139 New Stories - REAL Environmental & Conservation Leadership In PA

Here are 139 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!

-- Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful Announces 16 Recipients Of 2024 Affiliate Volunteer, Community Partner, And Stewards For Tomorrow Youth Awards  [PaEN] 

-- Stroud Water Research Center: Winter Salt Week Unites 300 Volunteers, 30 Groups  Concerned About Fresh Water  [PaEN] 

-- Guest Essay - The Heart Of Chesapeake Bay Restoration Is The People Of The Watershed, Not Government - By Hilary Harp Falk, President, Chesapeake Bay Foundation 

-- Western PA Conservancy Hosts March 11 Webinar Featuring 5 Women Talking About Careers In Conservation & Preservation  [PaEN]

-- DCNR: The Votes Are In - Delaware River Named Pennsylvania's 2025 River Of The Year  [PaEN]

-- The Allegheny Front: Delaware River Wins 2025 Pennsylvania River Of The Year

-- Williamsport Sun: Environmental Education Expo Event Was A Massive Success At Montour Preserve 

-- Scranton Times: Scranton’s Next Mural Will Commemorate Lenape Indigenous People 

-- Join Feb. 13 Dept. Of Health, Penn State Project ECHO Webinar To Educate Medical Professionals, Public On Exposures To Natural Gas Facility Pollution; Real Washington County CNX Facility Case Study Used  [PaEN]

-- CNX CEO Tells DEP’s Citizens Council Their Monitoring Shows ‘No Material Impact’ To Air Or Water Quality From Natural Gas Development; Citizens Said CNX Lacks Scientific Rigor, Offers Misleading Greenwash  [PaEN] 

-- PA Oil & Gas Weekly Compliance Dashboard - Jan. 25 to Feb. 14 - Shale Gas Well Ordered Plugged After 8 Years; 20 More Abandoned Conventional Wells; Shale Gas Well Leaking Gas For 23 Months And Counting  [PaEN] 

-- What The Shale Gas Industry Leaves Behind: DEP: Southwestern Energy Prod Co. Failed To Comply With Act 2 Cleanup Standards At The Greenzweig Shale Gas Wastewater Impoundment In Bradford County After 5 Years  [PaEN]

-- What The Shale Gas Industry Is Leaving Behind: DEP Signs Consent Order With Roulette Oil & Gas To Plug Shale Gas Well Abandoned For 8 Years In Hebron Twp., Potter County  [PaEN]

-- Governor’s Updated Regulatory Agenda Includes Proposed Annual Permit Fee For Shale Gas Wells; Updated Conventional Waste Disposal and Coproduct Waste Regs.  [PaEN] 

-- Marcellus Drilling News: Rain City Resources, Kendra II Agree To Set Up Pilot Plant To Extract Lithium From Marcellus Shale Wastewater In Susquehanna County [PaEN]

-- Washington County Judge Rules Sunoco Pipeline Did Not Have Eminent Domain Authority To Take Property For Mariner East Pipelines In Landowner Lawsuit Alleging Fraud  [PaEN]

-- The Energy Age Blog: Judge Rules Sunoco Didn’t Have Eminent Domain Power For Mariner East Pipelines Work In 2013; Lawsuit Claims Company Coerced Property Owners Into Allowing Easements

-- Observer-Reporter: Washington County Judge Rules Sunoco Did Not Have Eminent Domain Powers For Mariner East Pipeline In 2013 In Landowner Lawsuit Alleging Fraud   [PDF of Article]

-- Inquirer: Federal Pipeline Safety Agency Says Energy Transfer/Sunoco Pipeline Leaked Fuel In Bucks County For At Least 16 Months 

-- WHYY: Upper Makefield Residents, PA Officials Call For Energy Transfer Jet Fuel Pipeline To Be Shut Down Pending Spill Investigation In Bucks County

-- WHYY: Upper Makefield Twp. Residents Call For Answers After Energy Transfer Jet Fuel Pipeline Leak Contaminated Wells In Bucks County 

