Environment & Energy Educational Opportunities For Students & Adults

Opportunities to learn more about environmental and energy issues affecting Pennsylvania for students and adults--

Awards/Recognition

-- Dickinson College Environmental & Indigenous Rights Honoree Tara Houska: Don’t Disconnect Yourself From The Reality Of Nature; Endless Expansion Of Pipelines Have No Place In Reality; Find Powerful Moments Of Joy  [PaEN] 

-- PA Federation Of Sportsmen & Conservationists, PA Wildlife Federation Invite Students In Grades 4 to 12 To Enter Art Poster & Photo Contests  [PaEN]

-- University Of Pittsburgh Sustainability Challenge Winner Is Ecotone Renewables For Food Waste Solutions On Campus

Help Wanted

-- Help Wanted: Armstrong County Conservation District Agricultural Technician

-- Help Wanted: Dauphin County-based Manada Conservancy - Conservation Easement Steward

Upcoming Events

-- ReImagine Appalachia Webinar: Oct. 5 - ReImagining Shuttered Coal Plants Summit, 3:00 to 5:00 p.m.

-- LancasterOnline: Mountville Holds Community Watershed Event Oct. 7

-- Pittsburgh-based Contemporary Craft Oct. 14 Climate Awakening Forum - Crafting A Sustainable Future, 9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

-- PittsburghUnionProgress.com: PA Resources Council Final Household Chemical Collection Coming Up In Beaver County Oct. 14

-- PA Meaningful Watershed Education Program 4-Part Facilitator Certification Training Starts Oct. 16 

-- Washington & Jefferson College Hosts Oct. 17 In-Person Harnessing Hydrogen: Exploring Local & Regional Opportunities In Appalachia Program  [PaEN]

-- Observer-Reporter: DEP Secretary To Be Featured Speaker At Washington & Jefferson Hydrogen Seminar

-- Audubon Society Of Western PA, Buffalo Creek Coalition To Host Webinars On Spread Of Hemlock Woolly Adelgid Oct. 17 And Aquatic Invasive Species Nov. 14  [PaEN]

-- PA Assn. Of Environmental Professionals Host Oct. 24 Webinar - Science Meets Community Engagement: The Delaware River Watershed Initiative  [PaEN]

-- Wilkes-Barre Times: Rep. Kaufer To Host Community Electronics Waste Recycling Event Oct. 26 In Luzerne County

-- Schuylkill Action Network Holds 20th SANniversary Celebration Nov. 2 At Elmwood Park Zoo, Montgomery County  [PaEN]

-- Penn State Agriculture & Environment Center Greening Lower Susquehanna Program Seeks Volunteers For Nov. 4 Riparian Buffer Planting In Lancaster County 

-- PA Interfaith Power & Light 10th Annual Conference- No Faith In Fossil Fuels - Nov. 5: Virtual Keynote & Panel Discussion, 5 Regional Workshop Locations  [PaEN]

Public Participation

-- DEP Citizens Advisory Council Meets Oct. 10 To Introduce New Executive Director Ian Irvin; Discuss DEP Issues Generally  [PaEN]

-- DCNR Announces Oct. 18 Public Meeting On Golf Course Lease In Michaux State Forest, Franklin County

-- DEP Sets Nov. 13 Hearing On Water Permits For River Pointe Warehouse Project In Northampton County  [PaEN] 

-- DEP Extends Comment Period For Valley Logistics Park Warehouse Project In Kutztown Borough, Berks County Thru Oct. 10  (PA Bulletin, page 6268) 

-- DEP Updates Location Of Scranton Public Hearing On Interim Final Environmental Justice Permit Review Policy  [PaEN]

-- DEP Environmental Justice Update: Invitation To Comment On Interim Final Environmental Justice Permit Review Policy

-- Environmental Quality Board, DEP Invite Comments On Changes To Water Quality Standards & Water Quality Toxics Management Strategy; Hearing Nov. 14  [PaEN]

-- PA Oil & Gas Industrial Facilities: Permit Notices/Opportunities To Comment - October 7   [PaEN]

-- DEP Invites Comments On PA General Energy Constructing 3 Shale Natural Gas, Water Pipelines Thru Exceptional Value, High Quality, Wild Trout Streams In Lycoming County  [PaEN] 

-- DEP Now Accepting Comments On 2 Proposed Olympus Energy Water Withdrawal Structures At Beaver Run Reservoir To Support Shale Gas Development In Westmoreland County  [PaEN]

-- DEP Posted 69 Pages Of Permit-Related Notices In October 7 PA Bulletin  [PaEN]

-- York Dispatch: DEP Holds Hearing Oct. 4 On Modern Landfill Wastewater Permit

Programs/Information

-- PA Clean Water Academy Releases 2 New Courses On Aquatic Ecosystem Restoration, 2024 Integrated Water Quality Report Viewer  [PaEN]

-- Pennsylvania Students Join Others At Chesapeake Bay Foundation Student Leadership Summit To Take Action On Climate Change  [PaEN]

-- Erie Times: Will Proposed Gannon University Great Lakes Research & Education Center Be Housed In Blasco Library?

