128 New Stories - REAL Environmental & Conservation Leadership In PA

Here are 128 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!

-- Public Utility Commission Urges Consumers To Prepare For Extreme Cold Next Week [PaEN]

-- PJM Interconnection: New All-Time Peak Electricity Demand Possible Jan. 20-22; PJM Working With Gas Generators To Try To Get Them Online Before Extreme Cold Hits  [PaEN]

-- Shapiro Administration Urges Readiness In Advance Of Dangerous Cold Weather

-- Marcellus Drilling News: Natural Gas Flowing To Cove Point LNG Gas Export Facility In Maryland Drop Due To Cold Weather   [PDF of Article]  

-- Citizen Voice: Frigid Temps Lead To Ice Jam Concerns On Susquehanna River

-- WESA: Why Ice Forms Differently On Pittsburgh’s Monongahela And Allegheny Rivers

-- PA Conservation Heritage Project Profile: George Wolff - One Room School To ‘The Group That Doesn’t Exist’ - By Wayne W. Kober  [PaEN]

-- Shapiro Administration Accomplishments: DCNR Makes Significant Strides In Strengthening Conservation And Climate Resilience Across Pennsylvania  [PaEN]

-- PEMA: Nearly $270,000 Distributed To Help Pennsylvanians Rebuild Thru Disaster Recovery Assistance Program

-- Reading Eagle: New PA Program Provided $125,000 To Help 20 Berks Families Following July 2023 Severe Floods

-- DEP Launches New Permit Tracking Webpage For Applicants, Public  [PaEN]

-- Indiana County Conservation District Launches, Chapter 102, 105 Permit Submittal Tool To Help Applicants Put Together Complete Applications  [PaEN]

-- Registration Now Open! 2025 Shale Gas & Public Health Conference At Duquesne University, Pittsburgh, Online Feb. 27  [PaEN]

-- Rep. Vitali Introduces Bill To Ban Road Dumping Millions Of Gallons Of Conventional Oil & Gas Wastewater, Supported By The Shapiro Administration  [PaEN] 

-- PennLive Letter: There Must Be More Oversight Of Dangerous Fracking Wastewater In PA - By Dr. Robert Little

-- PA Oil & Gas Weekly Compliance Dashboard - Jan. 11 to 17 - More Abandoned Shale Gas, Than Conventional Wells So Far In 2025; Failed Act 2 Cleanup; Acid Forming Rock; Expired Permits  [PaEN] 

-- What The Shale Gas Industry Is Leaving Behind: Diversified Production LLC Starts 2025 With 11 Violations For Abandoning, Not Plugging Shale Gas Wells  [PaEN] 

-- What The Conventional Oil & Gas Industry Is Leaving Behind: Abandoned Conventional Oil & Gas Wells On Federal Lands - Shenango River Lake, Allegheny National Forest  [PaEN]

-- The Energy Age Blog: What The Shale Gas Industry Is Leaving Behind In Pennsylvania

-- Post-Gazette Editorial: Oil & Gas Companies Need Greater Incentives To Cap Their Old Wells  [Higher Well Plugging Bonds Needed To Keep Number Of Abandoned Wells From Rising]

-- Marcellus Drilling News: Bernstein Research Predicts Natural Gas Price To Average $5 In 2025-26 (From $4) Driven By LNG Exports, AI Centers; That’s ‘Conservative’  [PDF of Article] 

-- Marcellus Drilling News: Weather Causes NYMEX Natural Gas Prices To Soar, Marcellus-Utica Shale Spot Prices Soar Too  [PDF of Article]

-- Bloomberg: Europe Threatens To Trigger A Global Scramble For Natural Gas, Prolonging The Pain Of Higher Bills For Consumers, Factories

-- Public News Service: PA Power Demand Spurs Concerns Over Rising Electric Rates, Natural Gas Dependency

-- PennLive: PA One Of The Least Affordable States For Gasoline, Report Finds

-- AAA Gasoline Prices: National- $3.11  Ohio- $3.14  PA- $3.34

-- JD Supra: PA Superior Court Reaffirms the Dunham Rule In Cases Where Multiple Mineral Rights Claims, Property Deeds Thought To Convey Or Not Convey Oil & Gas Rights

-- USDOT Finalizes Rule To Modernize Gas Pipeline Methane Emissions Detection Requirements  [PaEN] 

-- Reuters: Federal Appeals Court Throws Out DOT Rule Allowing LNG Gas Rail Transport 

-- AP: US Supreme Court Declines To Hear Appeal From Oil & Gas Companies Trying To Block Climate Change Lawsuits

