4,258 Stories In 2023 - Environmental & Conservation Leadership, Significant Events In PA

The PA Environment Digest included 4,258 new stories in 2023 about individuals, groups, local governments, farmers, businesses, watershed groups and many more working all across Pennsylvania to restore and protect the environment and show others the beauty that surrounds us.

              Thank you for your leadership!

This weekly listing also includes some individual stories about significant environmental and energy events during 2023 you may have forgotten.

-- January ----------

-- 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’ [PaEN]

-- 25 New Stories - REAL Environmental & Conservation Leadership In PA

-- Western PA Conservancy: Celebrating 90 Years of Conservation [Video]

-- StateImpactPA - Reid Frazier: Groups, Residents Want EPA To Protect Pittsburgh Region From ‘Unacceptably High’ Levels Of Benzene Pollution From U.S. Steel

-- 37 New Stories - REAL Environmental & Conservation Leadership In PA 

-- Gov.-Elect Shapiro To Nominate Rich Negrin For DEP, Retain Cindy Dunn At DCNR and Russell Redding At Agriculture  [PaEN]

-- Flinchbaugh’s Orchard & Farm In York County Winner Of 2022 Leopold Conservation Award [PaEN]

-- Keep PA Beautiful Announces Recipients Of 2022 Volunteer & Community Partner Awards  [PaEN]

-- Environmental Quality Board Publishes Final Reg. Setting PFOA/PFOS Drinking Water Standard And The First MCL Developed By DEP  [PaEN] 

-- 68 New Stories - REAL Environmental & Conservation Leadership In PA 

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

-- 48 New Stories - REAL Environmental & Conservation Leadership In PA

-- DCNR: Susquehanna River North Branch Named 2023 Pennsylvania River Of The Year  [PaEN]

-- DEP Releases Final 2022 Pennsylvania State Water Plan, Digital Atlas Of Water Resources And Use  [PaEN]

-- 77 New Stories - REAL Environmental & Conservation Leadership In PA 

-- February ----------

-- DCNR: Mount Jewett To Kinzua Bridge Trail, McKean County Selected As PA’s 2023 Trail Of The Year  [PaEN]\

-- Master Watershed Steward Program Statewide Accomplishments In 2022  [PaEN]

-- 46 New Stories - REAL Environmental & Conservation Leadership In PA

-- WeConservePA To Recognize Karen Martynick & David Shields With Lifetime Conservation Leadership Awards  [PaEN]

-- 55 New Stories - REAL Environmental & Conservation Leadership In PA

-- Gov. Shapiro Lays Out Serious Concerns Regarding Norfolk Southern’s Incident Management After Meeting With Beaver County Officials  [PaEN]

-- Gov. Shapiro Announces Pennsylvania Will Conduct Independent Water Sampling Following Ohio/PA Train Derailment  [PaEN]

-- StateImpactPA - Reid Frazier: Shell Flares Burn Again After Equipment Malfunction At Petrochemical Plant In Beaver County [Gas Flares Burning Dirty Black Like On Monday Indicate Incomplete Combustion]

-- DEP Issued 754 Notices Of Violation For Defective Oil & Gas Well Casing, Cementing, The Fundamental Protection Needed To Prevent Gas Migration, Groundwater & Air Contamination, Explosions  [PaEN]

-- 50 New Stories - REAL Environmental & Conservation Leadership In PA

-- In Memoriam: Walter N. Heine, PA Deputy For Mines, First Director Of Federal Office Of Surface Mining  [PaEN] 

-- Conventional Oil & Gas Well Owners Haven’t Filed Annual Production/Waste Generation Reports For 61,655 Wells; Attorney General Continues Investigation Of Road Dumping Wastewater  [PaEN]

-- 48 New Stories - REAL Environmental & Conservation Leadership In PA

-- March ----------

-- Senate Hearing On Electric Grid Reliability: Natural Gas Continues To Have Reliability Problems; Renewables Aren’t Coming Online Fast Enough; Energy Office To Be Proposed  [PaEN]

-- The Allegheny Front: PA Supreme Court Decision Says Groups That Win Appeals Of Environmental Permits Can Recoup Legal Fees From Companies

-- PA Assn. Of Conservation Districts: Highlights Of County Conservation District Activities In 2022 

-- 49 New Stories - REAL Environmental & Conservation Leadership In PA

-- Gov. Shapiro’s Budget Proposes Major Initiative To Speed Up DEP Permit Reviews/ Inspections; Double Oil & Gas Fund Investment In State Parks/Forests Infrastructure  [PaEN]

