PA Environment Digest Blog: Tuesday 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 28, 29

November 17, 18, 19

December 8, 9, 10

-- Committee Schedule

House Voting Schedule

October 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 Off The Floor: House Energy Committee holds meeting to consider House Resolution 350 (Fiedler-D-Philadelphia) urging President and Congress to maintain LIHEAP funding. Room G-50 Irvis Building. Off the Floor. Click Here to watch live.

TODAY 9:00: House Republican Policy Committee hearing on “powering the mid-atlantic - restoring energy affordability and reliability multi-state hearing [natural gas] [60% of PA electric generation is already natural gas-fired]. Ryan Office Building Library. 9:00 am. Click Here to watch live.

October 29-- Agenda Posted. House Energy Committee holds hearing on House Bill 1539 (Madsen-D-Dauphin) establishing a grant program to assist school districts in transitioning to electric school buses. Room B-31 Main Capitol. 10:00 a.m. Click Here to watch live.

October 29-- House Consumer Protection, Technology & Utilities Committee meets to consider bills related to preventing natural gas pipeline service explosions [Reading Chocolate Plant] -- House Bill 1522 - install gas detectors and House Bill 1526 - requiring degraded natural gas pipeline prevention plans. Room G-50 Irvis Building. 10:00 a.m. Click Here to watch live.

October 29-- Citizens Interested In Submitting Comments To DEP On Tenaska Natural Gas Power Plant's First Title V Air Quality Permit Invited To Public Meeting In West Newton, Westmoreland County. 6:30 p.m.

November 6-- Public Utility Commission meeting to consider model tariff for connection large load - A.I. data centers-- to the local electric grid. 10:00 a.m. Click Here to watch online. Read more here.

-- Lawrence Hutchinson, Shade Creek Watershed Assn., Somerset County, Recognized With PA Abandoned Mine Reclamation Conference Mayfly Award; Conference Presentations Posted [PaEN]

-- KDKA: PUC Chair DeFrank: Concerns About Rising Electric Bills From A.I. Data Centers Are Legitimate; Development Of Centers Must Be ‘Well Planned, Well Thought’ Out

-- Inquirer: As A.I. Data Center Water Demand Surges, Rivals American Water And Aqua Are Merging

-- Post-Gazette - Anya Litvak: American Water, Essential Utilities To Combine, Leaving Fate Of Peoples Natural Gas Uncertain

-- Inquirer - Frank Kummer: Billions Of Gallons Of Raw Sewage From Philadelphia Are Released Into The Delaware River Annually

-- PUC PAOneCall Damage Prevention Committee Imposes $160,000 In Penalties Against 127 Underground Utility Protection Violators

-- TribLive: $56,000 Parent-Teacher Gift To Place Roof Over Eden Hall Outdoor Classroom In Richland

-- Manada Conservancy Hosts Nov. 6 Saving Nature In Your Backyard Program In Hershey, Dauphin County [PaEN]

-- Penn State Extension: Integrated Pest Management Essentials: Tools, Tactics, Techniques 4-Part Webinar Starting March 10

-- WNEP: DCNR Warns Of Dry Conditions After Brush Fire Leaves Dozens Of Acres Burned In Pike County

-- DCNR Names Scott Miller Weiser State Forest District Manager In Dauphin, Carbon, Columbia, Lebanon, Montour, Northumberland, Schuylkill Counties

-- TribLive: Temporary Closure Of Portion Of Butler Freeport Community Trail For Streambank Remediation Project

-- Observer-Reporter: Kayak Launch Latest Improvement At Wisecarver Park In Greene County

A.I. /Data Centers

-- KDKA: PUC Chair DeFrank: Concerns About Rising Electric Bills From A.I. Data Centers Are Legitimate; Development Of Centers Must Be ‘Well Planned, Well Thought’ Out

-- PennLive Guest Essay: PA Needs Every Tool, Every MW To Meet Growing Energy Demand - By Andrew Tubbs, Energy Utility Association Of PA

-- Inquirer: As A.I. Data Center Water Demand Surges, Rivals American Water And Aqua Are Merging

-- TribLive: Protesters Rally Against Proposed Data Center In Springdale; 2nd Event Planned Nov. 1 In Allegheny County

-- TribLive: Springdale Planners Cite Noise Study As Commission Delays Vote On A.I. Data Center In Allegheny County

-- AP: Amazon Cuts 14,000 Corporate Jobs As Spending On A.I. Accelerates

Today’s Oil & Gas Violations

-- Today’s Violations: DEP: Oil & Gas MGMT Inc. failed to comply with DEP Order, complete spill cleanup at conventional oil and gas well site in Loyalhanna Twp., Westmoreland County for 1,364 days and counting. Read more here.

-- Today’s Violations: DEP: Deitz Gas & Oil Inc. failed to complete cleanup of leaking crude oil storage tank in Highland Twp., Clarion County for 228 days and counting, even though they specifically said they would. Read more here.

-- Today Violations: DEP: Mary Jane Katchmark applied to transfer an abandoned, unplugged well in Center Twp., Greene County to another company for potential plugging in 2027, failed to submit annual production, waste generation and well integrity reports: Read more here.

International/National Impacts On PA Natural Gas

[Energy Independence Means Renewables]

-- Utility Dive: US EIA: Natural Gas Prices Up 47.5%, Electricity Up 6% In August [ Growing Cause For Concern As Costs Rise]

Other States/National

-- AP: Bill Gates Calls For Climate Fight To Shift Focus From Curbing Emissions To Reducing Human Suffering

Federal Administration

-- TribLive Guest Essay: Sen. McCormick Must Support The Fix Our Forests Act - By Bruce Cooper, Citizens’ Climate Lobby

PA Politics - Everything Is Connected

-- Spotlight PA: School Districts Forced To Cut Programs, Take Out Loans As PA Budget Impasse Continues

-- ABC27: PA Lawmakers Agree On Most State Budget Items Despite Delay

-- AP: What To Expect For Nov. 4 Election In Pennsylvania

-- Spotlight PA: PA Republican Voters Drive Increase In Mail-In Ballot Requests