PA Environment Digest Blog

Tuesday, October 20, 2026

DEP To Host Nov. 19 Update Meeting On Bishop Tube Hazardous Site Cleanup In East Whiteland Twp., Chester County

On October 20, the Department of Environmental Protection announced it will hold a public meeting on the Bishop Tube Site in East Whiteland Township, Chester County, to discuss the results of the Pre-Design Investigation and next steps in implementing the response action.

The meeting will be held on Thursday, November 19, 2026, from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m., at General Wayne Elementary School auditorium, 20 Devon Road, Malvern, PA 19355.

The site is being cleaned up under the Hazardous Sites Cleanup Act Program starting in 1999.

On September 1, 2026, DEP accepted the Data Gap Pre-Design Investigation Report Volume 2: Groundwater and Surface Water, prepared by DEP’s contractor, Groundwater & Environmental Services, Inc (GES).

DEP had accepted Volume 1 of the Report: Soils on July 1, 2026.

In addition, on September 18, 2026, DEP finalized its Response to Public Comments regarding the proposed Consent Decree and a proposed Qualified Settlement Fund Agreement with Whittaker Corporation (Whittaker), Johnson Matthey Inc. (JMI), Marcegaglia USA, Inc. (Marcegaglia), and Constitution Drive Partners, L.P. (CDP).

The proposed Consent Decree and the proposed Qualified Settlement Fund Agreement will become effective only when the US District Court enters the proposed consent decree.

Several industrial businesses manufactured stainless steel tubes at the 13.7-acre former Bishop Tube facility from the 1950s to 1999.

In 2000, DEP declared it a Hazardous Sites Cleanup Act (HSCA) program site as its groundwater, soil, and surface water were contaminated with Trichloroethene (TCE), which is classified as a known human carcinogen by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

TCE is a chlorinated solvent and considered the primary site-related contaminant of concern. Other contaminants of concern include other volatile organic compounds, polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), and inorganic compounds.

On September 12, 2022, DEP issued a Statement of Decision identifying the remediation plan it would require for cleanup of the Bishop Tube site.

Under that plan, the site must be cleaned up to attain a combination of background, statewide health, and site-specific standards in accordance with the Land Recycling Program.

After considering several courses of action, DEP chose a combination of in situ chemical injections, soil mixing, engineering practices, institutional controls, and long-term monitoring to address the contamination.

The injection of chemical oxidation or reducing agents creates a chemical reaction that destroys harmful contaminants and produces harmless byproducts.

It is commonly described as “in situ” because it is conducted in place, without having to excavate soil or pump out groundwater for aboveground cleanup.

In 2023, as part of DEP’s selected Response Action, JMI and Whittaker connected the only residential property with an impacted well to an existing public water line.

Persons with a disability or requiring auxiliary aid, service, or other accommodation for the meeting should contact DEP’s southeast regional office at 484-250-5900 or the Pennsylvania Hamilton Relay Service at (800) 654-5984 to discuss how DEP can meet their needs.

Please visit DEP’s Bishop Tube webpage for more information on the site.

For more information on environmental programs in Pennsylvania, visit DEP’s website. Submit Environmental Complaints; Click Here to sign up for DEP’s newsletter; sign up for DEP’s eNotice; Like DEP on Facebook, Follow DEP on Twitter and visit DEP’s YouTube Channel.

[Posted: October 20, 2026] PA Environment Digest

Call For Presentations: Keystone Coldwater Conference Feb. 26-27 - Defending & Restoring Coldwater Habitat In A Changing Pennsylvania Landscape

The Coldwater Heritage Partnership is now accepting presentation proposals for the 2027 Keystone Coldwater Conference to be held February 26-27 at the Wyndham State College Homeland Conference Center in State College. The deadline for proposals is December 1.

This year’s theme is “Defending and Restoring Coldwater Habitat in a Changing Pennsylvania Landscape.”

From warehouses and data centers to large-scale solar, development pressure is reaching more of the places where our coldwater streams begin, and shifting weather is adding stress to the streams themselves.

The program will focus on what chapters, watershed groups and partners can do about it: restoring degraded streams, protecting healthy ones and speaking up when local planning and zoning decisions are made.

The Keystone Coldwater Conference is a place to share information, network and learn from others.

