PA Environment Digest Blog: 153 New Stories - REAL Environmental & Conservation Leadership In PA

Here are 153 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!

-- Senate Confirms Jessica Shirley To Lead The Department Of Environmental Protection; Committee Questions On Environmental Justice, RESET Energy Board [PaEN]

-- Gov. Shapiro Honors Exceptional Commonwealth Employees For Remarkable Public Service, Including From DCNR, DEP [PaEN]

-- DEP Staff Recognized With Governor’s Awards For Excellence For Responses To Mine Subsidence, Dam Sediment Release

-- DCNR Park Manager’s Off-Duty Service Earns Governor’s Award For Excellence After He Gave Lifesaving Aid To A Swimmer

-- In Memoriam: Delaware Highlands Conservancy Founder Barbara Yeaman

-- PA Resources Council Receives 2025 Governor's Award For Environmental Excellence For Hard-To-Recycling Collection Events [PaEN]

-- WNEP: Girl Scouts Plant Trees To Restore Wildlife Habitat After Devastating Wildfire In Mountain Top, Luzerne County

-- Tribune-Democrat: Geistown Artist Ryan Kniss Wins First Place In Game Commission Contest [PDF of Article]

-- TribLive Editorial: Public Participation Shouldn’t Just Happen When Convenient For Government

-- 5 Years Later: A Progress Report On PA’s Grand Jury Recommendations For Protecting Public Health, Communities From Shale Gas Industry Impacts - A Long Way To Go [PaEN]

-- WHYY - Susan Phillips: A State Grand Jury Report On Fracking Had 8 Recommendations, 5 Years Later, Few Have Been Implemented

-- Inside Climate News - Jon Hurdle: 5 Years After Landmark PA Grand Jury Report On Fracking, Public Health Goals Remain Largely Unmet, Groups Say

-- Range Resources Proposes To Drill 2 New Shale Gas Wells In Cecil Township, Challenging Its 2,500 Foot Setback Ordinance In Washington County [PaEN]

-- DEP Reports It Has No Idea How Many Shale Gas Water/Wastewater Pipelines There Are, The Spills They’ve Had Or Their Impacts [PaEN]

-- DEP Publishes Notices On Transcontinental Gas Pipe Line Company Northeast Supply Enhancement Quarryville Pipeline Loop, Compressor Station Permits/Approval In Chester, Lancaster Counties [PaEN]

-- DEP: 768 Abandoned Conventional Oil & Gas Wells May Be Plugged In Next Year; Over 27,000 New Abandoned Wells May Have Been Found; Alternatives To Well Plugging Bonds [PaEN]

-- PA Oil & Gas Weekly Compliance Dashboard - June 7 to 27 - Finding 27,000 More Abandoned Conventional Wells; Not Tracking Water/Wastewater Pipelines; Failure To Comply With DEP Orders; Inadvertent Pipeline Construction Returns - Again [PaEN]

-- DEP Seeking New Member Of Oil & Gas Technical Advisory Board [PaEN]

-- House Committee Moves Bill To Restore Authority For Setting Conventional Oil & Gas Well Plugging Bond Amounts To Help Protect Taxpayers From Billions In Plugging Costs; Republicans Oppose [PaEN]

-- WESA - Rachel McDevitt: Boots And Drones Deployed In Hunt For Orphan Conventional Oil & Gas Wells In Southwest PA

-- Penn State Extension Hosts July 23 Webinar On Understanding Pennsylvania's Legacy Conventional Oil & Gas Well Problem [PaEN]

-- Penn State Extension Hosts Aug. 20 Webinar On Oil & Gas Development Impacts On Groundwater Quality, Public Health [PaEN]

-- DEP Sets 8th Hearing July 22 On State Plan To Implement Federal Rule Requiring Methane Emissions Reductions From Conventional Oil & Gas, Shale Gas Facilities [PaEN]

-- Public News Services: Congress Could Delay Oil & Gas Facility Methane Emission Reduction Program In PA

-- Range Resources Reports It Achieved Net Zero In Scope 1 & 2 Greenhouse Gas Emissions In 2024

-- Pittsburgh Business Times: EQT Shale Gas Company Achieved Net Zero Scope 1 & 2 Emissions In Its Assets Owned In 2024

