Awards/Recognition
-- Smithton Borough Council Honors Mayor Christine Tutena With Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful’s Community Pride Award In Westmoreland County [PaEN]
-- Chesapeake Bay Foundation: Pennsylvania Photos Win First And Second Place In Save The Bay Photo Contest [PaEN]
-- Health, DCNR, DEP Recognize Student Art Promoting Lyme Disease Prevention To Raise Awareness
-- Inquirer: Arboriculture Tree Climbing Competition Comes To Bucks County; Winner Will Go To International Championship
Budget
-- US House Republicans Eliminate Funding For The Federal Methane Emissions Reduction Program, Including PA's MERP Grant Program To Plug Conventional Oil & Gas Wells [PaEN]
Grants
-- Meadville Tribune: Allegheny College Watershed Conservation Research Center Received Grant
Upcoming Events
-- Delaware River Alliance For Watershed Education May 16 Networking & Insights For Young Environmental Professionals In-Person Event In Philadelphia, 1:00 to 4:00 p.m.
-- Planet Philadelphia Radio Show: May 16 - Protecting Our Land, 4:00 p.m.
-- Better Path Coalition Hosts May 21 Webinar On Regional Water Use Policy And Siting Data Center Facilities [PaEN]
-- Game Commission, DEP, DCNR Host May 22 Live Banding Of Young Peregrine Falcons; Connection To PA’s Rachel Carson [PaEN]
-- Lancaster Conservancy, Partners: Lancaster Water Week June 6-14
-- PA Resources Council To Hold Household Chemical Collection Events In Cambria, Fayette, Washington Counties In June [PaEN]
-- Chesapeake Bay Conservation Landscaping Council Level 1 Certification Course Registration Now Open [PaEN]
-- Shippensburg University, Chesapeake Bay Foundation Host South Mountain Climate & Land Use Exploration For Educators Aug. 4-8 [PaEN]
-- Penn State University To Host Online Solar Law Symposium Aug. 21 [PaEN]
-- Call For Presentations: PA Abandoned Mine Reclamation Conference Oct. 14-16 In State College [PaEN]
-- Registration Now Open! Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful Annual Conference Oct. 15-16 In State College [PaEN]
-- Penn State Extension Backyard Stream Repair Series Now Available On Demand [PaEN]
Public Participation
-- PA Oil & Gas Industrial Facilities: Permit Notices, Opportunities To Comment - May 17 [PaEN]
-- DEP Posted 91 Pages Of Permit-Related Notices In May 17 PA Bulletin [PaEN]
-- DCNR Conservation & Natural Resources Advisory Council Meets May 28 On Economic Benefits Of Trails [PaEN]
-- PUC Sets June Hearings On Proposed 11.4% Natural Gas Rate Increase By Columbia Gas [PaEN]
Programs/Information
-- Scranton Times: Lackawanna County West Nile Virus Prevention Program Begins Mosquito Monitoring
-- Hawk Mountain Sanctuary Welcomes Dan Jenkins As New Educator & Raptor Care Specialist
-- Chesapeake Bay Program: Environmental Literacy Programming Rebounds Across Chesapeake Watershed Following COVID Pandemic
Background On Issues
-- The Allegheny Front - Julie Grant: PA Senate Bill Would Cut Drilling Impact Fees For Communities That Restrict Fracking
-- Farm And Dairy: PA Bill Could Pull Funding From Communities That Restrict Oil And Gas Activity
-- PublicSource.org - Jake Vasilias: Peering Into A Shale Gas Driller’s Pledge Of ‘Radical Transparency’ [CNX Resources]
-- FracTracker Alliance: CNX Not-So-Radical Transparency Provides Incomplete Information, Heavily Downplays Dangers Of Shale Gas Development