-- Rep. Vitali Introduces Bill To Establish DEP Environmental Justice Permit Review Program In Law, Analyze Cumulative Impacts Of Pollution From Facilities, Supported By DEP  [PaEN]

-- 30 Stakeholder Comments Received By PUC On Adequacy Of Electricity Supplies In Pennsylvania; Increasing Natural Gas Power Plant Reliability To 90-95% Would Mean No Imminent Capacity Problem  [PaEN] 

-- Gov. Shapiro Threatens To Pull Pennsylvania Out Of PJM If It Does Not Protect Consumers Against Soaring Power Prices  [PaEN] 

-- Utility Dive: PJM’s Capacity Market Auction Proposal Faces Pushback From Market Monitor, Generators, Renewable Energy Companies 

-- Utility Dive: PJM Proposal To Unlock Unused Interconnection Capacity Gains Broad Support

-- Post-Gazette Guest Essay: When Power (Or Labor) Is Not Reliable, It’s Hard To Do Business - By Pittsburgh Works Together

-- TribLive/AP: Former FirstEnergy Executives Indicted In $60 Million Ohio Bribery Scheme To Secure Bailout Of Company’s Nuclear Power Plants 

-- PUC Sets Feb. 11 Hearings On PPL Transmission Line Projects In York County Related To Three Mile Island, Peach Bottom  [PaEN] 

-- York Dispatch: PUC To Hold Hearings On PPL Transmission Line Projects In York County

-- TECfusions Unveils Massive 1,400-Acre Data Center Project With 3 Gigawatts Of Natural Gas-Fired Power Generation In Westmoreland County  [PaEN]  

-- ABC27: Plan To Restart Three Mile Island Reactor Draws Opposition At York County Commissioners Meeting

-- The Allegheny Front/Floodlight: Natural Gas Was Pushing Coal Out Of Electric Generation, But Surging Electricity Demand Is Keeping Coal Alive

-- Reading Eagle: Rail Terminal Reopens At Former Titus Generating Station

-- WESA: PA Launches Rural Population Revitalization Commission

-- Tribune-Democrat: State, Federal Officials Probing Mine Accident That Killed Windber Man 

-- Post-Gazette: Windber Man Killed In Somerset County Mine Accident, Corner Says

-- WPXI: Abandoned Mine Filled With Nearly 68,000 Gallons Of Concrete After Woman Fell Through Sinkhole

-- Scranton Times: DEP To Begin Work On Mayfield Mine Subsidence  [PDF of Article]

-- Wilkes-Barre Times Guest Essay: Anthracite Mining Legacy A Double-Edged Sword

-- PennTAP: Small & Mid-Size Industries Must Complete An Energy Technical Assessment Report To Be Eligible For RISE PA Decarbonization Grants  [PaEN]

-- DEP Hosts Jan. 24 Webinar Q&A On RISE PA Decarbonization Grant Program  [PaEN] 

-- NASEO Hosts Jan. 27 Webinar On RISE PA Decarbonization Grant Program, PA Energy Programs For Industry  [PaEN] 

-- PA Solar Center Hosts Jan. 31 Webinar On RISE PA Decarbonization Grant Program For Industry  [PaEN]

-- Hatboro Environmental Advisory Council: Jan. 29 Hatboro Solar 101 Program - Get Your Solar Questions Answered, Montgomery County  [PaEN]

-- Penn State Receives $2.4 Million DOE Grant To Reduce Emissions, Increase Thermal Efficiency In Industrial Systems

-- WESA: How Manufacturing In Southwest PA Is Building A Clean, Green Future

-- WHYY: Philadelphia Receives $11 Million For Electric Vehicle Chargers

-- LancasterOnline: Lancaster City Gets $3.1 Million Grant For Electric Vehicle Chargers In Low-Income Areas

-- Penn State Extension Energy Essentials: Home Energy Tax Credits; Land Ownership & Carbon Storage; Impacts Of Grid-Scale Solar; Grass2Gas Podcast 

-- American Dairy Assn. NE: Juniata County Dairy Farms Turns 1,000 Pound PA Farm Show Butter Sculpture Into Renewable Energy

-- Post-Gazette: Homewood Native Helps Address Climate Change On World Stage: ‘We Are All In This Together’

-- RegenAll To Host Lancaster’s First Ever Climate Town Hall Jan. 26 [PaEN]

-- WHYY: Philly-Area Residents Discuss Climate Solutions: ‘Small Steps Are Truly Worth It’

