Awards/Recognition
-- WeConservePA Honors Cynthia Carrow With 2025 Lifetime Conservation Leadership Award [PaEN]
-- Inquirer: PA’s Fallingwater Was Frank Lloyd Wright’s Most Iconic Home, Renovations Will Require More Than A Trip To Home Depot
-- Stroud Water Research Center Named Delaware River Watershed Champion [PaEN]
-- Master Watershed Steward Dean Neely Takes A Hands-On Approach To Conservation In Monroe County [PaEN]
-- From Classrooms To Communities: Keep PA Beautiful Young Ambassadors Are Making a Difference [PaEN]
-- Pennsylvania's Bat-Woman: Bat Conservation & Rehabilitation Executive Director Shares Her Mission [PaEN]
-- TribLive: Portion Of Rachel Carson Trail, Amid Indiana Township Watershed, Nearing Preservation Status In Allegheny County
Grants
-- The Center Square: Demand Booming For Solar Energy At Schools Funding In PA
-- Steelton-Highspire School District, Tröegs Independent Brewing Show Benefits Of Going Solar, Driving Electric Busses In Dauphin County [PaEN]
Help Wanted
-- WESA: PA Says Hundreds Of Fired Federal Workers Have Applied For State Jobs
-- Post-Gazette: Allegheny County Receives Over 80 Applications In First Week Of Job Portal Aimed At Laid-Off Federal Workers
Upcoming Events
-- PA Interfaith Power & Light Hosts March 13 Webinar On PA Bright Solar Leasing Program [PaEN]
-- Williamsport Sun: March 15 Bringing Nature Back One Yard At A Time Symposium By Lycoming County Master Gardeners
-- House Environmental Committee Meets March 18 On Bills To Regulate Food Processing Waste; Notice Of Oil & Gas Permits; Expanding C-PACE Financing For EV Charging, More [PaEN]
-- North Branch Land Trust Hosts Amphibian Migration Watch March 29 In Lackawanna County [PaEN]
-- Volunteers Needed! Alliance For Chesapeake Bay To Hold Back-to-Back TreeLay Planting Events On April 5 At 3 PA Locations [PaEN]
-- Penn State Agriculture & Environment Center’s Greening The Lower Susquehanna Program Hosts April 5 In-Person Riparian Buffer Maintenance Workshop In Lancaster County [PaEN]
-- ClearWater Conservancy: Stream Of Volunteers Needed For 29th Watershed Cleanup Day April 12 In Centre County [PaEN]
-- PA Wilds: 2025 North Clarion Art Exhibition Opens April 12 At Marienville PA Wilds Conservation Shop
-- Penn State Center for Agricultural Conservation Assistance Training Hosts April 29 Webinar On Effective Outreach Engagement On Adopting Farm Conservation Practices [PaEN]
Programs/Information
-- Gov. Shapiro Launches Legislative Push for 'Lightning Plan’ To Build More Energy Projects, Speed Up Permitting, Lower Costs, Create Jobs For Pennsylvanians [PaEN]
-- Post-Gazette - Ford Turner: Gov. Shapiro Calls For PA Lawmakers To Act On His Energy Proposals
-- York Dispatch: Gov. Shapiro Touts Plan To Expand Energy Markets In PA While York County Seeks Balance
-- The Center Square: Watch: Former DEP Leader Stumps For Shapiro Energy Plan
-- TribLive Guest Essay: You Deserve Affordable Electricity [Not Gov. Shapiro’s Energy Plan] - By Republican Reps Leslie Rossi, Jamie Barton, Martin Causer [No Plan]
-- PA Senate Republican Leader: ‘Every Consumer Of Electricity In This Commonwealth Is Going To Pay More;’ ‘What You’re Going To Face Is Going To Be Really Unpleasant’ [1.29.25]
-- Penn State Extension Energy Essentials News: Solar Energy Credits In PA; Anaerobic Digestion; Learning Opportunities
-- Washington & Jefferson College: Pennsylvania Is An Energy Powerhouse In Region And Beyond
