Sunday, December 31, 2023

Sunday PA Environment & Energy NewsClips - 12.31.23

“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 next voting day January 2, February 6

-- Committee Schedule

-- House Agency Budget Hearing Schedule

Senate next voting day January 2, [16, 17 canceled]

-- Committee Schedule

-- Senate Agency Budget Hearing Schedule.

TODAY’s Calendar Of Events 


-- 4,258 Stories In 2023 - Environmental & Conservation Leadership, Significant Events In PA  [PaEN]


-- 35 New Stories - REAL Environmental & Conservation Leadership In PA  [PaEN] 


-- Environment & Energy Educational Opportunities For Students & Adults  [PaEN] 


-- Top 10 Stories: Harrisburg/PA Politics Reported By Local News Media Last Week  [PaEN]


-- PA Oil & Gas Weekly Compliance Dashboard - Dec. 23 to 29 - Abandoned Conventional Wells; Shale Gas Wastewater Releases;  Conventional Wells Venting Gas  [PaEN] 


-- TribLive: Peoples Gas Seeks State Approval For 21.4% And 7.6% Gas Rate Hikes 


-- Peoples Gas: Seeks Base Rate Changes To Support Pipeline Modernization Program


-- WHYY: Philadelphia Will Power 25% Of Its Buildings With Solar Energy From Adams County Facility By Early 2024


-- WHYY: Philadelphia Plans Energy Efficiency Upgrades For City Buildings


-- Delaware RiverKeeper Network 2023 Year In Review [Video]


-- Scranton Times: Weather Wetter, Warmer, Less Snowy In 2023 Than Prior Year


Train Derailments


-- NYT: Victims Of Norfolk Southern Train Derailment Wait For A Presidential Visit: ‘I Feel Like I Don’t Matter’


Other States/National/International


-- NOAA Research: What We’ve Learned About Our Climate Since 2015


PA Politics - Everything Is Connected

-- Inquirer: A Look At The Crowded Field For PA Attorney General

-- Wilkes-Barre Times Editorial: Let’s Resolve To Be Nicer People In 2024

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[Posted: December 31, 2023]  PA Environment Digest

35 New Stories - REAL Environmental & Conservation Leadership In PA

Here are 35 new stories in the
PA Environment Digest about individuals, groups, local governments, farmers, businesses, watershed groups and many more working all across Pennsylvania to restore and protect the environment and show others the beauty that surrounds us.

Thank you for your leadership!


-- 4,258 Stories In 2023 - Environmental & Conservation Leadership, Significant Events In PA  [PaEN]


 -- PA Abandoned Mine Reclamation Conference Recognizes Janie French, Headwaters Trust; DEP's John Stefanko With 2023 Mayfly Awards; Rahab Of SR81  [PaEN]

-- The Daily Item: Steve Motyka, Shamokin Creek Restoration Alliance, Working To Restore Shamokin Creek  [PaEN] 

-- Spotlight PA: How Kane, A PA Wilds Town, Was Revitalized As A Gateway To Allegheny National Forest By Grants, Volunteers 

-- Post-Gazette - Mary Ann Thomas: Want To Be A Citizen Scientist? Western PA Volunteers Survey Birds, Waterways For National Studies

-- Post-Gazette Editorial: Citizen Science Is The New Research Frontier 


-- Bob Donnan Blog: The Story Behind The Yeager Shale Gas Well Pad & Water Impoundment Contamination In Washington County 

-- Sullivan County Democrat: Federal Court Dismisses Transcontinental Gas Pipe Line Challenge Preventing The Environmental Hearing Board From Hearing Appeal Of State Permits 

-- Post-Gazette: PA Getting Millions In Federal Grants To Cut Methane Emissions, Cap Leaking Conventional Oil & Gas Wells

-- DEP Reviewing Final Act 2 Land Recycling Cleanup Report For Dozens Of Chemicals At Shell Petrochemical Plant In Beaver County  [PaEN]

-- PennLive Guest Essay: We Can’t Let Pennsylvania Become The Next Petrochemical Cancer Alley - By Joseph Minott, Clean Air Council


-- DEP Sets Feb. 13 Hearing On Hazardous Sites Cleanup Plan For Newberry Twp. PFAS ‘Forever Chemical’ Contamination Site In York County; Levels Exceed DEP Drinking Water MCL  [PaEN]

-- StateImpactPA - Rachel McDevitt: PA Lawmakers Debate Proposal To Raise State’s Renewable Energy Goal 

-- StateImpactPA - Rachel McDevitt: PA Hits Solar Energy Milestone, Advocates Say Much More To Do

-- WHYY: Philadelphia Will Power 25% Of Its Buildings With Solar Energy From Adams County Facility By Early 2024

-- WHYY: Philadelphia Plans Energy Efficiency Upgrades For City Buildings


-- Broad+Liberty Guest Essay: Energy Competition Works And Should Be Expanded - By John Hanger, Former PA PUC Commissioner, DEP Secretary 

