Saturday PA Environment & Energy Articles - NewsClips: 12.20.25

“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

January 6, 26, 27, 28

February 2, 3 (Governor’s Budget Address), 4

Budget hearings will be held February 23-26, and March 2

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

January 6 (NV), 26, 27, 28

February 2, 3 (Governor's Budget Address, 4

Budget hearings will be held February 23-26, and March 2

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 

February 19-- In-Person/Online. PA League Of Women Voters, Duquesne University Host Shale Gas & Public Health Conference.  Pittsburgh.  8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. 

-- Commonwealth Financing Authority Invests More Than $14 Million In Act 13 Drilling Impact Fee Revenue In Watershed Restoration, Recreation, Sewage And Flood Mitigation Projects  [PaEN]

-- PA Oil & Gas Industrial Facilities: Permit Notices, Opportunities To Comment - December 20 [PaEN]

-- Susquehanna River Basin Commission Approves 3 Shale Gas Water Withdrawal Requests; 22 Total For 2025  [PaEN]

-- Susquehanna River Basin Commission Approved 31 Shale Gas Well Pad Water Use General Permits In November; 429 In 2025  [PaEN]

-- DEP Posted 51 Pages Of Permit-Related Notices In December 20 PA Bulletin  [PaEN]

-- Inside Climate News - Kiley Bense/Peter Aldhous: 20 Years Into Shale Gas Fracking, Pennsylvania Has Yet To Reckon With Its Radioactive Waste

-- Spotlight PA/Inside Climate News: Outdated, Disconnected Systems Leave PA Unable To Comprehensively Track Toxic Oil And Gas Industry Waste

-- DEP Invites Comments On Renewal Of The NPDES Wastewater Permit For The BET Associates IV, LLC Anthracite Mining Discharge In Schuylkill, Carbon Counties Affecting 7,479 Acres  [PaEN]

-- LancasterOnline: Environmental Groups Challenge FERC Permit For Cuffs Run Pump Storage Hydroelectric Facility On Susquehanna River In York County

-- York Dispatch: Community Mourns Passing Of Former York Water President Jeff Hines After Brief Illness

-- TribLive: Murrysville Approves $7/Month Stormwater Fee Despite Equity Concerns

-- PennLive: DEP Halts Operations At Lancaster County Mascaro & Sons Compost Plant After Fire Burned For Nearly 2 Weeks Releasing Hazardous Materials Into The Air

-- LancasterOnline: DEP Halts Operations At Penn Twp. Compost Plant During Days-Long Fire

-- PUC Announces Appointment To PA OneCall Damage Prevention Committee

-- Clean Air Council: Feet First Philly Awards 16 Public Space Enhancement Project Mini-Grants To Improve Walkability In Communities Across Philadelphia 

-- Pennsylvania Environmental Council Awards $50,000 In Cycling Mini-Grants  [PaEN]

-- Tribune-Democrat: Sen. Langerholc Announces $150,000 Trail Maintenance Grant For Cambria County Conservation & Recreation Authority

-- Pocono Record: Will Cold Weather Kill Ticks? You May Be Disappointed With The Answer

-- Post-Gazette - Mary Ann Thomas: Rare Hummingbird At A Pittsburgh Feeder Part Of A New Migration Trend

A.I. /Data Centers

-- TribLive: Springdale Council Members Say They Legally Had Little Choice In A.I. Data Center Approval; Options Were Approval Or Doomed Legal Battle, They Say 

-- Inquirer: Plans To Develop A.I. Data Center At PennHurst State Hospital Site Move Forward As East Vincent Twp. Officials Scrap Ordinance Regulating Data Centers

-- Utility Dive: FERC Members Raise Alarms About PJM Failure To Meet Reliability Target; Next Load Forecast Could Be Significantly Lower Due To Stricter Vetting Of Data Center Projects

-- Utility Dive: FERC Orders PJM To Craft New A.I. Data Center Colocation Connection Rules

-- Reuters: FERC Directs PJM To Set New A.I. Data Center Rules On Direct Connection To Power Plants

Storms/Power Outages

-- Morning Call: Power Outages In Lehigh Valley top 10,000 As High Winds Down Trees And Wires

-- PennLive: Thousands Left Without Power In Central PA Due To High Winds: PPL

-- LancasterOnline: Strong Winds Damage Property, Leave Thousands Without Power In Lancaster County

-- Pennsylvania Power Outages

International/National Impacts On PA Natural Gas

[Energy Independence Means Renewables]

-- AAA Average Gasoline Prices: National: $2.86  Ohio: $2.61  PA: $3.10 

-- Baker Hughes: PA Natural Gas Drilling Rigs At 18 - Same For 4 Weeks

-- Reuters: Energy Transfer Scraps Development Of Lake Charles LNG Gas Export Project In Louisiana Due To Concerns About Looming Global Oversupply

-- Bloomberg: New Fortress Energy’s Delinquent Payments Mount Amid Debt Talks

PA Politics - Everything Is Connected

-- Altoona Mirror Editorial: PA Lawmakers Need To Answer Tough Questions On State Budget - The Need For Shame Is Abundant

