PA Environment Digest Blog

Wednesday, November 1, 2023

PA League Of Women Voters, University Of Pittsburgh Graduate School Of Public Health Nov. 14 Shale Gas & Public Health Conference

The PA League of Women Voters and the University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health is now accepting registrations for the 11th Annual Shale Gas & Public Health Conference to be held in-person and online November 14 in Pittsburgh.

The Conference will review the latest in health and environmental impact research related to natural gas development.

The agenda includes--

-- University of Pittsburgh/PA Department of Health Studies

-- Bernard Goldstein, MD, Professor Emeritus, Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, University of Pittsburgh School of Public Health

-- James Fabisiak, PhD, Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, University of Pittsburgh School of Public Health

-- Shale gas development waste and radiation

-- Justin Nobel, MS, MA, Investigative journalist writing on science and the environment for Rolling Stone

-- Compendium of Scientific, Medical, and Media Findings Demonstrating Risks and Harms of Fracking and Associated Gas and Oil Infrastructure

-- Sandra Steingraber, PhD, Concerned Health Professionals of New York, Science and Environmental Health Network

-- Fracking and Water Contaminates

-- Susan Brantley, PhD, College of Earth and Mineral Sciences, Department of Geosciences, Penn State University

-- Jennifer Baka, PhD, College of Earth and Mineral Sciences, Department of Geography, Penn State University

-- Maternal and Birth Impacts

-- Mary D. Willis, PhD, MPH, Boston University School of Public Health

-- PFAS use in shale gas development

-- Dusty Horwitt, JD, Consultant, Environment & Health Program, Physicians for Social Responsibility

-- And More!

The in-person conference will be held at the University of Pittsburgh University Club, 123 University Place in Pittsburgh from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Click Here to register and for more information.

Upcoming Events:

-- PA League Of Women Voters, University Of Pittsburgh Graduate School Of Public Health Nov. 14 Shale Gas & Public Health Conference [PaEN]

-- University Of Pittsburgh Studies Of Shale Gas Development Health Impacts To Be Discussed At Nov. 14 Joint Meeting Of DEP Citizens Advisory Council, Environmental Justice Advisory Board [PaEN]

Related Articles - Health/Environmental Impacts:

-- Presentations Now Available From Shale Gas & Public Health Conference In Nov. Hosted By PA League Of Women Voters & University Of Pittsburgh Graduate School Of Public Health [PaEN]

-- 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]

-- Feature: 60 Years Of Fracking, 20 Years Of Shale Gas: Pennsylvania’s Oil & Gas Industrial Infrastructure Is Hiding In Plain Sight [PaEN]

-- Conventional Oil & Natural Gas Drilling: An Industrial Machine Moving Across The PA Countryside Leaving Behind Big Liabilities & Spreading Pollution Everywhere It Goes [PaEN]

-- 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]

-- 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]

-- EQT Shale Gas Wastewater Truck Rolls Over Spilling More Than 4,600 Gallons Of Wastewater In Lycoming County [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]

-- Ohio/PA Train Derailment, Pipeline Explosions, Uncontrolled Releases Put Spotlight On Public Health, Safety Threats Posed By Petrochemical, Natural Gas Industrial And Pipeline Infrastructure In PA [PaEN]

-- 9th Compendium Of Studies On Health & Environmental Harms From Natural Gas Development Released - ‘The Rapidly Expanding Body Of Evidence Compiled Here Is Massive, Troubling And Cries Out For Decisive Action’ [PaEN]

-- 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]

-- Senate Hearing: Body Of Evidence Is 'Large, Growing,’ ‘Consistent’ And 'Compelling' That Shale Gas Development Is Having A Negative Impact On Public Health; PA Must Act [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]

-- State Dept. Of Health Invites Citizens To File Environmental Health Complaints Related To Natural Gas Development; Health Will Also Review Environmental Test Results [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]

-- Between The Lines Podcast: Pediatrician Dr. Ned Ketyer Explains The Results Of New Studies Of The Health Impacts Of Natural Gas Development On Children And Adults [PaEN]

-- New University Of Chicago Medical Study Connects Natural Gas Development In PA To Real, Serious Human Health Outcomes In Comparison To New York State [PaEN]

-- Environmental Health Project: PA’s Natural Gas Boom - What Went Wrong? Why Does It Matter? What Can We Do Better To Protect Public Health? [PaEN]

-- Yale School Of Public Health Study Found PA Children 2 To 3 Times More Likely To Be Diagnosed With Leukemia If They Live Near Unconventional Shale Gas Facilities [PaEN]

-- Study: Industry Data Shows Hazardous Air Pollutants Are ‘Ubiquitous’ In The Natural Gas Transmission System; More Justification For Robust Leak Prevention Programs [PaEN]

-- Penn State Study: Potential Pollution Caused By Road Dumping Conventional Oil & Gas Wastewater Makes It Unsuitable For A Dust Suppressant, Washes Right Off The Road Into The Ditch [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]

-- 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]

