PA Environment Digest Blog: Thursday PA Environment & Energy NewsClips

“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]

Governor’s Budget Address: February 6

Senate next voting day February 5, 6, 7, March 18, 19, 20

-- Committee Schedule

-- Senate Agency Budget Hearing Schedule.

House next voting day February 6, March 18, 19, 20

-- Committee Schedule

-- House Agency Budget Hearing Schedule

TODAY’s Calendar Of Events

TODAY 9:30: Agenda Posted. DEP Water Resources Advisory Committee meeting. Room 105 Rachel Carson Building. 9:30 a.m. The agenda has options to join the meeting remotely. Contact: Bob Haines robhaines@pa.gov

TODAY 1:00: Virtual. PA Emergency Management Agency, DRBC, FEMA Host Webinar On Flood Loss Reduction Project Funding In Bucks, Carbon, Lehigh, Luzerne, Northampton Counties. 1:00 to 2:00 p.m.

-- DEP Advisory: DEP continues to experience problems with their websites and problems with distributing press releases.

-- DEP Awards $101.1 Million In Federally-Funded Grants To Support Local Abandoned Mine-Related Restoration; Deadline For Next Round Of Grants Feb. 19 [PaEN]

-- From Trees To Teaching, Master Watershed Steward Cindy Pizziketti Makes A Difference In York County; Sign Up Now For Master Steward Spring Training [PaEN]

-- Chesapeake Bay Program Notes Increase In Wetlands Across The Watershed Using New Tracking Tool

-- Pittsburgh City Paper: Pittsburgh’s Underground Streams Pose Challenges And Opportunities To Fight Climate Change

-- TribLive: 122,000+ Customers Of Westmoreland Water Authority To See 9% Rate Increase

-- TribLive: CFA Funding For Lower Burrell Park Projects ‘A Nice Win,’ Major Says

-- PJM Interconnection Issues New Cold Weather Alert For Western Region Jan. 19-22 [PaEN]

-- Senate Environmental Committee To Hold 2nd Joint Hearing With Ohio Legislature On Electric Grid Reliability Feb. 1; Will It Address Natural Gas Infrastructure Vulnerabilities? [PaEN]

-- AES Corporation Announces Completion Of 220 MW Solar Energy Facilities In Franklin, Fulton Counties To Power University Of Pennsylvania [PaEN]

-- Spotlight PA - Stephen Caruso: Utility Shut-Off Protections Would Be Expanded To Summer Months Under Bill

-- Williamsport Sun Editorial: State Of Energy Comes With Good And Bad News

-- Pittsburgh Business Times: Winter Storm Elliot Drives Over $1 Million Investment In Equipment To Mitigate Damage To Commercial Properties

-- The Guardian: Lawsuit By University of Pennsylvania Climate Scientist Michael Mann Over Online Attacks Finally Comes To Trial

-- The Center Square - Anthony Hennen: ’Weaponized’ DEP Blasted For Regulatory Nightmares [Republicans Blame Loss Of Rural Population, Worker Shortage On DEP, Permitting Delays On Gas Drilling, Pipeline Permits, Liquor Licenses]

-- Center for Rural Pennsylvania Study By Penn State Found Rural Population Will Shrink 5.8% Due To Aging Of Population And Fewer Young People [No Mention Of DEP Or Permit Issues, Current Economic Development Policies Fail To Sustain Communities]

-- Courier Times: Development In These 13 Bucks County Towns Could Stop If Costly Sewer Repairs Aren’t Made

-- PA Resources Council, City Of Pittsburgh Partnership Enables Residents To Recycle 62+ Tons Of Electronics Waste In 2023; Continues In 2024 [PaEN]

-- Scranton Times: Keystone Landfill Presents Strategies For Odor, Emissions Reductions

-- Wilkes-Barre Times: Knox Mine Disaster Documentary To Be Shown At King’s College Jan. 22

-- Republican Herald: 74th Anniversary Of Morea Mine Cave-In: Valiant Effort Rescues One Brother, Recovers Body Of Another

-- Northcentral PA Conservancy Partners With Barry & Jane Brucklacher To Preserve 29 Acres In Tioga County [PaEN]

-- Republican Herald: Schuylkill Commissioners Approve Money For Farmland Preservation

-- DCNR Announces Planting Of 255 Acres Of Streamside Buffer At Big Elk Creek State Park, Chester County; April 6 Tree Planting [PaEN]

-- DCNR State Parks Environmental Ed Newsletter Features Winter Teaching Ideas [PaEN]

-- Next Pittsburgh: Parks Conservancy Adding Outdoor Sensory Classroom To Frick Environmental Center

-- WTAJ: Game Commission To Decide On American Marten Reintroduction Plan Jan. 27

6th Oil/Natural Gas Spike: True Energy Independence Means Renewables

[There Is No Limit To What Oil/Natural Gas Industry Can Make You Pay]

-- Reuters: Severe US Cold Snap Prompts Peak Power, Natural Gas Demand, Drop In Gas Production [Freeze-offs Caused 17 Billion Cubic Foot Reduction In Gas Production; 19.6 Bcfd Reduction During Winter Storm Elliott; 20.4 Bcfd Reduction In Feb. 2021]

-- Bloomberg: US Deep Freeze Force LNG Natural Gas Exporters To Cancel, Delay Shipments

Other States/National/International

-- Utility Dive: Texas Grid Holds Firm Thru Frigid Temperatures, 3 Demand Records, 2 Conservation Calls

PA Politics - Everything Is Connected

-- PennLive - Jan Murphy: Shapiro Offers Peek At 2024-25 Budget Priorities [Education, Minimum Wage Hike]

-- Politico.com: Northampton County Voters Are Frightened About American Democracy

-- PennLive - John Baer: The Unwanted Race For President Is On; Is Our Electoral System Failing?

-- City & State PA: Quick Guide To Special House Election In Bucks County

-- Erie Time: Fetterman Staff Member Enters State Senate Race For Seat Held By Republican Sen. Laughlin

-- TribLive: Fetterman To Pen Political Memoir With ‘Friday Night Lights’ Author

-- Erie Times: Which Local Officials Ran Afoul Of PA Ethics Act In 2023

-- TribLive/AP: Gun Control Measures Advance Out Of Democratic-Controlled House Committee