112 New Stories - REAL Environmental & Conservation Leadership In PA

Here are 112 new stories in the PA Environment Digest 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!

-- Republican Herald: Schuylkill Conservation District Celebrates 70th Year, Highlights Major Events Of 2025 [PDF of Article]

-- WHYY: Why The Lower Schuylkill River Should Get Your Vote For PA River Of The Year

-- Morning Call: 3 Moravian Academy Students Found A.I.-Based Company To Detect Pollution In Construction Site Runoff [PDF of Article]

-- Pittsburgh Coal Mining Institute Of America Honors Heather Dougherty, National Energy Technology Laboratory Engineer 

-- Observer-Reporter: King Coal Association Celebrates Area’s Mining History [SW PA] [PDF of Article]

-- PA Society For Ornithology Accepting Applications For Conservation Partner Organizations For The 2026 Breeding Bird Blitz  [PaEN] 

-- Inquirer: PA-Based Burpee Seeds Celebrates 250 Years Of American History With Newest Seeds

-- Public Utility Commission: Post-Christmas Winter Storm Safety  [PaEN] 

-- Interns Wanted: Departments Of Environmental Protection, Conservation & Natural Resources Have Summer, Other Intern Positions Open [PaEN]  

-- Pennsylvania Outdoor Corps Now Accepting Applications From Young People For 2026 Season  [PaEN] 

-- AP: Explosions At Bucks County Nursing Home Kill At Least 2, Gov. Shapiro Says; Odor Of Natural Gas At The Site 

-- Inquirer: Bucks County Explosion: 2 Dead, 20 Hurt In Nursing Home Blast; Shapiro Says There Are ‘A Lot Of Unanswered Questions’

-- AP: Rescuers Rushed Into Flames To Save Nursing Home Residents In Bucks County After Deadly Explosion

-- DEP Orders Monroe Energy's MIPC, LLC To Provide Replacement Water To Residents In Delaware County Potentially Impacted By A 378,000 Gallon Gasoline Leak Reported From The Chelsea Pipeline Station And Tank Farm  [PaEN]

-- Delco Times: Monroe Energy Fuel Tank Farm Reports Major Leak Of 378,000 Gallons Of Gasoline In Delaware County

-- Inquirer - Frank Kummer: Delaware County Residents Could Be Given Bottled Water After Major Gasoline Leak At Monroe Energy Tank Farm 

-- DEP: MarkWest Liberty Midstream Shale Gas Pipeline Drilling Fluid Losses To Mine Voids Climbs To Over 521,600 Gallons In Washington County  [PaEN]

-- Warren Times: US Forest Service Conducting Federal Superfund Pollution Assessment Of Abandoned American Refining Group Oil & Gas Facilities In Allegheny National Forest  [PaEN]  

-- Farm & Dairy: Two Workers Die From Injuries Months After Ohio Abandoned Oil & Gas Well Explosion In Wayne National Forest 

-- TribLive - Jack Troy: Penalty Amount Against US Steel Over Water Pollution Raises Eyebrows For Environmental Groups: It’s ‘Laughable’

-- Post-Gazette/Inside Climate News: Tracking Oil & Gas Waste In Pennsylvania Is Still A ‘Logistical Mess’  [Part I]

-- WESA/Inside Climate News: 25 Years Into Shale Gas Fracking, Pennsylvania Has Yet To Reckon With Oil & Gas Industry’s Radioactive Waste  [Part II]

-- The Allegheny Front/Inside Climate News: The ‘Toxic Cocktail’ Brewing In Pennsylvania’s Waterways: Abandoned Mine Drainage, Oil & Gas Industry Waste [Part III]

-- DEP Invites Comments On Chapter 105 Permit For Daylighting 3 CNX Midstream Natural Gas Pipelines To Prevent Damage From Longwall Coal Mining In Washington County  [PaEN] 

-- DEP Invites Comments On Eastern Gas Transmission & Storage Water Quality Permits For 13.1 Mile Natural Gas Pipeline Replacement Project In Armstrong, Westmoreland Counties  [PaEN] 

-- DEP Invites Comments On Renewal Of Title V Air Quality Permit For 750 MW Marcus Hook Energy Natural Gas Power Plant, Delaware County [PaEN] 

