PA Environment Digest Blog

Tuesday, January 3, 2017

Nominations Now Being Accepted For Western PA Environmental Awards

Dominion and the PA Environmental Council are now accepting nominations for the 2017 Western PA Environmental Awards for excellence in advancing the environmental quality of Western Pennsylvania.

The deadline for applications is February 15.

The Awards are open to any group, individual, program, company, school, or organization located and working in one of the following counties: Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Bedford, Blair, Butler, Cambria, Cameron, Centre, Clarion, Clear eld, Crawford, Elk, Erie, Fayette, Forest, Fulton, Greene, Huntingdon, Indiana, Jefferson, Lawrence, McKean, Mercer, Somerset, Venango, Warren, Washington, and Westmoreland.

This regionally acclaimed awards program recognizes and honors the outstanding achievements of organizations, businesses, schools, and individuals in a wide range of environmental initiatives throughout Western Pennsylvania, and pays tribute to those that have demonstrated a commitment to environmental excellence, leadership, and accomplishment in their respective fields.

Nominations may be made by the person or persons involved in the activity or by a third party. Successful nominations will demonstrate measurable results and/or impact of the activities.

Each of the up to five award winners will receive:

– $5,000 cash award designated to the nonprofit organization of their choice;

– Commemorative award;

– Two complimentary tickets to the Western Pennsylvania Environmental Awards Dinner;

– Media recognition of their program and award; and

– Recognition and a full description of their winning project in the Awards Dinner program.

Nominations will be evaluated by an independent panel of judges and Awards Program staff.

Winners will be notified in March and publicly honored at the 2017 Western PA Environmental Awards Dinner and Awards Ceremony on May 24 at the Westin Hotel and Convention Center, Pittsburgh.

Click Here to submit nominations and for all the details.

For more information on programs, initiatives and special events, visit the PA Environmental Council website, visit the PEC Blog, 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.

Feature: My Experience At Goddard Leadership Legacy Student Institute 2016

By Mia Mattingly

This year, I was accepted to attend the Goddard Leadership Legacy Institute run by the Central Pennsylvania Conservancy. I was also selected to receive a scholarship from the Appalachian Audubon Society.

At the institute, I learned all about the environment while also learning about leadership skills. I had an amazing time and I am very thankful for this experience.

Here are some of the highlights from the six-day Institute On the first day, we had a tour of the Ironmaster’s Mansion at Pine Grove Furnace State Park, where we would be staying for part of the week. It was built in 1829, making it 187 years old!

The building was unique and cool to stay in.

To help build our leadership skills, we headed to Diakon Wilderness Center, where we completed various rope courses and team activities. It was very challenging, but since we worked together, we were able to do it.

We went to the LeTort Spring Run Preserve, an old watercress farm overrun with invasive species and poor water conditions. We tested the water and looked for healthy species in the creek.

While the water quality was better than it was last year, it was still unhealthy. This is especially bad because this creek is part of the Chesapeake Bay Watershed. So to help the environment by the LeTort, we got rid of an invasive species named Japanese Stiltgrass.

We tore it up and replaced it with different native species. This will improve the health of the environment, including the creek. When we finished, we headed back to the mansion and went to Fuller Lake to swim and play volleyball.

We also went to Laurel Lake to swim and kayak.

The next morning, we went to a dairy farm and learned how the farm kept water run-off from going into the local creek, the Conodoguinet. We were able to see the cows and the milking system.

From here we went to the Conservation District center and learned more about run-off and how we can help at our own homes. When we finished there, we ventured to the Merrill Environmental Center located in Annapolis, Maryland, where we got a tour of the building and set up camp at the beach.

After we woke up on the beach, we headed to the Chesapeake Bay Oyster Restoration Center, where we helped clean old oyster shells that will be the new home of baby oysters.

On a tour of the center, we saw the process the oysters go through before they are put into the bay. When we finished, we went back to the beach and explored the bay. Since it was our last night, we had seafood and watched a movie in the Merrill Center.

On the last day, we wrapped up and went to downtown Annapolis, then back to the mansion and said our goodbyes to everyone.

I had an incredible time at the Goddard Leadership Legacy Institute and I loved every minute of it. Thank you to the members of the Appalachian Audubon Society for giving me the opportunity to attend this amazing experience.
For more information on the program, visit the Goddard Leadership Legacy Institute webpage.

