PA Environment Digest Blog: Sunday 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]

"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has." -- Pennsylvania's Margaret Mead, World Renowned Cultural Anthropologist

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.

-- 89 New Stories - REAL Environmental & Conservation Leadership In PA [PaEN]

-- Stories You May Have Missed Last Week: PA Environment & Energy Articles & NewsClips By Topic [PaEN]

-- Environment & Energy Educational Opportunities For Students & Adults [PaEN]

-- In Case You Missed It: A.I./Data Center Articles - NewClips From Last Week - January 5 [PaEN]

-- Top 10 Stories: Harrisburg/PA Politics Reported By Local News Media Last Week [PaEN]

-- PA Oil & Gas Weekly Compliance Dashboard - Dec. 27 to Jan. 2 - Shale Gas Well Casing Failure/Loss Of Control; Shale Gas Well Pad Spills Continue For 426 Days; Abandoned Conventional Well Violations Reach 688 [PaEN]

-- Post-Gazette - Laura Legere: Solar Installers Pivot After ‘Mad Rush’ To Claim Federal Residential Tax Credit That Ended Dec. 31

-- Post-Gazette: Ticks, Parasites At Home In Western PA As Warmer Temperatures, Shifting Wildlife Patterns, Land Use Changes Altering The Ways They Encounter People

A.I. /Data Centers

-- TribLive: Jan. 26 Informational Meeting Set For Upper Burrell Twp. A.I. Data Center In Westmoreland County

-- Post-Gazette Guest Essay: Pittsburgh’s A.I. Skepticism Isn’t Ignorance, It’s Memory [Collapse Of Steel] - People Have ‘Every Right To Be Furious’ - By Desmond Daley, Physician and Pittsburgh Resident [PDF of Article]

-- In Case You Missed It: A.I./Data Center Articles - NewClips From Last Week - January 5 [PaEN]

Today’s Oil & Gas Violations

-- DEP: Range Resources Suffers Casing Failure/Loss Of Control Incident During Fracking At Burkett Shale Gas Well Pad Triggering Area Of Review Report On Any Offsite Impacts In Jefferson Twp., Washington County [PaEN]

-- Today’s Violations: DEP inspected the 1HC well and 2HC well Chesapeake Appalachia LLC shale gas wells on the Molly J well pad in Monroe Township, Bradford County as part of ongoing casing/cementing failure monitoring for 1,149 days and counting.

-- Today’s Violations: DEP’s first inspection of a MCH Corp conventional well in Millcreek Township, Erie County found the well abandoned, not plugged, owner failed to submit annual production, waste, integrity reports. First time well was inspected. Violations issued. DEP inspection report.

International/National Impacts On PA Natural Gas

[Energy Independence Means Renewables]

-- TribLive/AP: US Plans To Tap Oil Reserves In Venezuela President Says After Operation To Pluck Maduro From Power

-- Reuters: Venezuelan Oil Industry: World’s Largest Reserves, Decaying Infrastructure [Venezuela- 303 Billion Barrels, Saudi Arabia- 267 Billion Barrels, US- 48.3 Billion Barrels]

-- The Guardian: US Oil Giants Silent On President’s Claim They Will Spend Billions On Venezuelan Oil

-- Reuters Commentary: Five Energy Market Trends To Track In 2026 - The Year Of The Oil, LNG Natural Gas Glut

PA Politics - Everything Is Connected

-- Post-Gazette: Mazzocco, Leckenby To Compete In Special PA House Election Feb. 24

-- Morning Call: Candidates Chosen For Special PA House Election In Lehigh Valley Feb. 24

-- Morning Call Guest Essay: Congress Is Working To Help Americans Face The Cost Of Living - By Republican Cong. Ryan Mackenzie

-- TribLive: Western PA Federal Lawmakers Speak Out Following Capture Of Venezuelan President

-- Morning Call: Lehigh Valley, PA Lawmakers React To Venezuela Strikes: ‘Decisive Victory For US Security,’ And ‘Presents A Grave Danger’