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Issue #696 Crisci Associates, Harrisburg, PA Oct.

30, 2017

PA Environment Digest Blog Twitter Feed

Final Budget Bills Littered With Bad Environmental Riders; A Budget That Failed To
Address ANY Environmental Shortfalls

The Senate and House Thursday finished work on the final


pieces of the budget revenue package to deal with the states
$2.2 billion budget deficit and fund the FY 2017-18 budget.
They passed Tax Code, Fiscal Code, gaming expansion and
Education Code bills, along with bills funding the state-related
universities of Penn State, Pitt, Temple, Lincoln and the
University of Pennsylvania Veterinary School and sent them to
Gov. Wolf.
The previous week they passed an Administrative Code bill
that completes the package.
Senate Majority Leader Jake Corman (R-Centre) and House Majority Leader David Reed
(R-Indiana) both expressed the hope their work on the revenue package will not only fill the
budget hole left over from last year, but this year and next fiscal year as well.
With their budget work done, the Senate and House will break for the election and are not
scheduled to return to Harrisburg until November 13.
Key Elements Of Revenue Package
Here are the key ingredients in the revenue package--
-- $1.5 billion borrowed by securitizing or liquidating the Tobacco Settlement monies
Pennsylvania receives;
-- $300 million in special fund transfers to the General Fund to be picked by the Governor;
-- $200 million transfer to General Fund from the Professional Liability Joint Underwriting
Association Fund;
-- $238.5 million from gaming expansion application and license fees, $25 million from
iGaming, $10 million for Lottery Fund-- recurring revenue of an estimated $80 to $90 million;
-- $43.5 million from expanding Sales Tax to online marketplaces;
-- $31.7 million from a 12 percent tax on expanding the kinds of fireworks purchased in the
state; and
-- Hope that state revenues continue to run above estimates.
Tax Code
The Senate Wednesday voted 29 to 21 to send a Tax Code bill-- House Bill 542
(Thomas-D- Philadelphia)-- to the Governors desk with NO unrelated environmental riders.
The bill authorizes the Commonwealth Financing Authority to borrow $1.5 billion by
securitizing or liquidating the Tobacco Settlement and possibly some other General Fund
monies, would apply the Sales Tax to online marketplaces ($43.5 million) and impose a new 12
percent assessment on fireworks purchases ($31.7 million).
Also included are provisions related to the Net Operating Loss in the event of an adverse
PA Supreme Court decision, changes to the timing and withholding of individual and lease taxes,
a deduction for manufacturing innovation and reinvestment was added along with establishing
two film production tax credit districts and an entertainment economic enhancement program tax
credit for rehearsal areas.
There are no commercial storage, hotel or natural gas severance taxes.
There are no unrelated environmental riders or a natural gas severance tax, but it does
include a provision extending the Wild Resource Conservation Tax Checkoff indefinitely.
Click Here for a House Fiscal Note and summary.
Fiscal Code
The House Tuesday voted 109 to 75 to send a Fiscal Code bill-- House Bill 674 (Sponsor
Withdrew)-- to the Governor with a long list of environmental riders and a general provision
requiring the transfer of $300 million from unnamed special funds to the General Fund to
balance the state budget.
The transfer provision requires the Governor to develop the list of special funds from
which to take the $300 million and then submit that list to the State Treasurer.
The bill was passed after attempts to amend the bill and declare it unconstitutional with
respect to the provisions dealing with cessation of oil and gas well royalties were beaten back.
Environmental riders include--
-- Oil and Gas Lease Fund: Transfers $20 million [supposed to be $35 million] from the Oil
and Gas Lease Fund to the Marcellus Shale Legacy Fund for distribution to the Environmental
Stewardship Fund and $15 million transferred to the Marcellus Legacy Fund to transfer to the
Hazardous Sites Cleanup Fund.
-- Air Pollution Act Transfer: Transfers $30.4 million from a settlement by the Attorney
General relating to violations of the Air Pollution Control Act by Volkswagen received during
the fiscal year to the General Fund.
-- Small Water And Sewer System Funding: $15 million available for small water and sewer
projects with a cost of not less than $30,00 or more than $500,000. Transfers an additional $10
million from Building PA Program to small water and sewer projects.
-- Funding Sewer/Water Laterals: Allows public municipal authorities to use funds to replace
private water and sewer laterals.
-- Susquehanna and Delaware River Basin Commissions: Authorizes the Auditor General to
audit the river basin commissions and the commissions shall reimburse the Auditor General for
the cost of the audit. In addition, no more than 25 percent of the appropriations to the
commissions may be spent in any quarter.
-- Increase Access To Natural Gas: $6 million transfer from the Building Pennsylvania
Program to the Natural Gas Infrastructure Development Fund to improve access to retail use of
natural gas for schools, hospitals and businesses.
-- Repeals Drilling Moratorium End Date In Southeast: Repeals the January 1, 2018
expiration on the drilling moratorium in the South Newark Basin in Southeast PA.
-- Temporary Cessation Of Oil & Gas Wells: Provisions relating to payments of royalties
during periods of nonproduction.
-- Washington Crossing State Park: Requires DCNR to spend $2.2 million on maintenance
and upkeep of the park.
Click Here for a Senate Fiscal Note and summary. Click Here for a House Fiscal Note
and summary.
Administrative Code
The House and Senate Wednesday sent the Administrative Code bill-- House Bill 118
(Kaufer-R-Luzerne)-- containing a whole series of environmental riders to the Governor for his
action, even though they gave final approval to the bill on October 18.
The environmental riders (some bad, a few good) include--
-- Recycling Fee Extension: Removes the sunset date for the $2/ton municipal waste recycling
fee and funds will remain in the Recycling fund for grants.
-- Solar Borders: Requiring solar energy credits under the Alternative Energy Portfolio
Standards to be purchased within Pennsylvania. [Senate Bill 404 this session, House Bill 2040
last session.]
-- Manganese Standard: Directs the Environmental Quality Board to adopt a proposed
manganese standard within 90 days that includes the 1 milligram/liter manganese standard
established under 25 Pa Code Chapter 93.7 and insure the standard is met at the point of intake
for water suppliers (25 Pa Code Chapter 96.3). The 1 milligram/liter standard is 20 times the
level of manganese that water suppliers are allowed to have in their water supplies, according to
EPAs secondary maximum contaminant level.
-- Conventional Oil & Gas Wastewater Treatment: Requires water treatment facilities
providing water disposal services exclusively to conventional oil and gas wells shall be allowed
to operate under existing permits through December 31, 2019. [Supported by conventional oil &
gas drilling industry and applies to three privately-operated conventional wastewater treatment
facilities.]
-- Wyoming County State Park: Requires DCNR to conduct a feasibility study for the
establishment of a state park in Wyoming County, including an appraisal of the fair market value
of property proposed for a state park. [No funding provided.]
Click Here for a copy of the House Fiscal Note and summary. Click Here for a copy of
the Senate Fiscal Note and summary.
FY 2017-18 Spending Plan Failed To Address ANY Environmental Shortfalls
Just to refresh everyones memory, the General Fund spending plan passed June 30 and
that became law without Gov. Wolfs signature failed to address ANY of the environmental
shortfalls pointed out during multiple Senate and House budget hearings this year.
The budget bill-- House Bill 218 (Saylor-R-York)-- did not address the shortfalls in
DEPs Safe Drinking Water Program criticized by EPA for failing to have the resources to meet
minimum federal requirements for inspections and other obligations.
DEPs General Fund budget in the new year-- $147.7 million-- is $17.9 million BELOW
what it was in 1994-95-- $165.6 million and 40 percent BELOW what it was in 2002-03-- $245.6
million. Plus a $118 million balance left from FY 2015-16.
Since 2002-03, the General Assembly cut DEP's General Fund budget 40 percent.
This means DEP will have to continue to rely on permit fee increases to fund its
programs.
Agency Highlights
Some other budget highlights include--
-- DEP: slight decrease from $148.3 million to $147.7 million, thats higher than the House
Republican-passed budget in April of $139.3 million.
-- Personnel line-items essentially level funded
-- Conservation Districts same as last year $2.5 million
-- West Nile Virus & Zika Virus slight cut $5.3 million to $5.2 million
-- Black Fly same as last year $3.3 million
-- Susquehanna River Basin Commission cut in half $473,000 to $237,000
-- Delaware River Basin Commission cut in half $434,000 to $217,000
-- Interstate Commission On The Potomac River cut in half $46,000 to $23,000-- Chesapeake
Bay Commission same as last year $275,000
-- DCNR: Slight decrease from $106.9 million to $105.5 million, thats higher than the House
Republican-passed budget, but primarily due to a significant increase in using General Fund
monies to fund agency operations, rather than the Oil and Gas Lease Fund monies. However,
there is still a $4.7 million overall increase in DCNR budget (not shown on the budget
spreadsheet) as a result of a transfer from the Lease Fund. There is a total transfer of $61.2
million from the Fund -- $11.2 million of that to pay for DCNR State Park and Forestry
operations and $50 million to fund recreation and conservation projects (page 366, House Bill
218). [Gov. Wolf put $500,000 from State Park Operations in budgetary reserve in August.]
-- Heritage Parks same as last year $2.875 million [Gov. Wolf put $625,000 of this in budgetary
reserve in August.]
-- Agriculture: Slight increase from $143.6 million to $144.1 million, thats higher than the
House Republican-passed budget in April, but due primarily to $30 million in funding for the
University of Pennsylvania Veterinary School
-- Conservation Districts same as last year - $869,000
-- Nutrient Management Fund same as last year - $2.7 million
Click Here for the FY 2017-18 Senate Republican budget spreadsheet. Click Here for the
FY 2017-18 Senate Democratic budget spreadsheet. Click Here for House Republican budget
spreadsheet. Click Here for the Senate Democratic summary of DCNR, DEP budget. Click
Here for Senate Democratic Agriculture budget summary.
Quick Budget Bill Scorecard
Heres a quick scorecard on all the budget-related bills now on the Governors desk--
--Tax Code bill-- House Bill 542 (Thomas-D- Philadelphia)-- does NOT have the harmful
environmental riders. Click Here for House Fiscal Note and summary.
-- Fiscal Code bill-- House Bill 674 (sponsor withdrew) WITH $300 million in fund transfers,
environmental riders. Click Here for House Fiscal Note and summary.
-- Administrative Code bill-- House Bill 118 (Kaufer-R-Luzerne)-- WITH environmental
riders. Click Here for Senate Fiscal Note and summary.
-- State-Related Universities-- Senate Bill 325 (University of Pennsylvania), Senate Bill 326
(Penn State), Senate Bill 327 (Pitt), Senate Bill 328 (Temple), Senate Bill 329 (Lincoln
University)-- were signed into law Friday by Gov. Wolf.
-- Severance Tax-- NOT part of the FY 2017-18 budget package, the natural gas production
severance tax bill-- House Bill 1401 (DiGirolamo-R- Bucks)-- was removed from the Table and
is now on the House Calendar for action.
The Next Budget
And in a little more than three months, Gov. Wolf will present his FY 2018-19 budget
proposal and we start this all over again.
Related Stories:
Analysis: Environmental Riders Never Voted On By The House Or Senate Keep Showing Up In
Budget Bills, And Its Getting Worse
State Treasurer Authorizes $1.8 Billion Line Of Credit For General Fund
NewsClips:
Op-Ed: Budget Bills Do Not Honor Our Environmental Rights In PA, Alan Peterson, MD
Micek: Wolf Presses For Tax On Gas Drillers
Wolf Urges New Severance Tax
Op-Ed: Natural Gas Severance Tax Thats Not Worth The Price, Rep. Vitali
Op-Ed: Severance Tax Supporter Now Against It Because Of Permitting Tradeoffs, Rep. Vitali
Op-Ed: Gas Drilling Is Good For State Economy, Marcellus Shale Coalition
Editorial: When All Else Fails, Roll The Dice In Budget Mess
Delco Uses $65K For 14-Acre Open Space Parcel Funded By Act 13 Impact Fee
Wolf To Evaluate Plan To Close Budget Gap, Expand Gambling In PA
Legislature Expands Gambling, Borrows $1.5B To Balance Budget, Will Wolf Sign?
House Passes Final Budget Piece, Ball Moves To Wolfs Court
AP: Massive Borrowing, Gambling Bills Advance In Budget Scramble
Thompson: Senate Sends Big Budget Patch To Wolfs Desk
More Borrowing, More Gambling: How Theyre Breaking Budget Impasse
Murphy: Balanced Budget is Finally Close At Hand
AP: Senate Eyes House Budget Plan Thats Short Of What It Wanted
AP: PAs Budget Fight Will Come With Its Own Price Tag
Thompson: House Passes Fiscal Code Keeping Budget Progress On Track
[Posted: Oct. 27, 2017]

Analysis: Environmental Riders Never Voted On By The House/Senate Keep Showing Up


In Budget Bills, And Its Getting Worse

The tactic of hooking last minute riders to budget bills


passed by the Senate and House is now being used on
a much more frequent basis to kill or change programs
that have nothing to do with the budget and only very
infrequently to do something positive for the
environment.
Here are some examples from the current
budget bills on the Governors desk and from
budget-related bills in 2016, 2014 and 2013.
As you can see, the breadth and scope of the
environmental riders added, or attempted to be added, to the budget-related bills is increasing
dramatically.
Administrative Code
The Administrative Code bill-- House Bill 118 (Kaufer-R-Luzerne)-- now on the
Governors desk includes these never before seen riders or provisions never voted on before--
-- Changing Manganese Standard: Directs the Environmental Quality Board to adopt a
proposed manganese standard within 90 days that includes the 1 milligram/liter manganese
standard established under 25 Pa Code Chapter 93.7 and insure the standard is met at the point of
intake for water suppliers (25 Pa Code Chapter 96.3). The 1 milligram/liter standard is 20 times
the level of manganese that water suppliers are allowed to have in their water supplies, according
to EPAs secondary maximum contaminant level.
-- Conventional Oil & Gas Wastewater Treatment: Requires water treatment facilities
providing water disposal services exclusively to conventional oil and gas wells shall be allowed
to operate under existing permits through December 31, 2019. Supported by conventional oil &
gas drilling industry and applies to three privately-operated conventional wastewater treatment
facilities.
-- Solar Borders: Requiring solar energy credits under the Alternative Energy Portfolio
Standards to be purchased within Pennsylvania. Senate Bill 404 this session, House Bill 2040
last session.
-- Wyoming County State Park: Requires DCNR to conduct a feasibility study for the
establishment of a state park in Wyoming County, including an appraisal of the fair market value
of property proposed for a state park.
Fiscal Code
The Fiscal Code bill-- House Bill 674 (Sponsor Withdrew)-- includes these never before
seen riders or provisions never voted on before.
-- Temporary Cessation Of Oil & Gas Wells: Provisions relating to payments of royalties
during periods of nonproduction.
-- Susquehanna and Delaware River Basin Commissions: Authorizes the Auditor General to
audit the river basin commissions and the commissions shall reimburse the Auditor General for
the cost of the audit. In addition, no more than 25 percent of the appropriations to the
commissions may be spent in any quarter.
-- Air Pollution Act Transfer: Transfers $30.4 million from a settlement by the Attorney
General relating to violations of the Air Pollution Control Act by Volkswagen received during
the fiscal year to the General Fund.
2017 - It Could Have Been Worse
In the it could have been worse category, the original Senate-passed version of the Tax
Code Bill-- House Bill 542, Printers Number 2259-- included these provisions that would have
emasculated DEPs ability to regulate air, water, mining, oil and gas and waste--
-- Third Party Permitting: Directed DEP to establish a third-party permitting program to
authorize a licensed professional landscape architect, engineer, land surveyor or geologist to
issue any of DEPs permits without being either qualified or having to comply with conflict of
interest requirements.
-- Legislative Approval Of Methane Permits For Oil & Gas Operations: Establishing a
7-person Committee-- 6 of them General Assembly appointments-- to approve the final DEP
General Permits covering methane emissions from oil and gas operations.
-- Deemed Approved Oil & Gas Permits: Require oil and gas permits to be deemed approved
if DEP did not review them within certain timeframes.
Fortunately, industry and business leaders distanced themselves from these provisions
just after they saw the light of day and the turmoil it raised.
2016 Veto Of Fiscal Code Riders
In March of 2016, Gov. Wolf vetoed a Fiscal Code bill-- House Bill 1327
(Peifer-R-Pike)-- that contained provisions to kill DEPs Chapter 78 conventional drilling
regulations and make DEP start over and another that slowed consideration of any state plan to
comply with the EPA Clean Power Climate Plan.
The veto forced the Senate and House to make the changes, but this time through the
regular legislative process, which they did.
In July 2016, the Fiscal Code bill that was signed into law-- House Bill 1605
(James-R-Butler)-- included a provision that exempts any well that does not penetrate the
Onondaga horizon from the Oil and Gas Conservation Law which came from Senate Bill 1145
(Yaw-R-Lycoming).
Also in July 2016, the Tax Code bill-- House Bill 1198 (Barrar-R-Delaware)-- included a
new tax credit for Coal Refuse Energy and Reclamation.
2014 Amendment Changes Conventional Oil & Gas Well Regulations
The Fiscal Code bill in 2014-- House Bill 278 (Baker-R-Tioga)-- contained an
amendment forcing DEP to promulgate separate conventional and unconventional oil and gas
regulations to update environmental protection requirements further delaying the regulations.
The forces behind the delay tried again, as noted above, to kill the conventional
regulations all together in another Fiscal Code bill that was vetoed by the Gov. Wolf. Ultimately
they succeeded by passing separate legislation.
In this same Fiscal Code bill, Gov. Corbett line-item vetoed provisions related to
$150,000 for independent research on natural gas drilling and legislative earmarks for sewage
facilities planning and operations and for Washington Crossing Historical Park.
The legal challenge to this veto is now before the PA Supreme Court after being upheld
by Commonwealth Court.
2013 Fiscal Code Surprises
In 2013, the Fiscal Code bill-- Senate Bill 591 (Vulakovich-D-Allegheny)-- that became
law contained provisions-
-- Ending Consumer Energy Program: Eliminating General Fund appropriations to DEP for
the Consumer Energy Program for FY 2012-13 and FY 2013-14;
-- Natural Gas Research: Appropriated $150,000 for independent research regarding natural
gas drilling to DEP;
-- Sewage Facilities Planning Grants: Gave priorities to municipalities in counties of the sixth,
seventh and eighth class with approved applications for Sewage Facilities Planning Grants;
-- Extended Storage Tank Fund Payback: Extended the payback of the Storage Tank Fund to
July 2029,
-- Funding Certain Sewage/Water Projects: $3 million was appropriated to the
Commonwealth Financing Authority for water and sewer projects costing between $50,000 and
$150,000; and
-- Washington Crossing Historic Park: Directing DCNR to enter into an agreement to manage
Washington Crossing Historic Park with the PA Historical and Museum Commission.
With the budget landscape being increasingly littered with environmental riders-- many
up to no go-- it will ultimately be up to Commonwealth Court and the PA Supreme Court to
decide whether this practice is constitutional and how far legislators can go.
In June, the PA Supreme Court issued an opinion declaring the 2009 and 2010 Fiscal
Code and other amendments diverting more than $478 million from DCNRs Oil and Gas Fund
to the General Fund unconstitutional because there was no evidence the General Assembly
considered the use of the funds in its role as public trustee for natural resources under the
Environmental Rights Amendment to the state constitution.
Future decisions on this issue should be just as interesting.
(Written By: David E. Hess, Former Secretary, Department of Environmental Protection.)
Related Stories:
Final Budget Bills Littered With Bad Environmental Riders; A Budget That Failed To Address
ANY Environmental Shortfalls
State Treasurer Authorizes $1.8 Billion Line Of Credit For General Fund
NewsClips:
Op-Ed: Budget Bills Do Not Honor Our Environmental Rights In PA, Alan Peterson, MD
Micek: Wolf Presses For Tax On Gas Drillers
Wolf Urges New Severance Tax
Op-Ed: Natural Gas Severance Tax Thats Not Worth The Price, Rep. Vitali
Op-Ed: Severance Tax Supporter Now Against It Because Of Permitting Tradeoffs, Rep. Vitali
Op-Ed: Gas Drilling Is Good For State Economy, Marcellus Shale Coalition
Editorial: When All Else Fails, Roll The Dice In Budget Mess
Delco Uses $65K For 14-Acre Open Space Parcel Funded By Act 13 Impact Fee
Wolf To Evaluate Plan To Close Budget Gap, Expand Gambling In PA
Legislature Expands Gambling, Borrows $1.5B To Balance Budget, Will Wolf Sign?
House Passes Final Budget Piece, Ball Moves To Wolfs Court
AP: Massive Borrowing, Gambling Bills Advance In Budget Scramble
Thompson: Senate Sends Big Budget Patch To Wolfs Desk
More Borrowing, More Gambling: How Theyre Breaking Budget Impasse
Murphy: Balanced Budget is Finally Close At Hand
AP: Senate Eyes House Budget Plan Thats Short Of What It Wanted
AP: PAs Budget Fight Will Come With Its Own Price Tag
Thompson: House Passes Fiscal Code Keeping Budget Progress On Track
[Posted: Oct. 27, 2017]

Senate Sends Natural Gas Pipeline Safety, PA One Call Bill To Governor:
https://goo.gl/qer4hZ

The Senate Monday gave final approval to Senate Bill


242 (Baker-R-Luzerne) adding unconventional and larger
conventional natural gas gathering lines to the PA One
Call utility safety program.
The bill now goes to the Governor for his action.
There are now an estimated 100,000 miles of unmapped
natural gas pipelines in Pennsylvania vulnerable to hits
from construction and digging equipment.
Prime sponsor Sen. Lisa Baker (R-Luzerne) noted in a
background memo on the bill there are more than 6,000 incidents of striking utility lines every
year, with approximately half involving natural gas lines because facility owners do not join the
PA One Call program or for other reasons. Click Here for more.
Public Utility Commission members issued statements on final passage of the legislation.
There are about 6,000 reported hits on underground facilities across Pennsylvania every
year, which means that a pipeline or other vital utility system is struck once every 20 minutes
during the average workday, noted Commissioner John F. Coleman Jr., who has been a strong
advocate for safety improvements. Our goal from Day One is to cut the number of those
incidents by eliminating exemptions and strengthening enforcement, as part of a focused
program to reduce risks to our contractors, utility workers and residents.
Speaking from my experience in the industry and as a farmer, I am acutely aware of the
potential dangers of underground lines and the dependence workers in the field have in knowing
where hazards lie, PUC Vice Chairman Andrew Place told legislative leaders in a personal plea
for enhancements to the PA One Call program. Strengthening this program will impact both
public safety and public confidence in energy and utility development across Pennsylvania.
We thank Sen. Baker for her prime sponsorship of this important legislation and the
General Assembly for addressing this key safety issue, said PUC Chairman Gladys M. Brown.
This is a step forward for utility, contractor and consumer safety in Pennsylvania and we will
now turn our attention to implementing these improvements.
Hits on underground utility systems are not only a hazard to workers and bystanders, but
also result in service interruptions, possible environmental damage and costly repairs to damaged
lines which drives up the cost of utility service for everyone, said Commissioner David W.
Sweet. The improvements to the PA One Call law are the result of a collaborative effort by
legislators, contractors, utilities, municipalities and other stakeholders, all with a shared goal of
making Pennsylvania a safer place to live and work.
A House Fiscal Note and summary is available.
NewsClips:
Legere: PA One Call Utility Safety Program Expanded
PUC Halts Mariner East 2 Pipeline Plan To Build Valve In West Goshen Twp., Chester County
Priest, 5 Others Arrested At Atlantic Sunrise Pipeline Construction Site
Atlantic Sunrise Pipeline Protest Continues In Lancaster With More Arrests
Atlantic Sunrise Pipeline Funds Conestoga Community Pool, Firefighter Other Local Programs
[Posted: Oct. 23, 2017]

Bills On Governor's Desk

The following bills were given final approval by the Senate and House and are now on the
Governor's desk for action--

Budget - State-Related Universities-- Senate Bill 325 (University of Pennsylvania), Senate Bill
326 (Penn State), Senate Bill 327 (Pitt), Senate Bill 328 (Temple), Senate Bill 329 (Lincoln
University)-- were signed into law Friday by Gov. Wolf.

