Friday PA Environment & Energy NewsClips - 11.22.24

“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]

House Voting Schedule

[End Of Session, All Bills Die]

January 7  New Session

-- Committee Schedule

Senate Voting Schedule

[End Of Session, All Bills Die]

January 7, 27, 28, 29

Budget Hearings February 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 27, March 4, 5,  6.

February 3, 4, 5

March 24, 25, 26, 31

April 1, 2

May 5, 6, 7, 12, 13

June 2, 3, 4, 9, 10, 11, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30

-- Committee Schedule

TODAY’s Calendar Of Events .

December 5--  Agenda Posted. DEP Oil and Gas Technical Advisory Board meeting.  Room 105 Rachel Carson Building. 10:00 a.m.  Check the Board webpage for options on joining the meeting remotely.  Contact: Todd Wallace at twallace@pa.gov or by telephone at 717-783-6395.  Read more here about agenda.

-- DEP Oil & Gas Advisory Board Meets Dec. 5 On Methane Emissions Reduction; Federal Plugging Program; Injection Well Primacy; Financial Assurance; Drilling & Permitting Activity Impacts On DEP Budget   [PaEN] 

-- EPA, Justice Dept., DEP Announce $5.275 Million In Penalties, Plus $1.4 Million In Abandoned Well Plugging Funding Against Shale Gas Drilling Companies-- XTO Energy, Inc., Hilcorp Energy Company For Federal, State Clean Air Act Violations  [PaEN] 

-- Post-Gazette - Anya Litvak: Exxon And Hilcorp Shale Gas Drillers Settle Environmental Violations With Millions In Fines And Promised Air Quality Benefits 

-- Pittsburgh Business Times: PA Environmental Groups Urge Biden To Keep Block On LNG Gas Export Projects  [PDF of Article] 

-- Lancaster Farming: Game Commission’s New Plan To Spend Shale Gas Drilling Lease Royalties Applauded By Sen. Martin  

-- DEP Briefs Water Resources Committee On Proposed Changes To PAG-13 General Permit For Small Municipal Stormwater Dischargers; Latest Emerging Contaminants Sampling Results; Microplastics Study  [PaEN] 

-- PUC To Host Nov. 25 Technical Conference On Adequacy Of Electricity Supplies In Pennsylvania  [PaEN]

-- Chesapeake Bay Foundation Will Fight Preliminary FERC Permit Granted For Proposed Susquehanna River Pump Storage Hydroelectric Project In York County  [PaEN] 

-- LancasterOnline - Rachel McDevitt: FERC Gives Initial Approval To Contested Hydroelectric Pump Storage Project On Susquehanna River [PDF of article] 

-- York Daily Record: Cuffs Run Gets Preliminary Permit For Massive Pump Storage Hydroelectric Project On Susquehanna River

-- York Dispatch: Susquehanna River Pump Storage Hydroelectric Project Gets Initial Federal Permit In York County

-- PA Dept. Of Agriculture Issues Firewood Quarantine Order For Firewood From Outside The State Or Traveling Through The State Unless Heat Treated To Prevent The Spread Of Invasive Species 

 

-- Lancaster Clean Water Partners Newsletter: Our Values In Action; News Around The Watershed; Recreation Access For All; Opportunities For All; New Podcast; Upcoming Events 

-- Penn State Extension Master Watershed Stewards Accepting Volunteer Applications For Spring 2025 Training  [PaEN] 

-- Master Watershed Stewards Naturalize Stormwater Basin In York County  [PaEN]

-- Master Watershed Stewards In York Introduce Urban Youth To Fishing [PaEN]

-- Penn State Extension:  Private Water Supply Education, Water Testing Accomplishments In 2024  [PaEN] 

-- Managing Your Well During A Drought, Tips From Penn State Extension  [PaEN]

-- Penn State Extension: In-Person Workshop Nov. 24 Meadow Seeding For A Hands-On Stormwater Solution. Rose Tree county Park, Media, Delaware County 1:00 to 2:00 p.m. 

-- WITF StateImpactPA - Rachel McDevitt: Pennsylvania Sees Record Wildfires This Fall 

-- Courier Times: Part Of Bucks County Enters ‘Extreme Drought’ This Week Amid Worst Dry Spell In 22 Years 

-- Inquirer - Frank Kummer: Drought Conditions Have Caused Aqua PA Water To Suddenly Stink, But Safe To Drink In Abington, Montgomery County; Using Different Source Of Water 

-- TribLive: Youghiogheny River Level Remains Low After Relatively Dry Summer, Fall In Westmoreland, Fayette Counties

-- Spotlight PA: Flood Damage That Destroyed Antietam Middle School Reveals Deep Divisions Between Berks County Communities Over How And Where To Continue Schooling Students 

-- Spotlight PA: Local Leaders Want To Help State College Borough Water Authority Take Over Small, Troubled Rock Spring Water Company 

-- PennLive: Veolia Water Company Issues Boil Water Advisory For Oberlin, Dauphin County After Equipment Problems

-- Delaware RiverKeeper Nov. 22 RiverWatch Video Report

-- Pittsburgh Business Times: Eaton Rolls Out New Energy Storage Battery System

-- Environmental Health Project Releases 2024 Year In Review [Shale Gas Drilling Health Impacts] 

-- Pittsburgh Business Times: Current, Future Marcellus Shale Gas Coalition Leaders Talk Industry [Patrick Henderson Promoted To VP]  [PDF of Article]