-- Spotlight PA: Provisional Ballot Rejections Drop In Many PA Counties After State Redesigns Envelope

-- Post-Gazette/PennLive: President’s Tariffs Tank Pennsylvania’s Lumber Industry; Now It Seeks A Bailout

-- Post-Gazette: 2nd Man Dies In Custody At Clearfield County ICE Detention Center Since August

-- Spotlight PA: PA Republican Cong. Fitzpatrick Becomes Democrats’ Key Ally In US House Health Care Fight

-- Bloomberg: US Consumer Sentiment Has Fallen 30% Since Last December

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Diversity - Equity - Inclusion

[Posted: December 20, 2025]  PA Environment Digest

Pennsylvania Environmental Council Awards $50,000 In Cycling Mini-Grants

The Pennsylvania Environmental Council recently announced the award of $50,000 through the 2026 Cycling Activation in PA Mini Grant Program. 

This is a new mini grant program that provides $1,000 to $15,000 for projects or events that activate existing cycling assets through programming, promotion, or providing informational resources for cycling opportunities centered on gravel roads, mountain bike trails, and multi-use pathways throughout Pennsylvania. 

The program was open to applicants statewide, and project types may include gravel or bikepacking route development, promotional materials, interpretive signage, mapping, or events and programming. 

Projects will engage local stakeholders in planning and implementation, strengthen partnerships, promote stewardship, engage new audiences, foster inclusivity, and support the outdoor recreation economy.

The Cycling Activation in PA Mini-Grant awardees are--

-- Agile Rascal Theater – $7,500 for Schuylkill River Trail Bike Play Project: Funding will help support the development, planning, and performance of Middle Twilight, a play in which the actors and audience travel by bicycle along the Schuylkill River Trail. This project blends cycling and the arts and encourages new audiences to try cycling all while showcasing local trail infrastructure.

 -- Colebrookdale Railroad Preservation Trust – $5,227 for All Access Railbike Initiative: Pedaling into a Better Future Together: Funds will go towards the acquisition of railbikes designed to introduce a cycling experience that is fully inclusive of blind individuals, people with disabilities, those new to exercise, and others who may not otherwise try cycling. This initiative aims to provide the benefits of outdoor recreation in a safe and accessible way.

-- Cumberland Valley Visitors Bureau – $5,227 for Cumberland Valley Cycling & Outdoor Recreation Map: Funding will support the creation of a pocket-sized, fold-out map highlighting Cumberland County’s outdoor recreation opportunities, with an emphasis on cycling routes and assets. Purple Lizard Maps will bring award-winning cartography skills to the project, and routes will highlight local businesses and points of interest.

-- Endless Mountains Heritage Region – $10,000 for Endless Mountains Gravel PA Single-Day Gravel Loops: This project will focus on the development of 15 gravel day routes in the Endless Mountains region to complement the Endless Mountains 430, 250, and 115-mile loops. The routes will extend from community hubs within the region, connecting to business, heritage sites, parks, and other points of interest, and will cater to a variety of skill and fitness levels. The route creation process will include meeting with stakeholders, field work to scout and refine routes, and publishing the routes on Ride With GPS.

-- Hawk Rock Cycling Association – $8,708 for Susquenita Trail Signage & Wayfinding Project: Creating Safe, Welcoming Access to Trails for Our Community: The grant will fund the development and installation of a comprehensive signage and wayfinding system to make a new trail system on school property in Perry County safe and welcoming for all users. The project is student-led and will be the first publicly accessible mountain bike trail in the county.

-- IM ABLE Foundation – $13,337 for Ride Without Limits: IM ABLE’s Adaptive Athletes and Rally Point Riders: Funding will support the placement of a storage trailer for off-road adaptive cycles at Berks County Park to alleviate logistical barriers and empower adaptive cyclists to utilize the equipment independently, without the need for transport to and from the trailhead. It will also support IM ABLE’s inclusive ride programming, which targets riders of varied abilities with a focus on veterans and first-time adaptive cyclists.

Funding for the Cycling Activation Mini-Grant Program is provided by the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources through their Community Conservation Partnership Program (C2P2).

Click Here for the PEC announcement.

For more information on programs, initiatives and special events, visit the PA Environmental Council website, visit the PEC Blog, PEC Bill/Regulation Tracker, follow PEC on Twitter or Like PEC on Facebook.  Visit PEC’s Audio Room for the latest podcasts.  Click Here to receive regular updates from PEC.

