131 New Stories - REAL Environmental & Conservation Leadership In PA

Here are 131 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!

-- Penn State Ag Council Honors Jim MacKenzie, Octoraro Native Plant Nursery; Kelly Shenk, Ag Advisor To US EPA With Leadership Awards  [PaEN]

-- Rodale Institute: Apply Today For Good Farmer Award US, $10,000 Prize; Farmer Training Program Available  [PaEN]

-- Penn State Extension AgWorks Law Webinar Nov. 18: Protecting Your Business - Clear Limits Of Federal Homeland Security,  ICE Authority In ICE Raids, I-9 Audits For Farm, Food Employers, Noon to 2:00 p.m.

-- York Daily Record: Student-Led Project In York Suburban School District Starts Community Composting Bin Project 

-- Dickinson College To Host Environmental Defense Fund Panel Discussion On Accelerating The Clean Energy Transition Oct. 29  [PaEN] 

-- Erie 2030 District Property Partners Achieve $4.5 Million In Energy Savings, 18.9% Reduction In Energy Demand  [PaEN] 

-- South Mountain Partnership: Tuckahoe Project Receives Spirit Of South Mountain Award  [PaEN] 

-- ClearWater Conservancy Celebrates Conservation Achievements, Honors Local Leaders, Breaks Ground On New Hamer Community Conservation Center In Centre County  [PaEN] 

-- Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful Marks 35 Years Of Impact At Annual Statewide Conference [PaEN] 

-- Centre County Recycling & Refuse Authority Accepting Applications For 2026 Green Community Partnership, Deadline Jan. 31

-- Penn State Master Gardeners Recognize Lisa & Dave Doseff Of Lancaster With 20th Habitat Of Merit Award  [PaEN]

-- Master Watershed Stewards Of York County: Artists Paint Storm Drain Art to Raise Water Pollution Awareness in York County 

-- Bristol Township Environmental Advisory Committee In Bucks County Announces New Award To Recognize Student Environmental Excellence  [PaEN] 

-- Schuylkill County Republican Herald Editorial: Attacks On Peaceful Protesters Are Wholly Un-American  [PaEN] 

-- PA Parks & Forests Foundation Penn’s Stewards News Celebrates Quiet - A Natural Resource In Our Lives And Time  [PaEN] 

-- Post-Gazette: Pittsburgh Designated By National Geographic As One Of Best Places To Travel To In The World In 2026 

-- Post-Gazette Editorial: Pittsburgh Should Bet On Itself As A Bucket-List Tourism Destination

-- DEP Reports 20% Of Streams Damaged By Underground Coal Mining; Total Incidents Of Damage To Homes, Streams, Land, Water Supplies Increased 17.5% Since 2003, In Spite Of A 31% Decline In Acreage Mined  [PaEN] 

-- DEP: 14,280 Gallon Shale Gas Wastewater Spill At EQT Production’s Secretariat Well Pad In Gilmore Twp., Greene County  [PaEN] 

-- DEP: Petro Erie Inc. Has 2nd Major Conventional Oil & Gas Well Wastewater Spill In Sugarcreek Boro, Venango County; Previous Spill Contaminated The Village Of Reno’s Water Supply  [PaEN] 

-- DEP: Day 155 - Contaminated Water Still Flowing From Seneca Resources Vandergrift Shale Gas Wells, Well Pad; Cleanup Continues In Charleston Twp., Tioga County  [PaEN]

-- DEP: Contaminated Water From EQM Gathering (EQT) Double Pipeline Construction Site Traveled Nearly 2 Football Fields From Site Of Spill In Nottingham Twp., Washington County  [PaEN]

-- PA Oil & Gas Weekly Compliance Dashboard - Oct. 18 to 24:  14,280 Gallon Shale Gas Wastewater Spill; 2nd Major Spill By Conventional Well Owner; Failure To Address Pipeline Slope Failure For 1,440 Days  [PaEN] 

-- Spotlight PA: How Decisions By PA Supreme Court Shape Rural Communities: Supporting Local Regulation Of Shale Gas Drilling; Biosolids; Stormwater

-- DEP Extends Temporary Air Quality Permits For Shell Petrochemical Plant In Beaver County; No Schedule Yet For Public Review Of Full Title V Air Quality Permit Accepted July 2024  [PaEN]

-- DEP To Hold Dec. 17 Hearing On An Air Quality Permit For The PEI Power LLC Natural Gas Power Plant In Lackawanna County  [PaEN] 

 -- Citizens Interested In Submitting Comments To DEP On Tenaska Natural Gas Power Plant’s First Title V Air Quality Permit Invited To Oct. 29 Public Meeting In West Newton, Westmoreland County  [PaEN] 

