PA Environment Digest Blog: DEP Citizens Advisory Council Meets May 12 For Presentations On A Data Center Guide From Chester, Montgomery Counties; PFAS ‘Forever Chemical’ Contamination In Biosolids

The DEP Citizens Advisory Council is scheduled to meet May 12 to hear presentations on several topics-- a Data Center Guide developed by Chester and Montgomery counties; PFAS ‘forever chemical’ contamination in biosolids and a Penn State Air Pollution Modeling Study.

Click Here for a copy of the agenda.

Data Center Guide

The Council will hear a presentation on the Data Center Ordinance Guide developed by Chester and Montgomery counties to help municipalities prepare for data center proposals.

The presentation will be given by Matthew Edward, Executive Director, Chester County Planning Commission, Scott France, Executive Director, Montgomery County Planning Commission and Rachel Griffith, Sustainability Director for Chester County.

PFAS Farm Contamination

Dr. Linda Lee, Professor of Agronomy & Environmental and Ecological Engineering at Purdue University, leads research on the fate, transport and remediation of PFAS ‘forever chemicals’ in agricultural systems and wastewater.

Her work focuses on PFAS contamination from biosolids application and wastewater effluent and is working to develop technologies and management strategies to removes PFAS chemicals from the environment.

Click Here for an article on her research.

Public Comment

Individuals interested in providing public comment during the meeting must sign up 24-hours in advance of the meeting by contacting CAC Executive Director Ian Irvin at iirvin@pa.gov or 717-579-0329.

Commenters are asked to limit comments to 3 minutes and are encouraged to submit a written copy of public comments 24-hours in advance of the meeting so that they can be shared with CAC members in advance.

Join The Meeting

The meeting will be held in Room 105 of the Rachel Carson Building in Harrisburg starting at 12:30 p.m.

The agenda includes instructions for joining the meeting online or by telephone.

Visit the DEP Citizens Advisory Council webpage for available handouts and more information. Questions should be directed to Ian Irvin, Executive Director, iirvin@pa.gov or 717-579-0329.

PA Oil & Gas Industry Public Notice Dashboards:

-- PA Oil & Gas Weekly Compliance Dashboard - April 25 to May 1: Violations For Conventional Well Abandonment Top 204; Cleaning Up Shale Gas Wastewater Release For 245 Days [PaEN]

-- DEP - Day 245: Expand Operating LLC Continuing Cleanup Of Ongoing Shale Gas Fracking Wastewater Release From Well Pad In Great Bend Twp., Susquehanna County [PaEN]

-- DEP Signs Consent Orders With CNX Gas, Leatherwood LLC Requiring The Plugging Of 5 Conventional Coal Bed Methane Wells Prior To Longwall Coal Mining In Center Twp., Greene County [PaEN]

-- ‘Emergency’ Upset Natural Gas/Chemical Flare At MarkWest Harmon Cryogenic Natural Gas Processing Plant In Washington County Was Briefly Almost As Bright As The Moon Last Night - Live Breathe Project Cameras [April 30]

-- PA Oil & Gas Industrial Facilities: Permit Notices, Opportunities To Comment - May 2 [PaEN]

-- DEP Invites Comments On Chapter 105 Permit For 4.5 Mile EQT ARO Natural Gas Pipeline On State Forest Land In Lycoming County [PaEN]

-- DEP Posted 62 Pages Of Permit-Related Notices In May 2 PA Bulletin [PaEN]

-- DEP Accepting Comments On 2nd Stormwater Permit For SNA North LLC/QTS A.I. Data Center Project In Salem Twp., Luzerne County [PaEN]

-- Public Utility Commission Sets July 10 Telephonic Hearing On PPL Condemnation Of 30 Properties For The Sugarloaf 500/230KV Transmission Line In Luzerne County To Serve Data Centers [PaEN]

-- DEP To Hold June 16 Hearing On Water Quality Permit For Rustic Ridge II Coal Mining Permit In Westmoreland County [PaEN]

-- DEP To Hold May 21 Informal Conference To Take Comments On The Proposed Addition Of 7,154 Acres To The Rosebud Mining Company Penfield Coal Mine In Clearfield County [PaEN]

Related Articles This Week:

-- Environmental Health Project Calls On Gov. Shapiro To Address Health Hazards Of Fossil Fuels [PaEN]

-- DEP Receives Federal Funding To Study Human Health Impacts Of Leaking, Abandoned Conventional Oil & Gas Wells; Conventional Regulation Updates Delayed; Reports On Setback Petition By End Of 2026 [PaEN]

-- House Committee Approves Bill To Strengthen State Response To Spills Of Hazardous Substances After Energy Transfer/Sunoco Jet Fuel Pipeline Spill In Bucks County [PaEN]

-- Environmental Defense Fund: Rollback Of Federal Methane Emission Limits On Oil & Gas Facilities Have Wasted $4.8 Billion Worth Of Natural Gas That Could Have Served 22 Million Homes- And Counting [PaEN]

-- US Dept. Of Energy Cyber Threat Center Issues Another Warning To Oil & Gas Industry About Automatic Tank Gauge Manipulation By Malicious Cyber Threat Actors [PaEN]

-- In Case You Missed It: A.I./Data Center Articles - NewClips From Last Week - May 4 [PaEN]

-- PUC Adopts Voluntary Large Load, Data Center Tariff Framework To Help Protect Ratepayers [PaEN]

-- Environmental Defense Fund: PA Public Utility Commission Moves To Protect Consumers From A.I. Data Center Grid Costs: ‘The Stakes Are High Given The Scale And Speed Of Data Center-Driven Growth’ [PaEN]

-- Gov. Shapiro Appoints Mark Szybist New Special Counsel For Energy Affordability [PaEN]

-- Federal Energy Regulatory Commission Approves Extension Of PJM Capacity Auction Price Cap, Floor For Next 2 Auctions [PaEN]

-- Inquirer Guest Essay: Utility Shutoffs Pose Dire Risks To Families Unable To Afford Energy Bills - By David Taylor, Director Of Patient Advocacy, Drexel University College Of Medicine

-- Reuters: US Natural Gas Futures Hit 3-Week High As Output Falls And Companies Like EQT Cut Production Due To Low Spot Prices

-- Reuters: US Consumers Face Rising Electricity Prices Pushed By A.I. Data Center Demand, Rising Natural Gas Prices, Tariffs On Steel/Aluminum, While Benefits From Low-Cost Clean Power Capacity Emerge

-- Senate Committee Hears Electric Grid Issues Getting Worse; PJM Has Attracted 220 GW Of New Generation Proposals; PJM ‘Backstop’ Procurement Critical To Making Data Centers Pay For New Generation [PaEN]

-- WHYY - Susan Phillips: Gov. Shapiro Says Regulated Electric, Natural Gas, Water Utility System In PA Is ‘Broken’ In Letter To 24 Companies Laying Out New System To Rein In Corporate Profits

-- Post-Gazette - Anya Litvak & Laura Legere: A.I. Data Center Power Demand May Extend Conemaugh, Keystone Coal-Fired Power Plant Operations, Jobs For Years - But At A Cost

-- PA House Energy Committee Sets May 4 Meeting To Act On More Bills To Address Electric Grid Reliability, Affordability Issues: Authorize Virtual Power Plants, More [PaEN]

-- PA House Passes Bill To Require A.I. Data Centers To Report Water Use, Discharges To DEP [PaEN]

-- PA Capital-Star: Electricity Grid Maps Could Speed Addition Of Renewable Energy To PA, PA House Panel Hears

-- AP: Building Trades Unions Emerge As Key Political Allies Of Tech Giants In Push For A.I. Data Centers [PA Highlighted]

-- DEP Citizens Advisory Council Meets May 12 For Presentations On A Data Center Guide From Chester, Montgomery Counties; PFAS ‘Forever Chemical’ Contamination In Biosolids [PaEN]

-- Concerned Citizens Of Montour County: Data Center Developer Wants To Make It Harder For Citizens To Appeal Zoning, Permits; DCED Secretary Explains More On How They Want New GRID Principles To Work [PaEN]

-- Montour County: What A.I. Data Center Developers Don’t Like In Zoning Ordinances: Decommissioning Safeguards For When Their Tech Becomes Obsolete; No Noise Limits On Diesel Generators; No Property Value Impact Studies [PaEN]