Budget - Tax Code: House Bill 542 (Thomas-D-Philadelphia) budget-related tax and borrowing
provisions to implement the FY 2017-18 budget. A House Fiscal Note and summary is available.
Click Here for more.

Budget - Fiscal Code: House Bill 674 (Bernstine-R- Beaver) amending the Fiscal Code to
implement the FY 2017-18 General Fund budget. A Senate Fiscal Note and summary is
available. Click Here for more.

Budget - Administrative Code: House Bill 118 (Kaufer-R-Luzerne) amends the Administrative
Code with the Senate-passed budget revenue package-- WITH a series of environmental riders.
One provision removes the sunset date for the $2/ton Recycling Fee. A House Fiscal Note and
summary is available. Click Here for more.

Noxious Weeds: House Bill 790 (Pashinski-D-Luzerne) repeal the Noxious Weed Control Law
and replace with the Controlled Plant and Noxious Weed Act. A House Fiscal Note and
summary is available.

Utility Line Safety: Senate Bill 242 (Baker-R- Luzerne) adding unconventional and larger
conventional natural gas gathering lines to the PA One Call utility safety program. House Fiscal
Note and summary.

Performance-Based Budgeting: Senate Bill 181 (Mensch-R-Montgomery) providing for a


performance-based budgeting (exempting appropriations to the General Assembly and the
Judiciary) and creating a Performance-Based Budget Board. A House Fiscal Note and summary
is available.

Construction Code: House Bill 176 (Pickett-R-Susquehanna) amending the Construction Code
to exempt roadside farm stands. A House Fiscal Note and summary is available. Signed into
law as Act 35.

Construction Code: House Bill 409 (Evankovich-R- Allegheny) making changes to the process
for adopting amendments to the Uniform Construction Code. A Senate Fiscal Note and
summary is available. Signed into law as Act 36.

Senate/House Bills Moving Last Week

The following bills of interest saw action last week in the House and Senate--

House

Budget - Fiscal Code: House Bill 674 (Bernstine-R- Beaver) was amended with a variety of
provisions related to implementing the $31.9 billion General Fund budget, reported from the
Senate Appropriations Committee and passed by the Senate. A Senate Fiscal Note and summary
is available. The bill was concurred in by the House by a vote of 109 to 75 and now goes to the
Governor for his action. Click Here for more.

Noxious Weeds: House Bill 790 (Pashinski-D-Luzerne) repeal the Noxious Weed Control Law
and replace with the Controlled Plant and Noxious Weed Act was reported from the House Rules
Committee and was concurred in by the House and now goes to the Governor for his action. A
House Fiscal Note and summary is available.

Performance-Based Budgeting: Senate Bill 181 (Mensch-R-Montgomery) providing for a


performance-based budgeting (exempting appropriations to the General Assembly and the
Judiciary) and creating a Performance-Based Budget Board was passed by the House and
concurred in by the Senate. A House Fiscal Note and summary is available. The bill now goes
to the Governor for his action.

Vehicle Emissions Inspection: House Bill 86 (Lawrence-R-Chester) eliminate vehicle


emissions testing for vehicle model years 1992-1995 was referred into and out of the House
Appropriations Committee and was passed by the House. A House Fiscal Note and summary is
available. The bill now goes to the Senate for action.

Severance Tax: House Bill 1401 (DiGirolamo-R-Bucks) which amends the Tax Code to impose
a sliding scale natural gas severance tax, in addition to the Act 13 drilling impact fee, on natural
gas production was amended to divert all revenues to the General Fund and NO money for
environmental programs and add provisions related to minimum landowner oil and gas royalties
was removed from the Table and is now on the House Calendar for action.

Coal, Nuclear Power Pricing: House Resolution 576 (Pyle-R-Armstrong) urging the Federal
Energy Regulatory Commission to quickly implement policies to ensure baseload electricity
generation (like coal and nuclear) are compensated for all the positive attributes they provide to
the electric system was amended to make it a House-only resolution and reported out of the
House Consumer Affairs Committee and adopted by the House by a vote of 176 to 9.

Lead Poisoning Awareness: House Resolution 527 (Bullock-D-Philadelphia) recognizing


October 22 - 28 as National Lead Poisoning Prevention Week (sponsor summary) was adopted
by the House.

Senate

Budget - Tax Code: House Bill 542 (Thomas-D-Philadelphia) budget-related tax and borrowing
provisions to implement the FY 2017-18 budget was reported from the Senate Rules Committee
and passed by a vote of 29 to 21. A House Fiscal Note and summary is available. The bill now
goes to the Governor for his action. Click Here for more.

Utility Line Safety: Senate Bill 242 (Baker-R- Luzerne) adding unconventional and larger
conventional natural gas gathering lines to the PA One Call utility safety program (House Fiscal
Note and summary) was reported from the Senate Rules Committee and concurred in by the
Senate. The bill now goes to the Governor for his action. Click Here for more.

Pittsburgh Water Authority: House Bill 1490 (Turzai-R-Allegheny) placing the Pittsburgh
Water and Sewer Authority under the regulation of the Public Utility Commission was amended
on the Senate Floor and was passed by the Senate. The bill returns to the House for a
concurrence vote.

Limiting Term Of Fish Commission Executive Director: Senate Bill 935 (Scarnati-R-
Jefferson) would limit the term of the Executive Director of the Fish and Boat Commission to
eight years was reported from the Senate Game and Fisheries Committee by party-line vote
(Republicans supporting), referred into and out of the Senate Appropriations Committee and
passed by a vote of 34 to 16. A Senate Fiscal Note and summary is available. The bill now goes
to the House for action.

Local Clean Energy Funding: Senate Bill 234 (Blake-D-Lackawanna) would authorize local
governments to create energy improvement districts to help fund energy efficiency, renewable
energy and water conservation projects by commercial and industrial buildings to reduce their
operating costs was amended and reported out of the Senate Community, Economic and
Recreational Development Committee and is now on the Senate Calendar for action.

Lawn Fertilizer: Senate Bill 792 (Alloway-R-Franklin) requiring law fertilizer applicators to be
certified in application techniques and creates an education program was reported from the
Senate Appropriations Committee and is on the Senate Calendar for action. Click Here for more.

Coal/Nuclear Power Pricing: Senate Resolution 227 (Aument-R- Lancaster) urging the Federal
Energy Regulatory Commission to quickly implement policies to ensure baseload electricity
generation (like coal and nuclear) are compensated for all the positive attributes they provide to
the electric system (sponsor summary) was reported out of the Senate Consumer Protection and
Professional Licensure Committee, amended on the Senate Floor to make it a Senate Resolution
only and was adopted by the Senate by a vote of 42 to 8.

Vehicle Emission Inspections: Senate Resolution 168 (Langerholc-R-Cambria) directing the


Joint State Government Commission to establish an advisory committee to review the vehicle
emissions inspection program was adopted by the Senate.

Senate/House Agenda/Session Schedule/Govs Schedule/ Bills Introduced

Here are the Senate and House Calendars for the next voting session day and Committees
scheduling action on bills of interest as well as a list of new environmental bills introduced--

Bill Calendars

House (Nov. 13): House Bill 1401 (DiGirolamo-R-Bucks) which amends the Tax Code to
impose a sliding scale natural gas severance tax, in addition to the Act 13 drilling impact fee, on
natural gas production was amended to divert all revenues to the General Fund and NO money
for environmental programs and add provisions related to minimum landowner oil and gas
royalties; House Resolution 284 (Moul-R-Adams) urging Congress to repeal the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agencys MS4 Stormwater Pollution Prevention Program (sponsor
summary). <> Click Here for full House Bill Calendar.
Senate (Nov. 13): Senate Bill 234 (Blake-D-Lackawanna) would authorize local governments to
create energy improvement districts to help fund energy efficiency, renewable energy and water
conservation projects by commercial and industrial buildings to reduce their operating costs;
Senate Bill 792 (Alloway-R-Franklin) requiring law fertilizer applicators to be certified in
application techniques and creates an education program. <> Click Here for full Senate Bill
Calendar.

Committee Meeting Agendas This Week

House: the House Republican Policy Committee holds a hearing on the impact of the
permanent drilling moratorium being proposed by the Delaware River Basin Commission in
Wayne County. <> Click Here for full House Committee Schedule.

Senate: the Environmental Resources and Energy Committee holds a hearing on lead
exposure and mitigation in Luzerne County <> Click Here for full Senate Committee Schedule.

Bills Pending In Key Committees

Check the PA Environmental Council Bill Tracker for the status and updates on pending state
legislation and regulations that affect environmental and conservation efforts in Pennsylvania.

Bills Introduced

The following bills of interest were introduced last week--

Public-Private Partnership Projects: House Bill 1891 (Evankovich-R-Allegheny) establishing


a Public Private Partnership Pilot Program to build and operate educational facilities, state or
local government building, safety improvements to existing infrastructure, parking facilities,
water supply, stormwater and wastewater treatment facilities and communications and utility
infrastructure - former House Bill 2113 (sponsor summary).

Session Schedule

Here is the latest voting session schedule for the Senate and House--

Senate
November 13, 14, 15
December 11, 12, 13, 18, 19, 20

House
November 13, 14, 15, 20, 21, 22,
December 4, 5, 6, 11, 12, 13, 18, 19, 20

Governors Schedule
Gov. Tom Wolf's work calendar will be posted each Friday and his public schedule for the day
will be posted each morning. Click Here to view Gov. Wolfs Weekly Calendar and Public
Appearances.

The Feds

President Trump Nominates J. Steven Gardner To Lead Federal Office Of Surface Mining

President Donald J. Trump Thursday announced the nomination of J.


Steven Gardner to be the Director of the federal Office of Surface
Mining, Reclamation & Enforcement at the U.S. Department of the
Interior.
I am beyond humbled and honored to be nominated by President
Trump for the Director of OSMRE, said Gardner. My whole life, I
have been involved with mining on multiple levels and I understand the
importance of these issues to the communities we serve. I pledge to
work every day on behalf of the men and women across this country
who look to the OSMRE office as a partner in bettering life for all people on mining lands.
Steve Gardner is currently serving as the President and CEO of ECSI, LLC, a consulting
practice where he focused on natural resources, mining, reclamation, energy, environmental,
health and safety issues.
As a Licensed Professional Engineer, Gardner has worked on projects throughout the
U.S. and internationally. Gardner was the 2015 President of the Society for Mining, Metallurgy
and Exploration (SME) and is recognized as a Distinguished Member.
It is very welcome news to learn that President Trump has nominated Steve Gardner to
OSMRE as its next Director, said SME Executive Director David L. Kanagy. Steves more
than 40 years in the mining industry gives him the needed understanding of todays mining
operations and underscores his ability to lead this bureau in a changing industry. Steve has run
his own engineering consultancy business where he has worked with a wide range of mining
companies and a variety of commodities and fuels. He is very well respected in the industry as
evidenced by his election to serve as the SME President in 2015 and his recognition as an SME
Distinguished Member.
Greg Conrad, Executive Director of the Interstate Mining Compact Commission, also
expressed his personal support for Steve Gardner noting his outstanding credentials and his
knowledge of the intricacies of the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act, in particular
the importance of state primacy under the Act as well as the state/federal relationship envisioned
by the Act.
Mr. Gardner has an MS in Mining Engineering with a Graduate Certification in
Environmental Systems and a BS in Agricultural Engineering from the University of Kentucky.
In 2011, he was inducted into the College of Engineering Hall of Distinction. He has
previously served on the University of Kentucky Mining Engineering Foundation, Kentucky
Geological Survey, Biosystems & Agricultural Engineering Advisory Boards, and was a member
of the Kentucky Board of Licensure for Professional Engineers and Surveyors.
The Bureau of OSMRE is responsible for establishing a nationwide program to protect
society and the environment from the adverse effects of surface coal mining operations, under
which OSMRE is charged with balancing the nations need for continued domestic coal
production with protection of the environment.
OSMRE provides critical support to Pennsylvania in the regulation of active coal mines
and in the reclamation of abandoned mines.
NewsClips:
AP: Kentucky Engineer Picked To Head Surface Mining Agency
DEP Mine Reclamation Project Continues In Luzerne County
[Posted: Oct. 27, 2017]

News From The Capitol

Senate Passes Bill Limiting The Term Of Fish & Boat Commission Executive Directors

The Senate Wednesday voted 34 to 16 to pass Senate Bill 935 (Scarnati-R-Jefferson) which
would limit the term of the Executive Director of the Fish and Boat Commission to eight years.
Executive Directors are now selected by the Commission Board. The current Executive
Director-- John Arway-- was named to the position by the Board in March of 2010.
Arway has been a leading advocate for the Resource First policy, protecting and restoring
watersheds and for taking steps to put the Fish and Boat Commission on a sound financial
footing.
The bill now goes to the House for action. A Senate Fiscal Note and summary is
available.
NewsClip:
Bob Frye: Not So Subtle: Attempt To Limit Term Of Fish Commission Executive Director
[Posted: Oct. 25, 2017]

Lawn Fertilizer Bill Now On Senate Calendar For Action

The Senate Appropriations Committee reported out Senate Bill


792 (Alloway-R-Franklin) requiring lawn fertilizer applicators
to be certified in application techniques and creates an
education program on lawn fertilize application.
This legislation will reduce the environmental impact of
fertilizer applied to turf areas, such as lawns, golf courses and
athletic fields, while ensuring that all turf areas within the
Commonwealth will be able to receive adequate nutrients so
that adverse turf health will not result as an unintended
consequence, said Sen. Alloway.
In addition to setting clear standards for the application of fertilizer to turf, the bill will
also require all professional fertilizer applicators to be certified in proper application techniques
and best management practices, said Sen. Alloway. This legislation is specifically focused on
the lawn care industry and will not apply to agricultural production.
Similar legislation has already been enacted in Maryland, Virginia and New Jersey, and
the industry has expressed a strong desire for consistency across the region and state.
The bill is now on the Senate Calendar for action. A Senate Fiscal Note and summary is
available.
NewsClips:
DEP To Pay For 800 Ag Conservation Plans For Chesapeake Bay Cleanup
PA Projects Get $5.8M In Grants For Work To Protect Chesapeake Bay
Latest From The Chesapeake Bay Journal
Click Here to subscribe to the Chesapeake Bay Journal
Click Here to support the Chesapeake Bay Journal
Follow Chesapeake Bay Journal On Twitter
Like Chesapeake Bay Journal On Facebook
[Posted: Oct. 25, 2017]

Senate Committee OKs Bill To Fund Local Energy Efficiency Projects

The Senate Community, Economic and Recreational Development Committee voted to amend
and reported out Senate Bill 234 (Blake-D-Lackawanna) that would authorize local governments
to create energy improvement districts to help fund energy efficiency, renewable energy and
water conservation projects by commercial and industrial buildings to reduce their operating
costs.
The Property Assessed Clean Energy program is a proven-successful economic
development tool that enhances property values and employment opportunities; lowers the cost
of doing business; and expands the use of energy saving technologies, said Sen. John Blake
prime sponsor of the bill. Our legislation would give Pennsylvania businesses an opportunity to
make costly energy-saving upgrades with a creative, market-driven funding mechanism that does
not spend a dime of taxpayer money.
Under Senate Bill 234, PACE financing-- which can be used to purchase new heating and
cooling systems, lighting improvements, solar panels, water pumps and insulation-- would be
repaid in the form of a voluntary property tax assessment on the specific, improved building.
PACE is a commonsense, voluntary program, that doesnt cost taxpayers a penny.
PACE increases the use of energy-saving and environmentally-conscious technology, saves
businesses money, and will create family-sustaining jobs throughout the commonwealth because
of sales and installations, said Sen. Guy Reschenthaler (R-Allegheny) a co-sponsor of the bill.
I look forward to working with my colleagues and the dozens of organizations that support the
proposed PACE legislation.
A local government would be able to choose to participate in or develop a PACE
financing program.
PACE financing would not require any public funds; participating local communities
would be tasked with collecting the assessment on the improved building and remit it for
payment on the debt incurred from the buildings energy-efficiency and clean energy technology
upgrades.
The bill is now on the Senate Calendar for action.
A companion bill-- House Bill 1722 (Harper-R-Montgomery)-- is pending in the House
Local Government Committee.
Sen. Mario Scavello (R-Monroe) serves as Majority Chair of the Committee and he can
be contacted by sending email to: mscavello@pasen.gov. Sen. Larry Farnese (D-Philadelphia)
serves as Minority Chair and can be contacted by sending email to: farnese@pasenate.com.
[Posted: Oct. 25, 2017]

Senate, House Adopt FERC Coal/Nuclear Electric Pricing Resolutions

The Senate voted 42 to 8 to adopt Senate Resolution 227 (Aument-R-Lancaster) and the House
voted 176 to 9 to adopt House Resolution 576 (Pyle-R-Armstrong) urging the Federal Energy
Regulatory Commission to quickly implement policies to ensure baseload electricity generation
(like coal and nuclear) are compensated for all the positive attributes they provide to the electric
system
The Senate resolution was introduced by Sen. Ryan Aument (R-Lancaster) and Sen.
Donald White (R-Indiana) the chairs of the Nuclear Energy and Coal Caucuses.
The House resolution was introduced by Rep. Becky Corbin (R-Chester) and Rep. Jeffrey
Pyle (R-Armstrong) the chairs of the Nuclear Energy and Coal Caucuses.
Exelon Thursday issued this statement in response to the Senate and House actions-- We
commend members of the Pennsylvania General Assembly for recognizing the need for
wholesale market reforms that fairly value baseload power generators that provide reliable, 24/7
electricity such as nuclear power plants, which produce 40 percent of Pennsylvanias electricity
and have 18-24 months of fuel on site at all times, making them resilient to inclement weather or
other supply disruptions and a zero-carbon power source for customers.
A sponsor summary is available.
Related Stories:
Post-Gazette: FirstEnergy Will Dump Coal, Nuclear Regardless Of What FERC Does
PUC Submits Comments To FERC Opposing DOE Coal/Nuclear Reliability Pricing
Peach Bottom Nuclear Power Station Begins Planned Refueling Outage
NewsClips:
Legislature Throws Its Support Behind Trump Energy Plan
Energy Supplier Calls For Competition, Not Subsidies For Nuclear, Coal
FirstEnergy CEO: Will Dump Coal, Nuclear Regardless Of What Federal Govt. Does To Help
Legere: FERC Commissioner Powelson Throws Doubt On Rule To Benefit Nuclear, Coal
PJM Says DOE Plan To Subsidize Coal, Nukes Not Workable
AP: Big Electric Grid Operator PJM Slams Trump Plan To Aid Coal, Nuclear Plants
PUC: DOE Coal/Nuclear Proposal Threatens Competitive Electricity Markets
DOE Coal, Nuclear Plant Subsidy Plan To Cost Taxpayers $10.6 Billion A Year
Plan To Support Coal, Nuclear Divides U.S. Energy Industry
Coal Industry Tells FERC Last 7 Years Was A Catastrophe It Must Now Fix
Puko: Trump Plan For Coal, Nuclear Power Draws Fire From Environmental, Oil Groups
Solar Power Costs To Fall By 60 Percent In Next 10 Years
Op-Ed: Trump Is Taking Right Steps To Ensure Our Energy Future
[Posted: Oct. 26, 2017]

House, Senate Send Performance-Based Budgeting Bill To Governor

The House and Senate gave final approval Wednesday to Senate Bill 181 (Mensch-R-
Montgomery) establishing a Performance-Based Budget Board and requiring agencies under the
Governors jurisdiction to justify their budget requests for all existing and proposed programs.
The legislation does not cover the expenditures of the General Assembly ($365.1 million)
or the Judiciary ($355.5 million) for a total of $720.6 million of the General Fund budget.
The Secretary of the Budget is required to establish a schedule of performance-based
reviews to ensure agencies are reviewed at least once every 5 years. The General Assembly may
direct an agency to undergo a review by concurrent resolution.
Agencies undergoing review will prepare a performance-based budget plan that gives a
detailed description of all agency line item appropriations and programs and describes
performance measures and objectives.
The plans are then submitted to the Independent Fiscal Office, the Secretary of the
Budget and the Chairs of the Senate and House Appropriations Committees.
The IFO is then directed to evaluate each plan and to develop performance measures for
each agency program or line item appropriation that include outcome-based measures, efficiency
measures, activity cost analysis and other indicators.
The plans and the IFOs review are then submitted to the Performance-Based Budget
Board to review the performance-based budget plans of state agencies and make
recommendations on how each agencys programs may be made more transparent, effective, and
efficient.
The Budget Board is made up of the Majority and Minority Chairs of the House and
Senate Appropriations Committees and the Governors Budget Secretary.
The agency budget plans approved by the Board are to be considered by the Governor
and the General Assembly in developing the Commonwealths annual budget.
The Secretary of the Budget and the Independent Fiscal Office is also directed to do a
review of state tax credit programs.
A House Fiscal Note and summary is available.
The bill now goes to the Governor for his action.
[Posted: Oct. 25, 2017]

Senate Hearing: E-Waste Recycling Law Broken, 5.1 Million CRTs, TVs Waiting To Be
Recycled In PA

