141 New Stories - REAL Environmental & Conservation Leadership In PA

Here are 141 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!

-- Northeast Pennsylvania Environmental Partners To Recognize 8 Individuals And Organizations At Annual Awards Program Oct. 23 In Luzerne County  [PaEN]

-- Pennsylvania Audubon Council Recognizes Jim Bonner With Walt Pomeroy Conservation Award  [PaEN] 

-- Emerging Leaders In Berks County In-Person Workshop Oct. 18 At Berks Nature - The Nature Place In Reading  [PaEN] 

-- Physicians For Social Responsibility PA Launch New Regional Environmental Movement Community  [PaEN] 

-- Lancaster City Council Approves Lease With Partners For Environmental Stewardship For Landmark Nature Preserve, Environmental Center [PaEN] 

-- ClearWater Conservancy Breaks Ground On Hamer Community Conservation Center In Centre County [PaEN] 

-- DEP Now Accepting Applications For Environmental Education Grants  [PaEN]

-- Elizabethtown College Dept. Of Biological & Environmental Sciences Volunteers Offer Expertise During Conewago Biodiversity Monitoring Event In Lancaster County  [PaEN] 

-- Hanging Out With Goats And The Creek Rats Of The Creek Clean Up Project In Franklin County  [PaEN]

-- The Derrick: Western PA Conservancy, US Army Corps Of Engineers, Forest County Conservation District Habitat Improvement Project Planned For Salmon Creek Next Week  [PDF of Article] 

-- DCNR Completes Bushkill Creek Stream Restoration Project At Jacobsburg Environmental Ed Center In Northampton County  [PaEN] 

-- Giant Food Stores, Keep PA Beautiful Award 37 Healing The Planet Grants To Support Local Native Tree Planting Projects  [PaEN] 

-- Williamsport Sun: Jersey Shore’s Alex Butzler Conquers Appalachian Trail

-- Proudly Made: A Story Of Reinvention In The Big Woods And Small Towns Of The Pennsylvania Wilds Receives Silver Nonfiction Award From The Nonfiction Authors Association  [PaEN] 

-- WITF: WITF/Pennon Reporting On Energy In Washington State Wins National Award

-- DEP Issued Violations To Iron Cumberland, LLC For Illegally Disposing Of 66,780 Gallons Of Conventional Well Plugging Wastes At Coal Refuse Disposal Area In Greene County  [PaEN] 

-- DEP: Conventional Well Plugging Operation Contaminates Spring In Allegheny County  [PaEN] 

-- PA Oil & Gas Weekly Compliance Dashboard - August 9 to 15 - Illegal Disposal Of 66,780 Gallons Of Conventional Wastewater; 4 Impoundments Not Restored; 3 Conventional Wells Mined Through  [PaEN]

-- The Derrick: Western PA Conservancy, US Army Corps Of Engineers, Forest County Conservation District Habitat Improvement Project Planned For Salmon Creek Next Week  [PDF of Article] 

--- DEP Sets Sept. 17 Public Meeting/Hearing On Air Quality Permit For The Proposed 4.5 Gigawatt Natural Gas Power Plant At The Homer City A.I. Data Center Complex In Indiana County  [PaEN] 

-- DEP Invites Comments On Permit For 204 Aboveground Storage Tanks Totaling 1.3 Million Gallons At Proposed Amazon A.I. Data Center In Salem Twp., Luzerne County  [PaEN] 

-- Spotlight PA: More PA Government Agencies Turning To A.I. - Critics Say That’s Risky  [Possible DEP Pilot For Permit Reviews]  [Warning]

-- Observer-Reporter Guest Essay: PA Has A Chance To Reduce Pollution, Save Lives By Reducing Oil & Gas Facility Air Pollution - By Talor Musil, Environmental Health Project   [PDF of Article]  

-- Courier Times: Energy Transfer/Sunoco Making More Pipeline Repairs In Upper Makefield Twp. Where A Previous Leak Contaminated Water Wells; Township Says It Didn’t Know   [PDF of Article] 

-- ABC27: Project To Upgrade Several Natural Gas Pipelines Underway

-- Environmental Health Project Blog: The Health And Safety Risks Of Natural Gas, Natural Gas Liquids Pipelines

-- Pipeline Safety Trust: Federal Pipeline & Hazardous Materials Safety Administration Quietly Weakens Safety Rules 

-- TribLive: Rustic Ridge Neighbors File Additional Lawsuits Ahead Of Natural Gas Explosion Anniversary In Allegheny County 

