Senate Environmental Committee Reports Out Diesel Mining Equipment Bill, Postpones Resolution On Restart Of Keystone XL Pipeline

On January 18, the Senate Environmental Resources and Energy Committee reported out Senate Bill 115 (Stefano-R-Fayette) adopting federal requirements for replacement of oil and oil filters on diesel-powered underground coal mining equipment [Senate Bill 1255 from last session passed unanimously by the Senate].

The Committee postponed action on Senate Resolution 9 (Langerholc-R-Cambria) urging President Biden to restart construction of Keystone XL Pipeline. 

[Note: TC Energy abandoned its plans for the Keystone XL Pipeline for good in June 2021 to carry Canadian oil to Steele City, Kansas.  The existing Keystone Pipeline system is still functioning delivering Canadian oil to Oklahoma, Houston and Illinois.]

Senate Bill 115 now goes to the full Senate for action.

Committee Members

The members of the Senate Environmental Committee for the new session include--

-- Republicans: Gene Yaw (R-Lycoming), Majority Chair; Scott Hutchinson (R-Venango), Vice Chair; Ryan Aument (R-Lancaster); Chris Gebhard (R-Berks); Scott Martin (R-Lancaster); Elder Vogel (R-Beaver)

-- Democrats: Carolyn Comitta (D-Chester), Minority Chair; Amanda Cappelletti (D-Delaware); Katie Muth (D-Chester); Nikil Saval (D-Philadelphia)

Sen. Gene Yaw (R-Lycoming) serves as Majority Chair of the Senate Environmental Committee and can be contacted by calling 717-787-3280 or sending email to: gyaw@pasen.gov.   Sen. Carolyn Comitta (D-Chester) serves as Minority Chair and can be contacted by calling 717-787-5709 or sending email to: senatorcomitta@pasenate.com.

NewsClips:

-- Bloomberg: Oil Outages In Canada Disrupt Flows: Keystone Pipeline Suffers Power Outages From Ice Accumulation

-- SDPB: Republicans Want Keystone XL Pipeline But Company Says The Project ‘Will Not Proceed’  [Ends Permits, Pulls Infrastructure Out Of The Ground]  [3.10.22]

-- NYT: Keystone Pipeline Leaks 383,000 Gallons Of Crude Oil In North Dakota [1.18.21]

-- NPR: Keystone Pipeline Shuts Down After Nearly 600,000 Gallons Of Oil Spilled Into A Waterway In Kansas [12.17.22]

-- CBSNews: Keystone Pipeline Had Nearly 2 Dozen Accidents Since Going Into Service In 2010  [12.12.22]

PA Oil & Gas Industry Compliance Reports:

-- PA Oil & Gas Industry Has Record Year: Cost, Criminal Convictions Up; $3.1 Million In Penalties Collected; Record Number Of Violations Issued; Major Compliance Issues Uncovered; Evidence Of Health Impacts Mounts

-- DEP Report Finds: Conventional Oil & Gas Drillers Routinely Abandon Wells; Fail To Report How Millions Of Gallons Of Waste Is Disposed; And Non-Compliance Is An ‘Acceptable Norm’

Related Articles This Week:

-- What Can We Expect From Gov. Shapiro, Lt. Gov. Davis On Environmental, Energy Issues?  [PaEN]

-- Sen. Yaw Looks For Common Ground With New Governor On Energy, Environmental Issues  [PaEN]

-- Feature: 60 Years Of Fracking, 20 Years Of Shale Gas: Pennsylvania’s Oil & Gas Infrastructure Is Hiding In Plain Sight  [PaEN]

-- DEP 2021 Oil & Gas Program Annual Report Shows Conventional Oil & Gas Operators Received A Record 610 Notices Of Violation For Abandoning Wells Without Plugging Them  [PaEN] 

-- Better Path Coalition Hosts Jan. 26 Virtual Brown Bag Briefing On Environmental Impacts From Development Of Unconventional Shale Gas & Oil Reserves  [PaEN]

-- York Daily Record Guest Essay: Low Blow By PA Lawmakers - Playing Politics With Kids Abused By Clergy, Harmed By Polluters - By Mitchell Hescox, Evangelical Environmental Network  [PaEN]

[Posted: January 18, 2023]  PA Environment Digest