PA Environment Digest Blog: 157 New Stories - REAL Environmental & Conservation Leadership In PA

Here are 157 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!

-- DCNR Feature: America’s Story Lives On Pennsylvania’s Land - DCNR And America250PA [PaEN]

-- DCNR Feature: Women Shaping Pennsylvania’s Forests From Mira Lloyd Dock To Today’s Community Forestry Leaders [PaEN]

-- The Allegheny Front: Women-Led Farms In PA Listen To Their Animals, Plants And Other Farmers

-- Society Of Women Environmental Professionals Of Greater Philadelphia Accepting Applications For Grants To Groups, Programs Encouraging Girls & Women In Sciences, Engineering Or Environmental Fields [PaEN]

-- Keep PA Beautiful 2025 Annual Report: 35 Years, 3 Million Volunteers, Cleaned Up 165 Million Tons Of Trash, 1.2 Million Tires [PaEN]

-- TribLive Editorial: Laurels To Fox Chapel Senior Kabeer Chopra For Organizing A Volunteer Recycling Network In Allegheny County

-- Centre County Gazette: ClearWater Conservancy Marks 30 Years Of Watershed Cleanup Day On April 18

-- WNEP: Montour County’s 129-Year-Old Hess Loop Trail Recognized As The Nation’s Oldest Rail-To-Trail

-- DEP Tells Environmental Quality Board It Is Looking To Make A Recommendation On Petition To Increase Setbacks From Shale Gas Wells By The End Of 2026 [PaEN]

-- Environmental Hearing Board Grants Request By Center For Coalfield Justice To Intervene In EQT Production Co. Appeal Of DEP Records Request In Ongoing Investigation Of 940,000 Gallon Shale Gas Wastewater Spill In Washington County, Six Other Well Pads [PaEN]

-- PA Oil & Gas Weekly Compliance Dashboard - March 7 to 13: Spring Break Out Of E&S Violations; New Shale Casing/Cementing Failures; 840,000 Gallon Freshwater Release; 21 Abandoned Conventional Well Violations [PaEN]

-- DEP Working With Heirs Of Deceased Owner Of 43 Abandoned Conventional Oil & Gas Wells On State Game Land In Venango County To Clarify Current Status [PaEN]

-- Warren Times Editorial: Proper Response To Warren High School Natural Gas Leak That Sent Students To Hospital

-- TribLive Editorial: Why Answers Help Communities Heal [Natural Gas Home Explosion]

-- Pittsburgh Business Times: People To Know In Energy: Eric Gustafson, PA DEP

-- DEP’s Initial Findings In First Report On Sampling Landfill Leachate For Radioactive Radium-- 'No Significant Risk To Human Health’ Based On Concerns About Radioactive Materials In Oil/Gas Drilling Wastes; ‘Limited’ Data Means More Sampling Needed [PaEN]

-- Post-Gazette - Laura Legere: DEP Study Finds ‘No Risk To Human Health’ From Radiation In Wastewater From PA Landfills; More Sampling Recommended

-- Inside Climate News - Kiley Bense: PA DEP Publishes Long-Awaited Study On Radioactivity In Landfill Leachate [Former DEP Radiation Protection Director Said Annual Sampling Required Because Landfills Change Over Time]

-- Post-Gazette/Inside Climate News: Price Spikes Caused By President’s War On Iran Could Have Major Repercussions For US Electricity, Natural Gas Prices [60% Of PA’s Electric Is Generated Using Gas, But The Price Is Set By International Markets]

-- Bloomberg: US Natural Gas Prices Following Global Prices Up And Down During President’s War With Iran

-- Utility Dive: ‘Clear Warning Signs’ As PJM Wholesale Power Costs Jump 54% In One Year

-- PJM Interconnection Latest Power Auction Results In $164.70/MW-Day Clearing Price, Well Below $329/MW-Day Price Cap, Below Collar Floor [PaEN]

-- AP: As Iran War Shakes Oil/Natural Gas Energy System, Some See Powerful Argument For Renewable Energy [Homegrown Renewable Energy Has Never Been Cheaper, More Accessible Or More Scalable]

-- Financial Times: Iran War Energy Shock Will Force Businesses To Rethink Energy [Beyond Oil/Natural Gas] ‘No One Will Leave Themselves Exposed Like This Again’ [PDF of Article]

-- The Economist: An Attack On The World Economy - Whatever Happens In The Strait Of Hormuz, Energy Markets Have Been Changed For Ever [PDF of Article]

-- Financial Times: US Oil/Gas Producers In Line For $63 Billion Windfall From Gulf War Disruption [PDF of Article]

-- The Center Square: Electricity Consumer Protection A Work In Progress For PA Lawmakers