-- Inquirer: A Natural Gas Explosion In Nicetown, Philadelphia Blew Out Her Rowhouse’s Windows, Then Her Landlord Ghosted Her 

-- PUC Highlights National 8-1-1 Day To Promote Safe Excavation, Worker Safety

-- Senate Hearing: To Communities Facing Rapid A.I. Data Center Development: Review Your Zoning Ordinance NOW, Before It's Too Late To Have Meaningful Siting, Mitigation Conversations  [PaEN]  

-- Senate Hearing: DEP Primer: Recurring Challenges Of A.I. Data Centers: Frequent Site Plan Changes, Inconsistent Zoning, Outdated Sewage Facilities, Limited Community Outreach  [PaEN]  

-- Senate Hearing: Susquehanna River Basin Commission - A.I. Data Centers Have A Dramatic Demand For Water, And The Potential To Be Among The Largest Water Consumers In The Basin  [PaEN] 

-- Scranton Times - Chris Kelly Opinion: The Pros And Con Artists Of A.I. Data Centers; 3-Hour Senate Hearing Like A 'Sales Seminar For Oceanfront Condos In Oklahoma'   [PDF of Article] 

-- Republican Herald - Chris Kelly: If Ya Can’t Buy ‘Em, Threaten ‘Em [A.I. Data Centers]  [PDF of Article]

-- Republican Herald Editorial: Finding Middle Ground In A.I. Data Center Debate  [PDF of Article] 

-- In Case You Missed It -- A.I./Data Center Articles & NewClips From Last Week  [PaEN] 

-- Kleinman Center For Energy Policy Blog: Americans Just Got Scammed On Their Electricity Bills; President Promised To Cut Electricity Prices By Half Within 12 Months On Campaign Trail - By Elea Castiglione, Research Assistant 

-- Inquirer Guest Essay: President’s Call For A.I. Investment Shouldn’t Ignore The Burdens That Technology Places On People - Higher Electricity Bills, Strain On An Already Overwhelmed Grid - By Aya Saed, Green Software Foundation 

-- PUC Hearings On Proposed Rate Increase For Wellsboro Electric (22%), Valley Energy Gas (19%), Citizen Electric (11%) 

-- US EIA: Natural Gas Prices To Increase 34% From $3.20 to $4.30 Next Year Due To Increase In LNG Gas Exports 

-- Bloomberg: BKV Corp. CEO: Increase In LNG Gas Exports Will Drive Natural Gas Prices Up 

-- Canary Media: In Appalachia, Fracking For Shale Gas Is Not The Job Creator The Industry Claims

-- Spotlight PA: President’s Solar Crackdown Will Lead To Higher Energy Costs For PA Consumers, Renewable Energy Advocates Say 

-- WPost: President’s Administration Limits Tax Credit Subsidies For Solar, Wind Projects  [Warning]

-- DEP: $258 Million Federally-Funded Program To Provide Rebates On Appliances, Building Retrofits To Reduce Home Energy Bills On Hold Since March  [PaEN] 

-- Observer-Reporter: From Shopping To Shade, Ways To Reduce Your Rising Electric Costs  [PDF of Article]

-- Green Building Alliance To Provide Green Professional Operations & Maintenance Training To Pre-K To 12 School Facility Teams  [PaEN] 

-- Green Building Innovation Expo Set for Sept. 2 In Pittsburgh; Free Exhibit Hall  [PaEN]

-- MCall: Republicans Budget Bill Stops Federal Tax Credit For Electric Vehicles On Sept. 30  [Warning] 

-- WESA/NPR: After A Freeze, President’s Administration Reluctantly Agrees To Fund Electric Vehicle Chargers

-- Explosion At US Steel Clairton Coke [Coal] Works Kills 2, 10 Injured; Search For Answers Beings At 109-Year-Old Plant With A History Of Fatal Fires, Air Pollution Violations  [PaEN]  [Compilation Of Articles]

-- PA Capital-Star: Advocates For Coal Miners With Black Lung Worry As Silica Dust Rule Delayed Again: ‘They Don’t Care’

-- TribLive: DEP Sets Aug. 20 Hearing On New Rustic Ridge 2 Underground Coal Mine In Westmoreland County 

-- Observer-Reporter: King Coal Show Marks 70 Years Of Celebrating Mining Heritage In Southwest PA Aug. 16-23 In Washington County

-- PA Environmental Council StoryMap: Reforestation Of Abandoned Mine Lands In PA, 487,000 Seedlings Planted Since 2016 

