PA Environment Digest Blog: Thursday 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]

House Voting Schedule

April 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

Senate Voting Schedule

April 20, 21, 22

May 4, 5, 6

June 1, 2, 3, 8, 9, 10, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 29, 30

-- Committee Schedule

TODAY’s Calendar Of Events

TODAY 10:00: Draft Agenda. DCED PA Grade Crude [Oil] Development Advisory Council meeting. Penn State, State College. Room 243 Technology Center, 200 Innovation Blvd., State College. 10:00 a.m. Remote Options Available. Contact: Adam Walters 717-214-6548 or adwalters@pa.gov. Click Here for more on the agenda.

TODAY Noon: Delaware, Susquehanna, Potomac River Basin Commission Webinar On Data Centers - What About Water? Noon to 1:00 p.m.

April 18-- In-Person. PA Community Organizing Summit On A.I. Data Centers. Pittsburgh.

April 21-- House Environmental and Natural Resource Protection Committee hearing on methane emissions from the oil and gas industry. Room G-50 Irvis Building. 10:00 a.m. Click Here to watch online.

April 21-- DEP State Water Plan Webinar - Developing A Local Climate Action Plan. 10:00 to 11:00 a.m.

April 22-- Agenda Posted. DEP Climate Change Advisory Committee meeting. Rachel Caron Building, Harrisburg. 9:00 a.m.

April 23-- Agenda Posted. DEP Mining and Reclamation Advisory Board meeting. Rachel Carson Building, Harrisburg. 10:00 a.m.

April 23-- Susquehanna River Basin Commission hearing on Constellation Energy Three Mile Island Nuclear Data Center Power Plant, Other Water Withdrawals. Harrisburg. 5:00 p.m.

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

-- Shapiro Administration Secures $14 Million From US DOE For Enhanced GeoThermal Systems Pilot Demonstration Project In Indiana County [PaEN]

-- PennVEST Announces Investment Of $284.2 Million On Water Infrastructure Projects in 20 Counties [PaEN]

-- PennLive Guest Essay: The Potomac River Raw Sewage Spill Is A Warning The City Of Harrisburg Can’t Ignore - By James M. Seif, Former Secretary Of DEP

-- Erie Times: Report Assesses Lake Erie Ecosystem: How You Can Help The Great Lake

-- PennLive: Why PA Is In Desperate Need Of April Showers And What’ll Happen Without Them

-- WHYY: PA Democratic Lawmakers [In Blue-Green Caucus] Push Package of Bills Aiming To Reduce Energy Costs

-- PA House Passes 3rd Natural Gas Safety Bill After Fatal Reading Chocolate Factory Explosion [House Bill 1522]

-- Reading Eagle: Reading Chocolate Factory Natural Gas Explosion: PA Legislation Addresses Natural Gas Safety Concerns

-- Chesapeake Bay Journal: PA DEP Shuts Down J&K Scrapyard In York County

-- York Daily Record: J&K Salvage Owner Faces Misdemeanor Charge Related To PennDOT Records

-- TribLive Editorial: Federal Nuclear Waste Disposal Site Cleanup, 20 Year Bureaucratic Delay

-- Chesapeake Bay Forests For The Bay News: Young Forest Habitat Improvement For Wildlife

-- PA Parks & Forests Foundation Celebrates 250 Years Of Freedom To Explore With 250 Celebrations Bingo In Our State Parks, Forests [PaEN]

A.I. /Data Centers

-- Inside Climate News - Jon Hurdle: As Tech Groups Predict Huge Pennsylvania A.I. Data Center Growth, Critics Say Some Bills Would Reduce Local Control; One State Senator Plans 3-Year Moratorium

-- WESA/The Allegheny Front: Electric Transmission Line Company Wants Authority To Condemn Property From PA PUC For Proposed Power Line In SW PA To Feed A.I. Data Centers In Virginia

-- Scranton Times: 3 Archbald Boro Council Members Resign Wednesday Facing Public Opposition Over A.I. Data Center Issues, All Members Who Supported Data Center Ordinance Public Thought Was Weak Now Gone From Council

