Physicians For Social Responsibility PA Launch New Regional Environmental Movement Community

On August 14, Physicians for Social Responsibility PA is excited to invite you to take part in the Environmental Movement Community (EMC)-- a new, statewide effort to bring together communities, organizations, and advocates to build a stronger, more unified environmental justice movement in Pennsylvania.

Our regional Environmental Movement Community meetings and network will be your chance to--

-- Connect with neighbors and allies working on environmental and health issues.

-- Share your concerns, ideas, and solutions.

-- Help shape a coordinated statewide strategy for clean air, safe water, climate action, and community well-being.

What Is The Environmental Movement Community?

The Environmental Movement Community (EMC) is a new, statewide initiative bringing together community members, grassroots organizations, experts, and advocates to build a unified front for environmental justice in Pennsylvania. 

This is a living, evolving process where people from diverse backgrounds can connect, share resources, and develop coordinated strategies to protect our health, environment, and future.

Click On Your Region

You will see a google groups page with information about the group and an Ask to Join button at the top! Click “Ask to Join” and you’ll gain access within 24 hours. 

-- Northwest PA 

-- North Central PA

-- Northeast PA

-- Southwest PA

-- South Central PA

-- Southeast PA

If for some reason you don’t see the button or run into issues, send Josephine Gingerich an email at josephine@psrpa.org and she will add you manually. 

The EMC creates space for--

-- Open discussion of local and statewide environmental challenges.

-- Sharing of knowledge, skills, and resources.

-- Building alliances across sectors and regions.

-- Identifying and advancing solutions rooted in equity, sustainability, and community power.

-- Connecting frontline communities

Why Do We Need it?

Pennsylvania faces urgent environmental challenges — from air and water pollution, to climate change, to industrial developments that threaten the well-being of our communities. 

Too often, efforts to address these issues are fragmented, underfunded, or siloed. We need a movement that is--

-- Coordinated — so communities can act together instead of fighting alone.

-- Inclusive — centering the voices of those most impacted.

-- Persistent — building lasting networks, not one-time campaigns.

-- Solutions-focused — combining science, policy, and grassroots power to create change.

By bringing people together through the EMC, we can amplify our collective voice and strengthen our ability to win environmental protections for everyone.

What We Need To Make It Happen

-- Participation — We need individuals and groups from every region to be part of the conversation.

-- Partnerships — We welcome collaboration with local organizations, advocacy groups, community leaders and impacted residents.

-- Resources — Contributions of time, skills, and funding will help us organize more effectively.

-- Promotion — Help spread the word so no community is left out.

The EMC is built on the belief that when we work together — across counties, sectors, and backgrounds — we are unstoppable.

Visit the Regional Environmental Movement Community webpage for more information.

Physicians for Social Responsibility PA is a public health, nonprofit organization which fulfills its mission through programs focused on health and the environment and working with youth. 

Comprised of a variety of health professionals, PSR Pennsylvania is uniquely equipped to speak to threats posed to public health in our region.

Our program directors have cultivated programs that are innovative, cost-effective and offer services and a voice to our community and the region that simply would not exist otherwise. 

Indeed, while phrases like “First, do no harm,” sound good, in reality the bottom line is often considered the most important measure of progress or success.  

Our programs are preventive in nature and seek to address upstream problems that are difficult to solve later on.

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

PA Oil & Gas Industry Public Notice Dashboards:

-- 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]

     -- 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] 

     -- The Derrick: PUC Judge Suspends Rhodes Estate Water Companies Litigation Schedule On Future Ownership  [Fallout Continues From Conventional Oil Well Wastewater Spill In Venango County]  [PaEN] 

-- PA Oil & Gas Industrial Facilities: Permit Notices, Opportunities To Comment - August 16  [PaEN]

     -- 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]  

-- DEP Posted 84 Pages Of Permit-Related Notices In August 16  PA Bulletin  [PaEN]  

Related Articles This Week:

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

-- 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] 

-- PJM Announces Fast-Track Stakeholder Process To Seek Solutions For Connecting Large-Load A.I. Data Centers To The Electric Grid; Aug. 18 Workshop  [PaEN] 

-- PJM Interconnection Issues Hot Weather Alert For Aug. 17 In Entire Service Area; 22 Hot Weather Alert Days So Far This Summer  [PaEN] 

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

-- 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]

-- 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]

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

NewsClips:

-- 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] 

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

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

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

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

-- 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]  

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

-- WHYY: Electricity Bills Are Going Up In The Philly Region; Who’s In Charge Of The Grid, Anyway? 

-- York Dispatch: Sen. Keefer (R) Wants Data Center Applicants To Show Their Energy, Water Needs: ‘Electric Bills Will Go Up Due To Supply. Why Would We Subsidize That To Lure Them In?’ [PDF of Article]

-- 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]

-- 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 

-- NYT: Big Tech’s A.I. Data Centers Are Driving Up Electricity Bills For Everyone

-- Post-Gazette/WPost: Electricity Prices Are Surging, Opening Up New Line Of Attacks Against Republicans 

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

-- TribLive Letter: PJM Electricity Capacity Auction Proves Markets Work - By Glen Thomas, Fmr Chair, PUC

-- 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 

-- Utility Dive - Commentary: Why Utilities Must Rethink Natural Gas Procurement For A High-Demand Future

[Posted: August 15, 2025]  PA Environment Digest