-- Washington & Jefferson College: US Energy Sector Has Undergone A Transformation In Last 50 Years
-- PA Parks & Forests Foundation: Being Outside In Nature Can Relieve Stress, Improve Mood, Lowers Your Blood Pressure
-- Warren Times - Audubon Community Nature Center: Nature As A Healer
-- Tribune-Democrat: ‘Perfect Match:’ NatureWorks, Johnstown Symphony Orchestra Programs Offer Residents A Look At Conservation, Art [PDF of Article]
-- WNEP: Wildfire Season Underway Across The State
-- York Daily Record: Wildfire Risks Remain High This Week After 3.9 Acre Wildfire Near Popular Trail At Codorus
-- TribLive: Under Pressure: Water Flow Issues Can Cripple Firefighters Who Rely On Patchwork Of Unregulated Hydrants
-- PA Dept. Of Agriculture Invests $502,140 To Support Urban Farmers, Increase Availability Of Fresh Food In Cities Across PA
-- PittsburghUnionProgress.com: Bridge Contractor, Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy Partnership Supports High School Urban EcoStewards Program
-- Pennsylvania's Bat-Woman: Bat Conservation & Rehabilitation Executive Director Shares Her Mission [PaEN]
-- MCall: Frog Crossing: Northampton County Road To Close For Weeks To Protect Breeding Amphibians [PDF of Article]
-- LancasterOnline: Want To Attract Some Of The 100 Bird Species Spotted In Lancaster County This Year? Here’s How
-- Williamsport Sun: DCNR: Forest Landowners Should Plan For Spongy Moths
-- WNEP: Boy, 13, Dies In Lackawanna County ATV Wreck
Public Participation
-- DEP Invites Comments On Water Quality Permits, 401 Certification For National Fuel Gas Tioga Pathway Natural Gas Pipeline Project In McKean, Potter, Tioga Counties [PaEN]
-- PA Oil & Gas Industrial Facilities: Permit Notices, Opportunities To Comment - March 15 [PaEN]
-- DEP Posted 103 Pages Of Permit-Related Notices In March 15 PA Bulletin [PaEN]
Federal Cuts
-- Environmental Council Of The States, Other State Organizations Write Congress About The Importance Of Federal Funding To State Agencies Implementing Federal Programs [PaEN]
-- PA Council Of Trout Unlimited: Millions In Trout Unlimited Watershed Projects Improve The Environment, Local Economies Across The US; Federal Funding Freeze, Office Closures, Staff Cuts 'Sacrificing Our National Conservation Legacy' [PaEN]
-- Pocono Record - Brian Whipkey: Trout Unlimited Officials Worry Over Potential Impacts From Reduced Federal Funding In PA [PDF of Article]
-- Marcellus Drilling News: Anti-Drilling Trout Unlimited Crying Over $180 Million In Frozen Federal Funds [PDF of Article]
-- Washington Times: New EPA Chief Sets Out To Slash The Agency’s Budget By 65%: ‘We Don’t Want The Extra Money And We Don’t Need It’
-- National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition: USDA Staffing Cuts Hurt Farmers And Rural Communities; Staffing Chaos Has Reigned
-- Beaver Times: USDA To Cut $36.7 Million From Local Food Purchase Assistance In PA
-- National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition Responds To Termination Of Critical USDA Local Farm To School, Child Care Food Purchase Program [PaEN]
-- Inquirer: EPA Pulls Back $700,000 Grant To Overbrook Environmental Education Center As Part Of Federal Cuts
-- Frederick News-Post: FEMA Cancels In-Person, Most Virtual National Fire Academy Training For First Responders In Emmitsburg, MD, Disrupting Training
-- York Daily Record: DOGE Closure Of National Fire Academy In Emmitsburg, MD Alarms York County Fire Chiefs