-- Environmental Defense Fund Blog: Another Study Identifies Health Risks During Unconventional Oil & Gas Production Even For Those Living Within 1,000 Feet Or More Of Wells [PaEN]
-- PA Oil & Gas Weekly Compliance Dashboard - May 10 to 16 -- 18 More Abandoned Conventional Wells; Failure To Comply With Plugging Order; 2,000 Gallon Wastewater Spill; Consol Still Cleaning Up Water Supply Contamination [PaEN]
-- DEP Issues Air Quality Plan Approval For Expansion Of Harmon Creek Natural Gas Processing Plant In Washington County [PaEN]
-- Olean Times Herald: EPA Hears Concerns About 2nd Proposed Oil & Gas Wastewater Injection Well In McKean County
-- Marcellus Drilling News: Truck Hauling Shale Gas Wastewater Overturns Loses 2,000 Gallons In Stream, Driver Not Injured [PDF of Article]
-- Avonlea Environmental Technologies Reports Success Of Oil & Gas Wastewater Lithium Extraction Pilot Plant In Susquehanna County [PaEN]
-- Scranton Times: NE PA Could Become Major Supplier Of Lithium For Batteries
-- Marcellus Drilling News: Fracking Halted At Encino Shale Gas Well Pad In Ohio Linked To Earthquakes [PDF of Article]
-- WFMJ: Fracking Halted At Ohio Shale Gas Well Pad Following Earthquakes In The Area
-- MCall - Anthony Salamone: Despite Local Objections, DEP Allows Keystone Cement To Move Hazardous Waste Via Train Along A Lehigh Valley Creek
-- DEP Approves Tire Derived Fuel For Stronghold Digital Mining’s Panther Creek Coal Waste Power Plant In Carbon County [PaEN]
-- DEP Issues RFP For Abandoned Conventional Oil & Gas Well Plugging Services On Time & Materials Basis As Needed [PaEN]
-- US House Republicans Eliminate Funding For The Federal Methane Emissions Reduction Program, Including PA's MERP Grant Program To Plug Conventional Oil & Gas Wells [PaEN]
-- Trout Unlimited: US House Passes 'Good Samaritan' Legislation To Encourage Community Partnerships To Clean Up Abandoned Coal Mines [PaEN]
-- Gov. Shapiro: Lightning Plan Tax Credit Bill, Community Energy Pass PA House [PaEN]
-- Post-Gazette - Ford Turner: PA House Approves Shapiro’s Energy Plan Tax Credit Bill
-- Rise Of The Machines: Senate, House Members Express Concern That Demand For Power To Run Computers Is Impacting The Price And Availability Of Electricity For ‘Ordinary People’ [PaEN]
-- The Center Square: PJM Power Demand Surge Inevitable, But Not Insurmountable
-- Utility Dive: Only A Fraction Of Proposed Data Centers Will Get Built; Utilities Are Wising Up
-- US EIA: US Natural Gas Prices Double Last Year Due To LNG Exports, Demand Driving Electricity Prices Higher This Summer [PaEN]
-- Federal Energy Regulatory Commission Summer Electricity Assessment Sees Adequate Generating Resources To Meet Normal Operating Conditions; Higher Natural Gas Prices Driving Electricity Prices Higher [PaEN]
-- North American Electric Reliability Corp.: Record Load Growth From Data Centers, High Temperatures Expected To Strain Electric Grid This Summer [PaEN]
-- Reuters: US, Europe Drive Global Power Plant Emissions Higher So Far In 2025
-- Post-Gazette - Anya Litvak: NRG Buys 5 PA Gas Power Plants To Meet ‘Supercycle’ Of Demand By Data Centers; Refitted To Run As Baseload Plants
-- Vistra To Acquire 2 Natural Gas Power Plants In PA, Other States
-- Bloomberg: Vistra Buys Power Plants From Lotus Infrastructure Partners In PA, Other States To Power A.I. Data Centers