The Senate Environmental Resources and


Energy Committee Tuesday held a hearing on
Senate Bill 800 (Alloway-R- Franklin) to
create a new Waste Electronic Equipment
Recovery Act to replace the 2010 Covered
Device Recycling Act that provides for the
collection and recycling of electronics waste.
While everyone offering comments on
the legislation agreed the current e-waste
recycling law is broken, there were differences on the degree of change needed.
The size of the e-waste challenge in Pennsylvania was defined by the PA Recycling
Markets Center-- there are an estimated 5.1 million CRT (cathode ray tube) monitors and TVs
alone waiting to be recycled in the state at a time when there are only 5 full service recycling
locations statewide with policies that do not restrict accepting them and other e-waste to be
recycled.
In March, DEP ordered Nulife to remove 17 million pounds of CRTs from 5 warehouses
in Erie and Mercer counties the company collected, but did not recycle, under the states e-waste
recycling law.
The Center said its surveys show there are about 932 million pounds of electronic devices
in consumer homes in the state-- 49.5 million devices: CRT monitors and TVs, flat panel
monitors and TVs, desktop and laptop computers, tablet and pads and printers.
Because the current law is broken, the illegal dumping of CRTs, TVs and other
electronics is increasing, according to Keep PA Beautiful and the PA Township Supervisors
Association.
Click Here to watch a video of the hearing and for written testimony. Click Here for a
summary of Senate Bill 800.
DEP
George Hartenstein, Deputy Secretary for Waste, Air, Radiation and Remediation for the
Department of Environmental Protection, told the Committee there are deficiencies with the
existing law and referred to testimony DEP previously gave to the Joint Legislative Conservation
Committee saying he did not want to repeat those points here.
He said the decline in opportunities for consumers to recycle electronics waste was a
particular problem with the current law. At the same time, he noted the e-waste program has
collected and recycled 263 million pounds of devices since the original law was passed in 2010
Hartenstein offered several specific recommendations--
-- Collection Centers: DEP supports the convenience collection center network established in
the legislation and the additional funding authorized to support those centers. He did suggest
instead of having DEP bid for collection and recycling services at these centers, the bill should
be changed to allow local bidding because that would be more efficient. He noted DEP does not
have the staff available to contract and run the state default plan as outlined in the bill.
-- Recycling Plans: Instead of having three different recycling plans, the bill should be
significantly simplified to allow only what is essentially the state default plan. This would
reduce the agencys overhead by eliminating the requirement to review and approve individual
recycling plans. DEP also supports take-back programs by manufacturers.
-- Retrievable Cells For CRTs: The option of allowing CRTs to be held in so-called retrievable
cells for later recycling represents disposal, not recycling, he said. Hartenstein said it is unlikely
the leaded glass in those CRTs would ever be recycled once put in those cells.
-- Recycle Everything Collected: DEP favors moving away from the weight-based goals to a
system that pays for recycling all e-waste collected.
-- Transition To A New Law: DEP recommended more of a transition between the old law and
any new program to allow more time to get the new program up and running.
-- Enforcement: The enforcement provisions should be clarified to make sure DEP has the tools
it needs to enforce the act.
In response to a question on the existing ban on landfilling electronics waste, Hartenstein
said DEP supports keeping e-waste out of disposal facilities, but it is ultimately a policy call.
Click Here for a copy of DEPs written testimony.
Electronics Manufacturers/Retailers
Walter Alcorn, Vice President for Environmental Affairs & Industrial Sustainability,
Consumer Technology Association told the Committee members in written testimony the
Association strongly opposes Senate Bill 800.
He said the existing electronics waste recycling law resulted in recycling 62.3 million
pounds of electronic devices in 2015 at a cost to manufacturers of more than $10 million.
Senate Bill 800, he said, is likely to double that cost, although the amount of electronic
devices needing recycling will continue to drop during the next 10 years, according to Alcorn.
He said Senate Bill 800 sends a signal that Pennsylvania favors government-run state
programs over private initiative-- all at the expense of electronics manufacturers and retailers.
Alcorn said the Association had made a number of recommendations for changing the
legislation that were included in his testimony. Among the changes proposed were--
-- Authorization to charge individuals a fee when they bring e-waste for recycling to support the
collection programs; and
-- Improved reporting by manufacturers.
Brian A. Rider, President & CEO, PA Retailers Association, said his group supports the
modest changes to the existing e-waste recycling law the Consumer Technology Association has
proposed.
He pointed out in Pennsylvania residents have recycled more than 32 million pounds of
electronics at Best Buy stores since 2012-- free of charge. [They stopped accepting TVs and
CRTs in 2016 in Pennsylvania.] Product lifecycle management is one of the pillars of Best
Buys sustainability commitment, he said.
The Association opposes the point of sale fees included in Senate Bill 800 because they
disproportionately impact retailers and disadvantage brick-and-mortar stores over online or
out-of-state sellers, he explained.
Rider said electronic waste collection is a service and the law should support the full
spectrum of consumer collection opportunities to encourage participation by the public.
Producers, retailers, recyclers, government, and consumers must share responsibility in
driving the success of electronics recycling and support economically sustainable solutions.
Francis Valluzo, Consultant, Valluzzo Government Strategies (Dell Computers), said
since the original electronics waste recycling law was passed, Dell has established a partnership
with Goodwill at 146 locations in 47 counties around the state recycling more than 13 million
pounds of used electronics. [They stopped accepting TVs and CRTs in 2013.]
Valluzo expressed a concern Senate Bill 800 would severely restrict manufacturer-funded
programs when flexibility is required to establish collection networks.
Requiring manufacturers to fund collection sites to collect all waste electronic equipment
puts an unfair financial and logistical burden on manufacturers. In addition, many of the
Goodwill recycling locations are not equipped to handle televisions, which could jeopardize
worker safety.
The proposed credit for up to 10 percent of the total collections in the legislation is
nowhere near incentive enough to offset the high cost to finance the collection program
envisioned in the bill and would result in winding down the Goodwill collection network Dell
supports in Pennsylvania.
He said Dell supports the Consumer Technology Associations recommended changes to
the bill.
Sen. Gene Yaw (R-Lycoming), Majority Chair of the Senate Environmental Resources
and Energy Committee, disagreed with the manufacturers contention the existing program is
working pretty well.
He pointed to his home county-- Lycoming-- that will stop accepting electronics waste at
the end of the year and there are many areas of the state in the same position.
Sen. Yaw said another Senator told him old TVs are sprouting on street corners like
flower pots because they cannot be recycled.
E-Waste Recyclers/Recycling Markets Center
Bob Bylone, President & Executive Director PA Recycling Markets Center, said over
the last 5 years the Center has offered 28 e-waste industry-driven programs attracting over 2,000
attendees and provides other services to e-waste processors and to the public and private e-waste
sectors.
These experiences contributed to the development of Senate Bill 800.
Through third-party verified citizen surveys in 2015, 2016 and 2017, the Center found--
-- Consumers want to recycle their electronics: In the 2017 survey over 46 percent said they
are willing to travel up to 10 miles to recycle, 32.5 percent said they are willing to travel up to 20
miles;
-- Fewer Know Where To Recycle: The number of Pennsylvanians who knew where to recycle
their electronics has dropped from 61.5 percent in 2015 to 52.8 percent in 2017; and
-- 5.1 Million CRTs, TVs Waiting To Be Recycled: There are an estimated 5.1 million CRT
monitors and tube televisions still waiting to be recycled in Pennsylvania.
Using the survey data, in 2017 the Center estimates there are 932 million pounds of
electronic equipment in consumer homes in Pennsylvania-- over 49.5 million CRT monitors and
TVs, flat panel monitors and TVs, desktop and laptop computers, tablet and pads and printers.
Bylone said the goal of the original e-waste recycling law was that recycling services
were to be offered at no charge to any Pennsylvanian.
He said using Center information, in 2015 there were 133 non-restricted sites, which
accepted all CDRA covered devices at no charge to any Pennsylvanian.
In 2017, out of a total verification of 432 sites, the RMC has confirmed 5 locations
statewide that have no restrictions, leaving 427 sites with some kind of restriction in collection.
Restrictions include quantity limits, type of item, size limits, residency requirements, and
charge to recycle locations.
This grave decline is not only because of changes in commodity values of the sorted
recycled items/parts and less outlets internationally for CRTs and tube televisions, explained
Bylone. It is also because of the structure of CDRA which has unfortunately provided minimal,
if any cost recovery to both the e-waste recycling processor and the collection program,
especially as weight-based goals of CDRA plateau each year.
By contrast, in Senate Bill 800, the program is based upon a shared responsibility model
whereby there is not a specific cap, rather all materials inbound are recycled, in a declining
portion of the waste stream, said Bylone.
Michele Nestor, President, Nestor Resources, Inc. and Chair of the PA Recycling
Markets Center Board, said its time to acknowledge an unfortunate truth, from the start
Pennsylvanias existing electronics waste recycling law has been problematic.
She said Senate Bill 800 was developed in conjunction with those actively engaged in
collecting, transporting and recycling waste electronic equipment, including local governments.
The [existing e-waste] collection network has progressively eroded, and now bears little
resemblance to the level of extended producer responsibility envisioned by CDRAs [the e-waste
recycling laws] original supporters.
Consequently, today consumers, like those in Northeastern Pennsylvania, must pay as
much as $1.50 per pound to discard an old television ($93 for an average tube television), while
others, like those in Northwestern Pennsylvania, have but one spot in a seven-county area willing
to accept all devices without charges, as the law intended.
Beginning in 2018, the few remaining full-service programs are now considering
dramatic alterations to their practices. These will not be consumer-friendly changes.
We keep focusing on manipulating artificial quotas, contingency collections, and
modifications of disposal bans, believing that a different formula, last minute recovery, or a
temporary return to disposing of our vintage TVs will end all problems.
Meanwhile, we ignore the reality that waste electronic equipment continues to grow, if
not by weight, certainly by types, units, and volume. The industry already recognizes that newer
flat panel screens, now entering the waste stream, are posing their own challenges.
We need to think beyond today and design a system capable of handling consumer
demands throughout future decades. While we are at it, we could build a collection infrastructure
prepared to address future, equally difficult to manage products, all paid for by the consumers it
will serve.
Ned D. Eldridge, President & CEO, eLoop, LLC, said he started his company in 2008
and at its peak had 35 full service collection sites in 26 counties. By the end of 2016, Eldridge
said, only 3 Pennsylvania recyclers remain engaged in the e-waste recycling program.
He said in 2013 the Department of Environmental Protection changed the program to
help sustain collection sites throughout the year, but the manufacturers were not willing to
follow those rules, which resulted in an abrupt closing of collection sites during the calendar year
around the State.
While this was difficult to manage, ambiguity in the law and its interpretation left room
for the manufacturers to make decisions that were conflicting with the PA DEP, Eldridge said.
For his company that meant employment dropped from 100 down to 40 employees.
Eldridge said it has been a race to the bottom in terms of negotiating contracts with the
manufacturers for pounds of material to be recycled under the existing structure of the law,
because it does not take into account transportation and other costs. At the same time, he noted,
the true cost of recycling continues to increase.
He said the problem is there are not enough full service collection sites, especially to
handle CRTs and TVs as well as flat panel displays.
Pennsylvania needs a legislative change that maintains its focus on environmentally
sound management and will create a sustainable program for the residents to handle the issues of
today as well as the problems that future electronic devices will create, said Eldridge. A
sustainable collection, transportation, and processing system will create jobs for the
Commonwealth like it has for the solid waste industry.
He concluded by saying Senate Bill 800 was created and nurtured by industry
professionals that understand the demands of the industry and are willing to take responsibility
for making this system work in Pennsylvania.
Townships/Counties/Keep PA Beautiful
Elam Herr, Assistant Executive Director, PA Association of Township Supervisors, said
townships across the state have seen a significant increase in the illegal disposal of electronic
devices and municipalities are struggling to find any provider willing to recycle these devices.
We are starting to see the kind of problems with illegal dumps weve saw pre-1988 and
the Act 101 Recycling law, said Herr.
It has also led to municipalities and the public storing these devices while waiting for a
vendor to recycle them. As an example, he pointed to one township that has 5 semi-trailers full
of e-waste waiting to be recycled.
Herr said the solutions proposed by this legislation will address the concerns and work
to alleviate the pressures of illegal dumping.
He noted his Association is seeking further information on several provisions in the
legislation.
Lisa Schaefer, Director of Government Relations, County Commissioners Association of
PA, said a perfect storm of a court decision against counties charging a waste fee and a decline
in Act 101 Recycling Act funding for household hazardous waste, e-waste recycling, recycling
tires and recycling drop-off centers have led many counties to curtail, if not outright eliminate,
some of these programs for their residents.
She told the Committee the funding mechanisms under the existing e-waste recycling law
are not coming close to covering costs, and many counties that had offered collection
opportunities are simply no longer able to do so.
At the same time, retailers like Best Buy announced in 2016 they would no longer
accept televisions or computer monitors in Pennsylvania for recycling, and Goodwill stopped
taking televisions and CRT computer monitors in 2013, Schaefer said.
This legislation generally meets the principles outlined in the Pennsylvania County
Platform related to electronics recycling, in particular providing multiple entities with the ability
to establish collection sites, including those counties that are willing and able to do so, she said.
There are several clarifications the Association is seeking in the bill.
Shannon Reiter, President, Keep PA Beautiful, said Senate Bill 800 takes a significant
step towards providing convenient and affordable access for electronics recycling which is what
Pennsylvanians so desperately need.
She noted a 2014 study by KPB called Illegal Dumping In Pennsylvania: A Decade of
Discovery found there is less illegal dumping in areas where there is universal access to waste
and recycling collection services.
If residents cannot dispose of bulky items at the curb or a convenient drop-off center,
these items are more likely to be dumped along roads and over hillsides, Reiter said.
The cost of cleaning up these sites, KPB has found, averages about $614/ton with the
average community cleanup costing $2,947.
While KPB does not have quantitative data on electronics dumping, we have seen an
exponential increase in electronics dumping and that is not slowing down, said Reiter.
We continue to find piles of stripped televisions- carcasses of broken plastic and shards
of leaded glass scattered in open fields, on dead-end streets, along intersections and over
riverbanks. Individuals and businesses are abandoning them into nearby dumpsters or at
recycling drop-offs-- even when it is clearly posted that these materials are not accepted.
All of this is costing our communities valuable resources. While the dumping continues,
over the years, communities have become more responsive, explained Reiter.
Local and county governments across the state are doing their best to address the
electronics dumping issue and are often left with tens to hundreds of illegally dumped televisions
piled up in warehouses and alleyways. Communities are then forced to absorb the costs of
recycling and disposing of these materials, she said.
She outline examples of the illegal dumping problems in Dauphin, Venango, Washington
and Westmoreland counties and their attempts to deal with them.
In our opinion, the best way to address the dumping of these materials is to be proactive
and provide convenient and affordable access to everyone in Pennsylvania, said Reiter. Senate
Bill 800 does this through the State default plan which guarantees access to counties not covered
under an approved individual alternative plan or joint alternative plan.
The State default plan establishes an infrastructure of convenience centers that ensures
that in each of the 67 counties, there is a place that offers residents convenient access to proper
disposal and recycling of their electronics, she added.
Reiter concluded by saying consumer education is critical when a law like electronics
waste recycling is enacted because it requires consumers to change their behavior.
Consumers need to be informed on what, where and when the material can be recycled.
We believe that while Senate Bill 800 provides for communication standards to ensure residents
are aware of their options, in our experience it is never enough, said Reiter. We stress the
importance of ongoing consumer education at the state, county and local level to ensure
maximum return and participation.
Making it hard for consumers to recycle only defeats the intent of the law, said Reiter.
As we hear of more and more [e-waste] facilities closing down, this is getting to
be a crisis situation today, said Sen. Yaw.
Click Here to watch a video of the hearing and for written testimony. Click Here for a
summary of Senate Bill 800.
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.
Related Stories:
DEP Orders Nulife To Remove 17 Million Pounds Of CRTs Not Recycled
Hearing: Electronics Manufacturers Need To Pay For E-Waste Actually Collected, Recycled
NewsClips:
Dispose Of Your Medications During Drug Take Back Day
Check Your Medicine Cabinet: Saturday Is Drug Take-Back Day
Penn State Creates Food Packaging From Wood, Shells
Frazier: Future Of FirstEnergy Greene County Coal Ash Disposal Site In Limbo
[Posted: Oct. 23, 2017]

Senate Hearing: 200 Pennsylvanians Diagnosed With Lyme Disease Every Day

The Senate Aging and Youth and Health and Human Services
Committees Tuesday held a joint hearing on the Lyme Disease
Task Force Report.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control reports there have been
76,409 confirmed cases of Lyme disease in Pennsylvania
between 2000 and 2015, but they believe there were an
estimated 764,090 true cases of the disease in the state.
There are an estimated 200 new confirmed cases every day in
the Commonwealth, according to remarks made at the hearing.
Sen. Michele Brooks (R-Mercer), Majority Chair of the Senate Aging and Youth
Committee, said, It is troubling that Pennsylvania leads the nation in Lyme disease patients.
[The Lyme disease outbreak] is a crisis, not only in my district, but across the state.
Sen. Lisa Baker (R-Luzerne, Majority Chair of the Health and Human Services
Committee, said it was indefensible to offer excuses for the lack of solutions for the widespread
threat posed by Lyme disease.
Dr. John Goldman, UPMC Pinnacle Harrisburg & Lyme Disease Task Force
Representative, said the Task Force agreed on four major issues: the increase of Lyme disease in
Pennsylvania, the need for greater recognition of Lyme disease, the limitations of clinical testing
of Lyme disease and the potential of co-infection due to Lyme disease being a tick-borne illness.
There was disagreement within the Task Force on the reliability of Lyme disease testing,
long-term antibiotic use for treatment and the frequency of co-infections.
Dr. Goldman said the immediate treatment of Lyme disease is the best solution due to the
unreliability of clinical tests.
Julia Wagner, PA Lyme Resource Network, said children and those under 20 are at the
highest risk of getting Lyme disease and make up 25 to 30 percent of the cases.
"In children and youth, presenting symptoms are often cognitive, behavioral, or
neuro-psychiatric showing up as behavior or personality changes or difficulties at school," said
Wagner.
Dr. Nicole Chinnici, Director East Stroudsburg University Northeast Wildlife DNA
Laboratory, said her lab is responsible for handling and processing thousands of tick tests each
year. County by county results of their tick tests is available online.
Dr. Rachel Levine, Acting Secretary of Health, said estimates of the cost of a Lyme
disease prevention and implementing the recommendations of the Task Force were a minimum
of $4 million with surveillance being the highest expenditure. She noted there has been a lack of
specific funding for Lyme disease at the agency.
Sara Nicholas, Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, said Lyme disease
prevention is important to the agency because of their staff work in outdoor occupations and
people come to state parks and forests to participate in outdoor recreation.
She said about 7 percent of Workers Compensation claims in DCNR are because of
Lyme disease.
Nicholas noted DCNR has led an education campaign to spread awareness of Lyme
disease in recreation areas and has taken steps, through habitat management, to prevent Lyme
disease from spreading.
Jennifer Young Intelicato, Penn State University Department of Biochemistry and
Molecular Biology, spoke of her personal experience with Lyme disease which caused her to be
bedridden for almost 3 years with partial blindness and temporary paralysis. She said a
misdiagnosis led to more complications from the disease and noted long-term antibiotics were
the only solution for her condition.
Testimony was also provided by: Erika Machtinger, Penn State University Dept. of
Entomology, Doug Fearn, Lyme Disease Association of Southeastern PA, John Klemeyer, Pike
County Tick Borne Diseases Task Force, Pike County Commissioners and Dr. Robert C.
Bransfield.
Click Here for a video of the hearing and written testimony.
Sen. Lisa Baker (R-Luzerne, Majority Chair of the Senate Health and Human Services
Committee, and can be contacted by sending email to: lbaker@pasen.gov. Sen. Judith Schwank
(D-Berks) serves as Minority Chair and can be contacted by sending email to:
senatorschwank@pasenate.com.
Sen. Michele Brooks (R-Mercer), Majority Chair of the Senate Aging and Youth
Committee, and can be contacted by sending email to: mbrooks@pasen.gov. Sen. Art Haywood
(D-Philadelphia) serves as Minority Chair and can be contacted by sending email to:
senatorhaywood@pasenate.com.
Lyme Disease
Lyme disease is caused by the bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi and is often transmitted
through the bite of an infected blacklegged tick, also known as a deer tick.
Symptoms include fever, fatigue, headache, muscle aches, joint pain, a bulls eye rash
may appear, and other symptoms that can be mistaken for viral infections, such as influenza or
infectious mononucleosis.
Joint pain can be mistaken for other types of arthritis, such as juvenile rheumatoid
arthritis, and neurologic signs of Lyme disease can mimic those caused by other conditions, such
as multiple sclerosis and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.
When detected early, Lyme disease can be treated with antibiotics. Left untreated, the
disease can spread to the joints, heart and nervous system.
For more information on Lyme disease and prevention, visit the Department of Healths
Lyme Disease webpage.
[Posted: Oct. 25, 2017]

Senate Environmental Committee Holds Hearing On Lead Exposure Oct. 30 In Luzerne


County

The Senate Environmental Resources and Energy Committee is scheduled to hold a hearing on
lead exposure and mitigation October 30 in Pittston, Luzerne County.
The agenda includes these witnesses--
-- Lisa Daniels, Acting DEP Deputy Secretary for Water Programs
-- Dr. Loren Robinson, Deputy Secretary for Health Promotion and Disease Prevention,
Department of Health
-- Jennifer Berrier, Director, Bureau of Occupational and Industrial Safety, Department of
Labor and Industry
-- Michael Lombardo, Vice Chair, Pittston Redevelopment Authority, City of Pittston
-- Henry Radulski, Health Director, City of Wilkes-Barre
-- Cherie Gudz, Vice President, Environment, Health and Safety, SGS
-- David R. Kaufman, Vice President, Engineering, Pennsylvania American Water
The Senate unanimously passed Senate Resolution 33 sponsored by Sen John Yudichak
(D-Luzerne), Minority Chair of the Committee, creating a bipartisan task force to investigate the
scope of Pennsylvanias 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 October 30 hearing is an effort to aid the work of the Task Force and Advisory
Committee in their work. Witnesses are expected to include state and local officials and private
sector individuals experienced with the effects of lead poisoning and remediation.
Sen. Yudichak wants to ensure input from Northeast PA in this process which may have
older infrastructure than many areas of the state presenting more of a lead poisoning threat.
The hearing will be held in the John P. Cosgrove Center, Pittston Memorial Library, 47
Broad Street in Pittston, Luzerne County starting at 11:00.
For more background on the lead issue, visit DEPs Lead In Drinking Water webpage
and the Department of Healths 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.
NewsClips:
Legislature Passes Bill To Help Homeowners Replace Lead Water Lines
Pittsburgh Water Authority Ends Water Shutoffs In Winter
[Posted: Oct. 26, 2017]

House Republican Policy Committee Holds Hearing On Delaware Watershed Drilling


Moratorium Oct. 31 In Wayne County

The House Republican Policy Committee is scheduled to hold a hearing October 31 in Waymart,
Wayne County to hear testimony on the impact of the permanent drilling moratorium being
proposed by the Delaware River Basin Commission.
The hearing is being hosted by Rep. Jonathan Fritz (R-Wayne) who sponsored House
Resolution 515 urging DRBC to suspend consideration of a moratorium. The resolution was
adopted by the House October 17 by a party-line vote of 101 to 83 (Republicans supporting).
The hearing will feature testimony from local elected officials, residents and community
leaders. Testifiers will discuss the impact such a ban would have on the regions jobs, economy
and access to affordable, domestic energy.
Witnesses expected to testify include: Brian Smith, Wayne County commissioner; Jim
Barbour, Susquehanna County Farm Bureau; Vince Phillips, Pennsylvania State Grange and
Pennsylvania Septage Management Association; Debbie Gillette, Chamber of the Northern
Poconos; Thomas Shepstone, Shepstone Management Company; Tim Riefler, Wayne County
farmer; Anthony Ventello, Progress Authority; and Ned Lang, Upper Delaware River Basin
Citizens.
A resolution adopted by the DRBC in September calls for publishing proposed
regulations enacting a ban no later than November 30.
In April a U.S. Federal District Court judge threw out a lawsuit by a group of Wayne
County landowners who said the Delaware River Basin Commission lacks the authority to
review and approve natural gas facilities on land owned by the group.
The hearing will be held at the Parc Pavilion, Camp Ladore, 287 Owego Turnpike,
Waymart, Wayne County starting at 10:00. Click Here to watch the hearing online.
Rep. Kerry Benninghoff (R-Mifflin) serves as Chair of the Committee.
Related Stories:
Pennsylvania, Delaware, New York Approve Resolution To Permanently Ban Fracking In
Delaware River Watershed
Federal Judge Throws Out Wayne County Landowner Challenge To DRBC De-Facto
Moratorium On Drilling
Pennsylvania Signs Revised Delaware River Watershed Flow Agreement
Delaware River Basin Commission Staff Participates In Effort To Monitor Juvenile American
Shad
NewsClips:
Cultivating Future Generations Of Water Stewards In Delaware Watershed
New Agreement For Delaware River Water Flow
Delaware RiverKeeper Oct. 27 RiverWatch Video Report
[Posted: Oct. 27, 2017]