-- DCNR Blog: Gov. Shapiro’s Budget Supports Outdoor Recreation Economy, Park And Forest Infrastructure 

-- Pennsylvania State Actions Responding To Ohio/PA Train Derailment - Week Of March 6 [PaEN]

-- 75 New Stories - REAL Environmental & Conservation Leadership In PA

-- Pennsylvania's Clean Energy Economy Grew To Over 92,700 Jobs Since COVID Economic Crisis  [PaEN]

-- Commonwealth Court Rules PUC Is ‘Obligated’ To Conduct An Environmental Review Of Projects By The Environmental Rights Amendment In Case Involving A PECO Natural Gas Pumping Station In Delaware County  [PaEN]

-- DEP To Submit Letter Of Intent To EPA As Early As This Week For Primacy To Regulate Underground Injection Wells  [PaEN]

-- 74 New Stories - REAL Environmental & Conservation Leadership In PA

-- DEP Offers 10 Point Plan To Improve Permit Reviews; Climate/Energy Work Group Co-Chairs Announced; Work Group Formed To Prevent New Oil & Gas Well Abandonments  [PaEN]

-- House Budget Hearing: Acting DEP Secretary Outlines His Views On Environmental Justice, Announces Fernando Treviño As Special Deputy For Environmental Justice  [PaEN]

-- DEP Acting Secretary Negrin Wants To Encourage A Culture Of Being User-Friendly At DEP And Used The Train Derailment Response As An Example  [PaEN]

-- DEP Acting Secretary Negrin: All Climate Change Is Local - We Are Guardians Of Our Neighborhoods, We Are To Act In Service To Our Neighbors  [PaEN]

-- DEP Budget Testimony: Increasing Permitting Efficiency, Cleaning Up Legacy Pollution, Investing In Communities, Holding Companies Accountable  [PaEN]

-- 62 New Stories - REAL Environmental & Conservation Leadership In PA 

-- April ----------

-- Bipartisan House, Senate Members Introduce Legislation Establishing Real Community Solar Program To Help Address Home/Business Energy Spikes Caused By Volatile Natural Gas Prices  [PaEN]

-- PJM This Week Sends Penalty Assessments Of Up To $2 Billion To Electric Generators That Failed To Perform During December’s Winter Storm Elliot; Natural Gas Power Plants Had 63% Of Outages  [PaEN]

-- 66 New Stories - REAL Environmental & Conservation Leadership In PA 

-- House Bill Would Expand Safety Zones Around Oil/Gas Wells, Infrastructure To Reduce Adverse Health, Environmental Impacts As Recommended By AG Shapiro’s Grand Jury Report  [PaEN]

-- Moms Clean Air Force: Strong Proposed EPA Petrochemical Plant Rules Are One Step Closer To Reality; Shell Petrochemical Plant Covered By Separate Proposed Rule  [PaEN]

-- 88 New Stories - REAL Environmental & Conservation Leadership In PA

-- Inside Climate News: Gov. Shapiro Provides Fresh Support To Key Changes Recommended In 2020 Grand Jury Report To Tighten Regulation Of The Natural Gas Drilling Industry To Better Protect Public Health, Environment  [PaEN] 

-- Natural Gas Pipeline Pigging Facility Malfunction Dec. 27 Released 1.1 Million Cubic Feet Of Natural Gas; Same Facility Plagued Community With Blowdowns 3 Times A Day, 7 Days A Week For Nearly 10 Years Until Criminal Charges Brought Against CNX [PaEN] 

-- 68 New Stories - REAL Environmental & Conservation Leadership In PA 

-- New State Health Plan Identifies Health Issues Related To Natural Resource Extraction, Climate Change In Top 5 Threats To Health Outcomes; No Update On University Of Pittsburgh Oil & Gas Health Impacts Study  [PaEN]

-- PA Supreme Court Upholds DEP’s Authority To Protect Public Resources, Playgrounds From Adverse Impacts Of Shale Gas Well Operations; Do Not Mistake This Win For Adequate Protection  [PaEN]

-- Lehigh Valley’s Wildlands Conservancy Celebrates Earth Day, And 50th Anniversary

-- 105 New Stories - REAL Environmental & Conservation Leadership In PA 

-- DEP, DCNR, Guests Honored Franklin Kury, Author Of PA Environmental Rights Amendment, With Dedication In Rachel Carson Building  [PaEN]