-- Scranton Times: Olyphant Boro Invalidates Own Zoning To Buy More Time To Regulate A.I. Data Centers [Throop Boro also invalidated its own ordinance for same reason]

-- Observer-Reporter: North Franklin Twp. Adopts Ordinances Regulating A.I. Data Centers, Electric Generation In Washington County

-- York Daily Record: East Manchester Twp. Sets Strict Zoning Limits For A.I. Data Centers In York County

-- FOX43: York County Farmer Said He’s Open To A.I. Data Center Development In Conewago Twp., But Seeks Dialogue In Face Of Community Pushback

-- Republican Herald: Schuylkill County Commissioners Hear Proposal For A.I. Data Center Moratorium

-- Republican Herald: PPL To Hold April 23 Information Session For Sunbury-Frackville Transmission Line Project For ‘New Customer’ In Butler Twp.

-- Inquirer: Proposed A.I. Data Center In East Whiteland Twp., Chester County Would Shrink After Fierce Pushback: ‘This Is Not An Act Of Goodwill’

-- TribLive Guest Essay: This Summer, Your Air Conditioner Is Going To Compete With An A.I. Data Center For Power - By Destenie Nock, Carnegie Mellon University

-- Erie Times Guest Essay: Don’t Bet PA’s Future On A.I. Data Centers, Here’s A Better Idea - Semiconductors - By Justin Wagner, Candidate For Congress

-- Morning Call: Republican Sen. Coleman Pitches Idea To Repeal Of State A.I. Data Center Development Tax Breaks

-- PennLive - Charles Thompson: Three Mile Island Nuclear Data Center Power Plant Proposes Workaround To 2027 Restart Barrier; Federal Approval Needed

-- Washington & Jefferson College: New Report By Pittsburgh Technology Council - Pennsylvania Builds The Cloud: Manufacturing, Energy, Data Center Development

-- Gov. Shapiro Releases Findings Of Pilot ChatGPT A.I. Pilot Project Involving 3,000 State Employees, 35 Agencies

-- TribLive: A.I. ChatBots Give Misleading Medical Advice 50% Of The Time, Study Finds

-- TribLive/AP: A.I. Data Center Boom Meets Resistance In Maine As Lawmakers Pass Yearlong Freeze

Today’s Oil & Gas Violations

-- Today’s Violations: DEP: 2 conventional wells owned by Big Sand Drilling Co Inc. in South Fayette Twp., Allegheny County were found still abandoned and not plugged for 659 days and counting. DEP inspection report.

-- Today’s Violations: DEP: Diversified Prod LLC failed to restore 3 conventional well sites after plugging in Nicholson and Springfield Townships, Fayette County for 762 days and counting. DEP inspection report.

-- Today’s Violations: DEP: 4 more abandoned wells on State Game Lands owned by Carol A. Morrison Baker (now deceased) identified in Cranberry Twp., Venango County. DEP working with heirs to determine status of 217 wells, 43 found abandoned so far. DEP inspection report.

-- Today’s Violations: DEP: 2 conventional wells owned by Patrick K. Henry in Fairview Twp., Butler County were found abandoned, not plugged. Written violations issued. DEP inspection report.

International/National Impacts On PA Natural Gas

[Energy Independence Means Renewables]

-- April 16: PA Average AAA Gasoline Price Dropped 1 More Penny Yesterday, Now $1.01/Gallon Higher To $4.12 Since Feb. 27 [Warren County, PA highest at $4.31]

-- April 16: Average AAA Gasoline Prices: National- $4.09 Ohio- $3.77 PA- $4.12

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

PA Politics - Everything Is Connected

-- Gov. Shapiro Releases Findings Of Pilot ChatGPT A.I. Pilot Project Involving 3,000 State Employees, 35 Agencies

-- PennLive - John Baer: Did NASA’s Moon Mission Knock The White House Out Of Orbit?

-- TribLive: Mobile Home Park Owner Takes Over As Westmoreland County’s Top Taxpayer [County Ranks #7 In Shale Gas Production]

-- TribLive: Sewickley Father Detained By President’s ICE Since February Reunited With Family

-- TribLive: President Stokes Controversy By Posting New A.I. Jesus Image

Click Here for latest PA Environmental News