SRBC Suspends 36 Water Withdrawals Used By Natural Gas Drilling Companies

The Susquehanna River Basin Commission Tuesday temporarily suspended 36 separate water withdrawals used by natural gas drilling companies due to localized stream flow levels dropping at many locations in the Susquehanna basin, especially in northern Pennsylvania.

“Once again, the Commission’s stream protection requirements are ahead of the curve and working as intended to protect aquatic resources and downstream water users,” said SRBC Executive Director Paul Swartz. “As of early this week, 36 individual water withdrawals in 10 Pennsylvania counties have been temporarily suspended by virtue of the Commission’s passby flow restrictions. The vast majority of those suspended withdrawals are related to water for natural gas development.”

Under SRBC’s passby flow restrictions, when streams drop to pre-determined protected low flow levels, project sponsors who are required to meet the agency’s passby requirement must stop taking water. They cannot resume taking water until streams have recovered above the protected level for at least 48 hours.

SRBC and its regulated project sponsors monitor real-time stream flow data generated by stream gages maintained and operated by the U.S. Geological Survey.

Regulated project sponsors also are required to install tamper-proof water meters that automatically record their water withdrawals on a daily basis. SRBC requires that information be reported to it quarterly, in addition to continuous spot-inspections by SRBC field staff working out of the field office in Sayre, Bradford County, Pennsylvania.

Swartz said, “The Commission does not wait for drought declarations or phone calls from citizens to temporarily halt water withdrawals. Our system is based on science and kicks in well before streams drop to critical low levels. We base our surface and groundwater withdrawal approvals on conservative assumptions regarding hydrologic conditions.”

Not all SRBC approvals contain passby restrictions. Those are the withdrawals where the approved withdrawal amounts are so small that they will not affect the protective levels of streams. In those cases, companies can continue to take water during low flow periods.

A list of actions by the SRBC is available online. Visit SRBC's Marcellus Shale webpage for more background on how the agency regulates drilling water withdrawals.

Click Here for statewide drought information.

July 20 Declared Air Quality Action Day In 3 Regions

The Department of Environmental Protection and its regional air quality partnerships have forecast an air quality action day for Wednesday, July 20, in the Pittsburgh, Philadelphia and Susquehanna Valley regions. Click Here for more.

Keep PA Beautiful Accepting Greenways Mini-Grant Applications

Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful today announced they are now accepting applications until August 15 for a new Greenways Mini-Grant Program.

The Greenways Mini-Grant program is designed to provide community groups with project supplies for outdoor based work events within a greenway enabling the renewal of Pennsylvania’s Greenways in need into something beautiful.

A greenway is a linear corridor across the land that conserves natural areas and provides people with recreation and transportation opportunities. Pennsylvania and its partners are developing an outstanding network of greenways across the Commonwealth, creating an asset that will enhance the quality of life for all while connecting open space, natural landscape features, scenic, cultural, historic, and recreations sites, and urban and rural communities.

As one of the Commonwealth’s most powerful tools to achieve sustainable growth and livable communities, greenways are ensuring future generations the opportunity to live amongst the natural beauty of Penn’s Woods.

This program is financed by a grant from the Community Conservation Partnership Program, Environmental Stewardship Fund, under the administration of the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, Bureau of Recreation and Conservation.

Fifteen grant awardees along with their volunteers will be eligible for up to $500 in project supplies and direct project costs for Prevent it, Clean it, and Keep it projects within a Greenway.

The Greenways Mini-Grant is available to any tax-exempt group within the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and to Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful Affiliates. Private property owners or individual applicants cannot apply. Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful and DCNR will select the fifteen winning projects from among applications submitted.

Applications must meet the following requirements to be considered – it is within a Greenway and is in at least one of the following categories: Prevent it, Clean it, and Keep it (see application for details), plus provide proof of liability insurance, signed permission to enter from the private property owner, and 100 percent match of donated or in-kind services. Selected awardees must also agree to provide a final report with before, during, and after photos.

