Awards/Recognition
-- Westminster College Honors Student Research And Creative Works At 18th Student Symposium On The Environment [PaEN]
-- Kensington Teens Win $17,000 Grant To Turn Trash-Filled, Empty Lot Into Public Garden To Prevent Dumping In Philadelphia [PaEN]
-- Unionville H.S. Rowing Club Finds New Home With Chester Water Authority On The Octoraro Reservoir; Student Service Projects Help Protect Reservoir [PaEN]
-- The Power Of Master Watershed Stewards - Program Accomplishments In 2025; Sign Up For Spring Training Now; More Extension Resources [PaEN]
-- Republican Herald: Schuylkill County Conservation District Volunteer Audrey Wells Hosts Sketchers Nature Walk To Spark Connection With Outdoors [PDF of Article]
-- Slippery Rock University: Luzerne County Student Helps Improve Sustainability At Slippery Rock University
-- Middle Susquehanna RiverKeeper Blog: PA River Of The Year Finalist Chillisquaque Creek Offers Microcosm Of Issues And Opportunities For Bigger Susquehanna River System
Bids
-- Scranton Times: Old Forge School District Seeks Proposals For Solar Energy Facility
Grants
-- Philadelphia Solar Energy Association: New Solar Schools Toolkit, Solar Toolkit For Nonprofits, Local Governments Available To Help Deal With Soaring Electricity Costs [PaEN]
-- Pennsylvania BRIGHT Expands Statewide To Remove Barriers To Bringing Affordable Solar Energy To PA Homeowners Left Out Of Transition To Clean Energy Options [PaEN]
-- USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service Announces Jan. 15 Deadline To Apply For Major Conservation Assistance Program, Including Regenerative Pilot Program [PaEN]
-- Commonwealth Financing Authority Invests More Than $14 Million In Act 13 Drilling Impact Fee Revenue In Watershed Restoration, Recreation, Sewage And Flood Mitigation Projects [Next Round Opens Feb. 1] [PaEN]
Upcoming Events
-- Lehigh Valley-Based Wildlands Conservancy Upcoming Programs: Flying Squirrel Research; Winter Bird Walk; Winter Wildlife Meet & Greet
-- TribLive - Jack Troy: Annual Christmas Bird Count Channels ‘Addictive’ Activity For Scientific Good
-- Planet Philadelphia Radio: Dec. 19: Hopeful Sustainability Projects, 4:00 p.m.
-- Educators Invited To Southwest PA Environmental Literacy Coalition Online Meeting Jan. 6 [PaEN]
-- Penn State Extension Hosts Jan. 27 Community Forestry Webinar - Forester's Featured Working Tree Solutions [PaEN]
-- Penn State Extension Feb. 13 Webinar On Making Cover Crops Pay - How Regenified Certification Works [PaEN]
-- Penn State Extension: Making Cover Crops Pay: Feb. 20 Webinar On Understanding What Each Cover Crop Contributes To Soil Health [PaEN]
-- Penn State Extension In-Person Southeast PA Green Industry Conference March 5 In Montgomery County [PaEN]
-- Penn State Extension: Conservation Pros: Join In Ag Literacy Week - March 16-20
-- Penn State Extension March 16 Webinar On Elm Zigzag Sawfly Update - Frontiers Of Forest Health [PaEN]
Public Participation
-- WESA - Rachel McDevitt: Pennsylvanians Have Until Dec. 22 To Comment On Proposed PUC A.I. Data Center Model Tariff For Utilities
-- PA Oil & Gas Industrial Facilities: Permit Notices, Opportunities To Comment - December 20 [PaEN]
-- DEP Posted 51 Pages Of Permit-Related Notices In December 20 PA Bulletin [PaEN]
-- DEP Invites Comments On Renewal Of The NPDES Wastewater Permit For The BET Associates IV, LLC Anthracite Mining Discharge In Schuylkill, Carbon Counties Affecting 7,479 Acres [PaEN]
-- Centre Daily Times Guest Essay: How To Help Shape The Future Of Recycling In Centre County - By Amy Schirf, Centre County Recycling & Refuse Authority
Programs/Information
-- Inquirer: How Pennsylvania Farms 720,000 Christmas Trees A Year
-- PennLive: President’s Tariffs Tank Pennsylvania’s Lumber Industry, Now Seeking A Bailout
-- Post-Gazette/PennLive: President’s Tariffs Tank Pennsylvania’s Lumber Industry; Now It Seeks A Bailout
-- DCNR Hosts First Day Hikes On New Year’s Day Across The Commonwealth
-- Post-Gazette - Mary Ann Thomas: Rare Hummingbird At A Pittsburgh Feeder Part Of A New Migration Trend
-- Middle Susquehanna RiverKeeper Blog: 2026 Middle Susquehanna Naturalist Calendar Now Available For Order
