PA Environment Digest Blog: Saturday 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

November 17, 18, 19

December 8, 9, 10

-- Committee Schedule

House Voting Schedule

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!

November 12-- CANCELED. Environmental Quality Board meeting. Shale gas well setback petition will not be considered until at least the next meeting on Dec. 9. Contact: Laura Griffin, laurgriffi@pa.gov or (717) 772-3277.

November 12-- Agenda Posted. DEP Joint Meeting Of Citizens Advisory Council and Environmental Justice Advisory Board. Room 105 Rachel Carson Building. 12:30 p.m. Check webpage for options for joining the meeting remotely. Contact: Ian Irvin, Executive Director, iirvin@pa.gov or (717) 787-8171. [Agenda: DEP Environmental Justice Program; EJ Concerns With Data Centers]

November 14-- Senate Democratic Policy Committee hearing on safeguarding residential water wells. Columbia Crossing River Trails Center, 41 Walnut St., Columbia, Lancaster County. 10:00 a.m. Click Here to watch online.

November 14-- Virtual/In-Person. DEP Sewage Advisory Committee meetings on Chapter 71-73 proposed on-lot septic system regulation changes. Boyertown Community Ambulance Service Building, 2 East 2nd Street, Boyertown, Berks County. 9:00 a.m. Contact: Tomisa Kiskadden at tkiskadden@pa.gov or (814) 332-6677. (formal notice)

November 17-- House Tourism, Recreation & Economic Development Committee informational meeting on increasing registration fees for ATVs, snowmobiles. Room 523 Irvis Building. 9:30 a.m. Click Here to watch live.

November 17-- House Environmental & Natural Resource Protection Committee hearing on increasing setback requirements from unconventional shale gas wells - House Bill 1946 (Vitali-D-Delaware). Room G-50 Irvis Building. 10:00 a.m. Click Here to watch live. Read more here on the issue.

November 17-- House Energy Committee holds informational meeting on small modular nuclear reactors. Room B-31 Main Capitol. 10:30 a.m. Click Here to watch live.

November 18-- House Energy Committee meeting to consider House Bill 1260 (Siegel-D- Lehigh) encouraging solar energy facilities at warehouses (sponsor summary); House Bill 2017 (Giral-D-Philadelphia) changing annual fees charged to nuclear reactors by DEP to promote modular nuclear reactors (sponsor summary). Room B-31 Main Capital. 10:30. Click Here to watch live.

-- In Memoriam: Sen. David 'Chip' Brightbill, PA Senate Majority Leader, Chair Senate Environmental Committee [PaEN]

-- PennLive: PA Senate Leader David ‘Chip’ Brightbill Was A Champion For The Economy, The Environment And His Constituents

-- WITF: Former PA Senate Republican Leader ‘Chip’ Brightbill Dies At 83

-- PA Oil & Gas Industrial Facilities: Permit Notices, Opportunities To Comment - November 8 [PaEN]

-- DEP Posted 71 Pages Of Permit-Related Notices In November 8 PA Bulletin [PaEN]

-- DEP Invites Comments On Chapter 105 Permit For MarkWest Liberty Midstream 20-Inch Natural Gas Gathering Pipeline In Mount Pleasant & Cecil Townships, Washington County [PaEN]

-- DEP Invites Comments On Air Quality Permit For 15 Natural Gas Generators To Power 15 Iron City A.I. Computing Centers In Karthaus Twp., Clearfield County [PaEN]

-- DEP Invites Comments On Renewal Of Title V Air Quality Permit For United Refinery In City Of Warren, Warren County [PaEN]

-- Susquehanna River Basin Commission Meets Dec. 4 On 2026 Fee Schedule, Water Withdrawal Requests, Including 3 Related To Shale Gas Development [PaEN]

-- TribLive Guest Essay: Don’t Trade Away RGGI Climate Regulations In State Budget Agreement - By Rep. Greg Vitali (D-Delaware), Chair House Environmental Committee [RGGI Never Implemented]

-- Pittsburgh Business Times: Core Natural Resources Explores Rare Earth Mineral Mining In PA At Coal Waste Sites [PDF of Article]

-- WHYY - Sophia Schmidt: Federal LIHEAP Heating Assistance Delayed In PA Due To Federal Shutdown, Here Are Other Resources To Help Pay Energy Bills

