Saturday PA Environment & Energy NewsClips - 4.27.24

“The people have a right to clean air, pure water, and to the preservation of the natural, scenic, historic and esthetic values of the environment. Pennsylvania's public natural resources are the common property of all the people, including generations yet to come. As trustee of these resources, the Commonwealth shall conserve and maintain them for the benefit of all the people.”

-- Article I, Section 27 Pennsylvania Constitution  [It’s Not A Suggestion]

House next voting day April 29, 30, May 1, 6, 7, 8, 20, 21, 22, June 3, 4, 5

-- Committee Schedule

Senate next voting day April 29, 30, May 1, 6, 7, 8, June 3, 4, 5

-- Committee Schedule

TODAY’s Calendar Of Events 

April 30-- NEW. House Environmental Resources & Energy Committee meets to consider House Bill 1803 (Pielli-D-Chester) management of responsible outdoor night lighting (sponsor summary).  Room 205 Ryan Building.  10:00 a.m. Click Here to watch online.

April 30-- NEW. House Consumer Protection, Technology & Utilities Committee meets to consider House Bill 1615 (O’Mara-D-Delaware) setting energy efficiency standards for appliances. Room G-50 Irvis Building. 9:45 a.m.  Click Here to watch online.

-- US Dept. Of Education Honors Green Ribbon Schools, Including PA Schools In Butler County, Reading, Philadelphia  [PaEN]

-- Post-Gazette: Rowan Elementary School Designated As Green Ribbon School

-- Educators Invited To April 30 Online Meeting Of Southwest PA Environmental Literacy Coalition  [PaEN]

-- Inside Climate News: Thousands Of American Climate Corps Jobs Are Now Open; What Will The New Program Look Like?

-- PA Oil & Gas Industrial Facilities: Permit Notices, Opportunities To Comment - April 27 [PaEN]

 

-- DEP Posted 93 Pages Of Permit-Related Notices In April 27 PA Bulletin  [PaEN] 

-- DEP Invites Comments On A Proposed Declaration Of An Exceptional Air Pollution Event Due To 2023 Wildfire Smoke Impacts  [PaEN] 

-- Beaver County Times: Canadian Wildfires Have Started, Will Smoke Descend On US Like Last Year? 

 

-- DEP Invites Comments On Renewal Of Waste Permit For Keystone Landfill In Lackawanna County  [PaEN]

-- Comments Invited By DEP On Stronghold Digital Mining Panther Creek Power Plant Title V Air Quality Permit Renewal   [PaEN]

-- DEP Sets May 16 Public Conference To Accept Comments On Rosebud Mining Permit For Cherry Tree Mine In Clearfield, Indiana Counties  [PaEN]

-- Marcellus Drilling News: Ohio Court Orders PA’s Austin Master Services To Cleanup Martins Ferry Oil & Gas Wastewater Plant

-- Post-Gazette: JM Steel Doubles Steel Output For Solar Industry, With Plans For Continued Growth 

-- Pittsburgh Business Times: JM Steel To Double Capacity And Solar Energy Work At Growing Steel lPlant In Leetsdale

-- The Allegheny Front: New EPA Rules Cut Carbon, Mercury, Other Pollution From Coal, New Gas-fired Power Plants

-- PA Senate Republican Statement On New 'Disastrous’ New EPA Power Plant Pollution Reduction Rules

-- Sen. Yaw: Statement On New EPA Power Plant Emission Reduction Rules

-- The Daily Item: Republicans Con. Meuser, Sen. Yaw Call New EPA Rule On Coal An Assault On American Energy

-- Utility Dive: FERC: Extreme Winter Weather Electric Grid Performance Improves; 5 Other Takeaways From FERC’s Meeting 

-- Appalachian Groups Send Letter To Congress Seeking Critical Investments In Appalachian Flood Resilience Programs And Workforce Development  [PaEN]

-- Agriculture Highlights Stroud Water Research Center Ag Conservation Research  [PaEN]

-- LancasterOnline: State Invests $1.5 Million In Agriculture Conservation Research

-- DEP Releases Final Land Application Of Manure Supplement To Manure Management For Environmental Protection Manual  [PaEN] 

-- Audubon Society: Critical Funding And Advocacy For The Delaware River Watershed

-- US Geological Survey Hosts May 9 Webinar On New USGS Base Streamflow Forecasting Web Tool  [PaEN]

-- Southwestern PA Commission Water Resource Center Hosts April 29 Webinar On Challenges For Drinking Water Systems: PFAS 'Forever Chemicals,' Lead Service Lines  [PaEN]

-- Centre Daily Times: Centre County Household Hazardous Waste Collection Event Evacuated After Explosive Substance Found

-- Outdoor News - Ben Moyer: Outdoors Make Ohiopyle, PA Northeast’s Best Small Town

-- South Mountain Partnership Action Alert: Support Needed For New Michaux State Forest District Resource Center In Franklin County; Attend May 1 Commissioners Meeting  [PaEN]

