PA Environment Digest Blog: April 2025

Here are 171 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!

-- Late Night Road Dumping: Conventional Oil & Gas Wastewater Continues To Be Dumped On Dirt, Gravel, Paved Roads; DEP Expected To Provide Update At April 24 Meeting [PaEN]

-- Conventional/Shale Oil & Gas Industry Association Acknowledges 1.4 Million People ‘Are Impacted By General Oil & Gas Operations’ In Pennsylvania [PaEN]

-- DEP: Energy Transfer/Sunoco Pipeline Leak Investigation In Bucks County Expands To Delaware, Montgomery Counties; DEP, Dept. Of Health Briefing On State Response To Leak Now Available On Demand [PaEN]

-- PA Oil & Gas Weekly Compliance Dashboard - April 5 to 11 - Late Night Conventional Wastewater Road Dumping Failure To Comply With Cleanup Order; Pipeline Leak Investigation Expands To 2 Other Counties; More Abandoned Wells [PaEN]

-- DEP Invites Comments On Chapter 105 Permit For EQT ARO LLC 3 Mile Natural Gas Gathering Pipeline In Cascade Twp., Lycoming County [PaEN]

-- House Environmental Committee Reports Out Bill To Require DEP To Consider Cumulative Impacts Of Certain New Sources Of Pollution On Already Impacted Communities [PaEN]

-- The Center Square: Environmental Justice Bill Moves Forward From PA House Committee

-- Environmental Quality Board Tables Vote On Accepting Petition For Study To Increase Setbacks From Shale Gas Wells Until Last Minute Comments Can Be Reviewed [PaEN]

-- Pittsburgh Business Times: Environmental Quality Board Tables Petition To Increase Natural Gas Well Setbacks In Pennsylvania

-- Bucks County Beacon Guest Essay: Frack Attack: Is The Delaware River Watershed Shale Gas Fracking Ban At Risk? - By Maya K. van Rossum, Delaware RiverKeeper Network

-- Center For Coalfield Justice, MIT Researchers Host April 17 Public Meeting In Washington County On An Upcoming Seismic Study In Southwestern PA [PaEN]

-- Physicians For Social Responsibility PA Hosts May 8 In-Person Oil & Gas Industry Waste Worker Safety Workshop, Webinar In Scranton [PaEN]\

-- PUC: NTSB Releases Report, Recommendations From Investigation Of West Reading Chocolate Plant Natural Gas Explosion [PaEN]

-- Reading Eagle: NTSB Final Report On Fatal West Reading Chocolate Factory Natural Gas Explosion Issued

-- Inquirer: NTSB Issues Final Report On Natural Gas Explosion At West Reading Chocolate Factory that Killed 7 Workers

-- Scranton Times: Residents, Officials Rail Against UGI 10.8% Natural Gas Rate Hike At Hearing

-- Wilkes-Barre Times: UGI Natural Gas Customers, Elected Officials Testify At Rate-Hike Hearing

-- TribLive: Gasoline Prices Jump 17 Cents In PA, But Don’t Expect Them To Stay There, Experts Say

-- TribLive: Yes, Western PA Pays More For Gasoline, You Might Be Surprised How Much More

-- President Issues Executive Orders Requiring 1 Year Sunset Dates On Existing Regulations Affecting Energy; Identifying Regulations Limiting Competition [PaEN] [Warning]

-- President Signs Executive Orders Directing US Attorney General To Take Action Against States Impeding Domestic Energy Production; Rescinds Policies Transition Away From Coal; Lifts Toxics Standards For Coal Power Plants [PaEN] [Warning]

-- AP-Marc Levy: President’s New Energy Order Puts State’s Climate Law In The Crosshairs Of The US Dept. Of Justice [PA Included] [Warning]

-- TribLive: Federal Mine Safety, Research Offices In PA Targeted For Closure As President Touts Coal [Warning]

-- Post-Gazette: Coal Miners’ Health, Safety On Chopping Block Amid Drastic Federal Staffing Cuts [Warning]