-- Inquirer: Legislators Say Energy Transfer Jet Fuel Pipeline That Leaked Into Bucks County Wells Should Be Shut Down; Operator Failed To Detect Leak

-- DEP, Attorney General Announce $14,866,280 In Grants To Fund 79 Local Water Quality Improvement Projects Funded By Growing Greener, Natural Gas Pipeline Penalties  [PaEN]

Latest From The Chesapeake Bay Journal

-- PA Business Report: Bipartisan Abandoned Conventional Well Grant Flexibility Act Introduced In Congress By PA Members

-- DEP Sets March 11 Environmental Justice Office Hearing On Air Quality Permit For New Pollution Control Devices At Harmon Creek Natural Gas Processing Plant In Washington County  [PaEN] 

-- DEP To Hold March 11 Hearing On Air Quality Application For MarkWest Liberty Harmon Creek Natural Gas Processing Plant In Washington County

-- DEP Sets March 20 Environmental Justice Hearing On New NPDES Water Quality Permit For The Westmoreland Landfill In Rostraver Township   [PaEN]  

-- Inside Climate News - Jon Hurdle: New Data Shows Shell Petrochemical Plant In Beaver County Failed To Boost Local Economy  

-- The Allegheny Front: New Lawsuit Makes First Wrongful Death Claims From Norfolk Southern Train Derailment

-- Scranton Times: Renewable Natural Gas Plant Operator At Keystone Landfill Begins Test Drilling For Underground Carbon Dioxide Storage 

-- Gov. Shapiro’s Budget Includes Energy Plan; Funding To Make-up Deficit In Oil & Gas Program; New State Park, Trail Initiative; Over $6.2 Billion In Federal Funding At Risk For DEP, DCNR, PennVEST  [PaEN]

-- The Center Square: A Closer Look At Shapiro’s Carbon Tax Plan

-- Inside Climate News - Kiley Bense: Pennsylvania’s New Energy Plan A ‘Betrayal’ To Those On Front Lines, Critics Say 

-- Observer-Reporter: Subterranean Recreation, Proposed New Laurel Caverns State Park

-- WESA: Shapiro Proposes Laurel Caverns As PA’s First Underground State Park

-- Gov. Shapiro Files Lawsuit Challenging President's Unconstitutional Federal Funding Freeze In Order to Protect PA Interests; Mine Reclamation, Conventional Well Plugging, Many Other Funds At Risk  [PaEN] 

-- PA Environmental Educators Urge Action In Response To New Federal Directives Impacting Environmental Education; Take National Survey Gathering Insights From Educators  [PaEN] 

-- Appalachian Voices: Abandoned Mine Cleanup Disrupted By Ongoing Freeze In Federal Funding [Defying Court Orders] [PaEN] 

-- Appalachian Voices: Tell Congress To Preserve Federal Funding For Rural Communities  [PaEN]

-- National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition: Continuing Federal Funding Freeze Hurting Farmers-- Honor Legal Obligations  [PaEN]

-- Chesapeake Bay Journal: Nonprofits, States Scramble As President Pauses Funding For Many Chesapeake Bay Restoration Programs

-- Natural Resources Defense Council: Federal Freeze On Solar For All Grant Leaves Pennsylvania In The Dark [PaEN] 

-- The Center Square: Low-Income Federal Solar For All Program Money Inaccessible Until General Assembly Passes Legislation

-- WHYY: President’s Funding Freeze Could Leave Communities On Their Own As Climate Threats Grow

-- Post-Gazette: Pittsburgh At The ‘Epicenter’ Of The Climate Crisis, Local Leaders Claim

-- Erie Times Guest Essay: PA Can’t Cede Bipartisan Clean Energy Progress To President’s Fossil Fuel Focus - Molly Parzen, Conservation Voters Of PA

-- PittsburghUnionProgress.com: President Takes Another Step To Stop Plan To Building Electric Vehicle Charging Sites

-- The Allegheny Front: What President’s Halt Of $5 Billion EV Charging Program Could Mean For PA

-- The Allegheny Front - Reid Frazier: Will Appalachian Hydrogen Hub Survive As President Takes Aim At Clean Energy?

