Friday PA Environment & Energy NewsClips 7.1.22

Are You Telling Your Story?

Senate returns to session July [1- canceled], 2, 3 [Budget Time!]

     -- Committee Schedule

House returns to session July 1, 2  [Budget Time!]

     -- Committee Schedule

TODAY’s Calendar Of Events

Note: Senate, House are adding voting session days to move budget bills implementing a final budget agreement-- unless things change, of course.

-- Republicans On Senate Committee Report Out Bill Exempting Conventional Oil & Gas Wells From Plugging Bonds Sticking Taxpayers With $5.1 Billion In Cleanup Liability  [PaEN]

-- Evangelical Environmental Network Testifies In Congress On Need To Defend Our Children’s Health & Taxpayers By Fixing Oil & Gas Facility Methane Leaks, Require Real Well Plugging Bonding  [PaEN]

-- Bay Journal: Penn State Study: Conventional Oil & Gas Wastewater Spread On Pennsylvania Roads Bad For Health, Land - By Ad Crable, Chesapeake Bay Journal  [PaEN]

Take Action Now!

-- Bipartisan Group Of Lawmakers, Hunters, Anglers, Farm, Environmental, Recreation Groups All Working Together, Down To The Wire, To Bring Home A Win On Growing Greener III Funding [PaEN]

 

-- Most UNwanted List: Lookout For Bad Environmental, Energy Provisions During Final Budget Week  [PaEN]

 

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-- PennLive: DCNR Staffing Shortages Force More Than Half Of State Park Pools To Close Or Reduce Hours

 

-- PennLive - Marcus Schneck: State Park, Other Campgrounds Will Be Destination This Weekend For Many Who Changed Their Plans

 

-- Warren Times: House Members Introduced Fracking Health Protection Bill

 

-- Warren Times: Tanker Truck Leaking Sulfuric Acid On Miles Of Roads In Warren County Into New York State Caused Road Closures, Detours 

 

-- DEP Declares Air Quality Action Day For Friday, July 1 In Philadelphia Area

 

-- EPA Approval Of Pequea Creek Watershed Restoration Plan Advances Efforts To Improve Water Quality In Lancaster County  [PaEN]

 

-- Lancaster Clean Water Partners Begin Accepting Clean Water Fund Large Grant Applications July 26; Watershed Leadership Academy Open  [PaEN]

 

-- Slippery Rock Watershed Coalition Mine Drainage Restoration Along North Country Trail; Celebrate The Blazing Star Prairie Bloom At Jennings July 30  [PaEN]

 

-- PA Environmental Council: $3.7 Billion - The Value Of Clean Water In Just 3 Watersheds Of The Laurel Highlands Conservation Landscape - By Marla Meyer Papernick, PA Environmental Council  [PaEN]

 

-- Penn State: Regional Manure Expo Focuses On Farm-Level Agronomic, Economic, Environmental Advances July 13-14 In Franklin County

 

-- GIANT Foods, Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful Award 45 Healing The Planet Waterways, Community Improvement Grants  [PaEN]

 

-- Williamsport Sun: Williamsport Area Levee Work Comes In $3 Million Over Budgeted Cost

 

-- Pittsburgh Business Times: Kraft Heinz Enters Into 2 Power Purchase Agreements For Wind Energy

 

-- U.S. Supreme Court Decision Did Not Affect EPA’s Ability To Regulate Carbon Dioxide As A Pollutant, Has No Impact On DEP's RGGI Power Plant Carbon Pollution Reduction Program  [PaEN]

 

-- Evangelical Environmental Network: The Good, The Bad And The Ugly Of U.S. Supreme Court Decision On Regulating Carbon Pollution [PaEN]

 

-- Young Evangelicals For Climate Action Respond To U.S. Supreme Court Decision On Regulating Power Plant Carbon Pollution  [PaEN]

-- StateImpactPA - Rachel McDevitt: Supreme Court Ruling A Set-Back For Climate Regulations, But PA Retains Power To Set Carbon Pollution Limits, Lawyers Say

-- Inquirer - Frank Kummer: ‘Major Step Backward’: PA Groups React To Supreme Court Decision On Regulating Greenhouse Gas Emissions

-- TribLive: What Supreme Court’s EPA Ruling Means For Carbon Emissions In Pittsburgh, PA

-- Inquirer - Andrew Maykuth: Philadelphia Natural Gas Works Reverses Onerous Weatherization Charges For May Gas Bills