October Environmental Synopsis Newsletter Available From Joint Conservation


Committee

The October issue of the Environmental Synopsis


newsletter is now available from the Joint Legislative Air
and Water Pollution Control and Conservation Committee
featuring articles on--
-- Reclamation and Restoration of the Flight 93 Crash Site
In Somerset County
-- Economic Benefits Of Natural Gas Boom
-- Is The Nuclear Power Industry Heading For A
Meltdown?
-- Possible Carcinogen Found In Drinking Water,
Consumer Products
-- Climate Impacts Threaten Midwest Infrastructure
-- Organic Food Consumption On The Rise (photo)
Upcoming Event
The Joint Conservation Committee has one meeting coming up--
-- November 13: Environmental Issues Forum: Pumped Storage Hydropower In
Pennsylvania. Adam Rousselle, president of Bucks County-based Merchant Hydro Developers,
will discuss his companys plans to develop 20 pumped storage facilities across the
Commonwealth, many utilizing abandoned mines as water reservoirs. Pumped storage is
increasingly viewed as a way to increase grid reliability during peak consumption. The Forum is
in Room 8E-A East Wing Capitol and starts at Noon.
Sen. Scott Hutchinson (R-Venango) serves as Chair of the Joint Conservation
Committee.
For more information, visit the Joint Conservation Committee website, Like them on
Facebook or Follow them on Twitter. Click Here to sign up for regular updates from the
Committee.
[Posted: Oct. 25, 2017]

News From Around The State

DEP Orders Pittsburgh Water Authority To Make Critical Infrastructure Upgrades

The Department of Environmental Protection Wednesday issued an Administrative Order


requiring the Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority to make critical infrastructure upgrades and
repairs to its public drinking water system specifically to ensure adequate pressure and volume
within the system.
This order requires no action on the part of PWSA customers. Residents should continue
to use water as they normally would. The Departments order pertains to improvements to
infrastructure; there is no boil water advisory in effect.
DEPs Safe Drinking Water program staff have devoted significant resources to
specifically addressing PWSAs drinking water issues, said DEP Secretary Patrick McDonnell.
DEP is committed to providing necessary oversight of the Commonwealths 8,500 public water
systems, including PWSA.
DEP has issued an Administrative Order to require PWSA to take specific corrective
actions on a schedule prescribed by DEP.
The order targets the water systems ability to provide a continuous supply of safe and
potable water to consumers, and pertains to pressure and volume, not an imminent threat from
contaminants.
The order has been issued to PWSA, the lessee and operator, and to the City of
Pittsburgh, which owns the water system.
In its Administrative Order, DEP requires the following and other actions from PWSA:
-- Restore the Lanpher Reservoir to service by completing repairs to the cover of the east cell of
the reservoir initially, and ultimately the replacement of the covers and liners of both the east and
west cells;
-- Resume operation of the Highland 1 Reservoir, which would require either the addition of an
ultraviolet disinfection unit and other upgrades to the Highland Membrane Filtration Plant or the
covering of the Highland 1 Reservoir, which would negate the need for operation of the
Membrane Filtration Plant;
-- Ensure reliability of the Bruecken Pump Station by installing a backup pump and emergency
backup power supply; and
-- Take necessary actions to assure that water at adequate pressure is continuously supplied to
users.
PWSA has cooperated with DEPs investigations and requests for documents, and DEP
expects that PWSA will continue to comply with DEP oversight.
We have and will continue to provide technical guidance and clearly communicate
compliance requirements to PWSA and process permits quickly and thoroughly, said DEP
Acting Southwest Regional Director Ron Schwartz. We are all working toward the same goal of
continuing to provide safe drinking water to residents, and this order provides a plan moving
forward.
Previously, DEP identified significant deficiencies and violations at PWSA, which
resulted in enforcement actions and field orders that led to two Tier 1 boil water advisories in
January and August 2017. Following the incidents, DEP conducted investigations of PWSAs
system.
DEP has requested the assistance of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to
perform a comprehensive performance evaluation of PWSAs distribution system, which EPA
has agreed to do.
For more information, including the Administrative Order, visit DEPs Southwest
Regional Office Pittsburgh Water & Sewer Authority webpage.
Related Story:
PA American Water Water Testing Shows Pittsburgh System Fully Complying With Lead
Standard
NewsClips:
Legislature Passes Bill To Help Homeowners Replace Lead Water Lines
Pittsburgh Water Authority Ends Water Shutoffs In Winter
[Posted: Oct. 25, 2017]

PA American Water Testing Shows Pittsburgh System Fully Complying With Lead
Standard

Pennsylvania American Water Wednesday announced test results from its City of Pittsburgh lead
sampling pilot affirm that the companys drinking water continues to fully comply with
regulatory standards.
The company launched the pilot on June 5, 2017, offering free lead testing to qualified
customers in the City of Pittsburgh.
The pilots results should provide our Pittsburgh customers with continued confidence
and peace of mind about the water we provide them every day, said Christopher Abruzzo,
director of water quality and environmental compliance for Pennsylvania American Water.
These results mirror the findings of our 2016 Lead and Copper Rule sampling, when 100
percent of the Greater Pittsburgh samples tested were significantly below the EPA action level.
Approximately 100 customers participated in the free pilot program, which the company
offered during the summer to City residents in single-family homes built before 1988, with lead
serves or copper plumbing with lead solder.
Pennsylvania American Water collected samples from the qualified customers, including
pregnant women and households with children under six, who contacted the company.
American Waters Central Laboratory in Belleville, Illinois, which is accredited by the
Department of Environmental Protection and U.S. EPA, analyzed the samples and reported the
results to participants.
Abruzzo said, These results reinforce the effectiveness of the corrosion control treatment
methods that we have employed for more than 30 years in our Greater Pittsburgh service area. It
is also important to recognize the expertise of our plant personnel and water quality
professionals, who are committed to ensuring that our water stays in full compliance with safe
drinking water standards.
Pennsylvania American Water is observing Lead Poisoning Prevention Week, Oct. 22
28, by reminding customers that the company is pursuing long-term solutions to reduce the
potential for lead to leach into their household plumbing.
Pennsylvania American Water filed a request with Public Utility Commission this past
May seeking permission to replace customer-owned lead service lines when removing company-
owned lead service lines and to bear the full cost of replacement.
Lead service lines largely remain in older neighborhoods where the prohibitive costs
often prevent homeowners from replacing them. Pennsylvania American Water requested PUC
approval to address this potential public health risk, and proposed a reasonable approach to
recover the costs of the companys investments.
As a regulated utility, Pennsylvania American Water must seek the PUCs permission
prior to embarking on initiatives that might impact customers rates, said Pennsylvania
American Water President Jeffrey McIntyre. Eliminating lead service pipes, together with our
proven corrosion control water treatment practices, is a very effective strategy to maintain
regulatory compliance well into the future.
Customers can find more information about lead and drinking water on the companys
website.
For more information on its water systems in Pennsylvania, visit the Pennsylvania
American Water website.
For more background on the lead issue, visit DEPs Lead In Drinking Water webpage
and the Department of Healths Lead Poisoning webpage.
Related Story:
DEP Orders Pittsburgh Water Authority To Make Critical Infrastructure Upgrades
NewsClips:
Legislature Passes Bill To Help Homeowners Replace Lead Water Lines
Pittsburgh Water Authority Ends Water Shutoffs In Winter
[Posted: Oct. 25, 2017]

DEP Reclamation Project Turns Abandoned Mine Lands Into Community Asset In
Luzerne County

Department of Environmental Protection Secretary


Patrick McDonnell Monday toured the 88-acre
reclamation Curry Hill-Avondale Abandoned Mine
Reclamation project in Plymouth Township, Luzerne
County.
Projects like Curry Hill-Avondale will make land that
was once dangerous and unusable a viable asset for
outdoor lovers, said Secretary McDonnell. Through
the Abandoned Mine Land grant program we are able to
support the important reclamation work of the site,
which was once part of the Glen Alden Coal Company.
The federally funded reclamation work involves grading more than one million cubic
yards of on-site material to eliminate more than 6,000 feet of dangerous highwall that existed
within abandoned strip mining pits.
As part of the work, one mine opening was filled and three other openings were closed
with bat gates to protect habitat for bats roosting at the site. The work includes seeding the site
and planting trees. Nine detention ponds were also installed to control stormwater runoff.
The project also involves creating two acres of wetlands. Five acres are now being used
for industrial hemp research.
Earth Movers Unlimited of Kylertown, Clearfield County is constructing the project,
which totaled approximately $2.7 million.
Joining Secretary McDonnell on the tour was Rep. Gerald Mullery (D-Luzerne).
(Photo: Secretary McDonnell inspects bat gate installed as part of the reclamation project.)
Related Story:
President Trump Nominates J. Steven Gardner To Lead Federal Office Of Surface Mining
NewsClips:
DEP Mine Reclamation Project Continues In Luzerne County
AP: Kentucky Engineer Picked To Head Surface Mining Agency
[Posted: Oct. 23, 2017]

Wildlands Conservancy Stream Restoration Projects Restore Habitat In Bethlehem

Department of Environmental Protection Secretary


Patrick McDonnell Wednesday toured habitat
restoration projects undertaken by Wildlands
Conservancy on Monocacy Creek in Bethlehem,
Northampton County.
We are proud to be a partner in the restoration of the
creek, said Secretary McDonnell. Work like this
preserves fish habitat and leads to more recreational
opportunities along the Lehigh River.
Monocacy Creek is a valued cold-water fishery that
feeds into the Lehigh River and is the subject of a
health assessment by Wildlands Conservancy.
Improvements include stabilizing the bank by removing old railroad ties that had been
pushed into the ground in the early 1900s to control erosion and flooding, and replacing several
rock dams with modern structures to enhance aquatic life and improve fishing opportunities.
The overall restoration also includes planting a native riparian vegetative buffer along the
creek to reduce erosion and pollution runoff and enhance wildlife habitat.
Funding for the work was provided through grants from both DEPs Growing Greener
fund and the Department of Community and Economic Developments Watershed Restoration
Protection Program funded by Act 13 drilling impact fees, totaling $400,000.
Joining Secretary McDonnell on the tour was City Engineer Mike Waldron.
Click Here for an overview of the project by the Wildlands Conservancy.
NewsClips:
DEP To Pay For 800 Ag Conservation Plans For Chesapeake Bay Cleanup
PA Projects Get $5.8M In Grants For Work To Protect Chesapeake Bay
Team Effort Targets Lancaster County Watershed For Cleanup
Cultivating Future Generations Of Water Stewards In Delaware Watershed
A Day In The Life Of Wissahickon Creek
New Agreement For Delaware River Water Flow
Delaware RiverKeeper Oct. 27 RiverWatch Video Report
Latest From The Chesapeake Bay Journal
Click Here to subscribe to the Chesapeake Bay Journal
Follow Chesapeake Bay Journal On Twitter
Like Chesapeake Bay Journal On Facebook
[Posted: Oct. 25, 2017]

Trout Unlimited: Unassessed Waters Initiative In PA Featured In New Film

By Rob Shane, TU Mid-Atlantic Organizer from Trout Unlimited Blog

Pennsylvania boasts more than 86,000 miles of rivers,


streams and creeks, second in the United States only to
Alaska. Thats three-and-a-half trips around the earth. Thirty
trips from Los Angeles to New York. Its five times more
than the 10 largest rivers in Americacombined.
These 86,000 miles provide clean drinking water to
Pennsylvanias residents, water for crops and livestock, and
recreation opportunities for boaters and paddlers. Perhaps
most important for us at TU, they are home to no small
number of wild trout.
We cant protect those fisheries if we dont know where they are, so since 2011, TU has
been conducting stream surveys to document and protect unknown populations of wild trout in
the states streams.
This project, the Unassessed Waters Initiative (UWI) spearheaded by the Pennsylvania
Fish & Boat Commission, has led to the discovery of wild trout in more than 40 percent of
streams surveyed.
Over the past year, Pennsylvania has protected more than 1,000 miles of newly identified
wild trout streams.
Award-winning filmmaker Sam Dean recently spent some time afield with TUs UWI
team, producing this video on the effort.
Pennsylvania now has 15,000 miles of wild trout streams, including 2,000 miles of Class
A waters, which have the largest populations. Counting linked upstream stretches, its wild trout
protections cover more than 35,000 stream miles.
Locating these populations is critical given the ongoing natural gas boom in the
Marcellus shale region. More than 10,000 natural gas wells have been fracked in the Keystone
State over the past decade.
As many as 25,000 miles of new pipelines could be built in the state by 2030. The
projected development of the shale fields would require hundreds of stream crossings and disturb
tens of thousands of acres of forests many of which contain the headwater streams wild trout
call home.
Deforestation and construction leads to increased sedimentation in streams, erosion on
stream banks, and rising water temperatures, all of which are detrimental to critical trout habitat.
Pennsylvanias Wild Trout Water designation affords these streams additional protections under
state regulations.
Trout Unlimiteds Mid-Atlantic policy team continues to advocate for wild trout
protections in the Marcellus shale region.
TUs 10 Special Places series illustrated areas that face the highest levels of threat from
natural gas drilling and pipeline development. TU also founded the Sportsmen Alliance for
Marcellus Conservation, a group that gives a voice to hunters, anglers, trappers, and other
sportsmen and women in the eastern shale gas region.
Click Here to watch the video.
For more information on how you can get involved in these efforts, contact David
Kinney, Mid-Atlantic Policy Director, at dkinney@tu.org, or Rob Shane, Mid-Atlantic
Organizer, at rshane@tu.org.
NewsClips:
DEP To Pay For 800 Ag Conservation Plans For Chesapeake Bay Cleanup
PA Projects Get $5.8M In Grants For Work To Protect Chesapeake Bay
Team Effort Targets Lancaster County Watershed For Cleanup
Cultivating Future Generations Of Water Stewards In Delaware Watershed
A Day In The Life Of Wissahickon Creek
New Agreement For Delaware River Water Flow
Delaware RiverKeeper Oct. 27 RiverWatch Video Report
Latest From The Chesapeake Bay Journal
Click Here to subscribe to the Chesapeake Bay Journal
Follow Chesapeake Bay Journal On Twitter
Like Chesapeake Bay Journal On Facebook
[Posted: Oct. 25, 2017]

Lyme Timber Company Receives $25.4M PennVest Loan To Put 9,362 Acres In Working
Conservation Easement, Create Jobs In 7 Counties

Gov. Tom Wolf Friday announced the investment of a $25.4 million loan from PennVEST for
Lyme Timber Company to put over 9,362 acres of private forest land into a working forest
conservation easement to help create over 50 new forestry jobs and leverage over $91 million of
private investment in 7 counties.
The counties are: Cameron, Clinton, Elk, Jefferson, McKean, Potter and Venango.
The project will also serve to preserve, protect and improve water quality. The property
includes an acid mine drainage restoration project within the Sterling Run tract.
This is an example of how government and private sector interests can intersect to
protect the environment, and improve water quality as we help preserve important segments of
our forested areas all the while creating jobs and economic opportunities as they are managed for
future generations, said Gov. Wolf.
The Department of Conservation and Natural Resources Bureau of Forestry has been
working closely with PennVEST, the Department of Environmental Protection, local officials
and industry leaders to help pull together this important project that will provide working
conservation easements to allow sustainable forestry, protect high quality streams, and mitigate
acid mine drainage, said DCNR Secretary Cindy Adam Dunn.
Dunn noted that a conservation easement limits certain uses or prevents subdivision and
fragmentation from taking place on the land, which still remains in private hands to continue to
provide economic benefits in the form of jobs and property taxes.
The funding for this project comes from a combination of state funds approved by voters,
federal grants to PennVEST from the Environmental Protection Agency and recycled loan
repayments from previous PennVEST funding awards. Funds for the projects are disbursed after
bills for work have been paid and receipts submitted to PennVEST.
For more information on grant and loan funding opportunities for water infrastructure,
visit the PennVEST website or call 717-783-6798.
NewsClips:
DCNR Planning Prescribed Burn In Michaux State Forest, Cumberland County
Century-Long Quest To Save The American Chestnut May Soon Be Over
Scientists Using Costly Triage To Spare Some Ash Trees From Extinction
[Posted: Oct. 27, 2017]

DEP Sewage Advisory Committee To Hold 3 Meetings On Alternate Onlot Septic Systems
And Sewage Planning

The DEP Sewage Advisory Committee will hold 3 workgroup meetings in November on
implementing Act 26 which authorizes alternate onlot septic systems to be incorporated in
sewage facilities planning. (formal notice)
The meetings will start at 9:30 and will be held--
-- November 2: Room 105 Rachel Carson Building;
-- November 15: Keystone Building Meeting Center, Desert Room, 400 North Street, Suite 114
East, Harrisburg; and
-- November 30: 4th Floor Training Room, Rachel Carson Building.
DEP has prepared a draft Act 26 Implementation Strategy for discussion by the
Committee.
For more information, visit the DEP Sewage Advisory Committee webpage or contact
Janice Vollero, DEP, by sending email to: jvollero@pa.gov or call 717-783-7416.
[Posted: Oct. 27, 2017]

Pennsylvania Signs Revised Delaware River Watershed Flow Agreement

On behalf of Pennsylvania, the Department of Environmental


Protection Monday announced it has signed a revised multi-state
agreement that will continue water releases into the Delaware
River from three New York City reservoirs.
The City of New York, Delaware, New Jersey and New
York also approved the 10-year agreement.
These releases support a variety of water uses in the portion of the
river that forms the eastern border of the Commonwealth, and will
prevent threats to public health and the environment.
Our focus has been and will continue to be protecting our water
and land resources under all scenarios. It is important that we preserve our right to do so, said
DEP Secretary Patrick McDonnell. This new agreement protects Pennsylvanias water supplies
and wildlife, as well as the recreational and sporting activities that take place in the Delaware
River Basin.
The three New York City reservoirs (Pepacton, Cannonsville and Neversink) are located
at the headwaters of the Delaware River. Since 1954, Pennsylvania, New York, New York City,
New Jersey and Delaware have jointly managed water resources that are vital to the rivers
health, especially in times of low flows and floods.
The most recent agreement, signed in 2007, expired in May. The new 10-year agreement
establishes a revised Flexible Flow Management Program, which provides protection for the
resources in the Delaware River Basin.
The agreement also requires the parties to study ways to better manage those resources in
the future.
Because the Delaware River supplies water for a multitude of purposes, carefully
monitoring and regulating its flow is essential to downstream water supplies, protecting fisheries
and wildlife habitats, enhancing flood mitigation, and inhibiting the upstream movement of salt
water in the Delaware Estuary.
Click Here for a copy of the agreement.
For more information, visit the U.S.G.S. Office of the Delaware River Master webpage.
Related Stories:
House Republican Policy Committee Holds Hearing On Delaware Watershed Drilling
Moratorium Oct. 31 In Wayne County
Delaware River Basin Commission Staff Participates In Effort To Monitor Juvenile American
Shad
NewsClips:
New Agreement For Delaware River Water Flow
Cultivating Future Generations Of Water Stewards In Delaware Watershed
Delaware RiverKeeper Oct. 27 RiverWatch Video Report
[Posted: Oct. 23, 2017]

Nov. 18 Water Wiser Kids Special Event: Explore The H2Olympics In Monroe County

The Brodhead Watershed Association Water Wiser Kids Series


will hold an Explore The H2Olympics event November 18 at
the Kettle Creek Environmental Education Center in
Bartonsville, Monroe County starting at 10:30 a.m.
How many drops of water can you fit on the head of a penny?
Can water walk a tightrope? Can you make a floating paper
clip sink to the bottom without touching it?
The H2Olympics is geared to elementary-age students and their
grownups.
Educator Brian Hardiman will guide the students as they work alone and in teams at
action stations set up in Kettle Creeks Critter Room.
At each station, kids will explore different properties of water. How does water carry
things? Absorb things? Change things? How does water hold together?
Theyll imagine what the water might do in each situation, then test their hypotheses,
observe the results, and sketch what actually happens. Was the hypothesis correct? Why? Why
not? What would change the result?
This indoor H2Olympics brings out the natural scientist in every kid. Grownups may be
surprised, too!
The program is free, but registration is required. To register or for more information, call
570-839-1120 or 570-629-2727 or send email to: info@brodheadwatershed.org.
Visit the Water Wiser Kids Series webpage for more information on this program.
This event is sponsored by Brodhead Watershed Association, funded by a Dr. Claus
Jordan Endowment Grant from the Lehigh Valley Health Network Pocono Foundation.
For more information on programs, initiatives and other upcoming events, visit the
Brodhead Watershed Association website.
Related Story:
Get Outdoors Poconos Nov. 25 Cranberry Creek Hike In Paradise Twp., Monroe County
[Posted: Oct. 26, 2017]

Wolf Administration Recognizes Prescription Drug Take-Back Day Oct. 28

On Saturday, October 28, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., the Department


of Drug and Alcohol Programs and the Pennsylvania State Police
will participate in the Drug Enforcement Administrations 14th
National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day initiative.
Unwanted prescription and over-the-counter medicine may be
dropped off at any of the hundreds of secure locations throughout
the state. The service is free and anonymous no questions asked.
With more than 700 prescription drug take-back boxes in the
state, it has never been easier for people to responsibly dispose of
unused and unwanted medication, said Gov. Wolf.
Collaborative efforts such as National Prescription Drug
Take-Back Day are an excellent reminder of the role we each play in the fight against the opioid
epidemic.
The DEA has offered National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day since 2010 with the
aim of fighting prescription drug abuse by creating a convenient way to dispose of medication
that would otherwise be at risk of misuse in home medicine cabinets. All medication collected
will be destroyed by the DEA at EPA-approved incinerators.
Prescription drug abuse is a contributing factor to the heroin and opioid epidemic that is
gripping Pennsylvania and the nation, and too many people with prescription drug addictions
obtain these medicines from family and friends medicine cabinets, said DDAP Acting
Secretary Jennifer Smith. Keeping unused, unnecessary, or expired medication in homes
increases the risk of it being abused. By participating in National Drug Take-Back Day,
Pennsylvanians can help make their homes safer by properly disposing of medication.
In September, PSP and DDAP announced the addition of 65 permanent prescription drug
take-back boxes inside State Police stations in Pennsylvania that are available 24 hours a day,
seven days a week.
An interactive map with addresses of participating State Police stations, and other
locations with prescription drug take-back boxes, is available online.
The fight against the opioid crisis is a true team effort, said PSP Commissioner Tyree
C. Blocker. National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day is an excellent reminder that we can all
do our part by checking our medicine cabinets for unwanted or expired medications and safely
dispose of them before they fall into the wrong hands.
During its 13th National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day in April 2017, the DEA and
more than 4,200 of its national, tribal, and community law enforcement partners collected
900,000 pounds (450 tons) of unwanted prescription drugs at almost 5,500 collection sites.
Nearly 38,000 pounds of unwanted prescription drugs were collected in Pennsylvania.
Since the program began seven years ago, about 8.1 million pounds (more than 4,050 tons) of
drugs have been collected nationwide.
To find a drop-off location for the disposal of prescription drugs, visit the Drug
Take-Back Locations webpage. For more information on National Prescription Drug Take-Back
Day, visit the Collection Site Locator webpage or call 800-882-9539.
Related Story:
PA Resources Council, PA American Water Offer 3 Drug Take-Back Locations In Allegheny
County
[Posted: Oct. 27, 2017]

