Tuesday PA Environment & Energy Articles - NewsClips: 6.30.26

“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

June 30

September 28, 29, 30

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

November 9, 10

-- Committee Schedule

Senate Voting Schedule

June 30 [voting session] Call Of The Senate President Pro Tempore

-- Committee Schedule

TODAY’s Calendar Of Events 

Anything Can Happen: June State Budget Marathon Happening NOW!

TODAY 10:30: NEW. Senate Local Government Committee meets to consider Senate Bill 1345 (Coleman-R-Bucks) authorizing individual municipalities to adopt a temporary moratorium of up to 18 months on consideration of data center proposals; House Bill 2496 (Friel-D-Chester) authorizing individual municipalities to adopt a temporary moratorium of up to 6 months on consideration of data center proposals. Room 8E-A East Wing. 10:30 a.m.  Click Here to watch online. [Note: Not on the agenda is the bipartisan Senate Bill 1359 (Muth-D-Chester, Brown-R-Lackawanna) authorizing a 3-year statewide moratorium on data center proposals.]

TODAY Call Of Chair: NEW. House Environmental & Natural Resource Protection Committee meets to consider House Resolution 580 (Bizzarro-D-Erie) designating July 28, 2026 Piping Plover Day.  Call of Chair. Room 515 Irvis Building. Click Here to watch online.

TODAY 10:00: House Communications & Technology Committee informational meeting on - Is There Life Beyond Earth? What Science And Government Are Doing To Find Out.  Room 205 Ryan Building. 10:00 a.m.  Click Here to watch online.

TODAY 1:00: In-Person. PUC Announces 2 Hearings On Proposed PPL Utilities Transmission Line Projects In Hazle Twp., Luzerne County Serving Project Hazelnut A.I. Data Centers. 1:00 p.m., 6:00 p.m.

TODAY 1:00: In-Person. Penn State Extension Workshop  On Understanding PFAS ‘Forever Chemicals’ In Private Water Supplies. Punxsutawney, Jefferson County. 1:00 p.m.

July 8-- Agenda Posted. DEP Water Resources Advisory Committee meeting. Rachel Carson Building, Harrisburg. 9:30 a.m.

July 8-- DEP State Board for Certification of Sewage Enforcement Officers meeting. Rachel Carson Building, Harrisburg. 10:00 a.m.

July 8-- DEP Technical Advisory Committee on Diesel-Powered [Mining] Equipment Meeting. DEP New Stanton Office.  10:00 a.m.

July 9-- DCNR Delaware Canal State Park Advisory Committee meeting. Delaware Canal State Park, Bucks & Northampton Counties. 10:30 a.m.  Contact for Location: 610-982-5560 or ra-nrspdela@pa.gov. (formal notice)

July 10-- Telephonic. Public Utility Commission Hearing On PPL Condemnation Of 30 Properties For The Sugarloaf 500/230KV Transmission Line In Luzerne County To Serve Data Centers 10:00 a.m.

July 14-- Environmental Quality Board meeting. 9:00 a.m. Contact: Laura Griffin, Regulatory Coordinator, laurgriffi@pa.gov,  (717) 772-3277.

July 14--  Virtual. Penn State Extension Webinar: Preview Of 2026 Watershed-Friendly Tree And Shrub Sale To Help You Choose Plants Confidently. 6:00 to 7:30 p.m.

-- DEP: Equitrans Water SVC (PA) LLC Reports Wastewater Release From Pipeline Connected To Richter Shale Gas Water Impoundment During Reclamation In Aleppo Twp., Greene County  [PaEN] 

-- PUC Urges Consumers To Explore #WaysToStayCool and #SaveInPA As Region Faces Extreme Heat; PUC Monitoring PJM Electric Grid Operations  [PaEN]  

-- PennLive: Heat Dome Explained: What’s Causing The Dangerous High Temperatures 

-- DEP Issues Code Orange Air Quality Alert For TODAY In Susquehanna Valley, Southeast PA, Lehigh Valley 

-- Fortune Magazine: A.I. Data Centers Are So Hot Their ‘Heat Island’ Effect Is Raising Temperatures Up To 6 Miles Away

-- PA Capital-Star: Amid High Heat, Power Demand In PJM Territory Could Set Records 

-- PA American Water Encourages Customers To Practice Wise Water Use As Hotter, Drier Conditions Raised Drought Concerns Across Pennsylvania

-- PUC Investigation Finds Fatal 2025 Philadelphia Rowhouse Natural Gas Explosion Not Related To Philadelphia Gas Works Facilities, Operations  [PaEN] 

-- Post-Gazette: Unprecedented Power Surge At Pittsburgh Airport Tested Limits Of Microgrid, Did It Work As Planned? 

