Wednesday/Thursday PA Environment & Energy Articles - NewsClips: 7.23.26

“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

July 23 (voting)

September 28, 29, 30

October 5, 6, 7, 19, 20, 21

November 9, 10

-- Committee Schedule

Senate Voting Schedule

​​September 28, 29, 30

October 5, 6, 7, 19, 20, 21

November 17, 18

-- Committee Schedule

TODAY’s Calendar Of Events 

TODAY 10:00: Agenda Posted. DEP Mining and Reclamation Advisory Board meeting. Rachel Carson Building, Harrisburg. 10:00 a.m.

July 27-- Virtual. Outdoor Business Alliance Of PA Hosts Webinar On Outdoor Participation Trends And What They Mean For Your Business.  Noon to 1:00 p.m.

August 4-- DEP: Pennsylvania Energy Development Authority meeting. Rachel Carson Building, Harrisburg. 10:00 a.m.

August 5-- Penn State Extension Hosts Webinar On Forested Headwaters And Drinking Water Quality, 1:00 to 2:00 p.m.

August 6-- DEP Air Quality Technical Advisory Committee meeting. Room 105 Rachel Carson. 9:15 a.m. 

August 6-- DEP Agricultural Advisory Board meeting. DEP Southcentral Regional Office, Harrisburg. 1:00 p.m. (formal notice)

-- Daily American: Somerset’s Quecreek Mine Rescue Commemorated 24 Years Later On July 28

-- Lancaster Clean Water Partners Blog: Clean Water Conservation Projects Weather Heavy Storms In Lancaster County  [PaEN] 

-- Three Rivers WaterKeeper Releases 2025 State Of Our Waters Report In Pittsburgh Area, Western PA  [PaEN]

-- Delaware RiverKeeper: Presentations Available From 2026 Watershed Congress [Videos]

-- President’s Dept. Of Homeland Security Withdraws Appeals Of DEP Orders Covering Proposed Immigrant Warehouse Detention Facilities In Berks, Schuylkill Counties, Further Confirming The Projects Will Not Move Forward

-- DCED Approves $1.6 Million In Solar For Schools Grants To Help 3 School Districts Reduce Their Energy Bills In 6 School Buildings Using Solar Power  [PaEN]  

-- Sen. Yaw: Bill Signed Into Law To Ensure Responsible Solar Development [No Provisions Like This In Place For Natural Gas-Fired Power Plants, A.I. Data Centers, Natural Gas Processing Plants, Pipelines, Compressor Stations And Other Infrastructure Presenting Real Hazards]

-- PA Coalition Launches Building A Brighter PA To Lower Energy Bills, Build A Clean-Energy Economy Over The Next 4 Years  [PaEN]

-- WHYY - Susan Phillips: As Utility Rates Continue To Rise In PA, Coalition Is Pushing For Renewables To Rein In Costs

-- Tribune-Democrat: Exus Renewables Closes On Wind Energy Facility Financing For Cambria County Project

-- Utility Dive: Natural Gas Power Generation Decreased 4% In 2025; Coal-Fired Power Plant Generation Increased 13%; Wind & Solar Generation Increased 3% and 34% 

-- Capital & Main - Audrey Carleton: Gov. Shapiro Walks A Fine Line On Climate; His Opponent Just Wants To Drill For Shale Gas

-- NextPittsburgh: Some Pittsburgh Neighborhoods Are 5 Degrees Hotter Than Others - Why? 

-- PA Resources Council To Hold Hard-To-Recycle, Household Chemical Collection, E-Waste Collection Events This Fall In Allegheny, Beaver, Delaware, Montgomery Counties [PaEN]

-- TheDerrick.com: Venango County Sets Household Hazardous Waste, Electronics Recycling Event For Aug. 1

-- The Citizens’ Voice: Hanover Township Police Crack Down On Illegal Dumping; 2 Women Cited For Dumping

-- TribLive: How PennDOT Is Preserving Nine Mile Run During The Parkway East Bridge Replacement

-- The Citizens’ Voice: Wilkes-Barre Parking Authority Might Bring First Electric Vehicle Chargers To City

-- Penn State Geography Researchers Want Your Help To Develop Tool To Help Public Better Identify Threats To Health, Environment From Oil & Gas Development  [PaEN] 

-- PUC PaOneCall Damage Prevention Committee Announces $363,375 In Penalties For Underground Utility, Pipeline Violations, Next Meeting Aug. 11

-- Spotlight PA: PA Budget Relaxed Standard For Publicly Reporting Test Results For Lead In Schools; Issues With Law Go Much Deeper

-- PA Assn. Of Environmental Educators Workshops: Dare 2B Tick Aware; Snorkeling; Conserving Caves; Much More! 

