PA Environment Digest Blog: Sunday PA Environment & Energy Articles & NewsClips: 6.28.26

“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]

"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has." -- Pennsylvania's Margaret Mead, World Renowned Cultural Anthropologist

House Voting Schedule

June 28 (non-voting), 29, 30

September 28, 29, 30

October 5, 6, 7, 19, 20, 21

November 9, 10

-- Committee Schedule

Senate Voting Schedule

June - Call Of The Senate President Pro Tempore

-- Committee Schedule

TODAY’s Calendar Of Events

Anything Can Happen: June State Budget Marathon Happening NOW!

June 30-- House Communications & Technology Committee informational meeting on - Is There Life Beyond Earth? What Science And Government Are Doing To Find Out. Room 205 Ryan Building. 10:00 a.m. Click Here to watch online.

June 30-- In-Person. PUC Announces 2 Hearings On Proposed PPL Utilities Transmission Line Projects In Hazle Twp., Luzerne County Serving Project Hazelnut A.I. Data Centers. 1:00 p.m., 6:00 p.m.

June 30-- In-Person. Penn State Extension Workshop On Understanding PFAS ‘Forever Chemicals’ In Private Water Supplies. Punxsutawney, Jefferson County. 1:00 p.m.

July 8-- Agenda Posted. DEP Water Resources Advisory Committee meeting. Rachel Carson Building, Harrisburg. 9:30 a.m.

July 8-- DEP State Board for Certification of Sewage Enforcement Officers meeting. Rachel Carson Building, Harrisburg. 10:00 a.m.

July 8-- DEP Technical Advisory Committee on Diesel-Powered [Mining] Equipment Meeting. DEP New Stanton Office. 10:00 a.m.

July 9-- DCNR Delaware Canal State Park Advisory Committee meeting. Delaware Canal State Park, Bucks & Northampton Counties. 10:30 a.m. Contact for Location: 610-982-5560 or ra-nrspdela@pa.gov. (formal notice)

July 10-- Telephonic. Public Utility Commission Hearing On PPL Condemnation Of 30 Properties For The Sugarloaf 500/230KV Transmission Line In Luzerne County To Serve Data Centers 10:00 a.m.

July 14-- Environmental Quality Board meeting. 9:00 a.m. Contact: Laura Griffin, Regulatory Coordinator, laurgriffi@pa.gov, (717) 772-3277.

July 14-- Virtual. Penn State Extension Webinar: Preview Of 2026 Watershed-Friendly Tree And Shrub Sale To Help You Choose Plants Confidently. 6:00 to 7:30 p.m.

-- 109 New Stories - REAL Environmental & Conservation Leadership In PA [PaEN]

-- Stories You May Have Missed Last Week: PA Environment & Energy Articles & NewsClips By Topic - June 29 [PaEN]

-- Environment & Energy Educational Opportunities For Students & Adults [PaEN]

-- In Case You Missed It: A.I./Data Center Articles - NewClips From Last Week - June 29 [PaEN]

-- Top 10 Stories: Harrisburg/PA Politics Reported By Local News Media Last Week [PaEN]

-- The Citizens’ Voice: Monument Dedicated To 40 Coal Miner Heroes In Wilkes-Barre Park [PDF of Article]

-- WVIA: New Monument Honors Coal Miners’ Heroism In Wilkes-Barre

-- PA Oil & Gas Weekly Compliance Dashboard - June 20 to 26 - Large Contaminated Groundwater Release From Conventional Well Site; Shale Gas Water Pipeline Issues; DEP Locked Out Of Well Pad; Trouble With Porcupines [PaEN]

-- DEP: Coterra Energy Aboveground Shale Gas Water Pipeline Failed Twice In The Same Section 23 Days Apart In Dimock Twp., Susquehanna County [PaEN]

-- DEP: E&S Violations Continuing As Keystone Clearwater Solutions Decommissions And Removes Clark To Westholme Shale Gas Aboveground Water Pipeline In Springville Twp., Susquehanna County [PaEN]

-- Post-Gazette - Anya Litvak: First Chrome Production Facility In US In Decades Comes To Lawrence County

