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 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

TODAY 6:00: DEP hearing on a revised Title V Air Quality permit for the Monroe Energy LLC Trainer Refinery in Trainer Borough, Delaware County. 6:00 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. 6:00 p.m. 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 Constellation Energy Generation Co. Limerick Nuclear Power Plant in Limerick Township, Montgomery County. 9:30 a.m. 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. 11:00 a.m. 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-- Location/Remote Access Added. DCED PA Grade Crude [Oil] Development Advisory Council meeting. Technology Center Room 243, 200 Innovation Blvd, State College. 10:00 a.m. Click Here for instructions on joining remotely. 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)

-- December 1 - Weekly PA Environment Digest Now Available [PaEN]

-- PA Oil & Gas Weekly Compliance Dashboard - Nov. 22 to 28: $3.3 Million Penalty; 10,000 Gallon Spill Into Mine Voids, For 4th Time; 21 More Abandoned Conventional Wells; Wet Fracking Sand ‘Escapes’ Containment [PaEN]

-- DEP Settlement With Energy Transfer/Sunoco, Atlantic Richfield Imposes $3.3 Million Penalty, Including $1 Million Community Improvement Projects For Polluting Allegheny River [PaEN]

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

-- DEP: MarkWest Liberty Midstream Pipeline Construction Results In 10,000 Gallon Spill Into Coal Mine Void Under Washington County, For The 4th Time [PaEN]

-- DEP Issues Lazy Oil Company Violations For Abandoning 12 Conventional Wells In Venango County; None Of The Wells Could Be Found At Their GPS Coordinates; If You Know More, Call DEP [PaEN]

-- PA Oil & Gas Industrial Facilities: Permit Notices, Opportunities To Comment - November 29 [PaEN]

-- DEP Invites Comments On Chapter 105 Permit For Site Construction Of Homer City A.I. Data Center Campus 4.5 GW Natural Gas Power Plant In Indiana County [PaEN]

-- DEP Posted 84 Pages Of Permit-Related Notices In November 29 PA Bulletin [PaEN]

-- DEP Invites Comments On Draft 2026 Integrated Water Quality Assessment Report-- 37% Of PA Streams Have Impaired Water Quality For One Or More Uses; Increase In Streams Assessed [PaEN]

-- The Citizens Voice: Eastern PA Coalition For Abandoned Mine Reclamation Receives Grant To Protect, Restore Local Watersheds [PDF of Article]

-- PA Capital-Star: PA’s Home Repair, Energy Efficiency Program Left Out Of State Budget Despite High Demand

-- LancasterOnline Editorial: Gaslighting On Economy Won’t Warm Lancaster County Residents This Holiday Season And Winter [President’s Tariffs, Surging Electricity, Natural Gas Prices] [PDF of Article]

-- PennLive: Focus Of Environmental Policy Making Shifts To Lawmakers After PA Exits RGGI Carbon Pollution Reduction Program [That Was Never Implemented]

A.I. /Data Centers

-- Scranton Times - Chris Kelly: A Distress Call From Archbald Boro On A.I. Data Centers In Lackawanna County [PDF of Article]

-- WESA - Rachel McDevitt: Pittsburgh, Western PA Electric Rates Increasing Dec. 1; Here’s What To Do If You Can’t Pay

-- Broad & Liberty Guest Essay: Pennsylvania Needs More Energy And Sensible Regulation To Lure A.I. Data Centers - Gordon Tomb, Commonwealth Foundation [PA Is Already Flooded With Proposals, Electric Bills, Natural Gas Bills Surging As A Result]

-- PennLive Letter: The Hidden Price Of A.I. - Your Electric Bill - By Tom McCarey, Berwyn, PA

-- NYTimes: The Political Shocks Of A.I. Data Centers, Electric Bills: ‘The New Price Of Eggs’ [PDF of Article]

-- Reuters: President’s Push For More A.I. Data Centers Faces Backlash From His Own Voters [PA Highlighted]

-- Wall Street Journal: Three Mile Island Nuclear Power Plant Revival Pits Those Who Fled Against Job Seekers To Power Microsoft A.I. Data Centers [PDF of Article]

-- Forbes: Facing US Electricity Shortfall Crisis Years Unfolding

-- In Case You Missed It: A.I./Data Center Articles - NewClips From Last Week - December 1 [PaEN]

-- TribLive Guest Essay: Prosperity Without Workers - The A.I. Paradox Shaping President’s Economy

Gas Explosions

-- TribLive: Penneco Oil Co. Report Finds No Evidence Penneco Liable For Plum Natural Gas Explosion In Allegheny County

International/National Impacts On PA Natural Gas

[Energy Independence Means Renewables]

-- The Guardian: Cooking With Natural Gas Gets More Expensive As Americans Face Rising Prices Into 2026: 4% For Residential Users, 21% For Industrial, 37% For Power Generators