Wednesday PA Environment & Energy NewsClips 3.2.22

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House returns to session [Budget Hearings]  March 21, 22, 23

     -- Committee Schedule

Senate returns to session [Budget Hearings] March 28, 29, 30

     -- Committee Schedule

TODAY’s Calendar Of Events

TODAY : Senate Appropriations Committee state budget hearings--

-- Now 10:15 - Department of Conservation & Natural Resources

-- 2:30 - Department of Environmental Protection. 

Hearing Room 1, North Office Building.  Click Here to watch live.

-- Budget Briefing: Senate, House Budget Hearings Should Talk About Once-In-A-Generation Investments In Cleaning Up The Environment; Oil & Gas Program At A Crossroads  [PaEN]

TODAY 10:00: House Appropriations Committee budget hearing: Department of Agriculture.  House Floor.  Click Here to watch live.

THURSDAY 10:00: Senate Appropriations Committee state budget hearings: 10:00 - Department of Agriculture. Hearing Room 1, North Office Building.  Click Here to watch live.

-- 12 Unconventional Shale Gas Drillers Issued DEP Notices Of Violation For Abandoning Wells Without Plugging Them At 35 Well Pads In 17 Counties  [PaEN]

-- Environmental Quality Board Meets March 15 To Consider Final Rule Reducing VOC/Methane Emissions From Oil & Gas Operations  [PaEN]

-- ScrantonT Editorial: State Lawmakers Should Embrace Market-Driven Change By Mandating Responsibly Sourced Natural Gas, Methane Leak Reduction

-- DCNR Budget Testimony: Critical Investments Needed To Reduce $1.4 Billion Backlog Of Infrastructure Repairs, To Expand Local Economies, Provide Recreation For All  [PaEN]

-- DCNR Blog: Conservation Funds Help Communities Provide Outdoor Places, Opportunities; Apply Now  [PaEN]

-- TribLive: Jacobs Creek Watershed Flood Control Projects To Be Unveiled

-- Pike Conservation District: Not Just A Hole In The Ground!  Visually Pleasing Stormwater Best Management Practices [PaEN]

-- Audubon Society Of Western PA Offering Discounted Pollinator Seed Mix For Agricultural Properties In PA  [PaEN]

-- WITF Smart Talk 9:30 a.m.: Green Jobs Could Grow In PA - 4,500 Openings Now

-- Inquirer - Andrew Maykuth: A Small Measure Of Relief Is Coming For Shell-Shocked Philly Area Natural Gas Customers

 

-- MCall: Utility Bills Have Risen, Will They Go A Lot Higher? That Depends Of Factors Still To Be Determined, Including the Crisis In Ukraine  [PPL- Your utility bill increased because the cost of natural gas, other energy supply sources increased]

 

-- Evangelical Environmental Network: It’s Well Past Time For PA To Transition To A Clean Energy Economy  [PaEN]

-- Harrisburg University Professors Team With Students To Develop Smart Disaster Prediction, Prevention System 

-- TribLive: Quaker Valley COG Selects Permanent Glass Recycling Spot In Sewickley

-- Western PA Conservancy Protects 105 Acres Of Forested Land To Safeguard Habitats, Expanding Hunting Opportunities In Bedford County  [PaEN]

-- PennLive: Worried About Spotted Lanternflies Coming This Spring?  PA Spells Out Ways To Prevent Them

-- Western PA Conservancy Studies Impacts Of Invasives In 12 Counties In Northwest PA

-- PennLive - Marcus Schneck: Salamanders, Frogs, Toads On The Move Across PA; How To Experience It Yourself

-- YorkDR - Brian Whipkey: Agencies Offer Guidance To Reduce Spread Of Bird Flu With Migrating Waterfowl

True Energy Independence Means More Renewables

 

-- U.S. EIA: U.S. Retail Electricity Prices Rose At Fastest Rate Since 2008, Driven By Natural Gas And Energy Commodities [Whose Price Is Determined By Foreign Energy Markets And Despots] 

 

-- NPR: U.S. Oil Companies Not Pumping More Oil Despite High Prices

 

-- AP: U.S., Other Nations Agree To Release 60 Million Barrels Of Oil From Strategic Reserves

 

-- Financial Times: Oil Soars To $110 As European Energy Groups Shun Russian Crude