-- DEP Issues Request For Information To Help Develop Greenhouse Gas Emission Reduction Grant Program For Industrial Sector  [PaEN] 

-- Southwest PA Commission Hosts Jan. 8 Climate Pollution Reduction Grants Workshop, In-Person & Virtual

-- PUC Invites Comments On Proposed Policy Statement On Electric Utility Rate Design For Electric Vehicle Charging In PA

-- Post-Gazette - Anya Litvak: Electric Vehicles Are Coming To The Grid, It’s Time For A Plan, Regulators Nudge


-- PittsburghUnionProgress.com: Turnpike Begins Testing Electric Vehicle Charging Pads

-- WITF/WVIA: Residents Fight Cryptocurrency Power Plant Proposing To Burn Tires In Carbon County

-- Anthracite Mining Heritage Month Activities During January In Northeast PA  [PaEN]

-- Delaware RiverKeeper Network 2023 Year In Review [Video]

-- LancasterOnline: Lancaster Twp.’s Single-Use Plastic Bags Starts Soon


-- DCNR Blog: PA Outdoor Corps Young Adult Members Learn Jobs Skills And Future Paths To Conservation Work

-- The Derrick: Cranberry Girl Scout Jordan Anderson Locator Signs Project On Allegheny River Trail Improves Emergency Response 

-- Tribune-Democrat: Local Scouts Improve Stackhouse Park With Eagle Scout Projects

-- Williamsport Sun: Getting Kids Outside In The Winter Months

-- Warren Times: Urban Connections Backpacking Program Comes To Allegheny National Forest


-- WITF: Success Elsewhere Shows How Reading Could Overcome Riverfront Development Challenges

-- LancasterOnline: Hanover Eagles Livestream Back Online After Crowdsourcing Rescue

-- Reading Eagle: Blue Marsh Lake Recycling Christmas Trees To Benefit Fish Habitat 

-- Observer-Reporter: Construction Of Fish Reefs Completed In Monongahela River 

-- Erie Times - Brian Whipkey: Endangered Species Act At 50; How It Aided Eagles, Osprey, Falcons, People In PA 


Visit the PA Environment Digest website to learn more.

Going The RIGHT WAY:

-- 35 New Stories - REAL Environmental & Conservation Leadership In PA

-- 4,258 Stories In 2023 - Environmental & Conservation Leadership, Significant Events In PA  [PaEN]

-- 3,190 New Stories In 2022 - REAL Environmental & Conservation Leadership [PaEN] 

[Posted: December 31, 2023]   PA Environment Digest

Environment & Energy Educational Opportunities For Students & Adults

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

Awards/Recognition

-- PA Abandoned Mine Reclamation Conference Recognizes Janie French, Headwaters Trust; DEP's John Stefanko With 2023 Mayfly Awards; Rahab Of SR81  [PaEN]

-- The Daily Item: Steve Motyka, Shamokin Creek Restoration Alliance, Working To Restore Shamokin Creek  [PaEN] 

-- PA Great Outdoors Visitors Bureau Let it Snow Photo Contest Now Thru March

Grants

-- DEP Issues Request For Information To Help Develop Greenhouse Gas Emission Reduction Grant Program For Industrial Sector  [PaEN] 

-- DEP Seeking Applicants To Provide Air Quality Small Business Technical Assistance 

-- Southwest PA Commission Hosts Jan. 8 Climate Pollution Reduction Grants Workshop, In-Person & Virtual

Help Wanted

-- Help Wanted: Armstrong Conservation District - Agricultural Technician  [PaEN]

-- DCNR Blog: PA Outdoor Corps Young Adult Members Learn Jobs Skills And Future Paths To Conservation Work

Upcoming Events

-- Williamsport Sun: DCNR Celebrates First Day Hikes January 1, ‘Connecting More In 2024’

-- Anthracite Mining Heritage Month Activities During January In Northeast PA  [PaEN]

-- Southwest PA Commission Hosts Jan. 8 Climate Pollution Reduction Grants Workshop, In-Person & Virtual

-- Post-Gazette - Mary Ann Thomas: Want To Be A Citizen Scientist? Western PA Volunteers Survey Birds, Waterways For National Studies

-- Post-Gazette Editorial: Citizen Science Is The New Research Frontier 

Programs/Information

-- The Derrick: Cranberry Girl Scout Jordan Anderson Locator Signs Project On Allegheny River Trail Improves Emergency Response 

-- Tribune-Democrat: Local Scouts Improve Stackhouse Park With Eagle Scout Projects

-- LancasterOnline: Hanover Eagles Livestream Back Online After Crowdsourcing Rescue

-- Erie Times - Brian Whipkey: Endangered Species Act At 50; How It Aided Eagles, Osprey, Falcons, People In PA 

-- The Guardian: The 21 US Species Declared Extinct This Year

-- Reading Eagle: Blue Marsh Lake Recycling Christmas Trees To Benefit Fish Habitat 

