Wednesday PA Environment & Energy NewsClips - 5.10.23

Are You Telling Your Story?

House holds Regular Session May 22, 23, 24, June 5, 6, 7, 12, 13, 14, 20, 21, 22

-- Committee Schedule

Senate holds Regular Session May 10, June 5, 6, 7, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23

-- Committee Schedule

TODAY’s Calendar Of Events 

TODAY 9:30: Watch Live Commonwealth Court Hearing On Olympus Energy LLC v. West Deer Township on denial of local permit for shale gas drilling well pad.  Read more here.  (Courtesy Bob Donnan)

TODAY 10:30:  Senate Environmental Resources and Energy Committee meeting to consider Senate Bill 198 (Bartolotta-R-Washington) which would create a new standard for the review for appeals of DEP permit actions before the Environmental Hearing Board by limiting parties appealing permit decisions-- a company or a citizens group-- to issues raised in and information contained in a record of decision of a permit prepared by DEP.  This would prevent a citizens group or anyone else from raising issues DEP missed or misinterpreted [Read more here]; Senate Bill 199 (Bartolotta-R- Washington) requires members of the Board whose terms have expired to be reappointed by the Governor and confirmed by the Senate; Senate Bill 689 (Yaw-R- Lycoming) would authorize DEP to issue a 10-year “stream cleaning” permits to local governments or PennDOT without need for further preapprovals for actions in the stream regardless if stream conditions changes within their jurisdictions [Read more about DEP’s less complex program to authorize stream maintenance to avoid flooding]; Senate Bill 690 (Yaw-R-Lycoming) would authorize county conservation district to develop a complex and expensive program related to “reconstruction emergency permit authorizations” to conduct “stream cleaning” operations; Senate Bill 691 (Yaw-R-Lycoming) would rename the Department of Environmental Protection to the Department of Environmental Services.  The bill also opens up Act 18 of 1995 creating DEP and the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources to any and all amendments. Room 8E-A East Wing of the Capitol.  10:30 a.m.  Click Here to watch online.  Read more here.

-- PA Capital-Star: Senate Committee Approves Nomination Of Russell Redding’s Nomination For Agriculture Secretary

-- Chesapeake Bay Program: Independent Study Evaluates Why Progress In Achieving Bay Water Quality Goals Is Lagging 

-- York Daily Record Guest Essay: Chesapeake Bay Lawsuit Settlement Focuses On Cleanup Efforts At Central PA Farms - By Julia Krall, Chesapeake Bay Foundation-PA 

-- The News-Item: Little Shamokin Creek Watershed Assn. To Hold Day Of Fishing For Youth, Service Members, Veterans May 20

-- Public News Service: Restoring Freshwater Mussels To Improve Delaware River Water Quality  

-- Warren Times: Aletta Marie Summers Returns To PA Wildlife Leadership Academy As Wildlife Conservation Ambassador

-- Post-Gazette - Anya Litvak: Pittsburgh Water Authority Files Request To Hike Rates By Nearly 60% Over 3 Years

-- Post-Gazette: Norfolk Southern Says It Will Compensate Residents Whose Homes Lost Value Within 5 Mile Radius Of East Palestine Train Derailment

-- Reuters: Norfolk Southern To Set Up Home Value Reimbursement Fund After Ohio Derailment

-- Reuters: Shell’s Start Up At Beaver County Petrochemical Plant Slower Than Expected, To Take Rest Of 2023 

-- ABCNews: Microplastics In Lake Erie Highlight Growing Concern Over Potential Health Effects [Shale Gas Wells, Shell Petrochemical Plant]

-- Pittsburgh Business Times: New Study Tracks PA’s Top 12 Polluting Power Plant, And Nearly Half Are In Pittsburgh Region

-- Tribune-Democrat: Report: Region’s Power Plants Among State’s Top Polluters 

-- Inquirer - Frank Kummer: Philly-Area Power Plant On Group’s List Of ‘Dirty Dozen’ PA Greenhouse Gas Polluters

-- WHYY: Power Plants Among The Largest Industrial Climate Polluters In PA

-- MCall: Who Are Top Greenhouse Gas Polluters In Lehigh Valley?  New Report Provides Details

-- New Jersey Monitor: Critics Of Gibbstown, NJ Plan For LNG Natural Gas Transport From Bradford County Warn Of Global Warming Impact

-- Kleinman Center For Energy Policy, Resources For The Future: The Prospects For Pennsylvania As A RGGI Member - Reducing Emissions, Generating Revenue, Minimal Impact On Electricity Rates

-- PennLive Guest Essay: Central PA Is Among The Nation’s Worst Air Pollution - By Evangelical Environmental Network  [RGGI]

-- Guest Essay: PA Conventional Oil/Gas Operators Blog: More Carbon Dioxide Is Good, Less Is Bad - By Gregory Wrightstone, CO2 Coalition  [PaEN]

-- PA Chamber Of Business & Industry, 67 Other Business Groups Call On Lawmakers To Enact Permitting Reform [SB 350]

-- University Of Pennsylvania, Drexel University Team 2nd Place Winner Of EPA Environmental Justice Video Challenge For Students To Help Solve Community Problems [PaEN]

-- MCall: Judge Throws Out Township Zoning Change, Rules In Favor Of Residents Opposed To Bethlehem Landfill Expansion

-- PA Resources Council, Partners To Host May 20 Household Chemical Collection Event In Cambria County; 5 More Events Set For Western PA  [PaEN]

-- PennLive - Jan Murphy: PA May Lift Ban On Using Recycled Material To Fill Stuffed Toys

-- PennLive: Peregrine Falcon Chicks Hatch In Nest On Rachel Carson Building In Harrisburg: ‘Remarkable Turn Of Events’ 

-- TribLive: Local RV Dealers Still See Interest In Camping: ‘Only Getting Busier’

-- Dallas Youth Commit To Conservation With North Branch Land Trust In Luzerne County - By Melissa Lopez, North Branch Land Trust, Land Protection and Stewardship Coordinator  [PaEN]

-- MCall: National Park Service: River Pointe Commerce Park Could Mar Appalachian Trail, Delaware River Recreation

-- Delaware Highlands Conservancy Photo Contest - Confluence: Land, Water Wildlife

Norfolk Southern Train Derailment

-- Post-Gazette: Norfolk Southern Says It Will Compensate Residents Whose Homes Lost Value Within 5 Mile Radius Of East Palestine Train Derailment

-- Reuters: Norfolk Southern To Set Up Home Value Reimbursement Fund After Ohio Derailment

PA Politics - Everything Is Connected

-- PA Capital-Star: With PA House, More At Stake Than Replacing A Disgraced Delaware County Lawmaker

-- TribLive Editorial: More Musical Chairs In PA House Special Elections

-- PennLive - Jan Murphy: Senate Advances 2 Bills To Give Businesses More Tax Cuts

-- PennLive - Jan Murphy: PA May Lift Ban On Using Recycled Material To Fill Stuffed Toys

-- TribLive: Former Fayette County Man Sentenced To 14 Years In Prison For Crimes Related To Assault On U.S. Capitol

-- Inquirer: Video Shows Montgomery County Man Punching Capitol Policeman In Head During Assault On U.S. Capitol

-- LancasterOnline: Defense, Prosecution Argue To Keep Ephrata Defendants Charged With Crimes Related To Assault On U.S. Capitol Sealed

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[Posted: May 10, 2023]  PA Environment Digest