Wednesday PA Environment & Energy NewsClips - 3.20.24

“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]

Senate next voting day March 20, April 8, 9, 10, 29, 30

-- Committee Schedule

House next voting day March 20, 25, 26, 27, April 8, 9, 10

-- Committee Schedule

TODAY’s Calendar Of Events 

TODAY 9:30:  Senate Game and Fisheries Committee meets to consider House Bill 1409 (Kulik-D -Allegheny) renew the authority of Fish and Boat Commission to set its own fees for 10 years (House Fiscal Note & Summary). Room 8E-A East Wing. 9:30 a.m.  Click Here to watch online.

TODAY 9:00: House Game & Fisheries Committee informational meeting on Game Commission’s 2023 Annual Report.  Room 523, Irvis Building. 9:00 a.m. Click Here to watch online.

-- DEP Reports The Number Of Methane Contaminated Water Supplies From Oil & Gas Drilling Is Up ‘Across The Board,’ ‘Not A Good Trend’  [PaEN] 

-- DEP Pursuing Federal Funding To Further Define Human Health Impacts Of Abandoned Conventional Oil & Gas Wells  [PaEN]

-- Those Aren’t Vernal Pools! - That’s Conventional Oil & Gas Wastewater Pooling Along The Side Of The Road During Spring Dumping Season  [PaEN]

-- The Center Square - Anthony Hennen: Federal Rules Push Average Well Plugging Cost To $100,000

-- The Energy Age: Act 14 Notice To Local Governments Offering The Chance To Comment On EQT For Habanero Well 22 In Washington County

-- The Allegheny Front: Taxpayers Subsidize Polluting Plastics Plants Like Shell’s Petrochemical Plant, Report Finds 

-- TribLive Guest Essay: Crippling LNG Gas Would Be A Political Blunder Biden Can’t Afford In PA - By Cong. Jason Altmire (PA)  [Biden Isn’t Crippling LNG, Export Capacity Will Double During The Pause]

-- Broad+Liberty Guest Essay: Natural Gas Pipeline Progress In Pennsylvania Shouldn’t Be Held Back Because Of Reading Chocolate Plant Explosion And The Deaths  - By Fmr Rep. Becky Corbin

-- AP: New York Moves To Update Its Fracking Ban To Include Liquid Carbon Dioxide Was Well As Water

-- Post-Gazette: Federal Budget Delay Forces State To Temporarily Pause Some LIHEAP Home Utility Bill Assistance

-- Solar United Neighbors Hails House Committee Action On Community Solar Legislation  [PaEN]

-- TribLive: Westmoreland Housing Authority Plots Path To Solar Power

-- PA Capital-Star: House Environmental Committee Reports Out Framework For Leasing Lake Erie Lakebed For Wind Energy Development

-- Erie Times: Wind Farms In Lake Erie Off Erie County Coast?  House Committee Moves Merski Bill

-- Judiciary Committee Advances Bill To Increase Penalties For Trespassing, Damaging Existing And Critical Infrastructure Under Construction Like Natural Gas Pipelines, Compressor Stations, Electric Power Generation Facilities 

-- PennLive: Climate Activists Trying To Meet With Gov. Shapiro Arrested After Refusing To Disperse

-- DEP Took Action On 789 Permits, 96% Within Permit Decision Guarantee Deadlines; Conducted 1,470 Inspections; Responded To 5 Emergencies During Week Ending March 17 

-- Scranton Times: DEP Sends Keystone Landfill Pre-Denial Letter Over Proposal To Discharge Into Little Roaring Brook

-- WNEP: Federal Assistance Officially Denied For Luzerne, Lackawanna County Flooding 

-- Wilkes-Barre Times: Flood Buyout Demolition Contract For Strip Club Awarded In Plymouth Twp, Luzerne County

-- Litter Lifters Of West Vincent, Keep PA Beautiful Young Ambassador Kaelyn Stek Plan, Carry Out Litter Cleanup In Chester County  [PaEN] 

-- TribLive: Study Shows Compliance With Pittsburgh Single-Use Bag Ban, But Also Gaps

-- Republican Herald: Shenandoah OKs Purchase Of Trail Cameras To Prevent Illegal Dumping

-- Post-Gazette: Some Pittsburgh-Area Schools Closing Or Going To Remote Learning During April 8 Solar Eclipse

-- LancasterOnline: Farmland In Lancaster County Decreases As Market Value Rises

-- Inquirer - Frank Kummer: Tyler Arboretum To Reopen Trails Closed By Devastating Beetle Attack In Delaware County

-- TribLive: Tree Pollen Season A Little Early This Year, Allergists Say

-- PennLive: An Up-Close Look At Nation’s Biggest Wildlife Success Story Here In PA [Spoiler - Bald Eagle]

-- Game Commission: Bobwhite Quail Back In Pennsylvania

-- PennLive: Bobwhite Quail Reintroduced By Game Commission

Train Derailments

-- PittsburghUnionProgress.com: Coalition Of Residents, Unionists, Activists Coming Together To Demand Health Care After Norfolk Southern Train Derailment

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: US Natural Gas Prices Up 2% On Colder Forecasts, Lower Production

-- Bloomberg: EQT Gas CEO Says There’s ‘No Longer An Effective Lid On Prices’ After Coal Power Plants Closed Because Of Competition With Natural Gas  

-- EQT CEO Needs More Pipelines Because US Has A 'Duty' To Supply China With LNG Gas

-- Bloomberg: Freeport, TX LNG Gas Export Plant To Increase Production 10% Following Repairs

-- Reuters: European Union Methane Emissions Standard To Become Key Criteria For Future EU Energy Imports, Official Says

PA Politics - Everything Is Connected

-- PennLive: PA Senate Republicans Advance Bill To Eliminate Ballot Drop Boxes

-- CNHI News: Republican Lawmaker Weighs Measures Banning Ballot Drop Boxes

-- The Center Square: PA Election Reforms Teed Up With Consensus Uncertain

-- Post-Gazette: PA Republicans Fund Push To Get Their Supporters To Vote By Mail

-- Senate Republicans Pass Sen. Mastriano Resolution Calling On Governor To Deploy PA National Guard To Defend Texas Border

-- Post-Gazette - Ford Turner: PA Senate Republicans Call On Shapiro To Send National Guard To Texas To Secure Border

-- TribLive: Appeals Court Allows Whistleblower Lawsuit Against PA House Republican Caucus Over Mold

-- WITF/LancasterOnline: Palestine Supports Stage ‘Die-In’ Outside State Treasurer Stacy Garrity’s Office

-- Wall Street Journal Editorial: A Simple Idea For Speedier Government - PA Makes Its Agencies Refund Fees If Permits Take Too Long 

-- PA Gaming Control Board Reports 9% Increase In Total Gaming Revenue In February

-- Spotlight PA: What A Performance-Based Funding Model Could Mean For Penn State, Other State-Related Universities

-- TribLive: PennWest University Seeks New President To Revers Enrollment Plunge

-- York Dispatch: ‘This Is Not My Jesus’: Citizens Mobilize Against Right-Wing, Christian Law Firm

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[Posted: March 20, 2024]  PA Environment Digest