Pa Environment Digest July 9, 2018

Issue #732 Harrisburg, PA July 9, 2018
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Federal Court Overturns Dismissal Of Wayne County Landowner Challenge To DRBC’s

Shale Gas Drilling Moratorium
The U.S. Third Circuit Court of Appeals Tuesday overturned the dismissal of a Wayne County
landowners’ challenge to the shale gas drilling ban adopted by the Delaware River Basin
Commission in 2010 and remanded the case back to U.S. District Court for additional hearings.
The Court did not take a position on the issue of fracking, but remanded the case on the
narrow issue of the meaning of the word “project” in the case Wayne Land Mineral Group V.
DRBC & Delaware Riverkeeper Network.
The Court said, “Because we conclude that the meaning of the word “project” as used in
the [DRBC] compact is ambiguous, we will vacate the order of dismissal and remand the case
for fact-finding on the intent of the compact’s drafters.”
Click Here for a copy of the opinion.
In March of 2017 U.S. Federal District Court threw out the lawsuit by the 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.
This is the same lawsuit that three Pennsylvania state Senators-- Sen. Joe Scarnati
(R-Jefferson), Sen. Lisa Baker (R-Luzerne) and Sen. Gene Yaw (R-Lycoming)-- attempted to
intervene on the side of the landowners last October, however, their request was denied by
Federal Court in January 2017.
DRBC is now considering a formal ban on fracking in the Delaware River Watershed,
but has no fixed timetable for bringing the ban to a vote. It is now reviewing some 8,687
comments it received on the proposed ban.
The 2010 moratorium remains in effect.
Reaction
Maya van Rossum, the Delaware RiverKeeper, issued this statement in response to the
ruling-- “The Delaware River Basin Commission has broad and irreplaceable authority to protect
the water resources of the Delaware River watershed. DRBC is obliged to protect the water
resources of the watershed for the benefit of all watershed users and communities, and for
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preserving water resources to protect both present and future needs.
“Science, facts and experience demonstrate that drilling and fracking for shale gas has
significant, substantial, consumptive and devastating impacts on water resources and that the
substantial, devastating and irreparable harms inflicted are not preventable by regulation, they
are an inherent and unavoidable result of this highly industrial extractive process.
“Science and experience also demonstrate that allowing drilling and fracking for shale
gas prevents safe and sustainable use of water resources for present and future uses and
generations.
“Drilling and fracking for shale gas is a major threat that is properly the subject of a
DRBC prohibition.
“We are confident that the District Court and the Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit
will, in the final analysis, both defend the DRBC’s right and responsibility to address the threat
of drilling and fracking for shale gas in the Delaware River watershed, including by placing a
complete and permanent ban on all aspects of drilling and fracking for shale gas within the
watershed.”
Jordan Yeager, lead counsel for the Delaware Riverkeeper Network, said-- “The Court of
Appeals recognized the importance of these issues and is giving the parties the opportunity to
establish a full record on remand to the District Court. We are confident that when a full record
is established that the courts will conclude that the DRBC has not only the authority to regulate
fracking and related infrastructure, but the absolute duty to do so.”
Additional Background
Just before adjourning for the summer, the Senate Environmental Resources and Energy
Committee June 12 reported out Senate Bill 1189 (Baker-R-Luzerne) that would require
compensation for landowners by the Delaware River Basin Commission if a permanent fracking
ban is adopted by the Commission.
The bill is now in the Senate Appropriations Committee.
The same week, the House State Government Committee heard testimony from a variety
of witnesses about the potential impact of a permanent fracking ban by the Delaware River Basin
Commission, including a suggestion a special water user fee be imposed on users within the
watershed to pay Wayne County landowners for their oil and gas rights.
NewsClips:
Maykuth: Appeals Court Gives Wayne County Frack-Ban Opponents Another Day In Court
Phillips: Federal Court Rules Fracking Advocates Will Get Their Day In Court
Hopey: Radium Found In Ohio Commercial Roadway De-Icing, Dust Suppression Brine
Natural Gas Industry Aims To Stop Methane Leaks To Become Fuel Of The Future
Related Stories:
Senate Committee OKs Bill Requiring Compensation For DRBC Fracking Ban
House Committee Hears Testimony On Delaware, Susquehanna River Basin Commissions
Judge Throws Out Landowner Challenge To DRBC De-Facto Moratorium On Drilling
DRBC: No Timetable For Finalizing Fracking Ban, Makes Comments Available
Related Stories This Week:
PennFuture To Allegheny County: Drilling Revenue Must Benefit Citizens Under Environmental
Rights Amendment
DEP Issues Water Quality Certification For Equitrans Natural Gas Pipelines Under I-79 In
Allegheny County
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Take Action:
How Good Is The Water Quality In Streams In Your Community? Take A Look, Then Act
[Posted: July 3, 2018]
DEP Invites Comments On Draft Plan To Increase PA’s Solar Electric Generation To 10%
Of Consumption By 2030
The Department of Environmental Protection

published notice in the July 7 PA Bulletin inviting
comments on a draft Plan to increase solar electric
generation to 10 percent of Pennsylvania’s electric
consumption by 2030.
The draft Plan was developed through the
Finding Pennsylvania’s Solar Future stakeholder
process involving over 500 participants who helped
explore the likely pathways to achieving the 2030
target by modeling the economic, environmental
and health factors of different policy recommendations across different sections in the state.
The Plan looks at potential changes to the Alternative Energy Portfolio Standards,
Carbon Pricing, Siting and Land Use, Tax Incentives, Access to Capital, Grid Modernization,
Contracting, Virtual Net Metering, Community Solar, Alternative Ratemaking, Property
Assessed Clean Energy and Addressing Interconnection Issues.
Click Here for a copy of the draft Plan.
DEP will accept comments through August 30 at the DEP eComment webpage or by
email to: ecomment@pa.gov. Written comments by postal mail can be submitted to the
Department of Environmental Protection, Policy Office, 400 Market Street, P.O. Box 2063,
Harrisburg, PA 17105.
Questions regarding this draft Plan should be directed to David Althoff by sending email
to: dalthoff@pa.gov or 717-783-0542.
NewsClip:
Sisk: Report: Attracting Solar Farms Vital To Bolstering Renewable Energy
Related Story:
Sign Up As A Stop On Oct. 6 Pittsburgh Solar Tour
Take Action:
Op-Ed: Raystown Lake Threatened By Incompatible, Unsustainable Development, Army

Corps Is Collecting Public Comments
By Kathy Gates, The Coalition To Protect Hawn’s

Bridge Peninsula
A developer from Texas wants to lease 400 acres of

wild federal public land managed by the U.S. Army
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Corps of Engineers to build a resort on Hawn’s Bridge Peninsula, a tongue of land that extends
into Lake Raystown in Huntingdon County near mile maker #2 near the dam.
The developer proposes to construct a restaurant, a 150-slip marina, cabins, campsites,
hiking trails, an environmental learning center and more on the Hawn’s Bridge peninsula. A map
of the proposed development can be found at the bottom of this webpage.
The USACE website states that Raystown Lake Dam is vital to the protection of
downstream communities along the Juniata River and is critical to the comprehensive flood
control plan of the Susquehanna River basin.
Equally important, Raystown Lake also has an active sustainability program with a goal
to maintain and enhance the quality of existing resources.
Major Concerns Are Many
Several groups have spoken out against the development because of the negative impact
that the proposed development will have on the area.
The Juniata Valley Audubon Society states on their website that the Hawn's Bridge
peninsula is part of the Raystown Dam Natural Heritage Area (Biological Diversity Area)
identified in the Huntingdon County Natural Heritage Inventory.
The Inventory characterizes such areas as "containing plants or animals of special
concern at state or federal levels, exemplary natural communities, or exceptional native
diversity."
The study investigated plant and animal species and natural communities that are unique
or uncommon in the county. It also explored areas important for general wildlife habitat and
scientific study.
JVAS’s position for ecological and aesthetic reasons is to strongly support the
designation of the Hawn's Bridge peninsula as an Environmentally Sensitive Area and the
designation of Terrace Mountain as a Low Density, Limited Recreation area.
The PA Chapter of Backcountry Hunters and Anglers has expressed their opposition to
the development of the Hawn’s Bridge Peninsula.
According to their position paper, if allowed, they feel that this proposal would decrease
public hunting and fishing opportunity in a wild and natural setting and in part transfer control of
public access to a private entity. They state further, game species inhabiting the peninsula
include deer, bear, turkey and small game.
The waters surrounding it provide anglers a place to catch catfish, carp, bass (including
striped, largemouth, rock, and smallmouth), walleye, muskellunge, trout, Atlantic salmon, and a
host of panfish.
In addition, the peninsula is classified as shale barrens, a habitat type that supports rare
species of plants and animals.
The PA Striped Bass organization has expressed concerns that the marinas that the
developer has proposed to be built on both sides of the Hawn’s peninsula would adversely affect
underwater habitat that the striped bass relies on from May to September.
Striped bass stay around the Hawn’s peninsula during this time due to a number of
ecological factors, water temperature, oxygen levels, and underwater structures. Striped bass
fishermen and women from far and wide recognize Raystown Lake for its superb striped bass
fishing.
Engaging The Public
A group of concerned citizens have formed The Coalition To Protect Hawn’s Bridge
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Peninsula. Their focus is to preserve the undeveloped Hawn’s Bridge Peninsula and public lands
of Raystown Lake.
Their mission is to focus on a longstanding maintenance of the region’s natural
environment in cooperation with Friends of Raystown Lake, Game Commission, and the U.S.
Army Corp of Engineers and to partner with other like-minded organizations and clubs to
provide a unified front in opposing the development of the Hawn’s Bridge Peninsula.
Their hope is for the lake to remain a place with diverse offerings of recreational
opportunities like boating, fishing, hunting, biking, and hiking.
The group is 600+ strong and as advocates for current and future stewards of the
peninsula and surrounding region, endeavors to consider and stop detrimental factors that will
diminish the area’s remote, serene and unspoiled beauty.
Their hope for the lake is that it not be leased for development and remains a paradise
that continues to draw visitors for recreation in a natural environment.
The group’s goals are to heighten community awareness of the conservation of natural
resources while supporting recreational enhancement that responsibly values the peaceful setting,
to stay abreast of current plans, research and development and to champion the privilege to
protect the peninsula’s quality for future generations.
According to the Coalition president, George Conrad, the group is working on two fronts
to support maintaining the peninsula and other undeveloped public lands around the lake in their
current state.
The first is public outreach as they want people to know what is being proposed and how
they can get involved.
The group has an active marketing team that has produced yard signs and flyers, is
renting four billboards in the area and is actively soliciting media attention.
Also, the group has a website and a presence on social media-- Facebook-- to continue to
attract public support.
Master Plan Update
The second front that the group is active in acting as a resource for the Army Corps of
Engineers to gauge public opinion as they revise the Master Plan for Raystown Lake.
Members of the group have met with USACE officers privately, attend their public
meetings, and engage them with our comments and questions.
Ultimately it is the decision of USACE that will guide the future of the lake and the
relationship that has been developed is something that they highly value.
The Coalition believes that any development of the peninsula would destroy large game
fishing on the lake.
We have learned that hunters are concerned, as they would lose access to public land that
is full of deer, bear, turkeys, and small game and projects like the improvements made by the
Wild Turkey Federation-PA would be lost.
However, a real blow goes to disabled hunters, as this is one of the areas that they are
allowed access to and the area is very suitable for them to hunt.
The Army Corp of Engineers is currently in the process of collecting information to
rewrite the Master Plan for Raystown Lake near Huntingdon, PA. The first plan was developed
in 1977 and updated in 1994.
The USACE website states that the Master Plan is the strategic land use management
document that guides the comprehensive management and development of all project
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recreational, natural and cultural resources.
The Master Plan includes land use classifications that govern the way land is managed
and used to provide good stewardship and outdoor recreation to meet the needs created by the
lake itself.
August Public Meetings
The Corps of Engineers will hold public meetings on August 11 and 12 at the Raystown
Lake Visitor’s Center to give the public an opportunity to submit their ideas, comments and
feedback on a revised Master Plan. Click Here for more.
Call for Action and Support
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will take public opinion through October 2018.
The Coalition and the other aforementioned groups encourage everyone to write to
USACE to provide comments and express your opinions about the rewrite of the Master Plan for
Raystown Lake. (See the USACE website.)
A sign in the Visitor Center at the lake calls Raystown Lake the “Crown Jewel” of
Pennsylvania, a designation it acquired as a result of its natural, unspoiled setting. This is a label
it would surely lose if the Hawn’s Bridge Peninsula were opened to development.
Please help to keep Raystown Lake undeveloped for generations to come. Please write to
USACE today.
For more information, visit the The Coalition To Protect Hawn’s Bridge Peninsula
website.
NewsClips:
Sauro: Potential Raystown Lake Development Pits Ecology Against Economy
Here’s What Could Change About Raystown Lake, How Residents Are Trying To Stop It
The Future Of Raystown Lake To Be Decided
Month-Long No Wake Zone Coming To Raystown Lake
(Written by Kathy Gates, Secretary, The Coalition To Protect Hawn’s Bridge Peninsula, who can
be contacted by sending email to: s avehawnspeninsula@gmail.com or calling 814-386-7501.)
(Comments on this article can be sent to: PaEnviroDigest@gmail.com. )

