Environment & Energy Educational Opportunities For Students & Adults

Opportunities to learn more about environmental and energy issues affecting Pennsylvania for students and adults--

Awards/Recognition

-- PA Assn. Of Environmental Educators Announce 2024 Award Winners  [PaEN] 

-- LancasterOnline: Outside Education, Experiences: Scovens Sisters Spark Students’ Stewardship Of Nature

-- LancasterOnline: Mira Lloyd Dock Award Recognizes Marlisa Yoder-Bontrager For Tree Planting Efforts 

Grants

-- Reminder: PennVEST Accepting Chesapeake Bay Watershed Clean Water Procurement Program Proposals Until April 17  [PaEN] 

-- DEP Chesapeake Bay Update: Conowingo Plan Reports Progress, Grant Opportunities, Updates From Counties, More!

Help Wanted

-- Interns/Help Wanted: Allegheny Land Trust - VP For Development & Marketing  [PaEN]

Upcoming Events

-- Interfaith Partners For The Chesapeake Bay Host April 4 Caring For Our Local Waterways Webinar  [PaEN] 

-- TribLive: PA Campgrounds, Parks Prep For Influx Of Visitors During April 8 Total Solar Eclipse

-- ExploreJeffersonPa.com: Seneca Rocks Audubon Society Presents Program On Bird Window Collisions, Prevention April 10

-- Center For Climate Integrity: What Is Climate Change Costing Communities In Allegheny County And Who Should Pay?  April 10, Allegheny Courthouse, 4:00 p.m.

-- Penn State Extension Hosts April 13 Backyard Stream Repair Series Field Day In McKean County  [PaEN] 

-- Penn State Extension Hosting Series Of 6 Workshops On Watershed Teaching Tools For Educators Starting April 23  [PaEN] 

-- April 30 Webinar: Invasive Catfish and PFAS 'Forever Chemicals' - Forever Problems?   [PaEN] 

-- Delaware Highlands Conservancy Tree Planting At Van Scott Nature Reserve May 11 & 18 In Wayne County  [PaEN]

-- May 16 Empowering Communities For Environmental Equity Virtual Summit Hosted By EPA Region 3  [PaEN] 

-- Delaware County Hosts 3rd Annual Sustainability Conference May 30 At Widener University  [PaEN] 

Programs/Information

-- DEP, PennDOT, Keep PA Beautiful Encourage Everyone ‘Pick Up Pennsylvania’ During Spring Litter Cleanup  [PaEN]

-- Agriculture Secretary Highlights New Consumer Labeling Requirements Of Fertilizer Law To Save Money, Protect Environment  [PaEN] 

-- PennLive: Keeping Your Lawn Cleaner, Greener; New Law Limits Fertilizer Use

-- Stroud Water Research Center Celebrates World Water Day To Support Healthier Delaware River Watershed  [PaEN] 

-- Penn State Extension: Pennsylvania’s Forest Steward Volunteers  [Video] 

-- NextPittsburgh: Audubon Society Expands Backyard Habitat Program To Pittsburgh’s Urban Neighborhoods 

-- Outdoor News: Technology Makes PA’s Elk Visitor Center Education Available For A Wide Audience

Public Participation

-- PA Oil & Gas Industrial Facilities: Permit Notices, Opportunities To Comment - March 30 [PaEN]

-- DEP Posted 81 Pages Of Permit-Related Notices In March 30 PA Bulletin  [PaEN]

-- PUC Invites Comments On Proposed Regulation On Use Of Distributed Energy Resources And Virtual Power Plants  [PaEN] 

-- PUC Sets Mid-April Hearings For Proposed PECO Energy Default Service Plan

-- Inquirer: PECO Electricity Includes Reduced CO2 Emissions, But High Costs For Residents [Due To Over-Dependence On Natural Gas, Lack Of Diverse Fuel Mix]

-- DCNR: Big Elk Creek Master Planning Task Force Holds First Meeting March 28

Background On Issues

-- PA Oil & Gas Weekly Compliance Dashboard - March 23 to 29 - Plugging Abandoned Shale Gas Wells, Waste Injection Wells; Failure To Stop Gas Venting  [PaEN]   

-- DEP: 86% Of Conventional Oil & Gas Well Owners Did Not Comply With Waste Disposal, Production Reporting For 33,505 Wells In 2023  [PaEN] 

-- DEP: 89% Of Conventional Oil & Gas Well Owners Did Not Comply With Well Integrity Reporting For 34,455 Wells In 2023  [PaEN]