-- President Forms National Energy Dominance Council To Promote Oil, Natural Gas, Natural Gas Liquids, Refined Petroleum Products, Uranium, Coal, Biofuels, Geothermal Heat, Kinetic Movement Of Flowing Water, Critical Minerals  [PaEN]  [A Warning]

-- Wall Street Journal: US Oil, Gas Frackers And Saudi Officials Tell President They Won’t Drill More No Matter How Many Regulations Are Rolled Back, Prices Are Too Low [PDF of article] 

-- WSJ: US Imposes 10% Tariff On Canadian Oil, Gas, 25% On Other Products  [PDF of Article]  [United Refining In Warren Uses 70,000 Barrels Of Canadian Oil A Day ]  [Tariff Temporarily Suspended]

-- The Allegheny Front - Kara Holsopple: Campaign Pushes For More Voices In The Fight Against Air Pollution In Allegheny County 

-- The Allegheny Front - Reid Frazier: US Steel Clairton Coke [Coal] Plant Explosion Sends 2 Workers To Hospital, Idles Battery 

-- Post-Gazette: US Steel Idles Clairton Coke [Coal] Battery Following ‘Excess Pressure’ Release, 2 Employees Hospitalized

-- WTAE: At Least 13 People Injured Following Massive Explosion At Crawford County Chemical Plant 

-- DEP Invites Comments On Declaring An Exceptional Event Related To 2023 Canadian Wildfires And Impacts On PA Air Quality  [PaEN] 

-- Penn State Extension To Host Feb. 27 Webinar: General Update Of Large-Scale Solar In Pennsylvania [PaEN] 

-- LancasterOnline: Solar Energy Projects On Manheim Twp. School Campus Could Save $10 Million

-- PUC Publishes Final Policy Statement On Electric Rate Design For Electric Vehicle Charging  [PaEN] 

-- Evangelical Environmental Network: FERC Approval Of PJM Fast Track Power Plant Plan Favors Natural Gas, Leaves Clean, Abundant Energy Behind For Pennsylvania  [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  [1.14.25] 

-- Post-Gazette/AP: FERC Approves Fast-Tracking Power Plants By PJM Over Complaints It Favors Natural Gas

-- MCall: As Energy Costs Rise, Politicians, Advocates, Utilities Debate Consumer Protections And Unpaid Bills; LNG Gas Exports Driving Consumer Prices Higher 

-- Scranton Times: Scranton Wants PUC To Hold Hearing On 7.5% to 11% UGI Gas Rate Hike Request 

-- Courier Times: Shocked By Your Higher PECO Electric, Natural Gas Bill?  Here’s Why You’re Paying More

-- Reuters: US Inflation Increases At Fastest Pace In Nearly 18 Months In January; Gasoline, Natural Gas Prices Up 1.8%

-- US EIA Natural Gas Price Forecast For 2025 Now 21% Higher Than Last Forecast At $3.80; 2026 Forecast Now $4.20

-- Post-Gazette - Anya Litvak: PJM Power Grid Presents A Math Problem For Pennsylvania To Meet Peak Electricity Demands  ​

-- Inside Climate News - Jon Hurdle: Data Centers Driver Higher Forecasts For Electric Demand In PA, Sparking Climate Worries

-- TribLive: Keeping The Electric Grid Humming Is Costing Consumers More

-- WITF: Three Mile Island Nuclear Plant Restart Sets Feb. 19 Meeting On Emergency Plans

-- York Dispatch: Three Mile Island Nuclear Power Plant Emergency Plans Posted For Public, Regulatory Review 

-- Reuters: PPL Electric Raises Transmission Infrastructure Plan By Nearly 40% On Data Center, Electrification, Storm Resilience Demands  

