PA Environment Digest Blog: Friday 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

March 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

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

March 23-- House Environmental & Natural Resource Protection Committee meets to consider House Bill 289 (Briggs-D-Montgomery) establishing requirements for radon testing and mitigation in schools; House Bill 2161 (Salisbury-D-Allegheny) Requiring public utilities to replace trees on public property if requested by a municipality; House Bill 2229 (Mako-R- Lehigh) Provides for spill notification requirements by DEP to municipalities; House Bill 2246 (Webster-R-Montgomery) Provides for water withdrawal oversight for data centers. Room 515 Irvis Building. 10:00 a.m. Click Here to watch online.

March 23-- 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-- 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.

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

-- DEP To Tighten Residual Waste Coproduct Regulations That Allow Unrestricted Disposal Of Conventional Oil & Gas Wastewater By Dumping It On Public Roads [PaEN]

-- WESA/The Allegheny Front: Allegheny County Health Dept. Committee Working On Recommendations To Better Protect Residents From Fracking, Natural Gas Development

-- Post-Gazette: President’s Spokesperson Announces $17 Billion South Mon Natural Gas Power Plant To Produce 4.3 GW Of Power In SW PA [No Details Available, Fetterman, McCormick Have No Information]

-- WPXI: Beaver County Shell Petrochemical Plant Seeking Air Quality Permit, Residents Express Concerns

-- WTAE: Shell Petrochemical Plant Wastewater Treatment Plan Raises Environmental Concerns In Beaver County

-- Gov. Shapiro Joins Other States In Lawsuit Against EPA Over Repeal Of 2009 Greenhouse Gas Endangerment Finding [PaEN]

-- AP: 24 States [Including PA], 10 Cities Sue EPA Over Repeal Of Greenhouse Gas ‘Endangerment’ Finding Central To Climate Fight

-- Chesapeake Bay Journal: What EPA Repeal Of Climate ‘Endangerment’ Finding Means For Chesapeake Bay

-- Physicians For Social Responsibility-PA Establishes Scientific Advisory Board To Advise The Group On Scientific Issues [PaEN]

-- DCED Invests $1.4 Million To Expand Natural Gas Service To Customers In Bradford, Somerset County [PaEN]

-- DEP Issues Order To J&K Junkyard In York To Cease Operations, Begin Removing Waste; Asked Commonwealth Court To Jail The Owner For Failure To Comply With 2024 Court Order [PaEN]

-- York Daily Record: DEP Orders J&K Junkyard To Close, Seeks Jail For Owner For Not Complying With 2024 Court Order

-- LancasterOnline: DEP Wants York County Junkyard Shut Down, Owner Jailed For Contempt Of Court

-- Aqua Pennsylvania Marks Fix A Leak Week By Spotlighting Its Leak Repair Program For Income-Eligible Customers [PaEN]

-- PUC Sets Hearings On Proposed American Water Works, Essential Utilities Water/Wastewater Subsidiaries Merger Starting April 21

-- Pike County Courier: Coalition For The Delaware River Watershed Advocates Meet With Members Of Congress

-- Penn State Master Watershed Stewards: Call For Street 2 Creek Storm Drain Artists

-- Penn State Extension Watershed Winds News: Stroud Water Center Recognized; Livestock Fencing; Rain Barrel Kits; Online Learning Opportunities

-- PA Sea Grant: Apply For 2027 Knauss Marine Policy Fellowship By June 3

-- WITF: Fighting For Public Records Is More Common In Pennsylvania, Sometimes Aided By A.I.

-- PA Capital-Star: The Ever-Constant Evolution Of PA’s Right-To-Know Law

-- March 21 Pennsylvania Bulletin Now Available

-- DCNR, Agriculture Announce The Opening Of The PA Invasive Replace-ive Program To Encouraging Replacing Invasive Species With Native Trees, Scrubs In Landscape Plantings; March 26 Webinar [PaEN]

-- Lehigh Valley-based Wildlands Conservancy Highlights Upcoming Experiences, Educational Programs; 2026 Lehigh River Sojourn

-- Observer-Reporter: Greene County OKs Contract For Waynesburg To Wisecarver Trail Engineering Work

-- PA Environmental Council Now Accepting Applications For Pocono Forests & Waters Conservation Landscape Mini-Grants [PaEN]

-- Erie Times: Purple Martins Making Way Back To Erie Region As Spring Arrives

A.I. /Data Centers

-- Scranton Times: Reorganized Archbald Council To Weigh ‘Project Green’ A.I. Data Center Proposal Tonight [PDF of Article]

-- WNEP: Massive A.I. Data Center Land Buyouts In Salem Twp. Leave Some Homeowners Worried About The Future

-- PennLive - Charles Thompson: With A.I. Data Center, Housing Growth Coming, Middlesex Authority Approves Boost In Water Storage In Cumberland County

-- Washington & Jefferson Center For Energy & The Built Environment: PA Develops Responsible A.I. Adoption Plan

-- Reuters: Google Signs Deals With 5 Utilities To Curb A.I. Data Center Power Use During Peak Demand

-- Utility Dive Guest Essay: Winter Storms Underscore A.I. Data Center Threats To Grid Reliability, Affordability - By Mike Jacobs, Union Of Concerned Scientists

-- Utility Dive: US DOE Emergency Orders For Fossil Power Plants Complicate Utility Planning, Experts Say; Orders Cost Ratepayers $230 Million So Far

Today’s Oil & Gas Violations

-- Today’s Violations: DEP follow-up inspection of a K Petroleum Inc. conventional well in Westmoreland County, Washington Twp. found it still abandoned, not plugged, owner failed to take any steps to address violations since Jan. 2026-- 59 days and counting. Violations continued. DEP inspection report.

-- Today’s Violations: DEP inspection of Gordon L. & Donna jJ Corbin conventional well in Allegheny County, Fawn Twp. found the well abandoned, not plugged, owner failed to submit annual reports. Violations issued. DEP inspection report.

-- Today’s Violations: DEP: follow-up inspection of 2 The Production Co LLC conventional wells in Fayette County, Franklin Twp. found failure to comply with Dec. 2021 order to restore well sites, access roads for 1,531 days and counting. Violations continued. DEP inspection report.

International/National Impacts On PA Natural Gas

[Energy Independence Means Renewables]

-- March 20: PA Average AAA Gasoline Price Still Going Up-- 76 Cents/Gallon To $3.87 Since Feb. 27

-- March 20: Average AAA Gasoline Prices: National- $3.91 Ohio- $3.72 PA- $3.87

-- Feb. 27: Average AAA Gasoline Prices: National- $2.98 Ohio- $2.79 PA- $3.11

-- TribLive Column: The War At Your Gas Pump Is Local - By Lori Falce

-- The Economist: America May Be A Petrostate, But The Energy Price Shock Still Hurts, Further Angers Economically Frustrated Citizens

-- Reuters: President May Lift Sanctions On Iranian Oil In An Attempt To Increase Oil Supply, Reduce Prices

PA Politics - Everything Is Connected

-- TribLive/PennLive: Fetterman Says President Derangement Syndrome Controls Democratic Party; Has No Leader

-- Post-Gazette: Fetterman’s Vote Allows US Senate Committee To Confirm President’s Pick To Run Homeland Security

-- TribLive: Month After Springdale Police Helped President’s ICE Detain Resident, Anxiety Remains For Local Immigrants In Allegheny County