-- WNEP: Gov. Shapiro Speak At Sanofi Pasteur Highlighting Grant To Reduce Air Pollution, Greenhouse Gas Emissions, By Replacing Natural Gas-Fired Equipment

-- Erie Times Guest Essay: Purple PA Might Be Divided, But Not On This: Tell Lawmakers To Fund State Parks, Forests - By Former Rep. Kate Harper, PA Parks & Forests Foundation

-- DCNR Helps Kick Off Outdoors For All Celebration In Philadelphia [Video+Photos]

-- WITF: Plans Evolve At York County’s Susquehanna Riverlands State Park

-- Centre Daily Times: New 11-Mile Trail Opens In Rothrock State Forest As Part Of $3 Million Trail Project

-- Courier Times: Kayakers Make Their Way Thru Bucks County Via Delaware River

-- LancasterOnline - PJ Reilly: Conestoga River Club Aims To Create Universally Accessible Boat Launch

-- Erie Times: The Willow Ptarmigan, Alaska’s State Bird, Shows Up At Presque Isle State Park

A.I. /Data Centers

-- Republican Herald: Work Begins On A.I. Data Center Complex In Butler Twp., Schuylkill County- 6 Buildings, 1.2 GW Power Plant

-- The Allegheny Front/PA Capital-Star: PA House Passes A.I. Data Center ‘Pause’ Along With Shapiro’s Plan For ‘Responsible’ Development And Repeal Of State Sales Tax Exemption

-- Post-Gazette/PennLive: A.I. Data Center 4.5 GW Gas-Fired Power Plant Project Helped Turn Homer City Into A Boom Town In Indiana County

-- In Case You Missed It: A.I./Data Center Articles - NewClips From Last Week - June 29 [PaEN]

Today’s Oil & Gas Violations

-- Today’s Violations: DEP: Locked gate prevented inspection of Diversified Prod LLC Cowden shale gas well pad in Washington County, Hopewell Twp. to confirm whether spill discovered on Jan. 15, 2025 was cleaned up. 9 inspections since then found it was not. 525 days and counting. DEP inspection report.

-- Today’s Violations: DEP: Frank L. Washabaugh Oil Producers failed to comply with order to clean up spills at conventional well site in Washington County, Cross Creek Twp. since June 2025-- 372 days and counting. DEP Inspection report.

-- Today’s Violations: DEP: Michael D. Graham failed to clean up spill at conventional well site in Washington County, Smith Twp. or respond to violations for 82 days and counting. DEP inspection report.

-- Today’s Violation: DEP issued a fresh violation to EQT Prod Co. for abandoned Fetchen pad shale gas well in Allegheny County, Forward Twp. after it gave violation to EQT ARO LLC for abandoning the same well on June 4. DEP inspection report.

International/National Impacts On PA Natural Gas

[Energy Independence Means Renewables]

-- June 28: PA Average AAA Gasoline Price Down 9 Pennies Since Last Sunday, Now $4.01/Gallon - $.90/Gallon Higher Than On Feb. 27 [Beaver County Average Price Still Highest at $4.53]

-- June 28: Average AAA Gasoline Prices: National- $3.86 Ohio- $3.84 PA- $4.01

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

-- Baker Hughes: PA Natural Gas Drilling Rigs - 17 - Same For Last 7 Weeks

-- CNBC: President Again Threatens Iran With Annihilation As Kuwait And Bahrain Report Attacks [June 28 - 4:43 a.m.]

PA Politics - Everything Is Connected

-- PennLive Guest Essay: President’s War Against Voting Rights Is Happening Right Now - By Mark Singel, Former Lt. Governor

-- WITF: PA House Committee Advances Republican Bill On Civil Asset Forfeiture Reforms

-- WVIA: PA Republican Con. Dan Meuser Said Federal ICE Has Dropped Plans For Warehouse Immigration Detention Centers In Berks, Schuylkill Counties

-- PennLive: PA Republican Con. Scott Perry Pushes Amendment To US Constitution To Strip Voters Of Their Right To Elect US Senators, Have State Lawmakers Appoint Them