Environment & Energy Educational Opportunities For Students & Adults

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

Awards/Recognition

-- In Memoriam: Joanne Denworth, Environmental Leader And Attorney  [PaEN]

-- PA Environmental Council: Joanne Denworth, 1938 - 2024

-- Inquirer: Joanne Denworth, Retired Lawyer And Environmental Expert, Has Died At 85

-- Retired Environmental Hearing Board Chief Judge Thomas W. Renwand To Receive PA Bar Assn.  Environmental & Energy Law Section Lifetime Achievement Award  [PaEN]

-- Chester County Commissioners Recognize Keep PA Beautiful’s Chester County Volunteer Of The Year

Grants

-- PennVEST To Hold Local, In-Person, Online Educational Events To Share Information On Unprecedented Water Infrastructure Funding Opportunities, Starting March 21 [PaEN]

-- Federal Office Of Mine Reclamation Opens New Round Of Watershed Cooperative Agreement Program Grants  [PaEN] 

-- Outdoor News - Ben Moyer: PA’s West Branch Susquehanna Watershed Now Has Wild Trout After Water Quality Improvements 

-- EPA Awards Funding To Student Teams For Innovative Solutions To Environmental, Public Health Challenges; Widener University Receives Funding  [PaEN] 

Help Wanted

-- Williamsport Sun: Living Out The ‘Wilds’ In Williamsport - PA Wilds Remote Working Initiative

Upcoming Events

-- Mountain Watershed Assn. Will Install Warning Signs Around Wastewater Outfall Of MAX Environmental Technologies Yukon Facility In Sewickley Creek, Westmoreland County [March 16]  [PaEN]

-- TribLive: Signs Warn Sewickley Creek Users In Yukon Of Possible Pollution From MAX Environmental Hazardous Waste Treatment Facility In Westmoreland County 

-- Penn State Earth Talks: March 18 In-Person/Webinar On City Heat Adaptation Tool For Cities To Improve Public Health, 4:00 p.m.

-- Delaware County Green Team Meets Online March 18: Community Solar May Come Alive In PA!  7:30 p.m.

-- PA Interfaith Power & Light: March 18 Spiritual Care Webinar Series Gathering Wisdom From The Wise Ones - The Work & Wisdom Of Thomas Berry, 7:00 p.m. 

-- March 20 Penn State Extension Webinar On Defining Nature's Worth From A Health And Economic Perspective  [PaEN]

-- Clean Air Council, Moms Clean Air Force, Earthworks Host March 20 Webinar On Federal Waste Oil & Gas Emission Charges  [PaEN]

-- PA Solar Center Hosts March 22 Webinar Unpacking Solar Energy Interconnection With Electric Grid In PA  [PaEN]

-- Penn State Extension Community Trees Update: 59th Annual Shade Tree Symposium March 25-26 In Lebanon  [PaEN] 

-- Volunteers Needed For 24-Hour Tree Planting Relay April 5-6 Organized By The Alliance For The Chesapeake Bay [PaEN] 

-- PA/NJ Chapter American Chestnut Foundation: Spring Growers Meeting April 6 

-- State Agencies Share Resources For Visitors, Motorists Ahead Of April 8 Solar Eclipse

-- Penn State Extension: April 8 Webinar On Private Water Supply Education And Water Testing 

-- Penn State Master Gardeners Of Cambria County Host Dr. Doug Tallamy April 11 - Nature's Best Hope, A New Approach To Conservation That Starts In Your Yard  [PaEN]

-- PA Interfaith Power & Light: National Faith + Climate Online Forum Set For April 16;  In-Person Watch Party

-- Penn State Extension, Partners Host April 16 Online Mini-Workshop - Choosing Native Plants [PaEN] 

-- Penn State Extension, Partners Host Volunteer Tree Plantings April 13 - Lebanon County, April 16 - Lancaster County  [PaEN] 

-- Biorenewables Symposium To Be Held April 18-19 In State College On Biobased, Energy, Products, Materials  [PaEN]

-- Patch.com: Aquetong Watershed Assn. April 20 Litter Cleanup In Bucks County

-- PA Resources Council Western PA Schedule Of Household Chemical, Hard-To-Recycle, Electronics Waste Collection Events  [PaEN] 