-- Financial Times: Constellation Energy, Other Companies Abandon Almost Half the Projects In $5 Billion Texas Program To Fund Natural Gas Power Plants Due To Costs, Supply Chain Delays [Sen. Yaw Wants A Program Like This In PA]
-- Better Path Coalition Hosts May 21 Webinar On Regional Water Use Policy And Siting Data Center Facilities [PaEN]
-- John Quigley: Are Merchant Fossil Fuel Plants Uneconomical? - Comments By Chief Fossil Officer For Talen Energy [Twitter]
-- Post-Gazette - Ford Turner: PA Regional Power Grid Operator Sees Manageable Summer Peak Load, But A Slight Risk Of ‘Running Short’
-- PennLive: PPL Customers Will See Another Rate Increase June 1 - 16% [Due To Regional Electric Market Issues]
-- WTAE: Sky’s The Limit For Sustainability At New Pittsburgh Airport Terminal
-- Williamsport Sun Editorial: Energy Development Still Needed
-- CNX Resources Releases Updated 2024 Environmental, Social, Governance Report
-- PA Capital-Star: PA Supreme Court To Hear Arguments Tuesday Over RGGI
-- Inside Climate News - Jon Hurdle: Lawyers Spar Over Whether DEP Has Authority To Issue Carbon Pollution Allowances To Power Plants [RGGI]
-- The Center Square: RGGI ‘Carbon Tax’ Goes Before Skeptical PA Supreme Court
-- PA Capital-Star: PA Supreme Court Justices Ask: Is RGGI A Tax, A Fee Or Something Completely Different?
-- Pittsburgh Business Times: Pittsburgh Innovation Economy - Rebuilding The Region One Brownfield At A Time
-- WESA: US Steel, Western PA Coal Power Plants Seek 2-Year Exemptions From Federal Air Pollution Rules
-- Centre Daily Times: Climate Watch: As Federal Climate Action Dominates Headlines, What’s Happening In PA?
-- PA National Guard Combat Aviation Partners With Coast Guard To Transport Buoys For Maintenance From Chesapeake Bay, Delaware Bay
-- Halfmoon Creek Watershed Conservationists From Centre, Huntingdon Counties Visit The Chesapeake Bay [PaEN]
-- Inquirer - Frank Kummer: Why Is Wissahickon Creek Suddenly Fluorescent Green? [Spoiler - Philadelphia Water Dept. Dye]
-- Centre County Residents Safely Dispose Of 39,700 Pounds Of Hazardous Waste, Recycled 4,020 Pounds Of Tires At Annual Collection Events [PaEN]
-- Scranton Times: City Pride Volunteer Projects To Beautify Scranton
-- The Citizens’ Voice: Hanover Area Students, Teachers Tout Trout Release As Triumph For Science In Luzerne County
-- The Derrick: Seneca Rocks Audubon Relaunching Backyard Bird Habitat Program
-- PennLive: Rare Piebald Robin Spotted At Riverview Park In Pittsburgh
-- MCall: Part Of Lehigh Valley Forest Will Be Preserved For Songbirds By Natural Lands
-- MCall: Tom Tatum Outdoors: Birds Not Of A Feather Nesting Together
-- Inquirer: Eagles Making Huge Gains In Pennsylvania, Major Bird Census Shows
-- Forests For The Chesapeake Bay: Forests Are For The Birds; Upcoming Events
-- WHYY: Find Your Flock: Ways To Explore Birding In Philadelphia
-- Republican Herald: Red Creek Wildlife Center Contends With Influx Of Baby Wildlife
-- Game Commission: Springtime Alert - Leave Young Wildlife Alone
-- Beaver Times: Watch Hundreds Of Rattlesnakes Come Out Of ‘Mega Den’ Ahead Of New PA Webcam
-- The Derrick: Mayfly Season Signals Healthy Waters And Happy Anglers [PDF of Article]
-- Williamsport Sun - Bill Bowers: Reflections In Nature - Plenty Of Medical Use For Various Plants
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: May 18, 2025] PA Environment Digest
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