PA Environment Digest Blog

Tuesday, October 31, 2017

12th Annual Chesapeake Watershed Forum Nov. 3-5 Shepherdstown, WV

The Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay’s 12th Annual Chesapeake Watershed Forum takes place Nov. 3–5, at the National Conservation Training Center in Shepherdstown, WV.

In keeping with this year’s theme, Healthy Lands, Healthy Waters, Healthy People, the event will explore how the health of the Chesapeake Bay watershed affects the communities that live in it.

In conjunction with this theme, the Alliance is focusing on engaging the health community, as well as the communities who are most directly affected by environmental health disparities.

This year, the Forum welcomes Sacoby Wilson Ph.D., M.S. as keynote speaker. Wilson is an associate professor with the Maryland Institute for Applied Environmental Health and Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, University of Maryland-College Park.

He has more than 15 years of experience as an environmental health scientist in the areas of exposure science, environmental justice, environmental health disparities, community-based participatory research, water quality analysis, air pollution studies, built environment, industrial animal production, climate change, community resiliency, and sustainability.

He works primarily in partnership with community-based organizations to study and address environmental justice and health issues as well as transforming research into action.

New to the Forum this year are half-day workshops on Sunday designed to delve deeper into specific issues surrounding Chesapeake restoration.

Attendees will be able to choose from a variety of options, including: visiting a stormwater site assessment of the NCTC facility to see what they are doing well and could do better; joining a privilege walk to help understand how power and privilege affect our lives; learning about Project WET (Water Education for Teachers) environmental education activities to help illustrate one’s water quality message; diving into habitat issues with the Maryland Department of Natural Resources’ Scales and Tales program; touring a local dairy farm to see how they are lessening their environmental footprint; and exploring the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services museum archives where they store relics and artifacts from their years of service.

Also new this year: Friday night will have plenty of fun options, from storytelling around the campfire, to stargazing on the lawn, to a networking happy hour and more.

For the fourth year in a row we will be highlighting the Chesapeake Collective, an intentional effort to create a space for a range of diverse voices and narratives to be expressed, shared and incorporated into the broader conversation about our common vision for a healthy, flourishing and resilient watershed.

Chesapeake Collective recognizes and celebrates our watershed wide diversity as a source of strength and the foundation for the type of social movement it will take to meet all of our restoration goals.

This year, Chesapeake Collective will have an even larger focus than earlier forums, with displays, artwork and activities spread throughout the weekend.

One display, the Climate Ribbon Project, recently premiered at the Alliance’s annual Taste of the Chesapeake. The Climate Ribbon Project uses art as a visual aid for us to grieve what we each stand to lose to climate chaos around the world, as well as affirming our solidarity as we unite to fight against it.

Chesapeake Collective will provide an opportunity to try “forest bathing.” Forest bathing is the practice of taking a short, leisurely visit to a forest for health benefits. The practice originated in Japan, and has recently been popularized in the health community for its relaxation and stress-reduction benefits

The Alliance is also working to make the Chesapeake Watershed Forum more accessible for people all around the watershed. Need-based scholarships are available, and transportation options from several of the Chesapeake’s major cities are being offered.

The Forum is also a social event. Professionals from around the watershed gather with a common goal of a clean and healthy Chesapeake. I

t is a perfect networking opportunity, as members of different organizations, groups and schools meet and discuss their work and how they can team up in the future. It’s also a great opportunity to hear the work of one’s peers, and be inspired by the tireless activities taking place all around the watershed.

The Forum focuses on inspiring and sharing techniques, strategies, tools and best practices to help watershed organizations and local governments engage in effective watershed management within and across jurisdictional boundaries.

It is a great event to keep your watershed organization (staff, board, volunteers) or your local government up-to-date on the latest science and information surrounding watershed restoration – while also having a lot of fun!

The core tenet of the forum is to celebrate the great work the Chesapeake community is doing to protect and restore the Bay watershed.

For more information and the full agenda, visit the Chesapeake Watershed Forum webpage.

More information is available on programs, initiatives and special events on the Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay website. Click Here to sign up for regular updates from the Alliance, Like the Alliance on Facebook, Follow them on Twitter, add them to your Circle on Google+ and visit the Alliance’s YouTube Channel. Click Here to support the Alliance’s work.

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(Reprinted from the Chesapeake Bay Journal.)

Senate Environmental Committee Holds Hearing On Lead Exposure In Northeast PA

The Senate Environmental Resources and Energy Committee Tuesday held a hearing on lead exposure and mitigation in Pittston, Luzerne County to hear a regional perspective on lead policy in Northeast Pennsylvania.
Click Here to watch a video of the hearing. Click Here for copies of written testimony.

“Lead exposure can lead to long-term health consequences, especially for children and older adults. In Northeastern Pennsylvania, efforts to mitigate lead exposure like the city of Wilkes-Barre doing biannual testing of its public water system and Pittston leading county-wide efforts to address aging infrastructure through a new municipal land bank authority are laudable,” said Sen. John Yudichak (D-Luzerne), Minority Chair of the Senate Environmental Committee.

