempt Blair, Cambria, Lackawanna, Luzerne, Lycoming, Mercer, and Westmoreland Counties from the vehicle emissions testing; Senate Bill 745 (Stefano-R-Fayette) replace the tailpipe test in Pittsburgh and the 2-speed idle test via a dynamometer/treadmill in the Philadelphia region with a gas cap test and a visual inspection for model year 1994-95 vehicles; Senate Bill 746 (Vogel-R-Beaver) extend the transition date for existing emissions inspection stations that are required by the Department of Transportation to obtain new emissions testing equipment by November 1, 2019 to July 1, 2021 Click Here for more on these bills. Note: 2nd trip through the Committee in as many weeks. Click Here to see if it is available live.

11:30: Senate Environmental Resources and Energy Committee: Senate Bill 763 (Bartolotta-R-Washington) amends the Bituminous Mine Subsidence and Land Conservation Act (Act 54) to make reporting on impacts of underground coal mining optional. Click Here for more; Senate Bill 694 (Yaw-R-Lycoming) amends the Oil and Gas Act to provide for a process and accounting mechanism to allow well bores to cross multiple units, provided the operator has the right to drill wells on the units via leases with all landowners/members of the units [not pooling] (sponsor summary); House Bill 1557 (Gabler-R-Clearfield) - amends the Coal Refuse Disposal Control Act to provide for the temporary cessation of coal refuse disposal site permits; and Senate Bill 256 (Dinniman-D-Chester) amends the Municipal Waste Planning, Recycling and Waste Reduction Act (Act 101), to expand the definition of “compost materials" to include spent mushroom substrate (sponsor summary). Click Here to check if the meeting will be available online. Click Here for more on the agenda.

Off The Floor: Senate Appropriations Committee: Senate Bill 619 (Yaw-R-Lycoming) makes fundamental changes to the definition of water pollution under the state Clean Streams Law to require an individual or company who causes pollution to surface or groundwater to determine if it should be reported to DEP and whether it is pollution in the first place Click Here for more; House Bill 1516 (Causer-R-Cameron) establishing an Agriculture Rapid Response Disaster Readiness Account, a bipartisan proposal included in Gov. Wolf’s PA Farm Bill proposal (House Fiscal Note and summary).

It’s Budget Season, Committee meetings can happen at any time with little or no notice.

House Moves State Budget Cutting Community Environmental Project Funding, Makes Unconstitutional Transfers From The Oil & Gas Fund [PaEN]

Thompson: Wolf Says Proposed State Budget Meets His Objectives

Caruso: House Advances Budget Without Minimum Wage Increase, Cash Assistance Program

PEC Opposes Bill Limiting Reporting On Environmental Impacts From Underground Coal Mining [PaEN]

Susquehanna River Basin Commission Enters Into $18,500 Settlement With Sunoco Mariner East II Pipeline [PaEN]

Applications Now Being Accepted For Clean Water Fund Grants In Lancaster County [PaEN]

Lacawac Sanctuary: Become A Pocono Lake Ecological Observatory Network Citizen Scientist In Wayne County [PaEN]
PUC Sets July 15 Hearings On Request For Rate Increase For Water, Wastewater Service Increase In Monroe, Northampton Counties

DCNR Good Natured Blog: Become A Citizen Scientist To Help Us Understand, Find Solutions For Climate Change [PaEN]

Sunday 47th Anniversary Of 1972 Agnes Flood

Investigation Of Philadelphia Refinery Fire To Include Potential Release Of Dangerous Chemical

Maykuth: Philly Refinery Fire Could Push Cash-Strapped Owner Closer To The Brink