(Reprinted from the Jan/Feb Kingfisher Courier newsletter published by the Appalachian Audubon Society.)

Tuesday PA Environmental NewsClips

Swift: Lawmakers Start New Session In Harrisburg

AP: Lawmakers Ready For New Term With Capitol Swearing-In

PA Think Tanks Battle Over Remedies For $1.7B State Budget Deficit

Op-Ed: Stark Choices For The State Budget, Sen. Corman

Pump Failure Caused Fire At Washington County Gas Well
Adams County Parks Get Funding From Drilling Fees

Mayfield’s Push-Back Against Floodplain Expansion Continues
Rig Count Shows Gas Industry Back On Upswing As 2017 Dawns

Philly Records Warmest Year On Record, Dry Year

Recyclers Give Live Christmas Trees A Useful 2nd Life

New Push For Lackawanna, Luzerne Transit Alliance

Op-Ed: Greens, Labor Comet Together On Philly Waterfront

Op-Ed: Use Natural Biodiversity To Fight Lyme Disease

City Folk Find Inner Lumberjack At Urban Axes In Philadelphia

All-Year Farmers Market Might Be On The Table For Scranton

MessFest: Sloppy But Scientific Fund At Carnegie Science Center

Laurel Highlands Blossom As Recreation Destination

Plan To Protect Erie County’s Historic Resources Gets Underway

New Web Cams Promise Sharper Views Of Pittsburgh Eagles

Dozens Of Birds Fall From Sky Near Bethlehem

The Feds

Former Georgia Gov. Perdue May Be Trump’s Choice For Ag Secretary

Do Your Homework Before Predicting Energy Dept’s Demise

Op-Ed: Reining In The EPA

Bloomberg: Solar Could Beat Coal To Become Cheapest Power On Earth

Indian Firm Makes Carbon Capture Breakthrough

Bloomberg: Oil Climbs To 18-Month High As OPEC Cuts Take Hold
Pittsburgh Gasoline Prices Spike On Rising Oil, State Taxes

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Monday, January 2, 2017

PLS Reporter: What Will The New General Assembly Look Like?

By Jason Gottesman, PLS Reporter

Tuesday, the legislators making up the General Assembly for the 2017-2018 legislative session will officially be sworn into office.

Starting on Day 1, what will the new legislature look like?

The Senate will be starting the session with a full complement of 50 members.

Republicans hold a supermajority of 34 seats compared with the Democrats who hold 16 seats in the Senate.

The chamber will be made up of 43 men and seven women.

Six senators will be officially starting their first term on Tuesday with five Republicans and one Democrat newly elected to the Senate in November 2016’s General Election. An additional eleven Senators will be in the last half of their first term, marking a total of 17 freshman Senators.

Senate leadership is largely unchanged from last session, where Senate President Pro Tempore Joe Scarnati (R-Jefferson) is expected to continue in his position and Sen. Jake Corman (R-Center) and Sen. Jay Costa (D-Allegheny) have been elected as Floor Leaders for their respective caucuses.

The most senior Senator is Sen. Stewart Greenleaf (R-Montgomery), who was first elected in 1978. The senior Democratic Senator is Sen. Vincent Hughes (D-Philadelphia), first elected in 1994.

In the House, the chamber is expected to start the session down one member, with 202 members being sworn in. A special election to replace Rep. Leslie Acosta (D-Philadelphia)—who is expected to officially resign Tuesday—has yet to be scheduled.

Republicans will hold 121 of the 202 seats. With Acosta’s resignation, Democrats hold 81 seats in the House.

It is expected that last session’s House Speaker Mike Turzai (R-Allegheny) will resume his position in the coming session, and each legislative caucus in the House returned the top for their internal leadership teams with Majority Leader Dave Reed (R-Indiana) elected to serve as GOP Floor leader in the House and Minority Leader Frank Dermody (D-Allegheny) helming the House Democrats.

There are 22 freshman House members: 12 Republicans and 10 Democrats.

Forty women will serve in the House, the highest number in history.

The senior House member is Rep. Tom Caltagirone (D-Berks) who was first elected in 1976. The most senior Republican member is Rep. Bob Godshall (R-Montgomery) who was first elected in 1982.

Both chambers will meet at the constitutionally required time of 12:00 noon on the first Tuesday of January, this year falling on Tuesday, January 3, 2017.