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]

“Burn The Ships!” -- Universal Sign Of Determination, Total Commitment, No Retreat

Senate Voting Schedule

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

-- Committee Schedule

House Voting Schedule

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

-- Committee Schedule

TODAY’s Calendar Of Events

January 6-- DEP Public Meeting On Project Gravity A.I. Data Center Proposal Water Quality Permits In Archbald Boro, Lackawanna County. Valley View High School, 1 Columbus Drive Archbald, 5:00 to 8:00 p.m.

January 6-- Southwest PA Environmental Literacy Coalition Online Meeting. 4:00 p.m.

January 10-17-- 2026 Pennsylvania Farm Show. Harrisburg.

January 13-- DEP Citizens Advisory Council meeting. 12:30 p.m. Contact: Ian Irvin iirvin@pa.gov or 717-579-0329.

January 13-- DEP Mining and Reclamation Advisory Board meeting. 10:00 a.m. Contact: Daniel E. Snowden (717) 783-8846 or RA-EPMININGADVISORY@pa.gov. (formal notice)

January 13-- Penn State Extension Webinar - Spotted Lanternfly Research Updates & Panel Discussion. Noon to 1:30 p.m.

January 14-- Agenda Posted. DEP Water Resources Advisory Committee meeting. 9:30 a.m. Contact: Bob Haines robhaines@pa.gov or 717-787-7565. [Agenda: Biosolids Program Update, Draft Fee Reports]

January 14-- DEP Coastal Zone Advisory Committee meeting. 9:30 a.m. Contact: Stacey Box 717-772-5622 or sbox@pa.gov.

January 14-- DEP Technical Advisory Committee on Diesel-Powered [Coal Mining] Equipment meeting. DEP New Stanton Office. 10:00 a.m. Contact: Peggy Scheloske mscheloske@pa.gov or 724-404-3143.

January 14-- Lower Susquehanna RiverKeeper Hosts Data Centers in the Susquehanna River Basin – Let's Talk Water Usage With SRBC. Wrightsville, York County. 6:00 to 8:00 p.m.

February 19-- In-Person/Online. PA League Of Women Voters, Duquesne University Host Shale Gas & Public Health Conference. Pittsburgh. 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.

-- READ CAREFULLY! PA Oil & Gas Industrial Facilities: Permit Notices, Opportunities To Comment - January 3 [PaEN]

-- DEP To Hold Feb. 3 Virtual Hearing On Chapter 105 Permit For PA General Energy 3.9 Mile Shale Gas Well Pad Development Access Road, Staging Area In Loyalsock State Forest, Lycoming County [PaEN]

-- DEP To Hold Feb. 4 Hearing On First Title V Air Quality Permit For The Tenaska Natural Gas Power Plant In Westmoreland County; Water Quality Permit Up For Renewal [PaEN]

-- DEP Invites Comments On Tentative Decision To Not Renew NPDES Wastewater Permits For 3 Fluid Recovery Services Oil & Gas Wastewater Treatment Facilities In Indiana, Venango Counties [PaEN]

-- DEP Invites Comments On Water Quality Permit For A 3.7 Mile Natural Gas Gathering Pipeline Route In Elk And Forest Counties [PaEN]

-- DEP Issues Air Quality General Permit For Diesel-Fired Nonroad Engines At Homer City A.I. Data Center Campus In Indiana County [PaEN]

-- READ CAREFULLY! DEP Posted 57 Pages Of Permit-Related Notices In January 3 PA Bulletin [PaEN]

-- DEP Publishes Final Environmental Justice Permit Review And Public Participation Policy, Update To PennEnviroScreen EJ Tool [PaEN]

-- DEP Accepting Comments On Proposed Consent Decree Resolving Outstanding Cleanup Cost Recovery Claims With The Remaining Defendants In Swimming Pool Doctor Hazardous Waste Site In Beaver County [PaEN]

