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Issue #620 Harrisburg, PA May 16, 2016

House Could Vote On Resolution To Kill DEP’s Drilling Regulations At Any Time

House Concurrent Regulatory Review Resolution #1 to kill ​ DEP’s final conventional (Chapter 78) and unconventional (Chapter 78a) drilling regulations remains on the House ​ Calendar and could be voted on at any time when the House ​ comes back to session starting May 16. As reported last week by PA Environment Digest, ​ ​ ​ discussions are ongoing between House and Senate Republicans and other legislators and the Wolf Administration on whether a deal could be reached to avoid a vote on the Resolution. The price of avoiding a vote to kill the entire package, however, could be killing the regulations in Chapter 78 applying to conventional drilling and making DEP start over or making other changes to the regulation, already approved by the Environmental Quality Board and the Independent Regulatory Review Commission. Ultimately, if the House and Senate go ahead and pass the resolution killing the drilling regulations, Gov. Wolf will have to decide whether he will use his veto again and whether that veto could be sustained in the Senate and House. The House and Senate have 30 calendar days (June 2) or 10 legislative days (June 10) whichever is later to take final action on the resolution. Interestingly, an electronic copy of HCR Resolution #1 is not available on the General Assembly’s website. Take Action Now Click Here to send a message to your legislation supporting DEP’s drilling regulations. ​ NewsClips: Drilling Wastewater Can Taint Surface Water, Methane Emissions Need Controls Drilling Communities Reap Benefits Of Housing Grants Letter: Notable Voices Calling For Drilling Moratorium Lawmakers Funnel Another $150K To Drilling Industry Research Group Op­Ed: Protect Public From Environmental Hazards Of Drilling, Adopt DEP Regulations Related Stories: Op­Ed: Protect Public From Environmental Hazards Of Drilling, Adopt DEP Regulations Changing DEP’s Drilling Regs May Be at Heart Of Budget Compromises In Harrisburg Analysis: Will The Confrontation Over Drilling Regs Kill The Entire Package? PA Environmental Council Urges Committee Not To Oppose DEP Final Drilling Regs

Op­Ed: Protect Public From Environmental Hazards Of Drilling, Adopt DEP Regulations

By Suzanne Almeida, Executive Director, League Of Women Voters Of ​ ​ ​ PA

[Note: The following Op­Ed appeared in the Allentown Morning Call ​ May 11.]

Once again, the health and welfare of Pennsylvanians are being used as a political pawn. Over the last five years, the Department of Environmental Protection has worked with environmental groups, gas and oil industry leaders, and Pennsylvanians from across the Commonwealth to develop much needed updates to our oil and gas drilling regulations. But many lawmakers in Harrisburg are determined to stymie the implementation of these much­needed regulations, seemingly at the bidding of the oil and gas industry. Citizens across the Commonwealth should be outraged. How we regulate the oil and gas industry as we seek to protect public health and the environment is an issue that concerns us all. On April 21, I had the opportunity on behalf of the League of Women Voters of Pennsylvania to address our state's Independent Regulatory Review Commission and encourage it to approve proposed updates to our oil and gas rules under Pa. Code Chapter 78 and 78a. After a day­long meeting, the commission approved the proposed rules by a vote of 3­2. Less than a week later, however, the House Environmental Resources & Energy Committee passed a resolution to kill the rulemaking proposal. Luckily, advocates, including the League of Women Voters, worked hard to stop this resolution moving forward and were able to prevent a floor vote in the House, at least for the moment. But this is far from over. The Senate is expected to consider a bill that would have a similar effect, and the results are far from certain. While reasonable people can disagree about some of the particulars of the regulations, there can be no doubt that the new regulations in their entirety are necessary updates to the previous regulatory scheme. As our understanding of the public health risks of fossil fuel development grows and changes, so too must the regulations that are put in place to protect us. Consequently, one can only see political calculations in the machinations of legislators in Harrisburg around these rules. The League of Women Voters firmly believes that, while gas and oil production is a part of our economy, we must enact policies that support the maximum protection of public health and the environment. Through our Straight Scoop on Shale project, we host the annual Shale & Public Health ​ ​ Conference. We also issue annual updates to our Shale Gas Extraction and Public Health ​ Resource Guide. ​ At the league's annual Shale & Public Health Conference last November, we heard from ​ ​ a series of speakers, including researchers from the University of Pittsburgh and Johns Hopkins University, on the harmful impacts of drilling that encroaches ever closer to our schools and homes. Research from Evelyn Talbott of the University of Pittsburgh has found an increased number of low birth­weight babies in drilling regions, and this inauspicious start to life does not make for better outcomes later. Similarly, studies being led by Brian Schwartz of Johns Hopkins, utilizing data from the Geisinger Health System, has found an increased risk of premature births and high­risk pregnancies in women exposed to active, unconventional natural gas development. Clearly, there is a very real risk in failing to protect the health and safety of all Pennsylvanians through effective regulation. The citizens of the Commonwealth need to realize that how we move forward on these regulations is a bellwether for how the oil and gas industry will operate in Pennsylvania. We must balance the need to protect jobs with the need to protect our water, air and land. No Pennsylvanian will be immune from the consequences of failing to effectively regulate our oil and gas industry. Lawmakers must stop playing politics with the health and welfare of Pennsylvanians. The League of Women Voters calls on legislators across Pennsylvania to resist attempts to block the proposed oil and gas updates under Pa. Code Chapter 78 and 78a. The health and well­being of our children, families and communities are at stake. We need our leaders to be responsive to the needs of their constituents — and we, the people, need to see to it that our voices are loud and clear. At the end of the day, the power to effect change is ours. For more information, visit the League of Women Voters of PA Marcellus Shale ​ webpage.

