PA Environment Digest Blog: 143 New Stories - REAL Environmental & Conservation Leadership In PA

Here are 143 new stories in the PA Environment Digest about individuals, groups, local governments, farmers, businesses, watershed groups and many more working all across Pennsylvania to restore and protect the environment and show others the beauty that surrounds us.

Thank you for your leadership!

-- In Memoriam: Paul Marchetti, Founding Executive Director Of the PA Infrastructure Investment Authority

-- In Memoriam: David Johnson, Educator, State Parks/Jennings Environmental Education Center

-- Wilkes-Barre Times-Leader: Howard Grossman Remembered For His Countless Contributions To The NE PA Region

-- Wilkes-Barre Times-Leader: Community Champion Of The Week - The Earth Conservancy

-- DEP Announces Winners Of 2026 PA Student Radon Poster Contest; Regan Schall Went On To Win 1st Place In National Contest [PaEN]

-- WESA: PA Students Could Receive $5,000 PHEAA Grant Annually To Pursue Degrees For ‘In Demand’ Jobs

-- Environmental Hearing Board Denies CNX Gas Company Motion To Throw Out Ullom Family Appeal Over Water Loss In Washington County; Scope Of Rebuttable Presumption Under Review [PaEN]

-- Washington County Residents On Water Wells Not Aware A MarkWest Pipeline Drilling Project Lost 1.2 Million Gallons Of Drilling Fluid In Mount Pleasant & Robinson Townships [PaEN]

-- PA Oil & Gas Weekly Compliance Dashboard - Jan. 31 to Feb. 6 - 10 More Conventional Abandoned Well Violations; Failure To Notify DEP Of Water Contamination; Casing/Cement Failure [PaEN]

-- Guest Comments: Jacoby & Cove Mountains In Loyalsock State Forest Will Be Degraded For Generations By PA General Energy's 'Saluda' Shale Gas Access Road, Staging Area Project In Lycoming County - By Barbara Jarmoska, Resident [PaEN]

-- TribLive: Environmentalists Urge DEP To Make Tenaska Natural Gas Power Plant Meet Air Pollution Requirements To Get Permit In Westmoreland County

-- DEP Invites Comments On Columbia Gas Permit For Project To Protect 2 Major Natural Gas Pipelines From Impacts Of Longwall Coal Mining In West Finley Twp., Washington County [PaEN]

-- DEP Invites Comments On Permit For Homer City Generation 5.8 Mile, 30-Inch Natural Gas Pipeline To Serve Proposed Data Center 4.5 GW Power Plant In Indiana County [PaEN]

-- Physicians For Social Responsibility-PA Feb. 10 LNG Gas Dead End For PA, Shale Gas Impacts Webinar, 1:00 to 2:00 p.m.

-- TribLive Guest Essay: PA Needs Answers - Free Environmental Health Project Online Tool Shows Health Impacts Of Regional Pollution - By Nathan Deron, Environmental Health Project

-- Senate Passes Bill To Weaken Plugging Standards For Abandoned Conventional Oil & Gas Wells [Senate Bill 712] [These wells were abandoned in the first place because there is no effective well plugging bond program and 100% of the burden put on taxpayers. Now conventional well boosters want to cut breaks to the industry by making the well plugging program less effective so wells have to be replugged more frequently. At the same time Congress and the President cut federal funding for well plugging. The wrong decisions at every step, for what?.]

-- Senate Passes Sen. Yaw Bill To Identify Sites For Natural Gas Power Plants [Except That Isn’t Remotely The Problem At All] [Senate Bill 704]

-- Susquehanna River Basin Commission Approved 74 Shale Gas Well Pad Water Use General Permits In December, January; 471 In 2025 [PaEN]

-- Pittsburgh Business Times: Shell Petrochemical Plant In Beaver County Faces Uncertain Future As Chemical Division Posts $66 Million Loss [PDF of Article]

-- Ohio River Valley Institute Blog: 2025 Ends With Another Blow To Appalachia’s Dreams Of Petrochemical Renaissance

-- Pittsburgh Business Times: Coterra Energy’s Pennsylvania Gas Assets Could Be Sold After Devon Energy Merger [PDF of Article] [Coterra owns Dimock water contamination issues]

-- Bloomberg: Devon Energy To Buy Coterra Energy For $58 Billion In All-Stock Deal

-- Independent Fiscal Office Reports PA Electricity Prices Increased 46.1% From 2018 to 2025, More Than Other PJM States, Largely Due To Pennsylvania's Reliance On Natural Gas-Fired Electric Generation [PaEN]

-- Pittsburgh Business Times: PA Electricity Rates Jump 46% Since 2018, Outpacing Neighboring States, Due To Reliance On Natural Gas To Generate Electricity [PDF of Article]