Take Action:
PA Chesapeake Bay Watershed Planning Steering Committee Meets July 10
The PA Chesapeake Bay Watershed Planning

Steering Committee is scheduled to meet on July 10
to continue the development of Pennsylvania’s Phase
III Watershed Implementation Plan.
Since its last meeting, the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency sent letters to all Chesapeake Bay
Watershed states on June 21 outlining its
expectations for what it would like to see in the
Phase III Plans.
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A page and a half was devoted to specific expectations for Delaware, the District of
Columbia, Maryland and Virginia combined. Four pages were devoted to Pennsylvania.
If it was not clear before, EPA made the point clearly that Pennsylvania will be held
accountable for meeting its Chesapeake Bay cleanup obligations, obligations it has committed
itself to in several Chesapeake Bay Agreements over decades, and that EPA’s role is to provide
that accountability.
Click Here for a recap of the results of the last meeting on May 17.
The meeting will be held in Room 105 of the Rachel Carson Building from 1:00 to 4:00
p.m. Click Here to register to view the meeting via webinar. Participants will also need to call
in 1-650-479-3208, PASSCODE 640 774 678.
For more information and available handouts, visit the Chesapeake Bay Steering
Committee webpage. Each meeting of the Steering Committee is recorded and available online.
July 10 Webinar
The Department of Environmental Protection Thursday announced it will host a live
webinar on July 10 from 10:00 to 11:00 a.m. to discuss county-level participation in developing
Phase 3 of Pennsylvania’s Watershed Implementation Plan to improve stream and river health to
benefit local communities in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed. Click Here for more.
NewsClips:
Lancaster Farming: Plan To Plan For Nutrient Compliance
Bay Journal-Morelli: Scientists Scrutinize Virus, Contaminants In Susquehanna Smallmouth
Bass Die-Off
Returning The American Eel To The Susquehanna River Basin (Video)
Latest From The Chesapeake Bay Journal
Click Here to subscribe to the free Chesapeake Bay Journal
Click Here to support the Chesapeake Bay Journal
Follow Chesapeake Bay Journal On Twitter
Like Chesapeake Bay Journal On Facebook
Related Stories:
DEP Hosts July 10 Webinar On County-Level Planning To Develop Chesapeake Bay Water
Quality Improvement Plans
EPA Outlines Specific Expectations For PA To Meet In Next Phase Of Chesapeake Bay
Restoration, And The Consequences If We Don’t
PA To Pilot County-Level Chesapeake Bay Clean Water Planning Process In 4 Counties This
Summer
Take Action:
DEP Hosts July 10 Webinar On County-Level Planning To Develop Chesapeake Bay

Water Quality Improvement Plans
The Department of Environmental Protection

Thursday announced it will host a live webinar on
July 10 from 10:00 to 11:00 a.m. to discuss
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county-level participation in developing Phase 3 of Pennsylvania’s Watershed Implementation
Plan to improve stream and river health to benefit local communities in the Chesapeake Bay
Watershed.
The webinar, open to the public, will outline the overall approach to the local planning
framework and timeline. With the collaboration of stakeholders throughout the region, the
planning goals are being developed at the county level.
Secretary Patrick McDonnell and DEP staff will discuss the overall framework of the
plan.
Lisa Schaefer, Director of Government Relations at the County Commissioners
Association of Pennsylvania and member of the PA Chesapeake Bay Watershed Planning
Steering Committee, will discuss the Community Clean Water Toolbox, a package of customized
information to help counties with their planning efforts.
Four counties are pilot-testing it this summer-- Adams, Franklin, Lancaster and York
counties.
A Q&A for accredited media will follow the presentations.
Click Here to register for the webinar. More information on the Toolbox will be added to
DEP’s County Planning Process webpage.
Steering Committee Meeting
The PA Chesapeake Bay Watershed Planning Steering Committee is scheduled to meet
on July 10 to continue the development of Pennsylvania’s Phase III Watershed Implementation
Plan from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m.
The meeting will be held in Room 105 of the Rachel Carson Building from 1:00 to 4:00
p.m. Click Here to register to view the meeting via webinar. Participants will also need to call
in 1-650-479-3208, PASSCODE 640 774 678.
For more information and available handouts, visit the Chesapeake Bay Steering
Committee webpage. Each meeting of the Steering Committee is recorded and available online.
Click Here for more.
NewsClips:
Bass Die-Off
Related Stories:
PA Chesapeake Bay Watershed Planning Steering Committee Meets July 10
EPA Outlines Specific Expectations For PA To Meet In Next Phase Of Chesapeake Bay
Restoration, And The Consequences If We Don’t
PA To Pilot County-Level Chesapeake Bay Clean Water Planning Process In 4 Counties This
Summer
Take Action:
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Foundation For Pennsylvania Watersheds Grant Letters Of Intent Due August 20
The Foundation for Pennsylvania Watersheds is now

accepting letters of intent in its next round of grants.
The deadline for submitting a letter is August 20.
The Foundation invests in local efforts to protect
healthy, natural streams, to clean up pollution and to
restore degraded wildlife habitat and are a source of
matching funds for local, state and federal grants.
The Foundation’s primary service area is west of
the Susquehanna River’s mainstem.
Letters of intent must be submitted electronically to
the Foundation. Click Here to begin the process.
Grant applications themselves are due September 20 and grant distribution will occur in
November or December.
For more information, visit the Foundation for Pennsylvania Watersheds website.
NewsClips:
Progress Made In Restoring Aultman Run Watershed
WITF SmartTalk: is PA’s Drinking Water Safe? Turkey Hill, Farmers Team Up For Clean
Water
O’Neill: Sucked Into A Storm Sewer-- The Survivor’s Club
Allentown Airport Files Lawsuit Against City Stormwater Fee As Illegal Tax
Could Next PA Budget Include Fee On Large Users Of Surface, Groundwater?
Pittsburgh Park Design That Holds Water
Friends Of Minsi Lake Want To Raise Money For Fish Habitat
July 6 Delaware RiverKeeper RiverWatch Video Report
Frye: Low Head Dams A Killer To Avoid When On Water
Click Here to subscribe to the Chesapeake Bay Journal
Related Stories:
DEP Citizens Advisory Council To Focus On Active, Abandoned Mine Reclamation At July 17
Meeting
August 9 DEP Hearing On Coal Mine Refuse Disposal Facility Water Quality Permit, Greene
County
Opportunities To Bid On DEP Mine Reclamation, Oil & Gas Well Plugging Projects
Bookshelf: Grassroots To Global: Broader Impacts Of Civic Ecology
June Newsletter From Kettle Creek Watershed Assn. Now Available
Take Action:
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NFWF Central Appalachia Habitat Stewardship Program Accepting Grant Applications

Thru July 12
The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation Central

Appalachia Habitat Stewardship Program is now
accepting grant applications for projects to restore
and sustain healthy forests, wetlands, rivers and
streams that provide habitat for diverse native bird
and freshwater fish populations.
The deadline for applications is July 12.
Approximately $2 million is available this year.
The Central Appalachia Habitat Stewardship
Program will award grants in the Appalachian
region of New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio,
Maryland, West Virginia and Virginia. Within this region there are three distinct targeted
geographies, as detailed below.
Applicants are encouraged to deploy a range of strategies to engage public and private
landowners in active stewardship through technical and financial assistance, demonstrations,
education and outreach and other innovative approaches.
Pennsylvania applicants are encouraged to concentrate habitat restoration activities
within one or more of eleven Focal Geographies in western Pennsylvania.
These geographies have been identified in partnership with the Richard King Mellon
Foundation as places where targeted investments have the potential to reduce multiple threats to
high quality forest and freshwater habitat.
The focal geographies include Shenango, French Creek, Upper Allegheny, Mid and
Lower Allegheny, Laurel Highlands, Dunkard Creek, Conemaugh and Clearfield Headwaters,
Upper Juniata River, Bald Eagle to Penn Valley, Moshannon, and Triple Divide. Click Here for
more.
Major funding is provided by the Richard King Mellon Foundation, U.S. Department of
Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service, the U.S. Forest Service, the U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service, the American Forest Foundation and Shell Oil Company.
Click Here for all the details.
Take Action:
How Good Is The Water Quality In Streams In Your Community? Take A Look, Then
Act
If you’ve ever wondered how good the water

quality is in streams in your community, the
Department of Environmental Protection has a
tool that lets you to find out.
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The Integrated Water Quality Report Viewer is a GIS-based tool that shows streams with
impaired water quality and why they are impaired, based on the 2016 Water Quality Monitoring
and Assessment Report.
Overall, 66,100 miles of the 86,000 miles of streams in Pennsylvania meet water quality
standards, but it also means 19,900 miles do not.
The number and concentration of streams with impaired water quality varies widely from
county to county and community to community as do the reasons for that impairment.
Some of the most common pollutant sources are abandoned mine drainage, agriculture
runoff, and urban stormwater runoff.
What You Can Do
With lots of work left to be done to cleanup our rivers and streams statewide, find out
water quality conditions where you live, then send a copy of the map or visit your local House
and Senate member and ask them how they plan to help clean them up.
Click Here for the interactive map of waterways and impairments can be found. This
mapping tool can identify individual stream/river segments and any applicable impairments and
their causes.
(Map: Adams County, the first county, alphabetically, in Pennsylvania. Red means impaired.)
NewsClips:
Water
Related Story:
EPA Approves Report Showing 19,900 Miles Of Streams, Rivers Are Polluted In Pennsylvania
DEP, Health Take Additional Steps To Fight Lyme Disease, Zika And West Nile Viruses
The Wolf Administration Friday announced funding to protect