Clinton County CleanScapes Oct. 28 Rail Trail Hillside Community Cleanup Day

Clinton County CleanScapes, Castanea Township, Fire Company No.1 and Lock Haven
University students will collect litter and tires from land adjacent to the Rail Trail on October 28
from 9:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
Click Here for a flyer on the cleanup event.
To register or for more information, contact Elisabeth McCoy at 570-726-3511 or send
email to: ClintonCountyCleanScapes@yahoo.com.
For more information on programs, initiatives and other upcoming events, visit the
Clinton County CleanScapes Facebook page.
[Oct. 21, 2017]

DEP Publishes Comments Gathered In Environmental Justice Listening Tour

As a next step in reshaping its environmental justice office, the Department of Environmental
Protection Friday announced it has published the transcripts and a document listing all comments
received during DEPs statewide listening tour on environmental justice.
The tour, held at nine locations around the state, solicited feedback on DEPs policies
regarding environmental justice, which is the principle that communities and populations should
not be disproportionately exposed to adverse environmental impacts.
As DEP continues to review the comments, staff are analyzing how environmental justice
communities are defined, examining improvements to receiving public input, and developing
best practices to ensure communities are sufficiently engaged during the decision-making
processes.
This review, as well as continuing conversations with the public, will help steer revisions
to existing DEP policies and procedures.
The Office of Environmental Justice fulfills a critical role within DEP-- ensuring that all
Pennsylvanians, especially those who have historically been disenfranchised, are fully involved
in decisions that affect their environment and community, said DEP Secretary Patrick
McDonnell. These listening sessions started a meaningful dialogue on how we can improve on
our responsibility to ensure environmental justice.
Secretary McDonnell hosted nine listening sessions across the state between April 12 and
May 25, 2017, hearing from residents about their perspectives on environmental justice.
The Department solicited input on the following questions:
-- What environmental justice concerns are most pressing in your community?
-- Do you feel that the current definition of an environmental justice community (20 percent
poverty and/or 30 percent minority) properly represents the needs of your community and the
Commonwealth at large?
-- Do you feel the DEP is engaged with marginalized communities to ensure that they have a
voice in the decision-making process? How can the DEP be more engaged with these
communities?
-- What tools have you used to find out information on DEP permitting/enforcement actions?
-- What ways can the DEP be more effective at sharing information with the public?
-- How can the DEP be more effective at receiving public input?
-- What resource(s) is your community lacking that the DEP can provide that would assist in
efforts to ensure environmental equity?
-- What additional steps can be taken by the Department to effectively reach out to these
vulnerable communities to ensure that their concerns are taken into consideration?
The comments received from 149 individuals and organizations will help drive revisions
to the program and the process of engaging the public during permitting, enforcement, and
grantmaking.
Click Here to review the comment document and transcripts of each listening session.
Questions should be direct by email to: RA-EPOEJ@pa.gov.
Environmental Justice Advisory Board Meeting
The comments will be discussed in detail at the November 14 meeting of DEPs
Environmental Justice Advisory Board. The board provides guidance to DEP on environmental
justice policies.
Click Here for more information on the meeting.
[Posted: Oct. 27, 2017]

Latest Public-Private CNG Transit Fueling Station Opens In Beaver County

Department of Transportation representatives Friday joined officials from Trillium CNG, Beaver
County Transit Agency and local officials in Beaver County to mark opening of the facility at
131 Pleasant Drive, Aliquippa.
This P3 CNG program will make our transit agencies more efficient, saving resources
and helping our environment, Gov.Wolf said of the opening. Im pleased that with this station,
we now have seven CNG stations open.
Through the $84.5 million statewide P3 project, Trillium is designing, building, financing
and will operate and maintain CNG fueling stations at 29 public transit agency sites through a
20-year P3 agreement.
Other stations will be constructed over the next five years, and Trillium is also making
CNG-related upgrades to existing transit maintenance facilities.
As part of the conversion in Beaver County, the transit agency will convert 23 diesel
buses and 28 paratransit buses to CNG.
The authority estimates saving more than $400,000 annually based on current diesel costs
and their diesel and gas usage of roughly 450,000 gallons per year.
PennDOTs overall P3 project includes CNG fueling accessible to the public at six transit
agency sites, with the option to add to sites in the future. PennDOT will receive a 15 percent
royalty, excluding taxes, for each gallon of fuel sold to the public at public sites, which will be
used to support the cost of the project.
Using the P3 procurement mechanism allows PennDOT to install the fueling stations
faster than if a traditional procurement mechanism were used for each site, resulting in
significant estimated capital cost savings of more than $46 million.
When the project is completed, the fueling stations will supply gas to more than 1,600
CNG buses at transit agencies across the state. Stations have already opened at:
-- Cambria County Transportation Authority, Johnstown Facility, includes public fueling.
-- Mid Mon Valley Transportation Authority.
-- Central Pennsylvania Transportation Authority, York Facility, includes public fueling.
-- Cambria County Transportation Authority, Ebensburg Facility
-- Westmoreland County Transportation Authority
-- Centre Area Transportation Authority
-- Beaver County Transit Agency
To learn more about this and other similar projects, visit the PennDOT Public-Private
Partnership webpage.
[Posted: Oct. 27, 2017]

Agriculture Touts Expanded Biofuel Infrastructure Thru Public-Private Partnership

Pennsylvanias travelers now have expanded


opportunities for filling their vehicles with renewable
fuels thanks to a $7 million grant to the Department of
Agriculture.
The grant allowed the Sheetz Corporation to expand
ethanol availability to 340 more fuel pumps at 77 store
locations across the state.
Agriculture Secretary Russell C. Redding Monday joined
representatives from Sheetz, the USDA and the ethanol
industry at one of the new locations showcasing the new
infrastructure.
Biofuels are an important component of the diverse energy portfolio that will power our
country in the future, said Redding. Alternative fuels create new markets for agricultural
products, which can lead to greater production and better prices for our farmers. So while the
agriculture industry is helping to grow the feedstock to produce biofuels, we also need to be sure
the market exists for these alternative fuels. That requires making access more convenient for
consumers. I thank Sheetz for partnering with us, and we thank the USDA for helping us put in
place the pumps to meet consumers demands.
The new infrastructure supports pumps that dispense grades of ethanol from E15 (15
percent ethanol, 85 percent gasoline) to E85 (85 percent ethanol, 15 percent gasoline). Most
gasoline pumps typically deliver a fuel with a blend of up to 10 percent ethanol.
Higher concentrations of ethanol require specialized pumps, storage, and handling
systems, which has limited the fuels widespread adoption in Pennsylvania.
Since our founding in 1952, Sheetz has been built on maximizing convenience and
choice for our customers, either through our MTO touch screen order points or through this
higher octane, cleaner-burning fuel, said Mike Lorenz, executive vice president of petroleum
and supply for Sheetz. We are proud to partner with the Pennsylvania Department of
Agriculture and USDA to bring E15 to our customers.
The $7 million grant is part of the Biofuel Infrastructure Partnership Program
administered by the USDAs Farm Service Agency.
Staff with the Department of Agriculture submitted the grant on behalf of Sheetz in 2015
and provided oversight of project implementation, including record keeping, performance
reporting, and compliance enforcement.
Vehicles that are compatible with ethanol fuels are marked with a yellow FlexFuel
badge and may feature additional language regarding the use of ethanol blend fuels. These
vehicles can be filled with blends ranging from E15 to E85.
Ethanol contains slightly less power than traditional gasoline, so fuel economy may be
lower when running vehicles with a high-ethanol blend compared to using gasoline.
E85 pumps at Sheetz fuel dispensers are marked in yellow, while the E15 blend pumps
are marked in blue. Gasoline nozzles, for dispensing regular, mid-grade, and premium unleaded
gasoline, remain black.
Consult your owners manual to ensure that your vehicle can safely use E85 or E15
ethanol fuels.
USDA has reimbursed 75 percent of project costs incurred by Sheetz. Sheetz has invested
$3.2 million in the public-private partnership, for a total project investment of $10.2 million.
(Photo: Secretary Redding speaking.)
[Posted: Oct. 23, 2017]

Kleinman Energy Center: Shale Gas Has Saved PA Consumers A Bundle

After ten years of natural gas production in the shale fields, a new study from the Kleinman
Center for Energy Policy at the University of Pennsylvania takes a closer look demonstrating that
Pennsylvanias residential consumers enjoy gas bills that are on average 40 percent lower (than
2007 bills) and that the electric power sector is now the nation and states largest gas consumer.
The study, Pennsylvanias Gas Decade: Insights into Consumer Pricing Impacts from
Shale Gas (2007-2016), documents how the infusion of low-cost shale gas into regional energy
markets substantially lowered gas commodity prices compared to national prices at the Henry
Hublowering both gas and power bills for consumers.
The study also found that demand for gas to Pennsylvanias electric power sector
increased 250 percent between 2007 and 2016. Pennsylvanias natural gas production increased
by almost 2,800 percent, which now accounts for 16 percent of national annual gas production.
In terms of cost, shale gas has been a clear win for consumers, said Christina Simeone,
author of the report and director of policy and external affairs at the Kleinman Center.
However, gas utility delivery rates continued to rise during the past decade, and in 2016,
Pennsylvanias retail residential gas prices still remained above the national average-- despite the
states gas commodity discount.
The report noted pipeline infrastructure capacity growth has not kept pace with
production growth, leading to a local supply glut creating the Pennsylvania Gas Discount to the
Henry Hub national price benchmark.
Between 2007 and 2016, Pennsylvania saw more project proposals (53 applications) to
the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission for major interstate gas pipelines than any other
state in the nation, almost double the amount of the second highest state-- New York, with 27
applications.
These 53 projects approved between 2007-2016 represent 12,939 MMcf/d of capacity,
and another 7,292 MMcf/d of pipeline capacity impacting Pennsylvania was approved by FERC
in the first few months of 2017 .
The report said not all of these pipeline projects will be built, but many that do become
operational will enable increasing amounts of gas to be exported outside of Pennsylvania.
Looking forward, an important question is how long will Pennsylvanias gas discount
last? said Simeone. Especially in light of the remarkable interest in building new pipeline
capacity to move gas out of the state.
Click Here for an executive summary and the complete report.
NewsClip:
Kleinman Energy Center: Shale Gas Saved PA Consumers A Bundle
[Posted: Oct. 27, 2017]

Clean Air Council, Delaware Riverkeeper Network, Mountain Watershed Association


Demand DEP Accountability In Mariner East 2 Pipeline Spills

The Clean Air Council, Delaware Riverkeeper Network,


and Mountain Watershed Association, Inc. Tuesday
announced they requested the Environmental Hearing
Board direct the Department of Environmental Protection
to abide by a court-ordered protocol designed to prevent
spills of drilling fluid along the Mariner East 2 Pipeline
construction route.
In August, the groups entered into a settlement with the
DEP and Sunoco to prevent spills of drilling fluid associated with Sunocos horizontal
directional drilling and to protect drinking water supplies and fragile ecosystems across the state.
Since then, more spills have occurred, adding to the over 100 spills of drilling fluid to
date. For example, during the course of less than a week in early October, there were four spills
at a site in Chester County located at Boot Road and Enterprise Drive. Drilling continued
anyway.
The Department has been given another chance to fulfill its duties, and yet it continues
to fail PA residents and communities, said Joseph Minott, Executive Director of the Clean Air
Council. The protections ordered by the Board should have been in place before the Department
ever issued permits to Sunoco. Were demanding that DEP uphold its mission and hold Sunoco
accountable.
The August settlement was adopted by the Environmental Hearing Board as a Stipulated
Order and established a protocol that the Department and Sunoco must follow in responding to
spills.
The protocol is designed to prevent repeat spills and requires Sunoco to stop drilling until
the Department inspects the site of a spill and ensures more spills wont happen there.
The Department has not been applying the protocol in all instances, resulting in Sunoco
continuing to spill drilling fluid at the same sites. Mondays motion requests that the Board
clarify the spill protocol to ensure the protections the parties agreed to are followed moving
forward.
It is unfortunate that once again it is the responsibility of non-profit organizations to
ensure that the Department appropriately responds to Sunocos ongoing spills, said Maya K.
van Rossum, the Delaware Riverkeeper and leader of the Delaware Riverkeeper Network.
The Boards Order is part of an ongoing appeal of 20 deficient water permits the
Department issued for the Mariner East 2 pipelines in February. That Order was entered after the
Board had halted all horizontal directional drilling for the Mariner East 2 pipelines due to the
damage Sunocos drilling practices was causing to drinking water supplies and the environment.
It is deeply concerning that despite the Boards intervention, Sunoco is still spilling
repeatedly at the same locations and the Department isnt stopping it, said Melissa Marshall,
Attorney for Mountain Watershed Association. The public deserves and expects better.
For information on actions taken so far, visit DEPs Mariner East 2 Pipeline webpage.
Related Story:
EHB Approves Sunoco, Groups, DEP Mariner East 2 Pipeline Construction Settlement
[Posted: Oct. 24, 2017]

Post-Gazette: FirstEnergy Will Dump Coal, Nuclear Regardless Of What FERC Does

The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Friday reported FirstEnergy CEO as telling analysts Friday the
company has no interest in retaining generating assets that have commodity exposure regardless
of what the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission does to fully reimburse coal and nuclear
plants.
Related Stories:
Senate, House Adopt FERC Coal/Nuclear Electric Pricing Resolutions
PUC Submits Comments To FERC Opposing DOE Coal/Nuclear Reliability Pricing
Peach Bottom Nuclear Power Station Begins Planned Refueling Outage
NewsClips:
Legislature Throws Its Support Behind Trump Energy Plan
Energy Supplier Calls For Competition, Not Subsidies For Nuclear, Coal
FirstEnergy CEO: Will Dump Coal, Nuclear Regardless Of What Federal Govt. Does To Help
Legere: FERC Commissioner Powelson Throws Doubt On Rule To Benefit Nuclear, Coal
PJM Says DOE Plan To Subsidize Coal, Nukes Not Workable
AP: Big Electric Grid Operator PJM Slams Trump Plan To Aid Coal, Nuclear Plants
PUC: DOE Coal/Nuclear Proposal Threatens Competitive Electricity Markets
DOE Coal, Nuclear Plant Subsidy Plan To Cost Taxpayers $10.6 Billion A Year
Plan To Support Coal, Nuclear Divides U.S. Energy Industry
Coal Industry Tells FERC Last 7 Years Was A Catastrophe It Must Now Fix
Puko: Trump Plan For Coal, Nuclear Power Draws Fire From Environmental, Oil Groups
Solar Power Costs To Fall By 60 Percent In Next 10 Years
Op-Ed: Trump Is Taking Right Steps To Ensure Our Energy Future
[Posted: Oct. 27, 2017]

PUC Submits Comments To FERC Opposing DOE Coal/Nuclear Reliability Pricing

The Public Utility Commission Monday submitted formal comments to the Federal Energy
Regulatory Commission saying the U.S. Department of Energy grid reliability and resilience
pricing proposal benefitting coal and nuclear power plants threatens the efficient functioning of
organized competitive wholesale electricity markets by providing de facto cost of service
treatment to coal and nuclear generation without adequate justification.
The comments point out the PUC has historically been supportive of competitive
wholesale markets and has actively advocated in favor of policy and regulatory proposals at
FERC that promote the success of competitive markets.
Competitive wholesales markets, the PUC said, have translated into equally vibrant
retail choice markets in PA and the proposed DOE rule could put Pennsylvanias retail choice
programs at risk.
The comments also question one justification for the DOE proposal saying the 2014 Polar
Vortex is an inadequate and inappropriate justification for the proposed rule.
The PUC comment recommend the stakeholder process now underway through the PJM
Interconnection should be permitted to go forward since they are discussing the resilience and
reliability issues at the level of a regional electricity market.
A copy of the comments are available online.
Related Stories:
Senate, House Adopt FERC Coal/Nuclear Electric Pricing Resolutions
Post-Gazette: FirstEnergy Will Dump Coal, Nuclear Regardless Of What FERC Does
Peach Bottom Nuclear Power Station Begins Planned Refueling Outage
NewsClips:
Legislature Throws Its Support Behind Trump Energy Plan
Energy Supplier Calls For Competition, Not Subsidies For Nuclear, Coal
FirstEnergy CEO: Will Dump Coal, Nuclear Regardless Of What Federal Govt. Does To Help
Legere: FERC Commissioner Powelson Throws Doubt On Rule To Benefit Nuclear, Coal
PJM Says DOE Plan To Subsidize Coal, Nukes Not Workable
AP: Big Electric Grid Operator PJM Slams Trump Plan To Aid Coal, Nuclear Plants
PUC: DOE Coal/Nuclear Proposal Threatens Competitive Electricity Markets
DOE Coal, Nuclear Plant Subsidy Plan To Cost Taxpayers $10.6 Billion A Year
Plan To Support Coal, Nuclear Divides U.S. Energy Industry
Coal Industry Tells FERC Last 7 Years Was A Catastrophe It Must Now Fix
Puko: Trump Plan For Coal, Nuclear Power Draws Fire From Environmental, Oil Groups
Solar Power Costs To Fall By 60 Percent In Next 10 Years
Op-Ed: Trump Is Taking Right Steps To Ensure Our Energy Future
[Posted: Oct. 27, 2017]

Peach Bottom Nuclear Power Station Begins Planned Refueling Outage


Just after midnight on Sunday, operators at Peach Bottom Atomic Power Station in York County
removed Unit 3 from service to refuel the reactor and perform maintenance to ensure a reliable
24-month operating cycle.
Today marks the end of another breaker-to-breaker run for Peach Bottom. The Unit 3
reactor has been online, producing carbon-free electricity 24-hours a day, 7-days a week for 731
days, said Peach Bottom Site Vice President Pat Navin.
While the unit is offline, technicians will replace nearly one-third of the reactors secure,
onsite fuel and perform nearly 10,000 inspections, tests and maintenance activities to ensure the
reactor continues to operate safely and reliably. Many of the tasks performed during the outage
cannot be accomplished while the unit is online.
To support this work, approximately 1,800 travelling contractors and union craftspeople
are onsite in Delta, PA. While in the area, those workers patronize local merchants, spending
money at hotels, restaurants and stores.
Peach Bottoms refueling outages deliver a major economic boost for our business.
Travelers stay in our motel and eat at both of our restaurants. The extra business really helps and
has a big impact our local economy, said Peach Bottom Inn Owner & General Manager Roula
Skouras.
Peach Bottom Atomic Power Station is a dual-unit nuclear power plant located on the
west bank of the Conowingo Pond (Susquehanna River) in York County. The stations two
boiling water reactors are capable of powering more than 2.25 million homes and businesses.
Both reactors began commercial operation in 1974.
Related Stories:
Senate, House Adopt FERC Coal/Nuclear Electric Pricing Resolutions
Post-Gazette: FirstEnergy Will Dump Coal, Nuclear Regardless Of What FERC Does
PUC Submits Comments To FERC Opposing DOE Coal/Nuclear Reliability Pricing
NewsClips:
Legislature Throws Its Support Behind Trump Energy Plan
Energy Supplier Calls For Competition, Not Subsidies For Nuclear, Coal
FirstEnergy CEO: Will Dump Coal, Nuclear Regardless Of What Federal Govt. Does To Help
Legere: FERC Commissioner Powelson Throws Doubt On Rule To Benefit Nuclear, Coal
PJM Says DOE Plan To Subsidize Coal, Nukes Not Workable
AP: Big Electric Grid Operator PJM Slams Trump Plan To Aid Coal, Nuclear Plants
PUC: DOE Coal/Nuclear Proposal Threatens Competitive Electricity Markets
DOE Coal, Nuclear Plant Subsidy Plan To Cost Taxpayers $10.6 Billion A Year
Plan To Support Coal, Nuclear Divides U.S. Energy Industry
Coal Industry Tells FERC Last 7 Years Was A Catastrophe It Must Now Fix
Puko: Trump Plan For Coal, Nuclear Power Draws Fire From Environmental, Oil Groups
Solar Power Costs To Fall By 60 Percent In Next 10 Years
Op-Ed: Trump Is Taking Right Steps To Ensure Our Energy Future
[Posted: Oct. 23, 2017]

Chester County Judge Issues Opinion Reaffirming Decision To Dismiss SLAPP Suit
Against Environmental Group

A Chester County court Monday issued an opinion reaffirming its August 22 decision to dismiss
a lawsuit filed by developer Brian ONeill, his corporate counterparts Constitution Drive
Partners and ONeill Developers against Maya van Rossum and the Delaware Riverkeeper
Network.
The Delaware Riverkeeper Network organization, led by van Rossum, has been
challenging a proposal by ONeill, ONeill Developers and Constitution Drive Partners to initiate
partial cleanup of the contaminated Bishop Tube site located in East Whiteland Township in
order to construct a more than 200 unit housing development.
ONeills original suit sought a judgement that would both silence the organization and
mandate they pay over $50,000 in damages. The lawsuit also named one citizen and listed up to
ten unnamed citizens as current and/or potential targets of the suit.
On August 22, 2017, the Chester County Court of Common Pleas dismissed this lawsuit
against DRN stating, This is what we call constitutionally protected free speech under the First
Amendment of the United States Constitution and the Pennsylvania Constitution. ONeill filed
an appeal of the decision that same day.
On October 23, 2017 the court responded to the appeal, issuing an opinion supporting the
August 22 decision. In the course of affirming its original decision, Judge Sommers stated that
complaints filed against DRN lack merit.
The court also questioned the complaint itself, saying While we question the good
faith of Appellants in bringing the instant lawsuit and subsequent appeal, we will address the
complaints,...
The opinion also stated that Mr. ONeill et al had commenced this action as a means of
intimidation and harassment, not because Appellants believe in the success of their claims.
DRN has been working closely with the East Whiteland Township community on this
issue and has written letters, commented at township meetings, and held open public
presentations about the site.
The courts opinion states that DRN had merely exercised their right of free speech
under the First Amendment of the United States Constitution to petition their government,...
The court also recognized that DRN and community advocates were concerned about the
spreading of contaminated soil and groundwater throughout the community and that the
assertions made in fliers and on the DRN website are true, and as such the activities undertaken
are protected under various elements of law.
Mr. ONeill should be ashamed of himself for misusing the law to threaten people into
silence and seeking a judgment that would strip them of their First Amendment rights to free
speech and to petition their government for appropriate action, said Maya van Rossum, the
Delaware Riverkeeper and leader of the Delaware Riverkeeper Network.
Ms. van Rossum and the Delaware Riverkeeper Network were represented by attorneys
Mark L. Freed and Jordan B. Yeager of Curtin & Heefner LLP.
Were pleased that the Court has vindicated the constitutional rights of residents to
speak up and advocate for a healthy environment without fear of retribution, Freed said about
the original August 22nd dismissal.
The original action was filed by ONeill and his counterparts on June 27, 2017 and
claimed the advocacy activities of DRN resulted in defamation/commercial disparagement,
interference with contractual or business relations and amounted to a civil conspiracy.
The Delaware Riverkeeper Network and members of the East Whiteland community held
a press conference on Wednesday, July 26, expressing their opposition to the lawsuit. Senators
Andy Dinniman and Daylin Leach released statements supporting DRN and the community at
that event.
Pennsylvanians have a Constitutionally protected right to clean air, pure water, and the
preservation of the natural environment. Citizens also have a right to voice their opinions, views,
and concerns on decisions regarding our public natural resources and to be involved in the
processes be they at the local, state or federal levels. The bottom line is Chester County has a
long history of standing up for our environmental resources and to stand up, we need to speak
out, said Sen. Andy Dinniman (D-Chester) in a statement released at the July press event.
Lawsuits have an important purpose, but when they are wielded as a bludgeon by
wealthy interests to silence advocates and communities, they harm the principles that form the
foundation of our country, said Sen. Daylin Leach (D-Montgomery) in a statement also issued
for the July press event. Free speech is a right held by all Americans wealthy or notand its
our job to protect it.
The Bishop Tube Site is a former metals processing plant located in East Whiteland
Township, PA. The site is bordered by Little Valley Creek a stream designated under state law as
Exceptional Value.
The Bishop Tube Site is listed on the Pennsylvania Priority List of Hazardous Sites for
Remedial Response under the Pennsylvania Hazardous Sites Cleanup Act. Groundwater, soil and
surface water at the Site are contaminated with trichloroethylene (TCE), which is classified as a
probable human carcinogen by the EPA and also as causing other significant health problems.
TCE and other contaminants of significant concern known to be present at the site
continue to migrate into the aquifer, stream and nearby residential area. The DEP has still not
published any final remediation plans for the Site.
Click Here to read the opinion (after the release in this file).
[Posted: Oct. 24, 2017]

