PA Environment Digest Blog: Tuesday 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

Budget Hearings: February 24 to March 5

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: February 25 to March 12

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

NOTICE: PA House Cancels Budget Hearings Tuesday

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

March 2-- NEW. House Energy Committee meets to consider House Bill 2150 (Mullins-D- Lackawanna) requiring energy consumption and water use by data centers [Draft Amendment], House Bill 2151 (Donahue-D-Lackawanna) directing DCED to develop Model Data Center Zoning Ordinance and provide assistance to municipalities [Draft Amendment]. Room G-50 Irvis Building. 10:00 a.m. Click Here to watch online.

March 2-- NEW. House Energy Committee informational meeting on net metering policies. Room G-50 Irvis Building. 10:30 a.m. to Noon. Click Here to watch online.

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 16-- NEW. House Energy Committee hearing on House Bill 2223 (Fiedler-D- Philadelphia) advanced transmission technologies [Draft Bill], House Bill 2225 (Davidson) virtual power plants [Draft Bill] Room G-50 Irvis Building. Noon to 2:30 p.m. Click Here to watch online.

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)

March 23-- NEW. House Energy Committee informational meeting on the PA Energy Development Authority. Room G-50 Irvis Building. 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. Click Here to watch online.

March 24-- NEW. House Energy Committee hearing on House Bill 2076 (Venkat-D-Allegheny) establishing a regulatory framework for geothermal energy for residential, commercial and industrial uses. Room B-31 Main Capital. 10:00 to 11:00 a.m. Click Here to watch online.

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.

-- Evangelical Environmental Network: Rollbacks On Mercury, Toxic Emissions Limits From Power Plants Threatens The Health And Lives Of Our Children [PaEN]

-- Post-Gazatte - Anya Litvak: US Steel/Nippon Gets Green Light From Allegheny County For Slag Recycling Project That Puts Emission Limits Where They Didn’t Exist Before

-- WTAE: ‘A Race Against Time:’ Remembering Michele Wright’s Coverage Of 2002 Quecreek Mine Rescue In Somerset County

-- DEP’s Pennsylvania Clean Water Academy Hosts March 18 Webinar On Updates To Growing Greener, Section 319 And Other Watershed Restoration Grants [PaEN]

-- Penn State Extension Hosts In-Person Stream Health Investigation Educator Workshops March 18 In Butler County, March 31 In Cumberland County [PaEN]

-- TribLive: Most Pittsburgh Water Authority Customers Facing Rising Tide Of Higher Bills

-- Republican Herald: After Aqua Pennsylvania Water Emergency Ends, Shenandoah Officials Working To Prevent Further Problems

-- WESA - Rachel McDevitt: Hazelwood Residents Urge Pittsburgh City Council To Create Buffer Between Homes, Waste Transfer/Recycling Center

-- York Daily Record: From Petroglyphs To Paintings, The Susquehanna River’s Story Endures In Vast Art Collection

-- Erie Times: Corry Junction Greenway Trail Project Back On Track In Corry

-- Wilkes-Barre Times-Leader: Plans For New Park On Former Harry E. Colliery Coal Breaker Site Advance In Swoyersville

A.I. /Data Centers

-- Scranton Times: Archbald Schedules 2nd March 10 Hearing On Proposed 14 Building A.I. Data Center Campus [PDF of Article]

-- TribLive: Murrysville Takes First Steps Toward Regulating A.I. Data Centers, Solar Array Development In Allegheny County

-- Utility Dive: PPL Spending Plan Jumps 15% To $23 Billion On Transmission, Grid Hardening To Supply Data Centers With 25.2 GW Of Electricity In PA, KY

-- Investor Class Action Lawsuit Filed Against CoreWeave, Inc. Lancaster Data Center Developer Seeking Recovery For Overstating Demand For Its Services

-- LancasterOnline: BusinessInsider Reports Lenders Passed On Financing Lancaster City A.I. Data Centers; Developer Says Project Is Fully Funded And Under Construction

-- Wall Street Journal: Viral Doomsday Report Lays Bare Wall Street’s Deep Anxiety About A.I. Future [PDF of Article]

Today’s Oil & Gas Violations

-- Today’s Violations: DEP inspection of two Carol E. & Guy R. Daubenspeck conventional wells in Connoquenessing Twp., Butler County found the wells abandoned and not plugged and owner failed to submit annual production, waste generation and well integrity reports. Violations issued. DEP inspection report.

-- Today’s Violations: DEP inspection of Niche Energy LLC conventional well in Wayne Twp., Erie County found evidence of wastewater spill, corroded storage tank. Inspection sent to owner for “review.” DEP inspection report.

-- Today’s Violations: DEP monitoring of Expand Oper LLC State Game Lands shale gas well found continuing casing/cementing failure for 133 days and counting in Leroy Twp., Bradford County. Violations, monitoring continued. DEP inspection report.

Clairton Coke [Coal] Works Explosion

-- TribLive: 2nd Lawsuit Filed By Family Of Westmoreland County Man Killed In US Steel/Nippon Clairton Coke [Coal] Works Explosion

Train Derailments

-- The Center Square: Development Of New Railroad Safety Rules Gets Nod From PUC Using Lessons Learned From Norfolk Southern Train Derailment

Other States/National

-- PA Capital-Star: US Supreme Court Takes Up Climate Case Testing Local Lawsuits Against Oil Companies

PA Politics - Everything Is Connected

-- Inquirer: PA Leaders Want To Avoid Another State Budget Impasse, But With $4.3 Billion Budget Shortfall Can They?

-- Inquirer: PA Republican Candidate For Governor Stacy Garrity Will Be President’s Guest At State Of Union Address; Here’s Who Else Is Going From PA

-- Spotlight PA: Rape Crisis Centers Say Shapiro’s Budget Bill Worsen Staffing, Service Challenges

-- WHYY: ACLU Of PA Accuses Quakertown Police Chief Of Acting As ‘Counter-Protester’ During Student Protest Of President’s ICE Policies

-- Post-Gazette: Community, Lawmakers Rally In Support Of Sewickley Father Arrested By President’s ICE As Daughter Undergoes Cancer Treatment