-- WNEP: Preserving Open Space, Natural Resources In Carbon County

-- Registration Open! Keystone Trails Association Returns To The Susquehanna Riverlands With 2026 Keystone Hiking & Outdoor Weekend Oct. 23-25 

-- Wilkes-Barre Times-Leader: Field Notes - Susquehanna Riverlands Adventure I

-- Centre Daily Times: Will Penn’s Cave Become PA’s 126 State Park, 2nd Underground Park?  Here’s The Latest On The Effort 

-- Morning Call: Trexler Trust Awards $6.3 Million To Lehigh Valley Nonprofits, Parks

-- Lehigh Valley-based Wildlands Conservancy Highlights Upcoming Experiences, Events; Farm To Table Dinner; PreK Pathfinders; Wild Mushroom; Song Birds; Invasive Species; Stream Team Work Days; Summer Camps 

-- WITF: PA Northern Harrier Project Seeks Public’s Help To Protect Threatened Bird

-- Help Wanted: PA Council Of Trout Unlimited - Executive Director  [PaEN]

 A.I. /Data Centers

-- PennLive - Charles Thompson: Public Can Weigh In On Three Mile Island Nuclear Data Center Power Plant Restart During July 28 NRC Meeting 

-- Republican Herald: Schuylkill County Commissioners Hear Public Concerns About Butler Twp. A.I. Data Center Proposal, Renewal Of Natural Soil Products Biosolids Site

-- Reading Eagle: City Of Reading Declares Zoning Ordinance Deficient To Work On A.I. Data Center Regulations

-- Scranton Times: Citizens Cross-Examine Archbald Natural Gas Power Plant Developer Over Lack Of Specifics 

-- The Pocono Review: Archbald Borough’s A.I. Data Center Land Grab: What The Borough Kept Quiet 

-- The Citizens’ Voice: Salem Township Supervisors OK Plan To Surrender Streets To A.I. Data Center Project, Tabled Moratorium For Data Centers

-- The Citizens’ Voice: Lehman Township Adopts A.I. Data Center Regulations, Met With Positive Reception At Hearing

-- Williamsport Sun: Muncy Twp. To Challenge A.I. Data Center Developer On His Assumption His Project Was ‘Deemed Approved’ Due To Inaction By The Township In Lycoming County 

-- TheDerrick.com: Scrubgrass Township Supervisors Approve Ordinance Regulating A.I. Data Centers, But Supervisors Had Not Yet Addressed Comments On The Ordinance And Residents Asked How To Amend It  [Venango County] 

-- The Daily Item: A.I. Data Center Proposal Faces Hours Of Testimony, Public Scrutiny In Gregg Twp., Union County 

-- Morning Call: Lower Mount Bethel Township Officials Signed Confidentiality Agreements With Talen Energy On A.I. Data Center Development, Records Show

-- Morning Call: Lower Mount Bethel Township Fights To Preserve Its Farms, River From The A.I. Data Center Boom In Northampton County

-- The Center Square: PPL Electric Condemnation Of Land For Transmission Lines Needed To Feed A.I. Data Centers Triggers Stress, Anxiety In Luzerne County 

-- Inquirer: Gov. Shapiro Plans To Take More Executive Action To Better Regulate A.I. Data Centers In Coming Weeks Since Senate Republicans Failed To Act

-- Reading Eagle: State Sen. Muth Criticizes State Budget Tricks, Failure To Pass A.I. Data Center Regulations

-- AP: Democrats Seize On A.I. Data Center Backlash That’s Dividing Rural Republicans In Places Like TX, PA

 

-- Utility Dive: Federal Energy Regulatory Commission Fails To Shield PJM Consumers From Data Center Power Transmission Costs Says PA Consumer Advocate, 4 Other State Ratepayer Advocates 

-- AP:  OpenAI Says Its A.I. Technology Acted On Its Own In An ‘Unprecedented’ Hack Of Another Company - A ‘Mind-Blowing’ Event

-- The Economist: Why The OpenAI Escape Is The Most Worrying A.I. Mishap Yet; Containing This Technology Is Getting Harder 

Today’s Oil & Gas Violations

-- DEP: INR Midstream LLC Failed To Prevent Accelerated Erosion, Sedimentation Along Cooper To Jost Van Dyke Gas & Water Pipelines Construction Right-Of-Way In Young Twp., Indiana County  [PaEN]   

-- DEP: Contaminated Water Storage Tank At Abandoned Conventional Oil Well Site Sat Broken Open For Nearly 3 Years With No Response From Owner In Clover Twp., Jefferson County  [PaEN]

-- DEP: Crude Oil Gathering Pipeline Failure In Conventional Oil Well Field Contaminated 750 Feet Of Chappel Fork Creek In Hamilton Twp., McKean County  [PaEN] 

-- DEP: Raymond D. Langer Fails To Clean Up Contaminated Water Spills, Address Other Violations, Comply With DEP Order For 1,283 Days  [PaEN] 

Storms/Power Outages

-- PennLive:  PA’s 2026 Tornado Count Is Already Twice Its Yearly Average, What’s Happening?  

