Friday, March 28, 2014

PA Environmental Council Supports Federal Efforts To Regulate Methane Emissions

Paul King, President & CEO of the PA Environmental Council Friday issued the following statement on a new federal strategy to more comprehensively regulate methane emissions to combat climate change--
“The Pennsylvania Environmental Council is pleased with today's announcement from the White House concerning methane emissions from oil and gas operations. The announcement bridges several areas of concern we have regarding the growth of shale gas operations in Pennsylvania and the pressing need to take steps to minimize the release of greenhouse gases, particularly methane.
“While Pennsylvania has been at the forefront of advancing strong controls for shale gas operations, one area where other states have moved ahead of us is in the reduction of methane leaks coming from the exploration, production, and transmission of natural gas. The state of Colorado recently enacted a suite of standards for methane emissions that can serve as a model for Pennsylvania and the nation.
“Fugitive methane emissions waste valuable natural resources and money. More importantly, as recognized by today's announcement, methane released to the atmosphere has a much greater impact as a greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide.
“PEC looks forward to following the White House initiative and believes that Pennsylvania should actively embrace an examination of its own regulations in the wake of today’s announcement as well as the progress in this area among other states.”
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Hearing Dates May 7-8 On Hilcorp Gas Well Spacing Units Application

The Department of Environmental Protection Friday announced the hearing sessions on an Application for Gas Well Spacing Units, or spacing order, received from Hilcorp Energy Co., have been scheduled for May 7 and May 8.
“We successfully secured a delay in order to ensure the public was properly informed on this important matter,” DEP Deputy Secretary Scott Perry said. “The postponed hearing sessions will give the department time to personally notify all potentially impacted royalty owners and operators well in advance of the hearing proceedings.”
Hilcorp Energy Co. is applying for a well spacing order that establishes four gas well drilling units on 3,267 acres to drill into the Utica Shale Formation in Pulaski Township, Lawrence County and Shenango Township, Mercer County.
Under the Oil and Gas Conservation Law of 1961, when a spacing order application is submitted, an administrative hearing must be held prior to entering an order establishing well spacing and drilling units.
The hearing sessions are scheduled for May 7 and May 8 and will begin at 10 a.m. and 9 a.m. respectively.  They will be held at the Albert P. Gettings Government Center Annex of the Lawrence County Government Center, Assembly Room, 349 Countyline St., New Castle.
The first, two-day hearing session will accept testimony, much like a trial, on the spacing order application from DEP, Hilcorp and all property owners and operators in the area subject to the order. The first session will be open for the general public to attend and observe.
The second hearing session on May 8 will begin at 6 p.m. at the same location. As requested previously by DEP, anyone from the general public will have the opportunity to provide input about the application at the second session.
The department will submit a public notice of the rescheduled hearings for publication in local papers at least two weeks prior to the hearing sessions. Although not required by law, DEP also will directly notify all royalty owners and operators within the area subject to the requested order.
On March 21, DEP, along with Hilcorp, requested a delay in the hearing process in order to provide more complete notice to potentially affected people. The assigned hearing officer accepted this joint request, delaying the hearing process.
For more information, visit DEP’s Conservation Law webpage. Pennsylvanians looking for more information should call 717-772-2199.
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Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful Welcomes New Board Members

Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful Friday announced the addition of two new members to their Board of Directors-- John McGoran, Manager of Municipal Services with Republic Services and Mary Webber, Founder and Principal of Webber Associates.
“Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful is honored to welcome John McGoran and Mary Webber as new board members. Each brings a unique and diverse perspective and experience from their work in the waste industry field.  Their guidance and leadership will enhance our efforts across the state,” states Jim Bonner, Board of Directors Chair for Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful. “I know that their service will provide tremendous benefits to the board and organization as a whole.”
The members bring a wide range of experience to the board.
John McGoran has been an integral member of Solid Waste Boards in Western Pennsylvania to assist in the development of County Plans required by PA law to project and secure future disposal capacity for municipal waste generated in each county. John also works directly with the PA Department of Environmental Protection to develop and present changes to current waste hauling and disposal regulations.
Mary Webber is the founder of a government relations consulting firm providing lobbying and related services to state associations, nonprofits, and corporations and has led strategic planning and positioning of the Pennsylvania Waste Industries Association. She has served on the boards of a wide range of nonprofits including, Whitaker Center for Science and the Arts, Tres Bonne Annee, and Harristown Development Corporation.
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PEC Environment Ride Set For May 16-18