-- Center for Coalfield Justice: Federal Mine Safety Silica Rule ‘Temporarily’ Paused, Further Gutting Protections For Coal Miners [Warning]

-- Tribune-Democrat: Storm-Driven Mine Drainage Blowout Pollutes Bens Creek Trout Stream In Conemaugh Twp., Somerset County [PDF of Article]

-- WESA/WVIA: Advocates, Environmentalists Split As President Signs Orders To Bolster Coal Industry [Warning]

-- Pittsburgh Business Times: Coal Industry Hopes President’s Executive Orders Will Revitalize Sector Amid Challenges [Warning]

-- Post-Gazette: Somerset County Holds Out Hope For Coal’s Future Amid Mine Closures: ‘Somebody’s Coming Back’

-- PJM Interconnection Supports Presidential Exemptions From Clean Air Act Standards Requested By 13,900 MW Of Electric Generation In PJM Region, Including Keystone And Conemaugh Power Plants In PA [PaEN] [Warning]

-- PA House Bill Introduced Authorizing Community Solar Energy Programs [PaEN]

-- PA Solar Center, Philadelphia Energy Authority To Hold April 22 Webinar On How Businesses, Municipalities, Schools Can Save Money Going Solar In Southeast PA [PaEN]

-- PUC To Host Meeting Of The PA Sustainable Energy Board On April 17 [PaEN]

-- Erie Times: Federal Lawsuit Claims East Fairfield Twp., Crawford County Violated Solar Energy Developer’s Civil Rights, Municipal Extortion, Bribery Totaling $150 Million

-- PennLive Guest Essay: Repealing Federal Inflation Reduction Act Climate, Clean Energy Programs Would Hurt Pennsylvania, Fuel Inflation - By Greg Alvarez, Energy Innovation

-- The Center Square: $748 Million Chevron Verdict In Louisiana Could Mark Turning Point In Litigation Against Oil/Gas Industry For Climate Impacts [Bucks County Lawsuit Noted]

-- Wilkes-Barre Times Guest Essay: Make Polluters Pay For Climate Impacts - By Wenonah Hauter, Food & Water Watch

-- Reminder: DEP April 17 Climate Action Plan Community Climate Conversations Webinar. 6:00 to 7:30 p.m. Read more here.

-- Penn State Institute Of Energy And The Environment To Hold Climate Solutions Symposium May 19-20 In State College

-- Help Wanted: Allegheny County Sustainability Specialist [PaEN]

-- Etna Center For Community Renovation Project To Showcase Sustainability, Green Building Principles In Allegheny County [PaEN]

-- Post-Gazette - Anya Litvak: Popular LIHEAP Low-Income Energy Assistance Still Has Federal Funding, For Now [Warning]

-- The Center Square: LIHEAP Utility Bill Assistance Program Hit By Federal Staff Cuts [Warning]

-- Post-Gazette - Anya Litvak: The Electric Grid Needs More Attention, A Westmoreland County High-Voltage Equipment Maker Is Expanding To Meet That Demand

-- PJM, Google & Tapestry Join Forces To Apply A.I. To Enhance Regional Planning, Generation Interconnection [PaEN]

-- Reuters: Google Deploys A.I. To Manage PJM’s Queue For Connecting New Power Supplies

-- Utility Dive: PJM, MISO, NYISO Ripe For Energy Storage Market Reforms: Brattle/ACP

-- PUC Approves Expansion Of Duquesne Light ‘Time Of Use’ Rate

-- PUC Marks April As Safe Digging Month - PA OneCall

-- Penn State Extension Energy Essentials: Heat Pump Basics; Tax Implications Of Grid-Scale Solar Facilities; What Does Forest Carbon Sequestration Mean; Reusing Oil & Gas Wells To Store Energy

-- Liberty Energy, Range Resources Announce Support For Developing A Natural Gas Data Center Power Plant In Robinson Twp., Washington County [PaEN]

-- Utility Dive: Liberty Energy To Deploy Modular Gas-Fired ‘Power Blocks’ For Data Center At Washington County Site