“However, we can do more and we should do more. Today’s committee hearing, along with the work of the Lead Task Force and Advisory Committee will help us establish policies to protect children and vulnerable populations from lead poisoning,” Sen. Yudichak added.

Dr. Loren Robinson, Deputy Secretary for Health Promotion and Disease Prevention, Department of Health, said “Pennsylvania is third in the nation for having the most housing units built before 1950, when lead-based paint was most prevalent.

“As these houses get older and the condition deteriorates or normal renovation occurs to replace windows, scrape and repaint porches, or any other work that affects the condition of the paint, there is a chance that lead-based paint dust can be spread to floors, yards, or windowsills, where it becomes easy for children to be exposed,” she explained

“If you buy or rent a house built before 1978, federal law requires the seller or landlord to disclose any records of the presence of lead-based paint, to help you make your decision about whether this is the right home for you and your family,” she said. “Lead-based paint isn’t hazardous if it’s maintained in good condition, and there are also state and federal requirements for contractors to be trained and certified and follow work practices designed to reduce the amount of hazardous lead dust that is created as a result of renovation work. If your home is built before 1978 and you’re hiring a contractor to work in it, you should ask the contractor to show you the contractor’s lead certification.”

Lisa Daniels, Acting DEP Deputy Secretary for Water Programs, said lead enters drinking water mainly from corrosion of lead containing plumbing materials, including lead service lines, faucets and fixtures with leaded brass, and pipes with lead solder.

She noted lead was widely used in plumbing materials through the 1950s, and its use continued until 1986, when Congress amended the Safe Drinking Water Act, prohibiting the use of pipes and solder that are not "lead free."

Daniels said 3,031 water systems in Pennsylvania must comply with federal lead and copper rule requirements that sets standards for lead in drinking water.

Ninety-six percent of those systems are now in compliance and 112 are not. Of those 112 systems, 58 are schools and child care facilities and 54 are community water supplies.

She said the federal government is now in the process of updating its lead and copper rule that could require replacement of lead service lines and consider the potential role for point of use water filters.

Daniels recommended communities considering water line replace take advantage of a recently released toolkit from the Lead Service Line Replacement Collaborative

Jennifer Berrier, Director, Bureau of Occupational and Industrial Safety, Department of Labor and Industry, provided the Committee with an overview of its program to certify contractors involved in lead-based paint cleanup and disposal.

Henry Radulski, Health Director, City of Wilkes-Barre, said in May of 2016 the city of Wilkes-Barre became proactive in the fight against childhood lead poisoning. The health department and its team of inspectors assumed the responsibilities for inspecting all rental units in the city.

"Prior to the health department doing the rental inspections approximately 300 units were inspected each year. Since the health department became the lead agency over 2,000 inspections will be conducted this year," said Radulski.

“In early September of this year, the Wilkes-Barre City Health Department was awarded a 2 year Lead Hazard Control Grant from HUD through the Pennsylvania Department of Health. The most important aspect of this grant is that there is now funding for abatement of lead hazards in housing units," said Radulski. When there is a child under 6 with an elevated blood level the city now has funding available for mitigation of the lead hazard.

“Additionally, we were able to hire a lead paint risk assessor who with the necessary equipment can do on site analysis of lead paint. Through the Lead Hazard Control Grant we are required to provide abatement of risk factors for 19 units,” explained Radulski. “Although it may not seem like a lot, if we can prevent childhood lead poisoning in the children in these units we will have accomplished our goal of creating a healthier Wilkes-Barre. It will take much more work and many more resources for public health to continue its fight to prevent childhood lead poisoning.”

Dr. Aimee Johnson, Pediatrician, said because Pennsylvania does not have a universal screening mandate, the data on the prevalence of elevated lead levels in young children is limited. According to the Department of Health’s 2015 Childhood Lead Surveillance Report, only 28 percent of children less than 23 months of age had been tested for blood lead levels.

“The first things (parents should do) is to speak to your child’s physician and advocate for your child to be screened prior to age 2,” Dr. Johnson said. “All children in the state are at risk even if they do not live in a home built prior to the 1950’s.

“A major source of lead exposure is from dust in the environment,” Dr. Johnson explained. “Children often spend several hours a day away from their homes at schools, churches, parks, playgrounds and homes that may have lead dust.

“If your child’s blood lead level is found to be elevated, your child’s doctor and the Health Department will assist you in resources to find the source of exposure and eliminate it,” said Dr. Johnson, “Additionally, as citizens we can work to have clean green spaces for children to play near our homes.”

Cherie Gudz, Vice President, Environment, Health and Safety, SGS, provided an overview of lead testing programs on the federal, state and local levels.

David R. Kaufman, Vice President, Engineering, Pennsylvania American Water, said his company has proposed a program to the Public Utility Commission to identify and replace lead service pipes where they are encountered during replacement projects.

In addition, Kaufman said the company will remove and replace lead service pipes when requested to do so by a customer following program guidelines it adopted.