-- Rep. Vitali: PA House Environmental Committee Examines Costs And Environmental Impacts Of Burning Waste Coal In PA

-- PA Capital-Star: AmeriCorps Is Under Siege In PA And Other States; What Happens In The Communities It Serves?  [Warning]

-- Utility Dive: US DOE Orders To Keep Coal Power Plants Open Could Cost Ratepayers $3.1 Billion A Year; It Cost $29 Million To Keep One Plant Open For First 38 Days

-- Natural Resources Defense Council: 300+ Actions By The President That Directly Threaten Health, Environmental Protections For Families And Communities

-- The Center Square: Senate/House Bipartisan Legislation Offers Incentives For Warehouse Owners To Install Solar Energy On Acres Of Roof Tops

-- TribLive: Buffalo Twp. Supervisors OK Controversial Solar Energy Facility Despite Resident Resistance In Butler County 

-- Spotlight PA: President’s Solar Crackdown Will Lead To Higher Energy Costs For PA Consumers, Renewable Energy Advocates Say 

-- State Of Solar Energy In PA Webinar August 27 - Electric Bills Are Rising, We Need Cheap, Reliable Solar Energy Now  [PaEN]  

-- Registration Open! Philadelphia Solar Week August 18 to 23 

-- WHYY: Aging Under A Warming Planet, How Philly Is Preparing To Support Its Older Population

-- Post-Gazette: Member Of Congress Summer Lee, Local Officials Call For More Funding To Fight Climate Change Impacts 

-- Planet Philadelphia Radio Program: Finding Common Ground In The Climate Crisis, Friday, Aug. 15, 4:00 p.m. 

-- FOIA Advisor: DOE To Throw Out Freedom Of Information Act Requests En Masse Sent To Agency Before Oct. 1, 2024 Unless Requesters Contact Agency 

-- PennVEST Invests Up To $4.2 Million In Nutrient, Sediment Reduction Thru Clean Water Procurement Program  [PaEN]

-- Chesapeake Bay Journal - Karl Blankenship: US Geological Survey Monitoring Shows Progress In Reducing Nutrient, Sediment Pollution In The Long-Term, But Less So In Recent Years 

-- Registration Open!  Ohio River Basin Confluence Summit Set For Oct. 16-18 In Louisville, KY  [PaEN]  

-- Three Rivers Waterkeeper Appeals Calgon Corporation’s Wastewater Discharge Permit To Prevent PFAS 'Forever Chemical' Pollution Of The Ohio River  [PaEN] 

-- Penn State Extension Hosts Aug. 27 Green Infrastructure And Ordinances Webinar  [PaEN] 

-- Penn State Extension Hosts Twilight Pond Walks To Learn About Pond Ecology In Beaver, Centre, Mercer, Venango, Westmoreland Counties Starting Aug. 19  

-- Lancaster Farming: How And Why To Use A Rain Barrel On Your Homestead

-- Survey Freshwater Mussels And Eel Weirs During Emerging Leaders In Berks County Schuylkill River Paddle - Aug. 20, 27 & 28  [PaEN] 

-- WNEP: Severe Rainstorm Leaves Several Communities In Scranton, Wilkes-Barre Area Damaged

-- Observer-Reporter: North Franklin Supervisors Considering Solutions To Flooding Issues In Washington County

-- PennLive Letter: Central PA Must Prepare For Potentially Catastrophic Flooding - By Julia Krall, Chesapeake Bay Foundation PA Executive Director

-- Brodhead Watershed Association: Protecting Clean Water Together - Thinking About Disaster 70 Years Later - The Flood Of 1955 In Monroe County  [PaEN] 

-- Altoona Mirror: Monitoring Weather, Flood Conditions, Keeps Everyone Safer

-- DEP Will Hold Sept. 24 Hearing On A Chapter 105, Stormwater Permits For The PennDOT I-80 Reconstruction Project In Stroud Twp., Monroe County  [PaEN] 

-- WTAJ: Coalition To Save Old Crow Wetlands Cites Damage To Wetlands In Huntingdon From Rutter’s Store Construction 

-- Altoona Mirror Letter: DEP To Blame For Degradation Of Old Crow Wetlands By Issuing Deficient Permit For Rutter’s Market Near Huntingdon

-- Video: Pollution Of Old Crow Wetlands

-- Brodhead Watershed Association: Water At Risk - Protecting The Heartland Of Woods And Water In Monroe County  [PaEN] 

-- Help Wanted: Berks Conservation District Engineer, Resource Conservation Technician Positions  [PaEN]