-- TribLive Editorial: State Utility Consumer Advocate Should Be Independent

-- Post-Gazette Editorial: PA Needs A True Utility Consumer Advocate

-- PaHomePage.com: Nanticoke Creek Watershed Restoration Underway By Earth Conservancy

-- FOX43: Watershed Experts Keep An Eye On Road Salt Pollution In York County Streams, Creeks

-- PennLive Guest Essay: City Of Harrisburg Still Has No Plan To Stop Raw Sewage From Flowing Into Susquehanna River - By Ted Evgeniadis, Lower Susquehanna RiverKeeper 

-- DEP Invites Comments On Advanced Water Quality Impairment Restoration Plan In Fishing Creek Watershed, Lancaster County  [PaEN] 

-- DEP To Host March 3 Hearing On Route 115 Associates Warehouse Water Quality Permit In Monroe County

-- Online PA Lake Erie Environmental Forum Set For Feb. 18 - Energy Industry And Its Impacts On Freshwater Resources  [PaEN]

-- North Central Grassroots Conservation Fair March 14 Wellsboro, Tioga County  [PaEN]

-- PA American Water Charitable Foundation Accepting Applications For 2025 Water & Environment Grants  [PaEN] 

-- Schuylkill River Restoration Fund Grant Letters Of Intent Due Feb. 18 

-- Patch.com: Radnor Environmental Advisory Council To Host Lecture Series In Delaware County

-- Lancaster Farming: Need To Optimize Nitrogen Applications For Chesapeake Bay Health

-- New Growing Greener Communities Website Provides Guidance For Protecting Our Environment, Drinking Water Sources  [PaEN] 

-- North Branch Land Trust Receives Susquehanna River Basin Commission Grant For Guide For Watershed Guardians In Luzerne County  [PaEN]

-- Protecting Clean Water Together: Starting To Think About The Garden?  How To Simplify Garden Work - By Carol Hillestad for Brodhead Watershed Association, Monroe County  [PaEN] 

-- WGAL: High Levels Of PFAS ‘Forever Chemicals’ Found In Drinking Water In Some Southcentral PA Communities

-- PA Assn. Of Environmental Professionals Host March 18 Webinar On Emerging PFAS 'Forever Chemicals' Treatment Technologies  [PaEN] 

-- Spotlight PA-Marley Parish: Years Of Unreliable Service Should Force State Regulators to Take Emergency Action Against Small, Private Rural Water Company In Centre County, PA Watchdog Says

-- Spotlight PA - Marley Parish: Customers Of Shoddy, Private Rural Water Company Need Relief And Fast, Stakeholders Say; A Judge Is Mulling Next Steps 

-- PublicNewsService.com: PA Replacing Lead Water Pipes To Ensure Safe Drinking Water  [Note: This funding is under review as a result of President’s Executive Order.]

-- WHYY: Philly Children Exposed To Lead More Often Than In Other Cities, Analysis Finds

-- Call For Presentations: PA Assn. Of Environmental Professionals Inviting Presentation Proposals For Annual Conference Sept. 10-12 In State College  [PaEN]  

-- TribLive: From Brownfield To Crown Jewel: Piatt’s $740 Million Esplanade Project Aims To Spur Ohio River Revival 

-- PA Recycling Markets Center Hosts March 11 Webinar Update On Recycled Paper Commodities Markets, Including Impacts Of Tariffs  [PaEN] 

-- Dept. Of Agriculture Invests Nearly $6.7 Million To Protect 19 Farms In 16 Counties From Future Development   [PaEN]

-- MCall: Another Lehigh Valley Farm Saved From Development

-- PA Firefly Festival’s Glowing Success, Over 2,500 Lottery Applications Submitted For 120 Event Tickets; Lottery Open For 2025  [PaEN]

-- DCNR, Penn State Extension Host March 13 Online Forest Health, Insect, Disease Update  [PaEN]

-- Forests For Chesapeake Bay Update: Eastern Hemlocks; Extrafloral Nectaries; Phenological Fun! Lancaster Tree Tender Training; Much More