“We are excited to collaborate with DCNR in offering Greenways Mini-Grants to organizations working to build clean and beautiful communities across the state,” said Shannon Reiter, President of Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful. “Greenways are integral to healthy, livable communities, and we are grateful to have the opportunity to empower Pennsylvania with the tools and resources they need to enhance greenways in their communities.”

Grants will be awarded early to mid September.

For more information or to download the application, visit the Greenways Mini-Grant Program webpage or contact Susan Carmichael, Greenways Mini-Grant Program Coordinator, at 1-877-772-3673 ext. 102 or send email to: scarmichael@keeppabeautiful.org.

Tuesday NewsClips

Transportation Panel Urges Raising Drivers' Fee, Gas Tax
Transportation Panel Issues Recommendations
Gas Drilling Industry Will Get Its Way
Editorial: Impact Fees A Good Start
Editorial: Shale Commission Or Shill Commission?
Washington County Landfill Wants Marcellus Waste
SM Energy To Sell PA Marcellus Shale Assets
Rex Energy To Pay $14 Million In Marcellus Rights Settlement
Video: Why We Need To Clean Up The Chesapeake Bay
Nine Mile Run Prepares For A Summer Storm
Wet Spring Gives Way To Drought-Like Conditions
Treatment Plant Failure Cuts Water To 35,000
Proposed Red Clay Byway Focused On Watershed Conservation
Pittsburgh Council To Discuss Rules For Electronic Billboards
Nature Program For Kids At Oil Creek State Park
Click Here for PA Capitol Digest

Transportation Commission Recommends New Fees, Higher Taxes To Fund Improvements

In contrast to concerns about not adopting a Marcellus Shale severance tax and funding for environmental restoration, Gov. Corbett's Transportation Funding Advisory Commission today unanimously recommended $2.7 billion in new transportation taxes and fees to finance highway, bridge and mass transit maintenance and improvements, according to reporting by Capitolwire.com.
The recommendations do not include a higher gas tax, however, the biggest increase will hit motorists because the Commission proposed to uncap the Oil Company Franchise Tax on gasoline which would raise about $1.36 billion.
The changes would be phased in over five years, and according to the Commission, would cost a driver traveling 12,000 miles a year $24 the first year increasing to $26.06 the fifth year.
Overall, the proposal would provide--
-- $481 million for state highways and bridges in year one, $1.99 billion by year five;
-- $80 million for local highways and bridges in year one, $332 million by year five; and
-- $200 million for mass transit in year one, $404 million by year five.
Other recommendations include:
-- Raise the driver’s license and vehicle registration fees by the consumer price index for 2012, then raising them three percent a year annually. For vehicle registration, it would rise from $36 a year to $49. On a tractor-trailer, of 80,000 pounds, the fee would go from $1,687 to more than $2,200 annually. That would raise $412 million initially, $574 million by year five. The commission discussed raising the registration fee for truckers over five years;
-- Cap the $570 million the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation annually pays for state police;
-- Move about half of that sum, $300 million of that $570 million, from the PennDOT budget to the general fund;
-- Restructure Act 44 to move $200 million from highways to mass transit, $200 million for transit, no net change;
-- Changes to bring in $67 million initially, $222 million by year five;
-- Increase the local mass transit match to 15 of new money if local option source, small games of chance, enabled by law, is required to draw state dollars: $29 million in year two, $118 million by year five;
-- Send 2 percent of all state sales taxes to transit: $44 million in year two, $172 million by year five;
-- Modernization and cost-savings to fund roads, highways and bridges: $10 million in year one; $66 million by year five. Those would include higher fines and fees for various activities. Also nearly $6 million for renewing licenses and registration every two years; and
-- Transit fees: 2 percent of all sales tax; $172 million by mid-2016; $50 million from small games of chance for transit local share or local funding.
The final report and executive summary are available online.