-- Pittsburgh Business Times: Liberty Energy, Range Resources Partner On Natural Gas Power Plant For Data Center In Washington County

-- Scranton Times: Developer Proposes Nearly 1 Million Square Foot Data Center In Archbald Nearly Abutting 2 Low-Income Housing Developments

-- The Derrick: Tempers In Frenchcreek Township Subside Over Nova Energy LLC Cryptocurrency Mining Operation In Venango County [PDF of article]

-- WPXI: Microsoft Says It’s ‘Slowing Or Pausing’ Some A.I. Data Center Projects, Including #1 Billion Plan For Ohio

-- Reuters: US Electricity Use To Reach Record Highs In 2025 And 2026, EIA Says

-- Utility Dive: US Electricity Demand Will Grow By 50% (2% a Year) By 2050, Electrical Manufacturer Study Finds

-- Beaver County Marcellus Awareness Community, Penn State Beaver April 17 In-Person Beaver County - Our Future, Our Environment, Penn State Beaver, 5:30 -8:30 p.m.

-- Bloomberg: Trade War To Slash China’s Demand For Natural Gas Liquids, Plastics Feedstock From US

-- DEP Reduces Permit Backlog From 2,400 To 300 Permits (88%); Already Reviewed More Than 9,000 Permits This Year [PaEN]

-- Pittsburgh Business Times: Shapiro Administration’s Modernization Efforts Lead To Major Reduction In DEP Permit Delays

-- Conowingo Dam Steering Committee Releases Update On Conowingo Reservoir Nutrient Reduction Efforts [PaEN]

-- Fish & Boat Commission Funds 5 Watershed Restoration Projects In Lancaster, York Counties Totaling $150,000 [PaEN]

-- Coldwater Heritage Partnership Now Accepting Applications For Coldwater Conservation Grants; Energy Transfer/Sunoco Mariner East/Revolution Pipelines Penalty Settlement Grants [PaEN]

-- TribLive: Native Plants Will Help The Wild To Reclaim Murrysville Acid Mine Drainage Remediation Site In Westmoreland

-- The Derrick: How A Rainy Day, Finicky Fish Launched A PA Dedicated To Unpaved Roads [Dirt & Gravel Road Program] [PDF of Article]

-- Penn State College Of Ag Sciences Course Helps Students Plan, Design Conservation Structures On Farms

-- Penn State Extension: May 3 In-Person Workshop On Benefits Of Installing Rain Barrels In Lancaster County, 10:00 a.m. [Participants Will Take Home Rain Barrel]

-- TribLive: Western Pennsylvanians Prepare To Capture April Showers In Rain Barrels

-- Vote Now! For Chesapeake Bay Foundation Photo Contest Viewers’ Choice Award - Look For Photos From Pennsylvania! [PaEN]

-- PA Capital-Star: Amid President’s Tariff Uncertainty, Shapiro Tells Farmers ‘We Have Their Backs’

-- PennLive: PA Farmers Await Impact Of Tariffs As Shapiro Slams President’s Trade Policy At Lobbying Event

-- Inquirer: When USDA Froze Grant Funds, PASA Sustainable Agriculture And Small East Coast Farms, Were Left Holding The Bag, Now They’re Suing

-- Erie Times: Federal Budget Cuts Could Find Second Harvest Looking For New Sources Of Food

-- Chesapeake Bay Journal - Karl Blankenship: Farm Conservation Work In Chesapeake Region Hit Hard By Federal Funding Freeze [Warning]

-- Courier Times Guest Essay: Federal Funding Freeze For Pennsylvania Farmers Is A Blow To Cleaner Waterways - By Jullia Krall, Chesapeake Bay Foundation [Warning]

-- Erie Times Guest Essay: Fetterman, McCormick Must Defend Federal Program That Connects Farmers, Food Banks - By Second Harvest Food Bank [Warning]

-- Erie Times Guest Essay: Refugee Funding Cuts Threaten Erie’s Economy - How You Can Help - By Erie Community Foundation, Infinite Erie

