Thursday PA Environment & Energy Articles - NewsClips: 2.19.26

“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

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

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 

TODAY 9:00: In-Person/Online. PA League Of Women Voters, Duquesne University Host Shale Gas & Public Health Conference.  Pittsburgh.  9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. 

TODAY 9:00: Agenda Posted. DEP Climate Change Advisory Committee meeting. 9:00 a.m. Contact: Lindsay Byron lbyron@pa.gov. 

February 26-- Senate Appropriations Committee budget hearing: 1:00 - Department of Environmental Protection.

March 2-- House Appropriations Committee budget hearing: 1:00 - Departments of Environmental Protection and Conservation and Natural Resources. Click Here to watch live.

March 3-- Senate Appropriations Committee budget hearing: 1:00 - Public Utility Commission.  

March 5-- House Appropriations Committee budget hearing: 1:00 - Public Utility Commission. Click Here to watch live.

March 18--  CANCELED. Rescheduled for April 30. DEP Oil & Gas Technical Advisory Board meeting. 10:00 a.m. Contact: Todd M. Wallace twallace@pa.gov.  (formal notice)

April 16-- DCED PA Grade Crude [Oil] Development Advisory Council meeting.  Penn State, State College.  10:00.  Contact: Adam Walters 717-214-6548 or adwalters@pa.gov. 

--Thursday, Feb. 19: DEP Declares Code Orange Air Quality Action Day For Susquehanna Valley

-- DEP To Hold March 19 Meeting, April 7 Hearing On Shell Petrochemical Plant Air Quality Plan Approval For Ground Flares, Wastewater Treatment Plant, As-Built Air Pollution Equipment In Beaver County  [PaEN]

-- PA Oil & Gas Industrial Facilities: Permit Notices, Opportunities To Comment - February 14 [PaEN] 

-- DEP Posted 76 Pages Of Permit-Related Notices In February 14 PA Bulletin  [PaEN]

-- Clean Air Council, Earthjustice, EDF, NRDC, Partners Sue EPA For Illegal Repeal Of Climate Protections  [PaEN]

-- Inquirer - Frank Kummer: Philadelphia Launches Real-Time Public Air Quality Monitoring Network [Limited Pollutants]

-- WHYY - Sophia Schmidt: New Network Of 76 Air Monitors In Philadelphia Provide Detailed Look At Air Quality  [Limited Pollutants]

-- Lycoming College Environmental Justice Symposium Hosts Series Of Lectures March 4, March 17, April 11 On Environmental Impacts, Justice Issues

-- TribLive: Westmoreland Water Authority Says Harsh Winter Increased Breaks, Leaks 60% Over Last January 

-- WNEP: Shenandoah Residents Struggle Without Water For Days After Aqua Pennsylvania Main Break 

-- WTAE: Ice Jams In Lawrence County Prompt Road Closures, Potential Flooding

-- The Allegheny Front: A New RiverLife Initiative Will Maintain Pittsburgh’s Riverfront Trails And Parks

-- Penn State Extension Hosts Mid-Atlantic Agroforestry Conference June 4-5 In Huntingdon County  [PaEN]

-- Coldwater Heritage Partnership Now Accepting Applications For Coldwater Conservation Grants; Energy Transfer/Sunoco Pipeline Penalty Funding  [PaEN] 

-- PA Trout Unlimited: Volunteers From 6 Local TU Chapters Ship Trout Eggs To 430 Teachers In 60 PA Counties Connecting With 57,000 Students Thru Trout In The Classroom Program  [PaEN]

-- Pennsylvania Audubon Council: 100th Community Joins Bird Town Pennsylvania Program  [PaEN]  

-- Penn State Extension Ag Conservation News: Multifunction Riparian Buffers; Grazing Management; Online Learning

-- Republican Herald: Bald Eagles Set A Record At Hawk Mountain Sanctuary

-- Farm & Dairy: PA To Conduct First-Ever Statewide Firefly Inventory 

-- Penn State Extension Feb. 24 Webinar - Growing With Master Gardeners Program, Noon

A.I. /Data Centers

-- Inquirer: Calling Pennhurst A.I. Data Center Proposal ‘Technically Deficient,’ East Vincent Twp. Planning Commission Recommends Disapproval Of Plan To Supervisors In Chester County

-- Wilkes-Barre Times-Leader: Hollenback Twp. Residents Urge Supervisors To Protect Resources Amid A.I. Data Center Boom

-- The Citizens’ Voice: Speakers Ask DEP To See Big Picture Around Hazelnut A.I. Data Center Proposal In Luzerne County [PDF of Article]

-- PennLive: Nuclear Regulatory Commission To Hold Public Meeting Feb. 19 On Restart Of Three Mile Island Nuclear Power Plant To Serve Microsoft A.I. Data Centers

-- Spotlight PA: PA Tax Credit For Data Centers Will Cost Taxpayers $2 Billion A Year By Mid-2031 

-- WITF: Public Access To Public Officials,’ Employee A.I. Research/Conversations May Be Limited, After Agency Ruling

-- Utility Dive: American Council For An Energy-Efficient Economy Says Energy Efficiency, Demand Flexibility Can Meet Growing Data Center Loads - And Do It Cheaper Than Gas Which Is 2 to 5 Times More Expensive 

International/National Impacts On PA Natural Gas

[Energy Independence Means Renewables]

-- Post-Gazette - Anya Litvak: Winter Storm Brings Cash For Natural Gas Drillers; But Natural Gas Prices Reach Historic Highs For Consumers

-- Marcellus Drilling News: Philadelphia Penn LNG Gas Export Facility Appears To Be Dead [PDF of Article]

PA Politics - Everything Is Connected

-- PennLive: Shapiro Wants To Move Ahead With Pilot Medicaid Program After President Axes Federal Funds

-- City & State PA: What To Know About PA’s 2026 Special Elections 

-- TribLive Editorial: First Amendments Gives Us A Voice, But It Expects Us To Hear What Others Say And Use Our Brains To Consider Their Arguments

-- TribLive: Christians Call President’s ICE Tactics ‘Unconscionable,’ Pray For Immigrants At Pittsburgh Ash Wednesday Vigil

-- WHYY: Bucks County Commissioners Unanimously Oppose Use Of Warehouses For President’s ICE Detention Centers

-- The Center Square: Lehigh Valley Protesters Focus On ‘Peaceful’ Demonstrations Against President’s ICE 

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[Posted: February 19, 2026]  PA Environment Digest