Public Participation

-- DEP Citizens Advisory Council To Discuss The PFOA/PFOS ‘Forever Chemical’ Drinking Water Standard, Hydrogen Hubs In PA At Jan. 9 Meeting  [PaEN]

-- DEP Sets Feb. 13 Hearing On Hazardous Sites Cleanup Plan For Newberry Twp. PFAS ‘Forever Chemical’ Contamination Site In York County; Levels Exceed DEP Drinking Water MCL  [PaEN] 

-- DEP Invites Comments On A Permit For A Portion Of The NFG Midstream Covington 16-Inch Natural Gas Pipeline In Tioga County  [PaEN] 

-- PA Oil & Gas Industrial Facilities: Permit Notices/Opportunities To Comment - December 30 [PaEN] 

-- DEP Reviewing Final Act 2 Land Recycling Cleanup Report For Dozens Of Chemicals At Shell Petrochemical Plant In Beaver County  [PaEN]

-- DEP Posted 54 Pages Of Permit-Related Notices In December 30 PA Bulletin  [PaEN]

Background On Issues

-- Williamsport Sun: Getting Kids Outside In The Winter Months

-- Williamsport Sun - Bill Bower: Finches Returning This Winter In Pennsylvania

-- Observer-Reporter: Construction Of Fish Reefs Completed In Monongahela River 

-- The Center Square - Anthony Hennen: Pennsylvania Energy Policy 

-- WTAJ: Some PA Natural Gas Bills To Increase In 2024, Here’s Why

-- TribLive: Peoples Gas Seeks State Approval For 21.4% And 7.6% Gas Rate Hikes 

-- Peoples Gas: Seeks Base Rate Changes To Support Pipeline Modernization Program

-- Times Leader Guest Essay: Powering Up Consumer Savings With Natural Gas - By Gas & Oil Association Of West Virginia  [Forgot About 2021-22 Price Spikes Already? Tied To LNG Shipments and international markets setting our natural gas prices?]

-- Post-Gazette: PA Getting Millions In Federal Grants To Cut Methane Emissions, Cap Leaking Conventional Oil & Gas Wells

-- PA Oil & Gas Weekly Compliance Dashboard - Dec. 23 to 29 - Abandoned Conventional Wells; Shale Gas Wastewater Releases;  Conventional Wells Venting Gas  [PaEN] 

-- Bob Donnan Blog: The Story Behind The Yeager Shale Gas Well Pad & Water Impoundment Contamination In Washington County 

-- TribLive: 2nd Deep Shale Gas Well Coming To West Deer Twp.; Olympus Energy Expects To Begin Construction In June 2025

-- StateImpactPA - Rachel McDevitt: PA Shale Gas Drilling Impact Fee Revenue For 2023 Estimated To Be Among Lowest On Record

-- PennLive Guest Essay: We Can’t Let Pennsylvania Become The Next Petrochemical Cancer Alley - By Joseph Minott, Clean Air Council

-- Delaware RiverKeeper Network 2023 Year In Review [Video]

-- TribLive: Pittsburgh Set To Record 2nd Least Snowy Year Since 1880

-- Scranton Times: Weather Wetter, Warmer, Less Snowy In 2023 Than Prior Year

-- NOAA Research: What We’ve Learned About Our Climate Since 2015

-- The Guardian: Faith Leaders Fighting For The Climate: ‘We Have A Moral Obligation’

-- StateImpactPA - Rachel McDevitt: PA Lawmakers Debate Proposal To Raise State’s Renewable Energy Goal 

-- StateImpactPA - Rachel McDevitt: PA Hits Solar Energy Milestone, Advocates Say Much More To Do

-- WHYY: Philadelphia Will Power 25% Of Its Buildings With Solar Energy From Adams County Facility By Early 2024

-- StateImpactPA - Rachel McDevitt: Top Stories Of 2023: RGGI Struck Down By Commonwealth Court, Appeal Pending

-- WITF/WVIA: Residents Fight Cryptocurrency Power Plant Proposing To Burn Tires In Carbon County

-- Financial Times: Cryptocurrency Industry Steps Up Political Donations As Mood Sours

-- The Guardian: Climate Scientists Hail 2023 As ‘Beginning Of The End’ For Fossil Fuel Era

-- Reuters: Big Oil, Gas Enters 2024 Strengthened By US Industry Consolidation

-- Forbes: Is US Shale Oil Too Big To Fail?

-- The Guardian: New Breed Of Climate Protesters Vow To Take Fight To US Politics

-- AP: Wind, Solar And Batteries Grow Despite Economic Challenges

-- The Economist: Meet The Boffins And Buccaneers Drilling For Geological Hydrogen

-- S&P Global: Geologic Hydrogen Attracts Interest As A Clean Energy Source

-- USGS: The Potential For Geologic Hydrogen For Next-Generation Energy

-- ARPA-DOE: Geologic Hydrogen


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: December 31, 2023]  PA Environment Digest

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