Pennsylvanians from Lyme disease, Zika Virus, and West Nile Virus
was increased as part of the recently signed budget.
Increases to both the Department of Environmental Protection
and the Department of Health will go towards improving mosquito and
tick surveillance and education about the diseases associated with
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these insects.
To help combat the drastic rise in Lyme disease cases in Pennsylvania, an additional $2.5
million in his 2018-19 budget to hire staff at the Department of Health to implement the
recommendations of the Lyme Disease Task Force.
Among the steps to be taken are building a more robust Lyme disease prevention and
education program, conducting more well-rounded surveillance through activities like a
statewide environmental survey, and improving participation in tick-borne disease surveillance
with providers and local health departments.
“We appreciate the recognition that Lyme disease is a public health concern in
Pennsylvania,” Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine said. “With more recorded cases of Lyme
than any other state, we are committed to taking steps to address Lyme disease in Pennsylvania.
The notable increase in funding will help us accomplish this mission.
“The Lyme Disease Task Force developed a total of 18 recommendations that are critical
to beginning the process of slowing, and then reducing the growing incidence of Lyme disease
and other tick-borne illnesses in the state. We are grateful for this funding to move this important
initiative forward.”
This year’s budget also includes an increase of $139,000 to support DEP’s West Nile
Virus and Zika Virus control program, which will help to increase monitoring and control
operations efforts.
Funding will also be used for public education and events.
“The increased funding for Pennsylvania’s Zika Virus and West Nile Virus program will
be a boon for Pennsylvanians,” said DEP Secretary Patrick McDonnell. “Monitoring mosquito
populations and controlling when necessary is an important function of DEP during the summer
months when mosquitoes are at their peak and we’re thrilled that the governor prioritized this
funding to help more Pennsylvanians.”
Pennsylvanians are strongly encouraged to take steps to reduce the risk of mosquito bites
and possible mosquito breeding habitats around their homes or apartments. Simple steps like the
following can reduce places where mosquito populations can flourish:
-- Eliminate standing water – kiddie pools, bird baths, wheelbarrows, and other places where
water can stagnate can be magnets for mosquitoes.
-- Clean clogged gutters – gutters can be out of sight for most people, but not mosquitoes.
-- Discard tires, plastic containers, or other refuse that can hold water – even a small amount of
water can allow mosquitoes to breed.
-- Fix or replace broken window screens.
-- Use insect repellent when outside.
To learn more about mosquitoes and the diseases they spread, visit the West Nile Virus
website and the Department of Health’s Lyme Disease webpage.
NewsClips:
More West Nile Virus-Infected Mosquitoes Found In Central PA
West Nile Virus Mosquito Spraying Washington Twp, Dauphin County
Tick Haven Shrub Could Be Banned In PA
Related Stories:
DEP Reported West Nile Virus Found In 10 More Counties Bringing Total To 33
Mosquito, Tick Talk Hosted By Westmoreland Conservation District July 18
Take Action:
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Senate/House Agenda/Session Schedule/Gov’s Schedule
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 (Sept. 12): House Bill 107 (Godshall-R- Montgomery) providing a mechanism to cover
costs of extending natural gas distribution systems; House Bill 1401 (DiGirolamo-R-Bucks)
which amends Title 58 to impose a sliding scale natural gas severance tax, in addition to the Act
13 drilling impact fee, on natural gas production (NO money for environmental programs) and
includes provisions related to minimum landowner oil and gas royalties; House Bill 1446
(Quinn-R- Bucks) encouraging infrastructure for electric and natural gas fueled vehicles; House
Resolution 284 (Moul-R-Adams) urging Congress to repeal the U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency’s MS4 Stormwater Pollution Prevention Program (sponsor summary); Senate Bill 1172
(Vulakovich-R-Allegheny) further providing for enforcement of price gouging provisions during
an emergency declaration (Senate Fiscal Note and summary). <> Click Here for full House Bill
Calendar.
Senate (Sept. 24): Senate Bill 820 (Aument-R- Lancaster) providing liability protection for
owners and operators of on-farm agritourism activities (sponsor summary); Senate Bill 917
(Dinniman-R-Chester) amends Act 101 Municipal Waste Planning and Recycling Act to include
spent mushroom compost under the definition of “compost materials to encourage its reuse
(sponsor summary); Senate Bill 930 (Dinniman-D- Chester) sets notification requirements
related to pipeline emergencies (sponsor summary); Senate Bill 931 (Dinniman-D-Chester)
requires the installation of automatic or remote controlled safety values in natural gas pipelines
in densely populated areas; Senate Bill 1199 (Rafferty-R- Montgomery) providing for a
landowners’ bill of rights in cases of eminent domain, including by private entities like pipeline
companies (sponsor summary); Senate Resolution 104 (Bartolotta-R- Washington) resolution
urging the Governor to end the moratorium on new non-surface disturbance natural gas drilling
on state forest land (sponsor summary); Senate Resolution 373 (Rafferty-R-Montgomery) is a
concurrent Senate-House resolution to establish a Senate-House legislative Commission to Study
Pipeline Construction and Operations and to recommend improvements for the safe transport of
oil, natural gas and other hazardous liquids through pipelines; House Bill 544 (Moul-R-Adams)
further providing for liability protection for landowners opening their land for public recreation;
House Bill 927 (Rader-R-Monroe) amends Act 101 Municipal Waste Planning and Recycling
Act to eliminate the mandate on smaller municipalities to have a leaf waste collection program
(House Fiscal Note and summary); House Bill 1550 (Klunk-R-York) amending the Agricultural
Area Security Law to allow for a residence for the principal landowner (House Fiscal Note and
summary). <> Click Here for full Senate Bill Calendar.
Committee Meeting Agendas This Week

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House: <> Click Here for full House Committee Schedule.
Senate: Senate Republican Policy Committee holds hearing on Clean Fill, Abandoned Quarries
in Northampton 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.
Session Schedule
Here is the latest voting session schedule for the Senate and House--
Senate
Recessed to the call of the President Pro Tempore
September 24, 25, 26
October 1, 2, 3, 15, 16, 17
November 14
House
Recessed to the call of the House Speaker
September 12, 13, 24, 25, & 26.
October 1 (Non-Voting), 2 (Non-Voting), 9, 10, 15, 16, & 17.
November 13
Governor’s 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. Wolf’s Weekly Calendar and Public
Appearances.
Take Action:
News From Around The State
DEP Citizens Advisory Council To Focus On Active, Abandoned Mine Reclamation At

July 17 Meeting
DEP’s Citizens Advisory Council is scheduled to meet on July 17 to hear a presentation by DEP
Deputy Secretary John Stefanko on the agency’s programs to regulate active mining operations
and reclaim abandoned mines.
The agenda also includes an update on DEP activities by Secretary Patrick McDonnell
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and reports from several Council committees.
DEP’s July written report to Council is also available featuring an overview of recent
program, policy and regulatory actions by DEP.
The meeting will be held in Room 105 of the Rachel Carson Building beginning at 10:00.
A Conference Call option is available to join the meeting: Bridge #: 717-612-4788 or Toll Free
#: 855-734-4390, PIN #: 192791.
For more information and available handouts, visit the DEP Citizens Advisory Council
webpage or contact Neil Bakshi, DEP Policy Office, by sending email to: nebakshi@pa.gov.
NewsClip:
Related Stories:
County
Take Action:
DEP Posts July Update To List Of Technical Guidance Documents It’s Working On
The Department of Environmental Protection published the July update to the Non-Regulatory
Agenda listing the technical guidance documents DEP will be developing or finalizing over the
coming year in the July 7 PA Bulletin.
The Non-Regulatory Agenda is similar to the Regulatory Agenda also published by DEP
twice a year giving notice of regulations in development or to be finalized (March 2018 page
1374) DEP also has a Regulatory Update that posts to provide a listing of regulations in process.
Just a few of the technical guidance documents to be considered this year and early next
are--
Public Participation
-- Policy For Development and Publication of Technical Guidance: Final 3rd Quarter
-- Policy For Development, Approval And Availability of Regulations: Final 1st Quarter 2019
-- Policy On Public Participation in The Development of Regulations & Technical Guidance:
Draft 1st Quarter 2019
-- Advisory Committee Guidelines: Final 3rd Quarter
Environmental Justice
-- Environmental Justice Public Participation Policy: Draft 3rd Quarter
Oil & Gas
-- Civil Penalty Assessments: Draft 4th Quarter
-- Implementing Area Of Review For Unconventional Wells: Final 3rd Quarter
-- Restoration, Replacement of Private Water Supplies: Final 3rd Quarter
Water Resources
-- PA Function Based Compensation Protocol: Final 4th Quarter
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-- In Lieu Fee Program Compensation Policy: Interim-Final 2nd Quarter 2019
-- Act 162 Implementation Plan For Buffers: Final 4th Quarter
-- Riparian Buffer Or Buffer Equivalency Demonstration: Final 4th Quarter
-- Riparian Buffer Offset: Final 4th Quarter
-- Agricultural Erosion & Sedimentation Control Manual: Draft 4th Quarter
Pipelines
-- Water Quality Certification For Interstate Natural Gas Pipelines: Final 1st Quarter
Radon
-- Radon Mitigation Standards: Draft 1st Quarter 2019
Safe Drinking Water
-- Working Guide To The Lead & Copper Rule: Draft 3rd Quarter
-- Field Compliance Policy: Draft 1st Quarter 2019
-- Water Allocation Permit Applications: Draft 1st Quarter 2019
Onlot Septic Systems
-- Onlot Wastewater Technology Verification Protocol: Draft 1st Quarter
-- Site Suitability and Alternatives Analysis: Draft 1st Quarter
Storage Tanks
-- Verification of Emergency Containment Structures For Aboveground Tanks: Final 1st Quarter
2019
Waste
-- Monitoring Radioactivity At Solid Waste Facilities: Draft 1st Quarter 2019
The Non-Regulatory Agenda was developed in response to a recommendation from
DEP’s Citizens Advisory Council as a tool to increase public participation and transparency.
Take Action:
PA Assn. Of Environmental Professionals, DEP Freshwater Mussels Workshop July 26 In

Pittsburgh
The PA Association of Environmental Professionals and

DEP will host a Freshwater Mussels In The Ohio and
Allegheny River Watersheds Workshop on July 26 at the
DEP Regional Office, 400 Waterfront Drive in Pittsburgh
from 9:00 to 11:00 a.m.
The public in general and even many in the environmental
consulting profession know little about the life history and
current status of freshwater mussels.
Perhaps all of us have walked by these inconspicuous
inhabitants of the Ohio and Allegheny River watersheds, thinking that what we are seeing in
rivers and large streams are merely rocks and cobbles emerging from bottom substrates.
Mussel species are diverse and their appearance when out of their native bottom habitat is
quite colorful with many shapes and sizes. They have a very unique reproductive strategy.
Some may believe freshwater mussels are related to marine and estuarine bivalve
counterparts, but their life history and longevity are different.
16
Joseph Snavely is a Principal Scientist with Normandeau Associates, Inc., based in
Central, Franklin County. He is an expert aquatic ecologist and a US Fish and Wildlife Service
qualified freshwater malacologist.
Snavely is approved to survey threatened and endangered mussels in the Atlantic Slope
and the Interior Basin, encompassing seventeen states.
He will present to the group the general life history, diversity, and population range of
mussels in our region, including the ecological function they fill, the regulations that govern
them, an overview of an approved mussel survey plan and implications to various water users
regarding their population numbers and other dynamics
Click Here to download a flyer on the event. This event is limited to 50 people.
To register for this free event from PAEP or for more information, visit the Workshop
webpage.
For more information on programs, initiatives, workshops and other special events, visit
the PA Association of Environmental Professionals website. Click Here to sign up for regular
updates on PAEP activities or Like them on Facebook. Click Here to become a member.
(Photo: Freshwater clamshell mussel, U .S. Fish & Wildlife Service. )
NewsClips:
Bass Die-Off
Frye: American Shad, The Nation’s Founding Fish
Barcaskey: Invasive Turtles Turning Up In Delaware Watershed
Take Action:
City Of York Accepting Entries To Street 2 Creek Stormwater Drain Art Contest
The City of York is now accepting entries to the