-- House Hearing: Let’s Work Together To Make Conventional Oil & Gas Industry Practices Cleaner, Respect Property Rights, Protect Taxpayers And Prevent New Abandoned Wells  [PaEN]

-- 92 New Stories - REAL Environmental & Conservation Leadership In PA

-- May ----------

-- 21 Projects Honored With The 2023 Governor's Award For Environmental Excellence  [PaEN]

-- Citizen Complaint, Company Report Results In DEP Inspection Finding 63,000 Gallon Wastewater Spill At Seneca Resources Shale Gas Well On State Game Lands In Elk County; More Leaks, Spills   [PaEN] 

-- Bay Journal - Karl Blankenship: Chesapeake Bay Cleanup Faces Difficult Trade-Offs With Agriculture - Why The Region Isn’t Meeting Its 2025 Cleanup Goal

-- York Daily Record - Brian Whipkey: 500 Voices Helping Set Agenda For PA’s Outdoor Recreation Industry

-- 88 New Stories - REAL Environmental & Conservation Leadership In PA

-- Moms Clean Air Force Blog: Happy Mother’s Day To My Growing, Badass Climate Community - By Alexandra Zissu

-- Keep PA Beautiful: Young Ambassadors Of Pennsylvania Program Graduates Inaugural Class Of 2023; Sign Ups For New Class Start Aug. 1  [PaEN] 

-- DEP: Widespread Presence Of PFAS ‘Forever Chemicals’ In Fresh Water May Have Led To ‘Inadvertently’ Using Contaminated Water For Fracking Gas Wells In Washington County   [PaEN]

-- TribLive: Class Action Lawsuit Alleges 123,000 Mon Valley Residents Due Compensation For Nuisance Caused By 2018 U.S. Steel Clairton Coke (Coal) Works Fire

-- 82 New Stories - REAL Environmental & Conservation Leadership In PA

-- PennLive: PennLive Outdoors Reporter Marcus Schneck Honored With Posthumous Award From PA Parks & Forest Foundation 

-- Olympus Energy Shale Gas Driller Expresses Fear Municipalities Will Use Their DEP Compliance Record With Hundreds Of Violations To Help Make Local Land Use Decisions On Oil & Gas Infrastructure Projects  [PaEN]

-- Winners Of 14th Annual PA Parks & Forests Foundation Awards

-- 51 New Stories - REAL Environmental & Conservation Leadership In PA 

-- Warren Times Editorial: Keeping A Natural Lifeline Pure With Environmental Rights Amendment - Environmental Quality A Right Not A Luxury [The Heart Of The Conventional Oil & Gas Drilling Industry]  [PaEN]

-- Observer-Reporter Editorial: Court Drills Down On Environment - Environmental Quality A Right Not A Luxury [The Heart Of The Unconventional Shale Gas Drilling Industry]  [PaEN]

-- Democrats On House Environmental Committee Report Out Bill To Help Prevent The Routine Abandonment Of 561 Conventional Oil/Gas Wells A Year  [PaEN]

-- DEP Signs Consent Order Including $10 Million In Penalties, Local Payments With Shell Petrochemical Plant In Beaver County To Resolve Air Quality Violations; Plant To Restart May 24  [PaEN]

-- 99 New Stories - REAL Environmental & Conservation Leadership In PA

-- June ----------

-- PA U.S. Senators Casey, Fetterman Request Full Environmental Impact Statement On Maryland Air National Guard Very Low Level Military Training Flights [100 Feet] Over PA Wilds  [PaEN]

-- PA Capital-Star: Lawmakers Are Clawing Back State’s Power To Prevent The Abandonment Of Conventional Oil/Gas Wells

-- DEP Moves To Enforce Order To Plug 4 Abandoned Conventional Gas Wells Leaking Methane In Allegheny County Owned By Michael Harju & Economy Natural Gas, Inc.  [PaEN]

-- 106 New Stories - REAL Environmental & Conservation Leadership In PA 

-- House Committee Reports Out Bill Requiring The Evaluation Of Cumulative Impacts Of Some New Pollution Sources On Communities Already Burdened By Pollution; And Other Bills  [PaEN]

-- Wilkes-Barre Times Editorial: Wildfire Smoke A Reminder Of Our Shared Vulnerability  [PaEN]

-- Federal Court Declines To Prohibit PA Environmental Hearing Board From Hearing Appeals Of DEP Permits Issued For Regional Energy Access Expansion Natural Gas Pipeline Project  [PaEN]

-- 100 New Stories - REAL Environmental & Conservation Leadership In PA 

-- House Passes Bipartisan Legislation To Strengthen Rail Safety After Norfolk Southern Train Derailment   [PaEN]

