Wednesday PA Environment & Energy NewsClips 6.22.22

Are You Telling Your Story?

Senate returns to session June 22, 23, 24, 27, 28, 29, 30 [Budget Time!]

     -- Committee Schedule

House returns to session June 22, [23, 24 - canceled] 27, 28, 29, 30  [Budget Time!]

     -- Committee Schedule

TODAY’s Calendar Of Events

 

TODAY 9:00: House Democratic Policy Committee hearing on combating inflation with the Stop Gasoline Price Fixing Act. Room 523 Irvis Building.  Click Here to watch online.

TODAY 10:00: House Environmental Resources and Energy Committee meets to consider House Bill 2367 (Mako-R-Northampton) would prohibit the construction of wind turbines that negatively affect military installations (sponsor summary).  Room 523 Irvis Building. Click Here to watch online.

 

TODAY Off The Floor: House Commerce Committee meets to consider Senate Bill 635 (Yudichak-I-Luzerne) which expands the C-PACE energy conservation, water reduction funding program tied to property taxes.  Room G-50 Irvis Building.  Click Here to watch online.  Read more here.

-- Governor's Adult, Youth Advisory Councils For Hunting, Fishing & Conservation Urge Lawmakers To Support Growing Greener III Environmental Funding  [PaEN]

-- Who’s Protecting Taxpayers?  House Republicans Pass Bill Exempting Conventional Oil & Gas Wells From Plugging Bonds Sticking Taxpayers With $5.1 Billion In Cleanup Liability [PaEN]

 

-- Independent Fiscal Office Projects Up To $24.3 Million Growth In Act 13 Drilling Impact Fee Revenue Collected In 2023; Lowest Ever Effective Tax Rate Of 0.6%  [PaEN]

-- PJM Capacity Auction Secures Electricity Supplies; Solar Increased 25%; More Carbon-Free Resources At Competitive Prices  [PaEN]

-- International Energy Agency: Record Global Clean Energy Spending Grows By 8% In 2022; Investments In Renewables, Energy Efficiency Still Far From Sufficient To Tackle Energy, Climate Crises

-- Pittsburgh Business Times: Southwestern Energy Plans $1 Billion Share Repurchase Giving Money Back To Investors [Part Of International Trend To Reward Investors First]

-- KDKA: Drilling Company Wants To Withdraw 1.5 Million Gallons Of Water Daily From Big Sewickley Creek In Beaver County

-- Pittsburgh Business Times: Allegheny County Executive Defends 2014 Natural Gas Drilling At County Park

-- Fox Business: Why Restarting Pennsylvania’s Oil Production Is Dr. Oz’s ‘Top Priority’ [Note: PA Oil Production Has Always Been Small, Is For Lubrication Products, Not Gasoline/Diesel, No Limits On Drilling In Allegheny National Forest; Shouldn’t He Know PA By Now?]

-- Pittsburgh Business Times: What Shale Gas Pros, Foes Are Saying About SEC’s Climate Disclosure Rule

-- Ohio River Valley Institute, A-Z Impacts Of Plastic July 7 Webinar Understanding the Impacts of the Hydrogen and Carbon Capture Hub Proposed for the Ohio River Valley. 7:00 p.m.

-- U.S. Govt. Accountability Office: Critical Mineral Shortages Could Disrupt Global Supply Chains  [PA Senate Tabled Resolution To Study Critical Mineral Industries Potential In PA ]

-- Scranton Times: Scott Twp. Supervisors Table Solar Farm Request

-- Pittsburgh Business Times: Montauk Renewables Joining Russell 3000

-- PUC Stresses Ways To Stay Cool, Ways To Save Energy During Summer Heat

-- DEP Took Action On 691 Permits, 97% Within Permit Decision Guarantee Deadlines: Conducted 1,257 Inspections; Responded To 3 Environmental Emergencies Last Week

-- Post-Gazette: Pittsburgh Council Approves Partnership To Hire Formerly Incarcerated People, Refurbish Old Electronic Devices

-- Warren Times: Warren County Hosting Household Hazardous Waste Collection Event July 14

-- Courier Times: Could Bucks, Montgomery Communities Be Model Towns For Others After New EPA PFAS Guidelines?

-- Centre Daily Times: Centre Region’s Wastewater Treatment Plan Facing Thousands In Repairs From Power Surges

 

-- PA Environmental Council Podcast: Trawling For Nurdles

 

-- Bay Journal: 50 Years Later: Killer Storm Hurricane Agnes Continues To Haunt Chesapeake Bay Watershed - By Jeremy Cox

 

-- Inquirer: Hurricane Agnes Was Record-Setting Rainstorm In PA, 50 Years Later, The Memories, Anxieties Persist

 

-- Altoona Mirror: Hurricane Agnes Battered Blair County 50 Years Ago

 

-- LancasterOnline: Tropical Storm Agnes Leaves Impact On Lancaster County 50 Years Later

 

-- U.S. Geological Survey: 50th Anniversary Of Hurricane Agnes

 

-- Inquirer Guest Essay: By Turning Fairmount Water Works Into A Party Space, Philly Exemplifies The Worst Of Park Privatization

 

-- Post-Gazette: Political Dance Between Pitt And Legislature On Funding Heads Down To The Wire - Environmental Law Clinic, Other Issues

 