DEP Receives Updated Phase II Permit Application For Elcon Hazardous Waste Facility
In Bucks

The Department of Environmental Protection Monday announced it has received a response to


its May 30, 2017 administrative completeness review letter regarding Elcon Recycling Services,
LLCs (Elcon) Phase II application for a proposed commercial hazardous waste storage and
treatment facility in Falls Township, Bucks County.
DEP received the submission on October 13, 2017.
DEP once again has 90 days to determine if the company has adequately addressed the
identified deficiencies and if the application is administratively complete.
If the application is deemed administratively complete, it will undergo a 10-month
technical review. It is during the technical review that full details of the proposed operations and
design will be evaluated.
The Phase I portion of the application was found to be in conformance with the
exclusionary siting criteria regulations on November 12, 2015.
A digital copy of the application and subsequent amendments to the application are
available on DEPs Southeast Regional Office webpage.
In addition, copies are available for review at DEPs office in Norristown, the Levittown
Branch of the Bucks County Library, 7311 New Falls Road, Levittown, and the Westampton
Branch of the Burlington County Library, 5 Pioneer Boulevard, Westampton, New Jersey).
Throughout the review process, DEP will conduct public outreach through public
meetings and hearings, information sheets, status updates and DEPs Southeast Regional Office
webpage. Questions should be directed to Virginia Cain, DEP Southeast Regional Office,
484-250-5808 or send email to: vicain@pa.gov.
[Posted: Oct. 23, 2017]

DEP Grant Application System Increasing Efficiency, Improving Review Timelines

The Department of Environmental Protection Wednesday announced the use of a centralized


electronic system for grant applications is reducing costs, increasing efficiency and significantly
shortening the application review time while maintaining a thorough evaluation process.
When fully implemented, e-grants will be available for 30 grants administered by DEP,
saving $200,000 annually.
Modernizing this grant application system is improving customer service for many
citizens, nonprofit organizations, local governments, and businesses, said DEP Secretary Patrick
McDonnell. With this advancement, we are making the process more efficient as we keep our
comprehensive reviews in place and ultimately speed up the support for these important
environmental programs in communities across the commonwealth.
DEP was the first agency to begin using the Department of Community and Economic
Developments electronic grants system for one of its programs. This has allowed DEP to
modernize its application and review processes without having to build or buy its own system.
The Environmental Education grant program was the first to accept electronic
applications, starting last fall. The Alternative Fuel Vehicle, Small Business Advantage, and
Coastal Zone Resource Management grant programs have begun accepting electronic
applications in the past six months.
The e-grant system reduces applicant errors and allows for electronic approval, which
reduces processing time and speeds review. DCED provides online application customer support.
DEP staff score applications online and no longer perform manual data entry
As a result of these and other efficiencies, the grant review process that formerly required
about two weeks has been reduced to an average of two days.
The new grant system complements ongoing work to shift agency-wide permitting from
paper to online applications, part of a major effort to modernize technology at DEP that launched
in January 2016.
In March of this year, DEP announced an electronic mining permit application for surface
coal mines that will make the permit review process faster for DEP and operators and provide
more transparency to the public.
The new process is a DEP initiative developed through the Governors Office of
Transformation, Innovation, Management, and Efficiency (GO-TIME).
For more information, visit DEPs Environmental eGrants System webpage.
[Posted: Oct. 25, 2017]

PennTAP: Saving Energy Costs By implementing Energy Management Systems Nov. 8


Pittsburgh
The PA Technical Assistance Program will host a Saving Energy Costs By Implementing An
Energy Management System Workshop November 8 at the Penn State Center at the Energy
Innovation Center, 1435 Bedford Avenue, Suite A in Pittsburgh from 1:00 to 5:00 p.m.
Are you a facility, operations, or plant maintenance manager or staff? Let PennTAP show
you how implementing an Energy Management System (EnMS) will reduce your organizations
energy costs. This workshop will:
-- Help you understand the structure, goals and many benefits of an EnMS
-- Outline the steps involved in implementing and maintaining an EnMS at your facility
-- Provide a step-by-step walk through of the Department of Energys online tool 50001 Ready
Navigator
Click Here to register or for more information.
To learn more about other assistance and education opportunities, visit the PA Technical
Assistance Program website.
[Posted: Oct. 24, 2017]

Gov. Wolf Issues Executive Order To Overhaul PA's Professional Licensing System

Gov. Tom Wolf Wednesday announced he signed an executive order to begin a review of the
Commonwealths professional licenses to benchmark Pennsylvanias licensing requirements
against national and regional averages.
The review will ensure that professional licenses are free from unnecessary barriers to
opportunity from excessive licensing requirements, fees and policies that unnecessarily block
hardworking Pennsylvanians from the career of their choice, while also protecting against public
harm.
Requiring a license to work in certain jobs helps to keep all of us safe, but those
requirements should be fair relative to other states in our region and across the country, said
Gov. Wolf. Overly burdensome requirements and fees can block some workers especially
minorities or spouses in military families who move frequently from starting a career and
supporting their families.
With this executive order, I am tasking the Commissioner of the Bureau of Professional
and Occupational Affairs within the Pennsylvania Department of State. The commissioner will
work with the various licensing boards and commissions to give them the tools they need to
more efficiently regulate their industry.
The commissioner will partner with the 29 boards and commissions in Pennsylvania to
study each boards licensing process, fees, training and continuing education requirements. The
commissioners will prepare a report comparing Pennsylvanias requirements with other states in
our region and across the nation and include any reciprocity agreements with other states.
The Bureau of Professional and Occupational Affairs within the Department of State
provides administrative and legal support to professional and occupational licensing boards and
commissions.
Approximately 20 percent of Pennsylvania workers need a license to do their job. The
share of workers with an occupational license has grown rapidly since the 1950s.
We need to find the right balances in our licensing requirements so talented and skilled
workers can do their jobs and support our economy as we continue to attract business to
Pennsylvania and develop a strong workforce, said Gov. Wolf. Looking for ways to modernize
our licensing process for workers is an important part of that process.
Among the long list of boards and commissions included in the executive order are--
-- State Board of Crane Operators
-- State Board for Professional Engineers, Land Surveyors, and Geologists
-- State Board of Landscape Architects
-- Navigation Commission
The commissioners findings will be submitted to the governor within seven months from
the effective date of the order.
Click Here for a copy of the Executive Order.
[Posted: Oct. 25, 2017]

Pennsylvanias Fall Foliage Still In Full Splendor In Southern Regions Of State

The Department of Conservation and Natural Resources


Thursday issued its latest Fall Foliage Report showing
Pennsylvanias Fall foliage is still in full splendor in
southern regions of the state.
The southern half of the state is generally at or nearing
peak foliage, as the sustained warm-weather trend has led
to a protracted fall foliage season.
Peak colors are observable in a diversity of central
regions, including parts of Buchanan, Rothrock,
Tuscarora, Weiser, and Delaware state forest districts.
Moshannon State Forest is still the standard-bearer for color, statewide. Excellent fall
color exists in northwestern Pennsylvania, as well as oak-dominated regions of Sproul,
Tiadaghton, Tioga, and northern Bald Eagle state forests.
Areas of Monroe, Carbon, Luzerne, and Schuylkill counties in the southern Pocono
region are currently particularly vibrant. Beautiful peak colors are expected soon in the
southcentral Pennsylvania Appalachian Mountains and Ridge and Valley regions.
For more information on the status of foliage around the state, visit DCNRs Fall Foliage
Reports webpage.
[Posted: Oct. 26, 2017]

DCNR, Reilly Twp. Officials Dedicate Renovated Branchdale Playground In Schuylkill


County

Department of Conservation and Natural Resources


Secretary Cindy Adams Dunn Thursday joined other
DCNR representatives and officials from Reilly
Township in Schuylkill County in dedicating the
recently renovated Branchdale Playground.
DCNR has been working with Reilly Township since
2010 to expand what had been only a baseball field
and aging playground equipment on the site near 25
Spruce St., Branchdale.
Projects like these, and the support they receive, reinforce the value of what DCNR does
when working with local officials, said Dunn, addressing attendees at a ribbon-cutting
ceremony. Regardless of size, municipalities look to DCNR for the expertise and funding to
make projects like this happen.
With funding from DCNR through its Keystone Recreation, Park and Conservation Fund
- Small Communities Program funding, the township has added a basketball court, upgraded
playground equipment and built a park pavilion. The site also has improved parking and ADA
access.
Without the DCNR grants, the renovations and additions never would have happened,
said Robert Butensky, chair of the Reilly Township Board of Supervisors. The improvements to
our community benefit the overall well-being of our residents and our children.
Butensky applauded project support received from Sen. David Argall (R-Schuylkill),
Rep. Neal Goodman (D-Schuylkill) and the Schuylkill County Board of Commissioners.
Donations from several area businesses and the Branchdale Fire Co. also were
acknowledged.
Municipal projects like this always seem to emerge as a keystone of a township or
borough feeling very good about itself, and what it is able to provide its residents -- community
pride! Dunn said.
DCNR provided four grants to the township totaling about $137,000 from its Keystone
Recreation, Park and Conservation Fund - Small Communities Program.
Applying For Grants
For information on how to apply for similar grants, attend one of DCNRs upcoming
Grant Workshops starting November 1. Click Here for all the details.
For more information on state parks and forests and recreation in Pennsylvania, visit
DCNRs website, Click Here to sign up for the Resource newsletter, Visit the Good Natured
DCNR Blog, Click Here for upcoming events, Click Here to hook up with DCNR on other
social media-- Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Flickr.
[Posted: Oct. 27, 2017]

Get Outdoors Poconos Nov. 25 Cranberry Creek Hike In Paradise Twp., Monroe County

The Brodhead Creek Watershed Association is hosting a


Get Outdoors Poconos hike on November 25 to explore
Cranberry Creek in Paradise Township in Monroe County
starting at 10:00 a.m.
Join hike leader Carol Hillestad for a challenging
hike of up to 3 miles. The specific route will depend on
how much water is in the creek on the day of the hike.
New trails created by the township and a new map
made by the county planning commission help hikers
investigate the preserves unique features.
Discover an old stone quarry, a gorge cut through by the creek, and the bleached remains
of oaks killed by gypsy moths standing like tall, ghostly fingers among thousands of promising
oak seedlings and saplings.
Swinging around the end of the quarry, the trail soon drops steeply into different terrain
a forest amphitheater littered with boulders and glacial till. Evergreen Christmas ferns abound.
Mosses as thick and dense as a bears pelt soften the steep, rocky, single-track trail.
The trail continues on the far side of the creek. The bridge is out, but the creek is low, and
crossing the rocks is easy. Paradise Township is working on creating simple bridge stream
crossings.
Able hikers will relish the challenge and its reward: the natural beauty of Paradise.
The hike is free, but registration is required. Directions will be provided upon
registration.
To register or for more information, call 570-839-1120 or 570-629-2727 or send email to:
info@brodheadwatershed.org.
For information about this and other hikes, visit the Get Outdoors Poconos webpage.
The hike series is administered by Brodhead Watershed Association and supported by a
grant from the William Penn Foundation.
For more information on programs, initiative and other upcoming events, visit the
Brodhead Creek Watershed Association website.
Related Story:
Nov. 18 Water Wiser Kids Special Event: Explore The H2Olympics In Monroe County
[Posted: Oct. 26, 2017]

Delaware River Basin Commission Staff Participates In Effort To Monitor Juvenile


American Shad

In addition to being active throughout the year sampling


the Delaware River and analyzing data for its various
water quality programs, Delaware River Basin
Commission staff periodically assist with monitoring
efforts led by partner agencies or basin cooperatives.
Commission staff once again helped basin state and
federal fisheries biologists during the late summer and
fall by providing manpower and expertise to count
numbers of juvenile American shad in the non-tidal
Delaware River.
American shad, a member of the herring family, are anadromous fish, meaning they are
born in fresh water, live for several years as adults in the ocean, and return to their natal waters
(where they're born) to spawn (lay their eggs) in the spring.
Juvenile American shad, called young of year (YOY), are those that are born in the
spring and spend their first summer in the river. As the water temperatures cool, they travel south
to overwinter in the warmer waters of the Delaware Estuary and Bay before heading out to the
Atlantic Ocean.
To help determine how well the fishery is doing each year, YOY shad numbers are
monitored in the non-tidal Delaware as they travel downriver towards the estuary. The shad are
collected by seining, using a large net to catch the fish in the river.
Other fish species are also caught, and the fisheries team must then sort and identify
which are YOY shad so their numbers can be recorded.
In August, September, and October 2017, six different sites - Trenton, N.J., Phillipsburg,
N.J., Delaware Water Gap, Pa., Milford Beach, Pa., Skinners Falls (Milanville, Pa.), and
Fireman's Launch (East Branch Delaware River) - were monitored once monthly, for a total of
18 data points.
The data collected from these surveys support an approved management plan that is in
place to ensure that the fishery remains viable and sustainable.
The YOY surveys are organized by the Delaware River Basin Fish and Wildlife
Management Cooperative (Co-Op), made up of fisheries representatives from the Delaware
Division of Fish and Wildlife, N.J. Division of Fish and Wildlife, New York State Division of
Fish, Wildlife, and Marine Resources, Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission, U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service, and the National Marine Fisheries Service.
DRBC is a liaison member to the Co-Op. Other supporting agencies include the National
Park Service, the Philadelphia Water Department, and the Nature Conservancy.
In 2017, DRBC staff participated in this voluntary and cooperative survey effort five
times at three different locations: in August at Phillipsburg, N.J., in September at Trenton, N.J.
and Phillipsburg, N.J., and in October at Phillipsburg, N.J. and Milford, Pa. Staff helped seine,
sort, and count the numbers of YOY shad collected.
In advance of the October sampling event at Phillipsburg, DRBC reached out to the
offices of several local legislators and officials to invite them to participate.
We were pleased to have N.J. State Senator Michael Doherty (Legislative District 23)s
Chief of Staff Patti Boynton and the Mayor of Phillipsburg Stephen R. Ellis join DRBC staff and
the other volunteers at the Phillipsburg boat ramp.
Inviting government officials to participate in these types of events helps further develop
our working relationships, as well as educate them on DRBC and the river.
DRBC staff work hard to fulfill the commissions mission of managing and protecting
the basins water resources. Being able to partner with other agencies on their monitoring efforts
and use these opportunities to teach others about DRBC and what we do, are also important parts
of that mission.
For more information on programs, initiatives and upcoming events, visit the Delaware
River Basin Commission website. Follow them on Twitter and Flickr.
Related Stories:
House Republican Policy Committee Holds Hearing On Delaware Watershed Drilling
Moratorium Oct. 31 In Wayne County
Pennsylvania Signs Revised Delaware River Watershed Flow Agreement

(Reprinted from the Delaware River Basin Commission Blog.)


[Posted: Oct. 26, 2017]

Responding To Hydrilla In The Lake Erie Watershed Workshop Nov. 16 Erie

The PA Sea Grant Program is hosting a Responding To


Hydrilla In The Lake Erie Watershed Workshop November
16 at the Tom Ridge Environmental Center at Presque Isle
State Park in Erie from 9:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
This rapid response exercise is designed to train aquatic
invasive species professionals about the fundamentals of
the Pennsylvania Rapid Response Plan, and their vital role in effective response to a new aquatic
species infestation.
Participants will engage in exercises designed to simulate real-life scenarios and the steps
involved in an effective response.
This training is designed for professional field biologists, natural resource managers, state
agency staff, and others who work with aquatic invasive species.
Click Here for a fact sheet on hydrilla by the PA Sea Grant Program.
Sponsors of the workshop include the Fish and Boat Commission, DCNR, DEP and the
Crawford County Conservation District.
Click Here to register by November 9. Questions should be directed to Sara Stahlman by
sending email to: sstahlman@psu.edu.
For more information on programs, initiatives and other upcoming events, visit the PA
Sea Grant Program website.
[Posted: Oct. 25, 2017]

Game Commission: Deer On The Move, Motorists Use Caution, PA 3rd In Vehicle-Deer
Collisions

With deer becoming increasingly active, and daylight


saving time soon to put more vehicles on the road during
the hours when deer move most, the Game Commission is
advising motorists to slow down and stay alert.
Deer become more active in autumn with the
lead-up to their fall breeding season, commonly referred to
as the rut. Around this time, many yearling bucks
disperse from the areas in which they were born and travel,
sometimes several dozen miles, to find new ranges.
Meanwhile, adult bucks more often are cruising
their home ranges in search of does, and they sometimes chase the does they encounter.
Add to this the fact autumn sees a number of people taking part in outdoor activities that
might flush deer from forested areas or briar thickets, and that deer are more actively feeding to
store energy for winter months, and it quickly becomes evident why motorists might be more
likely to encounter deer on roads.
When daylight saving time ends Nov. 5, there also will be increased vehicular traffic
between dusk and dawn the peak hours for deer activity.
While the peak of the rut still is a few weeks off, deer already have increased their
activity and are crossing roads, said Game Commission Executive Director Bryan Burhans.
While motorists at any time of year are well advised to stay alert and be on the lookout for
whitetails while driving, its especially important in now and in the coming weeks.
Each year, insurance provider State Farm compiles a report on the likelihood drivers in
each state will collide with a deer or other large animal, and Pennsylvania regularly is near the
top of list. This year is no exception.
In the 2017 report, released earlier this month, Pennsylvania remained third among states.
According to the report, Pennsylvania drivers have a 1-in-63 chance of experiencing a
collision with a deer or other large animal a 6.3 percent increase from 2016.
Drivers can reduce their chances of collisions with deer by staying alert and better
understanding deer behavior. Just paying attention while driving on stretches marked with Deer
Crossing signs can make a difference.
Deer often travel in family groups and walk single file. So even if one deer successfully
crosses the road in front of a driver, it doesnt mean the threat is over. Another could be right
behind it.
A driver who hits a deer with vehicle is not required to report the accident to the Game
Commission. If the deer dies, only Pennsylvania residents may claim the carcass.
To do so, they must call the Game Commission region office representing the county
where the accident occurred and an agency dispatcher will collect the information needed to
provide a free permit number, which the caller should write down.
A resident must call within 24 hours of taking possession of the deer. A passing
Pennsylvania motorist also may claim the deer, if the person whose vehicle hit it doesnt want it.
Those taking possession road-killed deer also are advised of rules related to chronic
wasting disease (CWD) that prohibit the removal of high-risk deer parts essentially the head
and backbone from any established Disease Management Area (DMA). Those parts must be
removed before the deer is transported outside a DMA.
For DMA maps, the complete list of high-risk parts and other information on CWD, visit
the Game Commissions website.
Antlers from bucks killed in vehicle collisions either must be turned over to the Game
Commission, or may be purchased for $10 per point by the person who claims the deer. Also,
removing antlers from road-killed bucks is illegal.
If a deer is struck by a vehicle, but not killed, drivers are urged to maintain their distance
because some deer might recover and move on. However, if a deer does not move on, or poses a
public safety risk, drivers are encouraged to report the incident to a Game Commission regional
office or other local law-enforcement agency.
If the deer must be put down, the Game Commission will direct the proper person to do
so.
To report a dead deer for removal from state roads, motorists can call the Department of
Transportation at 1-800-FIX-ROAD.
(Photo: Bull Creek Rod and Gun Club.)
NewsClips:
Insurance Companies Cant Charge Extra For Deer-Related Crash In PA
Deer-Lure Debate Widens With Spread Of Chronic Wasting Disease
[Posted: Oct. 25, 2017]

M&T Charitable Foundation Sponsors Hawk Mountain Raptors Up Close! Program

M&T Bank has awarded Hawk Mountain Sanctuary in


Berks County a $5,000 grant from the M&T
Charitable Foundation to support the world-famous
Sanctuary and its premier weekend program, Raptors
Up Close!.
"M&T's support for Hawk Mountain dates
back to the 1980s and M&T Charitable Foundation has
been the exclusive sponsor of Raptors Up Close for the ninth consecutive year," says Director of
Development Mary Linkevich.
The popular live raptor show is presented free to the public every Saturday and Sunday
during the autumn migration season, when fall foliage and large numbers of migrating hawks,
eagles, and falcons draw thousands of visitors from across the state and beyond.
From late August through Thanksgiving, programs are held at 10:00 a.m., Noon, and 2:00
p.m. During spring, the program is held and 11:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. from April through June.
Each presentation is designed to teach people of all ages about birds of prey and their
special conservation needs, and to give visitors the chance to see a live raptor up close, whether
birds are flying at the lookout or not.
M&T Bank's support helps Hawk Mountain attract new visitors and provide a
high-quality outdoor recreation and learning opportunity for local residents. Its fun, free,
educational, and supports the local economyits a win-win, Linkevich adds.
Recognized as the first refuge for birds of prey, Hawk Mountain Sanctuary is the worlds
oldest and largest, member-support raptor conservation organization in the world.
Its scenic overlooks, mountaintop trails and Visitor Center are open to the public
year-round as a nature-tourism site, and Hawk Mountain is well-known as a prime observation
point to watch than annual migration of hawks, eagles and falcons.
Trail fees, membership dues, gifts and grants support the Sanctuary's global raptor
conservation mission, which includes scientific research, professional training, and conservation
education programs.
The Hawk Mountain mission is to conserve birds of prey worldwide by providing
leadership in raptor conservation science, and by maintaining Hawk Mountain Sanctuary as a
model observation, research and education facility.
For more information on programs, initiatives and upcoming events, visit the Hawk
Mountain Sanctuary website or call 610-756-6961. Click Here to sign up for regular updates
from the Sanctuary, Like them on Facebook, Follow on Twitter, visit them on Flickr, be part of
their Google+ Circle and visit their YouTube Channel. Click Here to support Hawk Mountain.
(Photo: Representatives from M&T Bank are: Debra A. Kukta; Steph Jepko-Menapace; Beverly
Jarmiolowski; Deanna Wells; Carolyn Tobin; Jeffery ONeill; and Jeffrey Wessner.
Representatives from Hawk Mt. Sanctuary are: Educator Rachel Spagnola with screech owl,
Development Director Mary Linkevich and Membership and Volunteer Manager Tammy
Jandrasitz.)
NewsClips:
Game Commission Asks Hunters To Help Protect Bald Eagles From Lead Poisoning
NRCS: How Blair County Landowners Improve Habitat For The Indiana Bat
[Posted: Oct. 23, 2017]