-- Utility Dive: US EIA: Natural Gas, Electricity Prices Spiked Year Over Year In November: Natural Gas Up 88.5%, Electricity Rates Rose 20.3% In PA

-- Morning Call: Lehigh Valley Officials Want Congressional Help To Protect Consumers From A.I. Data Center-Driven Rising Energy Costs

-- WHYY: Gov. Shapiro Says Investor-Owned Electric, Gas Utilities Making Too Much Profit At The Expense Of Ratepayers

-- Guest Essay: A.I. Data Centers Pose Big Challenge For PA's Energy Future - Dramatically Increasing Costs For Energy Consumers, And It's Not Getting Any Cheaper - By Tom Gilbert, Pennsylvania Environmental Council [PaEN]

-- Financial Times: The Political Cost Of America’s Surging Electricity Bills Driven By A.I. Data Centers

-- PJM Interconnection Issues Cold Weather Alert For Feb. 7 to 9 Across Its Entire Footprint [PaEN]

-- PJM Interconnection Reviews January Cold Weather Operations

-- Gov. Shapiro’s Proposed Budget Includes Performance Standards For Data Centers Seeking State Tax Credits; Renewed Call For Lightning Energy Plan; New PUC Benchmarks For Utility Profits [PaEN]

-- Reactions To Gov. Shapiro's Proposed Budget From Citizen, Environmental, Energy, Industry, Utility Groups [PaEN]

-- Scranton Times: Local Officials React To Shapiro’s Budget Address [Data Centers] [PDF of Article]

-- The Citizens Voice: Lawmakers, Residents Encouraged, Puzzled By Governor’s Guide For A.I. Data Centers [PDF of Article]

-- PPL Utilities Statement On Gov. Shapiro’s Budget Address And Energy Affordability

-- House Committee OKs Bill To Give PUC More Authority To Regulate A.I. Data Centers, Other Large Loads To Protect Ratepayers, Electric Grid [PaEN]

-- Capitolwire.com: Senate Committee Amends, Does Not Report Out Bill Requiring Data Centers To Bring Their Own Power, Respecting Local Decisions [PaEN]

-- House Passes Bills Authorizing Clean Manufacturing, Reduce Fees For Small Nuclear Reactors, Advances Solar Warehouse Bill [PaEN]

-- Reps. Matzie, Mehaffie Laud Passage Of Bill To Clear The Way For Construction Of Modular Nuclear Reactors [House Bill 2017]

-- PennEnvironment: Bipartisan Bill To Set Appliance Energy Efficiency Standards Passes PA House, Moves To Senate

-- Post-Gazette Guest Essay: Beware Of Public Subsidies For A.I. - The Lesson Of The Volkswagen Plant In Westmoreland County - By Christopher Briem, University of Pittsburgh [PDF of Article]

-- MarketPlace: US Is Planning 250+ GW Of New Natural Gas Power Generation For A.I. Data Centers [For The Machines, Not For People]

-- NYT: President’s Administration Is Blocking At Least 73 GW Of Much-Needed Solar Electricity Generation, 5.8 GW Of Wind Generation [Warning]

- Wall Street Journal: Google Is Spending Big To Build A Lead In A.I. Energy Race By Buying Energy Companies [PJM Highlighted] [PDF of Article]

-- WPost: The A.I. Data Center Boom Is So Huge It’s Causing Shortages Everywhere From Electricians To Energy

-- Scranton Times Chris Kelly Opinion: A.I. Data Center Race A Marathon, Not A Sprint [PDF of Article]

-- NE PA Institute For Public Policy & Economic Development: Exploring The Dynamics Surrounding Data Centers In Northeastern Pennsylvania

-- Wilkes-Barre Times-Leader: A.I. Data Center Zoning Amendment Proposed For 20 Luzerne County-Covered Municipalities

-- Scranton Times: Six A.I. Data Center Campuses Proposed In Archbald To Cover 14% Of Borough Land In Lackawanna County [PDF of Article]

-- The Citizens Voice: Rural Landowners In Luzerne County Offered $175,000/Acre For A.I. Data Center Takeover In Hollenback Twp. [PDF of Article]

-- TribLive: Opponents Of Homer City 4.5 GW Natural Gas Power Plant, Data Center Campus Air Concerns At Community Gathering In Indiana County

-- Indiana Gazette: ‘CROWS’ Offer Alternative Perspective On Proposed Homer City A.I. Data Center, 4.5 GW Natural Gas Power Plant

-- Observer-Reporter: Local Ordinances Important Tool In Regulating A.I. Data Centers In Washington County [PDF of Article]