-- PittsburghUnionProgress.com: PA Resources Council 2024 Recycling Collection Events Schedule In Western PA

Programs/Information

-- DCNR State Parks March Environmental Education Newsletter Puts Spring In Your Educational Steps!  [PaEN] 

-- WeConservePA: Environmental Advisory Council Conference Smashes Attendance Records; Fall EAC Gathering Being Planned  [PaEN]

-- DEP Environmental Justice Update Highlights Governor’s New STEM Fellowship; Grant Deadlines; May 14 Environmental Justice Advisory Board Meeting  [PaEN] 

-- Stroud Water Research Center UpStream: Student Stewardship; Stream Restoration Investments; World Environmental Ed Congress; Starting A Watershed Organization; World Water Day March 22; More!  [PaEN]

-- LancasterOnline: Solanco Students Help Restore Hickory Trees To Lancaster City

-- PA Business Report: State Launches STEM Fellowship Program

-- Earth Conservancy, Industrial Archives & Library Announce Landmark Agreement To Preserve, Provide Access To Key Piece Of America’s Anthracite Coal History - Glen Alden Coal’s Records  [PaEN]  [Played A Key Role In PA Environmental History] 

-- Penn State Extension Energy Essentials: Federal, State Energy Efficiency Programs For Farms And Businesses; Balancing Carbon, Forest Health Other Goals  [PaEN]

-- KDKA: Frank Lloyd Wright’s Fallingwater Opening For The Spring Season This Weekend

-- Penn State Hidden Gems: Frost Entomological Museum 

Public Participation

-- PA Oil & Gas Industrial Facilities: Permit Notices, Opportunities To Comment - March 16 [PaEN]

-- DEP Posted 76  Pages Of Permit-Related Notices In March 16 PA Bulletin  [PaEN] 

-- DEP Sets April 17 Hearing On Alternatives For Dealing With PFAS 'Forever Chemical' Contamination At The Newberry Twp. PFC Site In York County  [PaEN]

-- DEP Invites Comments On Proposed Changes To General Air Quality Permit Authorizing Coal Mine Methane Flares  [PaEN]

-- Governor’s Office Publishes Updated Regulatory Agenda, Agency By Agency List Of Regulations In Development

Background On Issues

-- PA Oil & Gas Weekly Compliance Dashboard - March 9 to 15  - Home Explosion; 140 More Abandoned Conventional Wells; Methane In Water Supply; Porcupine Causes Wastewater Spill  [PaEN]

-- DEP Cites Conventional Oil & Gas Well Operators For Abandoning, Not Plugging 140 More Wells Last Week; Total Now 380 Wells This Year  [PaEN]

-- Shapiro Marks Plugging 200th Abandoned Conventional Oil & Gas Well: These Companies Will Do Anything To Avoid Paying For Plugging; It’s Not Okay Some In The Legislature Are Shielding Them; Text Well Locations  [PaEN]

-- The Center Square - Anthony Hennen: PA Plugs 200th Abandoned Conventional Oil & Gas Well

-- DEP: Conventional Oil & Gas Operators Will Not Be Eligible For New Methane Reduction Well Plugging Grants If They Are Not In Compliance With State Law, Regulations  [PaEN]

-- DEP Issues Violation To Blackhill Energy, LLC Shale Gas Driller For Contaminating Groundwater, 3 Water Supplies With Methane In Springfield Twp., Bradford County  [PaEN] 

-- The Derrick: Public Utility Commission Starts Investigation Into Possible Order For Another Utility To Permanently Acquire Venango Water Company Impacted By Conventional Oil Well Spill [PaEN]

-- DEP Issues Violation To CNX Gas Company For Withdrawing Over 1.8 Million Gallons Of Water For Fracking For 22 Days Without Permission [PaEN] 

-- Susquehanna River Basin Commission Approves 30 Shale Gas Well Pad Water Use General Permits In Bradford, Clearfield, Lycoming, Sullivan, Susquehanna, Tioga, Wyoming Counties  [PaEN] 

-- Gov. Shapiro Unveils Cap-And-Invest PA Climate Emissions Reduction Initiative To Reduce Carbon Pollution From Power Plants; Update Alternative Energy Portfolio Standards To Diversify Electric Generation, Improve Reliability  [PaEN] 