Backcountry Hunters & Anglers Name Chris Hennessey Northeast Public Lands
Coordinator

Chris Hennessey has been named the Northeast Public Lands


Coordinator for Backcountry Hunters and Anglers, a group formed to
provide a boots-on-the ground voice to the conservation of public
lands.
"Eastern sportsmen and women have always been some of the most outspoken defenders
of our public lands and waters. Look no further than Theodore Roosevelt, said BHA President
and CEO Land Tawney. We at BHA are proud to stand shoulder to shoulder with them in the
ongoing efforts for conservation and public access. Adding two strong sportsmen advocates in
the arena Chris Hennessey in the Northeast and Josh Kaywood in the Southeast will enable
us to become even more effective in two previously underserved regions. Were thrilled to have
both of them join Team BHA.
Chris Hennessey will work with BHA chapter leaders in New York and Pennsylvania to
increase membership, maintain strong, capable chapters and mobilize sportsmen to advance
sound natural resources policy.
He grew up in suburban Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, with a passion for hunting and
fishing. Now residing in State College, he pursues fish and game among the ridges and valleys of
the Allegheny Mountains.
I have fished, hunted and hiked on public lands from Maine to Washington, and I am a
profound believer that those lands and the benefits they provide are a critical part of our
American heritage, Hennessey said. Im proud to be working with like-minded folks in New
York and Pennsylvania to preserve our wild spaces for future generations.
Click Here to learn more about the Pennsylvania Chapter.
Chris Hennessey can be contacted by calling 267-872-0345 or send email to:
c.hennessey@comcast.net or follow on Twitter @chenn70 or Instagram @hennessey802.
[Posted: Oct. 23, 2017]

Jacquelyn Bonomo Named President & CEO Of PennFuture

PennFuture Friday announced Jacquelyn Bonomo will serve as


the organizations president and CEO, as Larry J. Schweiger is
retiring from the role.
Bonomo brings a careers worth of environmental leadership and
conservation efforts that have strengthened and solidified
PennFuture over the course of the last two years, as she provided
expert oversight and ensured stabilization of PennFutures
operations, fiscal planning and fundraising, as well as
philanthropic initiatives and strategic planning.
She also has effectively led the team of staff who successfully
work under the organizations legal, outreach and policy teams.
Bonomos new role as PennFuture President and CEO gives her
the chance to bring a prolific body of work and passion for the environment to the forefront of an
unprecedented attack on Pennsylvanias environment at both the state and federal levels.
I am thrilled and humbled to have the opportunity to lead a team of top-notch
environmental lawyers, policy experts, passionate advocates and volunteers who all have the
same goal to protect our clean air, pure water, and to fight for a healthy climate, said Bonomo.
We must aggressively pursue solutions to our air, water and energy crises in the many
communities that need PennFutures expertise and assistance.
Pennsylvania faces a public health crisis. We need cleaner water, much cleaner air and
above all, a clean energy economy. PennFuture is prepared to organize citizens to act, challenge
legislators and use the courts to ensure a better environment for all, Bonomo added.
Bonomos leadership and executive experience at organizations including the Western
Pennsylvania Conservancy, National Wildlife Federation, and National Audubon Society, along
with her demonstrated ability to implement strategies that work, will only strengthen
PennFutures impact moving forward.
Bonomos leadership can currently be seen with the undertaking of the Toxic Neighbor
citizen engagement campaign, which is mobilizing a new generation of clean air activists in the
Pittsburgh region and beyond.
Her drive and willingness to position PennFuture as the organization taking on Shell
Global, U.S. Steels Clairton Coke Works, and business and state leaders who must be held
accountable for their support of big polluters across the state, shows firsthand that the
organization is ready to move forward under her leadership, PennFuture said.
Bonomo will further PennFutures impact as Pennsylvanias watchdog for clean air, pure
water and a healthy climate through the organizations legal work, policy work in Harrisburg,
and outreach initiatives across the state.
I am more confident than ever that PennFuture is headed in the right direction one in
which we are positioned as the leading environmental organization on the frontlines addressing
the climate crisis, defending environmental law, organizing citizens for action, and supporting
sound policy in Harrisburg, said PennFuture Board Chair Char Magaro.
Under Bonomos leadership as Executive Vice President and COO, she has assembled a
team that is capable and more motivated than ever to protect the people of Pennsylvania from big
polluters and a state government that favors profits over people.
Schweiger will remain involved with PennFuture under the title of President Emeritus,
focusing his work on climate issues.
For more information on programs, initiatives and upcoming events, visit the PennFuture
website.
[Posted: Oct. 27, 2017]

DEP Opportunity To Bid On Mine Reclamation Project In Schuylkill County

The Department of Environmental Protection published an opportunity to bid on a mine


reclamation project in Schuylkill County in the October 28 PA Bulletin.
The Department of Environmental Protection has available a current list of
Abandoned Mine Reclamation, Acid Mine Drainage, Surface Mine Reclamation, Cleaning Out
and Plugging Oil and Gas Wells, Waterways Engineering (Concrete Dams/Concrete Lined
Channels, Walls and Box Culverts, etc.), Hazardous Site Remediation, Removal and Disposal of
Underground Storage Tanks, and Wetland Restoration projects available for bidding. Click Here
for the list.
The Department of Conservation and Natural Resources has a current list of bid
proposals for construction projects in State Parks and State Forests available online. Click Here
for the list.
[Posted: Oct. 27, 2017]

Public Participation Opportunities/Calendar Of Events


This section lists House and Senate Committee meetings, DEP and other public hearings and
meetings and other interesting environmental events.
NEW means new from last week. [Agenda Not Posted] means not posted within 2 weeks
of the advisory committee meeting. Go to the online Calendar webpage for updates.

October 28-- NEW. Clinton County CleanScapes. Rail Trail Hillside Community Cleanup Day.
Lock Haven, Clinton County. 9:30 to 1:00.

October 28-- PA Resources Council/PA American Water. Drug Take Back Event. Green Tree
Borough Building, 10 W. Manilla Ave., Green Tree, Allegheny County. 10:00 to 2:00.

October 28-- PA Resources Council/PA American Water.. Drug Take Back Event. Medical
Rescue Team South, 315 Cypress Way, Mt. Lebanon, Allegheny County. 10:00 to 2:00.

October 28-- PA Resources Council/PA American Water. Drug Take Back Event. The Mall at
Robinson, Sears parking lot, 100 Robinson Centre Dr., Robinson, Allegheny County. 10:00 to
2:00.

October 28-- PA Environmental Council. Potter County Cleanup Event. Hector Township along
Loucks Mill Rd., Potter County. 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.

October 28-- PA Environmental Council. Potter County Cleanup Event. Bingham Township
along Rowley Rd., Potter County. 12:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m.

October 30-- Senate Environmental Resources and Energy Committee holds a hearing on lead
exposure and mitigation. John P. Cosgrove Center, Pittston Memorial Library, 47 Broad Street,
Pittston, Luzerne County. 11:00. Click Here for more.

October 31-- NEW. House Republican Policy Committee holds a hearing on the impact of the
permanent drilling moratorium being proposed by the Delaware River Basin Commission. Parc
Pavilion, Camp Ladore, 287 Owego Turnpike, Waymart, Wayne County. 10:00. Click Here to
watch the hearing online. Click Here for more.

November 1-- Agenda Posted. Oil and Gas Technical Advisory Board meeting. Room 105
Rachel Carson Building. 10:00. Click Here to join the meeting online through WebEx. DEP
Contact: Todd Wallace 717-783-9438 or send email to: twallace@pa.gov. (formal notice)
-- Presentation: Class IID Injections Wells And How They Are Regulated
-- Discussion: Area of Review Technical Guidance
-- Discussion: Guidelines for Chain Pillar Development & Longwall Mining Adjacent to
Unconventional Wells
-- Discussion: Water Supply Replacement Technical Guidance
-- Update on Technical Guidance Development

November 1-- CANCELED. DEP Aggregate Advisory Board meeting. Rescheduled for
December 14. DEP Contact Daniel Snowden, dsnowden@pa.gov or 717-787-5103. (formal
notice)

November 1-- DCNR, PA Recreation & Park Society Grant Application Workshop. Camp Hill,
Cumberland County, Giant Food Store Community Room. 9:00 a.m. to Noon.

November 1-- Dept. of Labor & Industry Uniform Construction Code Review and Advisory
Council meeting. L&I Building, 651 Boas Street, Room E-100, 1st Floor, Harrisburg. 10:00.
Contact: Cindy Holtry at 717-783-4560. (formal notice)

November 2-- NEW. DEP Sewage Advisory Committee workgroup meeting. Room 105 Rachel
Carson Building. 9:30. DEP Contact: Janice Vollero, jvollero@pa.gov, 717-783-7416. (formal
notice) Click Here for more.
-- Review of Act 26 Implementation Strategy for including alternative onlot septic systems in
sewage facility plans

November 2-- DEP Hearing On Hill Top Energy Center Natural Gas-Fired Power Plant Air
Quality Plan Approval. Carmichaels Area Senior High School Auditorium at 215 N Vine Street,
Carmichaels. Q/A -6:00, Hearing- 7:00.

November 2-- DEP Hearing On Proposed Birdsboro Power LLC Natural Gas Power Plant.
Boone Area Library, 129 N. Mill Street, Birdsboro, Berks County. 6:30. (formal notices Oct. 21
PA Bulletin, page 6562)

November 2-- Susquehanna River Basin Commission holds a hearing on water withdrawal
projects. Room 8E-B East Wing of the Capitol Building in Harrisburg. Questions should be
directed to Jason Oyler, General Counsel, 717-238-0423, Ext. 1312, fax 717-238-2436. 2:30 to
5:00. Click Here for more. (formal notice with project list)

November 2-- Susquehanna River Basin Commission Proposed Access To Records


[Right-To-Know] Policy. Room 8E-B East Wing of the Capitol Building in Harrisburg, 2:30 to
5:00. Click Here for more. (formal notice)

November 2-- PA Recreation and Park Society/DCNR. Get Outdoors PA Regional Summit.
Wildlands Conservancy, 3701 Orchid Place, Emmaus, Lehigh County. 8:30 to 2:30.

November 2-- Capital Chapter Society For Women Environmental Professionals. Annual
Regulatory Update. DEP Southcentral Regional Office, 909 Elmerton Avenue, Harrisburg. 8:00
to 3:30.

November 3-- Schuylkill Action Network Annual Meeting. Reading Area Community College.
9:30 to 3:00.

November 3-- Creative Makers Of The Pennsylvania Wilds - A Traveling Art Show. Winkler
Gallery of Fine Art, 36 N. Brady St., DuBois, Clearfield County. 6:00 to 9:00 p.m.
November 4-- Philadelphia Parks & Recreation. Love Your Park Fall Service Day.
Philadelphia.

November 6-- Green Roofs For Healthy Cities/University of Pittsburgh. Green Roof & Wall
Symposium In Pittsburgh. University of Pittsburgh, 4200 Fifth Avenue, Pittsburgh. 8:30 a.m. to
5:00 p.m.

November 8-- CANCELED. DEP Climate Change Advisory Committee meeting. Rescheduled
for December 4. DEP Contact: Mark Brojakowski, 717-772-3429 or send email to:
mbrojakows@pa.gov. (formal notice)

November 8-- DEP Hearing On GE Transportation-Erie RACT II Air Quality Plan (if
requested). DEP Northwest Regional Office, 230 Chestnut Street, Meadville. 10:00.

November 8-- DCNR, PA Recreation & Park Society Grant Application Workshop. Nanticoke,
Luzerne County, Luzerne County Community College Educational Conference Center. 9:00 a.m.
to Noon.

November 8-- Academy of Natural Sciences Of Drexel University Delaware Watershed


Research Conference. Academy of Natural Sciences, Philadelphia.

November 8-- NEW. PennTAP. Saving Energy Costs By Implementing Energy Management
Systems Workshop. Penn State Center at the Energy Innovation Center, 1435 Bedford Avenue,
Suite A in Pittsburgh. 1:00 to 5:00 p.m.

November 9-- CANCELED. DCNR Public Meeting On Bloody Skillet & Whiskey Springs
ATV Trails In Centre, Clinton Counties. Durrwachter Alumni Conference Center, Lock Haven
University, Lock Haven. 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. NOTE: Rescheduled for December 12, 19 same
place same time.

November 9-- Sponsorships Available. PA Resources Council Annual Awards Celebration.


Villanova University Hotel and Conference Center, Philadelphia.

November 9-- Energy Coordinating Agency Fall Energy Conference. Temple University
Student Faculty Center, 3340 N. Broad Street, Philadelphia. 8:45 to 4:15.

November 10-11-- Bucknell University 12th Annual Susquehanna River Symposium. Bucknell
University Campus, Lewisburg, Union County.

November 11-- Westmoreland Cleanways & Recycling. Household Hazardous Waste


Collection Event. Westmoreland Cleanways Recycling Center, 113 Innovative Lane in Latrobe.
9:00 to 1:00.

November 12-- Trout Unlimited Allegheny National Forest Trout Spawning Sites Survey.
Sheffield, Warren County.
November 13-- NEW. House Transportation Committee holds a hearing on House Bill 1446
(M.Quinn-R-Montgomery) related to establishing a clean transportation infrastructure (sponsor
summary). Room 140. 11:00.

November 13-- Environmental Issues Forum, Joint Conservation Committee featuring a


presentation on pumped storage hydroelectric facilities. Room 8E-A East Wing. Noon. Click
Here for more.

November 13-- PA Recreation and Park Society/DCNR. Get Outdoors PA Regional Summit.
Montour Preserve/Environmental Education Center, 700 Preserve Road, Danville, Montour
County. 8:30 to 2:30.

November 13-14-- Northeast Recycling Council 30th Anniversary Fall Conference. Amherst,
Massachusetts.

November 14-- CANCELED. Environmental Quality Board meeting. The next scheduled
meeting is December 12. DEP Contact: Laura Edinger, Environmental Quality Board, 400
Market Street, Harrisburg, PA 17101, 717-772-3277, ledinger@pa.gov.

November 14-- DEP Citizens Advisory Council meeting. Room 105 Rachel Carson Building.
10:00. DEP Contact: Lee Ann Murray, Citizens Advisory Council, P. O. Box 8459, Harrisburg,
PA 17105-8459, 717-787-8171, LeeMurray@pa.gov.

November 14-- DEP Environmental Justice Advisory Board meeting. 16th Floor Conference
Room, Rachel Carson Building. 8:30. DEP Contact: Carl Jones, caejone@pa.gov or
484-250-5818 or Glenda Davidson 717-783-4759 or gldavidson@pa.gov. Click Here for more.
-- Discussion of comments gathered in 2017 Listening Sessions

November 14-- DCNR, PA Recreation & Park Society Grant Application Workshop. Clarion,
Clarion County, Trinity Point Church of God. 9:00 a.m. to Noon.

November 15-- NEW. DEP Sewage Advisory Committee workgroup meeting. Desert Room,
Keystone Building Meeting Center, 400 North Street, Suite 114 East, Harrisburg. 9:30. DEP
Contact: Janice Vollero, jvollero@pa.gov, 717-783-7416. (formal notice) Click Here for more.
-- Review of Act 26 Implementation Strategy for including alternative onlot septic systems in
sewage facility plans

November 15-- DCNR, PA Recreation & Park Society Grant Application Workshop. Allison
Park, Allegheny County, Hampton Township Community Center. 9:00 a.m. to Noon.

November 16-- CANCELED. Oil and Gas Technical Advisory Board meeting. Room 105
Rachel Carson Building. 10:00. DEP Contact: Todd Wallace 717-783-9438 or send email to:
twallace@pa.gov. (formal notice)
November 16-- DEP Small Water Systems Technical Assistance Center Board meeting. Room
105 Rachel Carson Building. 9:00. DEP Contact: Dawn Hissner, 717-772-2189 or
dhissner@pa.gov. (formal notice)

November 16-- PA Grade Crude Development Advisory Council meeting. Location TBD.
1:00.

November 16-- DCNR, PA Recreation & Park Society Grant Application Workshop. Blue Bell,
Montgomery County, Montgomery County Community College, Central Campus. 9:00 a.m. to
Noon.

November 16-- PennTAP: How To Move Your Company Toward Sustainability Webinar.
Noon to 1:00 p.m.

November 16-- Penn State Extension. Abandoned Oil & Gas Wells, Whats A Reasonable
Estimate? Webinar. 1:00 to 2:00.

November 16-- 9th Annual Sustainability Conference: Engineering A Sustainable Economy.


August Wilson Center, 980 Liberty Avenue in Pittsburgh. 8:00 a.m. to 3:00.

November 16-- NEW. PA Sea Grant Program. Responding To Hydrilla In The Lake Erie
Watershed Workshop. Tom Ridge Environmental Center, Presque Isle State Park, Erie. 9:00 to
3:30.

November 18-- NEW. Brodhead Creek Watershed Association. Water Wiser Kids. Explore The
H2Olympics. Kettle Creek Environmental Education Center, Bartonsville, Monroe County.
10:30.

November 18-- CANCELED. Westmoreland Cleanways & Recycling. Household Hazardous


Waste Collection Event. Westmoreland Cleanways Recycling Center, 113 Innovative Lane in
Latrobe. 9:00 to 1:00.

November 18-- Audubon Society Of Western PA. Zeloyle Sanctuary Reforestation Project.
Sarver, Butler County. 9:00 to Noon.

November 20-- DEP Hearing On RACT II Air Quality Plan For Foam Fabricators Columbia
County (if requested). DEP Northcentral Regional Office, 208 West Third Street, Suite 101 in
Williamsport. 10:00.

November 21-- DCNR, PA Recreation & Park Society Grant Application Workshop. State
College, Centre County, Penn Stater Hotel and Conference Center, Deans Hall 1. 9:00 a.m. to
Noon.

November 25-- NEW. Brodhead Creek Watershed Association. Get Outdoors Poconos.
Cranberry Creek Hike in Paradise Township, Monroe County. 10:00.
November 30-- NEW. DEP Sewage Advisory Committee workgroup meeting. 4th Floor
Training Room, Rachel Carson Building. 9:30. DEP Contact: Janice Vollero, jvollero@pa.gov,
717-783-7416. (formal notice) Click Here for more.
-- Review of Act 26 Implementation Strategy for including alternative onlot septic systems in
sewage facility plans

December 4-- DEP Climate Change Advisory Committee meeting. Room 105 Rachel Carson
Building. 10:00. DEP Contact: Mark Brojakowski, 717-772-3429 or send email to:
mbrojakows@pa.gov. (formal notice)

December 5-- DEP Storage Tank Advisory Committee meeting. Room 105 Rachel Carson
Building. 10:00. DEP Contact: Dawn Heimbach, 717-772-5599 or send email to:
dheimbach@pa.gov. (formal notice)

December 5-- DEP Board Of Coal Mine Safety meeting. DEP Cambria Office 286 Industrial
Park Road, Ebensburg. 10:00. DEP Contact: Allison Gaida, agaida@pa.gov, 724-404-3147.

December 5-7-- National Brownfields Conference - Sustainable Communities Start Here.


LEED-certified David L. Lawrence Convention Center, Pittsburgh.

December 6-- DEP Hearing On Chapter 16 Water Quality Toxics Management Strategy
Changes. DEP Northeast Regional Office, 2 Public Square, Wilkes-Barre. 1:00.

December 6-- Environmental Quality Board Hearing On Chapter 93 Water Quality Standards
Changes Under Triennial Review. DEP Northeast Regional Office, 2 Public Square,
Wilkes-Barre. 2:00.

December 7--10,000 Friends Of Pennsylvania Commonwealth Awards Program. The Bond,


134 E. King Street, York.

December 7-- Westminster College Student Symposium On The Environment. Witherspoon


Rooms and Mueller Theater on the Westminster campus, Lawrence County.

December 8-- DEP Hearing On Chapter 16 Water Quality Toxics Management Strategy
Changes. DEP Southcentral Regional Office, 909 Elmerton Avenue, Harrisburg. 1:00.

December 8-- Environmental Quality Board Hearing On Chapter 93 Water Quality Standards
Changes Under Triennial Review. DEP Southcentral Regional Office, 909 Elmerton Avenue,
Harrisburg. 2:00.

December 12-- Environmental Quality Board meeting. Room 105 Rachel Carson Building. 9:00.
DEP Contact: Laura Edinger, Environmental Quality Board, 400 Market Street, Harrisburg, PA
17101, 717-772-3277, ledinger@pa.gov.
December 12-- DCNR Public Meeting On Bloody Skillet & Whiskey Springs ATV Trails In
Centre, Clinton Counties. Durrwachter Alumni Conference Center, Lock Haven University,
Lock Haven. 6:00 to 8:00 p.m.

December 13-- DEP Cleanup Standards Scientific Advisory Board. Room 105 Rachel Carson
Building. 9:00. DEP Contact: Michael Maddigan, mmaddigan@pa.gov, 717-772-3609.

December 13-- DCNR, PA Recreation & Park Society Grant Application Webinar. 10:00 to
11:30.

December 14-- DEP Air Quality Technical Advisory Committee meeting. Room 105 Rachel
Carson Building. 9:15. DEP Contact: Kirit Dalal, kdalal@pa.gov or 717-772-3436.

December 14-- NEW. Agenda Posted. DEP Aggregate Advisory Board meeting. 14th Floor
Conference Room, Rachel Carson Building, Harrisburg. 10:00. DEP Contact Daniel Snowden,
dsnowden@pa.gov or 717-787-5103. (formal notice)

December 14- DEP State Board For Certification Of Water and Wastewater Systems Operators
meeting. 10th Floor Conference Room, Rachel Carson Building. 10:00. DEP Contact: Cheri
Sansoni, csansoni@pa.gov, 717-772-5158.

December 14-- DEP Hearing On Chapter 16 Water Quality Toxics Management Strategy
Changes. DEP Southwest Regional Office, 400 Waterfront Drive, Pittsburgh. 1:00.

December 14-- Environmental Quality Board Hearing On Chapter 93 Water Quality Standards
Changes Under Triennial Review. DEP Southwest Regional Office, 400 Waterfront Drive,
Pittsburgh. 2:00.