-- Observer-Reporter: The A.I. Data Center Boom: What To Expect From Facilities In Southwest PA [PDF of Article]

-- Clean Energy Group, Partners Host Feb. 25 Webinar On The High Cost Of A.I. - How Data Centers Are Reshaping Pennsylvania's Energy Landscape [PaEN]

-- Post-Gazette - Anya Litvak/Chloe Jad: Beaver Valley Becomes A.I. Data Center Target; Local Leaders Have Small Arsenal Of Tools To Inform And Protect Residents [PDF of Article]

-- WVIA: Residents Fear Negative Impacts On Water Resources As A.I. Data Centers Are Proposed Across Northeast PA

-- Susquehanna River Basin Commission Guardian Newsletter Highlights A.I. Data Center Water Use [PaEN]

-- In Case You Missed It: A.I./Data Center Articles - NewClips From Last Week - February 9 [PaEN]

-- Environmental, Public Interest Groups Submit 'Demand For Action' On 8-Year-Old Petition Asking The Environmental Quality Board To Adopt A Regulation To Reduce Greenhouse Emissions From 14 Major Industries In PA [PaEN]

-- Post-Gazette - Laura Legere: Attorneys Issue Legal Demand To Environmental Quality Board To Adopt Regulations To Cut Carbon Emissions Across The Economy

-- Inside Climate News - Kiley Bense: Pennsylvania Must Act To Limit Greenhouse Gases Across The Economy, Lawyers Argue

-- PA Capital-Star Guest Essay: Without RGGI, Pennsylvania Must Find New Ways To Reduce Future Greenhouse Gas Emissions - By Joseph Minott, Clean Air Action Fund

-- Centre Daily Times: University Baptist And Brethren Church In State College Going Solar

-- Altoona Mirror: Buckhorn Solar Energy Facility Renews Option To Build On Blair Council Of Governments Property

-- WTAJ: Proposed Huntingdon County Solar Energy Facility Draws Concern From Rural Residents

-- DEP Now Accepting Applications For Alternative Fuels Incentive Grants, Deadline April 1 [PaEN]

-- Scranton Times: Old Forge Abandoned Coal Mine Borehole Mine Water Eyed For Reclamation, Hydroelectricity; Concept In Development For Years [PDF of Article]

-- Utility Dive: President’s Administration Now 0 for 5 In Latest Effort To Halt Much-Needed Offshore Wind Energy Generation Projects

-- EPA Announces Final Rule Extending Compliance Deadlines For Coal Combustion Waste Management Requirements [Warning]

-- Utility Dive: Coal-Fired Power Plant Owners Say US DOE ‘Emergency’ Order To Run Plants Constitutes An Unconstitutional Physical Taking And Regulatory Taking’ Of Their Property [Warning]

-- TribLive: Trial Of Ex-FirstEnergy Executives Charged In $60 Million Ohio Bribery Scheme Begins

-- Inside Climate News - Kiley Bense: As Climate Change Supercharges Floods And Rainfall, Pennsylvania’s Water-Adjacent Landmarks Are Especially Vulnerable

-- Lehigh University Research Shows How Resilience Bonds And Coordinated Relocation Policies Could Stabilize Insurance Markets And Promote Climate Justice

-- The Derrick: Chilly Temperatures Bring Back Memories Of Forgotten Ice Floods In Oil Region’s History [PDF of Article]

-- WPSU: Blair County Volunteers Hope To Preserve History Of Abandoned Coal Mining Town Near Horseshoe Curve

-- Pittsburgh Business Times: US Steel Clairton Coke [Coal] Works Battery To Return To Operation Months After Fatal Blast [PDF of Article]

-- Post-Gazette - Anya Litvak: Last Coke Battery Involved In Fatal US Steel Clairton Coke [Coal] Works Blast Restarts Today

-- TribLive: US Steel Clairton Coke [Coal] Works To Resume Work At Battery That Saw Fatal Explosions In August

-- At Noon Monday, DEP Declared Code Orange Air Quality Action Day For Monday, Feb. 2 In Liberty-Clairton Area Of Allegheny County

-- DEP Declares Code Orange Particulate Air Quality Day Friday, Feb. 6 For Southcentral PA

-- The Allegheny Front: EPA Decision To No Longer Consider The Economic Cost Of Harm To Human Health In Air Pollution Regulations Could Lead To Reversal Of Clean Air Gains [Warning]

-- WESA: New Tracker, Trial Aim To Document Residents’ Symptoms After Norfolk Southern Train Derailment

-- TribLive - Jack Troy: Pitt Researcher Studies Lingering Health Impacts From Norfolk Southern Train Derailment