-- Warren Times: Hearts Content Area Of Allegheny National Forest Backdrop For Author Heather Kaminski [PDF of Article]
-- Pocono Record: Will Cold Weather Kill Ticks? You May Be Disappointed With The Answer
A.I./Data Centers
-- In Case You Missed It: A.I./Data Center Articles - NewClips From Last Week - December 22 [PaEN]
-- PJM Electricity Auction Prices Again At Cap Imposed By Gov. Shapiro’s Lawsuit Settlement, Without It Prices Would Be 59% Higher Driven By A.I. Data Center Demand; Grid Reliability Now Questioned [PaEN]
-- WHYY - Sophia Schmidt: PA, NJ, DE Could See Increased Risk Of Power Outages Due To PJM Supply And Demand Crunch On Regional Grid
-- Federal Energy Regulatory Commission Orders PJM To Allow A.I. Data Centers To Connect Directly To Power Plants, Expedite Connections For Shovel-Ready Projects, Enhance Load Forecasting [PaEN]
-- Environmental Groups, Our Children’s Trust Appeal Air Quality Permit For Homer City A.I. Data Center 4.5 GW Natural Gas Power Plant In Indiana County [PaEN]
Background On Issues
-- PA Oil & Gas Weekly Compliance Dashboard - Dec. 13 to 19 -- Shale Gas Abandoned Well Violations Hit 70; Conventional Well Not Plugged For 2,045 Days; MarkWest Loses Another 69,000 Of Pipeline Drilling Fluid To Mine Voids [PaEN]
-- DEP: MarkWest Liberty Midstream Reports 69,000 Gallon Pipeline Construction Fluid Loss Into Mine Voids Under Washington County; 476,600 Gallons Lost So Far [PaEN]
-- Inside Climate News - Kiley Bense/Peter Aldhous: Tracking Oil And Gas Industry Waste In Pennsylvania Is Still A ‘Logistical Mess’ [Part I]
-- Inside Climate News - Kiley Bense/Peter Aldhous: 20 Years Into Shale Gas Fracking, Pennsylvania Has Yet To Reckon With Its Radioactive Waste [Part II]
-- Inside Climate News - Kiley Bense: Pennsylvania Is Still Cleaning Up Decades’ Worth Of Abandoned Coal Mine Pollution, Now It Must Contend With Millions Of Tons Of Oil & Gas Waste [Part III]
-- Inside Climate News Video: Reporter Kiley Bense Talks About Her 3 Part Series On Pennsylvania Oil & Gas Waste [Video]
-- Spotlight PA/Inside Climate News: Outdated, Disconnected Systems Leave PA Unable To Comprehensively Track Toxic Oil And Gas Industry Waste
-- Farm and Dairy: Shale Gas Well Pad Setback Petition Finally Moves On To PA DEP For Study
-- PennLive: PA DEP Staffing Lagging As State Faces Natural Gas Fracking, Air, Water Pollution Issues: Report
-- Warren Times: US Forest Service Closes American Refining Group Facility In Highland Twp., Elk County, Declares Them Unsafe Due To Hazardous Materials, Structurally Unsound Buildings [PDF of Article]
-- Susquehanna River Basin Commission Approves 3 Shale Gas Water Withdrawal Requests; 22 Total For 2025 [PaEN]
-- Susquehanna River Basin Commission Approved 31 Shale Gas Well Pad Water Use General Permits In November; 429 In 2025 [PaEN]
-- LancasterOnline: Environmental Groups Challenge FERC Permit For Cuffs Run Pump Storage Hydroelectric Facility On Susquehanna River In York County
-- Public Citizen: President’s LNG Gas Energy Export Policy Costs Households $12 Billion In First 9 Months Of 2025
-- Reading Eagle: PFAS ‘Forever Chemicals’ Found In Gilbertsville Elementary School Water
-- Inquirer - Frank Kummer: Gilbertsville Montgomery County School In Shadow Of Toxic Boyertown Landfill Finds PFAS ‘Forever Chemicals’ In Its Water
-- WHYY: Philadelphia Water Department Wants To Know Whether Your Drinking Water Pipes Are Lead-Free
-- LancasterOnline: PA Counties Near Farmland Have Higher Melanoma Cancer Rates, Penn State Researchers Find [PDF of Article]
-- Morning Call: Hundreds Of Snow Geese Dead At Northampton County Quarry, Suspected Victims Of Bird Flu
-- Erie Times - Brian Whipkey: About 400 Dead Snow Geese Found In Northampton County Quarry, Avian Influenza Suspected
Visit the DEP Calendar of Events; PA Parks & Forests Foundation’s Events webpage and DCNR’s Calendar of Events for activities happening near you.
Visit DEP’s Teaching Green webpage to learn about more environmental education resources.
Visit the PA Environment Digest Calendar Of Events for more opportunities.
[Posted: December 21, 2025] PA Environment Digest
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