-- Robinson Twp., Washington County Seeks Answers To Cleanup Of MarkWest Liberty Midstream 10,000 Gallon Spill Of Natural Gas Condensates After Company Sends Notice To Wrong Municipality  [PaEN]

-- PUC Vice Chairman: During Winter Storm Elliot We Learned Natural Gas Can Be An Intermittent Generator Of Electricity Just Like Renewables  [PaEN] 

-- 67 New Stories - REAL Environmental & Conservation Leadership In PA

-- 3 Days That Shook Washington County: Natural Gas Plant Explosion; Pipeline Leak Of 1.1 Million Cubic Feet Of Gas; 10,000 Gallon Spill At Compressor Station  [PaEN]

-- 88 New Stories - REAL Environmental & Conservation Leadership In PA 

-- July ----------

-- Senate Overwhelmingly Confirms Richard Negrin As Secretary Of DEP  [PaEN]

-- House Environmental Committee Hears Progress Report On Cleaning Up PA’s Portion Of Chesapeake Bay Watershed  [PaEN]

--  95 New Stories - REAL Environmental & Conservation Leadership In PA

-- Chesapeake Bay Watershed Agreement At 40: Perspectives On Pennsylvania From Former DEP Secretary, EPA Region 3 Administrator Jim Seif - By Jill Whitcomb, Director Of DEP's Bureau Of Watershed Restoration

-- Community Demands Accountability From EQT Natural Gas On 1-Year Anniversary Of Greene County Frack-Out Incident; Families Still Without Clean Water; No DEP Investigation Results  [PaEN] 

-- KDKA Investigations: Washington County Family Says Energy Transfer/MarkWest Natural Gas Processing Plants Turned Peaceful Farm Into Nightmare  - Part I & II  [PaEN]

-- KDKA Investigations: Environmental Group Says DEP Is Stonewalling It Amid Search For Answers About Energy Transfer Natural Gas Plant Explosion Christmas Day In Washington County - Part II 

--  DEP Rejects MarkWest Act 2 Cleanup Notification For 10,000 Gallon Natural Gas Condensate Spill At Compressor Station In Robinson Twp., Washington County; Notice Is Re-sent   [PaEN]

-- 75 New Stories - REAL Environmental & Conservation Leadership In PA

-- DEP Secretary Negrin To Citizen Activists: ‘We Don’t Represent Chevron, We Don’t Represent Shell And I’ve Made That Absolutely Clear-- We’re Holding Those Leaders Accountable’  [PaEN] 

-- Marcellus Drilling News: Do Oil & Gas Drillers Owe Taxpayers Royalties For Oil & Gas Under Roads, Streets, Bridges And Other Taxpayer-Owned Land?  [PaEN]

-- EQB No Longer Has Statutory Authority To Change Conventional Oil & Gas Well Bonding Amounts To Help Prevent 400 to 600 New Well Abandonments A Year; Adopts Proposed Changes To Water Quality Standards For Comment  [PaEN] 

-- Chesapeake Bay Foundation Asks PA Supreme Court To Reverse A Commonwealth Court Decision Saying West Chester Stormwater Fee Is A Tax  [PaEN]

-- 97 New Stories - REAL Environmental & Conservation Leadership In PA

-- Marcellus Drilling News/The Allegheny Front: University Of Pittsburgh Study Finds At Least 800,000 Tons Of Oil & Gas Waste Sent To Landfills Unaccounted For In One Year; Oil & Gas Waste Adds To Radiation Accumulation In Stream Sediments  [PaEN]

-- PJM Interconnection Reports Higher Percentage Of Natural Gas-Fired Electric Generation Outages Than Originally Thought During Winter Storm Elliott - 70%  [PaEN]

-- 111 New Stories - REAL Environmental & Conservation Leadership In PA

-- Pennsylvania Environmental Council President Davitt Woodwell To Retire  [PaEN]

-- Chesapeake Bay Journal - Ad Crable: PA Legislators Order Wildlife Corridor Study 

-- 87 New Stories - REAL Environmental & Conservation Leadership In PA

-- August ----------

-- Pennsylvania Envirothon Team Places 2nd In International NCF- Envirothon Competition!  [PaEN] 

-- New Penn State Study: Brine Water Pumped From Played-Out Conventional Oil & Gas Wells And Used As Dust Suppressants, Winter Road Treatments Exceed Environmental, Health Standards, Just Like Conventional Oil & Gas Brine Water  [PaEN]