Suzanne Almeida, Executive Director, League Of Women Voters Of PA, can be contacted by ​ ​ ​ sending email to: [email protected]. ​ ​

Take Action Now Click Here to send a message to your legislation supporting DEP’s drilling regulations. ​ NewsClips: Drilling Wastewater Can Taint Surface Water, Methane Emissions Need Controls Drilling Communities Reap Benefits Of Housing Grants Letter: Notable Voices Calling For Drilling Moratorium Lawmakers Funnel Another $150K To Drilling Industry Research Group Op­Ed: Protect Public From Environmental Hazards Of Drilling, Adopt DEP Regulations Related Stories: Changing DEP’s Drilling Regs May Be at Heart Of Budget Compromises In Harrisburg Analysis: Will The Confrontation Over Drilling Regs Kill The Entire Package? PA Environmental Council Urges Committee Not To Oppose DEP Final Drilling Regs

PA Trout Unlimited: Tell Your Legislators NOW To Let DEP Drilling Regs Move Forward

PA Council of Trout Unlimited is urging members of the public who care about clean water and ​ the environment to contact their state House and state Senate member to support DEP’s Chapter 78 and 78a drilling regulations and vote against efforts to kill them. Click Here to send your message now. ​ Background From PA Trout “More than four years ago, Pennsylvania's General Assembly passed a comprehensive bill that required the development of new regulations to provide long­overdue environmental protections and performance standards at oil and gas well sites. “Since then, the Department of Environmental Protection has worked diligently to engage the public, industry and conservation organizations in developing new oil and gas rules, holding two separate public comment periods, 12 public hearings, and dozens of meetings with stakeholders. “The new regulations update Pennsylvania's oil and gas regulations for the first time in many years and increase stream protections by: prohibiting the use of pits to store shale gas drill cuttings and waste fluids and requiring secondary containment around all storage tanks and trucks and drill rigs; requiring pipeline companies to employ pollution prevention plans when performing horizontal directional drilling under streams; requiring shale gas operators to obtain a water management plan before they withdraw water for hydraulic fracturing; prohibiting the use of shale gas wastewater on roads for dust suppression and de­icing; and improving waste tracking and reporting requirements. “On April 21, the Independent Regulatory Review Commission approved the new oil and gas regulations­one of the key final steps in Pennsylvania's complex regulatory process. “Now, the Pennsylvania General Assembly is trying to overturn the very rules they called for more than four years ago. “Soon, the Pennsylvania House of Representatives is likely to vote on a House/Senate concurrent resolution disapproving DEP's final oil and gas regulations and barring implementation of the rules. “The Pennsylvania Senate is also expected to act on the Resolution or take up Senate Bill ​ 1011, which would have the same effect. ​ “This misguided step would undermine Pennsylvania's regulatory review process, ignore public input, and unnecessarily continue to put the Commonwealth's streams, fish and wildlife at risk from potential harm. “Tell your legislators today to protect Pennsylvania's streams and oppose any resolution or bill that would overturn or delay implementation of the new oil and gas regulations.” Click Here to send your message now. The PA Trout system will automatically find your ​ House and Senate member based on your address. NewsClips: Drilling Wastewater Can Taint Surface Water, Methane Emissions Need Controls Drilling Communities Reap Benefits Of Housing Grants Letter: Notable Voices Calling For Drilling Moratorium Lawmakers Funnel Another $150K To Drilling Industry Research Group Op­Ed: Protect Public From Environmental Hazards Of Drilling, Adopt DEP Regulations Related Stories: PA Environmental Council Urges Committee Not To Oppose DEP Final Drilling Regs Analysis: Will The Confrontation Over Drilling Regs Kill The Entire Package? Changing DEP’s Drilling Regs May Be At Heart Of Budget Compromises In Harrisburg Op­Ed: Protect Public From Environmental Hazards Of Drilling, Adopt DEP Regulations