-- PA Dept. of Agriculture: Get Ready To Apply For Resource Enhancement & Protection (REAP) Farm Conservation Tax Credits  [PaEN] 

-- PA Interfaith Power & Light Issues RFP For At Least 50,000 Trees For Roots Branches & Hands Tree Planting Initiative  [PaEN]  

-- WHYY: ‘Rewilding Philadelphia’ Greening Project Brings Pocket Forest To Kensington

-- PA iMapInvasives Program Invites Public To Search For Wavyleaf Basketgrass Invasive Species During Basketgrass Bonanza;  July 29 Webinar [PaEn] 

-- Penn State Center For Pollinator Research News: Master Gardeners Support Pollinator Research; Beescape Updates; Lehigh Valley Biology Professor Honored With National Award

-- Celebrate Park And Recreation Professionals Day July 17!  [PaEN] 

-- Tribune-Democrat: Johnstown Gathering Celebrates Region’s Trails: ‘Unbelievable Outdoor Recreation’

-- Williamsport Sun: Get Your Kids Outdoors This Summer

-- Williamsport Sun: 3 Dozen Veterans Connect With Volunteers, Nature While Sharing Stories

-- Williamsport Sun: Reflections In Nature: Plants Have Ways Of Defending Against Insect Predators In Nature

-- Williamsport Sun Guest Essay: Throughout Central PA, Birds Come And They Go -  By Gary Metzger, Lycoming Audubon Society

-- Delaware Highlands Conservancy Accepting Entries For Summer Confluence: Land, Water, Wildlife Photo Contest Aug. 3 to 31

-- PA Parks & Forests Foundation Welcomes Interns Natalie Nichols And Annalise Velasquez   [PaEN] 

-- Inquirer: President’s Administration Removes Mentions Of Slavery From Independence Hall, Thomas Jefferson Portrait

 A.I. /Data Centers

-- Scranton Times: Jessup Boro Considers Suing State Over Not Considering Cumulative Impact Of 7 A.I. Data Center Projects In Their Community: ‘Say Yes Or Get Sued Into Oblivion’

-- Republican Herald: Six A.I. Data Center Hearings Set For Next 8 Days By PUC, Kline Twp. Planning Commission In Schuylkill County

-- ExploreJeffeersonPa.com: A.I. Data Center Debate Heats Up In Jefferson County Over Massive Water Demands 

-- WPXI: Group Gathers To Oppose Proposed A.I. Data Center Development At Site Of Former Beaver County Racetrack

-- Pittsburgh Business Times: Pittsburgh Technology Council Calls For Immediate Pause On A.I. Data Center Legislation  [Let A.I. Data Centers Run Over Communities And Do Whatever They Want] 

-- TribLive: Pittsburgh Tech Council Urges Pause On Legislation Regulating A.I. Data Centers To Protect Manufacturing Jobs [No Consideration Of What Delay Would Cost Communities, People]

-- Post-Gazette: Pittsburgh Tech Community To Shapiro, Lawmakers: Wait On A.I. Data Center Rules [Impact Of Delay On Communities, People Not Considered]

-- Fortune Magazine: A.I. Data Centers Are So Hot Their ‘Heat Island’ Effect Is Raising Temperatures Up To 6 Miles Away

-- Utility Dive: PJM Opposes Connection Review Waiver For $2 Billion Gas-Fired Power Plant In Ohio In Fast-Track Interconnection Review  

Today’s Oil & Gas Violations

-- DEP: Equitrans Water SVC (PA) LLC Reports Wastewater Release From Pipeline Connected To Richter Shale Gas Water Impoundment During Reclamation In Aleppo Twp., Greene County  [PaEN] 

International/National Impacts On PA Natural Gas

[Energy Independence Means Renewables]

-- Let’s Celebrate - Gas At $3.994!  June 30: PA Average AAA Gasoline Price Down 1 Penny Since Yesterday, Now $3.994/Gallon - $.88/Gallon Higher Than On Feb. 27 [Beaver County Average Price Still Highest at $4.49] 

