PA Environment Digest Blog: 166 New Stories - REAL Environmental & Conservation Leadership In PA

Here are 166 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!

-- TribLive: DEP Intern Ray Walter Spots Rare Freshwater Jellyfish Near Presque Isle In Lake Erie [Video]

-- DEP Facebook Video Of Jellyfish

-- Erie Times: DEP Intern Finds Freshwater Jellyfish At Presque Isle; What You Should Know

-- Post-Gazette: DEP Intern Spotted Rare Freshwater Jellyfish In Presque Isle Bay: ‘I Was Stunned’

-- DCNR Highlights 10 Years Of Workforce Training Through The Expanded PA Outdoor Corps Program For Young People Ages 15-25 [PaEN]

-- Keep PA Beautiful Awards $500 To Westmoreland County Conservation District, Winner Of PA Assn. Of Conservation Districts’ Trash Cleanup Challenge [PaEN]

-- Brentwood-Baldwin-Whitehall Multi-Municipal Shade Tree Commission Member Donna McCrea Recognized With Keep PA Beautiful Community Pride Award In Allegheny County [PaEN]

-- PA Wilds Center 2025 PA Wilds Champions Received Awards At July 24 Dinner

-- PennLive: Ohiopyle State Park Tops US List Of Great-Value Stays, Along With 8 Other PA State Parks

-- Coterra Energy Fined $299,000 For Contaminating 13 Private Water Supplies In Lenox Twp., Susquehanna County - Just A Few Miles From Dimock [PaEN]

-- Pin Oak Energy Partners Signs Consent Order With DEP To Address Its Failure To Restore 16 Shale Gas Well Sites And An Impoundment In Beaver County Since 2023 [PaEN]

-- DEP: Second Spill From Horizontal Drilling At EQM Gathering Pipeline Construction Project In Washington County Contaminates Spring [PaEN]

-- PA Oil & Gas Weekly Compliance Dashboard - July 26 to August 1- Coterra Contaminates 13 More Water Wells; Shale Driller Fails To Restore 16 Well Sites; Dewatering Abandoned Impoundment Halted; Another Pipeline Construction Spill [PaEN]

-- The Allegheny Front - Reid Frazier: AG Sunday Files Criminal Charges Against Equitrans For Massive 2022 Natural Gas Leak In Cambria County

-- PA Capital-Star: Activists Pledge To Resist Any Federal Effort To Lift Fracking Ban In Delaware River Basin

-- The Derrick: Republican Candidate For Commonwealth Court Matt Wolford Focuses On Deregulation, Noting Many Cases Are Litigation Against DEP: ‘I Think We Are Over-Regulated In Pennsylvania. I defend the… oil and gas companies against a very aggressive DEP.’ [PDF of Article] [Warning]

-- EPA Extends Oil & Gas Industry Compliance Deadlines For Federal Clean Air Act Methane Reduction Rule; Deadline Extended For States To Submit Compliance Plan To 2027 [PaEN] [Warning]

-- PA Environmental Council, Environmental Defense Fund Urge DEP To Adopt Strong, Proven Methane Reduction Standards For Oil & Gas Facilities

-- Guest Essay: Federal EPA Rollbacks Mean Pennsylvania Must Take The Lead On Cutting Methane Pollution From Oil & Gas Operations - By Melissa Ostroff, Earthworks [PaEN]

-- TribLive Letter: We Need Strong Regulations To Reduce Methane Emissions From Oil & Gas Operations - By Dr. Gabriel Cisneros

-- TribLive Letter: Leaders Must Stop Oil & Gas Facility Methane Leaks - By Michele Klingensmith

-- Inquirer Letter: Climate Change Is A Scientifically Proven Fact, DEP Must Adopt The Strongest Possible Methane Controls On Oil & Gas Industry By Richard Whiteford

-- Environmental Defense Fund: A Dozen Environmental, Health,Community Groups File Lawsuit Against EPA For Delaying Oil & Gas Methane Reduction Standards