-- WHYY: Electricity Rates Rising Along With Profits For Investor-Owned Utilities; How PECO’s Profits Impact Your Electricity Bill

-- WHYY - Susan Phillips: 20% Of Your Electric Bill Could Go To Electric Utility Profits

-- PPL Utilities Files Non-Unanimous Rate Settlement Cutting Increase From $13.37/month To $7.42/Month; Providing 2-Year Freeze On Rates; Adding Large Load Tariff; $11 Million In Low-Income Energy Assistance [PaEN]

-- TribLive/AP: A.I. Data Centers Spurring A Big Expansion Of High-Voltage Power Lines, Landowners And Locals Are Fighting Back [PA Highlighted]

-- Observer-Reporter: NextEra Files Applications For 107 Mile Electric Transmission Lines In Fayette, Greene Counties To Serve Maryland/Virginia [PDF of Article]

-- Erie Times: FirstEnergy To Replace Large Erie County Transmission Lines

-- PPL Utilities: Building A Stronger Grid - PPL Outlines 2026 Reliability Investments

-- Wilkes-Barre Times-Leader: PPL Outlines 2026 Reliability Investments To Build A Stronger Grid

-- Utility Dive: PJM Now Using Ambient-Adjusted Transmission Line Ratings To Allow Fuller Use Of Line Capacity

-- Utility Dive: US DOE Offers $1.9 Billion For Transmission Line Reconducting, Advanced Tech

-- Wall Street Journal: The Electric Grid Needs Huge Upgrades To Meet A.I. Data Center Demand, No One Knows Who Will Pay For Them

-- Kleinman Center For Energy Policy Blog: Risks In A Changing US Power Grid Driven By A.I. Data Center Demand

-- PA Capital-Star: PA, Minnesota Announce Plans To Introduce A.I. Data Center Moratoriums

-- Wilkes-Barre Times-Leader Guess Essay: PA Never Had A Plan To Prepare For A.I. Data Centers, We Need A Temporary Statewide Moratorium - By Bill Jones, Republican Candidate For PA House District 117

-- WESA - Rachel McDevitt: PA House Committee Advances Bill To Help Towns Set Guidelines On A.I. Data Center Construction

-- Spotlight PA: Shapiro Wants To Incentivize A.I. Data Centers To Be Better Neighbors; Will That Work?

-- AP: Virginia Has An A.I. Data Center Boon, State Officials Debate Whether It’s Time To Scrap Its Tax Breaks

-- Spotlight PA: Pennsylvania’s A.I. Data Center Boom, By The Numbers: 53 Data Center Proposals; State Could Lose $2 Billion In Tax Money; 800% Increase In PJM Power Costs

-- Wilkes-Barre Times-Leader: Powering The Future - Data Centers Are Planned Throughout Northeast PA

-- Erie Times: Can Tech Companies Bring Their Own Electricity To Power A.I. Data Centers [Like They Promised The President] In PA? [PDF of Article]

-- Scranton Times: Can Utilities Handle A.I. Data Centers’ Electricity, Sewer And Water Needs? [PDF of Article]

-- Susquehanna River Basin Commission Approves Water Withdrawal Requests, Including An Increase For The Amazon Data Center In Luzerne County [PaEN]

-- ReedSmith Law: Navigating Permitted Challenges: A Practical Guide For A.I. Data Center Development In Pennsylvania

-- University Of Scranton, Partners Host March 30 In-Person Program On How A.I. Data Centers Are Reshaping Pennsylvania's Energy Landscape, Pearn Auditorium, Scranton [PaEN]

-- Penn State Extension Hosts March 31 Webinar - A.I. Data Centers In Pennsylvania Part 2 - Why Here? Why Now? [PaEN]

-- Scranton Times - Chris Kelly Opinion: Hearing On ‘Wildly Unpopular, Obscenely Invasive Data Center’ Turned More Rowdy When Archbald Borough Council President Insulted The Protesting Crowd By Saying-- ‘I Thought Archbald Was Better Than This’ [PDF of Article]

-- In Case You Missed It: A.I./Data Center Articles - NewsClips From Last Week - March 16 [PaEN]

-- Sen. Yaw Highlights Pennsylvania’s Leadership, Regional Progress in 2025 Chesapeake Bay Commission Annual Report [PaEN]

-- Lancaster Farming: Neighboring Stream Buffers A Win-Win For Farmers And Chesapeake Bay In Lancaster County

-- US Fish & Wildlife Service: Restoring Yellow Creek In Bedford County - Conservation For Wildlife, Water And Communities

-- WHYY: Philadelphia Officials Announce New Funding For Cobbs Creek Restoration Project

-- Inquirer - Frank Kummer: Philly To Spend $9 Million To Restore Streams At Cobbs Creek Golf Course To Stem Flooding

