PA Environment Digest Blog: Monday PA Environment & Energy Articles

“The people have a right to clean air, pure water, and to the preservation of the natural, scenic, historic and esthetic values of the environment. Pennsylvania's public natural resources are the common property of all the people, including generations yet to come. As trustee of these resources, the Commonwealth shall conserve and maintain them for the benefit of all the people.”

-- Article I, Section 27 Pennsylvania Constitution [It’s Not A Suggestion]

Senate Voting Schedule

October 20, 21, 22, 27, 28, 29

November 17, 18, 19

December 8, 9, 10

-- Committee Schedule

House Voting Schedule

October 27, 28, 29

November 17, 18, 19

December 8, 9, 10, 15, 16, 17

-- Committee Schedule

TODAY’s Calendar Of Events

WARNING: This Is Budget Season, Watch Out For Anything!

TODAY No Meeting Time Announced: Senate Environmental Resources & Energy Committee meets to consider Senate Bill 1068 (Yaw-R-Lycoming + Senate Republican Caucus) to “abrogate” the carbon pollution reduction program reducing emissions from power plants (RGGI). [Note: Legislation like this-- Senate Bill 186-- passed the Senate February 4 by a party-line vote-- Republicans supporting-- but went nowhere in the House. RGGI was adopted as a regulation by DEP in April 2022 and has never been implemented due to still pending court challenges.] Senate Rules Room. Off the Floor. [No video coverage.]

TODAY No Meeting Time Announced: Senate Intergovernmental Operations Committee meets to consider Senate Bill 6 (Phillips-Hill-R-York) establishing deadlines and review procedures across all state agency permits, permit renewals and transfers, requiring the establishment of a permit tracking system and a third-party review of permits program in all agencies for all permits. [Note: DEP has already done this. The bill is a monumental make-more-work initiative masquerading as a solution to permitting issues. Watch for amendments.] Senate Rules Room. Off the Floor. [No video coverage.]

October 21-- Agenda Posted. DEP Climate Change Advisory Committee meeting. 9:00 a.m. [Agenda- Climate Change and Extreme Weather]

October 22-- House Energy Committee holds hearing on regulation of A.I. data centers by the Public Utility Commission. Room G-50 Irvis Building. 11:00 a.m. Click Here to watch live.

October 22-- Agenda Posted. DEP Cleanup Standards Scientific Advisory Board meeting. 9:30 a.m. [Agenda-- PFAS Team Update, Chromium rulemaking]

October 23-- Agenda Posted. DEP Mining and Reclamation Advisory Board meeting. 10:00 a.m. [Agenda- Update of federal mine reclamation program.]

October 23-- Virtual. Dept. of Agriculture Controlled Plant & Noxious Week Committee meeting to consider adding 6 plants to Noxious Weed List. 1:00 p.m. (formal notice & agenda)

October 29-- House Energy Committee holds informational meeting on small modular nuclear reactors. Room B-31 Main Capitol. 10:00 a.m. Click Here to watch live.

-- October 20 - Weekly PA Environment Digest Now Available [PaEN]

-- PA Oil & Gas Weekly Compliance Dashboard - Oct. 4 to 17: Shale Gas Driller Fails To Restore Impoundment, Well Pad For 2,463 Days; Pipeline Permits Withdrawn For Noncompliance; Massive Pad Project Has Multiple E &S Violations [PaEN]

-- Inquirer Editorial: The Language Of ‘Opportunity’ Surrounding Shale Gas Fracking And A.I. Data Centers Sounds Distressingly Familiar As PA Joins Rush To Latest Promised Economic Boom [PaEN]

-- 17 PA Republican Senators Urge PJM To Reject Prioritizing Ready To Deploy Wind, Solar Energy Projects When Demand For Power Is Surging; Fail To Address Locking Up Existing Generation For Exclusive Data Center Use [PaEN]

-- PA Oil & Gas Industrial Facilities: Permit Notices, Opportunities To Comment - October 11 [PaEN]

-- PA Oil & Gas Industrial Facilities: Permit Notices, Opportunities To Comment - October 18 [PaEN]

-- DEP Posted 85 Pages Of Permit-Related Notices In October 11 PA Bulletin [PaEN]

-- DEP Posted 64 Pages Of Permit-Related Notices In October 18 PA Bulletin [PaEN]

-- Broad +Liberty Guest Essay: Pennsylvania’s Energy Future Is Bright And Bipartisan, Republicans, Democrats Deserve Credit For Supporting ‘Big Beautiful Bill’ - By Former Gov. Mark Schweiker [Natural Gas]

-- 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

-- PA Capital-Star Guest Essay: The Effort To Save Cuffs Run From Susquehanna River Pump Hydroelectric Power Plant Will Fail Unless Conservationists Change Their Approach - By Steve Fala, Hiking Guide

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

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

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

Today’s Oil & Gas Violations

-- Today’s Violations: DEP inspection of MTN V Oil & Gas Inc. conventional well in Loyalhanna Twp., Westmoreland County found it still abandoned, unplugged after 886 days. Click Here for more.

-- Today’s Violations: Multiple DEP inspections of Seneca Resource Co LLC Taft 851 shale gas well pad found continuing wastewater spills in Middlebury Twp., Tioga County over 344 days. Click Here for more.

-- Today’s Violations: 5 DEP inspection reports documented multiple, continuing E & S violations at huge EQT Production Co. More Cowbell shale gas pad construction site in Perry Twp., Greene County. Click Here for more.

A.I. /Data Centers

-- Scranton Times: Mosaic Boro To Work On Ordinance Regulating A.I. Data Centers [PDF of Article]

-- WHYY: Conshohocken-Area Residents Push Back Against Proposed A.I. Data Center In Montgomery County

-- PennLive Guest Essay: PA’s A.I. Data Center Boom Restarts Undamaged Three Mile Island Nuclear Power Plant Giving It A New Life - By Colin McNickle, Allegheny Institute for Public Policy

-- In Case You Missed It: A.I./Data Center Articles - NewClips From Last Week - October 20 [PaEN]

Federal Administration

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

PA Politics - Everything Is Connected

-- Post-Gazette: ‘Stop Playing Games;’ PA Budget Impasse Leads To Financial Bleeding At School Districts

-- TribLive: Local Medical Experts Provide Clarity On Conflicting Federal COVID Vaccine Guidelines

-- TribLive: Facing Burnout, Stress And Shortages, PA Nurses Push To Limit Patient Workload

-- WITF/Spotlight PA: How Pennsylvania’s Mental Health System Failed Those Who Needed It Most