-- Guest Essay: Take A Deep Breath! Now Think What You Just Inhaled. If You Live Along A Dirt Road You Could Be Inhaling Oil & Gas Wastewater - By Siri Lawson, Warren County   [PaEN]

-- DEP Investigates Conventional Oil Well Wastewater Leak As Possible Source Of Village Of Reno Water Supply Contamination In Venango County; Customers Under Do Not Consume Advisory For 2 Weeks+  [PaEN] 

-- NYU Grossman School of Medicine: Closure Of Pittsburgh's Shenango Coke [Coal] Works Tied To Local Health Gains  [PaEN]

--  97 New Stories - REAL Environmental & Conservation Leadership In PA

-- Mayor Of Sugarcreek Asks For Donations To Refill Village Of Reno Water Tank After Contamination In Venango County; Emergency Water Distribution Resumes; Contamination From Conventional Oil Wastewater Tanks Suspected  [PaEN]

-- EPA: G2 STEM LLC Withdraws Application For Oil/Gas Wastewater Underground Injection Well Permit In Fayette County  [PaEN] 

-- 86 New Stories - REAL Environmental & Conservation Leadership In PA 

-- University Of Pittsburgh School Of Public Health Studies Find Shale Gas Wells Can Make Asthma Worse; Children Have An Increased Chance Of Developing Lymphoma Cancer; Slightly Lower Birth Weights [PaEN]

-- State Dept. Of Health Apologizes For Not Listening To Communities Suffering Health Impacts From Shale Gas Development; New Health Study Results ‘Just The Tip Of The Iceberg’  [PaEN]

-- Post-Gazette Editorial: Who Pays For Natural Gas Development’s Harm? Pennsylvania Should Acknowledge The Clear Fact That Fracking Has Hurt People, Specifically Children  [PaEN]

-- The Derrick: DEP Issues Order To Petro Erie, Inc. To Restore Village Of Reno Water System, Cleanup Contamination Caused By Its Conventional Well Wastewater Release; 1 Month Without Clean Water   [PaEN]

-- DEP Investigating Other Possible Sources Of Methane As Part Of Response To Plum Borough Home Explosion, Including Nearby Conventional, Shale Gas Wells  [PaEN]

 

-- 56 New Stories - REAL Environmental & Conservation Leadership In PA

-- Republican Herald Editorial: Health Depends On Regulation Of Oil & Gas Development  [PaEN]

-- TribLive Editorial: Studies Of Natural Gas Development Point To Health Costs

-- Republican Rep. Krupa To Introduce Bill To Ban Oil, Gas Wastewater Injection Wells To Protect The Public From Radioactive, Toxic Materials  [PaEN]

-- Lawsuit Filed Against General Assembly, Governor Challenges Constitutionality Of Law Preventing DEP From Protecting Public Health, Environment From Harm Caused By Abandoning Conventional Oil & Gas Wells  [PaEN] 

-- Shapiro Administration Secures Methane Detectors For Neighborhood In Plum Boro, Allegheny County Where Home Exploded  [PaEN]

-- 150+ Residents Of Chester Opposed To An LNG Natural Gas Export Facility Proposed In Their Community Let Their Feelings Be Known To The House Philadelphia LNG Export Task Force  [PaEN] 

-- Equitrans Determined Leak Of Over 1.1 Billion Cubic Feet Of Natural Gas From Cambria County Storage Facility Was Caused By Corrosion In Conventional Gas Well Casing  [PaEN] 

-- PA Capital-Star: EPA, The Hershey Company Commit $2 Million For PA Dairy Farm Conservation

-- How Penn State Extension Launched One Of The Most Successful Volunteer Training Programs In The US To Help Revive Struggling Local Watershed Groups - By Diane Huskinson, Stroud Water Resource Center  [PaEN]

-- 110 New Stories - REAL Environmental & Conservation Leadership In PA

-- September ----------

-- DEP Expands Environmental Justice Protections With Updated Policy, Improved Mapping Tool; Enhanced Permit Reviews Start Sept. 16  [PaEN]

-- Do Not Consume Water Advisory Lifted In Village Of Reno; Petro Erie, Inc. Barely Begins Cleanup Of Conventional Oil Wastewater Spill Site That Contaminated The Water Supply In Venango County  [PaEN] 

-- DEP Responds To Emergency Notification Of Uncontrolled Venting Of Natural Gas For Over 10.5 Hours From A Repsol Oil Shale Gas Well; Temporary Evacuation Order Issued In Bradford County  [PaEN]