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

Here are the Senate and House Calendars and Committee meetings showing bills of interest as well as a list of new environmental bills introduced­­

Bill Calendars

House (May 16): House Concurrent Regulatory Review Resolution #1 to disapprove DEP’s ​ final conventional (Chapter 78) and unconventional (Chapter 78a) drilling regulations; House ​ ​ Resolution 60 (Emrick­R­Northampton) directing the Legislative Budget and Finance ​ Committee to conduct a comprehensive review of the state’s program to regulate the beneficial use of sewage sludge; Senate Bill 307 (Yudichak­D­Luzerne) providing for an independent ​ ​ ​ counsel for the Environmental Quality Board; Senate Bill 1071 (Browne­R­Lehigh), the ​ ​ “agreed­to” pension reform bill; Senate Bill 1073 (Browne­R­Lehigh) “agreed­to” $30.8 billion ​ ​ General Fund budget bill. <> Click Here for full House Bill Calendar. ​ ​ ​ ​

Senate (May 16): Senate Bill 289 (Fontana­D­Allegheny) funding to assist homeowners with ​ ​ ​ deteriorating private sewer laterals (sponsor summary); Senate Bill 1041 (Schwank­D­Berks) ​ ​ ​ ​ amending Act 101 to authorize all local governments to charge a recycling service fee (sponsor ​ summary); Senate Bill 1011 (Hutchinson­R­Venango) killing DEP’s final drilling regulations ​ ​ ​ covering conventional oil and gas wells and starting the rulemaking process over; Senate Bill ​ 1168 (Eichelberger­R­Blair) authorizing the Fish and Boat Commission to adopt fees charged by ​ the agency rather than have them set by the General Assembly (sponsor summary); Senate Bill ​ ​ ​ 1166 (Stefano­R­Fayette) authorizing the Game Commission to adopt fees charged by the ​ agency rather than have them set by the General Assembly (sponsor summary); Senate Bill 1195 ​ ​ ​ (White­R­Indiana) to further delay a Pennsylvania plan for meeting EPA’s Clean Power Climate Plan rule by changing the General Assembly’s review dates under Act 175 of 2014; House Bill ​ ​ ​ 1325 (Mustio­R­Allegheny) allowing townships of the second class to charge stormwater ​ management fees; House Bill 1394 (Mustio­R­Allegheny) authorizing boroughs to charge ​ ​ stormwater management fees; House Bill 1661 (Mustio­R­Allegheny) authorizing first class ​ ​ townships to charge a stormwater management fee; House Bill 1712 (R.Brown­R­Monroe) ​ ​ establishing a Private Dam Financial Assurance Program (House Fiscal Note and summary). ​ ​ <> Click Here for full Senate Bill Calendar. ​ ​

Committee Meeting Agendas This Week

House: <> Click Here for full House Committee Schedule. ​ ​ ​

Senate: the Consumer Protection and Professional Licensure Committee meets to consider ​ ​ ​ House Bill 1241 (R.Brown­R­Monroe) exempting resorts offering water and sewage services ​ from definition of public utility (House Fiscal Note and summary); the Urban Affairs and ​ ​ ​ Housing Committee meets to consider Senate Bill 141 (Greenleaf­R­Montgomery) amending ​ ​ ​ the Real Estate Seller Disclosure Law to require disclosure of a property’s flood history (sponsor ​ summary), Senate Bill 142 (Greenleaf­R­ Montgomery) amending the Landlord and Tenant Act ​ ​ ​ to require disclosure of a property’s flood history (sponsor summary); the Senate Democratic ​ ​ ​ Policy Committee holds a roundtable discussion on the public health effects of lead exposure in ​ Philadelphia. <> Click Here for full Senate Committee Schedule. ​ ​