-- DEP Updates PA Drought Conditions: Berks County Remains In Drought Warning; Drought Watch Lifted In 6 Counties; 27 Counties Remain In Drought Watch [PaEN]

-- Reading Eagle: Recovery Still Underway At Trailer Park Damaged In Record Antietam Flood In July 2023

-- Scranton Times: FEMA Funding Cut Erases $2.5 Million For 21 Flood Buyouts In City

-- Scranton Times Editorial: Eliminating Federal BRIC Flood Resilience Program Lacks Economic Foresight, Good Sense

-- Wilkes-Barre Times: Republican Con. Bresnahan Writes FEMA To Reinstate Building Resilient Infrastructure And Communities Grant Program

-- The Derrick: Pleasantville, Venango County Donates Fire Engine To Hurricane-Battered Tennessee Fire Department

-- AP: National Weather Service No Longer Translating Products For Non-English Speakers; Risks Missing Life-Saving Warnings About Extreme Weather [Warning]

-- LancasterOnline: Owners Of Now Closed Evergreen Golf Course, Nearby Quarry Disagree Over Cause Of Sinkholes; DEP Determined Some Caused By Quarry In 2022

-- Triblive: Neighbors Want New Kensington Sinkhole Fixed In Westmoreland: ‘It’s Vulgar’

-- PUC Approves Aqua Pennsylvania’s Lead Service Line Replacement Plan

-- Wilkes-Barre Times: Rep. Pugh Introduces Bill To Study PFAS ‘Forever Chemicals’ Effects

-- DelcoToday: Aqua Pennsylvania’s New High-Tech Robot Helping To Protect Drinking Water From PFAS ‘Forever Chemical’ Contamination

-- Inquirer: From Infrastructure To Playgrounds, $263 Million In Federal Funding For PA Projects Vanished In Congress’ Budget Battle

-- WHYY: Philly May Lose Federal Wastewater System Improvement Funding To Protect Drinking Water, Shifting Costs To Ratepayers

-- MCall: Lehigh Valley High School Student Studied Radon In Schools, Some Districts Taking Action

-- DEP Beings Black Fly Suppression Program On 1,800 Miles Of Rivers And Streams

-- Schuylkill Center For Environmental Education To Celebrate Earth Day With April 26 Naturepalooza 2025 In Philadelphia [PaEN]

-- DEP Sets May 12 Hearing On Response At The Brookhaven Manufactured Home Community PCE Hazardous Site Cleanup In York County [PaEN]

-- Wilkes-Barre Times: Study To Focus On Hazardous Materials Passing Through Luzerne County

-- Scranton Times: ‘Don’t Dump Our Future:’ Friends Of Lackawanna’s Decade-long Fight Against Keystone Landfill

-- TribLive: Parks Township Radioactive Waste Cleanup Now Set To Start In Fall In Armstrong County

-- The Allegheny Front: Plans For Erie Plastics Chemical Recycling Plant Scrapped, Company Blames President’s Tariffs, Federal Cutbacks

-- PA Capital-Star/Inside Climate News - Kiley Bense: From Louisiana To Pennsylvania, Tracing Plastics Pollution Back To Its Source

-- Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful Announces Litter Hawk Youth Award Program Winners [PaEN]

-- Keep PA Beautiful Now Accepting Applications For Young Ambassadors Program From Students In Grades 10-12 [PaEN]

-- Chester County Resident David Shirey Honored With Keep PA Beautiful’s Community Pride Award By Rep. Lawrence [PaEN]

-- TribLive: Pittsburgh Council Member Warns Skeptics Trash Dumping Emergency Is Not Rubbish

-- WESA: Trash Talk Leads To Discussion At Pittsburgh City Council On Illegal Dumping, Litter

-- Post-Gazette Editorial: There’s Too Much Trash In Pittsburgh, Time To Redd Up

-- WHYY: Philadelphia Boosts Fines And Sues To Collect Penalties For Illegal Dumping: $22,000 For Dumping A Couch?