Join the PA Environmental Council for the annual Pennsylvania Environment Ride May 16-18  from Elizabethtown on the Susquehanna River to Philadelphia on the Delaware River.
Riders start out fresh from their overnight at the boutique Lancaster Arts Hotel, well rested for their two day exploration of Pennsylvania's rolling and historic countryside. Participants can explore PA's beautiful sights and scenery, make friends, build relationships, and have fun, all while supporting PEC's mission to build greenways and trails throughout the state.
Click Here for more information on registration.
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School Plastic Bag Recycling Challenge A Huge Success In Centre County

Sixteen State College Area Elementary Schools are currently competing in an eight week Plastic Bag Recycling Challenge which has so far recycled over 150,000 plastic bags collected from the schools-- over 2,000 pounds of plastic bags and film.  And there is no sign of slowing down.  
All sixteen participating schools will be rewarded with a Trex recycled plastic lumber park bench made from 10,000 recycled plastic bags as well as a Trex plastic lumber bird house.
The top two schools will receive enough Trex recycled plastic lumber to make a raised garden bed, $50 in “seed” money and compost to help their garden grow.
Both Weis Markets and the Trex Company donated all of the benches. Lowe’s Home Improvement is kicking in the lumber and the Boy Scouts will build the raised garden bed.
“You can’t just toss bags into a curbside recycling bin,” said Mimi Cooper of the Centre Region Council of Governments. “It’s really a matter of training us all to take plastic bags and plastic wraps back when we shop at the store. Most retail stores have bins designated for recycling bags. We just need to remember to do it, and there‘s no better way to learn than through our children.”
The plastic bags collected by the schools will be sent to the Trex Company and recycled into plastic lumber.  
The winning school will be announced at a Press Conference on April 21, at 10:30 a.m. at the Centre County Recycling & Refuse Authority.
Participating schools include: CLC Charter School, Corl Street Elementary, Easterly Parkway Elementary, Ferguson Township Elementary, The State College Friends School, Goddard School, Gray’s Woods Elementary, Houserville Elementary, Lemont Elementary, Mt. Nittany Elementary, Nittany Christian School, Nittany Valley Charter School, Our Lady of Victory Catholic School, Park Forest Elementary, Radio Park Elementary, and Young Scholars Charter School
For more information, call the Centre County Recycling and Refuse Authority at 814-238-7005, or Amy Schirf by sending email to: aschirf@centrecountyrecycles.org.  
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PACD Awards Water Pollution Prevention Mini-Grants To Conservation Districts

The PA Association of Conservation Districts Friday announced the award of more than $46,000 for 26 projects in 25 counties that promote water pollution prevention strategies through the Non-Point Source Pollution Prevention Educational Mini-Grant Program.
“Conservation districts are on the front line of ensuring there is enough clean water for Pennsylvanians,” said Robert Maiden, Executive Director of the PA Association of Conservation Districts. “With this funding from the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, the conservation districts will work with thousands of citizens across the state to help them make a difference in their communities.”
Funding for the grants, up to $2,000 each, is provided through the Department of Environmental Protection under Section 319 of the Clean Water Act, administered by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
The following projects were funded as a part of the 2014 – 2015 NPS Pollution Prevention Educational Mini-Grant round:  
Allegheny          Southwest Project Grass Grazing Bus Tour
Beaver               Stormwater Solutions for Homeowners
Berks                 Preventing Nonpoint Source Pollution through Adult Education in Berks County
Blair                  Trails, Trees and TV
Bradford            Bradford County Nutrient Management Education and Outreach Strategy
Bucks                We All Live Downstream: Delaware River Watershed Migration Day
Cameron            Implementing Best Management Practices on a Timber Harvest
Crawford           PA Farmland Preservation Association Conference and Conservation Tour
Dauphin            Erosion and Sediment Pollution Control Workshops
Elk                     Backyard Conservation Workshop
Greene               Conservation Partnerships to Reduce NPS Pollution - Brochure
Huntingdon        Pollinator Garden at Old Crow Wetland
Lackawanna      Rain Garden Demonstration Site
Lawrence          County Agricultural Field Day, featuring the Penn State Cover Crop Interseeder
Lehigh               Pollution Prevention Through Education
Lycoming          No-Till and Cover Crop Field Day
McKean            Prevention of NPS Pollution in McKean County
Monroe             Retain the Rain II: Practices for Pollution Prevention
Northampton    “Stop the Mud”
Potter                A Wastewater Buffer Strip with Biochar will Reduce Pollution
Snyder              New Cover Cropping Ideas
Snyder              Women In Ag Forum - Managing Soil Health
Tioga                Tioga County Agriculture Education
Union               Urban Landowner Cover Cropping
Venango          Venango County Ag Field Day
Westmoreland  Headwaters of Turtle Creek Bus Tour
For more information, visit PACD’s Non-Point Source Mini-Grant webpage.
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Friday NewsClips

