On Demand Video: Aug. 26 DEP Pipeline Infrastructure Task Force Meeting

If you missed the August 26 DEP Pipeline Infrastructure Task Force meeting this week, you can catch up with an on demand video of the meeting available on the Task Force webpage.

The agenda included short progress reports from many of the individual workgroups and presentations by Dan Devlin, Director of DCNR’s Bureau of Forestry on Natural Resource Management of Pipeline Infrastructure, a two-part presentation by representatives of Chester County on how the County is involved in addressing pipeline issues and a presentation by the Susquehanna County Conservation District on how districts are involved in regulating the construction of pipelines.

All the presentations are available on the Task Force webpage.

The next meeting of the Task Force will be September 23 in the Susquehanna Conference Rooms, DEP Southcentral Regional Office, 909 Elmerton Ave., Harrisburg starting at 1:00.

For more information, visit the DEP Pipeline Infrastructure Task Force webpage.

PA State Museum: Pennsylvania’s Conservation Heritage Considered Sept. 15

The State Museum of Pennsylvania in Harrisburg will host a special program on September 15 on Pennsylvania’s Conservation Heritage Considered: A Special Preview and Panel Discussion starting at 12:15.

Join the PA Historical and Museum Commission and other partners to preview WITF’s new short documentaries on Pennsylvania conservation legends Gifford Pinchot and Mira Lloyd Dock.

The videos will followed by an informative panel discussion featuring Cindy Dunn, Secretary of the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources and John Quigley, Secretary of the Department of Environmental Protection.

WITF’s videos will include:

-- Mira Lloyd Dock: A Beautiful Crusade: In 1899 women were seen not heard. But But not Mira Lloyd Dock, a little known Progressive Era activist. This botanist, forester, and preservationist brought the City Beautiful movement to Pennsylvania’s Capitol city. She helped transform it from a grimy disease ridden mess to a cleanly, manicured and modern state Capitol. During Mira’s 12 years of service on the PA Forest Commission, one million acres of forest became reserves. She was the first woman in the world to be appointed to a public forest commission. And, she was the first woman to hold job in PA government either appointed or elected.

-- Gifford Pinchot’s Conservation Legacy: As America’s first trained forester and conservationist, Gifford Pinchot used his wealth, intellect and power to protect the nation’s natural resources for “the greatest good, for the greatest number, in the long run.” In 1898, Pinchot was appointed as Chief of the Division of Forestry in the U.S. Department of Agriculture under President William McKinley. And in 1905 he became head of the newly established United States Forest Service. Working with President Theodore Roosevelt, he played a significant role in shaping American conservation policy and expanding the nation’s forest reserves. As Governor of Pennsylvania Pinchot helped pull rural farmers out of the mud with the establishment of Pinchot roads. During the great Depression he put Pennsylvanians back to work regenerating clear cut forests and planting trees, paving the way for the national Civilian Conservation Corps program.

Admission to the event is free.  Click Here for more on the event. Click Here for more on WITF's Conservation History Initiative.

Allegheny Front: How Small Towns Are Reclaiming Their Riverfronts

The Allegheny Front radio program this week featured Lindsay Baxter from the PA Environmental Council talking about the group’s River Town Program.

In recent years, cities like Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and Cleveland have won a lot of praise for reviving their waterfronts with bike trails and parks. But many smaller towns, some along those same rivers, are struggling to find their footing after key businesses—and later, residents—left town.

PEC’s River Town Program helps riverfront communities rediscover the value of their rivers as economic and community assets and is helping transform small riverfront communities in Pennsylvania.

Click Here to listen to the program or read more about it.  For more information, visit PEC’s River Town Program webpage.

NewsClips:

Balancing Flood Protection And Fun In PA’s River Towns

Rebirth On The Monongahela River

Improved Access No. 1 Goal Of Monongahela River Town Program

Lots Of Red Tape For Building Waterfront Projects In PA

Historic Waterfront Development That Transformed Pittsburgh: Point State Park

Mapping Pennsylvania’s Urban Waterfronts

400 PA Academic Leaders Urge Gov. Wolf, Sen. Casey To Tackle Climate Change

In response to ongoing debate surrounding the Environmental Protection Agency’s finalized Clean Power Plan, more than 400 Pennsylvania academic leaders have signed a letter emphasizing the scientific validity of climate change and urging Gov. Tom Wolf and U.S. Senator Bob Casey to implement a strong state plan that minimizes carbon pollution.

“[The]Clean Power Plan to limit carbon pollution from power plants is an essential step forward on the path to reducing carbon pollution and shifting to clean energy,” the letter states. “The action couldn’t come soon enough: It is becoming more and more apparent that urgent action on global warming is critical if we are going to secure a safer future for our children."