-- The Allegheny Front/The Lever: The Train Derailment That Never Ended [Norfolk Southern]

-- Beaver Times: On Anniversary Of Norfolk Southern Train Derailment, Rail Safety Reforms Pushed

-- TribLive: Fetterman Calls On US Senate To Pass Rail Safety Bill 3 Years After Norfolk Southern Train Derailment

-- Bloomberg: How Environmental Enforcement Has Dropped Under President’s Administration [Warning]

-- DEP Citizens Advisory Council Meets Feb. 10 To Hear Update From Senate, House Environmental Committees, And On Philadelphia Combined Sewer Overflows [PaEN]

-- PA Capital-Star: PA House Panel Approves Bill To Limit Exceptions To Sunshine Act Notice Requirements

-- Register Now! For Keep PA Beautiful's Pick Up Pennsylvania Initiative Honoring America's 250th Anniversary; In 2025, 53,500 Volunteers Collected 3.4 Million Pounds Of Trash [PaEN]

-- Beaver Times: Mountains Of Artificial Turf Stored For Recycling After Project Falters In Lebanon, Schuylkill Counties Will Be Cleaned Up By DEP [PDF of Article]

-- Altoona Mirror: Blair Intermunicipal Relations Committee Still Aims For Mandatory Statewide Recycling

-- PennLive: 125-Year-Old Carlisle Industrial Site Passed Crucial Environmental Test For Its Next Act

-- EPA Awards 25 Organizations Brownfields Job Training Grants, Including Nearly $500,000 To. Auberle In Allegheny County [PaEN]

-- DEP Chesapeake Bay News Highlights County Water Quality Action Planning Process, Watershed Restoration Projects, Funding Opportunities [PaEN]

-- Guest Essay: Pennsylvania Has Leadership, Momentum, And Legislation For Cleaner Waters At Home And The Chesapeake Bay - By Julia Krall, PA Executive Director, Chesapeake Bay Foundation [PaEN]

-- National Fish & Wildlife Foundation Awards $6.9 Million to Support 33 Chesapeake Bay Watershed Conservation Projects; Next Round Of Grant Applications Due April 9 [PaEN]

-- American Water Charitable Foundation Now Accepting Applications For Water & Environment Grants From PA American Water Service Territories [PaEN]

-- National Fish & Wildlife Foundation Awards $12.5 Million To Support 30 Delaware River Watershed Conservation Projects; Next Round Of Grant Applications Due In March [PaEN]

-- Bird Safe Philly: NFWF Awards Grant To Support Efforts To Educate, Mitigate For Bird Collisions With Glass

-- Inquirer - Frank Kummer: $29 Million In NFWF Federal, Private Funds Go Toward Delaware River Watershed Projects

-- Western PA Coalition For Abandoned Mine Reclamation: Assistance Available For Administering Federal Grants [PaEN]

-- Sen. Yaw, Rep. Owlet: Stream ‘Cleaning’ Bills Could Be The Key To Flood Prevention [Overly expensive, complex approach that does not solve the root problem of flooding, only pushes it downstream]

-- Tribune-Democrat: Cambria Conservation District Tree And Plant Sale Catalog Available

-- Penn State Extension Hosts Feb. 24 Beavers And Artificial Dam Building - Gnawing On Ecology [PaEN]

-- Help Wanted: Virginia Sea Grant/Chesapeake Bay Commission Graduate-Level Fellowship Position

-- Post-Gazette - Anya Litvak: Pittsburgh Water Authority Gets PennVEST Infrastructure Funding For Lead Water Line Replacement, Upgrades

-- The Derrick: Driller Details Titusville Public Water Well Replacement Progress, Findings [PDF of Article]

-- TribLive: Boil Water Advisory Impacting 95,000 PA American Water Customers In Allegheny, Washington Counties Could Take ‘Several Days’ To Lift

-- WTAE: Customers Without Water In Allegheny, Washington Counties After Massive PA American Water Main Break

-- Post-Gazette: Some Lawrenceville Residents Still Without Running Water Nearly 2 Weeks After Snowstorm

-- AP: A Crisis Emerges Across The US As PFAS ‘Forever Chemicals’ Quietly Contaminate Individual Drinking Water Wells

-- Penn State Extension Study Finds PFAS ‘Forever Chemicals’ In 65% Of Private Water Well Samples, 18% Had Levels Above Drinking Water Standards

-- Dept. Of Health Fact Sheet: PFAS ‘Forever Chemicals’ In Private Well Water

-- DEP: Widespread Presence Of PFAS ‘Forever Chemicals’ In Fresh Water Leading Shale Gas Operators To Use Contaminated Water In Fracking Operations; DEP Doesn’t Require Routine PFAS Testing [PaEN]