-- NYT: EPA Plans To Close All Environmental Justice Offices
-- PennLive: Federal Cuts Force Shutdown Of Campgrounds, Beaches, Recreation Areas At Popular Raystown Lake (Huntingdon County), Tioga-Hammond, Cowanesque Lakes (Tioga County) [Local Recreation Economy To Take A Hit]
-- WITF/WPSU: Raystown Lake Federal Recreation Area Cancels Campground Reservations Amid Federal Job Cuts, Hiring Freeze
-- Rails To Trails Conservancy: US DOT Has Frozen Trails, Biking Improvements Funding; Act Now To Make Decision Makers Know How Important This Funding Is
-- MCall Guest Essay: Musk’s Reckless Business Model Imperials Our National Parks - By John Plonski
-- MCall: Lehigh Valley Transportation, Climate Projects In Limbo Due To Federal Funding Uncertainty
-- Post-Gazette Editorial: As Washington Unwinds Its Commitments, State And Local Governments Will Have To Step Up
EPA Deregulation For Industry
-- EPA Launches Biggest Deregulation Action For Industry In US History, 'Driving A Dagger Straight Into The Heart Of The Climate Change Religion,’ Unleashing The American Energy Industry [PaEN]
-- EPA Pulls Back Regulations Setting Methane Emission Limits, Regulating Wastewater From Oil & Gas Operations, Risk Management Rule At Petrochemical Plants [PaEN]
-- Clean Air Council: EPA To Reverse Life-Saving Finding Carbon Pollution Is Endangering Public Health By Driving Climate Change [PaEN]
-- Chesapeake Bay Foundation: EPA Deregulation Bombshell A Blow To The Chesapeake Bay [PaEN]
-- Evangelical Environmental Network: EPA Announces Plan To Put Pollution Before Our Health [PaEN]
-- WHYY- Susan Phillips: Former Regulators Say EPA’s Planned Rollbacks Would Reverse 50 Years Of Environmental Progress
-- Post-Gazette Editorial: As Washington Unwinds Its Commitments, State And Local Governments Will Have To Step Up
-- AP: EPA Head Says He’ll Roll Back Dozens Of Environmental Regulations, Including Rules On Climate Change
-- AP: A Breakdown Of Major EPA Deregulatory Moves Around Water, Air, Climate
-- E&E News/Politico: EPA Launches Assault On Environmental Regulations
-- Environmental Defense Fund: EPA’s Deregulation Plan Will Increase Pollution In Daily Lives
-- NYT: EPA Declares ‘Greatest Day Of Deregulation Our Nation Has Seen’
-- The Guardian: EPA To Reconsider Whether Greenhouse Gases Cause Harm Amid Climate Rollbacks
-- Bloomberg: President Mounts Sweeping Attack On Pollution, Climate Rules
-- Reuters: EPA Moves To Unwind Over Two Dozen US Air, Water Regulations
-- Utility Dive: EPA Aims To Roll Back Power Sector Regulations In Broad Deregulatory Push
-- Erie Times/Reuters: EPA To Roll Back Regulations On Power Plant Emissions, Tailpipe Pollution
-- Utility Dive: EPA Aims To Roll Back Power Sector Regulations In Broad Deregulatory Push
-- Reuters: EPA Plans To Give Dirty US Coal-Fired Power Plants A Reprieve On Soot
Waiting 20+ Years For Water
-- PA American Water Identifies Water Source For New Public Water System To Replace Water Wells Contaminated By Shale Gas Fracking 20 Years Ago In Dimock Twp., Susquehanna County [PaEN]
-- Scranton Times: PA American To Provide Clean Drinking Water In Dimock To Replace Fracking-Contaminated Private Wells [PDF of Article]
-- WVIA: PA American Water: Dimock Twp. Residents Will Have Drinkable Water By 2026
Background On Issues
-- Community Speaks Out Against Expansion Of Harmon Creek Natural Gas Processing Plant In Washington County [PaEN]