Street 2 Creek Stormwater Drain Art Contest until
July 20.
The goal of the contest is to help educate the
residents of the City of York about stormwater
pollution.
The top three designs will be awarded cash
prizes and their artwork-- 1st place $400, 2nd
place $300, 3rd place $200-- and will be
showcased on storm drains in the city.
Winners must be able to physically create the artwork at specified locations in York
before August 25. The goal is to have them complete before the Yorkfest Fine Arts Festival,
August 25-26 held in downtown York.
Click Here for all the details.
For more information on stormwater pollution in York, visit the Street 2 Creek website.
NewsClips:
17
Retired Judge Takes Quiet Role As ALCOSAN Ambassador
Editorial: ALCOSAN’s Frontman Gets Cushy-Looking Post
Take Action:
Partnership For Delaware Estuary Hosts 3 Environmental Ed Workshops July 16, 17, 18
Teachers, get ready for a robust science

experience. On July 16, 17 and 18, the Partnership
for the Delaware Estuary will hold a set of
workshops that highlight the wonders of nature
and their place in the classroom.
Three Days, Three States, One Experience is a set
of workshops that will focus on a variety of topics
from climate change resiliency to engineering and
natural systems for clean water.
There will be a special session on connecting art, science, and mental health. Each day is
a new state and a new theme.
This year’s set of workshops and locations are:
-- July 16: Wild and Scenic Jersey (Millville, N.J.): This day includes a cruise along the
Maurice River to learn more about its history and its ecological value.
-- July 17: Climate Adaptation for the Next Generation (Dover, Del.): Take a tour of PDE’s
living shoreline installation at the Mispillion Harbor that addresses salt marsh erosion in the
Delaware Bay (bring your boots!). Find out how to adapt this information to the classroom.
-- July 18: Engineering Natural Systems (Philadelphia): This workshop will visit sites all
around the city of Philadelphia that demonstrate “green” stormwater management systems, both
natural and man-made. There also will be a self-guided tour of the Fairmount Water Works
Interpretive Center and a lesson on how environmental professionals select sites and design
various stormwater management systems.
Cost is $30 per workshop, and $80 for all three workshops. Attendees will earn up to 18
professional development credits, or clock hours, and take away an assortment of resources for
their classrooms, including topical references and lesson plans.
For 19 years, Partnership for the Delaware Estuary has offered professional development
programs for educators that are about natural science in and around the Delaware River and Bay,
and how to bring that information to the classroom.
Click Here to register or learn more about the Delaware Estuary Teacher Workshops
before 5:00 p.m. on July 13. Questions should be directed to Brittany Musolino at 302-655-4990
ext.112.
For more information on programs, initiatives and upcoming events, visit the Partnership
for the Delaware Estuary. Click Here to sign up for regular updates from the Partnership, Like
the Partnership on Facebook, Follow them on Twitter, Join them on Instagram or Subscribe to
their YouTube Channel. Click Here to support the Partnership’s work.
NewsClips:
18
PennFuture Sends Notice Of Legal Action To Morris Iron & Steel On Delaware River
Take Action:
August 9 DEP Hearing On Coal Mine Refuse Disposal Facility Water Quality Permit,
Greene County
The Department of Environmental Protection will hold a hearing August 9 on the NPDES Water
Quality Permit for the Cumberland Mine Coal Refuse Disposal Facility with outfalls in
Monongahela and Whiteley townships, Greene County. (July 7 PA Bulletin 4015)
The public hearing is being held at the request of Sierra Club-PA and Center for
Coalfield Justice, to state their concerns about the proposed effluent limitations and concerns
about impacts to the protected uses of the stream.
The hearing will be held at the Greensboro VFD/Church Building, 384 Stoney Hill Road,
Greensboro from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m.
Copies of the draft NPDES permit and associated documents are on file for public
review, by appointment, at the Department of Environmental Protection, District Mining
Operations, 25 Technology Drive, California Technology Park, Coal Center, PA 15423, Phone:
724-769-1100.
Please read the PA Bulletin notice for additional details. (J uly 7 PA Bulletin 4015)
NewsClip:
Related Stories:
Meeting
Take Action:
The Department of Environmental Protection published notice in the July 7 PA Bulletin of the
opportunity to bid on a mine reclamation project in Clearfield County and oil and gas well
plugging projects in Allegheny County and Potter County.
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
19
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.
Related Stories:
Meeting
County
Take Action:
Dr. Marianne E. Krasny is the editor of a new book-- Grassroots

To Global: Broader Impacts Of Civic Ecology- - that weaves
chapters by 27 different contributors into a story about
participation approaches of local environmental stewardship groups
and organizations from around the world.
Pennsylvania contributor Robert Hughes, Executive Director of the
Eastern PA Coalition for Abandoned Mine Reclamation co-wrote
one of the chapters on his experience in the coalfields of
Pennsylvania.
“I am so thankful to have been able to tell my personal story of adversity and challenges I
faced growing up in the heart of the Coalfields in the Anthracite Region and the difference that
myself, and my Staff and volunteers of EPCAMR have been making over the last 20+ years!”
said Hughes. “Thank You Dr. Krasny for allowing a small piece of my life and a big part of our
work to be shared globally, while I hope to inspire many of us to continue to act locally!”
Chapters focus on questions that include:
-- How might faith-based institutions in Chicago expand the work of church-community
gardens?
-- How do volunteer "nature cleaners" in Tehran attempt to change Iranian social norms?
-- How does an international community in Baltimore engage local people in nature restoration
while fostering social equity?
-- And can a loose coalition that transforms blighted areas in Indian cities into pocket parks
become a social movement?
From the findings of the authors’ diverse case studies, editor Marianne Krasny provides a
way to help readers understand the greater implications of civic ecology practices through the
lens of multiple disciplines.
Grassroots To Global: Broader Impacts Of Civic Ecology is available on Amazon or
20
wherever books are sold.
(Photo: Robert Hughes.)
NewsClip:
Related Stories:
Bookshelf: Accepting The challenge: Cause And Solutions To PA’s Abandoned Mine Drainage
Problem. Click Here to download the book.
Related Stories From This Issue:
Meeting
County
Take Action:
The June issue of the Kettle Creek Watershed

Association in Clinton, Potter and Tioga counties is
now available featuring stories on--
-- The Kettle Creek Birding Festival
-- Information on Invasive species
-- Acid Mine Drainage
-- The Timber Rattlesnake
-- Project Healing Waters Event Recap
-- Timber Rattlesnake - A True Sign Of Wilderness
-- Click Here to read the newsletter
For more information on programs, initiatives and upcoming events, visit the Kettle
Creek Watershed Association website. Click Here to support their work.
NewsClip:
Related Stories:
Meeting
County
Take Action:
21
July 11 DEP Hearing On Interim Response At Ridge Run PFAS, PFOS, PFOA Well
Contamination Site, Bucks County
The Department of Environmental Protection will hold a hearing July 11 on the interim cleanup
steps it has taken to deal with 12 private wells contaminated with poly-fluorinated alkyl
substances (PFAS), above the Health Advisory Limit combined concentration for
Perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) and Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) at the Ridge Run site in
East and West Rockhill townships in Bucks County.. (P A Bulletin page 3365)
In August of 2016, the North Penn Water Authority conducted sampling for PFAS in two
public water supply wells in East Rockhill Township in accordance with the Federal Unregulated
Contaminant Monitoring Rule .
Analysis of these samples detected combined concentrations of PFOS and PFOA of 117
ng/L and 70 ng/L, both at or above the HAL. Approximately 156 homes have been sampled by
the Department in the subsequent investigation of the surrounding area.
Twelve properties have been impacted above the HAL.
No source area has yet been identified. The Department is continuing to sample homes
affected by the contamination to monitor concentrations at the Site.
In addition to the 12 properties impacted above the HAL, two other properties with
concentrations above 40 ng/L have continued to be monitored for seasonal fluctuations.
The Department has also been providing bottled water to impacted homes. The owners of
two of the affected homes have installed their own carbon filtration units, which have been
effective at reducing the levels of contamination below the HAL.
To address the release or substantial threat of release of contaminants at the Site, and
corresponding threats to human health and the environment, the Department proposes an interim
response action at the Site.
The Department also proposes the installation of whole house carbon filtration units on
affected private residential water supplies with concentrations exceeding the HAL.
The Administrative Record of the agency’s response is available for review at DEP’s
Southeast Regional Office, 2 East Main Street in Norristown from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Additional copies of the Administrative Record are available for review at the East
Rockhill Township Office, 1622 Ridge Road, Perkasie, PA 18944, the West Rockhill Township
Office, 1028 Ridge Road, Sellersville, PA.
The Administrative Record is also available online.
The hearing will be held at the West Rockhill Township Building, 1028 Ridge Road,
Sellersville starting at 6:30 p.m. Persons wishing to present comments may pre-register with
Virginia Cain, DEP, at 484-250-5808.
The deadline for all public comments is August 31. Comments should be sent to Lena
Harper at the Department of Environmental Protection, 2 East Main Street, Norristown, PA
19401, by email to: lharper@pa.gov..
For all the details, please read the entire PA Bulletin notice (PA Bulletin page 3365) .
For more information on PFOA and PFOS contamination and other sites under
investigation, visit DEP’s PFOA and PFOS: What Are They webpage.
For more information on the HSCA program, including the location of sites around the
22
state, visit DEP’s Hazardous Sites Cleanup Program webpage.
Related Story:
EPA To Hold July 25 Community Meeting On PFAS In Horsham, Montgomery County
Take Action:
EPA To Hold July 25 Community Meeting On PFAS In Horsham, Montgomery County
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will hold a community engagement meeting July 25
on PFAS [Polyfluoroalkyl Substances] at the Hatboro-Horsham High School, 899 Horsham
Road in Horsham, Montgomery County.
From 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. will be the working session and from 4:00 to 9:00 p.m. will
be the listening session.
This meeting is part of an EPA initiative to evaluate the need for a maximum
contaminant level for PFOA and PFOS as a result of contamination in Bucks and Montgomery
counties.
Click Here for more information and to register for the meeting.
Related Story:
July 11 DEP Hearing On Interim Response At Ridge Run PFAS, PFOS, PFOA Well
Contamination Site, Bucks County
Take Action:
The Department of Environmental Protection Friday

reported on its West Nile Virus website mosquitoes
testing positive for the virus have been found in 10 more
counties -- Allegheny, Beaver, Centre, Chester, Erie,
Juniata, Northampton, Philadelphia, Westmoreland and
Wyoming counties.
This brings to 33 the number of counties with
positive surveillance results, including the previously
reported counties of-- Adams, Bedford, Berks, Blair,
Bucks, Columbia, Cumberland, Dauphin, Delaware,
Fayette, Franklin, Lackawanna, Lancaster, Lawrence, Lebanon, Lehigh, Lycoming, Luzerne,
Montgomery, Montour, Northumberland, Union and York.
Certain mosquito species carry the West Nile virus, which can cause humans to contract
West Nile encephalitis, an infection that can result in an inflammation of the brain. According to
the Department of Health, all residents in areas where virus activity has been identified are at
risk of contracting West Nile encephalitis.
Individuals can take a number of precautionary measures around their homes to help
eliminate mosquito-breeding areas, including:
23
-- Dispose of cans, buckets, plastic containers, ceramic pots, or similar containers that hold
water;
-- Properly dispose of discarded tires that can collect water. Stagnant water is where most
mosquitoes breed;
-- Drill holes in the bottom of outdoor recycling containers;
-- Have clogged roof gutters cleaned every year as the leaves from surrounding trees have a
tendency to plug drains;
-- Turn over plastic wading pools when not in use;
-- Turn over wheelbarrows and don't let water stagnate in birdbaths;
-- Aerate ornamental pools or stock them with fish; and
-- Clean and chlorinate swimming pools not in use and remove any water that may collect on
pool covers.
If a resident has stagnant pools of water on their property, they can buy Bti products at
lawn and garden, outdoor supply, home improvement and other stores. This naturally occurring
bacterium kills mosquito larvae, but is safe for people, pets, aquatic life and plants.
Additionally, these simple precautions can prevent mosquito bites, particularly for people
who are most at risk:
-- Make sure screens fit tightly over doors and windows to keep mosquitoes out of homes.
-- Consider wearing long-sleeved shirts, long pants and socks when outdoors, particularly when
mosquitoes are most active at dawn and dusk, or in areas known for having large numbers of
mosquitoes.
-- When possible, reduce outdoor exposure at dawn and dusk during peak mosquito periods,
usually April through October.
-- Use insect repellents according to the manufacturer's instructions. An effective repellent will
contain DEET, picardin, or lemon eucalyptus oil. Consult with a pediatrician or family physician
for questions about the use of repellent on children, as repellent is not recommended for children
under the age of two months.
For more information on spraying operation and surveillance results, visit the West Nile
Virus website.
NewsClips:
Related Stories:
Take Action:
Learn proven ways to protect yourself from these