If your PA Trout Unlimited chapter or organization has completed a successful project, conducted research, built an effective monitoring program, or found a way to engage your community or local officials, we encourage you to submit a proposal.

We want to hear about:

-- Protecting healthy streams from development and land-use change

-- Advocacy at the local planning, zoning and permitting level

-- Successful on-the-ground restoration projects

-- Current research and scientific findings

-- Effective monitoring efforts, including volunteer monitoring

-- Building resiliency to warming water, flooding and drought

-- Community stewardship, outreach and education

-- Innovative funding sources and partnerships

-- Measuring and building upon successes

Presentation formats--

-- Workshops (Friday, Feb. 26): 90 minutes or three hours

-- Presentations (Saturday, Feb. 27): 30 or 60 minutes

We will do our best to accommodate your preferred format, but it is not guaranteed.

What you’ll need to submit: a title; names, affiliations and contact information for all presenters; an abstract of up to 2,500 characters covering what you’ll present, how it relates to the theme and what attendees will take away; and a biography of up to 1,000 characters for each presenter.

Click Here to submit proposals. Questions should be directed to Jillian Barnsley Hazi, PA Trout Unlimited Executive Director by email to: jill.barskey@tu.org.

Visit the Keystone Coldwater Conference webpage for updates on the Conference.

The Coldwater Heritage Partnership hosts the Keystone Coldwater Conference and provides funding, technical assistance, and recognition for the evaluation, conservation, and protection of Pennsylvania’s coldwater streams.

It is a collaboration of the Pennsylvania Council of Trout Unlimited; the Department of Conservation & Natural Resources, Bureau of Recreation and Conservation, Environmental Stewardship (Growing Greener) Fund; the Fish & Boat Commission, and the Foundation for Pennsylvania Watersheds.

Philly Tree Coalition Announces Second Round Of Funding For Microburst Storm Responsive Grant; Applicant Webinar Oct. 23

On October 20, the Philly Tree Coalition announced a second round of its Responsive Grants, made possible by the continued efforts of the William Penn Foundation, to help the West and South Philly region recover from the devastating July 11 microburst storms.

The new round will provide $90,000 for tree-related recovery and restoration efforts in West and South Philadelphia.

Eligible nonprofit organizations, schools, and community groups working with a fiscal sponsor are encouraged to apply. The deadline to apply is November 16.

A webinar for prospective applicants will be held on October 23 at Noon.

Click Here to register.

More information, including eligibility requirements and timelines, is available at the Responsive Grants webpage.

The Philly Tree Coalition just awarded its first round of Responsive Grants recovery funding, which includes five awards of $5,000 each to community-based organizations for projects addressing tree damage caused by the July 11, 2026, microbursts.

Funding supports tree hazard mitigation, storm debris removal, replacement planting, and restoration of community green spaces.

Projects will be implemented from Fall 2026 through Spring 2027, combining immediate recovery activities with community engagement and supporting longer-term urban tree canopy resilience.

“Philly neighborhoods lost significant trees during the storm. The loss of a mature tree is difficult to recover in our lifetime, but we can plan a path to recover lost canopy, preserve the trees we have and plant more trees for the future,” said Kiasha Huling, Director of the Philly Tree Coalition. “We are eager to provide the resources for residents to care for our tree canopy. PTC is grateful to the awarded organizations for their thoughtful work as excellent stewards of our trees."

The Philly Tree Coalition has awarded its first round of Responsive Grants to The Woodlands Trust for Historic Preservation, Friends of Wharton Square, Reinhard Street Community Farm and Kitchen, Saint Monica Tree Tenders, and The Central Club for Boys and Girls.

Below is a list of the awarded projects:

-- The Woodlands Trust for Historic Preservation: Continue storm recovery through stump removal, site remediation, and corrective pruning of storm-damaged trees with hazardous or weakened limbs. Funding will support the second phase of recovery, address remaining safety concerns and help restore the site's trees and grounds.

-- Friends of Wharton Square (fiscal sponsor: Point Breeze Business Association): Develop a professional planting plan that considers species selection, spacing, shade and nearby structures to guide the planting of 20 trees and five shrubs. The project will also include a community planting event and ongoing maintenance to help establish the new plantings and support long-term tree canopy recovery.