Other: Environmental Issues Forum, Joint Legislative Air & Water Pollution Control and ​ ​ Conservation Committee, featuring a presentation on chronic wasting disease in deer. ​

Bills Pending In Key Committees

Here are links to key Standing Committees in the House and Senate and the bills pending in each­­

House Appropriations Education Environmental Resources and Energy Consumer Affairs Gaming Oversight Human Services Judiciary Liquor Control Transportation Links for all other Standing House Committees

Senate Appropriations Environmental Resources and Energy Consumer Protection and Professional Licensure Community, Economic and Recreational Development Education Judiciary Law and Justice Public Health and Welfare Transportation Links for all other Standing Senate Committees

Bills Introduced

The following bills of interest were introduced this week­­

Electronics Waste Recycling: House Bill 1900 (Ross­R­Chester) amending the Covered Device ​ ​ ​ Recycling Act to attempt to deal with the collapse of Pennsylvania’s electronics waste recycling program (sponsor summary). ​ ​

Solar Energy: House Bill 2066 (Heffley­R­Carbon) requires all recipients of grant money for ​ ​ ​ solar panels to use panels manufactured in the U.S.

Alternative Fuel Tax: House Bill 1057 (Ellis­R­Butler) amending the Alternative Fuels Tax Act ​ ​ ​ relating to taxes imposed on electric and other alternative­fueled vehicles (sponsor summary). ​ ​

Chesapeake Bay Awareness Week: Senate Resolution 352 (Yaw­R­Lycoming) designating the ​ ​ ​ week of June 5 through June 11 Chesapeake Bay Awareness Week was passed by the Senate.

Clean Water Counts: Senate Resolution 359 (McIlhinney­R­Bucks, Alloway­R­Adams) ​ ​ ​ recognizing May as Clean Water Counts Month was passed by the Senate.

Session Schedule

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

Senate May 16, 17, 18 June 6, 7, 8, 13, 14, 15, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30

House May 16, 17, 18, 23, 24, 25 June 6, 7, 8, 13, 14, 15, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30

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.

Senate/House Bills Moving

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

Senate

Stormwater Fees: House Bill 1394 (Mustio­R­Allegheny) authorizing boroughs to charge ​ ​ ​ stormwater management fees was amended to add cities of the Third Class and was reported out of the Senate Local Government Committee and is now on the Senate Calendar for action.

Chesapeake Bay Awareness Week: Senate Resolution 352 (Yaw­R­Lycoming) designating the ​ ​ ​ week of June 5 through June 11 Chesapeake Bay Awareness Week was passed by the Senate.

Clean Water Counts: Senate Resolution 359 (McIlhinney­R­Bucks, Alloway­R­Adams) ​ ​ ​ recognizing May as Clean Water Counts Month was passed by the Senate.