-- York Daily Record - Brian Whipkey: Almost $90 Million Worth Of Lake Improvements Planned Across PA By Fish & Boat Commission

 

-- TribLive: Goats Being Used To Clear Brush, Noxious Plants At Firemen’s Memorial Park In Aspinwall

 

-- PennLive - Marcus Schneck: PA Maple Syrup Production Lags Again During Year That Set National Record

6th Oil/Natural Gas Spike: True Energy Independence Means Renewables

[There Is No Limit To What Oil/Natural Gas Industry Can Make You Pay]

-- MCall - Ford Turner: Diesel Fuel Outages, High Prices Could Direct Affect Farm Harvests; Lawmakers Discuss Options

-- TribLive - Mary Ann Thomas: Lower Burrell Service Station To Offer Gasoline For $2.38/Gallon For 2 Hours

-- Pittsburgh Business Times: Southwestern Energy Plans $1 Billion Share Repurchase Giving Money Back To Investors [Part Of International Trend To Reward Investors First]

-- University Of Pennsylvania Regulatory Review Guest Essay: Drilling Approvals Are Not The Reason For High Oil Prices

-- Reuters: Oil Slumps By Around $5 As Biden Calls For 3 Month Fuel Tax Holiday

-- AP: Biden To Call For 3-Month Suspension Of Federal Gasoline, Diesel Taxes

-- Reuters: Explainer: Why Is There A Worldwide Oil Refining Crunch?

-- Bloomberg: European Natural Gas Price Higher As Traders Weigh Supply Curbs, Weaker Demand

-- Financial Times: International Energy Agency Warns Europe To Prepare For Total Shutdown Of Russian Natural Gas Exports

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

-- AP: Nuclear Power Industry Hopes To Expand Output With New Reactors

-- The Guardian: Montreal To Host UN Convention On Biological Diversity In December

-- Financial Times: Push To Halt Biodiversity Loss With Legally Binding EU Targets

PA Politics - Everything Is Connected

-- Inquirer: Top PA Republicans Contacted Every Day By Ex-President’s Campaign During 2020 To Overturn Election Results

-- PennLive - Charles Thompson: PA Gets Another Starring Role In U.S. House Hearing Investigating The Assault On U.S. Capitol

-- WITF: How PA Played A Role In A Fake Elector Scheme During 2020 Election

-- LancasterOnline: U.S. House Committee Investigating Assault On U.S. Capitol To Explore Republican Cong. Scott Perry’s Role In Effort To Appoint New Attorney General 

-- Inquirer: PA Primary Election Set Voter Turnout Records, Here’s What Else The Data Show

-- PennLive: Did Endorsement By Ex-President Help Dr. Oz In PA Primary?

-- Inquirer: Meet The Conservative PA Billionaire And Rising Republican Mega-Donor Who’s Gaming The Tax System

-- PA Capital-Star: Pushing For A Gift Ban To Lawmakers, Activists Tear Down ‘Wall Of Corruption’ Outside PA Capitol

-- MCall: Ritter Concedes In Lehigh County Judicial Race, Ending Monthslong Battle From 2021 Election

-- TribLive/AP: PA Republican Lawmakers Block Assault-Style Gun Ban For Those Under 21

-- PennLive: Age Minimum Assault Gun Bill Gutted In Committee As PA Lawmakers Again Clash On Gun Laws

--NYT: Analysis Of Mass Shooting Events Shows ‘Direct, Indisputable, Empirical Evidence’ That ‘The Only Things That Stops A Bad Guy With The Gun Is A Good Guy With The Gun’ Is Wrong

-- Inquirer Guest Essay: Restorative Justice Programs Can Supplant Criminal Cases

-- Scranton Times Editorial: Loophole Acts As Revolving Door For Cops With Disciplinary Problems

-- PennLive: Senate Passes Bill To Ensure Dead People Don’t Receive Public Benefits

-- Gov. Wolf: New Regulations Provide Private Charter School Transparency, Accountability To Take Effect

-- PennLive: Group Calls On Lawmakers For More Funding To Address Child Care Worker Shortage

-- MCall: PA Nurses Aide Candidate Wait Months, Drive Hundreds Of Miles, Only To Learn Tests Canceled, Lawmakers Told

-- Post-Gazette: PA Senate Panel Moves PA Version Of ‘Don’t Say Gay’ Bill

-- PennLive Guest Essay: After 2 Decades, Record Inflation, Retired School Employees Need A COLA

-- Post-Gazette: Political Dance Between Pitt And Legislature On Funding Heads Down To The Wire - Environmental Law Clinic, Other Issues

-- PennLive: Republican Rep. Bernstine Wants Penn State To Report Location, Condition Of Joe Paterno  Statue In Exchange For State Funding  [He Also Encouraged His 5-Year Old Son To Smoke A Cigar On Video]

-- PennLive Guest Essay: We Can Solve Worker Shortage By Investing In State-Owned Universities

-- Inquirer: Takeaways From One Of The Largest Surveys Of Philly Renters

-- MCall - Paul Muschick: I Was Shocked To Learn How Many PA Mail Carriers Are Bitten By Dogs [Spoiler - 281 Times In 2021]

-- AP: U.S. Army - Disinterred Remains Do Not Match Native American Boy

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[Posted: June 22, 2022]  PA Environment Digest