PA Environment Digest Blog: Thursday 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

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

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 10:00: House Republican Policy Committee hearing on exploring Pennsylvania’s energy potential. Outdoor Insiders, 310 Outdoor Drive, New Milford, Susquehanna County. 10:00 a.m. Click Here for online availability.

TODAY 1:00: House Finance Committee hearing on House Bill 500 (Inglis-D-Allegheny) part of Governor’s Lightning Energy Plan to repurpose the EDGE Tax Credit Program to support adding reliable energy generation to the grid tax credit, a regional clean hydrogen tax credit and a sustainable aviation fuel tax credit [Read more here]. Room 523 Irvis Building. 1:00 p.m. Click Here to watch online.

TODAY 6:00: Virtual. DEP Virtual Update On State Response To Energy Transfer/Sunoco Twin Oaks Pipeline Leak In Bucks County. 6:00 to 7:30 p.m.

May 1-2-- Agenda Posted. Interstate Chesapeake Bay Commission meeting. Washington, D.C.

May 5-- [Tentative Agenda] House Environmental and Natural Resource Protection Committee meets to consider House Bill 1233 (Siegel-D-Lehigh) establishes a stewardship program for safe disposal of portable and medium format batteries up to 25 pounds; House Resolution 192 (Hill-Evans-D-York) designating June 8-14 as Chesapeake Bay Awareness Week. Room 205 Ryan Building. 11:00 a.m. Click Here to watch online.

May 6-- Virtual. EPA Virtual Hearing On Proposed Permit For A Sandstone Development Oil & Gas Wastewater Injection Well In Lafayette Twp., McKean County. 6:00 p.m.

-- Consol Conventional Well Plugging Incident Contaminates Livestock Water Supply, 2 Springs, Stream In Morris Twp., Greene County [PaEN]

-- Conventional Oil Well Storage Tank Rupture Causes 2,100 Gallon Spill Of Wastewater, Crude Oil In Upper Burrell Twp., Westmoreland County [PaEN]

-- Capital & Main - Audrey Carleton: Fracking Gas-Powered Cryptocurrency Mining Operation In PA Shuts Down Without A Word To Regulators, Site Found Abandoned

-- The Allegheny Front: Renewables Generate More Electricity Than Coal In PJM Regional Grid

-- New Interactive Map Highlights Federal Clean Energy Investments In Pennsylvania [PaEN]

-- The Center Square: Map Reveals Complex Nature Of Clean Energy Tax Credits

-- WHYY: Philly’s Carbon Emissions Have Dropped, Here’s What Experts Say Should Be Next

-- WITF- Rachel McDevitt: StateImpact Pennsylvania Energy, Environment Reporting Project Ending

-- KDKA: Shapiro Says ‘Honest Dialogue’ Needed About Proactive Steps To Reduce Future Power Outages

-- Tribune-Democrat: PA House Republican Leader Says Lack Of Energy Development In PA Risks Economy, Power Grid [PDF of Article]

-- Utility Dive: 9 Northeast States Seek Electric Transmission Proposals To Connect PJM, ISO-NE, New York

-- DEP Chesapeake Bay Update: Earth Week Highlights Watershed Restoration; Grant Opportunities; County Water Quality Improvement Projects

-- Center For Agricultural Conservation Assistance Training Hosts May 27 Webinar On Environmentally Sensitive Maintenance Practices For Dirt & Gravel Roads [PaEN]

-- The Derrick: Students From 7 Schools Compete In Clarion Conservation District Envirothon

-- Chester County Press: Octoraro Watershed Assn. Announces Photo Contest Winners

-- Keep PA Beautiful Seeking Volunteers To Become PA Waterway Stewards To Reduce Litter On Water Trails, Waterways [PaEN]

-- Susquehanna River Basin Commission Awards $6.1 Million To Support 17 Drought Resiliency Projects; 400+ Million Gallons Of Water Savings Expected Annually [PaEN]

-- Pennsylvania Joins 25 Other States In Lawsuit Over Termination Of AmeriCorps Job Training Funding Approved For Distribution [PaEN]

-- Chesapeake Bay Journal: PFAS ‘Forever Chemicals’ In Sewage Sludge Fertilizer Resisted In Virginia, Maryland

-- PittsburghUnionProgress.com: Oakmont-Verona Glass Recycling Project Celebrates Milestone In Allegheny County

-- Observer-Reporter: PennDOT, State Police Tout ‘Litter-Free’ Event In Washington County

-- Inquirer: Pollen Is About To Peak In Philly, The Green Snow Season May Be Getting Worse