News From The Capitol

Growing Greener Coalition Thanks Senate For May Clean Water Counts Resolution

The PA Growing Greener Coalition thanked members of the Senate for designating the month of ​ ​ May as Clean Water Counts Month by passing Senate Resolution 359 (McIlhinney­R­Bucks, ​ ​ ​ ​ Alloway­R­Adams). “We are pleased that members of the State Senate recognize the need to improve water quality in Pennsylvania,” said Andrew Health, executive director of the Pennsylvania Growing Greener Coalition. “Our Coalition looks forward to working with lawmakers in the upcoming months to identify funding for a Growing Greener III initiative to help keep our drinking water clean, protect our wildlife, parks and open space, and preserve our family farms and precious resources.” Heath thanked Senators Richard Alloway (R­York) and Chuck McIlhinney (R­Bucks) for sponsoring the Clean Water Counts Month resolution, which passed unanimously. The House unanimously passed a similar resolution­­ House Resolution 825­­ sponsored ​ ​ by Rep. Stan Saylor (R­York) last week with 40 bipartisan cosponsors. “We need to do all we can to improve the health and condition of our rivers and streams in Pennsylvania,” said Sen. Alloway. “Clean water provides for greater health, stronger communities and thriving economies within our region.” Sen. McIlhinney said: “Clean water must be a priority for Pennsylvania. Our ability to attract growing businesses and to provide a healthy environment for our residents depends on it.” Pennsylvania has approximately 19,000 miles of rivers and streams that do not meet basic water quality standards. In other words, nearly one quarter of the creeks, rivers, and lakes that Pennsylvanians rely on for recreation, and for drinking and household uses, are polluted. The Chesapeake Bay Foundation­PA launched the statewide Clean Water Counts ​ ​ ​ campaign in 2014 calling on the Commonwealth to prioritize funding and increase investments for clean water. “The Chesapeake Bay Foundation is calling on Pennsylvania officials to make clean water a priority, to commit the needed resources, and to ensure that all our 86,000 miles of waterways are clean,” said Harry Campbell, PA Executive Director for the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, a member of the Growing Greener Coalition. “We are thankful to the Senate for designating the month of May as Clean Water Counts month and look forward to their continued support.” Sixteen Pennsylvania counties have adopted resolutions supporting the Clean Water Counts campaign and calling on state officials to make clean water a priority for the Commonwealth. Those 16 counties are: Berks, Cumberland, Erie, Fayette, Greene, Jefferson, Luzerne, Northumberland, Philadelphia, Schuylkill, Somerset, Venango, Washington, Westmoreland, Wyoming, and York. Visit CBF­PA’s Clean Water Counts webpage to see how clean streams are in your area. ​ ​ The PA Growing Greener Coalition, the largest coalition of conservation, recreation and ​ ​ preservation organizations in the Commonwealth, has urged the General Assembly and the Wolf Administration to pass legislation to fund a Growing Greener III program to address the pressing ​ ​ needs of the Commonwealth, including the need to keep drinking water clean, protect parks and open spaces, and preserve family farms. For more on Chesapeake Bay­related issues in Pennsylvania, visit the CBF­PA webpage. ​ ​ Click Here to sign up for Pennsylvania updates (bottom of left column). ​ Related Stories: Sen. Yaw Sponsors Resolution Designating June 5­11 Chesapeake Bay Awareness Week Chesapeake Bay Journal: Despite Progress, States To Fall Short Of Bay Cleanup Targets DEP, Conservation Districts Work On Farm Inspections In Chesapeake Bay Watershed DEP Tells House Committees Chesapeake Bay Program Faces Inadequate Resources, Data Dams On Susquehanna Are Undoing Progress In Reducing Pollution To Chesapeake Bay Agencies Unveil New Chesapeake Bay Cleanup Strategy DCNR Leading Statewide Forest Buffer Effort To Improve Water Quality PA Coalition Emerges To Support Farmers In Effort To Clean Up Chesapeake Bay CBF­PA: Lack Of Funding For Farmers Defeats Effort To Meet Clean Water Commitment CBF Op­Ed: Farm Bureau Can Choose To Be A Sore Loser Or Part Of The Solution Rock Lititz Project Reduces Sediment, Nutrient Runoff Without Taxpayer Money