-- Lancaster Farming: Some Animals Struggle To Adapt As Climate Changes

-- Chesapeake Bay Journal - Karl Blankenship: Chesapeake Bay ‘Dead Zone’ Varied In 2025 But Near Average Overall

-- Chesapeake Bay Journal: Study Will Explore Giving Indigenous Tribes A Voice In Chesapeake Bay Program

-- WNEP: Unwanted Christmas Trees Find New Life At Carbon County Environmental Education Center To Help Wildlife

-- PennLive: ‘Pennsylvania 250’ Launches Year-Long Celebration Of Its Role In The Nation’s Founding

-- Jan. 2 Take Five Fridays With Pam, Happy New Year From PA Parks & Forests Foundation!

-- PA Parks & Forests Foundation Blog: Making Nature’s Colors More Accessible Through Special Goggles For The Color Blind At 2 More State Parks

-- PA Conservation Heritage Project Profile: Mary Herrold Hirst, Pennsylvania’s First Female State Park Superintendent, Blazed New Trails For Others - By Wayne Kober [PaEN]

-- PA Conservation Heritage Project Profile: Pioneering Environmental Scientist Willard ‘Bill’ McCartney - Protecting Communities And Ecosystems Without Bureaucratic Games - By Wayne Kober [PaEN]

A.I. /Data Centers

-- Scranton Times: Olyphant Boro Prepares Ordinance To Regulate A.I. Data Centers In Lackawanna County [PDF of Article]

-- AP: Big Tech’s Fast-Expanding Plans For A.I. Data Centers Are Running Into Stiff Community Opposition [PA Highlighted]

-- The Center Square: New Year, Old Challenges As A.I. Data Centers Face Uncertain Path To Power Connections, PA’s Electrical Grid ‘Buckling’ Under Rising Demand

-- The Center Square: Battle To Modernize Pennsylvania’s Energy Generation Mix Will Rage On In 2026, While Preparing For A Surge In New Demand From A.I. Data Centers

-- PennLive: President’s Former Energy Chair Says Restart Of Three Mile Island Nuclear Power Plant To Feed Microsoft A.I. Data Centers ‘Will Never Work’

-- The Hill Guest Essay: Microsoft Wants To Resurrect Three Mile Island Nuclear Power Plant - It Will Never Happen - By Neil Chatterjee, Former Chair of Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

Today’s Oil & Gas Violations

-- Today’s Violations: DEP: Stone Ridge Energy LLC failed to plug an abandoned conventional well in Springhill Township, Fayette County for 84 days and counting. DEP inspection report.

-- Today’s Violations: DEP found Petro SVC Partners Inc. failed to completely clean up multiple spills and address severe access road erosion issues at a conventional well in Hempfield Township, Westmoreland County for 1,639 days and counting. DEP inspection report.

-- Today’s Violations: DEP found Keystone Crude LLC failed to completely clean up multiple spills at two more conventional wells in Robinson and North Fayette Townships, Allegheny County for 867 days and counting.

Train Derailments

-- WPXI: Over 2 Dozen Train Cars Derail In Butler County Community Carrying Iron Pellets

International/National Impacts On PA Natural Gas

[Energy Independence Means Renewables]

-- AAA Average Gasoline Prices: National- $2.83 Ohio- $2.60 PA- $3.03

-- Baker Hughes: PA Natural Gas Drilling Rigs - 18 - Same For 6 Weeks

Other States/National

-- Chesapeake Bay Journal: Completed Seawall Protects DC Cherry Trees, Memorials From Flooding Caused By Rising Sea Levels In Tidal Basin

-- Financial Times: Climate Action Faces Key Tests In 2026 [PDF of Article]

PA Politics - Everything Is Connected

-- PennLive Guest Essay: Democrats Won 90% Of Key Races In 2025, And Republicans Are Jumping Ship - By Mark Singel

-- PA Capital-Star: Pennsylvania Expected To Be Key Battleground For Congress In 2026