-- Reuters Commentary: Renewables With Batteries Produce Cheaper Energy Than Natural Gas; LNG Gas Exports Glut Turning Into A Sinkhole

-- Appalachian Voices: FERC Approves Mountain Valley Pipeline Southgate Natural Gas Pipeline Expansion For VA, PA To North Carolina Over Objections, No Environmental Impact Statement  [Warning]

-- Pittsburgh Business Times: FERC Approves Major Changes To Mountain Valley Pipeline Southgate Route And Capacity

-- Guest Essay: Lessons From A.I. Data Centers And Shale Gas Fracking Tours - By Scott Cannon, Luzerne County  [PaEN] 

-- TribLive - Jack Troy: PJM’s Power Auction Shortfall Could Lead To Increased Blackout Risks In PA, Other States In Face Of A.I. Data Center Power Demands

-- Utility Dive: President Tries To Halt Construction Of Just Over 7 Gigawatts Of Much-Needed Electrical Generation From East Coast Wind Farms  [Warning]

-- Reuters: A.I. Data Centers Are Forcing Dirty ‘Peaker’ Power Plants Back Into Service  [Warning]

-- Wall Street Journal: States See A Federal Power Grab In Clash With President Over A.I. Data Centers [PDF of Article]  [Warning]

-- The Center Square: Don’t Count On Lower Electricity Prices In 2026; Driven By A.I. Data Center Demand In PJM

-- The Center Square: 2025 - The ‘First’ Year Of A.I. - Higher Electricity Prices; More Shale Gas Fracking; Community Controversy 

-- WHYY: Philadelphia Electric, Gas Bills Surged In 2025, More Increases Are Coming In 2026, Here’s Why [Spoilers: A.I. Data Center Demand, Natural Gas Increases]

-- PA Energy, Environmental, Citizen Advocates Call On PUC To Protect Ratepayers, Communities From Costs, Impacts Of A.I. Data Centers  [PaEN] 

-- Post-Gazette: PA Lawmakers Rankled By President’s Order To Oppose State Regulation Of A.I.: ‘We’re Not Stopping’

-- Post-Gazette Guest Essay: Competition Creates Better Consumer Deals - Even For Electricity - While Noncompetitive Transmission Facility Costs Have Risen Sharply - By John Hanger, Former PUC Commissioner

-- Wilkes-Barre Times-Leader Guest Essay: Pennsylvania Must Be Prepared To Meet Energy Challenges - By Tom Gilbert, PA Environmental Council

-- Morning Call Guest Essay: Pennsylvania Must Be Prepared To Meet Energy Challenges - By Tom Gilbert, PA Environmental Council

-- TribLive Letter: Approve Clean Energy Projects To Bring Down Price Of Electricity - By Mary Zuccaro, Carnegie

-- DEP To Host Jan. 6 Public Information Meeting On Water Quality Permits For The A.I. Data Center Proposal In Archbald Boro, Lackawanna County [Some Of The 84 Data Center Buildings Proposed In NE PA]  [PaEN] 

-- Scranton Times: DEP Hold Jan. 6 Meeting On ‘Project Gravity' A.I. Data Centers In Archbald, Lackawanna County [PDF of Article]

-- Scranton Times: A.I. Data Centers Are 2025 Newsmaker Of The Year In NE PA [PDF of Article]

-- WESA - Rachel McDevitt: PA Environmental Groups Appeal DEP Permit For Massive Natural Gas Power Plant Meant To Power Homer Center A.I. Data Center Campus

-- Pittsburgh Business Times: Homer City A.I. Data Center 4.5 GW Natural Gas Power Plant Permit Faces Appeals From Environmental Groups, 13 Children [PDF of Article]

-- Inquirer/Reuters: The A.I. Frenzy Is Driving A New Global Supply Chain Crisis

-- In Case You Missed It: A.I./Data Center Articles - NewClips From Last Week - December 29  [PaEN] 

-- LancasterOnline: PA Lawmakers Want To Restore 24-Hour Agenda Notice For Local Government Meetings After PA Supreme Court Ruling