insects and the infections they can carry-- including
West Nile virus and Lyme disease-- at a free
24
seminar presented by the Westmoreland County Conservation District on July 18 from 6:00 to
8:00 p.m.
Chelsea Gross, West Nile virus program technician with the conservation district, will
present the two-part informational seminar.
Gross implements the Department of Environmental Protection’s West Nile Virus
program in Westmoreland County and, for the first hour of the seminar, she will focus on actions
you can take to reduce the number of mosquitos on your property and the repellants you can use
to keep them away.
During the second hour, she will talk ticks – the diseases they can carry, preventing their
bites, what to do if you are bitten, and the symptoms of tick-borne infection. This part of the
seminar is a presentation entitled “Dare 2B Tick Aware,” and Gross has been certified by The
PA Lyme Resource Network to lead it.
There will be a short break between the two parts of the seminar and light refreshments
will be served.
The program will be held at the District’s Office, 218 Donohoe Road, Greensburg from
6:00 to 8:00 p.m.
Admission is free, but space is limited and you must register by July 17 by calling
724-837-5271 ext. 1 or send email to: receptionist@wcdpa.com.
To learn more about mosquitoes and the diseases they spread, visit the West Nile Virus
website and the Department of Health’s Lyme Disease webpage
For more information on programs, initiatives and other upcoming events, visit the
Westmoreland County Conservation District website.
NewsClips:
Related Stories:
Take Action:
[Posted: July 6 2018]
PennFuture To Allegheny County: Drilling Revenue Must Benefit Citizens Under

Environmental Rights Amendment
PennFuture Monday released a letter sent to the Allegheny County Airport Authority demanding
that it immediately take action to ensure that any future revenue collected from oil and gas
development on County property be used to further the interests of citizens protected by the
Environmental Rights Amendment in the Pennsylvania Constitution.
“Under Article I, Section 27 of the Pennsylvania Constitution (the Environmental Rights
Amendment), the County and Authority hold public natural resources located on their properties
in trust for the people of Pennsylvania. Any revenue from the sale or lease of those public
natural resources, including oil and gas on the property, is governed by Section 27 and must be
used solely to further the rights guaranteed by Article I, Section 27, namely, the right to clean air,
25
pure water and to the preservation of the natural, scenic, historic and esthetic values of the
environment,” said George Jugovic, Jr., Vice President of Legal Affairs at PennFuture.
In February 2013, the Authority executed a lease with CNX Gas Company LLC for the
exploration and development of natural gas on the Pittsburgh International and Allegheny
County Airport properties. Upon execution, the Authority received a “bonus payment” of $46.3
million.
According to an independent Annual Financial Report, the Authority began receiving
royalty payments from mineral production during 2016.
For the year ending December 31, 2016, the Authority received $2,839,342 in royalty
payments, and for the year ending December 31, 2017, the Authority received $13,247,598 in
royalty payments. Separately, the Authority received surface and ground rents for the well pads
of $857,000 in 2016.
The Authority’s Report further indicates that it will continue to receive additional
payments as well pads are completed. The Report states that revenue from the development of
gas rights is being used “to reduce airline rates and charges and for capital expenditures … at the
Airport.”
Article I, Section 27 of the Pennsylvania Constitution provides: The people have a right
to clean air, pure water, and to the preservation of the natural, scenic, historic and esthetic values
of the environment. Pennsylvania’s public natural resources are the common property of all the
people, including generations yet to come.
As trustee of these resources, the Commonwealth shall conserve and maintain them for
the benefit of all the people.
The Pennsylvania Supreme Court has held that all branches and levels of government are
bound by this constitutional provision, and that oil and gas on public lands, as well as revenue
from the sale of those resources, belong to the citizens of the Commonwealth.
Section 27 establishes a public trust for those natural resources, with the government as
trustee, which must manage the resources to further the public’s interest in clean air, pure water,
and to otherwise further the interests protected by the Environmental Rights Amendment.
PennFuture’s letter notifies the County and Authority that the use of revenue from oil and
gas being developed on Airport properties is currently being used in a manner that violates
Section 27, and it demands that the Authority take immediate steps to come into compliance with
its constitutional obligations.
Click Here for a copy of the letter.
NewsClips:
Related Stories:
PA Environmental Defense Foundation Files Motion To Protect $383 Million In State Forest
Drilling Payments
PA Supreme Court Declares Law Diverting Oil & Gas Lease Funds To General Fund
Unconstitutional
Related Stories This Week:
Federal Court Overturns Dismissal Of Wayne County Landowner Challenge To DRBC’s Shale
Gas Drilling Moratorium
26
Allegheny County
Take Action:
Allegheny County
The Department of Environmental Protection published notice in the July 7 PA Bulletin

approving the Section 401 Water Quality Certification for an Equitrans natural gas pipeline
project under I-79 in South Fayette Township, Allegheny County. (P A Bulletin page 4014)
The project would involve construction and placement of 20-inch and 16-inch pipelines
under I-79.
NewsClips:
Hurdle: Sunoco Wants To Use Older Pipeline Where Mariner East 2 Pipeline Still Under
Construction
2 Charged With Trespassing On Atlantic Sunrise Pipeline Construction Site In Lancaster
FERC OK’s Risling Natural Gas Pipeline Project In Northwest PA, Northern Ohio
FERC Declines To Appeal Landmark Greenhouse Gas Case To U.S. Supreme Court
Related Stories:
Federal Court Overturns Dismissal Of Wayne County Landowner Challenge To DRBC’s Shale
Gas Drilling Moratorium
PennFuture To Allegheny County: Drilling Revenue Must Benefit Citizens Under Environmental
Rights Amendment
Take Action:
Sign Up As A Stop On Oct. 6 Pittsburgh Solar Tour
Have a solar installation you’d like to show

off? PennFuture is now signing up
interested property owners to be a stop on
the 2018 Pittsburgh Solar Tour set for
October 6 from Noon to 4:00 p.m.
PennFuture is looking for homes,
businesses and public buildings in the
Pittsburgh Region to be part of the Tour.
The deadline for sign ups is August 4.
Click Here to sign up or direct your questions to Annie Regan, PennFuture, at
412-841-1551 or send email to: regan@pennfuture.org.
For more information on the Tour, visit the 2018 Pittsburgh Solar Tour webpage.
NewsClip:
Related Story:
27
DEP Invites Comments On Draft Plan To Increase PA’s Solar Electric Generation To 10% Of
Consumption By 2030
Take Action:
DCNR Unveils New Features For State’s Prowl The Sproul Hiking Program July 27-29 In
Clinton County
The Department of Conservation and Natural

Resources Thursday invited hikers and other
visitors to again sample the rugged beauty of
the Sproul State Forest in Clinton County
when the three-day "Prowl the Sproul" series
of hikes steps off on July 27.
Marking its 15th year, the increasingly
popular hiking program links participants
with guides from the Bureau of Forestry, Keystone Trails Association, and local civic and
sportsmen's groups.
"With its thousands of mountainous, unspoiled acres to explore, Sproul State Forest
offers a network of trails that draws hikers of all abilities, from beginners to seasoned veterans,”
said DCNR Secretary Cindy Adams Dunn. "This unique invitation is extended by the folks who
best know this rugged forest district amid the Pennsylvania Wilds."
DCNR and KTA guides have selected many of the most popular trails in Sproul State
Forest, including hikes on sections of the Chuck Keiper, Donut Hole, Eagleton Mine Camp, Jack
Paulhamus Garby, and T-Squared trails, and the Long Fork Loop. Guides again will lead hikers
off the beaten path to some of the lesser-known, natural jewels of Sproul State Forest.
Hikers will be able to choose from hikes featuring one of the oldest trout nurseries in
Pennsylvania, waterfalls, overlooks, old railroad grades, historical sites, unique woodlands, and
flora that make the Sproul State Forest truly unique among DCNR’s 20 state forest districts.
To combat summer heat, several refreshing hikes are planned to streams, waterfalls, and
other cool spots known only by DCNR guides.
Guided hikes ranging from three to nine miles will offer hikers a variety of terrain and
difficulty levels before Sproul XV events close July 29.
In total, the weekend will feature 18 guided hikes: three July 27; ten July 28; and five
July 29. Participants are advised to register early, as each hike will be limited to 20 hikers.
Detailed hike descriptions and registration forms can be found on the Keystone Trails
Association website.
For general information, contact the Sproul State Forest District Office, 15187 Renovo
Road, Renovo; or call 570-923-6011.
More information on some of the planned hikes can be found at the Explore PA Trails
website.
For more information on state parks and forests and recreation in Pennsylvania, visit
DCNR’s 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
28
social media-- Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Flickr.
NewsClips:
Roaring Run Trail Damage Causes Funding Concerns For Officials, Businesses
Safety Improvements Made To Lackawanna Heritage Trail In Scranton
Crable: Holtwood Park To Become State’s 1st Forest Pollinator Garden Planted On River Trail
Schuylkill River Trail Locust & Race Streets Access Closed
Pittsburgh Council OKs Cap Park Over Crosstown Expressway
No Dog Swimming Advisories Posted For Erie County
Black Burial Site Discovered Under Philadelphia Playground
Op-Ed: Could Part Of Philly’s Fairmount Park Become A Free Food Forest?
July 6 Take Five Fridays With Pam, PA Parks & Forests Foundation
Rangers: Stay Away From Venomous Snakes At Chickies Rock, Lancaster County
Take Action:
Penn State Extension Tree Tenders Training, Aug. 30 Tom Ridge Environmental Center
Erie
Tree Tenders training will be held by Penn State Extension

on August 30 at the Tom Ridge Environmental Center in
Erie from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Join thousands of other concerned citizens like yourself and
become a Tree Tender and help increase tree canopy cover
in your community.
Tree Tenders is a training program that empowers
concerned residents to make dramatic strides towards
restoring and caring for the tree canopy in their
communities.
The course is designed for lay people and experts alike.
Instruction is provided by DCNR’s Bureau of Forestry, in partnership with Penn State
Extension, Pennsylvania Horticultural Society, The Western Pennsylvania Conservancy, and
other local urban forestry experts.
Since 1993 the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society has trained over 6,000 Tree Tenders in
150 Pennsylvania neighborhoods.
Since 2004, the program has been supported by the Department of Conservation and
Natural Resources.
In 2008 the program expanded to Pittsburgh and smaller metropolitan areas, and since
2013 it has been available statewide. Nearly 2,000 additional Tree Tenders have since been
29
trained.
Click Here for all the details and to register.
Visit the Penn State Extension Community Forests, Pennsylvania Horticultural Society
Tree Tender, Western PA Conservancy TreeVitalize Pittsburgh and DCNR TreeVitalize
webpages for information on training, funding and community forestry programs.
NewsClips:
New Florence Man Gets Probation, To Pay $45K For Setting Wildfires
Giant Bell Township Oak Near Pittsburgh May Be One Of Biggest In PA
Northampton County Gets 24 Chestnut Saplings As Part Of Restoration Effort
Phillips: Spotted Lanternfly Battle Is On: Can PA Stop This Invasive Threat To Trees, Plants?
Japanese Barberry May Be Banned By State Controlled Plant Committee
Take Action:
Lacawac Sanctuary & Biological Field Station Highlights July Programs
The Lacawac Sanctuary and Biological Field Station in

