DEP Citizens Advisory Council, Environmental Justice Advisory Board Meet Nov. 10 On Fossil Fuel Impacts On Communities, Mapping PA’s Energy Infrastructure

The DEP Citizens Advisory Council and Environmental Justice Advisory Board are scheduled to hold their annual meeting on November 10 in Harrisburg.

The agenda includes presentations these presentations

-- Updates from the State Conservation Commission on conservation district farm conservation programs, Marty Qually, Executive Secretary

-- Environmental Impacts on Former Fossil Fuel Communities, Dr. Heather Plumridge and Alicia Macmillan, Dickinson College

-- Mapping PA’s Energy Infrastructure [Natural Gas], Well Location, Dr. Jennifer Baka, John Kendall and Lily Houtman, Penn State Dept. of Geography

Public Comments

Individuals interested in providing public comment during the meeting must sign up 24-hours in advance of the meeting by contacting Ian Irvin, CAC Executive Director by email to: iirvin@pa.gov. 

Click Here for more information on presenting comments.

Joining The Meeting

The meeting will be held in Room 105 of the Rachel Carson Building in Harrisburg starting at 12:30 p.m.

Click Here for information on joining the meeting via Microsoft Teams online or by telephone.

For available handouts and more information, visit the DEP Citizens Advisory Council webpage.  Questions should be directed to Ian Irvin, CAC Executive Director by email to: iirvin@pa.gov or call 717-579-0329.

Visit DEP’s Environmental Justice Advisory Board webpage for more information on Board activities.  Questions should be directed to Fernando Treviño, DEP Special Deputy Secretary for Environmental Justice, by email to: FTrevinoMa@pa.gov or call 717-783-7753. 

[Posted: November 3, 2026]  PA Environment Digest

Tuesday PA Environment & Energy Articles - NewsClips: 11.3.26

“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

November 9, 10

-- Committee Schedule

Senate Voting Schedule

November 17, 18

-- Committee Schedule

TODAY’s Calendar Of Events 

VOTE TODAY Election Day

Click Here for Election Results From PA Dept. of State

November 4-- Agenda Posted. DEP Water Resources Advisory Committee meeting. Room 105 Rachel Carson Building. 9:30 a.m. [Draft Revisions To Chapter 105 on the agenda.]  Read more here.

November 4-- In-Person. DEP Sets Hearing [If Requested] On Reissuance Of Title V Air Quality Permit For The NLMK Pennsylvania, LLC Farrel Steel Plant In Mercer County

November 5-- CANCELED. DEP Air Quality Technical Advisory Committee meeting. Room 105 Rachel Carson Building. 9:15 a.m.

November 5-- DEP To Host Hearing On Natural Soil Products Biosolids Composting Permit In Schuylkill County. 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.

November 5-- Virtual. DCNR Grant Applicant Workshop Webinar.

November 6-- In-Person. PA Environmental Council: Laurel Highlands Conservation Landscape Gathering In Somerset County

November 7-- In-Person. PA Forestry Association Annual Forest Symposium In State College  

November 10-- Joint DEP Citizens Advisory Council + DEP Environmental Justice Advisory Board meeting. Room 105 Rachel Carson Building. 12:30 a.m. 

November 10-- In-Person. DEP meeting/hearing on renewal of NPDES Water Quality Mining Activities for the LCT Energy Rustic Ridge #1 underground coal mine in Donegal Township, Westmoreland County and Saltlick Township, Fayette County.  St. Raymond of the Mountains Parish, 170 School House Lane, Donegal. 6:00 p.m.

November 10-- Virtual. Environmental Health Project, Food & Water Watch, Partners Host Webinar On Shale Gas Fracking, Data Centers And Your Health. 7:00 p.m.