-- DEP Issued Conventional Oil & Gas Owners 663 Violations For Abandoning, Not Plugging Wells In Last 15 Months; 392 In 2024 Alone  [PaEN]

-- Republican Rep. Causer Blames DEP Database For Showing Conventional Oil & Gas Well Owners Abandoning, Not Plugging Their Wells; Industry Wants To Redefine Well Owner Responsibility For Abandoned Wells  [PaEN] 

-- The Center Square - Anthony Hennen: Conventional Oil & Gas Well Plugging Scrutinized For Cost Inflation, Bad Data

-- TribLive: Murrysville Abandoned Conventional Gas Well To Be Plugged; State Officials Assessing 10s Of Thousands More

-- PA Capital-Star: Cong. Lee Highlights PA’s Abandoned, Unplugged Conventional Oil & Gas Well Problem

-- PA House Republicans Announce Energy Package, Including An Energy Advocate Within DEP To Veto Any Action That Would Impact PA’s Energy Portfolio And An Independent Energy Office With The Same Power  [PaEN] 

-- PA Business Report: PA House Republican Bill Package  Focuses On Energy Savings For PA Consumers

-- Williamsport Sun Guest Essay: Expansion Of Alternative Energy Senseless - By Conservative Commonwealth Foundation

-- Erie Times Guest Essay: A Conservative Argument For Clean Energy -- Follow The Market, Fossil Fuels Are No Bargain  [Visit: PA Conservative Energy Forum]

-- Times Leader: Ohio Attorney General Charges PA Company Austin Master Services With Storing Excessive Quantities Of Oil & Gas Drilling Wastewater, Threatening Ohio River 

-- The Energy Age Blog: Fracking Cecil Township In Washington County 

-- DEP Issues Air Quality Permits For Keystone, Conemaugh, Homer City Coal-Fired Power Plants Including Previously Announced Shutdown Dates  [PaEN]

-- Chesapeake Bay Foundation Takes Legal Action To Stop Susquehanna River Hydroelectric Facility In York County  [PaEN] 

-- Mountain Watershed Assn. Files Appeal Of DEP Decision Not To Accept Unsuitable For Mining Petition Covering 11,000 Acres In Westmoreland County  [PaEN] 

-- DEP Took Action On 745 permits, 89% Within Decision Guarantee Deadlines; Conducted 1,633 Inspections; Responded To 6 Environmental Emergencies In Week Ending March 24 

-- Solar United Neighbors Celebrate House Passage Of Community Solar Energy Bill; Senate Urged To Pass The Bill  [PaEN]

-- The Center Square: PA’s Renter-Friendly Solar Energy Plan Moves Forward

-- MCall: Old Homes, Many Rentals Put Solar Energy Out Of Reach, Lehigh Valley Lawmakers Has A Plan To Change That

-- The Allegheny Front: Largest Solar Energy Facility In PA To Be Built On Former Coal Mine With $90 Million Federal Grant

-- TribLive: PA Solar Center Finds Greensburg, Jeannette Areas Could Save $19 Million Over 25 Years By Switching To Solar Energy 

-- USDA Funds 31 Local Projects Totaling $5.69 Million To Lower Energy Costs, Generate New Income For PA Farmers, Rural Small Businesses  [PaEN]

-- The Center Square - Anthony Hennen: USDA Sends $6 Million To PA For Solar Energy Projects

-- PennLive Guest Essay: PA Senators Should Pass Solar For School Bill - By Members IBEW Union Local 98, Local 5 

-- Utility Dive: Efficiency, Clean Energy Are Options For Meeting Electricity Demand Growth Before Gas Generation

-- Appalachian Sustainable Products Network Launches, Issues Call For Manufacturers In PA, West Virginia, Ohio To Participate In No-Cost Product Life Cycle Assessment; March 26 Webinar  [PaEN] 

-- The Allegheny Front: Storing Carbon Dioxide Underground In Western PA, Neighboring States, Raises Questions

-- Inquirer: Bucks County Sues Big Oil Companies For Severe Weather Blamed On Climate Change

-- AP: Bucks County Joins Other Local Governments In Suing Oil Industry Over Climate Change

-- Center For Climate Integrity: PA Municipalities Face $15 Billion In Costs By 2040 To Protect Infrastructure From Climate Change

-- PennLive: AccuWeather Forecasts ‘Explosive’ Hurricane Season With Near-Record Number Of Storm

-- US DOE Awards $6 Billion To Transform Industrial Sector, Slash Planet-Warming Emissions

