Tuesday, May 6, 2025

Tuesday PA Environment & Energy NewsClips - 5.6.25

“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 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 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 9:00:  Senate Consumer Protection & Professional Licensure Committee hearing on ratepayer impact of Act 129 energy efficiency plans.  Hearing Room 1, North Office Building. 9:00 a.m.  Click Here to watch online.


TODAY 11:30: - Senate Game & Fisheries Committee hearing on economic impacts of boating and fishing in Pennsylvania.  Hearing Room 1, North Office Building.  11:30 a.m. Click Here to watch online.


TODAY Noon: Virtual. Ohio River Valley Institute Webinar On New Report: Filling The Hole - Appalachia’s First Shale Gas Wells Reaching Retirement Age, 19,300 Unplugged Wells


TODAY 6:00:  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.


May 7-- Senate Environmental Resources and Energy Committee meets to consider Senate Bill 102 (Bartolotta-R-Washington, Yaw-R-Lycoming) punishes local elected officials who want to better protect their constituents from the documented adverse health and environmental impacts of shale gas development by prohibiting municipalities from receiving Act 13 drilling impact fees if they set protective standards on the development of natural gas that “imposes a standard or condition on well development that conflicts with or exceeds those contained” in state law. The legislation was prompted by an ordinance adopted by Cecil Township in Washington County that establishes a 2,500 setback from shale gas well pads. The current minimum setback is 500 feet from a well bore.  Cecil Township is in Sen. Bartolotta’s legislative district Read more here.; Senate Bill 682 (Yaw-R-Lycoming) changing the name of the Department of Environmental Protection to the Department of Environmental Services; Senate Bill 704 (Yaw-R-Lycoming) require DCED and DEP to identify sites suitable for natural gas electric generation projects;  Senate Bill 712 (Yaw-R-Lycoming) redefining safe plugging requirements for conventional oil and gas wells with a new definition of what is considered a “reasonable” effort to clean out a well.  [Note: Conventional well owners have been trying for several years to reduce the effort needed to safely plug a well.]  Room 461 Main Capitol  9:30 a.m. Click Here to watch the meeting online [if available].  Read more here.


May 7-- House Finance Committee meets to consider 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.  10:00 a.m.  Click Here to watch online.


May 7-- Agenda Posted. House Energy Committee informational meeting on geothermal energy development [Read more here].  Room 515 Irvis Building. 10:00 a.m. Click Here to watch online.


May 7-- House Local Government Committee meets to consider House Bill 1282 (Davis-D- Bucks) requiring property owner notifications of changes to special flood hazard area maps.  Room G-50 Irvis Building. 10:00 a.m.   Click Here to watch online.


May 8-- Senate Communications & Technology Committee hearing on powering artificial intelligence’s future in our economy.  Ben Franklin Technology, Partners, 116 Research Dr., Bethlehem.  10:00 a.m.  Click Here to watch online.


May 13--  Agenda Posted. DEP Citizens Advisory Council meeting. 12:30 p.m.  Read more here on agenda.


May 13-  Agenda Posted. DEP Environmental Justice Advisory Board meeting. 10:00 a.m


May 14-- Agenda Posted.  House Energy Committee informational meeting on electric transmission.  Room 523 Irvis Building. 10:00 a.m. Click Here to watch online.



-- DEP Citizens Advisory Council Meets May 13 On Updates To On-lot Sewage System/Sewage Planning Regulations; Township Government Initiatives [PaEN] 


-- Headwaters To The Ohio Water Network Spring 2025 Confluence June 6 At Westminster College, Lawrence County  [PaEN]


-- Watershed Alliance Of York Issues Invitation To Bid On Codorus Creek Floodplain Restoration Project; May 8 Site Meeting  [PaEN]


-- DEP Hosts Virtual Climate Action Plan Workshop May 8 [PaEN] 


-- PA Capital-Star/Inside Climate News: Scientists Map Where Abandoned Conventional Oil & Gas Wells Pose Threats To Aquifers [Parts Of PA Look Like Swiss Cheese’]


-- American250PA, Keep PA Beautiful Award Over $30,000 In Community Improvement Grants  [PaEN]


-- Agri-Pulse Guest Essay: Setting The Record Straight-- Climate-Smart Commodities Put Farmers First - By Hannah Smith-Brubaker, PASA Sustainable Agriculture


-- PublicSource.org: $10 Billion Natural Gas Power Plant Would Transform Homer City, Indiana County, But Into What?