-- TribLive: Federal Chemical Safety Board Makes 2 Interim Safety Recommendations Related To US Steel Clairton Coke [Coal] Works Explosion That Killed 2 Workers, Injured 11 Others

-- Post-Gazette - Anya Litvak: Federal Investigators Flag Safety Concerns During Ongoing Investigation Of US Steel Clairton Coke [Coal] Works Explosion 

-- Attorney General Sunday Announces $6.6 Million Share For Pennsylvania From National Settlement In Mercedes-Benz Vehicle Emissions Fraud Case  [PaEN] 

-- Post-Gazette: PA Receives OK To Spend $112 Million In Federal Funds For Electric Vehicle Charging Stations

-- PennDOT Opens First Federally Funded Electric Vehicle Charging Station On PA Turnpike At blue Mountain Service Plaza West

-- DEP Helped Local Governments Save Over $1 Million In Energy Costs Thru Shared Energy Manager Program In 2025; Apply Now For 2026  [PaEN]  

-- DEP: PA Industrial Energy Assessments Can Find Energy Savings At Your Facility, Apply Today! 

-- Post-Gazette: Duquesne Light Studying Ways A.I. Could Improve Electric Grid And Reliability

-- Post-Gazette - Anya Litvak: Duquesne Light Is Helping Train Contactors On Heat Pumps, HVAC

-- Warren Times/AP: President’s Return Brought Stiff Headwinds For Clean Energy, So Why Are Advocates Optimistic In 2026? [PDF of Article]

-- Williamsport Sun Guest Essay: Energy Future Shouldn’t Be Held Hostage To Fossil Fuel Myths;  Renewables Aren’t The Reason For Soaring Energy Prices, Grid Fragility - By Douglas Webster, Monroeville  [PDF of Article]

-- The Guardian Guest Essay: President’s Shuttering Of The National Center For Atmospheric Research Is Stalinist - By Michael Mann, University of Pennsylvania, and Bob Ward, London School of Economics & Political Science  [Warning]

-- DEP Soliciting Information For Use In The Development Of The Next Triennial Review Of Water Quality Standards; Including Specifically For Copper  [PaEN] 

-- Chesapeake Bay Journal: Wildlife, Water Quality Depend On Streamside Forests

-- Chesapeake Bay Journal Guest Essay: From Pennsylvania To The Chesapeake Bay, Miles And Miles Of Precious Waterways - By John Montgomery, Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay

-- TribLive: Stroud Water Research Center Study Of Water Contamination From Road Salt Flags Problems In Washington County 

-- USDA NRCS-PA Pennsylvania State Technical Committee Meeting Jan. 22, 1:00 p.m.

-- Penn State Extension Hosts Jan. 28 Webinar On Agricultural Soil Health Practices For Clean Water  [PaEN] 

-- Lancaster Gather & Grow Street Tree Grant Program Offering 500 Free Native Trees To Lancaster County Partners To Boost Tree Canopy, Improve Local Water Quality

-- The Guardian: US Farmers Say President’s $12 Billion Package Not Enough To Undo Damage From His Tariffs   [Warning]

-- Post-Gazette: Pittsburgh Region Continues To Be Haunted By 2025’s Extreme Weather Events 

-- Shapiro Administration Highlights Increases In Disaster Assistance Funding In Current Budget To Keep PA Communities, Residents Safe 

-- Tribune-Democrat: PEMA Director Visits Somerset County To Highlight Increase In State Disaster Response Funds

-- Chesapeake Bay Journal: Federal Judge Blocks FEMA From Ending Disaster Mitigation Funding Program; Nearly $1 Billion Slated To Support Projects In Chesapeake Bay Watershed States 

-- PUC Schedules 10 Public Hearings On Proposed 14.6% PA American Water Rate Increase 

-- TribLive: Water Main Break Repaired At Winfield Mobile Home Park After Persistent Water Issues In Butler County

-- Spotlight PA: The Battle For The Heart - And Health - Of The Allegheny National Forest In PA [Part I]

-- Spotlight PA: What’s At Stake For Allegheny National Forest As President US Forest Service Considers Rescinding Roadless Area Conservation Rule  [Part II] 