-- WHYY: Climate Fixers: One Philly Designer Knits Nature, Fashion For Sustainability

-- WHYY: Philly Artist Created A Climate News AI Bot, The Result Is ‘A Little Sassy’

-- Sustainable Pittsburgh Welcomes New Executive Director Bhavini Patel 

-- WESA: Allegheny County’s New Board Of Health Vows To Challenge The Status Quo At Its First Meeting

-- EPA Finalizes Protections From Ethylene Oxide Pollution For Workers, Communities

-- TribLive: Free At-Home Radon Test Kits Available In Allegheny County

-- EPA, City Of Corry Sign Order/Consent Agreement To Correct Permit Violations And Replace Wastewater Treatment Plant In Erie County [PaEN] 

-- Erie Times: Corry To Build $40 Million Wastewater Treatment Plant To Reduce Pollutants Discharged In Hare Creek

-- Spotlight PA - Marley Parish: Lawyers For Small Troubled Private Water Company Ask County Court To Force A Takeover, Calling Its System ‘A Clear And Present Danger’

-- Delaware Public Media - Jon Hurdle: Brandywine Flood Study Calls For ‘Massive’ List Of Efforts To Protect Region From Future Flooding, Storms 

-- Scranton Times: Dickson City Completes $200,000 Price Creek Bank Stabilization

-- NOAA March 25 Mid-Atlantic Drought Assessment & Building Early Warning Capacity Meeting, Susquehanna River Basin Commission Offices, Harrisburg, 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

-- York Dispatch: What Would A Planned Pump-Storage Hydroelectric Dam On Susquehanna River Mean For York County Taxpayers?

-- Early Registration Now Open For March 29 Watershed Congress At Alvernia University, Berks County  [PaEN] 

-- Chesapeake Bay Journal - Karl Blankenship: Could Treating Acid Mine Drainage Be Releasing Phosphorus Downstream?

-- EPA Awards Small Business Green Technology Development Grants, Including Grant To PA Company To Mitigate Phosphorus Farm Runoff  [PaEN]

-- Williamsport Sun: Bucknell Watershed Expert Talks Stream Restoration Issues In Region

-- EPA Releases Draft Risk Assessment Saying Land Application Of Biosolids With PFOA And PFOS ‘Forever Chemicals’ Can Be A Human Health Risk; Jan. 15 Webinar  [PaEN]

-- Penn State Extension Ag Water Webinar Series: Feb. 24 PFAS 'Forever Chemicals' 101 For Farmers  [PaEN]

-- DEP Invites Comments On Draft NPDES General Permit For Stormwater Discharges From Small Municipal Separate Storm Sewer Systems (PAG-13)  [PaEN]

-- Comments Invited On New And Revised DEP Water Quality Assessment Methodology For Impaired Waters Listing  [PaEN] 

-- Penn State Extension Hosts Feb. 10 Webinar On Nitrogen - Crop Nutrient And Water Pollutant  [PaEN]

-- Penn State Extension: 4 Ag Water Series Webinars On County Clean Water Plans; Watersheds & Mapping; Mitigate Flooding & Drought; Tile Drainage Starting March 3  [PaEN]

-- Penn State Extension To Host March 4 Webinar On Residential Stormwater Solutions - Rainwater Catchment Systems   [PaEN] 

-- Penn State Extension To Host 4-Part Webinar Series On Pond Management Starting March 19  [PaEN]

-- Penn State Extension Hosts 70 In-Person Agronomic Pesticide Update Certification Workshops From Jan. 21 to  March 27  [PaEN]  

-- Penn State Extension: Invest In Yourself - Save 25% On Online Courses 

-- WHYY: Experts Recommend ‘Road Salt Diet’ As Snow Storm Hits Philly Region

-- 8 New Videos Feature Ecosystem And Community-Focused Research By PA Sea Grant; Research Grant Proposals Due Feb. 14  [PaEN] 

-- Susquehanna River Basin Commission Newsletter Highlights New Studies On Harmful Algal Blooms, Eels, Dam Removal; Grants  [PaEN]

-- Forests For The Chesapeake Bay Newsletter Highlights Volunteer Accomplishments In 2024; American Beech Tree; Upcoming Webinars

-- Help Wanted: Nonprofit Stream Restoration, Inc. Watershed Restoration Project Manager [PaEN]

-- PittsburghUnionProgress.com: ‘Beautiful Sad Tapestry’ Of Stories Could Bring Hope In Wake Of Norfolk Southern Train Derailment, Attorney Says