-- Reinhard Street Community Farm and Kitchen: Coordinate the removal of storm-damaged trees by a professional contractor, retaining usable tree materials for the farm. Community members will canvass neighbors to identify tree removal needs and organize a community workday to plant replacement trees, combining neighborhood recovery with community engagement.

-- Saint Monica Tree Tenders: Conduct a neighborhood tree risk assessment focused on mature trees potentially damaged by the storm. An arborist will identify hazardous limbs, structural damage, and signs of tree decline, and provide recommendations for pruning, monitoring, or removal. The project will also include public education to identify potential tree hazards and understand how to address them.

-- The Central Club for Boys and Girls (fiscal sponsor: Philly Thrive): Restore the Mabel V. Wilson Memorial Garden through storm debris removal, assessment of surviving trees, and site clearing. Restoration will include repair of garden areas, improve soil and planting beds, replace damaged trees and vegetation, and identify infrastructure and maintenance needs to support the garden's long-term recovery as a community greenspace.

If you are an organization or individual impacted by the storm, you can email us directly at phillytreecoalition@phmc.org to report your damages, issues and/or loss.

Visit the Philly Tree Coalition website for more information on programs, initiatives, upcoming events and how you can get involved.

Dickinson College Hosts Dr. Ayana Elizabeth Johnson Oct. 27 For Fireside Chat On Actionable Climate Solutions As Part Of Rose - Walters Prize For Global Environmental Activism College Residency

Marine biologist, policy expert, writer and teacher Dr. Ayana Elizabeth Johnson will visit Dickinson as recipient of the Sam Rose ’58 and Julie Walters Prize for Global Environmental Activism.

The residency’s marquee event, “A Fireside Chat with Dr. Ayana Elizabeth Johnson Hosted by Provost and Dean of the College Renée Cramer,” will be held Tuesday, Oct. 27, at 7:00 p.m. in the Anita Tuvin Schlechter Auditorium, 360 W. Louther St. in Carlisle, Cumberland County.

The talk is free, open to the public and will be livestreamed.

Additional residency events include class visits, discussions and a phone-banking workshop.

“Dr. Johnson exemplifies the solutions-oriented approach to environmental stewardship we instill in our students,” said Dickinson President John E. Jones III. “Her work bridges science, policy and public engagement to inspire real climate action.”

Johnson is co-founder of Urban Ocean Lab, a think tank for the future of coastal cities, and is the Roux Distinguished Scholar at Bowdoin College.

She authored The New York Times bestseller "What If We Get it Right?: Visions of Climate Futures," work that is carried on with her newsletter and podcast of the same name.

Previously, she co-edited the climate anthology "All We Can Save," co-founded the All We Can Save Project, and co-created and co-hosted the Spotify/Gimlet climate solutions podcast "How to Save a Planet."

She also co-authored the Blue New Deal, a policy roadmap for addressing climate challenges facing the ocean.

As executive director of the nonprofit Waitt Institute, she co-founded the Blue Halo Initiative and led the Caribbean’s first successful island-wide ocean zoning effort.

Early in her career, she developed U.S. federal ocean policy at the Environmental Protection Agency and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Johnson earned a Bachelor of Arts from Harvard University in environmental science and public policy and a Ph.D. from Scripps Institution of Oceanography in marine biology.

She serves on the board of directors for Patagonia and GreenWave and on the advisory board of Environmental Voter Project.

Recent recognitions include the Schneider Award for Outstanding Climate Communication and the TIME Earth Award. Her writing has been published widely, including in the New York Times, WIRED and Rolling Stone.

She is the proud daughter of a teacher/farmer and an architect/potter. Above all, Ayana is in love with climate solutions.

The $100,000 Rose-Walters Prize honors those advancing environmental action while creating educational opportunities for Dickinson students.

Previous honorees include climate scientist Katharine Hayhoe, Indigenous activist Tara Houska and the Natural Resources Defense Council.

Visit the Dickinson College Sam Rose ’58 and Julie Walters Prize for Global Environmental Activism webpage for more information.

[Posted: October 20, 2026] PA Environment Digest

Tuesday PA Environment & Energy Articles - NewsClips: 10.20.26

“The people have a right to clean air, pure water, and to the preservation of the natural, scenic, historic and esthetic values of the environment. Pennsylvania's public natural resources are the common property of all the people, including generations yet to come. As trustee of these resources, the Commonwealth shall conserve and maintain them for the benefit of all the people.”