-- Post-Gazette/PennLive: President’s Tariffs Tank Pennsylvania’s Lumber Industry; Now It Seeks A Bailout

-- PA Capital-Star: Family Tradition In Indiana County - Christmas Tree Capital Of The World

-- Post-Gazette - Mary Ann Thomas: From Mulch To Fish Habitats, There Are Many Options For Natural Christmas Tree Recycling 

-- LancasterOnline: Here’s When, Where To Recycle Your Christmas Tree In Lancaster County

-- TribLive: Where To Recycle Your Live Christmas Tree In Westmoreland County

-- TribLive: Where To Recycle Your Christmas Trees In Allegheny County

-- TribLive: Annual Oakmont Christmas Tree Collection To Benefit Goats In Allegheny County

-- WHYY: Your Philly Christmas Tree Could Get A 2nd Life Benefitting City Gardens, Trails And Even Goats 

-- York Dispatch: Farmland Preservation  Gives York County ‘Something We Can Pass On’

-- Central PA Conservancy Partners With Mowery Family To Preserve 261 Acre Forested Property In Cumberland County  [PaEN] 

-- Western PA Conservancy Protects 183 Acres Of Forestland In Cameron County For Elk State Forest  [PaEN]

-- Western PA Conservancy Acquires 74 Acres Of Forestland, Adds To Natural Area Within The French Creek Watershed In Erie County  [PaEN] 

-- Seven Winter Activities To Enjoy On Western PA Conservancy Preserves 

-- Wilkes-Barre Times Leader: North Branch Land Trust Announces New Board Members, Online Experiences 

-- DCNR State Parks Environmental Ed News - Winter Solstice Edition!  [PaEN]

-- Penn State Extension Feb. 3 Webinar On Exploring Nature Through Journaling  For Citizen Scientists, Educators, Outdoor Enthusiasts  [PaEN]

-- PA Natural Heritage Program News: Reinvigorated PA Plant Conservation Alliance; Spider Wasps; Fogg's Goosefoot; Southern Pine Beetle Outbreak; Much More!  [PaEN]

-- DCNR Hosts First Day Hikes On New Year’s Day Across The Commonwealth  [PaEN] 

-- PennLive: First Day Hikes 2026: Where To Start The New Year Outdoors In PA

-- Erie Times: DCNR Asking Public For Input On Presque Isle, Erie Bluffs Master Plan

-- Morning Call: Changes Coming To Beltzville Lake Federal Recreation  Area In Carbon County, Jan. 7 Public Meeting 

-- PennDOT Announces Multimodal Transportation Grants, Including Pedestrian, Trail Improvements; Next Application Period Opens Jan. 5

-- Inquirer - Frank Kummer: Why A Sinkhole On The Schuylkill River Trail In Philadelphia Hasn’t Been Repaired Yet

-- Inquirer - Frank Kummer: Schuylkill Trail Sinkhole Repaired, Area Reopened For Christmas Eve ‘As A Holiday Present’

-- Scranton Times: New Playground Completed At Hillside Park In Scranton

-- TribLive: McCandless Leaders Approve Master Site Development Plan For Community’s Parks In Allegheny County

-- Penn State Extension Hosts Feb. 18 Webinar On Biting Pests - Why Are There So Many Ticks?  [PaEN]

-- Centre Daily Times - Mark Nale: The Evening Grosbeak Is In Trouble; PA Researcher Hopes To Find Answers With Help Of Citizen Scientists  [PDF of Article] 

-- PennLive: Raven Ridge Wildlife Center Treats 7 Bald Eagles Suffering From Lead Poisoning In Lancaster County

-- Post-Gazette - Mary Ann Thomas: Pittsburgh National Aviary Is A Leader In Helping African Penguins Starving To Death In South Africa

-- Erie Times - Brian Whipkey: Fish & Boat, Game Commissions To Study Sharing Resources, Consolidation Of Functions

-- Erie Times - Brian Whipkey: Fish Commission May Increase Size Limit To Keep Trout 2 Inches, Here’s Why

Visit the PA Environment Digest website to learn more.

REAL Leadership:

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[Posted: December 28, 2025]   PA Environment Digest