-- Wilkes-Barre Times: North Branch Land Trust Holds Annual Dinner, Virtual Auction

-- DCNR Invests In New Green Space As Mineersville Community Park Opens In Johnstown, Cambria County

-- The Derrick: Autism Stands Looks To Install New Playground Equipment In 6 Venango County Parks

-- DCNR Grants Update: Transforming Open Space With Native Plants; Mark Hansford New DCNR Grants Director; Sojourn Grants, Schedule Announced; ADA-Accessible Park Bridge

-- Post-Gazette Guest Essay: Our Wildlife Needs Humans To Connect Them - By Stephanie Wein & Rep. Jason Ortitay [Wildlife Corridors]

-- Republican Herald: Frantic Mama Duck Reunited With 12 Ducklings That Fell Into Storm Drain

Storm Damage/Power Outages

-- PUC Working Closely With Utilities, State Agencies To Restore Power To 426,000 Customers After Powerful Storms; 3 Deaths Reported So Far [PaEN]

-- PEMA: Cleanup, Recovery Efforts Continue After Severe Storms Across Pennsylvania

-- TribLive: More Storms Expected Thursday In Western PA

-- TribLive: Harrison Twp. Under Mandatory Water Conservation Order After Damaging Storm In Allegheny County

-- TribLive: School Districts Deal With Lost Power, Storm Cleanup

-- TribLive: Power Companies Expect Restoration Time To Be 5-7 Days In Wake Of Storms

-- Pittsburgh Business Times: Duquesne Light, West Penn Power Estimate Weeklong Outages After Unprecedented Storm

-- TribLive: Western PA Buildings Offer Charging Stations, Supplies, Shelter After Storms

-- Tribune-Democrat: Power Outages Impacting Region, 911 Center

-- AP: Storms Leave 3 Dead In Pennsylvania

-- Altoona Mirror: Gone In A Flash: Region Cleans Up After Destructive Swath Of Powerful Storms

-- TribLive: Fast-Moving Squall Line Leaves Death, Widespread Destruction In Western PA

-- TribLive: Meteorologists Weigh Derecho Label After Powerful Storms Slam Western PA

-- Centre Daily Times: What Is A Derecho? This Rare Storm Rocked Central PA With Strong Winds

Train Derailments

-- Post-Gazette/AP: Is Norfolk Southern ‘Making It Right’ After Ohio Train Derailment? New Lawsuit Adds To Doubts

International/National Impacts On PA Natural Gas

[Energy Independence Means Renewables]

-- Reuters: US LNG Gas Exports Surge To New Highs On Strong Buying By Europe

New Federal Administration

-- Inside Climate News: USGS Water Data Centers May Soon Close, Threatening State’s Water Management

-- Inside Climate News: First 100 Days Of New President Was An ‘All-Out Assault’ On The Environment

-- EPA Celebrates 100 Days With 100 Environmental Actions

PA Politics - Everything Is Connected

-- PennLive - John Baer: Is The President Helping To Rebuild Trust In The Media? [‘For The First time, More People, Including His Voters, See In Their Own Lives, With Their Own Eyes, That Things He’s Saying Can’t Be Trusted’]

-- Inquirer: 5 Former PA Governors Teaming Up To Help Restore Governor’s Residence Following Arson Attack

-- Spotlight PA: PA House Republican Leader Says Public Should Be Told How Arson Attack At Governor’s Residence Occurred

-- Republican Herald: 12 Schuylkill County High School Students Recognized For Efforts To Promote Diversity, Understanding, Acceptance Of Others In Their Schools And Communities

-- Beaver Times: South Side Area School District Challenge To LGBTQ Protections Should Be Tossed, State Officials Say

-- Inquirer Editorial: Delaware County Hospital Closures Won’t Be The Last If For-Profit Firms Are Allowed To Strip-Mine Healthcare With Impunity

-- Beaver Times: PA Health Experts Reflect On COVID-Era Missteps As Measles Gains Foothold

-- Inquirer: Swarthomore Students Renew Their Pro-Palestinian Protests With A Fresh Encampment, Specific Demands

-- Inquirer: What To Know About President’s Executive Order On Sanctuary Cities That Could Target Philadelphia

-- PennLive: PA Regulators Confident In State Testing After President Suspends Some Food Safety Programs

-- PennLive: Tariffs Create ‘Chaos’ And Uncertainty, Central PA Small Business Owners Say

-- AP: US Economy Shrinks 0.3% In First Quarter As President’s Trade Wars Disrupt Business

-- AP: President Says US Kids May Get ‘2 Dolls Instead Of 30,’ But China Will Suffer More In A Trade War