Senate Passes Yaw Resolution Designating June 5­11 Chesapeake Bay Awareness Week

The Senate Monday unanimously approved Senate Resolution 352 ​ designating the week of June 5 through June 11 Chesapeake Bay Awareness Week. The resolution was sponsored by Sen. Gene Yaw (R­Lycoming), Majority Chair of the Senate Environmental Resources and Energy Committee and a member of the interstate Chesapeake Bay ​ Commission. ​ “The Chesapeake Bay is the largest and most productive bay in the United States,” Sen. Yaw said. “Collectively, the Chesapeake’s three largest rivers – the Susquehanna, Potomac and James rivers– provide more than 80 percent of the fresh water to the Bay. “With nearly 1,800 local governments in the Bay watershed, including towns, cities, counties and townships, Bay Awareness Week will seek to engage, strengthen and promote environmental stewardship in those local governments, as well as increase Bay awareness throughout our tri­state region,” Sen. Yaw added. Special Upcoming Events There are a number of special events scheduled in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed to focus on the need to improve water quality­­ ­­ First Canoe Classic: The Chesapeake Bay Foundation­PA’s Pennsylvania Student Leadership ​ ​ ​ Council will host its first Canoe Classic for local high school students, on May 15, from 1 to 4 ​ ​ p.m., at Susquehanna Outfitters in Wormleysburg, near Harrisburg. ​ ​ ­­ Clean The Bay Day: During the first Saturday in June, the Chesapeake Bay Foundation hosts ​ ​ ​ “Clean the Bay Day” during which thousands of volunteers roll up their sleeves and take direct ​ ​ action to clean their waterways. ­­ Susquehanna Sojourn June 17­19: Also in Pennsylvania, the Susquehanna Sojourn, ​ ​ ​ celebrating the largest river east of the Mississippi that supplies the lifeblood of freshwater flowing into the Chesapeake Bay, runs from June 17­19 this year, further extending our Bay awareness festivities. ­­ River Of The Year: Earlier this year, the Susquehanna River’s North Branch was named PA ​ ​ River of the Year by the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. ​ Other Pennsylvania members of the Chesapeake Bay Commission include: Sen. Richard Alloway (R­Adams), Rep. Garth Everett (R­Lycoming), Rep. Keith Gillespie (R­York), Rep. Michael Sturla (D­Lancaster), DEP Secretary John Quigley and Pennsylvania citizen member Warren Elliott. Legislators from Pennsylvania, Maryland and Virginia worked collaboratively in seeking passage of resolutions designating the week­long recognition of the Chesapeake Bay. Through this designation, the legislatures also encourage residents and environmental and educational groups to host events, activities, and educational programs to increase awareness of the importance of the Chesapeake Bay to the states, region and United States. The text of the resolution follows­­ Designating the week of June 5 through 11, 2016, as "Chesapeake Bay Awareness Week" in Pennsylvania. WHEREAS, The Chesapeake Bay is the largest and most productive estuary in the United States, its watershed spanning six states and the District of Columbia; and WHEREAS, The Chesapeake Bay is fed by 50 major tributaries, the largest being the Susquehanna River, which provides 50 percent of the fresh water to the bay; and WHEREAS, Stretching 200 miles from Havre de Grace, Maryland, to Norfolk, Virginia, the Chesapeake Bay has an average depth of 21 feet and ranges from 3.4 to 35 miles wide; and WHEREAS, The Chesapeake Bay supports 348 species of finfish, 173 species of shellfish and more than 3,600 species of plant and animal life, including 2,700 types of plants and more than 16 species of underwater grasses; and WHEREAS, The Chesapeake Bay produces more than 500 million pounds of seafood harvest each year; and WHEREAS, The bay's tributaries in this Commonwealth are an important source of drinking water and recreational fishing and boating for this Commonwealth; and WHEREAS, The Chesapeake Bay watershed is an extraordinary and vital natural resource, with some of the nation's most productive farm and forest lands in this Commonwealth's portion of the watershed; and WHEREAS, This productivity supported the settlement and growth of our nation and is a vital resource for future generations; and WHEREAS, The Chesapeake Bay area is home to more than 17 million people, many of whom rely upon the bay for their livelihood and recreational activities; and WHEREAS, The rich history, pivotal economic importance and astounding beauty of the Chesapeake Bay watershed never cease to amaze residents and visitors alike; and WHEREAS, All residents of this Commonwealth are encouraged to commemorate "Chesapeake Bay Awareness Week" with events and educational programs designed to increase awareness of the importance of the Chesapeake Bay to this Commonwealth, the region and the United States; therefore be it RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives designate the week of June 5 through 11, 2016, as "Chesapeake Bay Awareness Week" in Pennsylvania. A similar House Resolution 739 was sponsored by Rep. Garth Everett (R­Lycoming) and ​ ​ passed by the House. For more on Chesapeake Bay­related issues in Pennsylvania, visit the CBF­PA webpage. ​ ​ Click Here to sign up for Pennsylvania updates (bottom of left column). ​ NewsClips: Chesapeake Bay Journal: Despite Progress, States To Fall Short Of Bay Cleanup Targets PA Officials Collaborate On Chesapeake Bay Watershed Farm Inspections Crable: Farm Inspections To Begin Soon As Part Of Chesapeake Bay Reboot Op­Ed: Benefits Of Soil Health Extend Beyond Farm PA Puts Its Lagging Chesapeake Bay Cleanup On Pollution Diet Chesapeake Bay Commission Quietly Pushed Environmental Agenda For 35 Years Related Stories: Chesapeake Bay Journal: Despite Progress, States To Fall Short Of Bay Cleanup Targets DEP, Conservation Districts Work On Farm Inspections In Chesapeake Bay Watershed DEP Tells House Committees Chesapeake Bay Program Faces Inadequate Resources, Data Dams On Susquehanna Are Undoing Progress In Reducing Pollution To Chesapeake Bay Agencies Unveil New Chesapeake Bay Cleanup Strategy DCNR Leading Statewide Forest Buffer Effort To Improve Water Quality PA Coalition Emerges To Support Farmers In Effort To Clean Up Chesapeake Bay CBF­PA: Lack Of Funding For Farmers Defeats Effort To Meet Clean Water Commitment CBF Op­Ed: Farm Bureau Can Choose To Be A Sore Loser Or Part Of The Solution Rock Lititz Project Reduces Sediment, Nutrient Runoff Without Taxpayer Money