-- Underground Storage Tank Indemnification Board Invites Comments On Proposed Changes To Eligibility Requirements To Pay Claims Under Tank Cleanup Program  [PaEN]

-- DEP Proposes Listing Nockamixon TCE Contamination Site In Nockamixon Twp., Bucks County On The PA Priority List Of Hazardous Sites  [PaEN]

-- Tribune-Democrat: DEP To Outline Plans To Remove Waste Telephone Poles, Railroad Ties From Elk Lick Twp. Sites

-- TribLive: Contaminated Recycling Puts Harrison Hills Drop-Off Program At Risk; Westmoreland Cleanways Faces Similar Issues

-- Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful Welcomes New Local Affiliate - Keep Coatesville Beautiful, Chester County [PaEN] 

-- French & Pickering Creeks Conservation Trust Partners With Eastern Pennsylvania 

Conference Of The United Methodist Church To Preserve 130 Acre Camp In Chester County  [PaEN]

-- Inquirer - Frank Kummer: 130-Acre Chester County Church Camp Preserved With Some Trails Opening To Public 

-- PennLive - Charles Thompson: Here’s What A Cut To The Farmland Preservation Budget Will Mean In Cumberland County

-- LancasterOnline Guest Essay: New Administration’s Cabinet Nominee Will Put Lancaster Farming Legacy In Jeopardy - By Environmental Defense Fund

-- DCNR Awards Nearly $1.4 Million To Support 5 Local ATV And Snowmobile Projects; Watch For Upcoming DCNR Grant Opportunities  [PaEN]

-- TribLive: Stretch Of Snowy, Cold Weather Pulls Cross Country Ski Lovers Onto Laurel Highlands Trails

-- DCNR State Parks Environmental Education Newsletter Highlights Winter Teaching Ideas; Outdoor Activities; Winter Salt Week; Amphibian Week  [PaEN] 

-- Dept. Of Health: $300,000 Available For Local WalkWorks Grants To Increase Physical Activity 

-- WHYY/BillyPenn: Feds Grant Nearly $50 Million For Parkway, Schuylkill Trail, Rail Park Projects

-- Meadville Tribune: PA Environmental Council Awards Water Trail Mini-Grant To Oil Region Alliance 

-- TribLive: Ligonier Native Takes To Skies To Battle Los Angeles Wildfires: ‘A Nightmare’ 

-- PA Wilds Center: Highland Chocolates Launches New Trail Mix, Bigfoot Chocolates To Benefit PA Wilds Center For Entrepreneurship 

-- Wildlife For Everyone Foundation Accepting Applications For College Scholarships  [PaEN]

-- PA Sea Grant: Applications Now Being Accepted For Sea Grant Shipboard Educator Science Workshop On Lake Michigan  [PaEN]

-- Interns Wanted: PA Sea Grant - Undergraduate Internship Opportunities  [PaEN]

-- Seedlings For Schools Program Begins Accepting Orders Feb. 3  [PaEN]

-- LancasterOnline - Erin Negley: Doug Tallamy Coming To Lancaster March 15 With Tips to Help Nature At Home

-- Master Gardeners Of Butler County Feb. 17 Webinar On Unusual & Beautiful Woodland Plants, 6:30 to 8:00 p.m.

-- Reading Eagle: Bushong Dam On Tulpehocken Creek In Reading To Be Removed This Year

-- Williamsport Sun: Class A Wild Trout Stocking Considerations Proposal Brought Up At Fish & Boat Commission Meeting

-- Williamsport Sun: Feedback Received For Strategic Plan For Management Of Trout Fisheries

-- Erie Times - Brian Whipkey: Anglers Are Finding ‘Safe’ Ice To Go Fishing For Perch, Pickerel, Walleye, Trout, Pike 

-- Game Commission Posts 2025 Events At Middle Creek Wildlife Management Area And Conservation Heritage Museum In Lancaster County; When Will Migrating Birds Arrive?    [PaEN]

-- Beaver Times - Brian Whipkey: As Reports Of Snow Geese Dying From Bird Flu Increase, Game Commission ‘Depopulates’ Some Birds 

-- Warren Times: Eagle Watch Coming To Kinzua Dam Feb. 1 Hosted By US Army Corps Of Engineers 

-- MCall: Are There More Crows In Allentown? Yes, Birders Say, Here’s Why

-- Erie Times: Groundhog Day 2025 (Feb. 2): How To Watch What Punxsutawney Phil Sees 

Visit the PA Environment Digest website to learn more.

REAL Leadership:

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[Posted: January 19, 2025]   PA Environment Digest