-- Utility Dive: PJM Fast-Tracks 11.8 GW, Mainly Gas Power Projects To Bolster Grid Supplies


-- Scranton Times: Throop Boro Approves Landfill Gas Plant Expansion At Keystone Landfill


-- PEMA Highlights Completion Of 3 Landslide Hazard Mitigation Projects In Pittsburgh Using Federal Funds


-- Citizen Standard: 38 Teams Participated In Schuylkill County Conservation District Envirothon


-- Williamsport Sun: Nonprofit Deep Green Journey Helps Adults Connect With Nature


-- Williamsport Sun: Middle Susquehanna RiverKeeping Opens Registration For NERYN Kayak & Fish Programs At Bald Eagle State Park


-- PA Environmental Council In Case You Missed It In April Now Available  [PaEN]


-- Post-Gazette Editorial: To Serve Communities Better, Limit ‘Community Engagement’ On Backed-Up Parks Projects In Pittsburgh


-- DCNR Begins Aerial Treatment Of Nearly 75,000 Acres At 65 Sites To Mitigate Spongy Moth Impacts On State Parks, Forests


-- DCNR Now Accepting Applications For Wild Resource Conservation Grants  [PaEN]


-- Williamsport Sun: Study Shows How Millions Of Bird Sightings Can Unlock Precision Conservation


-- Williamsport Sun: Checking Off An Item On Bucket List With A Bird Was Well Worth It


-- Williamsport Sun - Bill Bowers: Reflections In Nature: Bees And Wasps Are Out And About This Time Of Year


-- Williamsport Sun: Ephemeral Wildflowers Will Arrive In Local Woods This Time Of Year


Gas Explosions


-- York Daily Record: Major Natural Gas Leak In Downtown Hanover Under Control, After Evacuations


International/National Impacts On PA Natural Gas

[Energy Independence Means Renewables]


-- Reuters: Coterra Energy Reports Higher Profits, To Reduce Capital Spending By $100 Million Due To Macroeconomic Uncertainty 


-- Financial Times: Sunoco Strikes $9 Billion Deal To Buy Canadian Rival Parkland To Form North American Fuel Distributor Giant


-- Financial Times: US Oil Output Has Peaked Amid Price Fall, Top Shale Producer Warns


New Federal Administration


-- Inside Climate News: President’s Proposed Cuts To Energy, Environment Programs Worry Advocates, Elected Officials


-- Utility Dive: President Proposes Slashing DOE Budget By $19.3 Billion, Cutting Climate, Clean Energy Programs


PA Politics - Everything Is Connected

-- Spotlight PA: Recreational Marijuana Would Be Sold At State-Run Stores Under Bill Advanced Out Of Committee By PA House Democrats

-- The Center Square: Wheels Greased For PA Adult Use Marijuana Bill In PA House

-- Post-Gazette - Ford Turner: PA House Committee Quickly Passes Bill To Legalize Recreational Marijuana

-- PennLive Guest Essay: Tell Gov. Shapiro To Hold The Line On Pennsylvania’s Budget - By 7 PA Republican Lawmaker

-- TribLive Editorial: Transparency Versus Security Over Arson At Governor’s Residence

-- Beaver Times: Charleroi, Washington County Immigrants, Natives Face Uncertainty Of Deportations, Closed Factory

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[Posted: May 6, 2025]  PA Environment Digest

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