-- Penn State Center For Agricultural Conservation Assistance Training Hosts April 16 Webinar On Cover Crops And Conservation [PaEN]

-- Penn State Extension April 28 Webinar On Practical Strategies To Mitigate Concentrated Water Flow And Strengthen The Effectiveness Of Riparian Buffers [PaEN]

-- Lancaster Farming: Penn State Study - Biochar Boosts Soil Water Retention

-- LancasterOnline: New Group Celebrates Art Inspired By Susquehanna River, Wants To Open Museum

-- Chesapeake Bay Foundation Now Accepting Entries For The Save The Bay Photo Contest [PaEN]

-- The Allegheny Front: USDA Restores $59 Million Contract With PASA Sustainable Agriculture Farm Group To Strengthen Agricultural Communities

-- PennLive Guest Essay: Conservation Works For Farms, But Congress Must Keep It Going In Federal Farm Bill Funding - By William Thiele, Butler County Dairy Farmer

-- KDKA: Rising Fuel, Fertilizer Prices Add To Tariffs And A Growing List Of Hardships For PA Farmers

-- Bloomberg: President Laying Groundwork For New Tariffs With Trade Probes

-- DEP Briefing: Proposed Changes To Biosolids Permits To Reduce Risks From PFAS ‘Forever Chemicals,’ Phosphorus Pollution, Improper Storage, Set More Robust Testing Standards [PaEN]

-- Senators Malone, Miller Announce Bill To Protect Private Well Users By Licensing Water Well Drillers [PaEN]

-- DEP Citizens Advisory Council Invites Comments On DEP's Act 54 Report Documenting Adverse Impacts Of Longwall And Underground Coal Mining On Structures, Surface And Ground Water; Report Says 20% Of Undermined Streams Damaged [PaEN]

-- DEP To Hold April 8 Informal Public Conference On Adding 4,380 Acres To Consol Coal Enlow Fork Coal Mine In Greene County [PaEN]

-- DEP Invests $15.2 Million In Federal Fund To Support 15 Local Abandoned Mine Reclamation Projects In 11 Counties; Next Grant Round Opens April 1 [PaEN]

-- Tribune-Democrat: Bens Creek Mine Drainage Treatment Project, Adams Township Coal Cleanup Receive State Funds In Somerset County

-- Republican Herald: 2 Abandoned Coal Mine Sites In Schuylkill County To Be Reclaimed With $8 Million In State Grants

-- Wilkes-Barre Times-Leader: Sinkhole Discovered At Luzerne County Rail Line In Ashley Not Abandoned Mine Related

-- Oilprice.com: America’s Abandoned Coal Mine Pools Could Become Giant Underground Batteries Using Pumped Hydro Technology

-- The Telegraphy Guest Essay: Abandoned Pennsylvania Mines And Waste-Heat Recycling Could Make The State’s Massive New A.I. Data Centers Far More Sustainable - By Wangda Zuo, Professor Of Architectural Engineering, Penn State

-- Wall Street Journal Letter: Abandoned Mines Can Become Data Centers - By Steve Gardner, P.E., former President, American Institute Of Mining, Metallurgical & Petroleum Engineers

-- DEP Sets April 16 Hearing On Wastewater Permit For PA American Water Manwalamink Treatment Plant In Smithfield Twp., Monroe County [PaEN]

-- WNEP: Throop Boro, Keystone Landfill Agree On Sewer Line To Convey Landfill Leachate To Sewage Treatment Plant

-- Morning Call/Spotlight PA: Berks County Warehouse Purchased By President’s ICE For Immigrant Detention Center Has Years Of Unresolved Construction Problems, Records Show

-- Reading Eagle: State Rep. Barton Says Questions Remain About Proposed Upper Bern Twp. Warehouse ICE Detention Facility In Berks County

-- Republican Herald: Residents Continue To Share Concerns About Proposed Tremont Twp. Warehouse ICE Detention Facility In Schuylkill County

-- Republican Herald: Anxiety Mounts In Tremont, Schuylkill County As Warehouse Immigrant Detention Facility Looms [Part I]

-- Penn State's Prepare PA Hosts 4 Regional Meetings Of The PA Climate Network In March, April [PaEN]

-- The Allegheny Front: Penn State’s Prepare PA Network Aims To Help Communities Build Climate Resiliency

-- PUC To Host March 19 Meeting Of PA Sustainable Energy Board [PaEN]

-- PA Solar Center March 27 Webinar: Helping Faith Institutions Go Solar With Solar Faithful [PaEN]

-- WESA: Pittsburgh Penguins Buy Local Carbon Credits From Allegheny Land Trust To Offset Team’s Environmental Footprint

-- Observer-Reporter: Dunkard Twp. OKs 3.7 MW Solar Energy Facility Application In Greene County