December 19-- DCNR Public Meeting On Bloody Skillet & Whiskey Springs ATV Trails In
Centre, Clinton Counties. Durrwachter Alumni Conference Center, Lock Haven University,
Lock Haven. 6:00 to 8:00 p.m.

January 11-- DCNR, PA Recreation & Park Society Grant Application Webinar. 10:00 to 11:30.

February 7-10-- PA Association For Sustainable Agriculture Annual Conference. State


College.

February 23-24-- Keystone Coldwater Conference. State College. (Note: PA Environment


Digest is a Conference sponsor.)

March 12-13-- PA Association of Environmental Educators. 2018 Annual Conference. State


College, Centre County.

April 17-19-- National Forum On Low-Zero Energy Buildings. Wyndam Grand Hotel,
Pittsburgh.
May 2-4-- PA Association Of Environmental Professional. Annual Conference. State College.

Visit DEPs Public Participation Center for public participation opportunities. Click Here to sign
up for DEP News a biweekly newsletter from the Department.

Sign Up For DEPs eNotice: Did you know DEP can send you email notices of permit
applications submitted in your community? Notice of new technical guidance documents and
regulations? All through its eNotice system. Click Here to sign up.

Check the PA Environmental Council Bill Tracker for the status and updates on pending state
legislation and regulations that affect environmental and conservation efforts in Pennsylvania.

DEP Regulations In Process


Proposed Regulations Open For Comment - DEP webpage
Submit Comments on Proposals Through DEPs eComment System
Proposed Regulations With Closed Comment Periods - DEP webpage
Recently Finalized Regulations - DEP webpage
DEP Regulatory Update - DEP webpage
August 2017 DEP Regulatory Agenda - PA Bulletin, Page 4922

DEP Technical Guidance In Process


Draft Technical Guidance Documents - DEP webpage
Technical Guidance Comment Deadlines - DEP webpage
Submit Comments on Proposals Through DEPs eComment System
Recently Closed Comment Periods For Technical Guidance - DEP webpage
Technical Guidance Recently Finalized - DEP webpage
Copies of Final Technical Guidance - DEP webpage
DEP Non-Regulatory/Technical Guidance Documents Agenda (July 2017) - DEP webpage

Other DEP Proposals For Public Review


Other Proposals Open For Public Comment - DEP webpage
Submit Comments on Proposals Through DEPs eComment System
Recently Closed Comment Periods For Other Proposals - DEP webpage
Other Proposals Recently Finalized - DEP webpage

DEP Facebook Page DEP Twitter Feed DEP YouTube Channel

Click Here for links to DEPs Advisory Committee webpages.

DEP Calendar of Events DCNR Calendar of Events

Senate Committee Schedule House Committee Schedule

You can watch the Senate Floor Session and House Floor Session live online.
Add Green Works In PA To Your Google+ Circle

Grants & Awards

This section gives you a heads up on upcoming deadlines for awards and grants and other
recognition programs. NEW means new from last week.

October 31-- CBF Pay For Success Green Infrastructure Funding


October 31-- PA Resources Council Lens On Litter Photo Contest
October 31-- Society For Mining, Metallurgy College Student Poster Contest
November 1-- Delaware River Basin Commission Photo Contest
November 1-- Society For Mining, Metallurgy K-12 Student Video Contest
November 6-- POWR, DCNR 2018 PA River Of The Year
November 9-- PennDOT Green Light-Go LED Traffic Light Grants
November 17-- Western PA Conservancy Canoe & Kayak Access Grants
November 17-- DEP Alternative Fuels Public Refueling Facilities Grant
November 17-- DCNR 2018 Pennsylvania Trail Of The Year
November 17-- Recyclebank Green Schools Project Grants (in their service territory)
November 26-- Hawk Mountain Sanctuary Digital Photo Contest
December 1-- DEP Small Business Advantage Grant Program (First-Come, First-Served)
December 15-- DEP Alternative Fuels Incentive Grants
December 15-- Coldwater Heritage Partnership Watershed Grants
December 20-- DCNR Forested Stream Buffer Grants
December 20-- DCNR Snowmobile, ATV Trail Grants
December 29-- NEW. PA Assn. Of Environmental Educators Excellence Awards
December 31-- DEP Alternative Fuel Vehicle Rebates (First-Come, First-Served)
February 1-- U.S. Healthy Watersheds Consortium Grant Program
April 1-- DEP Farm Conservation Plan Grant Chesapeake Bay Watershed
May 23-- SBA Flood Assistance Clearfield, Washington, 8 Other Counties

-- Visit the DEP Grant, Loan and Rebate Programs webpage for more ideas on how to get
financial assistance for environmental projects.

-- Visit the DCNR Apply for Grants webpage for a listing of financial assistance available from
DCNR.

Add Green Works In PA To Your Google+ Circle

Environmental NewsClips - All Topics

Here are NewsClips from around the state on all environmental topics, including General
Environment, Budget, Marcellus Shale, Watershed Protection and much more.
The latest environmental NewsClips and news is available at the PA Environment Digest Daily
Blog, Twitter Feed and add us to your Google+ Circle.

DEP Secretary Stops In Scranton, Wilkes-Barre For Local Visits


Air
Editorial: Vogel Amendment To Study Eliminating Vehicle Emissions Inspection Worth
Pursuing
U.S. Senators From Refinery State Request Trump Meeting On Biofuels
Editorial: Ethanols Slow Burn In Renewable Fuel Follies
Alternative Fuels
U.S. Senators From Refinery State Request Trump Meeting On Biofuels
Editorial: Ethanols Slow Burn In Renewable Fuel Follies
Beaver Countys First CNG Fueling Station Opens
Biodiversity/Invasive Species
Century-Long Quest To Save The American Chestnut May Soon Be Over
Scientists Using Costly Triage To Spare Some Ash Trees From Extinction
Warning Of Ecological Armageddon After Dramatic Plunge In Insect Numbers
A Giant Insect Ecosystem Is Collapsing Due To Humans, Its A Catastrophe
Climate Change Could Spell Disaster For Coffee, But Science May Have Solution
Budget
Op-Ed: Budget Bills Do Not Honor Our Environmental Rights In PA, Alan Peterson, MD
Micek: Wolf Presses For Tax On Gas Drillers
Wolf Urges New Severance Tax
Op-Ed: Natural Gas Severance Tax Thats Not Worth The Price, Rep. Vitali
Op-Ed: Severance Tax Supporter Now Against It Because Of Permitting Tradeoffs, Rep. Vitali
Op-Ed: Gas Drilling Is Good For State Economy, Marcellus Shale Coalition
Editorial: When All Else Fails, Roll The Dice In Budget Mess
Delco Uses $65K For 14-Acre Open Space Parcel Funded By Act 13 Impact Fee
Wolf To Evaluate Plan To Close Budget Gap, Expand Gambling In PA
Legislature Expands Gambling, Borrows $1.5B To Balance Budget, Will Wolf Sign?
House Passes Final Budget Piece, Ball Moves To Wolfs Court
AP: Massive Borrowing, Gambling Bills Advance In Budget Scramble
Thompson: Senate Sends Big Budget Patch To Wolfs Desk
More Borrowing, More Gambling: How Theyre Breaking Budget Impasse
Murphy: Balanced Budget is Finally Close At Hand
AP: Senate Eyes House Budget Plan Thats Short Of What It Wanted
AP: PAs Budget Fight Will Come With Its Own Price Tag
Thompson: House Passes Fiscal Code Keeping Budget Progress On Track
Chesapeake Bay
DEP To Pay For 800 Ag Conservation Plans For Chesapeake Bay Cleanup
PA Projects Get $5.8M In Grants For Work To Protect Chesapeake Bay
Latest From The Chesapeake Bay Journal
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Climate
Op-Ed: Impose Carbon Tax And Let Market Solve Climate Change
Wild Swings In Weather Mean Some PA Farm Crops Will Flourish, Others Struggle
Warning Of Ecological Armageddon After Dramatic Plunge In Insect Numbers
A Giant Insect Ecosystem Is Collapsing Due To Humans, Its A Catastrophe
Climate Change Could Spell Disaster For Coffee, But Science May Have Solution
International Energy Agency: The Environmental Case For Natural Gas
GAO: U.S. Government Should Manage Climate Risks As Cost Impacts Soar
Costa Rica Banks On Low-Carbon Coffee
Coal Mining
Legere: FERC Commissioner Powelson Throws Doubt On Rule To Benefit Nuclear, Coal
FirstEnergy CEO: Will Dump Coal, Nuclear Regardless Of What Federal Govt. Does To Help
PJM Says DOE Plan To Subsidize Coal, Nukes Not Workable
AP: Big Electric Grid Operator PJM Slams Trump Plan To Aid Coal, Nuclear Plants
PUC: DOE Coal/Nuclear Proposal Threatens Competitive Electricity Markets
Legislature Throws Its Support Behind Trump Energy Plan
Energy Supplier Calls For Competition, Not Subsidies For Nuclear, Coal
DOE Coal, Nuclear Plant Subsidy Plan To Cost Taxpayers $10.6 Billion A Year
Supporters, Opponents Voice Opinions About Proposed Coal, Nuclear Bailout
Plan To Support Coal, Nuclear Divides U.S. Energy Industry
Coal Industry Tells FERC Last 7 Years Was A Catastrophe It Must Now Fix
Puko: Trump Plan For Coal, Nuclear Power Draws Fire From Environmental, Oil Groups
Frazier: Future Of FirstEnergy Greene County Coal Ash Disposal Site In Limbo
AP: Kentucky Engineer Picked To Head Surface Mining Agency
Delaware River
Cultivating Future Generations Of Water Stewards In Delaware Watershed
New Agreement For Delaware River Water Flow
Delaware RiverKeeper Oct. 27 RiverWatch Video Report
Drinking Water
Legislature Passes Bill To Help Homeowners Replace Lead Water Lines
Pittsburgh Water Authority Ends Water Shutoffs In Winter
Economic Development
Op-Ed: Shale Gas Key Part Of The States Future
Education
North Allegheny Student Takes Top Prize In National STEM Competition
Western PA Schools Push STEAM Learning Further
Carnegie Museum Of Natural History Initiates Discussion Of Anthropocene
Emergency Response
Legere: PA One Call Utility Safety Program Expanded
Energy
Kleinman Energy Center: Shale Gas Saved PA Consumers A Bundle
Marcellus Shale Boom Cuts Costs For PA Ratepayers
Groundbreaking For New Natural Gas Power Plant In Cambria County
Ground Broken For $700M Natural Gas Power Plant In Cambria County
Talen Energy Exec: It Makes Sense To Stay In Allentown
Legislature Throws Its Support Behind Trump Energy Plan
Energy Supplier Calls For Competition, Not Subsidies For Nuclear, Coal
Legere: FERC Commissioner Powelson Throws Doubt On Rule To Benefit Nuclear, Coal
FirstEnergy CEO: Will Dump Coal, Nuclear Regardless Of What Federal Govt. Does To Help
PJM Says DOE Plan To Subsidize Coal, Nukes Not Workable
AP: Big Electric Grid Operator PJM Slams Trump Plan To Aid Coal, Nuclear Plants
PUC: DOE Coal/Nuclear Proposal Threatens Competitive Electricity Markets
DOE Coal, Nuclear Plant Subsidy Plan To Cost Taxpayers $10.6 Billion A Year
Plan To Support Coal, Nuclear Divides U.S. Energy Industry
Coal Industry Tells FERC Last 7 Years Was A Catastrophe It Must Now Fix
Puko: Trump Plan For Coal, Nuclear Power Draws Fire From Environmental, Oil Groups
Solar Power Costs To Fall By 60 Percent In Next 10 Years
Op-Ed: Trump Is Taking Right Steps To Ensure Our Energy Future
Environmental Heritage
As Coal Still Burns Under Centralia, Trash Piles Up Above
Environmental Justice
DEP Environmental Justice Director Steps Down
Farming
DEP To Pay For 800 Ag Conservation Plans For Chesapeake Bay Cleanup
PA Projects Get $5.8M In Grants For Work To Protect Chesapeake Bay
Team Effort Targets Lancaster County Watershed For Cleanup
NRCS: How Blair County Landowners Improve Habitat For The Indiana Bat
Wild Swings In Weather Mean Some PA Farm Crops Will Flourish, Others Struggle
Forests
DCNR Planning Prescribed Burn In Michaux State Forest, Cumberland County
Century-Long Quest To Save The American Chestnut May Soon Be Over
Scientists Using Costly Triage To Spare Some Ash Trees From Extinction
Green Infrastructure
PA Projects Get $5.8M In Grants For Work To Protect Chesapeake Bay
Team Effort Targets Lancaster County Watershed For Cleanup
Land Conservation
Delco Uses $65K For 14-Acre Open Space Parcel Funded By Act 13 Impact Fee
Littering/Illegal Dumping
As Coal Still Burns Under Centralia, Trash Piles Up Above
Mine Reclamation
DEP Mine Reclamation Project Continues In Luzerne County
AP: Kentucky Engineer Picked To Head Surface Mining Agency
Oil & Gas
Legere: PA One Call Utility Safety Program Expanded
Kleinman Energy Center: Shale Gas Saved PA Consumers A Bundle
Marcellus Shale Boom Cuts Costs For PA Ratepayers
Op-Ed: Natural Gas Severance Tax Thats Not Worth The Price, Rep. Vitali
Op-Ed: Severance Tax Supporter Now Against It Because Of Permitting Tradeoffs, Rep. Vitali
Op-Ed: Despite What Youve Read, Gas Drillers Care About The Environment
Op-Ed: Shale Gas Key Part Of The States Future
Op-Ed: Gas Drilling Is Good For State Economy, Marcellus Shale Coalition
Westmoreland Judge To Rule On Apex Energy Drilling Sites
Geokinetics Challenges Monroeville Seismic Testing Regs In Court
Groundbreaking For New Natural Gas Power Plant In Cambria County
Ground Broken For $700M Natural Gas Power Plant In Cambria County
Tenaska Natural Gas Power Plant In Westmoreland Hires Manager
Beaver Countys First CNG Fueling Station Opens
Marcus Hook Refinery Upgrades Will Boost Tax Bill By $4.8 Million
EQT Drilling: Everything Is Better With Rice Energy
Delco Uses $65K For 14-Acre Open Space Parcel Funded By Act 13 Impact Fee
Range Could Sell Some Noncore Acreage In Southwest PA
Legislature Throws Its Support Behind Trump Energy Plan
Energy Supplier Calls For Competition, Not Subsidies For Nuclear, Coal
Legere: FERC Commissioner Powelson Throws Doubt On Rule To Benefit Nuclear, Coal
FirstEnergy CEO: Will Dump Coal, Nuclear Regardless Of What Federal Govt. Does To Help
PJM Says DOE Plan To Subsidize Coal, Nukes Not Workable
PUC: DOE Coal/Nuclear Proposal Threatens Competitive Electricity Markets
DOE Coal, Nuclear Plant Subsidy Plan To Cost Taxpayers $10.6 Billion A Year
Plan To Support Coal, Nuclear Divides U.S. Energy Industry
Coal Industry Tells FERC Last 7 Years Was A Catastrophe It Must Now Fix
Puko: Trump Plan For Coal, Nuclear Power Draws Fire From Environmental, Oil Groups
International Energy Agency: The Environmental Case For Natural Gas
Midstate Gasoline Prices Continue Recovery From Hurricane Harvey, Irma
U.S. Senators From Refinery State Request Trump Meeting On Biofuels
Editorial: Ethanols Slow Burn In Renewable Fuel Follies
Pipelines
Legere: PA One Call Utility Safety Program Expanded
PUC Halts Mariner East 2 Pipeline Plan To Build Valve In West Goshen Twp., Chester County
Priest, 5 Others Arrested At Atlantic Sunrise Pipeline Construction Site
Atlantic Sunrise Pipeline Protest Continues In Lancaster With More Arrests
Atlantic Sunrise Pipeline Funds Conestoga Community Pool, Firefighter Other Local Programs
Radiation Protection
Legislature Throws Its Support Behind Trump Energy Plan
Energy Supplier Calls For Competition, Not Subsidies For Nuclear, Coal
FirstEnergy CEO: Will Dump Coal, Nuclear Regardless Of What Federal Govt. Does To Help
Legere: FERC Commissioner Powelson Throws Doubt On Rule To Benefit Nuclear, Coal
PJM Says DOE Plan To Subsidize Coal, Nukes Not Workable
AP: Big Electric Grid Operator PJM Slams Trump Plan To Aid Coal, Nuclear Plants
PUC: DOE Coal/Nuclear Proposal Threatens Competitive Electricity Markets
DOE Coal, Nuclear Plant Subsidy Plan To Cost Taxpayers $10.6 Billion A Year
Supporters, Opponents Voice Opinions About Proposed Coal, Nuclear Bailout
Puko: Trump Plan For Coal, Nuclear Power Draws Fire From Environmental, Oil Groups
Pushing Risk Off A Cliff; How Westinghouse Ended Up In Bankruptcy
Westinghouse Sold An Unfinished Product, Then Problems Snowballed
Moving Massive Parts Of Nuclear Power Plants To Georgia Means Cutting Down Trees
Recreation
Crable: Manheim Resident Reflects On Quest For Solitude On Local Waters
Trail Maps, Logo To Promote Extensive Two Rivers Trail In Northampton County
Take Five Fridays With Pam, PA Parks & Forests Foundation
U.S. Considers Higher Entry Fees At 17 Popular National Parks
Renewable Energy
Legere: Bill Closes Borders To Out-Of-State Solar Credits
Recycling/Waste
Dispose Of Your Medications During Drug Take Back Day
Check Your Medicine Cabinet: Saturday Is Drug Take-Back Day
Penn State Creates Food Packaging From Wood, Shells
Frazier: Future Of FirstEnergy Greene County Coal Ash Disposal Site In Limbo
Renewable Energy
Solar Power Costs To Fall By 60 Percent In Next 10 Years
Susquehanna River
DEP Blog: A Dangerous Bridge Structure Comes Down Over The Susquehanna
Wastewater Facilities
Falls Twp Wastewater Treatment Facility Plan Back Before DEP
Watershed Protection
DEP To Pay For 800 Ag Conservation Plans For Chesapeake Bay Cleanup
PA Projects Get $5.8M In Grants For Work To Protect Chesapeake Bay
Team Effort Targets Lancaster County Watershed For Cleanup
Cultivating Future Generations Of Water Stewards In Delaware Watershed
A Day In The Life Of Wissahickon Creek
New Agreement For Delaware River Water Flow
Delaware RiverKeeper Oct. 27 RiverWatch Video Report
Latest From The Chesapeake Bay Journal
Click Here to subscribe to the Chesapeake Bay Journal
Follow Chesapeake Bay Journal On Twitter
Like Chesapeake Bay Journal On Facebook
Wildlife
Bob Frye: Not So Subtle: Attempt To Limit Term Of Fish Commission Executive Director
Game Commission Asks Hunters To Help Protect Bald Eagles From Lead Poisoning
Deer-Lure Debate Widens With Spread Of Chronic Wasting Disease
Insurance Companies Cant Charge Extra For Deer-Related Crash In PA
NRCS: How Blair County Landowners Improve Habitat For The Indiana Bat
Op-Ed: Lets Call Coyote Hunts What They Are: Mindless Bloodbaths
Hurricanes
PA National Guard Wing Provides Non-Stop Hurricane Relief Support
All 5 Ex-Presidents Put Politics Aside At Hurricane Relief Concert
What Puerto Rico Is Doing To Get The Power Back After Storm
Displaced By Hurricane Maria, Puerto Ricans Move To Philadelphia
Midstate Gasoline Prices Continue Recovery From Hurricane Harvey, Irma
Federal Policy
Legere: FERC Commissioner Powelson Throws Doubt On Rule To Benefit Nuclear, Coal
PJM Says DOE Plan To Subsidize Coal, Nukes Not Workable
AP: Big Electric Grid Operator PJM Slams Trump Plan To Aid Coal, Nuclear Plants
PUC: DOE Coal/Nuclear Proposal Threatens Competitive Electricity Markets
Supporters, Opponents Voice Opinions About Proposed Coal, Nuclear Bailout
Plan To Support Coal, Nuclear Divides U.S. Energy Industry
Coal Industry Tells FERC Last 7 Years Was A Catastrophe It Must Now Fix
Op-Ed: Trump Is Taking Right Steps To Ensure Our Energy Future
AP: Kentucky Engineer Picked To Head Surface Mining Agency
GAO: U.S. Government Should Manage Climate Risks As Cost Impacts Soar
U.S. Senators From Refinery State Request Trump Meeting On Biofuels
Editorial: Ethanols Slow Burn In Renewable Fuel Follies
Trump Revisits Gasoline Tax Increase To Pay For Infrastructure Improvements
U.S. Considers Higher Entry Fees At 17 Popular National Parks
Some Of The Legal Challenges To The Trump Administrations Decisions

Click Here For This Week's Allegheny Front Radio Program

Regulations, Technical Guidance & Permits

The Environmental Quality Board published notice in the October 28 PA Bulletin of a correction
to the public hearings for the proposed Triennial Review of Water Quality Standards regulations.

The Department of Environmental Protection published notice in the October 28 PA Bulletin of a


correction to the public hearings for the Water Quality Toxics Management Strategy.

Pennsylvania Bulletin - October 28, 2017

Sign Up For DEPs eNotice: Did you know DEP can send you email notices of permit
applications submitted in your community? Notice of new technical guidance documents and
regulations? All through its eNotice system. Click Here to sign up.

Check the PA Environmental Council Bill Tracker for the status and updates on pending state
legislation and regulations that affect environmental and conservation efforts in Pennsylvania.

DEP Regulations In Process


Proposed Regulations Open For Comment - DEP webpage
Submit Comments on Proposals Through DEPs eComment System
Proposed Regulations With Closed Comment Periods - DEP webpage
Recently Finalized Regulations - DEP webpage
DEP Regulatory Update - DEP webpage
August 2017 DEP Regulatory Agenda - PA Bulletin, Page 4922

Technical Guidance & Permits


Note: DEP published 52 pages of public notices related to proposed and final permit and
approval/disapproval actions in the October 28 PA Bulletin - pages 6732 to 6784.

The Department of Environmental Protection published a notice of availability for the NPDES
General Permit for Point Source Discharges from the Application of Pesticides (PAG-15) in the
October 28 PA Bulletin.

DEP Technical Guidance In Process


Draft Technical Guidance Documents - DEP webpage
Technical Guidance Comment Deadlines - DEP webpage
Submit Comments on Proposals Through DEPs eComment System
Recently Closed Comment Periods For Technical Guidance - DEP webpage
Technical Guidance Recently Finalized - DEP webpage
Copies of Final Technical Guidance - DEP webpage
DEP Non-Regulatory/Technical Guidance Documents Agenda (July 2017) - DEP webpage

Other DEP Proposals For Public Review


Other Proposals Open For Public Comment - DEP webpage
Submit Comments on Proposals Through DEPs eComment System
Recently Closed Comment Periods For Other Proposals - DEP webpage
Other Proposals Recently Finalized - DEP webpage

Visit DEPs Public Participation Center for public participation opportunities. Click Here to sign
up for DEP News a biweekly newsletter from the Department.

DEP Facebook Page DEP Twitter Feed DEP YouTube Channel

Click Here for links to DEPs Advisory Committee webpages.

DEP Calendar of Events DCNR Calendar of Events

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