PA Environment Digest Blog: Wednesday 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 12, 17, 18, 19

December 8, 9, 10

-- Committee Schedule

House Voting Schedule

November 12, 17, 18, 19

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

-- Committee Schedule

TODAY’s Calendar Of Events

ALERT !: State Budget Agreement Pending!

TODAY 12:30: 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. Read more here.]

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.

-- 500 Feet Isn’t Enough: House Environmental Committee To Hold Nov. 17 Hearing On Bill To Increase Setbacks From Unconventional Shale Gas Wells From 500 Feet To 2,500 Feet From Homes, 5,000 Feet From Schools, Hospitals [PaEN]

-- TribLive: DEP Says It Plans To Issue Tenaska Gas Power Plant Its First Title V Air Quality Permit Despite Objections From Residents In Westmoreland; No Decision On Hearing Yet

-- PennLive Guest Essay: Stop Enabling Petrochemical Companies - Our Health Is At Risk - By Rachel Meyer, Beaver County Resident Near Shell Petrochemical Plant

-- Beaver Times Guest Essay: Air Quality Certification For Shell Petrochemical Plant In Beaver County Warrants Closer Review - By Hilary Starcher-O’Toole, Beaver County Marcellus Awareness Committee

-- The Allegheny Front: How Falling Leaves Have Lasting Impact In Point State Park And Beyond Helping Insects, Wildlife

-- Post-Gazette Editorial: New Pittsburgh Mayor Should Build On Greenways Success Stories

A.I. /Data Centers

-- Fox56: Archbald Borough Manager Discusses Data Center Proposal Process Amid Resident Concerns In Lackawanna County

-- The Citizens Voice: Amazon Web Services Opens Offices In Downtown Wilkes-Barre

Today’s Oil & Gas Violations

-- Today’s Violations: DEP monitoring of Chesapeake Appalachia LLC Jack 1H shale gas well in Windham Township, Wyoming County as part of regular monitoring of casing/cementing failure found on June 15, 2015-- 3,797 days ago. Quarterly monitoring to continue. Read more here.

-- Today’s Violations: DEP monitoring of Chesapeake Appalachia LLC Evelyn 2H and 4H shale gas wells in Windham Township, Wyoming County as part of regular monitoring of casing/cementing failure found on October 4, 2018-- 2,590 days ago. Quarterly monitoring to continue. Read more here.

Clairton Coke [Coal] Works Explosion

-- WPXI: 3 Months After US Steel Clairton Coke [Coal] Works, Doctors Speak Exclusively With Channel 11

PA Politics - Everything Is Connected

-- TribLive/Inquirer: PA’s Top Leaders Reached $50.1 Billion State Budget Deal, Signaling A Breakthrough In Impasse

-- Post-Gazette: State Senate Holds Tuesday Evening Session As Talk Focuses On Proposed State Budget Deal

-- PennLive: PA Senate, House Return To Harrisburg With Possible Deal To Break Budget Impasse

-- Post-Gazette Guest Essay: The PA Election Results Should Worry Republicans - By John Hinshaw, RealClearWire

-- ABC27: Republican State Sen. Mastriano Still Considering Run For Governor

-- Spotlight PA: Washington County Charging People To Search Public Court Documents, An Unusual, Undue Burden Experts Say

-- WHYY/AP: US Supreme Court Extends Order Blocking Full Food Stamp Payments, With Federal Shutdown Potentially Near An End

-- Post-Gazette: Contentious Federal ICE Partnership In Bucks County Set To End After Voters Oust Incumbent Sheriff

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