-- Cleveland.com: Cleveland-Cliffs Steel Plans To Decarbonize Ohio, PA Plants With $575 Million In Federal Funding 

-- Pittsburgh Business Times: Butler Manufacturer Receives $75 Million For Green-Steel Project

-- Post-Gazette/AP: Federal Energy Agency Announces $6 Billion To Slash Climate Emissions In Industrial Facilities

-- PA Capital-Star: Right To Repair Would Save PA Residents Hundreds Of Dollars A Year, House Panel Hears

-- Warren Times Editorial: Building Economic Momentum With Outdoor Recreation

-- EPA Regional Administrator Ortiz Visits Halfmoon Creek Watershed In Centre County To Learn More About Local Conservation Efforts  [PaEN] 

-- StateCollege.com: EPA Official Tours Center County Watershed Restoration Sites

-- York Daily Record - Brian Whipkey: Should Game Commission Be Renamed The Wildlife Commission?  A Conservationist Believes So

-- Latest Woods & Wildlife News And Notes: Penn State Extension 

-- Game Commission: Hunters Harvested An Estimated 430.010 Deer During 2023-24 Deer Season

-- LancasterOnline: 70,000 Snow Geese Visit Middle Creek Wildlife Area This Season

-- Williamsport Sun: A Novel Way To Protect Birds Is Through Renewable Energy 

-- Lehigh Valley’s Wildlands Conservancy Highlights Upcoming Activities, Programs 

-- Williamsport Sun - Bill Bower: Reflections In Nature - Natural Indicators Have Always Aided About When To Plant 

-- Dept. Of Agriculture Adds Greene County To Spotted Lanternfly Quarantine, Encourages Pennsylvanians To Help Slow Pest’s Spread

-- TribLive: Spotted Lanternflies To Emerge With Spring 

-- Reading Eagle: Mosquitoes Can Carry Deadly Viruses, But Residents Can Reduce Risks By Controlling The Insect’s Habitat 

-- TribLive: Break Out The Cigars - Punxsutawney Phil Is A Dad 

Visit the  DEP Calendar of Events;  PA Parks & Forests Foundation’s Events webpage and DCNR’s Calendar of Events for activities happening near you.

Visit DEP’s Teaching Green webpage to learn about more environmental education resources.

Visit the PA Environment Digest Calendar Of Events for more opportunities.

[Posted: March 31, 2024]  PA Environment Digest

Top 10 Stories: Harrisburg/PA Politics Reported By Local News Media Last Week

Because In Politics Everything Is Connected To Everything Else--

-- Gov. Shapiro

-- PennLive: Gov. Shapiro Talks About Being PA’s Leading Cheerleader, Sports Fan, Family Man

--  Chesapeake Bay Journal - Ad Crable: PA Governor Proposes Alternative Plan For Reducing Carbon Emissions From Power Plants

-- National Review: PA Governor Flirts With Reckless ‘Green’ Energy/Climate Initiatives

-- Spotlight PA: Upgrades To PA Governor’s Mansion Bankrolled By Private Group That Won’t Disclose Donors, Full Cost 

-- Warren Times Editorial: Keep PA National Guard In State

-- Williamsport Sun Editorial: Governor Wrong To Rule Out PA National Guard Deployment To Texas

-- PA House/Senate

-- Inquirer Guest Essay: House Speaker Joanna McClinton On The Importance Of Representation In PA Government [Video] 

-- Erie Times: Sen. Laughlin Presses Libel Suit, Judge Imposes Sanction Over His Missed Deposition

-- US Senate/House

-- PennLive: PA Republican Con.  Dan Meuser Opposes Use Of Federal Funds To Fix Collapsed Baltimore Bridge: ‘The Only Reaction Tends To Be To Spend’  [Google-- Meuser Announces Federal Funding-- To See What He Spends Your Money On]

-- TribLive Editorial: Comments on Baltimore Bridge Recovery Funding By PA Republican Con. Meuser Embarrass Pennsylvania

-- 2024 Election

-- PA Capital-Star: Voter Registration, Mail-In Voting: PA Voting Deadlines To Know Ahead Of April 23 Primary

-- PA Capital-Star: PA’s Voter Registration, Election Management System Ready For 2024 State’s Top Election Official Says

-- Inquirer: Primary Election In NE Philly Will Decide Who Controls PA House

-- Post-Gazette: New Third Party Kicks Off Statewide Campaign

-- Post-Gazette: Third Parties Could Cause Voting Upheaval In What’s Shaping Up To Be A Tight Presidential Race In PA