-- Tribune-Democrat: Virginia Teens, Local Groups Volunteer To Plant Trees At Flight 93 Memorial

-- Republican Herald: Pottsville Tree City USA 36th Anniversary Observed In Greenwood Hill

-- Republican Herald: The Liveliness Of Trees Celebrated At Arbor Day Program In Charles Baber Cemetery

-- Altoona Mirror: Hollidaysburg Borough Celebrates Arbor Day

-- Williamsport Sun: 135-Year Old Brandon Park Is Sunny Backdrop For Williamsport’s Arbor Day Ceremony

-- New Penn State Extension Master Gardeners Podcast Features Pollinator Habitat Certification Program  [PaEN] 

-- LancasterOnline - Ad Crable: Middle Creek Wildlife Management Area Going Beyond Birders With Migratory Bird Day Activities May 11

6th Oil/Natural Gas Spike: True Energy Independence Means Renewables

[There Is No Limit To What Oil/Natural Gas Industry Can Make You Pay]

-- AAA Gasoline Prices:  PA- $3.81  National- $3.66   Ohio- $3.54

-- Baker Hughes: PA Gas Drilling Rigs Down 1 Over Last Week To 21

-- Reuters: Earnings For Big Oil Backpedal As Natural Gas Prices Tumble

-- Bloomberg: Texas Natural Gas Prices Plummet Into Negative Territory After Pipeline Fire Shuts Pipeline 

Other States/National/International

-- EPA Celebrates Earth Week And Agency Efforts To Prevent Plastic Pollution

-- The Economist: A Mosquito-Borne Disease Is Spreading As The Plant Warms - Dengue Fever

PA Politics - Everything Is Connected

-- Spotlight PA: In Low-Turnout PA Primary, Location, Luck May Have Mattered More Than Policy

-- AP: Debates To Play A Major Role In PA’s 2024 US Senate Election

-- PennLive Editorial: Voter Apathy Is Turning American Democracy Into An Oligarchy Where Elites Rule

-- PA Capital-Star: PA House Republicans Steadfast On Blocking Embattled Rep. Boyle’s Votes

-- TribLive: Federal Judge Keeps Washington County Man Charged With Crimes Related To Assault On US Capitol Behind Bars Pending Trial

-- TribLive: Westmoreland County Man Charged With Crimes Related To Assault On US Capitol

-- The Center Square - Anthony Hennen: PA’s Innovation Economy Remains Challenged

-- Scranton Times: Keystone College Pursuing Rescue Plan To Prevent Closure

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[Posted: April 27, 2024]  PA Environment Digest

US Dept. Of Education Honors Green Ribbon Schools, Including PA Schools In Butler County, Reading, Philadelphia

The US Department of Education honored 55 schools with 2024 Green Ribbon Schools recognition to highlight schools, districts, postsecondary institutions, and early learning centers’ cost-saving, health promoting, and performance-enhancing sustainability practices.

Three Pennsylvania schools were recognized--

-- Rowan Elementary School, Cranberry Township, Butler County

-- Green Woods Charter School, Philadelphia

-- Reading Senior High School, Reading, Berks County 

Pennsylvania’s Pathways to Green Schools Initiative is part of the national Green Ribbon Schools Program to help put schools on a path towards a more green and sustainable future.

Rowan Elementary School

Rowan Elementary School [in Butler County] takes a holistic and immersive approach to education, environmental awareness, and sustainability. 

Formed four years ago, the school’s Green Team has been proactive, organizing professional development opportunities in collaboration with the [Pittsburgh] Green Building Alliance, securing grants for garden box supplies, and enhancing the aesthetics of the school through biophilic efforts. 

Environmental themes are incorporated into clubs, including the Robotics Club and STEM Club. Rowan Elementary provides enriching educational experiences that extend beyond traditional classrooms with project-based learning to encourage critical thinking in the context of environmental challenges. 

Hydroponics and gardening boxes serve as practical laboratories. 

The school utilizes outdoor spaces, such as the courtyard and amphitheater, as dynamic living laboratories for lessons on biodiversity and ecological balance. 

Educators at Rowan have championed a composting initiative that serves as a powerful educational tool. The food scraps collected weekly are deposited in the compost bins by students and provide rich soil for garden boxes. 

In 2023, a first grade classroom studying pollution observed vehicles idling outside the school, brainstormed solutions, and created “no idling” posters. 

Students in grades 2-4 have assumed the role of student ambassadors, imparting the significance of composting to their peers through informative videos featured during the morning announcements. 

Social emotional learning is embedded in daily routines, morning meetings, and LEAD (Learn, Explore, Act, Develop) lessons, fostering positive relationships. 

The school offers various mental health support services, including tiered interventions, mindfulness practices, and a sensory room. 