Monday NewsClips

Corbett Panel Sets Guidelines For Marcellus Drilling
Marcellus Commission Report To Be Made Public This Week
EPA Questions Company's Need For Gas Pipeline
Fish Commission Hopes To Share In Marcellus Fees
Editorial: Friendly Fracosaurus Goes Bye-Bye
Green Pedicabs Fill South Side Niche
Transportation Commission To Vote Today On Funding Alternatives
Higher Gas Taxes Among Transportation Commission Options
Faithful Flock To Green Energy Fair In Scranton
Editorial: Time To Clear The Air
Audubon Takes Over 50-Acre Butler Conservancy
Legalization Of Sunday Hunting Not An Easy Issue Lawmakers Say
Event Encourages Kids To Exercise, Enjoy The Outdoors
Greensburg Salem Teacher Top Biology Teacher
Click Here for PA Capitol Digest

Sunday NewsClips

Debate Expected On Where Impact Fee Should Be Spent
Lycoming Commissioner: Group To Back Impact Fee
Bumsted: Cawley Breaks The Mold
Gas Industry Launching WV Radio Ads, Talk Show
SCRIP River Improvement Group Celebrates 20 Years
Thropps Creek Streambank Stabilization
Editorial: Utilities Must Justify Rates
Ray Savel Spends Lifetime Caring For Environment
State To Outline 12-Year Transportation Plan
Official Presses bid As Bike-Friendly City
Grant Looks At Township Transfer Of Development Rights
Wind Turbines Deadly For Bats
Midstate Residents Enjoy Smooth Sailing On Pinchot Lake
Sunday Hunting Sparks Debate Between Agencies
Click Here for PA Capitol Digest

Saturday NewsClips

Editorial: Save Growing Greener Program
Corbett's Gas Panel Calls For Payments
Marcellus Shale Panel Recommends Generic Impact Fee
Marcellus Commission Recommends Impact Fee, Forced Pooling
Half Of Commission Recommendations Focus On Environment
Corbett Panel Backs Impact Fee On DrillingPA Shale Panel Recommends Drilling Fee, Forced Pooling
Corbett Drilling Panel Recommends Fee On Marcellus Industry
Advisory Commission Recommends Marcellus Impact Fee
Marcellus Commission Ends Day, Passes 100 Recommendations
How Marcellus Commission Vote Will Impact PA Laws
Fish Commission Land No Draw In NE For Gas
Association Asks PUC To Reconsider Gas Pipeline Utility Status
Company Defends Plan For PA Natural Gas Pipeline
Alliance Landfill Prepares To Take Drilling Waste
Throop Plans Special Meeting On Gas Drilling Waste
This America Life Features Marcellus Shale In PA
Ordinance Prevents Schuylkill Haven Man From Using Solar Panels
Amerikohl Mining Faces Questions In Reclamation
Harveys Lake Residents To Get Low-Cost Well Tests
Dredging Barge Goes To Work In Presque Isle Bay
Editorial: Dim Bulbs, GOP Holds Back Bulb Progress
Fallingwater May Gain Global Historic Status
Click Here for PA Capitol Digest

July 18 PA Environment Digest Now Available

July 18 PA Environment Digest now available. Click Here to print this Digest.

Governor's Marcellus Commission Recommends Impact Fee, Forced Pooling

After a day-long meeting punctuated by lots of discussion, the Governor's Marcellus Shale Advisory Commission finished work on about 100 recommendations which included urging the adoption of an impact fee, a general statement on forced pooling of natural gas properties and a bigger role for county conservation districts in regulating drilling operations for erosion and sedimentation problems.

The final report was passed unanimously by the Commission, but some Commission members noted not all the recommendations were supported by each member.

Members of the Commission each had the recommendations before them, but the text of the proposals were not available to the public online before the meeting or to the audience attending as handouts. All that's known about the recommendations was gleaned from verbal comments made at the meeting.

Each of the four work groups: Environmental Protection and Public Health, Local Impacts and Emergency Response, Economic and Workforce Development and Infrastructure reported generally on agreed-to recommendations. The recommendations were then voted on in groups or individual recommendations were called out by number and discussed or changed.

New recommendations, in particular by environmental groups, were suggested, discussed and voted on, but again the text of the changes were not available. Click Here for more....