-- DEP - Day 72: INR OPR LLC Still Collecting Contaminated Water, Building Structures To Recover Water At Cooper Shale Gas Pad From August Spill Of 336,000 Gallons Of Fracking Water In Indiana County  [PaEN] 

-- Susquehanna River Basin Commission Reports Low-Flow Stream Conditions Trigger Stop To 51 Shale Gas Water Withdrawals, 13 More Put On Watch Status  [PaEN]  

-- Capital & Main - Audrey Carleton: Can An Independent State Senate Candidate Turn Pennsylvania Senate Blue [Jodi Borello v. Sen. Bartolotta] 

-- Rolling Stone - Justin Nobel: Ohio Denies Evidence Of  Fracking Waste In Drinking Water, Its Own Records Show Otherwise 

-- Susquehanna River Basin Commission Now Accepting Applications For Consumptive Use Mitigation Grants; Applicant Webinar Nov. 17  [PaEN] 

-- WTAE: Underground Coal Refuse Fire Continues To Burn After Months In Hempfield Twp., Westmoreland County  

-- Reminder: DEP To Host Nov. 5 Hearing On Natural Soil Products Biosolids Composting Permit In Schuylkill County

-- ABC27: PPL Electric To Increase Default Customer Power Price 10.3% Starting Dec. 1 To 14.428 Cents/kWh From 13.079 Cents/kWh [Utilities Make No Profit On Default Power]

-- Wilkes-Barre Times-Leader: Dept. Of Human Services Now Accepting Applications For Low-Income Home Energy Assistance

-- PA Outdoor Business Alliance: Nov. 30 Webinar On Working With Content Creators 101, Noon to 1:00 p.m. 

-- National Park Service: Native Tree Plantings At Flight 93 Memorial In Somerset County Have Resulted In Largest Concentration Of Restoration American Chestnut Trees In North America 

-- Federal Office Of Surface Mining Land Reforestation Efforts Have Restored Abandoned Mine Lands Using Blight-Resistant American Chestnut Trees Since 2007 

-- Pittsburgh Business Times: RiverLife Nonprofit Surpasses $30 Million  Fundraising Goal For Remaking Pittsburgh’s Riverfronts

-- Williamsport Sun: Susquehanna Chapter Of Trout Unlimited Holds Nov. 11 Program On Loyalsock Creek Improvements

-- ExploreJeffersonpa.com: Seneca Rocks Audubon Society To Host Bird Conservation Program Nov. 11 In Clarion 

-- Chesapeake Bay Journal - Karl Blankenship: Foraging For Knowledge: Mushroom Clubs Search For Overlooked Species [PA Included]

A.I. /Data Centers

-- Observer-Reporter: Hanover Twp. Hearings On Starpointe A.I. Data Center, Power Plant Complex Nov. 10, 11 In Washington County

-- PennLive: How Salem Twp. Residents Are Fighting Against And Supporting A.I. Data Centers In Luzerne County

-- Inquirer: A.I. Data Center Developer Again Sues Upper Merion Twp. Over Data Center Rejection In Montgomery County

-- WPSU: What To Know About PA’s Data Center Tax Exemption And The Shifting Attitudes Surrounding It [Taxpayers Will Lose $1.9 Billion In Revenue From 2024 to 2031] 

-- TribLive: Can State Lawmakers Manage A.I. Data Center Boom In Southwest PA? 

-- Utility Dive: Exelon Eyes $8 Billion In Energy Storage To Address PJM Supply Crunch In Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey That Allow Energy Storage To Bolster Grid Resiliency [Not PA] 

-- New York Times: A.I. Data Center Developers Point To Reusing Junked Jet Engines To Power Data Centers As Recycling

-- Financial Times: Why America Is Struggling To Power The A.I. Boom  [PDF of Article]

Today’s Oil & Gas Violations/Inspections

-- DEP - Day 72: INR OPR LLC Still Collecting Contaminated Water, Building Structures To Recover Water At Cooper Shale Gas Pad From August Spill Of 336,000 Gallons Of Fracking Water In Indiana County  [PaEN]