-- Penn State Extension Hosts March 29 Rain Barrel Discovery Workshop In Lebanon County [PaEN]

-- PA Outdoor Recreation Office Hosting 10 Regional Outdoor Recreation Industry Workshops In March To Help Shape The Future Of Recreation In PA  [PaEN]

-- Auditor General DeFoor: DCNR Did Not Award All Community Conservation Partnership Grants On A Competitive Basis  [PaEN]

-- DCNR Now Accepting Applications For Members Of The Conservation & Natural Resources Advisory Council  [PaEN]

-- DCNR Opens Historic Underground Railroad Site In York County To Public For First Time

-- DCNR: Winter Storms Create Hazardous Conditions On State Forest Roads

-- Registration Now Open For Keystone Trails Assn. Spring Hiking Weekend April 25-27 In Huntingdon County  [PaEN]

-- Rothrock Trail Alliance Hosts Feb. 17 & 18 Public Meetings On Plans For 53 Miles Of New Trails In Centre County  [PaEN] 

-- TribLive: Natrona Trailhead To Provide Town Gateway, Safe Access To Kayak Launch In Allegheny County

-- Water At Risk: Setting Your Sights On A Winter Walk - By Carol Hillestad for Brodhead Watershed Association, Monroe County  [PaEN] 

-- Wilkes-Barre Times: Luzerne County May Update Dated Open Space, Greenways And Outdoor Recreation Master Plan

-- Citizens Voice: Public Gives Input For West Side Riverfront Parks Master Plan In Luzerne

-- PA, NY To Host Feb. 25 Webinar On New Wild Trout Management Plan for Delaware River Tailwaters  [PaEN] 

-- Fish & Boat Commission Awards First Round Of Boating Facility Grants  [PaEN]

-- Post-Gazette: Illinois Governor Delays $1.2 Billion Great Lakes Invasive Carp Project Over Concerns President Won’t Cover Federal Share

-- WITF StateImpactPA - Rachel McDevitt: Middle Creek Wildlife Area Visitors Must Change Their Plans This Snow Goose Season

-- The Allegheny Front: Bird Flu Is Killing Wild Birds And Mammals, Too 

-- PennLive: Bird Flu Cases On The Rise In PA As State Expands Testing, Containment Efforts

-- WITF: Here’s How Pennsylvania Is Handling Latest Outbreak Of Bird Flu In Lancaster County 

-- Erie Times - Brian Whipkey: Study Reveals Waterfowl In PA Have Contaminants; Here’s What Hunters Should Know

-- Game Commission Finds Deer Testing Positive For Chronic Wasting Disease In Carbon County

-- Erie Times - Brian Whipkey: Game Commission Sees $221 Million Drop In Natural Gas Royalties From Previous Year

-- KDKA: Bald Eagles At US Steel’s Irvin Plant Lay First Egg Of The Season  [Watch Online]

-- TribLive: Bird Watchers Flock To Eagle Cam At US Steel Irvin Works

-- WESA: Great Backyard Bird Count Monitors Avian Behavior In Pennsylvania 

-- The Nature Conservancy PA News: Discover Winter Birding Wonders: Roger Spotts On Tannersville Cranberry Bog 

-- Williamsport Sun: Williamsport Plans To Seek Audubon Bird Town Status

-- Williamsport Sun - Bill Bower: Reflections In Nature: Barred Owl  Can Be Found In Urban Areas

-- Pheasants Forever In Pennsylvania Expands State Game Lands With 119-Acre Addition

-- Republican Herald: New Wildlife Habitat Funding Available To Landowners Through Pheasants Forever, USDA Partnership

-- Pheasants Forever In PA, USDA Partner To Deliver Habitat Improvement Services To CREP Landowners

-- Interns Wanted: Western PA Conservancy Now Taking Applications For Summer Internships 

-- Intern Wanted: Allegheny County Department Of Sustainability Summer Intern [PaEN]

Visit the PA Environment Digest website to learn more.

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[Posted: February 16, 2025]   PA Environment Digest