 

-- WHYY: Refunds To Philadelphia Natural Gas Works Customers For May Bills Could Cost $12 Million

 

-- WESA: New State Consumer Advocate Aims To Be ‘The Consumer’s Voice’ On Utility Issues

 

-- Daily Item: 20.5% Of All The Act 13 Drilling Impact Fee Revenue Statewide Goes To One State Senate District -  Sen. Yaw (R-Lycoming); 47.5% Of Statewide Revenue Goes To Just 2 Senate Districts-- Sen. Yaw and Sen. Bartolotta

 

-- DEP Now Accepting Applications For Alternative Fuels Incentive Grants  [PaEN]

 

-- DEP Accepting Applications For Electric Cargo Handling Grants To Reduce Air Pollution  [PaEN]

 

-- July 2 Pennsylvania Bulletin Is Now Available

 

-- Post-Gazette: Proposed U.S. Steel Permit At The Forefront Of Air Quality Hearing In Braddock

 

-- TribLive: 3 Arrested In Theft Of 34 Catalytic Converters From Salem Auto Dealer

 

-- Independent Regulatory Review Commission Executive Director David Sumner Receives The Legal Intelligencer Professional Excellence Award

 

-- 15th Coal Miner’s Heritage Festival July 10 At The No. 9 Coal Mine and Museum, Carbon County  [PaEN]

 

-- DCNR Blog: What Can We Do About The Spongy Moth [Formerly Known As Gypsy Moth] Outbreak 

 

-- Frances Rodgers Partners With French & Pickering Creeks Conservation Trust To Preserve 7.5 Acres In Chester County [PaEN]

 

-- PA Forestry Association News You Can Use May/June: Nov. 5 Penn’s Forest Carbon - Growing Green

 

-- PennLive - Marcus Schneck: PA A Sweet Spot, But Not The Sweetest, For Honey Producers

 

-- Erie Times - Brian Whipkey: Furbearing American Martens, Last Seen In The Early 1900s, Could Be Reintroduced In PA 

 

-- Warren Times: Audubon Little Explorers To Meet July 9

 

6th Oil/Natural Gas Spike: True Energy Independence Means Renewables

[There Is No Limit To What Oil/Natural Gas Industry Can Make You Pay]

-- Altoona Mirror: Peoples Gas Cost Nearly Doubles, Average Bill Increases $33/Month

-- Reuters: FERC Gives National Fuel Gas More Time To Build Northern Access Pipeline In PA, NY

-- Post-Gazette Guest Essay: Freeing Competitive Markets Where Only A Handful Of Corporations Control The Prices You Pay - Rep. Pisciottano (D-Allegheny) & Rep. Innamorato (D-Allegheny)

-- Reuters: U.S. Natural Gas Prices Plunge 17% As Texas LNG Outage Continues  [Note: Natural Gas Prices Drop Without LNG Exports]

-- Reuters: U.S. Regulator Bars Texas LNG Plant Restart Over Safety Concerns 

-- The Economist: Can Europe Keep The Lights On This Winter?  Energy Crunch Intensifies

American Rescue Plan Funding

 

-- $11 Billion In Federal American Rescue Plan Funding To PA State Government, Local Governments Has Yet To Be Invested.  What’s Your Community Doing?

 

Other States/National/International

-- AP: U.S. Supreme Court Limits EPA’s Authority To Curb Greenhouse Gas Emissions From Power Plants 

 

-- Bloomberg Green: EPA Isn’t ‘Knocked Out,’ But Doing Its Job Just Got Much Harder 

 

-- Reuters: U.S. Supreme Court Just Gave Federal Agencies A Big Reason To Worry 

 

-- Utility Dive: U.S. Supreme Court Rejects EPA Ability To Set Fleet-Wide Greenhouse Gas Emissions Standards For Power Plants

 

-- WSJ: U.S. Supreme Court Limits Power Of EPA Over Greenhouse Gas Emissions, Other Regulatory Agencies

 

-- WPost: U.S. Supreme Court Limits EPA’s Power To Reduce Carbon Emissions From Power Plants

 

-- Reuters: U.S. Supreme Court Limits Federal Power To Curb Carbon Emissions

 

-- Bloomberg: U.S. Supreme Court Curbs EPA’s Climate Authority In Blow To Biden

 