-- Gov. Shapiro Joins Industry, Labor, Environmental, Consumer Leaders To Highlight New Energy Plan To Create Jobs, Lower Costs For Pennsylvanians  [PaEN] 

-- Gov. Shapiro: PA Labor & Industry Leaders Praise Energy/Climate Plan 

-- Gov. Shapiro: PA Environmental Leaders Praise Energy/Climate Plan 

-- Gov. Shapiro On Republican Reaction To His Energy Plan: They’ve Done Nothing And Power ‘Plants Have Closed On Their Watch;’ They’re ‘Used To Doing Nothing;’ ‘Doing Nothing Is Not Acceptable’ [PaEN]

-- Senate Republicans Reject Gov. Shapiro’s Offer To Work On Legislation To Make The Electric Grid More Reliable, Diversify Our Energy Sources, Lower Energy Costs For Ratepayers, Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions  [PaEN] 

-- Pennsylvania’s Electric Grid Is Dependent On One Fuel To Generate 59% Of Our Electricity; Market Moving To Renewables + Storage  [PaEN] 

-- US EIA Report Shows How Winter Storms Have Reduced US Natural Gas Production, But Disruptions Can Happen Any Time Of The Year  [PaEN] 

-- EPA: Pennsylvania One Of 45 States, MSAs To Submit Priority Climate Action Plans As Part Of $5 Billion Climate Pollution Reduction Grant Program  [PaEN] 

-- WVIA: Frustrated With Water Polluted By Shale Gas Drilling, Dimock, Susquehanna County Residents Confront Governor At Clean Energy Announcement In Scranton 

-- TribLive: ‘Complete Devastation:’ Crescent Fire Chief Confirms 2 Dead In Another Allegheny House Explosion; Gas Well, Propane On The Property  

-- TribLive: Friends, Neighbors Remember Victims Of Crescent Twp. House Explosion In Allegheny County 

-- TribLive: Crescent House Explosion Marks 3rd In Western PA Since Summer

-- WTAE: 3 Allegheny County Home Explosion Investigations Launched In Past 2 Years Remain Open

-- TribLive: Couple’s Death In House Explosion Rekindles Memories, Unanswered Questions On Home Explosions 

-- Post-Gazette: Crescent Twp. Community Mourns Couple Killed In Home Explosion As Investigators Seek Answers 

-- WTAE: Firefighters Return To Scene Of Crescent House Explosion After Fire Rekindles

-- WTAE: Crescent Twp. Police Thank Columbia Gas Worker Who Rushed To Shut Off Gas On Scene Of Home Explosion

-- WPXI: DEP Acknowledges Presence Of Unregistered Conventional Gas Wells Near Site Of Tuesday Explosion

-- KDKA: Fmr DEP Officials Says It’s ‘Nearly Impossible’ To Identify All Unregistered Conventional Gas Wells

-- WPXI: 2 Dead In Large House Explosion In Crescent Twp., Allegheny County; Private Gas Well, Propane Found And Secured  

-- Post-Gazette: 2 Killed In An ‘Absolutely Extreme’ Home Explosion In Crescent Twp., Allegheny County

-- AP: ‘Very Significant’ Explosion Kills 2 And Destroys House In Allegheny County

-- WPXI: Peoples Natural Gas Pipeline Has Been Leaking Gas Since October In Verona, Allegheny County 

-- Scranton Times: Gas Leak Evacuates Downtown Olyphant For 2 Hours In Lackawanna County

-- Observer-Reporter Guest Essay: Natural Gas Is A Winner For Pennsylvania And The Whole Country - By Dan Weaver, PA Independent Oil & Gas Association 

-- The Center Square - Anthony Hennen: Report: Billions In PA Taxpayer Subsidies Go To Polluting Shell Petrochemical Plant Without Regard To Environmental Compliance 

-- Post-Gazette/NYT: US Taxpayers Have Subsidized Fossil Fuels For 111 Years, And Counting

-- PennLive Guest Essay: There’s No Excuse For Inaction On Climate Change In Pennsylvania - By Carolyn Comitta (D-Chester), Minority Chair Of Senate Environmental Committee