-- Post-Gazette - Anya Litvak: Marcellus Shale Gas Coalition Announces New Leadership In New Year

-- PA Independent Oil & Gas Assn.: Shapiro Signs Executive Order Aimed At Streamlining Permit Process For Infrastructure Projects

-- EPA Accepting Comments On New Draft Framework To Advance Consideration of Cumulative Impacts On Communities  [PaEN]

-- NFIB: Small Businesses Applaud Gov. Shapiro’s PA Permit Fast Track Program

-- Post-Gazette Editorial: Shapiro’s New Permitting System Gives A Green Light To Economic Development

-- PA Dept. Of Agriculture Issues Firewood Quarantine Order For Firewood From Outside The State Or Traveling Through The State Unless Heat Treated To Prevent The Spread Of Invasive Species 

-- DEP Publishes Notice Announcing The Availability Of An Updated Technical Guidance Agenda Showing The Guidance DEP Has In Development   [Technical Guidance Agenda]

-- November 23 Pennsylvania Bulletin Now Available

-- PUC Approves 9.06% Rate Increase Columbia Gas Customers

-- PUC Approves Rate Increases For FirstEnergy PA Utilities Ranging From 1.9% to 6.2%

-- TribLive: PUC OKs Smaller West Penn Power, Columbia Gas Rate Hikes

-- Post-Gazatte - Anya Litvak: Gas And Electric Bills For Southwest PA Customers Set To Rise With Utility Settlements

-- PUC Highlights National Critical Infrastructure Security And Resilience Month With A Focus On Utility Resilience And Security

-- TribLive: National Weather Service Confirms Tornado In Highland Park-Lemington-Belmar Area Of Allegheny County 

-- The Allegheny Front: Rothrock State Forest Trail Initiatives Gets DCNR Grant In Centre County

-- PA Conservation Heritage Project Profile: Jack Winieski Dedicated His Professional Career To Improving Trees Through Genetics - By Wayne W. Kober  [PaEN] 

-- Warren Times: Allegheny Outdoor Club Recognizes Bill Massa For Years Of Service To The Club

-- Warren Times: US Forest Service Notes Danger Of Dead ‘Zombie’ Trees After Leaf Fall 

-- LehighValley-Based Wildlands Conservancy Highlight December Activities, Programs 

-- Penn State Extension Home Garden News: Master Gardener Manual; Winter Outdoor Arrangements; Leaf Printing; Season Extenders More 

The Feds - New Administration

-- Utility Dive: Republican Administration Has Threatened Energy Efficiency, Weatherization Programs; What Happens Now?

-- Politico: Republican Administration Plans To Resuscitate Dead Keystone XL Oil Pipeline

-- The Economist: New Republican Administration’s Natural Gas War Is About To Begin  [PDF of Article] 

-- WSJ: Republican Oil & Gas Donors Don’t Really Want To ‘Drill, Baby, Drill’  [PDF of Article]

-- Reuters: Gauging The Likely Republican Effect On US Energy, Power Sectors  [PDF of Article] 

 

Three Mile Island Nuclear Power Plant Restart

-- Reuters: US Natural Gas Producers Chase AI-Driven Surge In Power Demand To Weather Low Prices

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

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

-- Washington & Jefferson College Center For Energy Policy & Management: Distributed Energy Resources Can Provide Benefits For Electric Grid

-- Bloomberg: Asian LNG Gas Prices Jump To Highest This Year Following Europe’s Rise

-- WSJ: Republican Oil & Gas Donors Don’t Really Want To ‘Drill, Baby, Drill’  [PDF of Article]

-- Reuters: Freeport Texas LNG Gas Export Facility Shuts Down 1 Of 3 Liquefaction Lines Due To High Air Pollution Emissions Lasting 11 Hours 

-- The Economist: New Republican Administration’s Natural Gas War Is About To Begin  [PDF of Article] 

-- Reuters: Gauging The Likely Republican Effect On US Energy, Power Sectors  [PDF of Article] 

Other States/National/International

-- EPA Announces National Strategy To Prevent Plastic Pollution

-- AP: Proposed Deal On Climate Cash At UN Summit Highlights Split Between Rich And Poor Nations

PA Politics - Everything Is Connected

-- AP: Bob Casey Concedes To David McCormick In PA US Senate Race 

-- The Center Square: Casey Concedes US Senate Race In Pennsylvania

-- TribLive: Steelworkers Union Boss Rips PR Blitz Pushing US Steel-Nippon Deal

-- The Center Square: Report: Uncompensated Medical Care On The Rise

-- PA Insurance Dept. Reminds Pennsylvanians Of Available, Affordable Health Insurance Options Through Pennie Health Insurance Marketplace

-- PA Insurance Dept. Releases Comprehensive Study On Health Insurer Provider Directories, Aiming To Improve Healthcare Access For Pennsylvanians

-- PA Insurance Dept. Releases New Report On State’s Health Insurance Market

-- Post-Gazette:  PennWest, 2 Other PA State Universities Begin Directly Admitting Students Without An Application To Bolster Enrollment 

-- WNEP: Delay In PHEAA State Grant Payments Threatens College Students’ Fates Across Pennsylvania

-- Erie Times: Erie Rise Private Charter School Settles Lawsuit Over ‘Hostile Work Environment’ As It Dissolves

-- PennLive: Dauphin County Agency To End Ex-Official’s Questionable $60,000 NRA Gun Show Contract

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[Posted:  November 22, 2024]  PA Environment Digest