-- Observer-Reporter: Washington County Affected By June Flooding Can Apply For Disaster Loans From Federal Small Business Administration [PDF of Article]

-- Inquirer: Philadelphia Sends A Third Of Its Trash To Incinerator In City Of Chester, Delaware County, Philly Council Members Took A ‘Toxic Tour’ To Get A Closer Look

-- WHYY - Sophia Schmidt: City Of Chester To Philadelphia - ‘Find Somewhere Else’ To Send Your Trash

-- PittsburghUnionProgress.com: PA Resources Council, Allegheny County Host Glass Recycling At South Park

-- PA Wilds Center: Total Economic Impact Of Tourism In 13 County The PA Wilds Region Reaches $3.29 Billion In 2024

-- DCNR: Pittsburgh Names Newest National Thrive Outside Community For Efforts To Expand Outdoor Access and Strengthen Community Connections

-- DCNR Names Dave Yeager New District Forester For Tuscarora State Forest In Central PA

-- DCNR: Governor’s Advisory Council For Hunting, Fishing Seeking Candidates For Fish & Boat Commission Board

A.I. /Data Centers

-- Scranton Times: Jessup Boro Re-Amends Data Center Zoning; Sets Nov. 18 Hearing On Developer Proposal For 6 New A.I. Data Centers Along Breaker Street [PDF of Article]

-- DEP Invites Comments On Air Quality Permit For 15 Natural Gas Generators To Power 15 Iron City A.I. Computing Centers In Karthaus Twp., Clearfield County [PaEN]

-- The Center Square: Save Carbon County Loses Commonwealth Court Appeal Of Stronghold Bitcoin Data Center Permit For Panther Creek Coal Waste-Fired Power Plant

-- The Center Square: Estimated Power Demand Spiked By A.I. Data Centers Will Outstrip Supply By 2032 In PJM Service Area; Solutions Require Coordinated Actions

-- AP: Voters’ Anger Over High Electricity Bills And A.I. Data Centers Loom Over 2026 MidTerm Elections [PA Highlighted]

-- Financial Times: Tech Stocks Suffer Worst Week Since April After $800 Billion A.I. Sell-Off

Today’s Oil & Gas Violations

-- Today’s Violations: DEP: Horizontal Exploration LLC failed to plug 6 abandoned conventional wells in Lafayette Township, McKean County for 708 days and counting; failed to comply with Commonwealth Court Order to plug the wells for 350 days and counting. Read more here.

-- Today’s Violations: DEP: EQM Gathering OPCO LLC [EQT] has at least the 6th spill from construction drilling of the NINFS004 shale gas water pipeline in Nottingham Township, Washington County. This one involved “bubbling and sediment return within a stream channel.”No violations issued. Read more here. Other drilling spills, contamination along this same pipeline occurred in October, in August (2 spills), and in July (2 spills).

-- Today’s Violations: DEP inspection of Expand OPER LLC Penecale shale gas well pad in North Branch Township, Wyoming County found contaminated fluid overtopped secondary containment around a compressor and spilled out onto unprotected well pad. DEP requests owner check for compressor leak and repair. Read more here.

International/National Impacts On PA Natural Gas

[Energy Independence Means Renewables]

-- AAA Average Gasoline Prices: National- $3.07 Ohio- $3.08 PA- $3.24

-- Baker Hughes: PA Natural Gas Drilling Rigs - 17 - Same For Last 6 Weeks

-- Bloomberg: NY And NJ Grant Key Permits For Controversial Northeast Supply Natural Gas Pipeline From PA

-- Inside Climate News: NY Regulators Approve Water Quality Permit For Northeast Supply Enhancement Natural Gas Pipeline From PA

-- Reuters: US Set To Produce Record Amounts Of Natural Gas To Meet Surging LNG Export Demand

Federal Administration

-- Wilkes-Barre Times Leader/AP: Coal Miners With Black Lung Disease Fight President’s Administration Rollback Of Safety Protections

-- Post-Gazette/AP: Coal Miners With Black Lung Disease Fights President’s Administration Rollback Of Safety Protections

PA Politics - Everything Is Connected

-- Post-Gazette: Democratic Landslide In PA ‘Definitely Sending A Message’ To Republicans Just A Year After President’s Victory