-- Pennsylvania Power Outages:

International/National Impacts On PA Natural Gas

[Energy Independence Means Renewables]

-- July 23: PA Average AAA Gasoline Price Up 1 Cent From Yesterday To $4.23/Gallon - $1.12/Gallon Higher Than On Feb. 27 [Potter County Average Price Highest at $4.32] 

-- July 23: Average AAA Gasoline Prices: National- $4.09  Ohio- $3.93  PA- $4.23

-- Feb. 27: Average AAA Gasoline Prices: National- $2.98  Ohio- $2.79  PA- $3.11

-- Financial Times: Oil Hits $100 For First Time Since May

Other States/National/International

-- Pittsburgh Business Times: EQT Natural Gas Accelerates Mountain Valley Gas Pipeline Expansion Into North Carolina

PA Politics - Everything Is Connected

-- Capital & Main - Audrey Carleton: Gov. Shapiro Walks A Fine Line On Climate; His Opponent Just Wants To Drill For Shale Gas

-- TribLive/PennLive: Former Republican PA Gov. Tom Corbett Co-Authors Column Criticizing Fellow Republicans’ SAVE Voting Act

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[Posted: July 23, 2026]  PA Environment Digest

DEP: Raymond D. Langer Fails To Clean Up Contaminated Water Spills, Address Other Violations, Comply With DEP Order For 1,283 Days

On July 16, 2026, the Department of Environmental Protection conducted a compliance inspection of the Lorish 1 and Choeller 1 conventional oil and gas wells owned by Raymond D. Langer in Robinson Township, Allegheny County and found the owner still has not complied with a DEP order to cleanup wastewater spills and address other violations at the site.

The original violations at these sites were issued on January 11, 2023 and DEP issued a Compliance order on March 24, 2025 requiring steps be taken to clean up the sites.  Read more here.

DEP’s inspection report for the Lorish 1 well said multiple deadlines in the 2025 order were not complied with and a Control and Disposal Plan for remediation of the site was deemed to be “inadequate” and not resubmitted.

The well site is located on a hillside behind a building housing equipment owned by a third party.

DEP said the owner sent an email on June 30, 2026 saying he is waiting for a temporary road to be put in so he can access the well to plug it.

DEP’s inspection report for the Choeller 1 well site said the same thing and added water in a secondary containment area around contaminated water storage tanks was pooling within the earthen dike and needed to be removed.

DEP sent the inspection reports to the well owner.

Report Violations

To report oil and gas violations or any environmental emergency or complaint, visit DEP’s Environmental Complaint webpage.

Text photos and the location of abandoned wells to 717-788-8990.

Check These Resources

Visit DEP’s Compliance Reporting Database and Inspection Reports Viewer webpages to search their compliance records by date and owner.

Sign up for DEP’s eNOTICE service which sends you information on oil and gas and other permits submitted to DEP for review in your community.

Use DEP’s Oil and Gas Mapping Tool to find if there are oil and gas wells near or on your property and to find wells using latitude and longitude on well inspection reports.

(Photos: Choeller 1 well contaminated water storage tanks, drain pipe; Lorish 1 leaking conventional well.)

(Photos: Tank broken open - October 2023, December 2023; Row 2- July 2026)

[Note: If you believe your company was listed in error, contact DEP’s Oil and Gas Program.]

[Note: These may not be all the NOVs issued to oil and gas companies during this time period.  Additional inspection reports may be added to DEP’s Oil and Gas Compliance Database.]

Related Articles This Week:

-- DEP: Equitrans Water SVC LLC [EQT] Suffers Another Contaminated Water Release From Buried Shale Gas Wastewater Pipeline In Aleppo Twp., Greene County  [PaEN]

-- DEP: INR Midstream LLC Failed To Prevent Accelerated Erosion, Sedimentation Along Cooper To Jost Van Dyke Gas & Water Pipelines Construction Right-Of-Way In Young Twp., Indiana County  [PaEN] 

-- DEP: Contaminated Water Storage Tank At Abandoned Conventional Oil Well Site Sat Broken Open For Nearly 3 Years With No Response From Owner In Clover Twp., Jefferson County  [PaEN]

-- DEP: Crude Oil Gathering Pipeline Failure In Conventional Oil Well Field Contaminated 750 Feet Of Chappel Fork Creek In Hamilton Twp., McKean County  [PaEN]  

-- DEP: Raymond D. Langer Fails To Clean Up Contaminated Water Spills, Address Other Violations, Comply With DEP Order For 1,283 Days  [PaEN] 

-- Penn State Geography Researchers Want Your Help To Develop Tool To Help Public Better Identify Threats To Health, Environment From Oil & Gas Development Near You  [PaEN]   

[Posted: July 23, 2026]  PA Environment Digest