-- Washington County Resident To DEP: Harmon Creek Natural Gas Plant Expansion Will Result In A Huge Increase In Air Pollution, It Should Be Required To Have A Major Air Quality Permit, It Is Not A ‘Minor’ Source [PaEN]
-- Moms Clean Air Force To DEP: Families In Washington County Are Already Living In The Middle Of Major Natural Gas Industrial Sites - Do Not Expand The Harmon Creek Natural Gas Processing Plant And Make It Worse [PaEN]
-- PA Shale Gas & Public Health Conference Attended By Nearly 480 People Featured Health Experts, Scientists, Advocacy Groups On Health, Environmental Impacts Of Shale Gas Development [PaEN]
-- Courier Times: PA State Attorney General Investigates Potential Environmental Crimes Amid Energy Transfer/Sunoco Pipeline Leak In Bucks County
-- Gov. Shapiro Marks Milestone Of Plugging 300 Abandoned Conventional Oil & Gas Wells Over 2 Years; New Technology Finding More Abandoned Wells [PaEN]
-- Observer-Reporter: Gov. Shapiro Touts Capping Of 300th Conventional Oil & Gas Well At North Franklin Twp., Washington County Site [PDF of Article]
-- Republican Herald Editorial: One-Sided Discussions On Issues Don’t Promote True Progress, EPA Visit Was Not A 'Roundtable Discussion,' But A 'Rally' For Natural Gas In Delaware River Basin [PaEN]
-- Post-Gazette Editorial: As Washington Unwinds Its Commitments, State And Local Governments Will Have To Step Up
-- Post-Gazette: Chester, Delaware County Leading The Fight For Environmental Justice [LNG Export Facility]
-- Marcellus Drilling News: New Federal Administration Considers Strategies To Overturn Delaware River Basin Commission Fracking Ban [PDF of Article]
-- Observer- Reporter: Project Aims To Increase Geothermal Energy Use In State [PDF of Article]
-- Guest Essay: Geothermal Might Have The Answer For Pennsylvania's Clean Energy Needs - By John Walliser, PA Environmental Council & Kevin Sunday, McNees Wallace & Nurick [PaEN]
-- WESA: Next Up For Nuclear Power: Small, Transportable And Made In A Factory Near Pittsburgh
-- AP: Study Shows Rain-Soaking Atmospheric Rivers Are Getting Bigger, Wetter, More Frequent
-- The Guardian: Environmental Groups Sound New Alarm As Fossil Fuel Lobby Pushes For Immunity From Climate Damage Lawsuits
-- Chesapeake Bay Foundation: Poll - Chesapeake Bay Watershed Cleanup Faces Unprecedented Federal Upheaval; Restoring The Bay Is Now MORE Of A Priority [PaEN]
-- Chesapeake Bay Journal - Karl Blankenship: Pennsylvania Program To Boost Innovation And Conservation On Farms
-- TribLive: Stormwater Fee Tabled, But Stark Fiscal Challenges Stand For Allegheny Twp., Westmoreland County
-- Scranton Times: Eastern Equine Encephalitis Virus Killed Horse In Lackawanna County, No Human Cases Reported Yet
-- Reading Eagle: Volunteers Help Remove Invasive Plants From Berks Park
-- Williamsport Sun - Bill Bower: Reflections In Nature: The Signs Of Spring Appearing Are All Around Us Now
-- PennLive - Cindy Ross: Deer Often Shed Their Antlers In The Woods: Here’s How You Can Spot Them
-- Beaver Times - Brian Whipkey: Purple Martins That Winter In Brazil Now Being Spotted In Pennsylvania
Visit the DEP Calendar of Events; PA Parks & Forests Foundation’s Events webpage and DCNR’s Calendar of Events for activities happening near you.
Visit DEP’s Teaching Green webpage to learn about more environmental education resources.
Visit the PA Environment Digest Calendar Of Events for more opportunities.
[Posted: March 16, 2025] PA Environment Digest
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