-- Article I, Section 27 Pennsylvania Constitution [It’s Not A Suggestion]

House Voting Schedule

October 20, 21

November 9, 10

-- Committee Schedule

Senate Voting Schedule

October 20, 21

November 17, 18

-- Committee Schedule

TODAY’s Calendar Of Events

TODAY 9:00: Agenda Posted. DEP Laboratory Accreditation Advisory Committee meeting. Rachel Carson Building, Harrisburg. 9:00 a.m. (formal notice)

TODAY 1:00: DEP State Water Plan Ohio Regional Water Resources Committee meeting. 1:00 p.m. (formal notice)

TODAY 6:00: Virtual. Physicians For Social Responsibility PA, Protect PT Host Oct. 20 Webinar On Tracking Contaminated Radioactive Water, Waste From Oil & Gas Development. 6:00 p.m.

October 21-- Agenda Posted. DEP Cleanup Standards Scientific Advisory Board meeting. Room 105 Rachel Carson Building. 9:30 a.m.

October 21-- DEP Mine Families First Response And Communications Advisory Council meeting. DEP New Stanton District Office Building, 131 Broadview Road, New Stanton. 10:00 a.m.

October 21-- DEP State Water Plan Great Lakes Regional Water Resources Committee meeting. 9:00 a.m. (formal notice)

October 21-- In-Person. Cumberland County Water Forum At Dickinson College In Carlisle. 6:00 p.m.

October 21-- In-Person. PennFuture’s Legal Environmental Advocacy Fund Soiree. Brix Brewhouse, 128 PA-715, Brodheadsville, Monroe County. 5:30 p.m.

October 22-- Agenda Posted. DEP Mining and Reclamation Advisory Board meeting. Room 105 Rachel Carson Building. 10:00 a.m.

October 22-- DEP State Water Plan Upper/Middle Susquehanna Regional Water Resources Committee meeting. 9:00 a.m. (formal notice)

October 22-- In-Person. Stroud Water Research Center Watershed Restoration Workshop - Impairment & Strategies for Recovery. Stroud Water Research Center, 970 Spencer Road, Avondale in Chester County. Stroud Water Research Center, 970 Spencer Road, Avondale, Chester County.

October 24-- WeConservePA: 2026 Environmental Advisory Council and Municipal Sustainability Conference. Fort Washington, Montgomery County

October 24-- National Prescription Drug Take Back Day Events Planned

October 27-- DEP State Water Plan Statewide Water Resources Committee meeting. Room 105 Rachel Carson Building. 9:00 a.m. (formal notice)

October 27-- Virtual. US EPA Invites Comments On Reissuance Of Expired EXCO Resources (PA) Oil & Gas Waste Injection Well Permit In Bell Twp., Clearfield County; Virtual Hearing Set For Oct. 27 [If Requested]

October 28-- DEP Radiation Protection Advisory Committee meeting. Room 105 Rachel Carson Building. 9:00 a.m. (formal notice)

October 28-- In-Person. Telephonic. Susquehanna River Basin Commission To Hold Hearing On Proposed Fee Increase, Records Policy And Water Withdrawal Requests, Including One For Shale Gas Development. 5:00 p.m.

October 28-- Virtual. PA Technical Assistance Program, Catalyst Connection Webinar On No-Cost Energy Efficiency Resources To Boost Manufacturing Competitiveness. 11:00 a.m. to Noon.

October 29-- DEP Climate Change Advisory Committee meeting. Room 105 Rachel Carson. 9:00 a.m.

-- PA House Sends Clean Energy, PA EDGE Tax Credits, New Fee For Electric Ratepayer Rebates Legislation Back To Senate For Action; Does NOT Repeal Data Center Tax Exemption [PaEN]

-- ABC27: Bills That Could Ease High Electric Rates Trapped In PA Senate Legislative Limbo

-- Post-Gazette - Anya Litvak: Electric Bills In The Pittsburgh Region Will Rise Again This Winter

-- Penn State Extension Hosts In-Person Workshops On Navigating Utility-Scale Solar Energy Siting, Zoning And Community Impact In Forest, Lehigh, McKean, Northampton, Warren Counties [PaEN]