-- DCNR: 2nd Fall Foliage Report Shows ‘Best Color’ Appearing In 6 Northern Tier Counties  [PaEN] 

-- Post-Gazette: Western PA Has Been Abnormally Dry, Warm, What Will That Mean For Fall Foliage?

-- WNEP: State Foresters In Carbon County Following Fall Foliage

-- Citizens Voice: Fall Foliage Across NE PA Region

-- Republican Herald: Walk In Penn’s Woods ‘Well Attended’ At Penn State Schuylkill

-- Oct. 6 Take Five Fridays With Pam, PA Parks & Forests Foundation  [PaEN]

-- Penn State Dept. Of Ecosystem Science & Management: Guide To Seed Selection For Planting Resilient Forests

-- Scranton Times: Lackawanna State Park Teaches Watershed Environmental Connections

-- WNEP: Snyder County Midwest School District Saving More Money Than Expected From Solar Energy For A Year+

-- WNEP: Tunkhannock School District In Wyoming County Moving To Solar Energy To Save Money

-- PennLive: Harrisburg Area Community College Finds High Blood Lead Levels In Instructors Using Indoor Firing Range, Will Close Law Enforcement Training Facility

-- Erie Times - Brian Whipkey: The High Cost Of Wildlife Rehab In Pennsylvania

-- Allegheny County Conservation District, Grow Pittsburgh Offer Gardeners Free Soil Lead Screening  [PaEN]

-- Penn State Extension Home Garden News: Fall Care For Pollinators; Lasagna Gardening Method; Fall Fungus; Allelopathy In Home Gardening; More!

-- Erie Times Guest Essay: Fall Is A Great Time To Landscape With Native Plants In Erie

-- North Branch Land Trust Receives Grant From PPL Foundation To Survey Rare Plants In Butler Preserve, Luzerne County  [PaEN]

-- Williamsport Sun - Bill Bower: Reflections In Nature - With Halloween Approaching, A Look At Witch Hazel

-- Coalition For The Delaware River Watershed: 300+ Attend 11th Annual Delaware River Watershed Forum Uniting Hundreds Of Conservation Advocates, Constituents And Organizations  [PaEN]

-- Delaware Highlands Conservancy Announces Photo Contest Winners [Facebook]

-- Erie Times: Plug Your Nose: Another Lake Erie ‘Burp’ Could Happen This Weekend, DEP Says 

-- Courier Times: Best Parks In SE PA To Observe Comets, Meteor Showers

Background On Issues

-- Pennsylvania Oil & Gas Weekly Compliance Dashboard - Sept. 30 to Oct. 6 -- Company Tries To Limit DEP Investigation; Unauthorized Water Withdrawals; Can’t Pay For Reno Cleanup; Venting Gas Wells; More Abandoned Conventional Wells  [PaEN] 

-- Repsol Gas USA Issued Violation For Denying DEP Right To Document Damaged Shale Gas Well Casing During Investigation Of Uncontrolled Gas Venting In Bradford County  [PaEN]

-- DEP Issues Violation To CNX Gas Company For Unauthorized Water Withdrawals For 17 Days From Beaver Run Reservoir In Westmoreland County  [PaEN]

-- Petro Erie Inc. Again Claims It Lacks The Financial Ability To Comply With DEP’s 2nd Order To Cleanup Conventional Oil Well Wastewater Spill That Contaminated The Village Of Reno’s Water Supply In Venango County  [PaEN]

-- WPXI: Activists, Washington County Residents Concerned After Study Explores Link Between Natural Gas Development, Cancer

-- Environmental Hearing Board Will Hear Key Arguments On Appeal By A Washington County Family Alleging Shale Gas Drilling Contaminated Their Water Supply With PFAS And Other Chemicals  [PaEN]

-- The Daily Review: Sen. Yaw Addresses PA Chemical Industry Council, Outlines His Energy Priorities [‘Responsible’ Energy Development; Grid Reliability; Independent Energy Office; Carbon Capture Framework]

-- Center For Rural Pennsylvania: Rural Population To Shrink 5.8%; Fewer Young People, More Older People; Current Policies Failed To Sustain Communities, Ensure Long-Term Rural Resiliency  [PaEN]

-- Post-Gazette: Study: Westmoreland County Will Lead Population Decline In Western PA, While Others Will Boom

-- TribLive: At 16%, Westmoreland County Tops Local Population Loss Estimates  

-- PA Capital-Star: Population Projections Highlight Need For Long-Term Solutions To Sustain Rural PA Communities; Population Expected To Shrink By 5.8% 

-- FarmAndDairy.com: Orphan Conventional Oil & Gas Wells Hard To Plug, Despite Influx Of Federal Dollars In PA, OH

-- PUC: Focus Of Natural Gas Explosion In Port Richmond Section Of Philadelphia Now Inside The Buildings  [PaEN]

-- AP: PA Chocolate Factory Fined For Failing To Evacuate Before Fatal Natural Gas Explosion