Wayne County highlights July programs and events
featuring--
-- July 14: Rhododendron Hike & Historic Lodge Tour
-- July 14: Romping Radishes On The Run: Seed Stories
(photo)
-- July 20: Oscillation Transia Film Fest
-- July 28: Bats At Night!
Click Here for a complete list of upcoming events. To
register or for more information call 570-689-9494 or send email to: info@lacawac.org.
For more information on programs, initiatives and other upcoming events, visit the
Lacawac Sanctuary website. Click Here to sign up for regular updates (right panel). Follow on
Twitter. Like on Facebook. Click Here to support their work.
Take Action:
Allegheny Land Trust & Point Park U. Host Pollinator Festival July 28 In Pittsburgh
The Allegheny Land Trust and Point Park University

will host a Pollinator Festival July 28 at ALT’s Audubon
Greenway Conservation Area, Magee Road Sewickley
Hills, Pittsburgh from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
Stop in anytime during the event to speak with experts
on local pollinator research, learn about pollinator
habitat and native plants, make seed balls to plant your
own wildflowers, and much more.
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If you want to take the next step in helping pollinators by joining the Project Bee Watch
volunteer group, then this is your chance to learn how!
Other partners with exhibits include Penn State Extension’s PA Master Gardeners and
Project Bee Watch
Interested in exhibiting or being part of this day? Contact Caitlin Seiler by sending email
to: cseiler@alleghenylandtrust.org.
Click Here for all the details on the Pollinator Festival. Click Here for a comprehensive
list of other upcoming events.
For more information on programs and initiatives, visit the Allegheny Land Trust
website. Click Here for ALT’s July newsletter.
Take Action:
Help Wanted: Huntingdon Conservation District Watershed Specialist
The Huntingdon County Conservation District is seeking candidates to fill a full-time Watershed
Specialist position. The deadline for applications is July 20. Click Here for all the details.
Take Action:
Help Wanted: Western PA Conservancy 2 AmeriCorps Service Positions
The Western PA Conservancy is seeking 2