-- Reuters: EQT Shale Gas Driller Agreed To Pay $167.5 Million To Settle Lawsuit By Investors Who Claimed EQT Overstated The Benefits Of Its Rice Energy Merger In 2017

-- Marcellus Drilling News: Integrated Lithium Production Plant Coming To PA In 2026 Using Oil & Gas Production Wastewater [PaEN]

-- Marcellus Drilling News: Avonlea Lithium Corp. Completes Successful Lithium Extraction From Shale Gas Wastewater At Susquehanna County Pilot Plant [PaEN]

-- Inside Climate News: Kiley Bense: Truckers Say Oil & Gas Companies Are Violating Hazardous Materials Transport Regulations, Fracking Industry Says No

-- PUC Distributes $164.5 Million In CY 2024 Act 13 Shale Gas Drilling Fees To Communities, Statewide Programs; $15 Million Less Than Last Year [PaEN]

-- Observer-Reporter: Decreasing Act 13 Shale Gas Drilling Impact Fee Money Squeezing Municipal Budgets; 2nd Lowest Revenue Generated Since Program Began In 2012 [PDF of Article]

-- Uniontown Herald-Standard Editorial: Jeers - Act 13 Shale Gas Drilling Impact Fee Dropped To 2nd Lowest Amount Since Distribution Began - Municipalities Can’t Rely On It [PDF of Article]

-- PA Capital-Star: PA Act 13 Shale Gas Impact Fee Revenue Drops

-- Williamsport Sun: Lycoming County Receives $6.9 Million In Act 13 Shale Gas Drilling Impact Fees; $25.1 Million In Sen. Yaw’s Senate District

-- Williamsport Sun Editorial: Act 13 Shale Gas Drilling Impact Fee Just Part Of Gas Industry’s Success

-- PA Capital-Star: Gov. Shapiro Warns PA Members Of Congress Against Cutting Renewable Energy Funds

-- Post-Gaztte - Anya Litvak: Pennsylvania’s Clean Energy Momentum In Crosshairs Of The Congressional Republican One Big Beautiful Bill

-- PennLive: PA Could Lose Over 4,000 Jobs If Federal Solar Tax Credits Are Cut, Industry Group Warns

-- Wilkes-Barre Times-Leader Guest Essay: PA Tradesmen and Builders Rely On Federal Energy Tax Incentives - By Robert Blair, PA State Building & Construction Trades Council and Jon O’Brien, Keystone Contractors Association

-- PA Solar Center Launches GET Solar Program To Expand Solar Energy In 10-County Southwest PA Region To Help Businesses, Nonprofits Save Money [PaEN]

-- PA Senators Introduce Bipartisan Legislation To Promote Solar Energy On Warehouses To Lower Energy Costs, Expand Renewable Energy [PaEN]

-- Post-Gazette Guest Essay: Community Solar Energy - An Energy Plan To Sustain Rural Pennsylvania - by Former Republican Rep. Jim Gregory, Justin Mason, Conservative Energy Network Pennsylvania

-- PennTAP Hosts July 17 Webinar On Funding & Incentives To Support Pollution Prevention and Energy Efficiency Projects [PaEN]

-- York Dispatch/AP: Consumers Rely On Energy Star Ratings President Wants To End

-- PennDOT Opens 6 More New Federally Funded Electric Vehicle Charging Stations In Allegheny, Crawford, Cumberland, Fulton, Jefferson, Lawrence Counties

-- Williamsport Sun: Switch To Electric Vehicle Can Allow For More Enjoyable Bird Watching

-- Senate Republicans Moving Bill To Abolish DEP Climate Change, Recycling Fund, Coastal Zone Advisory Committees [PaEN] [Warning]

-- PJM Extends Hot Weather Alert To June 26; Extends Maximum Generation Alert To June 25; Calls For Pre-Emergency Load Management Reductions In Demand Response Program [PaEN]

-- Utility Dive: FERC Chair Calls For More Resources After Electric Grid Operators Came ‘Close To The Edge’ In Heat Wave; PJM Had A Margin Of About 10 GW At Its Peak

-- PUC Highlights Ways To Keep Cool, Conserve Energy, Reduce Strain On Grid During Prolonged Extreme Heat

-- PennLive: Power Outages In Adams, Franklin Counties Anger Sen. Mastriano: ‘It’s Pure Insanity’