Professors, researchers and lecturers at 29 Pennsylvania universities, as well as Harvard and Georgetown Universities, signed the letter to demonstrate the need for state lawmakers to take action based on the body of scientific research on climate change. At least 97 percent of actively publishing climate scientists agree that human activities are very likely the cause of global warming trends in the last 100 years, according to a study published in Environmental Research Letters and in other peer-reviewed scientific journals.

“The debate on global climate change is entirely a political one, not a scientific one,” said Dr. Michael Zdilla, associate professor of chemistry at Temple University and one of the signatories.  “There is a clear consensus--greater than 97 percent from the peer-reviewed scientific literature--that human activity has caused climate change, and that a response to attenuate its effects is already late in coming. Immediate and decisive action is needed in Pennsylvania and the rest of the world now."

As the effects of global climate change continue to increase with stronger storms, harsher droughts and rising temperatures, the Clean Power Plan is a significant step forward in allowing Pennsylvania and the United States to limit the environmental impact of climate change.

“This plan is critical for our future, and we ought to take industry warnings about potential costs with a grain of salt,” said Dr. Caroline Nielsen, Assistant Professor of Biology at Cabrini College and a signatory of the letter. “In the past, environmental regulations to address acid rain, lead poisoning, smog and other hazards have all saved lives while ultimately costing much less than industries predicted.”

"While we understand that the threat of climate change is real, we also have the know-how at our fingertips to tackle this problem,” said Dr. Xu Liang, professor of civil and environmental engineering at the University of Pittsburgh who also signed the letter. “We've made significant progress in exploring the use of alternative energy sources and in energy conservation and we can definitely find a solution to the problem before it is too late if we start to work on it today.”

The letter was distributed to professors across Pennsylvania by PennEnvironment Research & Policy Center, a statewide environmental advocacy organization, and the Natural Resources Defense Council.

The strong support from academics across Pennsylvania illustrates the respected scientific research on the causes of and solutions for climate change:

"Addressing climate change is of the utmost importance to our nation,” said Dr. Manfred Paulini from Carnegie Mellon University's Department of Physics. "It is critical to ensure that Pennsylvania implements a strong plan to reduce global warming pollution and protect future generations.”

“Our nation needs specific reduction goals in carbon emission if we are going to get traction on curbing climate change. We need to act now, not later. The Clean Power Plan is real action for real change,” said Dr. Sid Halsor, chair of the Environmental Engineering and Earth Sciences Department at Wilkes University.

“Without a planet that can sustain us, nothing else matters,” said Sarah Dawson, Director of Wohlsen Center for Sustainable Environment at Franklin and Marshall College. "The time to act is now."
A copy of the letter is available online.

Related Stories:

DEP Accepting Comments On 2015 PA Climate Impacts Assessment Report
New Poll: PA Voters Support More Emission Limits On Coal-Burning Power Plants

Special PA Environment Digest Coverage Of EPA Clean Power Plan Announcement

Updated DEP Schedule For Mosquito Spraying

The Department of Environmental Protection and West Nile Programs across the state announced mosquito spray dates in the coming week.  They include--

-- August 31: Westmoreland County* (parts of North Huntingdon Township); York County* (parts of York City);

-- September 1: Allegheny County* (parts of Pittsburgh City).

Click Here for a list of spray dates.  For more information, visit the West Nile Virus website.

*New

Wild Excellence Films Half Done With The Fight To Save The Hemlocks Of Cook Forest

Wild Excellence Films Thursday announced the cinematography for its independent film, Cathedral: The Fight to Save the Ancient Hemlocks of Cook Forest, is approximately 50 percent complete.

The film is a high-definition short documentary about the ancient trees of Cook Forest State Park in Clarion, Forest and Jefferson counties, which are under attack by the Hemlock Woolly Adelgid, a destructive insect that gravely threatens the eastern hemlock.

The film tells the story of the efforts to save the cathedral forest. Preliminary shooting began in February 2015; WEF expects the film to be ready for release nationwide in late 2016.

The 8,500-acre Cook Forest State Park was once called the “Black Forest” because of the thick evergreen canopy. Its “Forest Cathedral” of towering white pines and hemlocks is a National Natural Landmark.

Hemlock Woolly Adelgid was introduced from Asia into the Pacific Northwest in 1924. It was probably introduced into the northeastern United States in the 1950's, and it was first discovered in Pennsylvania in 1967.  The HWA was discovered in Cook Forest in 2013.