-- PA Resources Council Announces Schedule Of Western PA Household Chemical Collection Events [PaEN]

-- WHYY: New Book By Doug Tallamy Urges Everyone To Put Native Plants In Their Yards

-- Brodhead Watershed Assn. Hosts May 6 Gardening For Wildlife - How People Benefit When Nature Thrives Workshop In Monroe County [PaEN]

-- Hawk Mountain Sanctuary Spring In-Person Native Plant Sale May 17 & 18 In Berks County

-- Penn State Extension: May 8 In-Person Workshop On Gardening With Nature - Creating A Pollinator Paradise In Cumberland County, 7:00 p.m.

-- Scranton Times - Tom Venesky: Monarch Butterfly Endangered Species Plan May Not Fly With Farmers [PDF of Article]

-- Pennsylvania Invests Nearly $12 Million To Ensure 3,187 Acres On 29 Farms in 17 Counties Stay Farms Forever [PaEN]

-- Over 1,300 Acres Of Forest Preserved In Northwest PA By Foundation For Sustainable Forests in 2024 [PaEN]

-- Manada Conservancy Protects 656 Acres in Kittatinny Ridge Conservation Landscape In Dauphin County [PaEN]

-- MCall: Northampton County Will Preserve 43 Acres Of Open Space In Stockertown

-- Foundation For Sustainable Forests Hosts April 15 ‘Tap Talk’ Presentation By Brian Donahue, Author Of Slow Wood - Greener Building From Local Forests [PaEN]

-- Central PA Conservancy: April 11-12 Celebrate Letort Spring Preserve Weekend In Cumberland County

-- TribLive: Seton Hill, Westmoreland Land Trust Host April 13 Outdoor Family Event

-- Spotlight PA: Critics Fear President’s Logging Order Will Harm Mature Trees, Endangered Species In PA’s Only National Forest [Allegheny National Forest] [Warning]

-- Apply Now! PA Master Naturalist Volunteer Fall Training In Allegheny, Butler, Cambria, Center/Huntingdon, Chester, Delaware, Lancaster, Montgomery, Westmoreland Counties [PaEN]

-- Penn State Extension Spotted Lanternfly News: Inspections Resume April 1; Natural Predators; Management Guide; What To Look For

-- LehighValleyLive.com: Will These Fascinating Red-Eyed Bugs Invade Your PA Neighborhood This Spring? [Brood X Cicadas]

-- In Case You Missed It: What Conservationists, Outdoor Recreation Leaders, and Tourism Organizations are Saying about DCNR’s Surge in Campsite Reservations After Federal Staff Cuts

-- Post-Gazette Guest Essay: Protect Public Lands To Protect Local Businesses And Communities - By Silas Chamberlin, DCNR Conservation & Natural Resources Advisory Council & York County Economic Alliance [Federal Recreation Cuts]

-- MCall Guest Essay: Preserving Our Parks Invests In Nature And The Nation - By Kiera Shellhammer, Citizens Climate Lobby

-- The Center Square: All Eyes On Pennsylvania For America250 Celebration

-- DCNR Celebrates Opening Of ADA-Accessible Pedestrian Bridge At Adams-Ricci Park In Cumberland County

-- April 11 Take Five Fridays With Pam, PA Parks & Forests Foundation [PaEN]

-- DCNR Names Tyler Ickes Manager For Sinnemahoning State Park In Cameron, Potter Counties

-- South Mountain Partnership May 16 Spring Partnership Meeting, Regional Trail Coalition Adams, Cumberland, Franklin, and York Counties Kick-Off Meeting In Adams County

-- The Allegheny Front - Kara Holsopple: A Trip Down The Youghiogheny River Through Photo

-- TribLive: Leechburg, Armstrong County Tow Path Trail Connects Borough To Counties, Miles Beyond

-- Pittsburgh Business Times: Allegheny Closes On Rail Line For Major Trail Conversion

-- NextPittsburgh: New Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy Plan Focuses On Access, Wellness And Community

-- PennLive: Wife Of Fisherman Who Died At Dock Street Dam Sues City Of Harrisburg

-- Game Commission: Highlights From April 12 Commissioners Meeting + Award Winners