Allowing the company to replace lead service pipes under the program it proposed to the Public Utility Commission, Kaufman said, spreads the costs across its entire customer base and represents a reasonable solution to this problem.
Click Here to watch a video of the hearing. Click Here for copies of written testimony.

In June, the Senate unanimously passed Senate Resolution 33 sponsored by Sen Yudichak creating a bipartisan task force to investigate the scope of Pennsylvania’s lead exposure problem.

The resolution establishes a Task Force on lead exposure comprised of the chairs of the Environmental Resources and Energy Committee and the Health and Human Services Committee and two members appointed by the Senate President pro tempore and the Minority Leader.

The Joint State Government Commission is also directed to establish an Advisory Committee to conduct a comprehensive review of Pennsylvania law and public policy related to lead exposure and abatement practices and then submit a report to the Task Force and full Senate within 18-months.

The report must assess the age of housing and infrastructure, lead exposure threats, and identify the prevalence of lead in structures where children spend significant time.

The Joint State Government Commission Senate Resolution Project Manager is Yvonne Hursh, Counsel, 717-787-1906 or send email to: yhursh@legis.state.pa.us.

For more background on the lead issue, visit DEP’s Lead In Drinking Water webpage and the Department of Health’s Lead Poisoning webpage.

Sen. Gene Yaw (R-Lycoming) serves as Majority Chair of the Senate Environmental Committee and can be contacted by sending email to: gyaw@pasen.gov. Sen. John Yudichak (D-Luzerne) serves as Minority Chair and can be contacted by sending email to: yudichak@pasenate.com.
(Photo: Sen. Yaw, Sen. Yudichak, Joanne Manganello, Democratic Committee Executive Director.)

Senate Task Force, Lead Exposure Advisory Committee Members Named

The Joint State Government Commission Monday released the names of individuals serving on the Senate Task Force On Lead Exposure and the Lead Exposure Advisory Committee created pursuant to Senate Resolution 33 (Yudichak-D-Luzerne).

The members of the Senate Task Force are Senators Gene Yaw (R-Lycoming), John Yudichak (D-Luzerne), Lisa Baker (R-Luzerne), Judith Schwank (D-Berks), Thomas McGarrigle (R-Delaware) and Wayne Fontana (D-Allegheny).

The members of the Advisory Committee include: Phyllis Chamberlain, Housing Alliance of PA; Robert Christian, P.E., West View Water Authority; Joseph Cocciardi, Ph.D., Cocciardi and Associates, Inc.; Christopher Crockett, Ph.D., Aqua America; Suzanne Dell, School Director, West Perry School District; Karen Hacker, MD, MPH, Director Allegheny County Health Department; David Masur, PennEnvironment; Christopher Norris, Borough of Doylestown, Director of Water; Kevin C. Osterhoudt, MD, MS, Medical Director, The Poison Control Center, The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia; Karen Beck Pooley, Ph.D., School Director, Bethlehem Area School District Education center; and Jerry Vockley, MD, Ph.D., University of Pittsburgh Cleveland Family Professor of Pediatric Research.

State Agency representatives on the Committee include: Dr. Rachel Levine, Acting Secretary, Department of Health; Patrick McDonnell, Secretary, Department of Environmental Protection; Gladys Brown, Chairman, Public Utility Commission; W. Gerard Oleksiak, Acting Secretary, Department of Labor and Industry; and Brian A. Hudson, Sr., PA Housing Finance Agency

The Joint State Government Commission Senate Resolution Project Manager is Yvonne Hursh, Counsel, 717-787-1906 or send email to: yhursh@legis.state.pa.us.

Green Valleys Watershed Assn. Hosts Dec. 2 Community Water Resources Planning Workshop In Chester County

Green Valleys Watershed Association will host a workshop about protecting and preserving community freshwater resources for up to 50 participants at The Washington at Historic Yellow Springs, 1685 Art School Road, Chester Springs in Chester County on December 2, from 8:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.

The workshop, titled “Planning Strategies and Tools that Preserve and Enhance Community Freshwater Resources,” is designed for Pennsylvania municipality staff, council and committee members, and consultants and all individuals who are concerned about their community’s freshwater are welcome to attend.

Participants will hear from 10 representatives of regulatory agencies, planners, designers, and conservation organizations about techniques, strategies, and resources for preserving and protecting a community’s water resources.

Presenters will include the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission, Chester County Water Resources Authority, Chester County Conservation District, Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, Theurkauf Design & Planning, Natural Lands, PA Horticultural Society, and Land Ethics, LLC.

The workshop will include panel discussions and Q&A opportunities.

Continuing education credits are available for registered landscape architects through the American Society of Landscape Architects.

The workshop is sponsored by The William Penn Foundation and Green Valleys Watershed Association.

The cost of the workshop is $10, with an additional $25 CEU processing fee. Online registration and workshop details are all available at the workshop webpage and agenda are forthcoming.

Questions may be directed to Kelsey Stanton by sending email to: Kelsey@greenvalleys.org or call 610-469-4900.