-- Protect PT Hosts Nov. 4 & Nov. 11 Online Living Near Shale Gas Development Community Workshops  [PaEN] 

-- DEP Issues Air Quality Permit For 248 MW Wyalusing Energy Center Natural Gas Power Plant To Serve The Klondike Data Center Project In Bradford County  [PaEN]

-- Data Center Stampede Trampling PA Ratepayers Part I:  PA Utility Law Project - Utility Terminations Up 30% Already; Prioritize Existing Loads; Centers Need To Help Pay For Utility Assistance  [PaEN] 

-- Data Center Stampede Trampling PA Ratepayers Part II: PA Consumer Advocate - PUC Should Set Conditions For Centers To Be Served By The Grid; Set Power Curtailment Priorities [PaEN]

-- Data Center Stampede Trampling PA Ratepayers Part III:  PJM Market Monitor - Data Centers Have Cost Existing Ratepayers $16.6 Billion Already; Centers Should Bring Their Own Power Generation To Prevent More Large Price Spikes  [PaEN] 

-- PA PUC To Take Up Model Tariff For Connecting Large Load/A.I. Data Centers To The Electric Grid At Nov. 6 Meeting; Other Changes Needed  [PaEN] 

-- Utility Dive: FirstEnergy Expects Peak Electricity Load To Grow By 45% By 2035 Due To A.I. Data Center Demands 

-- Inside Climate News: How Did Virginia Become The A.I. Data Center Capital Of The World And Transform The Economy And Electric Grid?  [6,247 MW Of Centers Under Construction; 2,610 MW Of Energy Generation; 24,103 MW Planned For The Future]

-- Utility Dive: North American Electric Reliability Corp Warns A.I. Data Center Power Demands Threaten Grid Reliability: We Need ‘Every Single Megawatt, Every Single Electron’ To Meet The Demand 

-- PUC Votes To Suspend, Investigate PPL Electric's Proposed 7%, $356 Million Rate Increase  [PaEN] 

-- Utility Dive Guest Essay: Reliance On Natural Gas For Power Generation Will Worsen Energy Affordability Crisis - By Cassady Craighill, GridLab 

-- Financial Times: Fallout From The A.I.-Fuelled Dash For Natural Gas-Fired Power Plants - Supply Crunch In Giant Turbines Taking Years For Delivery

-- Bloomberg: Pittsburgh Battery Maker Eos Energy’s New Factory To Boost Power For PA Talen Energy  A.I. Data Centers

-- Scranton Times: Columnist Chris Kelly Asks A.I. Chat Bots [ChatGPT5, GROK, DeepSeek] If They Think The Negative Impacts Of A.I. Data Center Development Are Real [Spoiler- Yes, Based On Actual Experiences]  [PDF of Article] 

-- US Dept. Of Energy Directs FERC To Develop Rules To Accelerate A.I. Data Center/Large Load Grid Connections  [Warning]

-- Inside Climate News: President’s Administration Seeks To Speed A.I. Data Center Grid Connections, Expand Federal Control Of Power System [Warning]

-- In Case You Missed It: A.I./Data Center Articles - NewClips From Last Week - October 27  [PaEN] 

-- PA Dept. Of Human Services: Due To Federal Shutdown, DHS Cannot Accept Applications For Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Until Dec. 3 

-- Post-Gazette - Anya Litvak: Federal Shutdown Means Delay In Low-Income Heating Assistance, Applications Pushed Back A Month

-- Pittsburgh Business Times: Core Natural Resources [Consol Energy] Scaling Back 4-Year-Old Project To Build Coal-Fired Power Plant Of The Future  [PDF of Article]

-- TribLive: US Steel To Restart Clairton Coke [Coal] Works Battery Damaged In Deadly 

-- Post-Gazette: US Steel To Restart Clairton Coke [Coal] Works Battery Impacted By Explosion 

-- The Allegheny Front: Norfolk Southern Train Derailment Early Research Shows Health Impacts, More Study Needed

-- Post-Gazette: Allegheny Air Quality Program Faces $1 Million Deficit As Long-Delayed Permit Fee Increase Vote Looms

-- Post-Gazette/UPMC: Ask The Experts - How Does Low Air Quality Affect Lung Health?  [PDF of Article]

-- DCNR, PennEnvironment Highlight How Solar Energy At Prince Gallitzin State Park In Cambria County Can Reduce Energy Costs, Cut Pollution 

-- Tribune-Democrat: Prince Gallitzin State Park Tour Highlights Solar Energy Savings, Potential To Lower Energy Costs [PDF of Article]

-- Altoona Mirror: Students Get Close-Up Look At Solar Energy Array Responsible For Cutting Electricity Costs At Prince Gallitzin State Park  [PDF of Article] 

