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 2025

December 8, 9, 10

-- Committee Schedule

Senate Voting Schedule 2026

January 6, 26, 27, 28

February 2, 3 (Governor’s Budget Address), 4

Budget hearings will be held February 23-26, and March 2

March 16, 17, 18, 23, 24, 25

April 20, 21, 22

May 4, 5, 6

June 1, 2, 3, 8, 9, 10, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 29, 30

House Voting Schedule 2025

December 15 [non-voting], 16, 17

-- Committee Schedule

House Voting Schedule 2026

January 6 (NV), 26, 27, 28

February 2, 3 (Governor's Budget Address, 4

Budget hearings will be held February 23-26, and March 2

March. 23, 24, 25

April 13, 14, 15, 27, 28, 29

May 4, 5, 6

June 1, 2, 3, 8, 9, 10, 15, 16, 17, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30

September 28, 29, 30

October 5, 6, 7, 19, 20, 21

November 9, 10

TODAY’s Calendar Of Events

December 1-- DEP hearing on a revised Title V Air Quality permit for the Monroe Energy LLC Trainer Refinery in Trainer Borough, Delaware County. Read more here.

December 2-- DEP Hearing On Revision To Title V Air Quality Permit For a Glass Furnace At The PQ LLC Facility In Chester, Delaware County. Chester City Hall, One 4th Street in Chester. 7:00 p.m. Read more here.

December 2-- DEP hearing on proposed revisions to the Title V Air Quality Permit for the Delaware County Regional Water Quality Control Authority wastewater plant in Chester, Delaware County. Read more here.

December 2-- DEP hearing on proposed revisions to the Title V Air Quality Permit for the Constellation Energy Generation Co. Limerick Nuclear Power Plant in Limerick Township, Montgomery County. Read more here.

December 2-- DEP hearing on a revised Title V Air Quality permit for the US Steel Fairless Steel Plant in Falls Township, Bucks County. Read more here.

December 2-- Chesapeake Bay Program Executive Council meeting. National Aquarium in Baltimore. 1:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Click Here to register to join via Zoom. [Agenda includes revised Chesapeake Bay Agreement.] Read more here.

December 4-- DCED PA Grade Crude [Oil] Development Advisory Council meeting. LTBA. Contact: Adam Walters 717-214-6548 or adwalters@pa.gov.

December 5-- Virtual. DEP Climate Change Advisory Committee, Subcommittee On Future Planning. 9:00 a.m. Contact: Lindsay Byron, lbyron@pa.gov or 717-772-8951. (formal notice)

December 9-- NEW. Agenda Posted. Environmental Quality Board meeting. Room 105 Rachel Carson Building. 9:00 a.m. Check webpage for options for joining the meeting remotely. Contact: Laura Griffin, laurgriffi@pa.gov or (717) 772-3277. [Agenda Includes Petition On Increasing Setbacks From Shale Gas Wells. Read more here.]

December 11-- CANCELED. DEP Oil and Gas Technical Advisory Board meeting. 10:00 a.m. Contact: Todd Wallace at twallace@pa.gov or 717-783-6395. (formal notice)

-- PJM Market Monitor Files Complaint With FERC Saying PJM Is Proposing To Allow A.I. Data Centers To Connect To Grid That It Cannot Reliably Serve, Will Require Blackouts To Maintain Service [PaEN]

-- Environmental Quality Board Meets Dec. 9 On Petitions To Increase Setbacks From Shale Gas Wells, Oil & Gas Wastewater Processing, Water System Operator, Radiation Protection Fees [PaEN]

-- DEP Draft 2026 Integrated Water Quality Assessment Report Available For Comment Beginning Nov. 29

-- DEP To Host Dec. 8 Virtual Update On Response To Energy Transfer/Sunoco Pipeline Leak In Upper Makefield Twp., Bucks County [PaEN]

-- ABC27: UGI Unveils New Liquefied Natural Gas Facility In Cumberland County

-- PUC Chairman Highlights 'Extraordinary Challenges' Pennsylvania Families Are Facing This Winter With Energy Bills And His Appreciation For Groups Providing Assistance [PaEN]

-- TribLive: Duquesne Light Electric Rates Climb 10.6% Starting Dec. 1, As Statewide Electric Price Hikes Being

-- Tribune-Democrat: PUC Warns Residential Electric Customers Of Looming Price Hikes Dec. 1

-- York Dispatch: Peach Bottom Nuclear Power Plant To Conduct Siren Testing Dec. 3