Pennsylvania Mountain Service Corps
AmeriCorps members to serve the Watershed
Conservation Program for one year from August
22, 2018 to August 9, 2019 based in Indiana, PA.
The deadline for applications is July 20.
The service member will work under the
supervision of assigned Watershed Conservation
staff.
The service member will assist with implementing a variety of watershed restoration
projects and aquatic surveys, in close coordination with Watershed Conservation staff. Duties
will include assisting in the areas of:
-- Water quality monitoring & assessment;
-- Watershed restoration including riparian tree plantings and instream habitat projects;
Volunteer training;
-- Biological survey work focusing on macroinvertebrates, various fish species, freshwater
mussels, and hellbender salamanders are possible;
-- Delivering educational programs to Watershed Conservation Program constituents including
K-12 programs; and
-- Extensive overnight travel required.
Click Here for all the details and how to apply.
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More information is available on programs, initiatives and special events at the Western
PA Conservancy website. Click Here to sign up for regular updates from the Conservancy, Like
them on Facebook, Follow them on Twitter, add them to your Circle on Google+, join them on
Instagram, visit the Conservancy’s YouTube Channel or add them to your network on Linkedin.
Click Here to support their work.
Take Action:
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 PaEnviroDigest Google+ to your Circle.
Take Action:
Air
Legere: EPA OKs Repeal Of Western PA Summer Gasoline Blend, But Allegheny County Will
Have To Wait A Little Longer
Op-Ed: Keeping Nuclear Plants Open Is A Matter Of Life And Breath
EPA Finds PA, 19 Other States Don’t Need More Ozone Reductions To Be Good Neighbors
Alternative Fuels
EPA Plan To Roll Back Fuel Standards Could Cost PA Billions At The Pump
Awards & Recognition
Biodiversity/Invasive Species
Gardener Working To Save The Monarch Butterfly Population
Allegheny Front: Mulberry Trees Are A Sign Of Divine Providence In Western PA
Budget
Editorial: How Do You Fix Pennsylvania’s Democracy Deficit
Chesapeake Bay
Bass Die-Off
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Citizen Action
Climate
Frazier: A Year Ago Pittsburgh Challenged Trump On Climate, What’s Happened Since?
EPA Drafts Rule On Coal Plants To Replace Clean Power Plan
Conservative Group Urges Trump To Reject Refrigerant Ban
Coal Mining
DCED’s Denise Brinley On Developing Playbooks For Reusing Closed PA Power Plants
Mining For Badges: Boy Scouts Learn About Area’s Anthracite History
Op-Ed: Keep Coal And Nuclear Power Online
Trump Plan To Save Coal May Put Lives At Risk From Pollution
EPA Drafts Rule On Coal Plants To Replace Clean Power Plan
How FERC’s Unprecedented PJM Order Could Unravel Capacity Markets
Compliance Action
Delaware River
PennFuture Sends Notice Of Legal Action To Morris Iron & Steel On Delaware River
Drinking Water
Water
Op-Ed: No Matter Their Zip Code, Pennsylvanians Deserve Clean Water
Some Cumberland, York County PA American Water Users Urged To Reduce Water Use
48-Inch Water Main Break Floods Philadelphia’s Center City
Philadelphia Water Main Break Sent 15 Million Gallons Rushing Thru Downtown
Cause Of Water Main Break That Flooded Philadelphia’s Center City Unknown
Work To Repair Broken Center City Philadelphia Water Main Could Take Months
Damages From Philly Water Main Break Expected To Exceed $500K Liability Limit
Peoples Gas Unveils Plans For Pittsburgh Water Authority Takeover
O’Hara Residents Seem Open To Peoples Gas Water Plant
PA American Water Eyes Pittsburgh Water Authority For Acquisition, Consolidation
Federal Tax Act Triggers Lower Bills For PA American Water Customers
Federal Tax Changes Trigger Lower Bills For Northampton PA American Water Customers
Economic Development
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Education
Sustainability Curriculum Workshop Coming For All Penn State Faculty
Energy
Editorial: Beware New Alternative Ratemaking Utility Law
Letter: Invest In The Electricity Grid Of The Future
Federal Tax Refunds Begin For PA Utilities; PPL Customers Will Receive Larger Refunds
About 100 FirstEnergy Employees In Greensburg Eligible For Buyouts
Surging Heat Fuels Power Demand Records In PJM, NYISO, ERCOT
FERC Rejects PJM Capacity Market Reform Proposals, Seeks Quick Resolution
Oldest U.S. Nuclear Plant In New Jersey Closing Sept. 17
First New Westinghouse Nuclear Power Reactor Goes Online In China
U.S. EIA: 2017 Fossil Fuel Energy Consumption Lowest Since 1902
Energy Conservation
Surging Heat Fuels Power Demand Records In PJM, NYISO, ERCOT
Environmental Heritage
AP: The Molly Maguires’ Real Story Still Attracts Interest
Farming
Water
Westmoreland Next Generation Summit Teaches Young Farmers Concepts To Remain Viable
Crable: Lancaster Farmers Give State Officials Ideas To Help Struggling Dairy Industry
Flooding/Storms
Heavy Rain, Flooding Wallop Pittsburgh’s North Hills
Storms Cause Flooding In Pittsburgh, North Hills Communities
Flooding Forces Closure Of Bridge In McKeesport
Aspinwall In State Of Emergency From Flood; Dumpsters, Volunteers Available For Cleanup
Storm Zap Power To Harmar Eagle Webcam
Flooding In Easton Caused By Clogged Drain
Crews Work To Clean Up, Restore Power In Philadelphia-Area After Storms
Severe Weather Hits Pittsburgh Area
Flood-Damaged Residences Assessed For Aid In Westmoreland
Rain Floods Basements, Closes road In Laurel Mountain Borough
Sinkhole Swallows Whitehall Road In Allegheny County
Cleanup Continues After Storms Decimate Parts Of Pittsburgh Region
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Devastating Weather Has Tormented Pittsburgh Region In 2018
Storms Slam Greater Pittsburgh Closing Roads, Several Water Rescues, Power Outages
3 Allegheny River Boroughs Help Each Other With Ecodistrict Game Plan
Tornado Confirmed In Dauphin County
Torrential Rains Cause Flooding In Harrisburg
Flood Relief Sought For East Erie Neighborhood
Forests
Geologic Hazards
Sinkhole Swallows Whitehall Road In Allegheny County
Green Infrastructure
Water
Land Recycling
Littering/Illegal Dumping
Litters Will Be Sentenced To Pick Up Trash
City Of Harrisburg OKs New Trash Code To Improve Recycling, Fight Dumping
Cleanup Effort Nets 800 Waste Tires In Armstrong
Mine Reclamation
Oil & Gas
Maykuth: Appeals Court Gives Wayne County Frack-Ban Opponents Another Day In Court
Phillips: Federal Court Rules Fracking Advocates Will Get Their Day In Court
Homer City Company Expands To Assist Oil, Gas Industries
Editorial: How Do You Fix Pennsylvania’s Democracy Deficit
Legere: EPA OKs Repeal Of Western PA Summer Gasoline Blend, But Allegheny County Will
Have To Wait A Little Longer
Gasoline Price In Lancaster Drops For 5th Straight Week
35
Worley & Obetz Bankruptcy Trustee Looks To Leave Money For Creditors
EPA Plan To Roll Back Fuel Standards Could Cost PA Billions At The Pump
Pipelines
Hurdle: Sunoco Wants To Use Older Pipeline Where Mariner East 2 Pipeline Still Under
Construction
2 Charged With Trespassing On Atlantic Sunrise Pipeline Construction Site In Lancaster
FERC OK’s Risling Natural Gas Pipeline Project In Northwest PA, Northern Ohio
Radiation Protection
First New Westinghouse Nuclear Power Reactor Goes Online In China
Oldest U.S. Nuclear Plant In New Jersey Closing Sept. 17
Recreation
Safety Improvements Made To Lackawanna Heritage Trail In Scranton
Schuylkill River Trail Locust & Race Streets Access Closed
Pittsburgh Council OKs Cap Park Over Crosstown Expressway
No Dog Swimming Advisories Posted For Erie County
Black Burial Site Discovered Under Philadelphia Playground
July 6 Take Five Fridays With Pam, PA Parks & Forests Foundation
Recycling/Waste
Q/A With Lancaster Solid Waste Authority’s CEO Jim Warner On Buying HBG’s WTE Plant
City Of Harrisburg OKs New Trash Code To Improve Recycling, Fight Dumping
Keep Blair Beautiful Seeking Help With Battery Project
Editorial: Sustain Recycling Efforts
China Has Refused To Recycle The West’s Plastics, What Now?
Class Action Lawsuit Filed Against Bethlehem Landfill Over Sickening Odors
Renewable Energy
Sustainability
Sustainability Curriculum Workshop Coming For All Penn State Faculty
Stormwater
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Susquehanna River
Bass Die-Off
Sustainability
Wastewater Facilities
2 Dauphin County Municipalities In Lawsuit Over Sewage Charges
Watershed Protection
Water
Wildlife
Bass Die-Off
Frye: American Shad, The Nation’s Founding Fish
Fish For Free On Fourth Of July
For Migrating Birds, Philly Skyline Can Be Deadly
Purple Martin Eggs Hatch At Ridge Center
Game Commission Saves Day For Peregrine Falcon
Free Birdhouses To 100-Plus SoWe Neighborhood Revitalization In Lancaster
Beech: Help Prevent The Spread Of Chronic Wasting Disease
37
Rattlesnakes Spotted At Central PA Golf Course
Development May Be Chasing Rattlesnakes Into Dauphin County Neighborhood
Dog Kills Rabies-Infected Groundhog In Mt. Lebanon
Gardener Working To Save The Monarch Butterfly Population
West Nile/Zika Virus
Other
Wildfires
California Fire Kills 1 As Heat Stokes Blazes In Western US
AP: California Wildfire Threatening 900 Buildings
AP: Exploding Wildfires In U.S. West Derail Holiday Plans
Evacuations Ordered As Wind Fuels Northern California Wildfires
Colorado Wildfire Destroys 3 Homes As Flames Menace West
Federal Policy
76 Federal Environmental Rules On The Way Out Under Trump
Embattled EPA Head Scott Pruitt Resigns, Policies Unlikely To Change
How The New Acting EPA Chief Differs From Scott Pruitt
Phillips: Pruitt’s Resignation Welcomed By Lawmakers From Both Parties
Pruitt Departure Could Boost Trump Deregulatory Agenda At EPA
Click Here For This Week's Allegheny Front Radio Program
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.
Note: DEP published the 2018 meeting schedules for its advisory committees and boards.
Take Action:
July 7-- Alliance for Aquatic Resource Monitoring. Mountain Watershed Association. Volunteer
Training For Shale Gas-Related Stream Monitoring. Blythedale Volunteer Fire Department,
1799 Blythedale Road, Buena Vista, Allegheny County. 9:00 to 3:30.
July 7-- PA National Guard Regal Fritillary Butterfly Tours. Fort Indiantown Gap, Lebanon
County.
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July 9-- Senate Republican Policy Committee holds hearing on Clean Fill, Abandoned Quarries
in Northampton County. Wind Gap Middle School, 1620 Teels Road, Pen Argyl. 10:00.
July 10-- West Branch Susquehanna Restoration Coalition Meeting & Picnic. Bald Eagle State
Park, Pavilion #5, Centre County. 5:30.
July 11-- CANCELED. DEP Water Resources Advisory Committee meeting. Next scheduled
meeting is September 19. DEP Contact: Diane Wilson, 717-787-3730, diawilson@pa.gov.
(formal notice)
July 11-- DEP Technical Advisory Committee On Diesel Powered (Mining) Equipment. DEP
New Stanton Office, 131 Broadview Road, New Stanton. 10:00. DEP Contact: Peggy Scheloski,
724-404-3143 or mscheloske@pa.gov.
July 11-- DEP Hearing On Interim Response At Ridge Run PFAS, PFOS, PFOA Well
Contamination Site In Bucks County. West Rockhill Township Building, 1028 Ridge Road,
Sellersville, PA. 6:30.
July 12-- PennVEST, DEP Public Meeting On Proposed FY 2018 Clean Water, Drinking Water
intended Use Plans. 2nd Floor Auditorium, Rachel Carson Building, 400 Market Street,
Harrisburg. 2:00.
July 12-- PUC En Banc Hearing On Supplier Consolidated Billing By Electricity Suppliers.
Hearing Room 1, Keystone Building, 400 North Street, Harrisburg. 1:00.
July 16-- DEP Hearing On State Air Quality Implementation Plan Changes For Meeting Ozone
Standard, New Source Review. DEP Southwest Regional Office, 400 Waterfront Drive,
Pittsburgh. 1:00.
July 16- DEP Hearing On State Air Quality Implementation Plan Changes For Meeting Ozone
Standard, New Source Review. DEP Southeast Regional Office, 2 East Main Street, Norristown.
1:00.
July 16-- DEP Hearing On State Air Quality Implementation Plan Changes For Meeting Ozone
Standard, New Source Review. 12th Floor Conference Room, Rachel Carson Building,
Harrisburg. 1:00.
July 17-- CANCELED. Environmental Quality Board meeting. The next scheduled meeting is
August 21. DEP Contact: Laura Edinger, 717-772-3277, ledinger@pa.gov. (f ormal notice)
July 17-- Agenda Posted. DEP Citizens Advisory Council meeting. Room 105 Rachel Carson
Building. 10:00. DEP Contact: Neil Bakshi, DEP Policy Office, nebakshi@pa.gov.
July 17-- DEP Hearing [If Needed] On RACT II Air Quality Plan For Sonneborn Petrolia
39
Facility In Butler County. DEP Northwest Regional Office, 230 Chestnut Street, Meadville,
Crawford County. 9:00 a.m.
July 17-- DEP Hearing On NPDES Water Quality Permit For Fmr Embreeville State Hospital
Grounds STP. Marshallton united Methodist Church, 1282 W. Strasburg Road, West Chester,
Chester County. 6:00.
July 18-- Penn State Extension. Public Meeting On Spotted Lanternfly. Schuylkill County
Agricultural Center, 1202 Ag Center Drive, Pottsville. 6:30.
July 18-- NEW. Westmoreland County Conservation District. Mosquito, Tick Talk. District’s
Office, 218 Donohoe Road, Greensburg. 6:00 to 8:00
July 19-- Agenda Posted. DEP Mining and Reclamation Advisory Board meeting. New Stanton
District Mining Office, 131 Broadview Road, New Stanton. 9:00. DEP Contact: Daniel
Snowden, 717-787-5103, dsnowden@pa.gov. (formal notice)
July 19-- DEP Hearing On Interim Response At Nockamixon TCE Well Contamination Site In
Bucks County. Nockamixon Township Municipal Building, 589 Lake Warren Road, Upper
Black Eddy, PA. 7:00
July 25-- DEP Small Business Compliance Advisory Committee meeting. 12th Floor
Conference Room, Rachel Carson Building. 10:00. DEP Contact: Nancy Herb, 717-783-9269 or
nherb@pa.gov. (f ormal notice)
July 25-- NEW. EPA Community Engagement Meeting On PFAS. Hatboro-Horsham High
School, 899 Horsham Road in Horsham, Montgomery County. Working Session 10:00 a.m. to
3:00 p.m. Listening Session 4:00 to 9:00 p.m.
July 25-27-- Registration Open. Professional Recyclers of PA. 28th Annual Recycling &
Organics Conference. Best Western Premier Hotel, Harrisburg.
July 26-- NEW. PA Assn. Of Environmental Professionals, DEP. Freshwater Mussels In The
Ohio And Allegheny River Watersheds Workshop. DEP Regional Office, 400 Waterfront Drive
in Pittsburgh. 9:00 to 11:00.
July 26-- Penn State Extension. Introduction To Electric Markets and Procurement Strategies
Webinar. 1:00 to 2:00.
July 27-29-- Keystone Trails Association. Prowl The Sproul Weekend. Sproul State Forest,
Clinton County.
July 28-- PA Resources Council. Recycling Bin Distribution Event In Pittsburgh. Point Breeze
Distribution Event, URA’s Parking Lot on Meade Street. 8:00 to 2:00. Click Here to register.
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July 28-- Audubon Society of Western PA. Backyard Habitat Gardening for Pollinators and
Butterflies Workshop. Beechwood Farms Nature Reserve, 614 Dorseyville Road, Pittsburgh.
10:00.
August 1-- DEP Cleanup Standards Scientific Advisory Board meeting. Room 105 Rachel
Carson Building. 9:00. DEP Contact: Michael Maddigan, 717-772-3609, mmaddigan@pa.gov.
August 8-- DEP Oil and Gas Technical Advisory Board meeting. Room 105 Rachel Carson
Building. 10:00. DEP Contact: Todd Wallace, 717-783-9438, twallace@pa.gov.
August 8-- DEP Aggregate Advisory Board meeting. Pennsy Supply, Thomasville Quarry
Office, 55 South Biesecker Road, Thomasville, York County. 10:00. DEP Contact: Daniel
Snowden, 717-787-5103, dsnowden@pa.gov. (formal notice)
August 9-- NEW. DEP Hearing On Cumberland Mine Coal Refuse Disposal Facility NPDES
Water Quality Permit, Monongahela and Whiteley townships, Greene County. Greensboro
VFD/Church Building, 384 Stoney Hill Road, Greensboro. 1:00 to 3:00. (J uly 7 PA Bulletin
4015)
August 11-- PA Resources Council. Recycling Bin Distribution Event In Pittsburgh. Fairywood
Distribution Event, B Keppel Trucking, 100 Beechnut Drive, Pittsburgh. 8:00 to 2:00. Click Here
to register.
August 15-- DEP State Board for Certification of Sewage Enforcement Officers meeting. 11th
Floor, Conference Room B, Rachel Carson Building. 10:00. DEP Contact: Kristen
Szwajkowski, 717-772-2186, kszwajkows@pa.gov.
August 15-- DEP State Board For Certification of Water and Wastewater Systems Operators
meeting. 10th Floor Conference Room, Rachel Carson Building. 10:00. DEP Contact: Edgar
Chescattie, 717-772-2814, eshescattie@pa.gov.
August 16-- DEP Agricultural Advisory Board meeting. Ag Progress Days, 2710 West Pine
Grove Road, Furnace, Huntingdon County. 10:30. DEP Contact: Jay Braund, 717-772-5636,
jbraund@pa.gov. (f ormal notice)
August 20-23-- U.S. Biochar Initiatives Conference. Chase Center on the Riverfront,
Wilmington, Delaware.
August 21-- Environmental Quality Board meeting. Room 105 Rachel Carson Building. 9:00.
DEP Contact: Laura Edinger, 717-772-3277, ledinger@pa.gov.
August 25-- PA Resources Council. Hard-To-Recycle Collection Event. Century III Mall, West
Mifflin, Allegheny County. 9:00 to 1:00.
August 28-- DEP Climate Change Advisory Committee meeting. Room 105 Rachel Carson
41
Building. 10:00. DEP Contact: John Krueger, 717-783-9264, jkrueger@pa.gov.
September 4-- DEP Storage Tank Advisory Committee meeting. Room 105 Rachel Carson
Building. 10:00. DEP Contact: Kris Shiffer 717-772-5809 or send email to: kshiffer@pa.gov.
September 4-- DEP Board Of Coal Mine Safety meeting. DEP Cambria Office, 286 Industrial
Park Road, Ebensburg. 10:00. DEP Contact: Peggy Scheloske 724-404-3143 or send email to:
mscheloske@pa.gov.
September 6-9-- Registration Open. Delaware Highlands Conservancy. Educational Retreat For
Women Forest Landowners. Highlights Workshop Facility in Boyd’s Mill, Milanville, Wayne
County.
September 18-- Environmental Quality Board meeting. Room 105 Rachel Carson Building.
9:00. DEP Contact: Laura Edinger, 717-772-3277, ledinger@pa.gov. (formal notice)
September 18-- DEP Citizens Advisory Council meeting. Room 105 Rachel Carson Building.
10:00. DEP Contact: Neil Bakshi, DEP Policy Office, nebakshi@pa.gov.
September 18-20-- Mid-Atlantic Chapter International Erosion Control Association. 25th