Millfair Recycling Center Changes Days, Hours
Add Green Works In PA To Your Google+ Circle
Click Here for PA Capitol Digest NewsClips
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Thursday, March 27, 2014

PA Botany Symposium: A Consulting Botanist’s Toolkit April 18 Philadelphia

The Morris Arboretum in Philadelphia will host A Consulting Botanist’s Toolkit Workshop developed by the PA Botany Symposium Planning Committee on April 18 starting at 8:30 a.m.
The workshop will instruct participants in the skills needed to correctly conduct plant surveys, document findings for the Pennsylvania Natural Heritage Program, prepare reports to submit to the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources and prepare museum quality plant voucher specimens. The day will include a mix of classroom instruction, discussion and hands-on activities including a tour of the Morris Arboretum herbarium.
The agenda features a presentation by Kelly Sitch, M.S.,a botanist for the DCNR Bureau of Forestry, working primarily with Species of Special Concern management on state lands as well as vegetation monitoring in and around Marcellus Shale gas development on State Forest land.  He previously worked as an PNDI Environmental Review Specialist for 3 years.  Kelly received his Masters of Science in Forestry from Penn State University.
As featured is Dr. Timothy A. Block who was appointed the John J. Willaman Chair of Botany at the University of Pennsylvania’s Morris Arboretum in 2009 after having served as Director of Botany since 2001.  He has been affiliated with the Morris Arboretum for more than 16 years and holds appointments as Adjunct Professor in the Biology Department at Penn, Research Associate at the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia, and Expert in Botany for the Poison Control Center at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.  
He is co-author of The Plants of Pennsylvania: An Illustrated Manual published in 2000 with the second edition published in 2007, Trees of Pennsylvania: A Complete Reference Guide published in 2005, and Aquatic Plants of Pennsylvania: A Complete Reference Guide published by Penn Press in 2011.
The deadline to register is April 11 and the cost of the workshop is $135.
For more information and to register, visit the A Consulting Botanist’s Toolkit Workshop webpage.
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PennTAP Offers OSHA Training To Prevent Workplace Chemical Injuries

Any organization that handles, uses or stores hazardous chemicals  – from nail salons and funeral homes to contractors and manufacturers – must comply with the latest version of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA) Hazard Communication Standard or the company risks employee injury and/or OSHA citation.
OSHA reports that 43 million workers in more than 5 million workplaces across the country deal with hazardous chemicals and could benefit from training to understand the new rules of compliance.
The Pennsylvania Technical Assistance Program (PennTAP) at Penn State University will soon offer specialized training for any business that needs to be current with this new standard, HazCom 2012.
This training is tailored for front-line supervisors, management, safety committee members and interested employees. Participants will learn how to read labels and safety data sheets under the new format so they can properly manage chemical materials within the workplace and train their employees to understand the new labeling and Safety Data Sheet system.
The new HazCom changes bring the United States into alignment with the Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labeling of Chemicals (GHS), which is expected to prevent injuries and illnesses, save lives and improve trade conditions for chemical manufacturers. This new OSHA standard is designed to improve safety and health for America’s workers and could prevent more than 500 workplace injuries, illnesses and fatalities per year.
PennTAP will offer training on GHS under the HazCom 2012 standard at the following locations:
— Penn State Hazleton: Friday, March 28/Friday, July 11 at 103 Butler Seminar Room, Hazleton
— Penn State Erie: Tuesday, April 8/Thursday, July 24 at the Merwin Building at Knowledge Park, Erie
— Penn State DuBois: Wednesday, April 9 at 209 DEF Building, 1 College Place, DuBois
— Penn State University Park: Thursday, April 10/Friday, July 25 at 115 The 329 Building at Innovation Park, University Park
— Penn State York: Thursday, April 17/Thursday, July 31 at the Conference Centre, 1031 Edgecomb Ave., York
All workshops are from 8 a.m. to noon. The cost is $99 per person and free to Penn State students.
PennTAP was one of 18 organizations across the nation that received the Susan Harwood Targeted Training Grant. The grant program supports in-person, hands-on training and educational opportunities for employers in a variety of health and safety topics.
PennTAP is focusing on workers and employers in rural Pennsylvania. Each participant will receive an instructional kit for this training. Materials are available in English and Spanish.
Click Here for more information and to register.
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