In addressing air quality, a comprehensive plan is in place, including the use of air purifiers in each classroom, fragrance-free policies, and continuous monitoring for mold. Sidewalks and bike routes are thoughtfully designed to enhance safety and encourage active, healthy lifestyles.

Green Woods Charter School

Green Woods Charter [in Philadelphia] is located on a former brownfield site with a large pond, stream, rain garden, and a dedicated wetland area as part of its stormwater management features. 

Every day, students are immersed in hands-on experiences such as recycling, composting, water quality testing, and the development of a local museum. Green Woods’ commitment extends beyond the classroom by embracing renewable energy sources with on-campus solar panels, tree-planting initiatives, LED lights, and energy-efficient appliances.

The school emphasizes eco-friendly materials, and proper ventilation to ensure a healthy indoor environment. 

Green Woods installed ultraviolet germicidal lamp technology on the campus rooftop HVAC units to reduce bacteria, mold, and pathogens. 

Additionally, Green Woods encourages students, staff, and parents to explore and embrace locally available, energy-efficient transportation options, has enhanced alternative transportation infrastructure, and promotes walking and cycling to school. 

Students participate in the Air Quality Flag Program to assess and display daily air quality with colorful flags corresponding to the air quality index and students offer education campaigns on the subject of sugar intake. 

Green Woods has shifted its education model to align to the Science, Technology & Engineering, Environmental Literacy, and Sustainability (STEELS) Standards and has systematically infused science into other disciplines. 

The school focuses on hands-on learning, field studies in collaboration with a local arboretum and environmental center, and applying knowledge gained in the classroom to community-based service projects.

 In each grade, students tackle a variety of service projects, from recycling and composting to gardening and raising trout. These projects improve the school’s local community habitat and increase student engagement.

Reading Senior High School

Reading Senior High School [Berks County], a school serving 96% minority and 86% economically disadvantaged students, has reduced its GHG [greenhouse gas] emissions and increased its energy efficiency by replacing boilers, added new doors and windows with improved insulation, and updated its HVAC system to increase energy efficiency to 90%. 

To date, RHS has replaced 397 incandescent fixtures with LEDs in the hallways, gym, cafe, and exterior of the school. 

RHS has improved its water quality, efficiency, and conservation by testing annually for toxins, replacing older toilets with water efficient models, and installing water bottle refill stations. 

They reduce waste by collecting food scraps and hazardous materials such as light bulbs, batteries, and metals.

 RHS teachers and students transformed an interior courtyard into an outdoor classroom with pollinator gardens, raised beds, compost bin, pond, and art murals. 

RHS offers health and wellness support to students and families by having certified school nurses, social workers, and guidance counselors on staff, and by partnering with outside organizations for substance abuse, mental health, and reproductive health services. 

Students learn about environmental issues and solutions through various subjects, such as English, history, biology and environmental science.

RHS uses the outdoor classroom and the 19-acre campus’ certified arboretum as learning spaces for students to explore nature and ecology. 

Students engage in STEM activities such as water quality testing, explorations of invasive species, “Trout in the Classroom” (where they raise and release trout in a nearby stream), and they manage the school greenhouse from seed germination to plant sales. 

Students designed outdoor furniture, which was then built by CTE students for the courtyard, and participate in clubs, field trips, and internships related to sustainability.

Click Here for complete list of Green Ribbon Schools.

For more information, visit the US Department of Education Green Ribbon Schools and PA Department of Education’s Pathways to Green Schools Initiative webpages.

(Photos: Rowan Elementary School, Cranberry Township, Butler County; Green Woods Charter School, Philadelphia; and Reading Senior High School, Reading, Berks County.)

NewsClip - Green Ribbon Schools:

-- Post-Gazette: Rowan Elementary School Designated As Green Ribbon School

Related Articles - Education:

-- PA Environmental Educators Host PA Environmental Justice & Education Summit May 13  [PaEN] 

-- Educators Invited To April 30 Online Meeting Of Southwest PA Environmental Literacy Coalition  [PaEN]

-- New Penn State Extension Master Gardeners Podcast Features Pollinator Habitat Certification Program  [PaEN] 

-- Lancaster Conservancy, Partners Hold Lancaster Water Week June 7-15  [PaEN]

-- Join Master Watershed Stewards In Lancaster County For June 13 Waterways On Wheels Bike Tour  [PaEN]

-- Asbury Woods Environmental Center In Erie Celebrates Arbor Day April 27 

-- 5 Pennsylvania Colleges, Join 3 From North Carolina In Joint Solar Energy Power Purchase Agreement From Facility In Kentucky [PaEN] 

-- PennFuture: Learn How To Protect the Natural Environment With Public Participation Public Power - A Community Guide to Local Land Use Decision-Making In PA  [PaEN]

-- Heights Philadelphia, EPA Announce New Partnership Aiding Black, Brown And First-Generation Students’ Pathways to Environmental Studies & Careers  [PaEN]

[Posted: April 27, 2024]  PA Environment Digest