-- 120 New Stories - REAL Environmental & Conservation Leadership In PA

-- DEP: Preliminary Test Results Not Indicative Of Stray Gas Migration Cause Of Plum Boro Home Explosion In Rustic Ridge Allegheny County  [PaEN] 

-- Legal Victory Puts Hellbender Back On Track For Federal Endangered Species Protection - By Waterkeeper Alliance   [PaEN] 

-- 90 New Stories - REAL Environmental & Conservation Leadership In PA

-- Pennsylvania Environmental Council Celebrates 200th Podcast Recognizing Another Milestone: Issue #1,000 Of PA Environment Digest  [PaEN]

-- Oil & Gas Industry Spills, Releases Created Over 575 New Brownfield Sites So Far In Pennsylvania, With More Every Week  [PaEN]

-- Environmental Health Project Finds Results ‘Very Concerning’ From University Of Pittsburgh Studies Showing Links Between Natural Gas Development And Lymphoma Cancer, Worsening Asthma Conditions, Lower Birth Weights  [PaEN]

-- Petro Erie, Inc. Says It Lacks The Financial Ability To Comply With DEP’s Order To Clean Up Conventional Oil Well Wastewater That Contaminated The Village Of Reno’s Water Supply In Venango County; Will Taxpayers Be Stuck With Cleanup Costs Again?  [PaEN] 

-- Shapiro Administration Secures $100 Million From Monsanto Related To PCB Contamination That Damaged PA Waterways  [PaEN] 

-- 121 New Stories - REAL Environmental & Conservation Leadership In PA

-- Senators Santarsiero, Comitta To Introduce Bill Increasing Setback Safety Zones From Shale Natural Gas Drilling Sites From 500 To 2,500 Feet, Based On Latest Science  [PaEN]

-- DEP: Widespread Presence Of PFAS ‘Forever Chemicals’ In Fresh Water Leading Shale Gas Operators To Use Contaminated Water In Fracking Operations; DEP Doesn’t Require Routine PFAS Testing  [PaEN]

-- DEP To Increase Monitoring, Develop Surface Water Standard For PFAS 'Forever Chemicals' After Study Shows 76% Of Streams, Rivers Contained At Least One Of These Chemicals  [PaEN]

-- DEP Starts Air Monitoring Study Near Rausch Creek Coal Waste-fired Electric Generation Facility, Schuylkill County In Response To Citizen Concerns In An EJ Area  [PaEN]

-- 92 New Stories - REAL Environmental & Conservation Leadership In PA

-- October ----------

-- Gov. Shapiro’s Work Group Concludes A Cap-And-Invest Carbon Pollution Regulation Program Would Be Optimal Approach To Reducing Greenhouse Emissions From Power Plants; Scale Up Solar Energy  [PaEN]

-- Pennsylvania Receives Federal Appalachian States Abandoned Mine Land Reclamation Award For Clearfield County Mine Reclamation, Trail Enhancement Project  [PaEN]

-- PJM Interconnection Board Proposes Market Reforms Based Largely On Unreliability Of Natural Gas-Fired Power Plants During Winter Storm Elliot  [PaEN] 

-- 119 New Stories - REAL Environmental & Conservation Leadership In PA

-- House Unanimously Passes Bill Against Lawsuits Aimed At Silencing Citizen Critics And Dampening Public Participation  [PaEN]

-- Dickinson College Environmental & Indigenous Rights Honoree Tara Houska: Don’t Disconnect Yourself From The Reality Of Nature; Endless Expansion Of Pipelines Have No Place In Reality; Find Powerful Moments Of Joy  [PaEN] 

-- House Committee Hears Benefits Of Forested Stream Buffers-- Increasing Property Values, Water Quality Improvements, Reduced Impacts From Flooding; Builders, Republican Chair Worried About A ‘Taking’ Of Property  [PaEN]

-- Repsol Gas USA Issued Violation For Denying DEP Right To Document Damaged Shale Gas Well Casing During Investigation Of Uncontrolled Gas Venting In Bradford County  [PaEN]

-- Environmental Hearing Board Will Hear Key Arguments On Appeal By A Washington County Family Alleging Shale Gas Drilling Contaminated Their Water Supply With PFAS And Other Chemicals  [PaEN]

-- 104 New Stories - REAL Environmental & Conservation Leadership In PA

-- Vice Chair Of DEP Citizens Advisory Council Asks DEP To Report On University Of Pittsburgh Study That Found At Least 800,000 Tons Of Oil & Gas Production Waste Sent To Landfills Was Unaccounted For In One Year  [PaEN]