 

-- Inquirer - Andrew Maykuth: A Small Measure Of Relief Is Coming For Shell-Shocked Philly Area Natural Gas Customers

 

-- MCall: Utility Bills Have Risen, Will They Go A Lot Higher? That Depends Of Factors Still To Be Determined, Including the Crisis In Ukraine  [PPL- Your utility bill increased because the cost of natural gas, other energy supply sources increased]

 

-- Evangelical Environmental Network: It’s Well Past Time For PA To Transition To A Clean Energy Economy  [PaEN]

-- PG Guest Essay: Creating A Mineral Supply Chain From Mining Wastes - Jennifer Wilcox, DOE [PA Highlighted - Why Don’t State Lawmakers Support This?]

 

-- WSJ: Why Do U.S. Oil Companies Buy Russian Oil?

 

-- City & State PA: PA Republicans Call For Pipeline Expansions Following Invasion Of Ukraine [And Lash Us Tighter To Energy Commodities Whose Price Is Determined By Foreign Energy Markets And Despots]

 

-- Republican Rep. Metcalfe Calls On Gov. Wolf To Ban On Russian Sourced Energy, Unleash PA’s Full Potential To Power Free World [Now He Decides It’s OK For A Governor To Act?]

 

-- Guest Essay: Are We Nuts?  American Energy Is Key To Undermining Putin’s War - Sen. Yaw (R-Lycoming) [That’s Not What Europe Is Thinking - They Want True Energy Independence.]

-- Newsweek: Chris Christie Slams Former Republican President For Calling Putin’s Decision To Invade Ukraine “Savvy” And “Genius”

 

American Rescue Plan Funding

 

-- $11 Billion In Federal American Rescue Plan Funding To PA State Government, Local Governments Has Yet To Be Invested.  What’s Your Community Doing?

 

Other States/National/International

-- Triblive: Republicans Push To Strip Safety Measures From West Virginia Mining Law [Watch for it in PA]

-- Exelon, Coalition Of Power Companies Argue Before U.S. Supreme Court In Favor Of Preserving EPA’s Authority To Regulate Power Plant Greenhouse Gas Emissions

-- Reuters: Insurer AIG  Steps Back From Coal, Arctic Energy Investment, Underwriting

PA Politics - Everything Is Connected

-- AP: PA Supreme Court Issues Order Keeping Mail-In Voting Law In Place For May Primary

-- Inquirer: Redistricting Put PA Supreme Court In Political Spotlight, Where It Doesn’t Want To Be

-- WESA: Republican Candidate For Governor Sen. Corman Gets Boost From Kellyanne Conway During Pittsburgh Visit [Corman worked to overturn Nov. 2020 election results]

-- Newsweek: Chris Christie Slams Former Republican President For Calling Putin’s Decision To Invade Ukraine “Savvy” And “Genius”

-- Inquirer: U.S. Senate Candidate Conor Lamb’s (D) Challenge: Build His Name, Take Down Fetterman, Do It All With Less Money

-- WHYY: Facing Inaction From The State On Election Changes, Philly Politicians Are Trying New Ways To Avoid Election Drama

-- Dept. Of Revenue Reports February State Revenues Exceeded Estimates By $155.7 Million; Year-To-Date Up $2 Billion

-- Independent Fiscal Office Reports February State Revenues Exceeded Estimates By $256.7 Million; Year-To-Date Up $2.46 Billion

-- PennLive - Jan Murphy: PA State Treasurer Divesting $2.9 Million Of State Investments From Russian Companies

-- MCall/AP: PA School Pension Fund Has About $300 Million Invested In Russia, Belarus

-- MCall: Under New CDC Guidance, Masks No Longer Recommended In All But These 15 PA Counties

-- Gov. Wolf: State Expands Access To Health Insurance Thru State Health Insurance Exchange

-- Inquirer: Legalizing Weed In PA Faces Complicated Demands

-- PA Commission For Community Colleges: Community Colleges Educate For In-Demand, Local Careers In High Priority Occupations

-- PG: Third State-Owned University Returns To Flat-Rate Tuition For Full-Time Students

-- PA Cap-Star: Pittsburgh Advocates Call On Scaife-Linked Foundation To Stop Funding Anti-Immigrant Groups

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[Posted: March 2, 2022]  PA Environment Digest