-- Susquehanna River Basin Commission Reports Low-Flow Stream Conditions Trigger Stop To 51 Shale Gas Water Withdrawals, 13 More Put On Watch Status  [PaEN] 

International/National Impacts On PA Natural Gas

[Energy Independence Means Renewables]

-- November 3: PA Average AAA Gasoline Price Down 1 Penny Since Yesterday $4.42/Gallon - $1.31/Gallon Higher Than On Feb. 27 [Greene, Warren Counties $4.66 Highest Average Price]

-- November 3: Average AAA Gasoline Prices: National- $4.14  Ohio- $4.07  PA- $4.42

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

-- Inquirer: A Hard Winter Is Coming For PA Homes That Heat With Oil  

-- Wilkes-Barre Times-Leader: Dept. Of Human Services Now Accepting Applications For Low-Income Home Energy Assistance 

PA Politics - Everything Is Connected

-- Capital & Main - Audrey Carleton: Can An Independent State Senate Candidate Turn Pennsylvania Senate Blue [Jodi Borello v. Sen. Bartolotta]

-- Dept. Of Revenue Reports PA October Tax Revenue $132.9 Million (3.4%) Above Governor’s Estimates; Year-To-Date $662.3 Million (4.5%) Above Governor’s Estimates

-- Independent Fiscal Office October State Tax Revenue $119 Million (3%) Above IFO Estimates; Year-To-Date $571 Million (3.9%) Over IFO Estimates

-- WHYY: Researchers Raise Concerns About Online Gambling Risks For Young Pennsylvanians

-- Financial Times: What 21 Months Of The President’s Administration Have Done To America 

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[Posted: November 3, 2026]  PA Environment Digest

DEP - Day 72: INR OPR LLC Still Collecting Contaminated Water, Building Structures To Recover Water At Cooper Shale Gas Pad From August Spill Of 336,000 Gallons Of Fracking Water In Indiana County

On October 21 & 28, 2026, the Department of Environmental Protection did follow-up inspections at the INR OPR LLC Cooper shale gas well pad in Young Township, Indiana County and found efforts were still underway to construct diversions and sumps to collect contaminated water from the August spill.

On October 21, DEP found significant erosion problems on two sides of the well pads where water seeps occurred and additional sumps were being constructed to collect contaminated water.

Sedimentation filled up at least one sump causing it to overflow across a field.

Construction was underway to build diversions on two sides of the well pad to divert water to collection areas.

On October 28, DEP found progress was being made on the diversions, but much more work needed to be done to install erosion and sedimentation control measures around the west and south berms of the well pad.

In both inspection reports, DEP asked INR to add erosion control in the recovery area to help prevent reeling and sedimentation at the site.

There was no mention of the broken pad drainage system in these reports. Read more here.

DEP continued violations from August 17.

DEP Oct. 21 inspection report and Oct. 28 inspection report + photos.

Original Incident

On August 17, 2026, there was a spill of approximately 336,000 gallons of fracking flowback water onto the pad that flowed off the pad and contaminated about 5.6 acres of fields and woods, according to an INR report.  Read more here.

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: West and South berms, Overflowing Sump on Oct. 21; West and South berms, Sedimentation areas on Oct. 28.)

[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:

-- Susquehanna River Basin Commission Reports Low-Flow Stream Conditions Trigger Stop To 51 Shale Gas Water Withdrawals, 13 More Put On Watch Status  [PaEN]   

-- Susquehanna River Basin Commission Now Accepting Applications For Consumptive Use Mitigation Grants; Applicant Webinar Nov. 17  [PaEN] 

NewsClip:

-- Rolling Stone - Justin Nobel: Ohio Denies Evidence Of  Fracking Waste In Drinking Water, Its Own Records Show Otherwise

-- Capital & Main - Audrey Carleton: Can An Independent State Senate Candidate Turn Pennsylvania Senate Blue [Jodi Borello v. Sen. Bartolotta]

[Posted: November 3, 2026]  PA Environment Digest