-- PUC Chairman DeFrank Leads National Effort To Strengthen Natural Gas Use Energy Efficiency, Reliability, And Sustainability [PaEN]

-- TribLive: 3 Dozen Plum Homeowners Shocked To Be Named Plaintiffs By Erie and Allstate Insurance Companies In Rustic Ridge Natural Gas Explosion Lawsuits Without Their Knowledge [Wrongful Death Lawsuits Were Filed Last Week]

-- TribLive Editorial: Rustic Ridge Natural Gas Explosion Lawsuits Shouldn’t Be A Surprise To Plaintiffs, But For Some They Are

-- Post-Gazette: Dozens Of Homeowners File Lawsuits Over Property Damage From Plum Natural Gas Explosion In Allegheny County [Wrongful Death Lawsuits Were Filed Last Week]

-- TribLive: Fatal Plum Natural Gas Explosion Spurs Lawsuits From Rustic Ridge Homeowners In Allegheny County

-- WESA: Democratic Cong. Deluzio Continues To Push For Rail Safety As Federal Safety Agency Calls For Deregulation

-- Spotlight PA: PA PUC Developing Model Tariff For A.I. Data Centers To Ensure PA Consumers Don’t Foot The Bill

-- ABC27: Sen. Muth Seeks To Protect Pennsylvanians From A.I. Data Center-Fueled Rate Hikes

-- PJM Electric Auction Impacts: 1 In 5 PA Households Report Problems Now Paying Energy Bills; Electric Utility Shutoffs Up 38.1% So Far This Year [PaEN]

-- PJM Electricity Auction: PJM Lost 2.8 Gigawatts Of Power Due To Reduced Reliability Rating Of Natural Gas Power Plants; Could Gain 12.2 Gigawatts By Increasing Reliability From Less Than 75% Now To An Achievable 90% [PaEN]

-- PJM Interconnection Again Extends Maximum Generation Alert & Load Management Alert To July 30; Demand Response Programs Implemented On July 28, 29 [PaEN]

-- Utility Dive: US Dept. Of Energy Monday Orders Talen Energy 400 MW Oil-Fired Power Plant In Maryland To Run Beyond Its Operating Limits During Heat Wave, At The Request Of PJM [Warning]

-- Spotlight PA: Why Pennsylvanians May See Higher Electric Bills This Summer And Next [PJM Auction, A.I. Data Center Power Demands]

-- TribLive Guest Essay: Who Pays The Price For New A.I. Data Centers? - By Destinie Nock, Carnegie Mellon University Professor, Founder Of Peoples Energy Analytics

-- TribLive Guest Essay: A.I., Cryptocurrency And PA’s War On The Little Guy - By Joe Morinville, Energy Independent Solutions

-- Guest Essay: Three Proposals To Protect Consumers From A.I. Price Increases: Bring Your Own Generation; Data Centers Must Pay Their Fair Share; An 'All Of The Above' Energy Future, Including Renewables - By Kevin Walker, CEO, Duquesne Light [PaEN]

-- National Fuel Gas Increases Gas Supply Costs 12.2% Starting Aug. 1 Due To Increased Cost Of Natural Gas [Warning]

-- WHYY: PECO Offering $500 Grants To Help Customers Pay Off Overdue Bills

-- 42 Organizations Call On DEP For More Transparency On Proposed A.I. Data Centers [PaEN]

-- Penn State Extension: Sept. 9 Webinar On Growth Of A.I. Data Centers, Rising Electricity Prices, Lagging Energy Development [PaEN]

-- Food & Water Watch Hosts Aug. 5 Webinar On Protecting Your Pennsylvania Community With Local Zoning [PaEN]

-- PennLive - Charles Thompson: ‘Do It Right, Do It Safe’ Outweighs ‘Don’t Do It’ At Public Meeting On Restarting Three Mile Island Nuclear Power Plant To Power A.I. Data Centers

-- PA Capital-Star: Federal Regulators Hear From The Community About Planned Restart Of Three Mile Island Nuclear Power Plant To Power Data Centers For Microsoft