-- November 29 Pennsylvania Bulletin Now Available

-- Wyoming County Press Examiner: Stanley Cooper Sr. Chapter Trout Unlimited, Wyoming, Luzerne Conservation Districts, EPCAMR, Game Commission Conduct Assessment, Insect Collection Along Bowman Creek

-- Wilkes-Barre Times-Leader Editorial: Students At Wilkes-Barre Area Career & Technical Center Celebrate Giving Back To Nature

-- Penn State Extension Watershed Winds Online Learning Opportunities, Interns ID Ag BMP Opportunities

-- Inquirer: Meet The People Who Use Pennsylvania Rivers To Create Art

-- Penn State Extension Woods & Wildlife News: Forest Health Observations; 2026 Agroforestry Conference; Forest Layers - The Understory; Online Learning Opportunities

-- Berks Nature Places Conservation Easement On 19.48 Acre Farm In Historic Butter Valley, Berks County [PaEN]

-- Beaver Times: North Country Trail Assn. Accepts Land Donation In Wampum Area, Lawrence County

-- Post-Gazette Editorial: Natural Playgrounds Are A Worthy Investment In Children And The Environment

-- Erie Times: Rare Mexican Axolotl Found In Walnut Creek, Erie County: What Is It And What Happened To It?

-- CBSNews: Axolotl, Rare Salamander Native To Mexico, Discovered In Erie County Stream

-- WPXI: Game Commission Wardens Rescue Deer With Plastic Jug Stuck On Its Head In Allegheny County

A.I. /Data Centers

-- PJM Market Monitor Files Complaint With FERC Saying PJM Is Proposing To Allow A.I. Data Centers To Connect To Grid That It Cannot Reliably Serve, Will Require Blackouts To Maintain Service [PaEN]

-- Post-Gazette: Springdale Boro Council To Vote Dec. 16 On Massive A.I. Data Center Project In Allegheny County

-- TribLive: Springdale A.I. Data Center Developer To Close On Property; Hopeful Ahead Of Vote By Boro Council Dec. 16 In Allegheny County

-- Better Path Coalition Hosts Dec. 3 Online Brown Bag Briefing On A.I. Data Centers vs. Communities [PaEN]

-- Pittsburgh Business Times: Natural Gas Power Plant For Homer City A.I. Data Center Campus Receives DEP Air Permit [PDF of Article]

-- Attorney General Sunday Joins Coalition Objecting To Federal Moratorium On State Regulation, Policing Of Artificial Intelligence

-- US DOE Launches ‘Genesis Mission’ To Unleash Power Of A.I. to Develop Scientific, Engineering Breakthroughs

Today’s Oil & Gas Violations

-- Today’s Violations: DEP complaint inspection of Ows Acquisition Co. LLC conventional well in Findley Township, Mercer County found it abandoned, not plugged since Dec. 8, 2021-- 1,448 days and counting-- with a wastewater tank smashed by a fallen tree. Read more here.

-- Today’s Violations: DEP inspection of Chesapeake Appalachia LLC Crawford shale gas well in Terry Township, Bradford County to monitor casing/cement failure discovered on March 4, 2011-- 5,374 days and counties. Read more here.

-- Today’s Violations: DEP inspection of 2 Chesapeake Appalachia LLC Jacobson shale gas wells in Franklin Township, Bradford County to monitor casing/cement failure discovered on Oct. 20, 2020-- 1,857 days and counting. Read more here.

Gas Explosions

-- TribLive: Natural Gas Odor Causes Evacuation At Murrysville Shopping Plaza

Federal Administration

-- Post-Gazette/AP: National Parks Adopts ‘Americans First!’ Fee Policy, Increasing Park Fees For International Tourists Visiting Popular Parks

-- EPA Extends Deadline For Compliance Of Coal Waste Surface Impoundments By 3 Years To 2031

-- AP: President’s EPA Moves To Abandoned Rule That Sets Tough Standards For Deadly Soot Pollution

-- Clean Air Task Force: EPA Asks Court To Strike Down Fine Particulate Air Pollution Standard Threatening Public Health, Undermining Obligation In Federal Clean Air Act

PA Politics - Everything Is Connected

-- City & State PA: PA Political Party Chairs Focusing On 2026

-- Post-Gazette: Shapiro Joins Lawsuit Against President’s HUD Cutting $100 Million In Federal Funding For PA To Address Homelessness

-- Attorney General Sunday Joins Coalition Objecting To Federal Moratorium On State Regulation, Policing Of Artificial Intelligence

-- TribLive: FBI Wants To Question Democratic PA Cong. Deluzio, Other Lawmakers Who Made Video Advising Military Service Members Of The Law On Refusing Illegal Orders