-- Erie Times: Solar Energy Facility At Erie County Technical School By Early Next Summer, Save Nearly $6 Million In Energy Costs 

-- Erie Times Guest Essay: How Solar Energy Could Save Erie Schools Millions - By Rep. Pat Harkins (D), Rep. Robert Merski (D), David Masur, PennEnvironment

-- Gov. Shapiro Announces $352.9 Million Eos Energy Investment To Expand PA Battery Manufacturing, Relocate HQ To Allegheny County, Creating 735 Jobs

-- TribLive: Eos Energy Announces $350 Million Expansion Of Battery Plant In Allegheny County

-- Post-Gazette Editorial: Battery Maker Eos Energy A Win Pittsburgh Has Been Waiting For

-- Post-Gazette: PA Senate Republicans, 6 Democrats Pass Bill To Erase RGGI Rules Reducing Power Plant Carbon Pollution [That Were Never Implemented]   [Warning]

-- PA Senate Republicans Approve 'Landmark' Bill To Modernize PA's 'Broken' Permitting Process [Similar, SPEED Permitting At DEP Attracted 5 Applications In 2 Months, DEP Acts On 742 Applications A Week]  [Warning]

-- JDSupra.com: PA Senate Republican A.I. Data Center Siting & Permitting Act Creates Confusing, Contradictory, Less Certain Permitting System  [Senate Bill 991]    [Warning]

-- Penn State Extension Master Watershed Steward Program Accepting Applications for Spring 2026 Training  [PaEN] 

-- DCNR, Local Partners Plant 700 Trees Along York County Stream To Improve Local Water Quality

-- DCNR Invests $130,000 To Plant 700 Trees Along York County Stream To Improve Water Quality [Video, Photos]

-- Fox43: State Officials Will Join Local Partners Oct. 23 To Plant 700 Trees Along Orson Run In York County   [Event Details]

-- PittsburghUnonProgress.com: Conservation Partnership Helps Allegheny County Farms Remain Viable With Environmental Benefits

-- Chesapeake Bay Journal - Jeremy Cox: Revision Of Chesapeake Bay Watershed Cleanup Agreement Uncertain By Federal Shutdown, Criticism

-- York Daily Record: ‘Historic’ Conowingo Dam Agreement Leads To Environmental Improvements In The Susquehanna River Over Next 50 Years

-- Williamsport Sun: Susquehanna University Environmental Education Program Now Approved To Receive Tax Credit Dollars

-- Penn State Extension Watershed Winds News: Data Center Water Use; Stormwater Drain Awareness; Farm Grows Food Forest; Master Watershed Stewards; Online Water Quality/Watersheds

-- Erie Times Guest Essay: PA Gov. Josh Shapiro Champions Great Lakes Region Cooperation - By Gov. Josh Shapiro  [PDF of Article]

-- Chesapeake Bay Journal - Jeremy Cox: Proposed Closure Of USDA Beltsville Agricultural Research Center Threatens National Flagship Agricultural Laboratory  [Warning]

-- PA Capital-Star: For PA’s Soybean Farmers, President’s Trade Wars, Labor Shortages, Soaring Equipment Costs Are Only The Latest Struggle

-- TribLive Editorial: Federal Food Stamp Shutdown Starves More Than The Poor, But Farmers Too

-- PennLive: York-Based WellSpan Health System Donates 1 Million Meals For Families About To Lose Federal Food Stamp Benefits Due To Federal Shutdown

-- Farm & Dairy: President Floats Buying Argentinian Beef To Cut Prices For Americans; Would Hurt American Cattle Producers And Disrupt The Free Market [Warning]

-- NextPittsburgh: Pittsburgh Startup Anactisis Extracts Critical Minerals From Coal Composition Residuals, Mining Tailings

-- Bloomberg Guest Essay: President Is Cutting Rare Earth Minerals Research At The Wrong Time - By Thomas Black

-- WITF/Spotlight PA: As Warehouses Boom In Berks County, Officials Plot Route 222 Expansions To Keep Up

-- Spotlight PA: Clock Is Ticking For Rock Spring Water Company Private Water Company Sale To Resolve Service Problems In Centre County

-- Susquehanna River Basin Commission Begins Accepting Consumptive Use Mitigation Grant Applications Nov. 3  [PaEN] 

-- Susquehanna River Basin Commission Guardian Newsletter: Watching Low Flows, Amish Liaison Project; Student Salt Sampling; Hydropower Relicensing; Middle Susquehanna RiverKeeper Podcast

-- Post-Gazette - Bob Frye: Drought Conditions, Low And Warm Water Delay Fall Trout Stocking