-- DEP Reports Shale Gas Operations Sent Over 138,000 Cubic Feet Of Radioactive TENORM Waste To Low-Level Radioactive Waste Facilities For Disposal In 2022 - Over  911,000 Cubic Feet Since 2017  [PaEN]

-- 126 New Stories - REAL Environmental & Conservation Leadership In PA

-- Gov. Shapiro: We Need Stronger Laws To Deal With The ‘Corporate Greed’ That Let Oil & Gas Operators Get Away With Abandoning Wells For Far Too Long [PaEN]

-- Gov. Shapiro Marks Plugging 100th Conventional Oil & Gas Well In 10 Months; New Initiative Allows Texting Abandoned Well Photos/Locations To Governor That Need Plugging  [PaEN]

-- Senate Committee Briefing Finds No Definition Or Standard For ‘Responsibly Sourced’ Natural Gas; PA Producers Already Below One RS Threshold  [PaEN]

-- PA Resources Council, Partners Expand Traveling Glass Recycling Bin Program To Pilot In Delaware County - Oct. 21-26 [PaEN]

-- Sen. Mastriano To Introduce Bill To Establish A Process To Formally Recognize The Lenape Nation In Pennsylvania  [PaEN]

-- 78 New Stories - REAL Environmental & Conservation Leadership In PA 

-- DEP Secretary Negrin Resigns Effective Dec. 8, On Medical Leave; Jessica Shirley Named Interim Acting Secretary  [PaEN]

-- Inside Climate News - Jake Bolster: Should Wastewater From Conventional Oil & Gas Drilling Be Spread On Pennsylvania Roads? 

-- DCNR Good Natured Blog: Getting To Know Seth Cassell, The New State Forester  [PaEN]

-- 115 New Stories - REAL Environmental & Conservation Leadership In PA

-- November ----------

-- PA Watershed Groups Engaged 8,000 Volunteers Contributing Over 44,500 Hours; 35,000+ People Involved In Projects, Education, Hikes, Other Events; Planted 30,000 Trees in 2022  [PaEN] 

-- House Committee Hearing On Increasing Safety Setbacks Zones Around Natural Gas Facilities Heard About First-Hand Citizen Experiences On Health Impacts, From Physicians On Health Studies And The Gas Industry On Job Impacts  [PaEN]

-- Sen. Yaw, Republican Chair Of Senate Environmental Committee, Called Bill To Reduce Shale Gas Industry Impacts On Health, Environment ‘Stupid’  [PaEN]

-- Gov. Shapiro, CNX Natural Gas Company Sign Statement Of Mutual Interests To Monitor Air Emissions At Drill Sites, Extend Safety Setbacks While Data Is Being Collected; DEP To Move Ahead With Some Reg Changes  [PaEN]

-- Philadelphia LNG Export Task Force Issues Report On The Best Ways To Increase Exports Of PA's Natural Gas; Minority Report Rebuts Need For LNG Facility, Outlines Impacts  [PaEN]

-- 84 New Stories - REAL Environmental & Conservation Leadership In PA

-- Black Appalachian Coalition Urges Allegheny County Health Dept. To Hold US Steel Accountable, Protect Community Health, From Clairton Coke Works  [PaEN]

-- Environmental Health Project: Gov. Shapiro Must Acknowledge Health Risks Of Natural Gas Development And Take Meaningful Action To Protect The Public  [PaEN]  

-- Physicians For Social Responsibility PA: Gov. Shapiro's Announcement With CNX Does Not Go Far Enough In Protecting Public Health And The Environment From Natural Gas Development  [PaEN]

-- TribLive Editorial: Is Shapiro's Voluntary Agreement With CNX The Right Move For Gas Well Safety?  'We Do Not Trust Foxes To Guard Henhouses'  [PaEN]

-- 69 New Stories - REAL Environmental & Conservation Leadership In PA 

-- State Dept. Of Health Pushing For Changes To Reduce Adverse Health Impacts From Natural Gas Development  [PaEN] 

-- DEP Issued At Least 472 Violations To 90 Conventional Oil & Gas Operators; 20 NOVs To 10 Shale Gas Operators For Abandoning Their Wells Without Plugging Them So Far In 2023  [PaEN]

-- DEP Issues Record 5,653 Notices Of Violation To Conventional Oil & Gas Operators So Far In 2023; ‘Culture Of Non-Compliance’ Continues  [PaEN] 