-- Conventional Oil & Gas Well Owners Failed To File Annual Production/Waste Generation Reports For 61,655 Wells; Attorney General Continues Investigation Of Road Dumping Wastewater [PaEN]

-- Public Source: ‘It’s Just Too Close:’ People Living Near Natural Gas Drilling, Industrial Facilities Suffer As State And Local Governments Fail To Buffer Homes

-- What It’s Like To Raise A Family In The Most Fracked County In PA - Washington County: PA Physicians For Social Responsibility [Video]

-- Environmental Health Project: Setback Distances And The Regulations We Need To Protect Public Health From Oil & Gas Facilities [PaEN]

-- 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]

-- 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]

-- Environmental Health Project: How DEP Issues Permits For Shale Gas Facilities Without Considering Cumulative Impacts - How New Facilities Will Add To Existing Pollution Loads And Impact The Area [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 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]

-- Creating New Brownfields: Oil & Gas Well Drillers Notified DEP They Are Cleaning Up Soil & Water Contaminated With Chemicals Harmful To Human Health, Aquatic Life At 272 Locations In PA [PaEN]

-- Republican Rep. Krupa Introduces HB 1656 To Ban Oil, Gas Wastewater Injection Wells To Protect The Public From Radioactive, Toxic Materials [PaEN]

-- Center For Rural Pennsylvania: Rural Population To Shrink 5.8%; Fewer Young People, More Older People; Current Policies Failed To Sustain Communities, Ensure Long-Term Rural Resiliency [PaEN]

More Environmental & Health Impact Articles:

-- Click Here for more articles on oil and gas infrastructure impacts on health and the environment.

PA Oil & Gas Industry Public Notice Dashboards:

-- Pennsylvania Oil & Gas Weekly Compliance Dashboard - Oct. 28 to Nov. 3 - Fire At PA General Energy Shale Gas Well Pad; 5 More Abandoned Conventional Wells; Replugging Shale Gas Well [PaEN]

-- PA Oil & Gas Industrial Facilities: Permit Notices/Opportunities To Comment - November 4 [PaEN]

-- DEP Posted 57 Pages Of Permit-Related Notices In Nov. 4 PA Bulletin [PaEN]

Pike Conservation District: What Happens When Stormwater Management Goes Wrong?

By Chris Metzler, District Engineer

Have you seen new construction taking place and noticed that the construction crew install pipes or grade in channels to divert stormwater into depressed areas, or basins, to hold water?

This is done to make sure the new construction will manage the stormwater runoff it will produce due to the proposed development.

When development takes place, there is typically a change in ground cover type, most commonly going from woods/meadow to impervious and maintained lawn.

When a new home or building is proposed to be built on a vacant property, the project site will need to make sure it manages the stormwater runoff. What is meant by stormwater management though?

Stormwater management is when proposed development needs to analyze their stormwater runoff increases and manage them so as not to affect downstream properties and protect the receiving surface water.

Stormwater runoff increases result when the ground cover type is changed. For example, when the existing cover is wooded, and the development will add parking lots.

The woods ground cover will produce less runoff as the water has a better chance to infiltrate into the soil where pavement will produce more runoff as this surface allows no water to infiltrate.

From a state level, there are three components to stormwater management. These components are the rate of the runoff leaving the site, the volume of runoff leaving the site, and the water quality of the runoff. The stormwater runoff needs to be managed during construction and post construction.

Let’s break down the three components a little more to gain a better understanding of what we need to accomplish to meet the regulations of managing stormwater.

The components of stormwater management are the requirements that the State has implemented to meet to receive the proper permitting to build.

To meet the rate requirement, the rate of stormwater leaving the project site needs to be equal to or less than the pre-development condition.

To meet the volume requirement, the increase of volume from the pre-development condition to the post-development condition for the 2-year/ 24-hour storm event must be managed on-site.

The 2-year/ 24-hour storm event is a rainfall event that would produce the same amount of precipitation as a storm event that would have the probability of occurring once over a 2-year period lasting for 24 hours.

The precipitation amount is measured as a depth in inches.

For the water quality requirement, the water quality should be better in the post-development condition than in the pre-development condition.

Some ways that sites propose to manage their stormwater is to construct infiltration basins, wet ponds, and rain gardens to name a few.

These best management practices (BMPs) can help the proposed development manage all three components. Sometimes multiple BMPs will be proposed to meet the stormwater management requirements.

One question we must ask ourselves is, what happens when stormwater management goes wrong?

One of the first things that comes to mind is downstream properties being flooded. There could be potential washout of roadways, damage to neighboring properties, and a pollution event to the receiving surface water.

These could happen because of stormwater not being managed properly or a failure of a proposed BMP due to improper installation or failure to maintain the BMP.

When stormwater management fails and the downstream properties now receive this increase stormwater, the damage that can be done is costly to repair and can potentially be detrimental to the environment.

When the stormwater runoff isn’t properly managed and there is an increase in rate, this can cause accelerated erosion which can lead to sediment and debris on neighboring properties and sedimentation of streams and lakes.

The sedimentation will cause the water to be cloudy which will affect the water temperature and the ecosystem.