Annual Conference, Workshop and Trade Show. Radisson Hotel, Camp Hill, Cumberland
County.
September 19- DEP Water Resources Advisory Committee meeting. Room 105 Rachel Carson
Building. 9:30. DEP Contact: Diane Wilson, 717-787-3730, diawilson@pa.gov. (f ormal
notice)
September 20-- DEP Solid Waste Advisory Committee & Recycling Funding Advisory
Committee meeting. Room 105 Rachel Carson Building. 10:00. DEP Contact: Laura Henry
717-772-5713 or send email to: lahenry@pa.gov.
September 22-- Joint meeting of DEP Recycling Fund Advisory Committee and Solid Waste
Advisory Committee. Room 105 Rachel Carson Building. 10:00. DEP Contact: Laura Henry,
717-772-5713, lahenry@pa.gov.
September 23-- Audubon Society of Western PA. Backyard Habitat Trees and Shrubs,
Supporting Wildlife In Winter Workshop. Beechwood Farms Nature Reserve, 614 Dorseyville
Road, Pittsburgh. 10:00.
September 25-26-- Coalition for the Delaware River Watershed. 2018 Delaware River
Watershed Forum. Cape May, NJ.
September 28-- DEP Low-Level Waste Advisory Committee meeting Room 105 Rachel Carson
Building. 10:00. DEP Contact: Rich Janati, 717-787-2147, rjanati@pa.gov.
42
October 1-3-- Engineers’ Society of Western PA. PA Brownfield Conference. Sands Bethlehem
Casino, Bethlehem.
October 6-- PA Resources Council. Hard-To-Recycle Collection Event. Settlers Cabin Park,
Robinson Township, Allegheny County. 9:00 to 1:00.
October 10-- DEP Technical Advisory Committee On Diesel Powered (Mining) Equipment.
DEP New Stanton Office, 131 Broadview Road, New Stanton. 10:00. DEP Contact: Peggy
Scheloski, 724-404-3143 or mscheloske@pa.gov.
October 17-21-- Passive House Western PA. North American Passive House Network 2018
Conference. David L. Lawrence Convention Center, Pittsburgh.
October 18-- CANCELED. DEP Radiation Protection Advisory Committee meeting

rescheduled to November 15. DEP Contact: Joseph Melnic 717-783-9730 or send email to:
jmelnic@pa.gov. (formal notice)
November 1-2-- PA Water And Wastewater Technology Summit. Penn Stater Conference
Center Hotel, State College.
November 15--NEW. DEP Radiation Protection Advisory Committee meeting. Room 105
Rachel Carson. 9:00. DEP Contact: Joseph Melnic 717-783-9730 or send email to:
jmelnic@pa.gov. (formal notice)
Related Tools ----------------
Visit DEP’s Public Participation Center for public participation opportunities.
Click Here for links to DEP’s Advisory Committee webpages.
Visit DEP Connects for opportunities to interact with DEP staff at field offices.
Click Here to sign up for DEP News a biweekly newsletter from the Department.
DEP Facebook Page DEP Twitter Feed DEP YouTube Channel
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.
Grants & Awards
This section gives you a heads up on upcoming deadlines for awards and grants and other
43
recognition programs. NEW means new from last week.
July 12-- NEW. NFWF Central Appalachia Habitat Stewardship Grants

July 13-- DEP Growing Greener Plus Watershed Grants
July 13-- DEP Alternative Fuels Incentive Grants
Check-- DEP Expands Small Business Advantage Grants To Farm Conservation Projects
July 18-- Northeast Environmental Partner Environmental Awards
July 20-- NEW. City Of York Street 2 Creek Stormwater Drain Art Contest
July 20-- CFA Alternative & Clean Energy Funding
July 20-- CFA Renewable Energy-Geothermal & Wind Funding
July 20-- CFA Solar Energy Funding
July 20-- CFA High Performance Building Funding
July 31-- Keep PA Beautiful Fresh Paint Days Grants
July 31-- Fish & Boat Commission Boating Infrastructure Grants
August 1-- Delaware River Basin Commission Summer Photo Contest
August 15-- PA Leopold Farm Conservation Award $10,000
August 17-- PA Lake Management Society Mini-Grants
August 20-- NEW. Foundation For PA Watersheds Grant Letters Of Intent
August 31-- OSMRE Not-For-Profit Acid Mine Drainage Watershed Grants
August 31-- Partnership For Delaware Estuary Schuylkill Shots Photo Contest
September 5-- PA Parks & Forests Foundation Photo Contest
September 15-- CFA Alternative & Clean Energy Funding
September 15-- CFA Renewable Energy-Geothermal & Wind Funding
September 15-- CFA Solar Energy Funding
September 15-- CFA High Performance Building Funding
September 28-- DCNR Multifunctional Riparian Forest Buffer Grants
September 28-- DEP Calendar 2017 Recycling Performance Grants
September 29-- Sinnemahoning Watershed Restoration Grants
September 30-- Fish & Boat Commission Clean Vessel Act Grants
October 31-- PA Resources Council Gene Capaldi Lens On Litter Photo Contest
December 14-- DEP Alternative Fuels Incentive Grants
December 31-- DEP County Act 101 Waste Planning, HHW, Education Grants
-- 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.
Take Action:
Regulations, Technical Guidance & Permits
Here are highlights of actions taken by agencies on environmental regulations, technical

44
guidance and permits.
Regulations -----------------------
No new regulations were published this week. Pennsylvania Bulletin - July 7, 2018
Technical Guidance -------------------
The Department of Environmental Protection published the July update to the Non-Regulatory
Agenda listing the technical guidance documents DEP will be developing or finalizing over the
coming year in the July 7 PA Bulletin.
DEP published notice in the July 7 PA Bulletin of the rescission of the Oil and Gas Operator’s
Manual (DEP ID: 550-0300-001) and the Oil and Gas Wastewater Permitting Manual (DEP ID:
550-2100-002) as outdated. Questions should be directed to Kurt Klapkowski by sending email
to: kklapkowski@pa.gov or call 717-783-9893.
Permits ------------
Note: The Department of Environmental Protection published 36 pages of public notices related
to proposed and final permit and approval/ disapproval actions in the July 7 PA Bulletin - pages
3979 to 4015.
Related Tools ----------------------
Sign Up For DEP’s 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.
Visit DEP’s Public Participation Center for public participation opportunities.
DEP Proposals Out For Public Review

Other Proposals Open For Public Comment - DEP webpage
Submit Comments on Proposals Through DEP’s eComment System
Recently Closed Comment Periods For Other Proposals - DEP webpage
Other Proposals Recently Finalized - DEP webpage
DEP Regulations In Process

Proposed Regulations Open For Comment - DEP webpage
Proposed Regulations With Closed Comment Periods - DEP webpage
Recently Finalized Regulations - DEP webpage
DEP Regulatory Update - DEP webpage
March 3, 2018 DEP Regulatory Agenda - PA Bulletin, Page 1374
45
DEP Technical Guidance In Process
Draft Technical Guidance Documents - DEP webpage
Technical Guidance Comment Deadlines - DEP webpage
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 2018) - DEP webpage
Take Action:
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Send your stories, photos and links to videos about your project, environmental issues or
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Take Action:
About PA Environment Digest
PA Environment Digest is edited by David E. Hess, former Secretary Pennsylvania Department

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Pa Environment Digest July 9, 2018

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Pa Environment Digest July 9, 2018

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Issue #732 Harrisburg, PA July 9, 2018

PA Environment Digest Blog​ ​Twitter Feed​ ​PaEnviroDigest Google+

Click Here to View or Print This Entire Digest

Federal Court Overturns Dismissal Of Wayne County Landowner Challenge To DRBC’s

The Department of Environmental Protection

Op-Ed: Raystown Lake Threatened By Incompatible, Unsustainable Development, Army

By Kathy Gates, ​The Coalition To Protect Hawn’s

A developer from Texas wants to lease 400 acres of

(Comments on this article can be sent to: ​PaEnviroDigest@gmail.com.​ )

PA Chesapeake Bay Watershed Planning Steering Committee Meets July 10

The ​PA Chesapeake Bay Watershed Planning

DEP Hosts July 10 Webinar On County-Level Planning To Develop Chesapeake Bay

The Department of Environmental Protection

Foundation For Pennsylvania Watersheds Grant Letters Of Intent Due August 20

The ​Foundation for Pennsylvania Watersheds​ is now

NFWF Central Appalachia Habitat Stewardship Program Accepting Grant Applications

The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation ​Central

If you’ve ever wondered how good the water

The Wolf Administration Friday announced funding to protect

Senate/House Agenda/Session Schedule/Gov’s Schedule

Committee Meeting Agendas This Week

Bills Pending In Key Committees

News From Around The State

DEP Citizens Advisory Council To Focus On Active, Abandoned Mine Reclamation At

PA Assn. Of Environmental Professionals, DEP Freshwater Mussels Workshop July 26 In

The ​PA Association of Environmental Professionals​ and

The City of York is now accepting entries to the

Teachers, get ready for a robust science

Bookshelf: Grassroots To Global: Broader Impacts Of Civic Ecology

Dr. Marianne E. Krasny is the editor of a new book-- ​Grassroots

June Newsletter From Kettle Creek Watershed Assn. Now Available

The June issue​ of the ​Kettle Creek Watershed

EPA To Hold July 25 Community Meeting On PFAS In Horsham, Montgomery County

The Department of Environmental Protection Friday

Mosquito, Tick Talk Hosted By Westmoreland Conservation District July 18

Learn proven ways to protect yourself from these

PennFuture To Allegheny County: Drilling Revenue Must Benefit Citizens Under

The Department of Environmental Protection published notice in the July 7 PA Bulletin

Sign Up As A Stop On Oct. 6 Pittsburgh Solar Tour

Have a solar installation you’d like to show

The Department of Conservation and Natural

Tree Tenders training​ will be held by Penn State Extension

Lacawac Sanctuary & Biological Field Station Highlights July Programs

The ​Lacawac Sanctuary and Biological Field Station​ in

The ​Allegheny Land Trust​ and ​Point Park University

Help Wanted: Huntingdon Conservation District Watershed Specialist

Help Wanted: Western PA Conservancy 2 AmeriCorps Service Positions

The ​Western PA Conservancy​ is seeking ​2

Environmental NewsClips - All Topics

Click Here For This Week's Allegheny Front Radio Program

Public Participation Opportunities/Calendar Of Events

September 18-20--​ ​Mid-Atlantic Chapter International Erosion Control Association​. ​25th

October 18--​ ​CANCELED​. ​DEP Radiation Protection Advisory Committee​ meeting

Related Tools ----------------

Visit DEP’s ​Public Participation Center​ for public participation opportunities.

Click Here​ for links to DEP’s Advisory Committee webpages.

DEP Facebook Page​ ​DEP Twitter Feed​ ​DEP YouTube Channel

DEP Calendar of Events​ ​DCNR Calendar of Events

Senate Committee Schedule​ ​House Committee Schedule

Grants & Awards

July 12--​ ​NEW​. ​NFWF Central Appalachia Habitat Stewardship Grants

Regulations, Technical Guidance & Permits

Here are highlights of actions taken by agencies on environmental regulations, technical

Technical Guidance -------------------

PA Environment Digest Blog Twitter Feed PaEnviroDigest Google+

By Kathy Gates, The Coalition To Protect Hawn’s

(Comments on this article can be sent to: PaEnviroDigest@gmail.com. )

The PA Chesapeake Bay Watershed Planning

The Foundation for Pennsylvania Watersheds is now

The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation Central

The PA Association of Environmental Professionals and

Dr. Marianne E. Krasny is the editor of a new book-- Grassroots

The June issue of the Kettle Creek Watershed

Tree Tenders training will be held by Penn State Extension

The Lacawac Sanctuary and Biological Field Station in

The Allegheny Land Trust and Point Park University

The Western PA Conservancy is seeking 2

September 18-20-- Mid-Atlantic Chapter International Erosion Control Association. 25th

October 18-- CANCELED. DEP Radiation Protection Advisory Committee meeting

Visit DEP’s Public Participation Center for public participation opportunities.

Click Here for links to DEP’s Advisory Committee webpages.

DEP Facebook Page DEP Twitter Feed DEP YouTube Channel

DEP Calendar of Events DCNR Calendar of Events

Senate Committee Schedule House Committee Schedule

July 12-- NEW. NFWF Central Appalachia Habitat Stewardship Grants

Visit DEP’s Public Participation Center for public participation opportunities.

PA Environment Digest is edited by David E. Hess, former Secretary Pennsylvania Department

PA Environment Digest weekly was the winner of the PA Association of Environmental

PA Environment Digest is a supporting member of the Pennsylvania Outdoor Writers