-- Shale Gas Operators On Track To Have More Violations In 2023 - Frozen Gas Infrastructure; Explosion; Pad Fire; Uncontrolled Gas Venting; Frack Outs; Major Spills;  Pipeline Crashing Thru A Home Highlight 2023 So Far  [PaEN] 

-- TribLive: Westmoreland Water Authority Halts Fracking Water Withdrawals By CNX, Olympus Energy At Beaver Run Reservoir As Part Of Water Conservation Plan [Shale Gas Operators Took 301 Million Gallons From Reservoir This Year]

-- 75 New Stories - REAL Environmental & Conservation Leadership In PA

-- StateImpactPA - Rachel McDevitt: Southwest PA Families Call On Gov. Shapiro To Fulfill Recommendations Of Natural Gas Grand Jury

-- The Derrick: DEP: Little Headway In Reno Oil Well Wastewater Cleanup In Venango County  [PaEN]

-- 83 New Stories - REAL Environmental & Conservation Leadership In PA

-- December -----------

-- Post-Gazette - Salena Zito: Do You Believe In St. Nicholas? [Coal Miners Were Saved From A Mine Explosion In Westmoreland County That Killed 239 While Attending A Liturgy To St. Nicholas 116 Years Ago]  [PDF of Article]

-- 64 New Stories - REAL Environmental & Conservation Leadership In PA

 -- DEP Plugs 132 Abandoned Conventional Oil & Gas Wells So Far;  DEP Issued 490 NOVs For New Conventional Well Abandonments So Far In 2023  [PaEN] 

-- TribLive: MAX Environmental Yukon Hazardous Waste Landfill Could Pay $275,000 To Settle Pollution Claims In Class Action Lawsuit By Residents  [75% Of Waste Comes From Shale Gas Industry]

-- PennEnvironment, Three Rivers Waterkeeper Sue Styropek USA To Stop Plastic Pollution In Raccoon Creek, Ohio River In Beaver County  [PaEN]

-- 118 New Stories - REAL Environmental & Conservation Leadership In PA

-- Former Employees Of Eureka Resources Oil & Gas Wastewater Treatment Company Ask For Criminal Investigation Of Eureka And An Audit Of DEP Over Alleged Workplace, Environmental Violations  [PaEN]

-- House Hearing: Shapiro Administration Supports Expanding Alternative Energy Portfolio Standards; Renewables Lower Energy Costs; Increase Grid Reliability; More Work Needed To Improve Natural Gas Reliability  [PaEN]

-- PJM Makes Multiple Reliability-Focused Improvements To Prepare For Winter To Deal With 70% Natural Gas, Other Generator Nonperformance In 2022  [PaEN] 

-- House Passes Bill Requiring Registration Of Cryptocurrency Mining Operations, Impact Study  [PaEN] 

-- 104 New Stories - REAL Environmental & Conservation Leadership In PA 

-- The Allegheny Front: Environmental Groups Pressure Gov. Shapiro To Crack Down On Shale Gas Industry 

 -- WNEP: Residents Awaiting Water React To Return Of Shale Gas Drilling In Dimock, Susquehanna County: ‘Stab In The Back’

-- AP: Drilling Under Pennsylvania's 'Gasland' Town Has Been Banned Since 2010, It's Coming Back  [PaEN]

 -- Conventional Oil Well Storage Tanks Burn In McKean County, 6 Local Fire Companies Respond  [PaEN]

-- HEI Energy, Penn State Study Uses 28,500 Water Sample Results To Help Identify Oil & Gas Industry Groundwater Pollution  [PaEN] 

-- FERC Approves PJM $1.25 Billion Winter Storm Elliot Settlement With Non-Performing Natural Gas, Other Electricity Generators  [PaEN]

-- PA’s Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program Closes Year With More Than 82,000 Acres Of Land Enrolled For Conservation Improvements  [PaEN]

-- PA’s Ag Conservation Assistance Helps Strayer Cattle Farm In Cumberland County Improve Water Quality; $140 Million Committed To Projects So Far Statewide  [PaEN]

-- Dept. Of Agriculture Protects Another 2,553 Acres Of Farmland; 13,663 Acres Protected In 2023  [PaEN]  

-- 68 New Stories - REAL Environmental & Conservation Leadership In PA

Visit the PA Environment Digest website to learn more.

Going The RIGHT WAY:

-- 3,190 New Stories In 2022 - REAL Environmental & Conservation Leadership [PaEN] 

[Posted: December 28, 2023]   PA Environment Digest