Related Articles This Week:

-- DCNR Hosts First Day Hikes On New Year’s Day Across The Commonwealth

-- DCNR Completes Upgrades To Point State Park Fountain In Pittsburgh Ahead Of NFL Draft

-- Commonwealth Financing Authority Invests More Than $14 Million In Act 13 Drilling Impact Fee Revenue In Watershed Restoration, Recreation, Sewage And Flood Mitigation Projects  [PaEN]

-- Pennsylvania Environmental Council Awards $50,000 In Cycling Mini-Grants  [PaEN]

-- Penn State Extension Hosts Jan. 27 Community Forestry Webinar - Forester's Featured Working Tree Solutions  [PaEN] 

-- Penn State Extension In-Person Southeast PA Green Industry Conference March 5 In Montgomery County  [PaEN]

-- Penn State Extension March 16 Webinar On Elm Zigzag Sawfly Update - Frontiers Of Forest Health  [PaEN]

NewsClips:

-- Inquirer: How Pennsylvania Farms 720,000 Christmas Trees A Year

-- Middle Susquehanna RiverKeeper Blog: PA River Of The Year Finalist Chillisquaque Creek Offers Microcosm Of Issues And Opportunities For Bigger Susquehanna River System

-- WESA: Pittsburgh Greenways To See Pilots In Stewardship, Pollinators, Signage Thanks To Trust For Public Lands 

-- Middle Susquehanna RiverKeeper Blog: 2026 Middle Susquehanna Naturalist Calendar Now Available For Order

-- Lehigh Valley-Based Wildlands Conservancy Upcoming Programs: Flying Squirrel Research; Winter Bird Walk; Winter Wildlife Meet & Greet 

-- Warren Times: Hearts Content Area Of Allegheny National Forest Backdrop For Author Heather Kaminski [PDF of Article]

-- PennLive: President’s Tariffs Tank Pennsylvania’s Lumber Industry, Now Seeking A Bailout

[Posted: December 19, 2025]  PA Environment Digest

Commonwealth Financing Authority Invests More Than $14 Million In Act 13 Drilling Impact Fee Revenue In Local Watershed Restoration, Recreation, Sewage And Flood Mitigation Projects

On December 19, the Commonwealth Financing Authority announced the award of more than $14 million in Act 13 drilling impact fee revenue to support 135 local watershed restoration, recreation, sewage and flood mitigation projects.

“By investing in projects that protect our environment and strengthen our infrastructure, we’re building safer, healthier, and stronger communities across Pennsylvania,” said DCED Secretary Rick Siger. “From flood mitigation and watershed restoration to sewage facilities improvements and supporting our recreational trails, these initiatives are delivering real results that improve quality of life for all Pennsylvanians and continue our economic momentum.”

The Act 13 Program funding includes--

-- Flood Mitigation Program (FMP) – Five projects approved; $813,520 total funding. The program provides funding for statewide initiatives to assist with flood mitigation projects. For example, Tioga County was approved for $265,380 for the Mansfield Flood Mitigation Project.

-- Greenways, Trails and Recreation Program (GTRP) – 119 projects approved; $12,122,417 total funding. The program provides funding for the planning, acquisition, development, rehabilitation and repair of greenways, recreational trails, open space, parks, and beautification projects. For example, Hampden Township was approved for $100,000 in funding for pedestrian improvements to Srouji Park in Cumberland County.

-- Sewage Facilities Program (SFP) – Two projects approved; $77,529 total funding. The program provides funding for statewide initiatives for complying with the Pennsylvania Sewage Facilities Act. For example, Lowell Township in Lehigh County was approved for $52,529 for planning costs associated with the update to their Act 537 plan.

-- Watershed Restoration Protection Program (WRPP) – Nine projects approved; $1,095,895 total funding. The program provides funding for watershed restoration and protection projects. For example, O’Hara Township was approved for $100,000 in funding for Woodland Park pond improvements in Allegheny County.

Click Here for the list of projects approved.

Act 13 drilling impact fees are paid by shale gas well drillers.  Conventional oil and gas well owners pay nothing.

Next Round Opens Feb. 1

Applications for Act 13 Program funding are usually accepted from February 1 to May 31 each year.

For more information, visit the Commonwealth Financing Authority’s Act 13 Programs webpage.

Click Here for the CFA announcement.

Related Articles This Week:

-- USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service Announces Jan. 15 Deadline To Apply For Major Conservation Assistance Program, Including Regenerative Pilot Program  [PaEN] 

-- Fish & Boat Commission Grant Funding Available To Improve Watersheds In York, Lancaster Counties  [PaEN]

-- Westminster College Honors Student Research And Creative Works At 18th Student Symposium On The Environment  [PaEN]

-- Unionville H.S. Rowing Club Finds New Home With Chester Water Authority On The Octoraro Reservoir; Student Service Projects Help Protect Reservoir  [PaEN]

NewsClips:

-- Middle Susquehanna RiverKeeper Blog: PA River Of The Year Finalist Chillisquaque Creek Offers Microcosm Of Issues And Opportunities For Bigger Susquehanna River System

-- The Allegheny Front: EPA Hears Competing Views On New Proposed Rollbacks For Federal Wetlands, Water Protections

-- WHYY: Road Salt Remains In PA, NJ, DE Waterways Months After Winter Storms, According To New Stroud Water Research Center Data

-- Middle Susquehanna RiverKeeper Blog: 2026 Middle Susquehanna Naturalist Calendar Now Available For Order

-- Chesapeake Bay Journal: Maryland Legislature Overrides Governor’s Veto Of Bills To Study Costs Of Greenhouse Gas Emissions In MD; Economic, Energy, Environmental Impacts Of A.I. Data Centers, Setting Up State Energy Office 

[Posted: December 19, 2025]  PA Environment Digest