If the increase in volume isn’t managed, there will be a greater possibility of flooding downstream areas and overloading the existing conveyance measures.

If the water quality of the stormwater runoff is not managed for suspended solids, phosphates, and nitrates, then the water quality of the receiving surface water may degrade.

This degradation of water quality can lead to a decrease in aquatic life and the loss of a natural resource.

How can we make sure that stormwater management doesn’t fail? During the permit review process, the District Engineer reviews the provided plans and calculations to make sure the proposed BMPs will meet the three components.

When the project site goes to construction, there is an inspection of the BMP installation to make sure it is installed per the plans and that no issues are encountered in the field, helping to ensure the success of a BMP.

This step of the process is called a critical stage and is conducted by the Engineer of Record or their representative.

Once the development is in post construction condition, the inspection and maintenance of the BMP will help keep it functioning as designed and prevent failure.

When stormwater runoff is not managed, there can be minor to major impacts for downstream properties and to the receiving surface water.

However, when stormwater runoff is managed per the regulations, it will maintain the existing drainage ways and help with the protection of the surface waters.

Click Here to read the entire article + citations.

Visit the Pike County Conservation District to learn more about natural resource conservation and for upcoming events schedule. Click Here to sign up for regulator updates.

[Posted: November 1, 2023] PA Environment Digest

Wednesday PA Environment & Energy NewsClips - 11.1.23

Pursue Your Constitutional Right To A Clean Environment In Pennsylvania

House next voting day Nov. 13, 14, 15, Dec. 11, 12, 13

-- Committee Schedule

Senate next voting day Nov. 13, 14, 15, Dec. 11, 12, 13

-- Committee Schedule

TODAY’s Calendar Of Events

TODAY 9:30: House Philadelphia LNG Natural Gas Export Task Force meeting to consider Task Force Report. Room 515 Irvis Building. 9:30. Click Here to watch live.

TODAY 5:00:- PennDOT Outreach Session On National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Program. H. O. Hirt Auditorium at Blasco Library, 160 E Front Street, Erie. 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. Click Here to register and for more information.

TODAY 7:30: Virtual. Beaver County Marcellus Awareness Community - Eyes On Shell monthly meeting. 7:30 p.m.

THURSDAY 10:00: Agenda Posted. Senate Environmental Resources & Energy Committee joint hearing with the Ohio Public Utilities Committee on interstate relationships within PJM Electric Grid. Williams Penn Omni Hotel, Lawrence Welk Room, Pittsburgh. 10:00 a.m. Click Here to watch live.

THURSDAY 6:30: Susquehanna River Basin Commission hearing on water withdrawal requests, including shale gas drilling in Loyalsock, Pine Creek Exceptional Value Watersheds. SRBC offices, 4423 North Front Street, Harrisburg. 6:30 to 9:00 p.m. Read more here.

THURSDAY 6:00: PennDOT Outreach Session On National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Program. Goggleworks, 201 Washington Street, Reading. 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. Click Here to register and for more information.

THURSDAY 6:00: In-Person/Virtual. Shell Accountability Campaign Town Hall Meeting On Shell Petrochemical Plant And Emergency Response Plans. Community College of Beaver County, Learning Resources Center, Room 9103, 1 Campus Drive in Monaca, Beaver County. 5:00 p.m. reception, 6:00 p.m. program starts.

-- University Of Pittsburgh Studies Of Shale Gas Development Health Impacts To Be Discussed At Nov. 14 Joint Meeting Of DEP Citizens Advisory Council, Environmental Justice Advisory Board [PaEN]

-- Post-Gazette - Anya Litvak: PA Attorney General Files Criminal Charges Against Equitrans In 2018 Greene County Home Natural Gas Explosion Caused By Leaking Conventional Well At The Pratt Gas Storage Facility

-- WTAE: Criminal Charges Filed Against Equitrans After Natural Gas Explosion Destroyed Greene County Home In 2018

-- Observer-Reporter: State AG Files Criminal Charges Against Equitrans, Faults Company For 2018 Natural Gas Explosion That Destroyed Home In Greene County

-- Shell Accountability Campaign Hosts Nov. 2 Shell Petrochemical Plant Town Hall Meeting On Emergency Response Plans In Beaver County [PaEN]

-- The Guardian: Pittsburgh, Environmental, Cultural Institutions Share Lobbyists With Fossil Fuel Companies

-- The Guardian: US Students At Penn State, University Of Pennsylvania Other Schools File Complaints Over Fossil Fuel Investments

-- PJM Interconnection Proposal To Expand The Electric Grid To Meet Needs Of Data Centers, Generator Retirements, New Generation Resource Capacity In Mid-Atlantic Region

-- 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]

-- Chesapeake Bay Program: Protected Land In Bay Watershed Reaches 9.1 Million Acres; PA Leads With 3.6 Million Acres

-- National Sea Grant College Program Now Accepting Applications For 2 Marine Debris Prevention & Removal Funding Opportunities [PaEN]

-- Scranton Times: Scranton Holding Flood Recovery Grant Outreach Sessions Thru Friday