-- Erie Times: Millcreek Residents Deal With Flooding, Sewer Line Issues After Lake-Effect Rain

--  Wilkes-Barre Times Leader: Engineering Assessment Authorized For Erosion Near Wilkes-Barre Flood Wall

-- Post-Gazette: State Emergency Officials Say New Rules, Delays For FEMA Grants Put Disaster Response At Risk  [Warning]

-- The Guardian: Climate Disasters In First Half Of 2025 Costliest Ever On Record, Research Shows

-- The Derrick: Venango County Hosts Nov. 1 Household Hazardous Waste, Waste Electronics Collection

-- Pike County Household Hazardous Waste Collection Nov. 8 Shohola Elementary School, 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

-- York Daily Record: Adams County Woman Turns Old Vinyl Siding Into Eco-Friendly Patio With Help Of CRDC Plastics Recycling Company In York

-- Sen. Yaw Encourages Participation In National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day Oct. 25

-- The Center Square: State Participating In National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day Saturday

-- WHYY: ‘Philly Ain’t Playing:’ City Steps Up Anti-Dumping Enforcement Efforts

-- York Dispatch: Large Mulch Fire Still Burning Near Spring Grove, 30 Fire Units Remained On Scene

-- Erie Times: Corry Brownfield Site To Become Workforce Training Hub

-- The Center Square: Pennsylvania’s Fraught Debate Over Indigenous Americans Recognition

-- Williamsport Sun: PA Is Growing The Outdoor Economy And Helping Businesses Thrive Thru Outdoor Business Alliance Of PA

-- DCNR Oct. 23 to 29 Fall Foliage Report - Vibrant Foliage Can Be Seen Across The Commonwealth 

-- Fish & Boat Commission, Wayne County, Partners Celebrate Opening Of Indian Orchard River Access On Lackawaxen River

-- Post-Gazette: City Of Pittsburgh To Take Over North Shore Riverfront Park To Address Abandoned Boats

-- LancasterOnline: See Riders Explore A New Mountain Bike Park In Quarryville [Video]

-- Pike County Open Space, Greenways, Recreation Plan Update Available For Public Review

-- Post-Gazette: Activity Levels Of Ticks, Mosquitoes, Ants, Rats Rises In Western PA Amid Warner Weather Shifts

-- The Allegheny Front: New Western PA Magazine Celebrates Sport And The Outdoors 

-- Lancaster Conservancy Announces Acquisition Of 180 Acres In York County To Establish The Eagle View Nature Preserve; Solidifies Opposition To Cuffs Run Pump-Hydroelectric Facility  [PaEN] 

-- Republican Herald: Schuylkill Commissioners Approve Money For Farmland Preservation

-- Natural Lands Preserves Nearly 14 Acres In Bucks County To Add To State Game Lands  [PaEN] 

-- Warren Times: Game Commission Hears Local Land Acquisition Complaints, But Remedies Uncertain

-- Warren Times Editorial: Rural Tax Base Needs Protection From Expanding Public Land Acquisitions 

-- WHYY: Philadelphia Land Bank Buys 35 Garden Lots, Advancing Land Preservation Plan 

-- WeConservePA Call For Presentations 2026 PA Land Conservation Conference April 29 To May 1 In Lancaster  [PaEN]

-- WESA: Pittsburgh-based LandForce Saw Mill Opens In Wilkinsburg To Reclaim, Harvest Fallen Urban Trees 

-- The Allegheny Front: Pittsburgh Botanic Garden Beating Back Invasive Plants With Fire

-- Pennsylvania Sea Grant: Know it, Report it, Stop it: Aquatic Invasive Species Response Training Webinar Now Available On Demand  [PaEN] 

-- Penn State Extension Master Gardeners Of Lebanon County Host In-Person Oct. 27 Birds In Your BackYard - Native Plants, Feeders & More In Lebanon, 7:00 to 8:00 p.m.

-- Chesapeake Bay Journal - Jeremy Cox: Dam Removals Boost Fish Passage In Chesapeake Bay Watershed [Oakland Dam Demolition In PA]  

-- Fish & Boat Commission: Restoring The Chesapeake Logperch In Lower Susquehanna River 

-- Lehigh Valley Wildlands Conservancy Highlights Upcoming Experiences: Campfire Conversations; New Perseverance Trail; Outdoor Classroom

-- Delaware Highlands Conservancy Eagle Watch Training Online, In-Person; Eagle Watch Bus Tours Begin Jan. 3 

-- Hawk Mountain Sanctuary: Update On Fall Migration Season, Upcoming Events

Visit the PA Environment Digest website to learn more.

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[Posted: October 26, 2025]   PA Environment Digest