PA Environment Digest Blog: Tuesday PA Environment & Energy NewsClips

“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

Budget Hearings February 18, 19, 20, 21, 24, 25, 26, 27, March 3, 4, 5, 6

March 17, 18, 19, 24, 25, 26

April 7, 8, 9, 22, 23, 24

May 5, 6, 7, 12, 13, 24

June 2, 3, 4, 9, 10, 11, 16, 17, 18, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 30

-- Committee Schedule

Senate Voting Schedule

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

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

TODAY 12:30: Agenda Posted. DEP Citizens Advisory Council meeting. Room 105 Rachel Carson Building. 12:30 p.m. Click Here to join meeting online via Microsoft Teams or by telephone 267-332-8737 ID #: 320 494 978# Contact: Ian Irvin, Executive Director, iirvin@pa.gov or (717) 787-8171. [CNX Resource CEO Nicholas Deluliis scheduled to speak on “Radical Transparency” Read more here.]

February 12-- Agenda Posted. DEP State Board For Certification of Water and Wastewater Systems Operators meeting. Room 105 Rachel Carson Building. 10:00 a.m. Contact: Laura Chambers, lchambers@pa.gov or (717) 772-5158.

February 13-- Agenda Posted. DEP Agricultural Advisory Board meeting. DEP Southcentral Regional Office, 909 Elmerton Ave., Harrisburg. 1:00 p.m. Contact: Robert Haines, robhaines@pa.gov or (717) 787-7565. [Note: Chapter 102, 105 Permitting Initiatives]

February 13-- Virtual. Dept. Of Health, Penn State Project ECHO Host Webinar On Caring For Persons Living And Working In Communities Involved In Oil & Natural Gas Extraction. Noon to 1:00 p.m.

March 4-- NEW. House Environmental & Natural Resource Protection Committee hearing on House Bill 109 (Vitali-D-Delaware) establishing a DEP Environmental Just permit Review Program. Lathem Hall, Widener University, 1 University Place, Chester. 10:00 a.m. Click Here to watch online. Read more here on legislation.

-- 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]

-- 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]

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

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

-- TribLive: Developer Appeals Unity Twp. Zoning Decision Against Proposed Solar Energy Facility In Westmoreland

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

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

-- PennLive: Lycoming County Commissioners Concerning Options For Unprofitable Landfill

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

-- Post-Gazette Guest Essay: ALCOSAN Can Make Money On Sewage And Help The Environment Too - By Gianna Kolencik, graduate student, and John Stolz, Professor of Engineering at Duquesne University

-- 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

-- Post-Gazette: Homeless Encampments Cleared From Downtown Pittsburgh, Eliza Furnace Trail

-- Pocono Record: Snowmobile Crash On Lake Wallenpaupack Claims Life

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

New Federal Administration

-- NYT: President Killed A Major Report On National Assessment Of Land, Water, Wildlife; Authors Trying To Publish It Anyway

-- The Guardian: President Signs Order Bringing Back Plastic Straws In Federal Agencies Claiming Paper Ones ‘Explode’

-- Financial Times: President To Halt Enforcement Of Law Banning Bribery Of Foreign Officials; Says It Will ‘Mean A Lot More Business For America’

PA Politics - Everything Is Connected

-- PennLive: Shapiro Recommends Closing Rockview Prison, Quehanna Boot Camp