“These magnificent trees are hundreds of years old and we have to do everything we can to help save them”, said Melissa Rohm, primary filmmaker for the project.

The filmmakers are capturing not only the scenic beauty of the forest, its wild inhabitants, and natural history, but also the process of saving the forest and the important work being done by the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources Bureau of Forestry personnel.

Interviews with experts in the field will explain the grave threat the trees are facing and the efforts to save them. WEF is exploring partnerships and funding opportunities that will enable the film to reach the widest possible audience.

Wild Excellence Films, founded by David and Melissa Rohm, specializes in wildlife, nature, public lands, and conservation media. Also in production is a short film about the Jennings Prairie, at Jennings Environmental Education Center in Slippery Rock, Butler County.

One of the park’s main features, the 20-acre prairie ecosystem, is home to distinctive prairie plants and the endangered Massasauga Rattlesnake. Jennings is the only publicly protected prairie ecosystem in Pennsylvania.

Wild Excellence Films also worked on the film The Presque Isle Water Trail.

For more information, visit the Wild Excellence Films or send email to: wildexcellencefilms@comcast.net.

DEP Returns Application For Clean Earth, Inc. Drill Cuttings Project In Tioga County

The Department of Environmental Protection Friday announced it is returning the NPDES permit application for stormwater construction to Clean Earth Inc. related to the company’s proposed use of treated drill cuttings for fill at the Wellsboro-Johnston Airport in Tioga County.

“Clean Earth has not fully responded to the deficiencies in the application and has agreed that the application should be withdrawn for the Tioga County project,” said DEP Northcentral Regional Director Marcus Kohl. “The department is deeming it withdrawn and returning it.”

DEP had been conducting technical reviews of the NPDES permit application and a site-specific approval under the company’s existing Waste Management Research and Development General Permit.

The department held a public meeting and hearing in late February in Wellsboro to discuss the project and accept public testimony.  

DEP Invites Comments On Thompson Run TMDL In Allegheny County

The Department of Environmental Protection published notice in the August 29 PA Bulletin inviting comments on a proposed, revised Total Maximum Daily Load Plan for Thompson Run in Allegheny County. (formal notice Aug. 29 PA Bulletin page 5449)

Comments are due September 28.  A copy of the TMDL is available on DEP’s TMDL webpage.

Hearing On Waiving Drilling Setbacks By Hilcorp Energy Sept. 16 In Lawrence County

The Department of Environmental Protection has scheduled a hearing on September 16 on a request from Hilcorp Energy Company to waive the 330 foot setback as required by the Oil and Gas Conservation Law for a well located in Pulaski Township, Lawrence County.  (formal notice Aug. 29 PA Bulletin page 5448)

The hearing will be held in the first floor conference room at the Northwest Regional Office located at 230 Chestnut Street, Meadville from 6:00 to 9:00 p.m.

Hilcorp is proposing to drill the Pulaski-Chrastina 8H which will penetrate the Onondaga formation therefore the wellbore is subject to the OGCL and 25 Pa. Code Chapter 79. A well subject to the OGCL must be at least 330 feet from the nearest outside boundary line of the lease on which it is located, or if the lease is included in a voluntary unit, the well must be located 330 feet from the nearest unit line. The 330 foot setback applies to the entire length of both the vertical and horizontal well bore.

Section 406(a) of the OGCL and 25 Pa. Code § 79.11(b) allow an applicant to submit a request to waive the 330 foot setback in their application for a well permit The public hearing will be held for the purpose of DEP accepting testimony on the above-proposed 330 foot waiver request.

Persons wishing to present testimony at the hearing should contact the District Oil & Gas Operations, Department of Environmental Protection, 230 Chestnut Street, Meadville, PA 16335-3494 (814-332-6860) at least one week in advance of the hearing to reserve a time to present testimony.

Oral testimony will be limited to a maximum of five minutes and two written copies of the oral testimony are required. Each organization is requested to designate one witness to present testimony in its own behalf.

Persons with a disability who wish to comment and require an auxiliary aid, service or other accommodations to do so should contact District Oil & Gas Operations 814-332-6860, or the Pennsylvania AT&T Relay Service at 1-800-654-5984 (TDD) to discuss how the Department may accommodate your needs.

Those unable to attend the hearing but wish to comment should provide written comments to Brian Babb, Permit Chief, Oil & Gas Management, Department of Environmental Protection, 230 Chestnut Street, Meadville, PA 16335-3494. Comments should be submit-ted within 20 days of the date of the PA Bulletin notice.

All the documents regarding the waiver request are available for review from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at the DEP’s Northwest Regional office. Appointments for scheduling a review must be made by calling 814-332-6340.