-- York Daily Record: Restarting Three Mile Island Nuclear Power Plant Unit 1 Unprecedented? It Just Happened In Michigan

-- The Center Square: Nuclear Power Is Big In Pennsylvania, But So Is Worry

-- PA Dept. Of Health Distributing Free Potassium Iodide Tablets To Residents Near PA’s 4 Operating Nuclear Power Plants Aug. 14 [PaEN]

-- TribLive: Springdale Planning Commission To Review Plans For Proposed Massive A.I. Data Center At Site Of Former Cheswick Coal-Fired Power Plant In Allegheny County

-- York Dispatch: Local Officials Are Preparing For A Wave Of A.I. Data Centers In York County [PDF of Article]

-- PennLive: 750,000 Square Foot A.I. Data Center Planned In Fairview Twp., York County

-- WITF/LancasterOnline: Residents Push Back On Feds Over Restart Of Three Mile Island Nuclear Power Plant: ‘Feels Like A Charade’

-- Tribune-Democrat: Homer City A.I. Data Center/Power Plant Plans Move Forward In ‘Really Different Arena’ For Region

-- Chesapeake Bay Journal: As A.I. Data Centers Multiply In The Chesapeake Bay Watershed, Water Use Increases Too

-- Reuters: Exelon Says Potential Data Center Demand Is More Than 30 Gigawatts [including PECO]

-- Utility Dive: PPL Utilities In Kentucky Reach Agreement On Adding 1.3GW Of Gas-Fired Power, Mainly For Data Centers

-- TribLive Letter: PA Needs Comprehensive Strategy For Energy Dominance - By Kate Harper & Conor Lamb, Energy Future PA

-- AP: With A.I. Plan, President Keeps Chipping Away At Foundational Environmental Law [Warning]

-- PA Marcellus Shale Gas Coalition Applauds President For Overturning Basis For Greenhouse Gas Reduction Programs-- Including Methane From Oil & Gas Operations [PaEN] [Warning]

-- The Allegheny Front - Julie Grant: What You Need To Know About EPA’s Effort To Dump Legal Underpinning Of Carbon Pollution Reduction Rules

-- TribLive: Allegheny County Seeks Input From Tarentum Residents On Climate Action Plan

-- Inquirer Guest Essay: We Speak Of ‘Terraforming’ Distant Planets While Tolerating A World Where Basic Habitability Is A Privilege - By Pragya Thakur, Arlington Heights, PA

-- Financial Times: Exxon Chief Urges US President To Use Trade Talks To Fight ‘Bone-Crushing’ EU Regulation [Climate - Human Rights] [Warning]

-- WHYY - Susan Phillips: Residential Solar Installers Face A Rush Before End-Of-Year Federal Tax Credit Deadline

-- PA Capital-Star Guest Essay: Community Solar Legislation In PA Could Bypass The Energy Bottleneck - By Alice Lu, Clean Air Council

-- TribLive Letter: Why Farmers Embrace Solar Energy - By Phil & Sara Vassalio

-- TribLive: Penn Hills School District Nets $136,495 Rebate From Duquesne Light For Lighting Upgrades

-- Inquirer: Philly’s New LED Streetlights Are Bright, But They Can Be Dimmed

-- Keystone Energy Efficiency Alliance, EEA-NJ Hosts Sept. 10-11 Navigating Change Policy Conference [PaEN]

-- DEP Sets Aug. 20 Informal Conference [Open House/Hearing] On A New LCT Energy, LP Rustic Ridge II Bituminous Underground Coal Mine In Westmoreland County [PaEN]

-- WNEP: Project Showcasing Historic Coal Mine Ventilation Fans Nears Completion In Carbon County

-- PA Capital-Star: For PA’s National Institute For Occupational Safety & Health Employees, Uncertainty Remains Amid Lawsuits And Mixed Signals

-- The Center Square: Republican State Treasurer Stacy Garrity Other State Treasurers Urge Financial Institutions To Abandon Environmental, Social And Governance Practices [Warning]