-- Financial Times: U.S. Supreme Court Curbs EPA’s Power To Regulate Greenhouse Gas Emissions

PA Politics - Everything Is Connected

-- AP: U.S. Supreme Court To Hear Case On State Authority Over Congressional Redistricting, Federal Elections [PA Included]

-- AP: Pennsylvania To Begin Fiscal Year Without A Budget

-- Spotlight PA - Stephen Caruso: PA State Budget Is Officially Late, Here’s What You Need To Know

-- AP: Commonwealth Court Blocks Governor’s Bridge Tolling Plan

-- Post-Gazette Editorial: Bridge Tolling Plan Is Dead, But Long-Term Road, Bridge Funding Still Needed

-- PennLive: Fetterman Skipping July 4th Campaigning, But should Be Back ‘Really Soon’

-- Post-Gazette: Allegheny County Property Owners Who File Assessment Appeals Could Get Tax Breaks

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[Posted: July 1, 2022]  PA Environment Digest

DEP Accepting Applications For Electric Cargo Handling Grants To Reduce Air Pollution

The Department of Environmental Protection is now accepting applications for $5.46 million in funding for Electric Cargo Handling Grants under the Driving PA Forward Program.  (formal notice)

The deadline for applications is September 23.

This funding is available for eligible diesel emission reduction projects that will improve air quality and protect public health and the environment by reducing emissions from large forklifts, airport ground support equipment and port cargo handling equipment.

The Department is seeking applications for projects that will replace or repower eligible large forklifts, airport ground support equipment and port cargo handling equipment with electric versions of the equipment. Other restrictions may apply. 

Public and private entities that own or operate eligible vehicles, engines or equipment throughout this Commonwealth should apply. 

These entities may include airports and port authorities, municipal authorities, political subdivisions, State agencies, nonprofit entities, corporations, limited liability companies or partnerships incorporated or registered in this Commonwealth, air quality or transportation organizations and metropolitan or rural planning organizations.

For all the details, visit the Electric Cargo Handling Grants webpage.

Visit the Driving PA Forward website for more information.  Questions should be directed to ra-epvwmitigation@pa.gov or (717) 787-9495.

Other Grants

Similar alternative fuel grants are available from--

-- DEP Alternative Fueled Vehicle Rebates

-- DEP Level 2 Electric Vehicle Charging Station Rebates 

-- EPA Clean School Buses Program

Click Here to sign up for the Driving PA Forward clean transportation funding program to get early notice of available grants.  New grant rounds are expected this Fall.

Related Article:

-- DEP Now Accepting Applications For Alternative Fuels Incentive Grants  [PaEN]

[Posted: July 1, 2022]  PA Environment Digest

GIANT Foods, Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful Award 45 Healing The Planet Waterways, Community Improvement Grants

On July 1, the GIANT Company and Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful announced the 45 recipients of the 2022 Healing the Planet grant program. 

Announced earlier this year, $300,000 in funding was awarded in support of projects aimed at improving the health and quality of waterways to help protect water resources and improve the overall health of communities.

The grant recipients were formally announced at the Camp Curtin Branch YMCA Garden, operated by the Harrisburg Area YMCA, a $10,000 grant recipient. Representatives from The GIANT Company and Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful also recognized four additional Dauphin County nonprofits who were among the groups to receive funding. 

City of Harrisburg – Department of Parks, Recreation and Facilities, Girl Scouts in the Heart of Pennsylvania, Londonderry Township, and The Salvation Army, each received a grant for their waterway projects.

“There’s only one planet Earth and the steps we take now will impact our environment and waterways for future generations,” said Jessica Groves, community impact manager, The GIANT Company. “Our customers and team members understand that changes of any size can make a big difference in healing our planet through their generosity in rounding up at the register in support of these types of environmental initiatives. We are excited to see these water resource projects brought to life in the coming months and continue to make a lasting difference in their local communities.”

Grants range from $2,500 up to $10,000. Eligible projects had to be in The GIANT Company’s operating areas within Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, or West Virginia. 

Funding for the grants was provided by customers at GIANT, MARTIN’S and GIANT Heirloom Market stores who agreed to round up their grocery purchase to the nearest dollar from March through May.