-- WOSU: The State Of Natural Gas Development/Fracking In Ohio 

-- Agencies Celebrate Eastern Hellbender License Plate Recognizing PA’s Clean Water Ambassador; Shale Gas Development On DCNR Land Threatens Habitat  [PaEN]

-- DCNR Announces Appointment Of Seth Cassell As Pennsylvania's 18th State Forester  [PaEN]

-- StateImpactPA - Rachel McDevitt: Climate Activists Call On PA Lawmakers To End Fossil Fuel Use At ‘PA Climate Convergence’

-- Inside Climate News - Jon Hurdle: At ‘Climate Convergence’ In PA, Environmental Activists Urge Gov. Shapiro, State Lawmakers To Do More To Curb Emissions

-- The Guardian: ‘We’re Not Doomed Yet:’ University Of Pennsylvania Climate Scientist Michael Mann On Our Last Chance To Save Human Civilisation

-- The Allegheny Front: University Of Pennsylvania’s Michael Mann’s New Book Says Earth’s Climate History Shows Us There’s Still Time To Act 

-- Natural Resources Defense Council Blog - Robert Routh: Gov. Shapiro’s RGGI Energy/Climate Working Group Concludes - Now What? 

-- StateImpactPA - Rachel McDevitt: Governor’s Work Group Report Brings No Consensus On RGGI, But Supporters And Opponents Both Take Validation

-- WTAE: Environmental Groups Praise PA Work Group’s Interest In ‘Cap And Invest’ To Reduce Power Plant Greenhouse Gas Emissions

-- House Committee Hears Benefits Of Forested Stream Buffers-- Increasing Property Values, Water Quality Improvements, Reduced Impacts From Flooding; Builders, Republican Chair Worried About A ‘Taking’ Of Property  [PaEN]

-- PA Capital-Star: PA House Committee Hears Testimony On Riparian Stream Buffer Bill

-- Chesapeake Conservation Landscaping Council, Partners: October Is Riparian Buffer Month!  Join Special Events Near You! Build Awareness. Share Tips, Facts! 

-- Penn State Agriculture & Environment Center Greening Lower Susquehanna Program Seeks Volunteers For Nov. 4 Riparian Buffer Planting In Lancaster County 

-- Chesapeake Bay Journal: Tree Cover Declines, Pavement Spreads Across Chesapeake Watershed, Lancaster, Chester, Cumberland, York Counties Included

-- USGS Study: Floodplains In Chesapeake Bay, Delaware Watersheds Provide $124 Million+ In Annual Water Quality, Sediment Trapping Benefits

-- Courier Times: Lower Makefield Unveils Big Plans For Preserved Patterson Farm Makeover

-- Warren Times: Warehouse Growth Worrying PA Environmental Groups

-- Delaware RiverKeeper Oct. 6 RiverWatch Video Report

-- AP: Witnesses To FBI Hunt For Civil War Gold On DCNR State Forest Land Describe Heavily Loaded Armored Truck, Signs Of Night Dig

-- PA Environmental Council In Case You Missed It In September Now Available  [PaEN]

-- Utility Dive: PJM, 80 Parties Agree To Trim Winter Storm Elliott Penalties By 31.7% To $1.2 Billion

-- NPR Climate Week: The Allegheny Front - Reid Frazier: Health Care Has A Massive Carbon Footprint, These Pittsburgh Doctors Are Trying To Change That

-- NPR: Any Job Can Be A Climate Solutions Job: Ask This Teacher, Electrician Or Beauty CEO

-- NPR: Earth Is On Track For Its Hottest Year Yet, According To European Climate Agency

-- NPR Climate Week Stories Series

-- NPR: Climate Solutions Are Necessary, So We’re Dedicating A Week To Highlighting Them

-- Reuters: COP28 President Says 20 Oil, Gas Companies Support 2050 Net-Zero Carbon Emissions Goal

-- Reuters: Global Climate Leaders Gather Ahead Of ‘Challenging’ COP28

-- AP: Pope Challenges Leaders At UN Talks To Slow Global Warming Before It’s Too Late

-- WHYY - Susan Phillips: Climate Change Is Causing More Damaging ‘Mid-Size’ Storms, Insurers Are Taking Notice

-- The Guardian: Type Of Storm That Drenched New York Up To 20% Wetter Due To Climate Crisis

-- The Economist: How Carbon Prices Are Taking Over The World; A Quarter Of Global Emissions Now Covered With Share Rising Fast

-- Wilderness Society: FAQ: What Are The Environmental Impacts Of Renewable Energy?

-- Wall Street Journal: The Secret Behind The First $1 Billion Green Hydrogen Startup

Visit the PA Parks & Forests Foundation’s Events webpage and DCNR’s Calendar of Events for activities happening near you.

Visit DEP’s Teaching Green webpage to learn about more environmental education resources.

Visit the PA Environment Digest Calendar Of Events for more opportunities.

[Posted: October 8, 2023]  PA Environment Digest