-- Republican Herald: Butler Twp. Residents Voice Opposition To Proposed Solar Energy Facility On Former Ashland Metals Site, Schuylkill County

-- Republican Herald: Consultant Presents Revised Plan For Solar Energy Facility In Butler Twp., Schuylkill County

-- Altoona Mirror: Rep. Fiedler Promotes Solar Energy Projects At Schools During Visit

-- The Energy Age: Solar Energy News - 7 Tips On Buying Solar Panels; US Installs More Solar In 2023 Than Ever Before; Solar Panel Recycling; Community Solar 

-- The Energy Age Blog: The Latest On Wind Power  

-- The Energy Age Blog: The Latest On Heat Pumps

-- WHYY - Susan Phillips: Environmentalists Clash With Gov. Shapiro At Hydrogen Energy Meeting In Northeast Philly

-- Inside Climate News: Delaware RiverKeeper, Activists Want More Public Participation In Proposed Hydrogen Hub In Southeastern PA

-- The Energy Age Blog: The Latest On Heat Pumps

-- Post-Gazette - Anya Litvak: A Grid For All: Assembling An Army Of Energy Soldiers Through Virtual PowerPlants 

-- Environmental Defense Fund: New Study Quantifies Health Impacts From Oil & Gas Flaring In US

-- AP: US Energy Industry Gas Leaks Are Triple The Official Figures, Study Finds

-- Reuters: Shell Scales Back 2030 Carbon Emissions Target

-- Bloomberg: Oil & Gas Industry Methane Emissions Near Record Despite Pledges

-- Environmental Health News: Participation In Oil & Gas Line Development Harms Mental Health And Creates Distrust In Government, Study

-- NYT: New Surge In Power Use Is Threatening US Climate Goals

-- Reuters: US Power Use To Reach Record Highs In 2024, 2025, US EIA Says

-- Scranton Times: Anthracite Coal Mining Industry Going Strong As Demand Rises

-- TribLive: Water Use Restrictions Lifted As Beaver Run Reservoir Levels Return To Normal In Westmoreland

-- Penn State: Inaugural PA Partners For Climate Smart Ag Commodities Summit Held In State College [PaEN] 

-- Financial Times: World In ‘Unknown Territory’ After Heat Records, Says Head Of UN’s Climate Body

-- Observer-Reporter: Water Quality Problems Return For East Dunkard Water System Customers In Greene County  

-- Penn State Growing Impact Podcast Examines PFAS ‘Forever Chemicals’ Contamination, Evaluation Of Existing Tech

-- Inquirer: Pollen Season Is Ramping Up In Philly, Along With The May-Like Temperatures

-- York Daily Record - Brian Whipkey: Game Commission Discusses Strategies For Future Purchase Of State Game Lands

-- MCall: Breeding Amphibians To Close Northampton County Road For Several Weeks

-- State Agencies Share Resources For Visitors, Motorists Ahead Of April 8 Solar Eclipse

-- Erie Times - Brian Whipkey: How Will Birds, Other Animals Respond To April 8 Total Solar Eclipse? 

-- Great Lakes Echo: 2 PA Farmers Found Guilty Of Poisoning Migratory Birds In Lawrence County 

-- Williamsport Sun: Encounter With Louisiana Waterthrush In Sproul State Forest; How Citizen Science Can Help Crucial Species

-- Erie Times - Brian Whipkey: Purple Martins Are Making Their 7,000 Mile Trip To Pennsylvania, Here’s Where To See Them 

-- LancasterOnline: Want To See PA Bald Eagle Hatchlings? Tune Into Local Webcams

-- York Dispatch: Bald Eagle Pair Latest To Take Up Residence Near Hanover

-- LancasterOnline - Ad Crable: Will Peregrine Falcons Be Dive-Bombing People On The Enola Low Grade Trail?  Time Will Tell

-- Williamsport Sun - Bill Bowers: Reflections In Nature - It’s That Time Of Year For Songbirds

-- Post-Gazette - Mary Ann Thomas: To Save The Allegheny Woodrat, Researchers Schlep Pounds Of Nuts 

Visit the  DEP Calendar of Events;  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: March 17, 2024]  PA Environment Digest