-- June 30: Average AAA Gasoline Prices: National- $3.84 Ohio- $3.78  PA- $3.994

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

Federal Administration

-- New York Times: President’s Administration Pays Duke Energy $129 Million To Halt Offshore Wind Energy Generation Facility, To Reinvest In ‘Reliable, Diverse Energy Sources’

PA Politics - Everything Is Connected

-- Tribune-Democrat: PA Lawmakers Again On Verge Of Missing Annual Budget Deadline

-- PA Capital-Star: Another Late PA State Budget Appears To Be In The Offing

-- Spotlight PA: Will Education Again Divide The PA Legislature This Budget Cycle?  Signs Of Smoother Sailing 

-- PA Dept. Of Revenue Guest Essay Highlights Pennsylvania’s Strong Revenue Collections, Economic Growth Under Gov. Shapiro’s Leadership

-- PA Capital-Star: PA Joins Multi-State Lawsuit Against President’s Administration Over Medicaid Work Rules, Enrollees Are Even Sure That Applies To Them

-- Observer-Report: Thousands Of Haitians, Syrians Face Deportation After US Supreme Court Ruling 

-- Inquirer: Ukrainian Family Was Welcomed To Philly When Russia Attacked, Now They’re Leaving As Pressures Rise On Immigrants

-- Centre Daily Times: ‘Increased Fear, Anxiety And Stress:’ How Federal ICE Is Impacting Centre County, Immigrants

-- PennLive Guest Essay: We Are Americans, Not Criminals - Bhutanese Community Responds To Baseless Fraud Accusations - By Youraj Koirala, Chairman of the Board of the Bhutanese Community of Central Pennsylvania 

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[Posted: June 30, 2026]  PA Environment Digest

DEP: Equitrans Water SVC (PA) LLC Reports Wastewater Release From Pipeline Connected To Richter Shale Gas Water Impoundment During Reclamation In Aleppo Twp., Greene County

On June 25, 2026, the Department of Environmental Protection conducted an incident inspection in response to a notification on June 17, 2026  by Equitrans Water SVC (PA) LLC [EQT] of a release of wastewater from a pipeline connected to its Richter Shale Gas Water Impoundment during reclamation of the site in Aleppo Township, Greene County.

DEP’s inspection report said EQT "was actively working on restoring the Richter Impoundment when the release occurred.” 

“As a part of the restoration, the water line vault was decommissioned, the valves were cut from the waterlines, and the concrete vault box was removed.”

EQT indicated that an unknown amount of impaired fluid was released to the ground on June 17, 2026. 

“The fluid originated from the pipeline previously connected to the decommissioned waterline vault. The impaired fluid proceeded to enter the impoundment and southern slope below the impoundment.”

EQT "indicated that a toe key drain was located and elevated fluid was detected emanating from that location and was reported to exhibit elevated conductivity readings."

"Contractors removed the fluid from the impoundment by pumping the fluid into a filter bag located on the east side of the project and later discovered that the fluid within the impoundment was not precipitation but rather the impaired fluid from the release.” 

‘DEP] I observed elevated fluid within rain garden, within two seeps upgradient from the rain garden, and a line of distressed vegetation between the filter bag and the raingarden.

DEP “also observed distressed vegetation beginning at the filter bag heading east off the limit of disturbance and onto the adjacent landowners’ property."

“Moody and Associates and SPSI were on site delineating the impacted areas. The contractor was in the process of removing impacted soil from the impoundment. 

“The impacted material was being loaded into rolloff boxes and staged for disposal. 

“Approximately 21 rolloff boxes were staged for disposal with additional boxes anticipated.”

EQT said they plan to use the Act 2 Land Recycling cleanup stands and process for the release of contaminated water.

Multiple violations were issued, including--

-- Failure to notify DEP of the release as soon as practicable

-- Discharging industrial waste into waters of the Commonwealth

-- Failure to manage oil and gas waste to prevent pollution

-- Failure to properly disposal of oil and gas waste

-- Failure to document compliance with regulations and make records available

DEP requested a response by July 17. DEP inspection report + photos.

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.

(Photo: Row 1-- Mapped of impacted areas shown as hatched areas; Removing contaminated material from impoundment; Excavated benches below former pipeline valve area;  Row 2-- Distressed vegetation going downslope; Excavated bench down slope; Contaminated rain garden.)

[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.]

[Posted: June 30, 2026]  PA Environment Digest