-- PennLive Letter: Why American Farms Can’t Survive Without Migrant Workers, Crops Will Rot In The Fields  Without Them - By Scott Pettis, Lower Allen Township  [Warning]

-- York Daily Record - Brian Whipkey: High Point Lake Dam In Somerset County To Undergo Rehab Project To Meet Safety Standards

-- WESA: Shattering Misconceptions About Glass Recycling In Southwestern PA; Chances Are Glass Is Back On Store Shelves In About 30 Days 

-- Inquirer/WPost: I’m A Microplastics Researcher, Here’s How I Limit The Plastic In My Life 

-- TribLive: Member Of Congress Summer Lee Tours Creek Near Max Environmental Yukon Hazardous Waste Landfill At Request Of Concerned Residents 

-- Wildlands Conservancy Protects Over 2,500 Acres In Carbon County  [PaEN] 

-- Manada Conservancy Protects 185 Acres On. The Kittatinny Ridge In Dauphin County  [PaEN] 

-- Heritage Conservancy Protects 90 Acres Of Woodland and Family Farm In Bucks County  [PaEN] 

-- West Chester University, East Whiteland Township Preserve 52 Acre Farm From Anonymous Donor In Chester County  [PaEN] 

-- Tribune-Democrat: Beekeeper Peggy Parks’ Honey Business Creating A Buzz In Cambria County  

-- Penn State Extension: Forest Farming - Maple Syrup Webinar Dec. 19, 6:30 to 8:00 p.m.

-- Inquirer - Frank Kummer: Pest Attacking Wissahickon’s Beech Trees At ‘Extinction Level’ Is Just One Of Growing Threats To Region’s Forests

-- Altoona Mirror: Hollidaysburg Shade Tree Commission Completes Tree Survey

-- Forests For The Chesapeake Bay News: Staghorn Sumac, Cecropia Moth, Evening Primrose, Chanterelle Soup

-- Reading Eagle: Hawk Mountain Sanctuary Unveils Pollinator Meadow

-- LancasterOnline - Master Gardeners: Here Are Ways We Can All Help Monarch Butterflies

-- Warren Times - Audubon Community Nature Center: Natural Insect Repellents Abound In Nature  [PDF of Article] 

-- Centre Daily Times: How Boal City Brewing Became A Hub For Centre County’s Outdoor Recreation Boom

-- Williamsport Sun: First Community Foundation Partnership Dedicates Rider Park’s ‘Gateway’ Improvements: ‘Beautiful Trails’

-- MCall Guest Essay: Bicycle Wreck Along Lehigh Valley Trail Offers Lesson In Human Decency - By John Sise, Northampton County

-- Tribune-Democrat: Benscreek Canoe Club’s Whitewater Valve Motor Damaged By Lightning Strike At Quemahoning Reservoir 

-- Republican Herald: Pottsville To Raze Blighted Building, Expand Playground

-- Inquirer: Lawsuit Opposing FDR Park Renovation In Philly Will Get Another Day In Court

-- WESA/WPSU: Campgrounds At Raystown Lake To Reopen In Phased Rollout Starting This Week 

-- PennLive: US Army Corps Of Engineers Announces Raystown Lake Campgrounds To Reopen After Shutdown 

-- Inquirer: These Are Independence Park Exhibits President Could Remove Next Month [Mostly Related To Slavery] 

-- Inquirer Guest Essay: President’s Attempts To Hide The Unpleasant Truths About Our Actual History Are The Real Disparagement - By Sharon Ann Holt, Fmr Editor of Pennsylvania Magazine of History & Biography

-- TribLive: Game Commission’s Elk Cam Returns Ahead Of Mating Season In Elk County

-- Game Commission: Online Elk Cam Fires Back Up For Peak Elk Rutting Season

-- Republican Herald: Fish Commission Executive Director Tim Schaeffer Says Plenty Of Good Fishing Weather Is To Be Had

-- Erie Times - Brian Whipkey: Snake-Like Lampreys Swim In Parts Of PA, But They Kill Too Many Fish In Lake Erie 

-- Courier Times: Lights Out: Why Some Bucks County Officials Call For Residents To Turn Off Outdoor Lighting To Help Migrating Birds

-- MCall: First West Nile Virus Mosquito Cases In Lehigh Valley Reported

-- Post-Gazette: How Does Neighborhood Mosquito Spraying Work?

-- Post-Gazette: Another Line Of Mosquito Defense - Larvicide

Visit the PA Environment Digest website to learn more.

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[Posted: August 17, 2025]   PA Environment Digest