DEP Citizens Advisory Council Meets May 9 For Updates On Federal Infrastructure Projects; Act 54 Report On Damage From Coal Mining; Carbon Capture; Hydrogen Hub

DEP’s Citizens Advisory Council is scheduled to meet May 9 to hear updates on a variety of issues, including federally-funded infrastructure projects, the Act 54 longwall coal mining impact report, carbon capture and Pennsylvania’s hydrogen hub proposal.

The agenda also includes an update from DEP on agency actions to be given by Ian Harlow, Acting Deputy Secretary for Administration.

DEP’s written report to Council updating them on agency activities is also available.

Federal Infrastructure

Louie Krak, DEP Federal Infrastructure Implementation Coordinator, will provide the update on mine reclamation, well plugging and other projects in the agency funded by the federal Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.

Visit DEP’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law webpage for more background.

Carbon Capture

Kris Carter, DCNR, will provide an overview of carbon capture utilization and sequestration similar to presentations she’s given to other groups. Read more here.

Visit DCNR’s Carbon Capture Utilization And Storage webpage for more information.

Act 54 Report

The Council has been working on comments on DEP’s 2013-2018 Act 54 Report detailing environmental and property impacts of underground coal mining since the report was first available in December 2021. Read more here.

DEP is now working to gather data for the 2018-2022 Act 54 report.  A draft report is scheduled to be issued in November 2023 and a final report in January 2024, according to DEP’s written monthly report to the CAC.

More background on the issues is in a Citizens Coal Council report issued in January 2021-- Undermining Trust: The Collapse of Environmental Protection in Pennsylvania.  Read more here.

Visit DEP’s Act 54 Report webpage for more information.

Hydrogen Hub

The Council will hear presentations from the Ohio River Valley Institute and Team PA on Pennsylvania’s Hydrogen Hub proposal to the U.S. Department of Energy.

Click Here for more information on the PA proposal.

Public Comment

Individuals interested in providing public comments during the meeting must sign up prior to the start of the meeting by contacting Max Schultz at maxschultz@pa.gov. 

The meeting will be held in Room 105 Rachel Carson Building starting at 12:30 p.m.  Click Here for options on joining the meeting remotely.

For more information and available handouts, visit DEP’s Citizens Advisory Council webpage.  Questions should be directed to Max Schultz at maxschultz@pa.gov.

(Photos: Damage caused by underground coal mining from DEP’s 2013-2018 Act 54 Report.)

NewsClips:

-- Bay Journal - Ad Crable: PA Seeks Federal Money For Hydrogen Fuel Production

-- Great Lakes Clean Hydrogen Hub Coalition Submit Application To DOE For Funding, Including Part Of PA

-- Conservation Voters Of PA, PennFuture Host May 11 Webinar On Hydrogen & Climate Change - How The Fossil Fuel Industry Is Using H2 As A Front For More Fracking

[Posted: May 2, 2023]  PA Environment Digest