The following organizations are the recipients of a 2022 Healing the Planet grant from The GIANT Company and Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful:

Maryland

The High 5 Initiative, Inc., North East

Town of Mount Airy, Mount Airy

Pennsylvania

9th Street Youth & Community Center, Chester

Abington Area Joint Recreation Board, Clarks Summit

Blue Mountain Eagle Climbing Club and Wilderness Park Association, Reading

Centre Region Parks and Recreation Authority, State College

City of Harrisburg- Department of Parks and Recreation and Facilities, Harrisburg

East Bradford Township, West Chester

Friends of Schuylkill River Park, Philadelphia

Friends of Silver Lake Nature Center, Bristol

Girl Scouts in the Heart of Pennsylvania, Harrisburg

Glen Foerd Conservation Corporation, Philadelphia

Harrisburg Area YMCA, Harrisburg

Indiana Borough, Indiana

Kennett Area Park Authority, Kennett Square

Lancaster Conservancy, Lancaster

Lehman Sanctuary, Shavertown

Londonderry Township, Middletown

Lower Susquehanna Riverkeeper Association, Wrightsville

Lundale Farm Inc., Pottstown

Michaux Forest Association, Hummelstown

Mountain Watershed Association, Melcroft

North American Land Trust, Chadds Ford

Northcentral Pennsylvania Conservancy, Williamsport

PA Parks and Forest Foundation//Friends of White Clay Creek Preserve, Camp Hill

Pennsylvania Division of the Izaak Walton League of America, New Salem

Salisbury Township, Gap

Schuylkill River Development Corporation, Philadelphia

The Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University, Philadelphia

The Da Vinci Discovery Center of Science and Technology, Inc., Allentown

The Pennsylvania State University, University Park

The Salvation Army, Harrsiburg

Trout Unlimited 108 Doc Fritchey, Palmyra

Upper Darby Township, Upper Darby

Warrington Township, Chalfont

Watershed Alliance of Adams County, Gettysburg

Watershed Coalition of the Lehigh Valley, Nazareth

Western Pennsylvania Conservancy, Pittsburgh

Wildlife Leadership Academy, Lock Haven

Willistown Conservation Trust, Newtown Square

York Academy Regional Charter School Upper School, York

Virginia

The Shenandoah Valley Black Heritage Program, Harrisonburg

Virginia Clean Cities, Harrisonburg

Winchester-Frederick County Convention and Visitors Bureau, Winchester

West Virginia

Blue Ridge Watershed Coalition, Harpers Ferry

“Access to healthy food and understanding agricultural practices are often limited in our uptown Harrisburg community,” said Jamien Harvey, executive director of the Camp Curtin and East Shore Branch YMCAs. “The opportunity to expand our garden project allows us to educate the youth and families at the Camp Curtin Branch YMCA about healthy water and its incredible impact on our ecosystem. We are so grateful to The GIANT Company for recognizing the impact of healthy, natural food education on our community.”

“The health of our local waterways is intimately connected to the overall health of our communities. We are honored to partner with The GIANT Company to provide Healing the Planet grants to communities across Pennsylvania. Thank you to all of you who rounded up at the register. Your generosity will directly impact communities by improving the health and quality of waterways,” said Shannon Reiter, president, Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful.”

This marked the second year of the Healing the Planet grant program. Last year, more than $500,000 was awarded to 42 recipients in support of projects that aimed to build environmental stewardship by connecting people and families to community green spaces, supporting environmental restoration efforts, and building community gardens.

For more information on programs, initiatives and special events, visit the Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful website. Click Here to become a member.  Click Here to sign up for regular updates from KPB, Like them on Facebook, Follow on Twitter, Discover them on Pinterest and visit their YouTube Channel.

Also visit the Illegal Dump Free PA website for more ideas on how to clean up communities and keep them clean and KPB’s Electronics Waste website.

The 2022 Pick Up Pennsylvania Initiative will be held from through August 31.  Questions should be directed to Michelle Dunn at 1-877-772-3673 Ext. 113 or send email to: mdunn@keeppabeautiful.org.

Keep PA Beautiful helps mobilize over 100,000 volunteers a year to pick up litter, clean up illegal dumping and beautify Pennsylvania.

Related Articles:

-- Encore Tire Recycling Event July 9 In Greensburg, Westmoreland County; Volunteers Needed  [PaEN]

-- PA Resources Council Hosts 2 Allegheny County Hard-To-Recycle Collection Events In July  [PaEN]

-- Three Rivers Waterkeeper Hosts 3 Rivers Watch Summer Training Events July 9, August 6  [PaEN]

[Posted: July 1, 2022]  PA Environment Digest