-- Politics PA: Republicans Gaining Voter Registrations In Bucks, Montgomery Counties

-- WHYY/Spotlight PA: Recount Petitions Could Impede PA’s Efforts To Certify 2024 Election By New Federal Deadline

-- TribLive/Spotlight PA: What To Know About Poll Watchers, What They Can And Can’t Do In PA

-- Election Reforms

-- PA Capital-Star: House Republicans Seek To Move Voter ID Constitutional Amendment Forward

-- AP: Federal Court Tosses PA Republican Lawmakers’ Challenge Of State, Federal Actions To Boost Voter Registration

-- WITF/NPR: Federal Appeals Court Says ‘Undated’ PA Ballots Don’t Count

-- Spotlight PA - Stephen Caruso: ‘Dark Money’ Groups Would Be Forced To Disclose How They Spend On PA’s Elections Under Advancing Bill

-- National Politics

-- TribLive: Pittsburgh Group Backs ‘Uncommitted’ Write-In Campaign Against Biden Over War In Gaza

-- Miscellaneous State/Harrisburg Politics

-- PennLive - John Baer: Here’s A Political Version Of April Fools’ Day In PA

-- Warren Times Editorial: Keep PA National Guard In State

-- Williamsport Sun Editorial: Governor Wrong To Rule Out PA National Guard Deployment To Texas

-- PA Politics Of Russian Invasion

-- AAA Gasoline Prices: PA- $3.63  National- $3.53  Ohio- $3.36

-- PA House Republicans Announce Energy Package, Including An Energy Advocate Within DEP To Veto Any Action That Would Impact PA’s Energy Portfolio And An Independent Energy Office With The Same Power  [PaEN] 

-- PA Business Report: PA House Republican Bill Package  Focuses On Energy Savings For PA Consumers

-- PUC Invites Comments On Proposed Regulation On Use Of Distributed Energy Resources And Virtual Power Plants  [PaEN] 

-- Reuters: Europe’s Gas Stocks Point To Healthy Supply Next Winter

-- Bloomberg: Chesapeake Energy Stockpiling New Gas Wells To Await Higher Prices

-- Baker Hughes: PA Natural Gas Drilling Rigs Same As Last Week - 21; Dropped 3 Since Beginning of March

-- Reuters: US Crude Oil Production Falls 6% In January Due To Severe Cold, EIA Says

-- Reuters: How US Oil Production Hit A Record Under Biden Despite Climate Policies

-- Train Derailments

-- TribLive: PA Legislators Frustrated By Slow-Moving Efforts to Strengthen Railroad Safety Laws In Congress [PA Senate Fails To Pass House Safety Bill]

-- Post-Gazette: Residents Near Norfolk Southern Train Derailment Express Frustration At Promises Of Aid

-- The Center Square - Anthony Hennen: Norfolk Southern Train Derailment ‘Ohio’s Chernobyl’ Still Wreaking Havoc In Pennsylvania 

-- AP: PA Train Derailment Highlights Shortcomings Of Automated Railroad Braking System

-- PittsburghUnionProgress.com: Stories Of Pain From Norfolk Southern Train Derailment

-- Beaver County Times: Pitt Scientists To Test For Long-Term Health Effects Of Norfolk Southern Train Derailment

-- Education

-- Williamsport Sun: Bucknell University Active Shooter Reports A Hoax

-- Health Care

-- WESA/Spotlight PA: Tracking More Than $100 Million In Opioid Settlement Money In PA

-- WITF/Spotlight PA: Penn Highlands Elk Maternal Care Cust Highlights PA’s widening Rural Health Services Gap

-- Law Enforcement

-- AP: PA House Passes Measure To Prohibit ‘Ghost Guns’ 104 - 97

-- WESA: Bipartisan Group Of PA Lawmakers Urge Votes On Juvenile Justice Reform

-- PennLive: Pricey Billboard Campaign Promoting PA Office Of Inspector General

-- LancasterOnline: Bomb Threats Related To Drag Queen Story Hour At Lancaster Library Part Of Familiar Extremist Pattern

-- Williamsport Sun: Bucknell University Active Shooter Reports A Hoax

-- The Economy

-- The Center Square - Anthony Hennen: Wait Times For Unemployment Claims Down 60%

-- Pittsburgh Business Times: Baltimore Bridge Collapse Will Have Big Impact In Pittsburg, Elsewhere

[Posted: March 31, 2024]