-- EPA: Liberty-Clairton In Allegheny County Makes Progress In Meeting PM2.5, Other Air Quality Standards, Redesigned An Air Quality Maintenance Area [PaEN]

-- TribLive: Parts Of Allegheny County Achieve Air Quality Milestones

-- Scranton Times: Electric Vehicle Charging Station Opens At Sheetz In Dickson City

-- WESA - Rachel McDevitt: Electric Road Trip Makes Pit Stop At Allegheny County Electric Vehicle Mechanic Training Program

-- Post-Gazette: New Allegheny Community College Program Helps Lead The Charge Of PA Electric Vehicle Boom

-- City & State PA: In Philadelphia, Open Streets Program Temporarily Banning Cars Has Become A New Economic Driver

-- Planet Philadelphia Radio Program: Aug. 1 - Global Environmental Economic Trends, Dr. Peter B. Meyer, 4:00 p.m.

-- Post-Gazette: Pittsburgh Seismograph Picked Up Pacific Earthquake From 5,000 Miles Away

-- DEP Inviting Comments On Revised Guidelines For Ranking Applications To PennVEST For Federally-Funded Water Infrastructure Grants/Loans Removing Environmental Justice Ranking Points [PaEN]

-- State Conservation Commission Extends Deadline To Apply For Federally-Funded Grants To Implement Farm Conservation Practices In Chesapeake Bay Most Effective Basins [PaEN]

-- CBF: Bipartisanship Allows EPA, Interior Chesapeake Bay Restoration Work To Escape Federal Budget Cuts In US House, Senate Committee Bills

-- Eastern PA Coalition For Abandoned Mine Reclamation Hosts 2 AmeriCorps Interns Funded By Federal Office Of Surface Mining [PaEN]

-- CoalCreative: New ‘Coal Dust’ Beer Brews Awareness Of Abandoned Mine Lands And The Need To Cleanup Streams In Northeast PA

-- Three Rivers Waterkeeper Releases 2024 State Of Our Three Rivers Water Quality Report [PaEN]

-- Lancaster Clean Water Partners: Record-Breaking Rainfall In Lancaster County Put Stormwater, Watershed Restoration Projects To The Test [PaEN]

-- LancasterOnline: Mountville Boro Wraps Up Stream Restoration Project At Spring Hill Park

-- Wilkes-Barre Times Leader: Luzerne County Seeking Bids To Add Rain Garden At Operations Building In Wyoming

-- Wilkes-Barre Times Leader Guest Essay: Local Stormwater Projects Protect Streams, Chesapeake Bay - By Andrew Reilly, Wyoming Valley Sanitary Authority

-- Penn State Extension Hosts Sept. 9 Webinar On Proper Native Tree Planting For Long-Term Success; Master Watershed Steward Native Tree & Shrub Sale In August [PaEN]

-- PEMA Highlights Upgraded Weather Monitoring And Flood Warning System At Greencastle-Antrim School, Franklin County [PaEN]

-- PennLive: PA’s New Monitoring Stations Will Better Alert Residents To Floods, Other Weather Events

-- The Center Square: State Upgrades Flood Warning System

-- Post-Gazette: Emergency Alerts Sounded During Deadline West Virginia Flooding; Here’s How They Work And When They’re Used

-- WPost: Maryland Town, 2 Counties Denied Federal Flood Relief; They Feel Like President Turned His Back On Them

-- The Economist: America Is Remaking Its Disaster-Relief System; President Hopes To Undo Perverse Incentives [PDF of Article]

-- Reading Eagle: Thunderstorm Strands Vehicles, Knocks Out Power For 2,000 In Berks

-- Inquirer: Storms Hit Philly Area Bringing Downpours And Flooding

-- TribLive: Avonmore Officials Assess Damage After Night Of Flash Floods In Westmoreland County

-- WTAE: Flash Flooding Causes Damage In South Franklin Twp., Washington County

-- Observer-Reporter: Southern Washington County Communities Hit Hard By Flooding