CBF­PA Applauds PA Legislators For Chesapeake Bay Awareness Week Resolutions

The Chesapeake Bay Foundation­PA Tuesday applauded both chambers of the Pennsylvania ​ ​ legislature for unanimously approving resolutions designating the week of June 5­11 as Chesapeake Bay Awareness Week. “Restoring and protecting the Commonwealth’s rivers and streams, and ultimately the Chesapeake Bay, takes commitment and awareness on behalf of leaders in Harrisburg and citizens,” said CBF Executive Director Harry Campbell in Pennsylvania. “Roughly 19,000 miles of Pennsylvania waters are polluted. Recognizing the importance of clean water in Pennsylvania and the Bay, and that the Commonwealth needs to get back on track toward meeting its goals of reducing nitrogen, phosphorus, and sediment pollution, is an important first step.” The Senate passed its Chesapeake Bay Awareness Week resolution Monday­­ Senate ​ Resolution 352 (Yaw­R­Lycoming). ​ “The Chesapeake Bay is the largest and most productive bay in the United States,” said Sen. Gene Yaw (R­Lycoming), who represents Pennsylvania on the interstate Chesapeake Bay Commission. “With nearly 1,800 local governments in the Bay watershed, including towns, cities, counties and townships, Bay Awareness Week will seek to engage, strengthen and promote environmental stewardship in those local governments, as well as increase Bay awareness throughout our tri­state region.” The state House adopted a similar measure in March­­ House Resolution 739 ​ (Everett­R­Lycoming). That resolution was introduced by Representatives Garth Everett (R­Lycoming), Keith Gillespie (R­York), and Michael Sturla (D­Lancaster), all members of the Chesapeake Bay Commission. Other Pennsylvania members of the Chesapeake Bay Commission include: Sen. Richard Alloway (R­Adams), DEP Secretary John Quigley and Pennsylvania citizen member Warren Elliott. “The Chesapeake Bay is fed by 50 major tributaries, the largest being the Susquehanna River, which provides 50 percent of the fresh water to the Bay,” the resolutions said. “The Chesapeake Bay watershed is an extraordinary and vital natural resource, with some of the nation’s most productive farm and forest lands in the Commonwealth’s portion of the watershed. This productivity supported the settlement and growth of our nation and is a vital resource for future generations.” Legislators from Pennsylvania, Maryland and Virginia worked collaboratively in seeking passage of resolutions designating the week­long recognition of the Chesapeake Bay. The resolutions encourage residents and environmental and educational groups to host events, activities, and educational programs to increase awareness of the importance of the Chesapeake Bay to the states, region and United States. For more on Chesapeake Bay­related issues in Pennsylvania, visit the CBF­PA webpage. ​ ​ Click Here to sign up for Pennsylvania updates (bottom of left column). ​ NewsClips: Chesapeake Bay Journal: Despite Progress, States To Fall Short Of Bay Cleanup Targets PA Officials Collaborate On Chesapeake Bay Watershed Farm Inspections Crable: Farm Inspections To Begin Soon As Part Of Chesapeake Bay Reboot Op­Ed: Benefits Of Soil Health Extend Beyond Farm PA Puts Its Lagging Chesapeake Bay Cleanup On Pollution Diet Chesapeake Bay Commission Quietly Pushed Environmental Agenda For 35 Years Related Stories: Sen. Yaw Sponsors Resolution Designating June 5­11 Chesapeake Bay Awareness Week Chesapeake Bay Journal: Despite Progress, States To Fall Short Of Bay Cleanup Targets DEP, Conservation Districts Work On Farm Inspections In Chesapeake Bay Watershed DEP Tells House Committees Chesapeake Bay Program Faces Inadequate Resources, Data Dams On Susquehanna Are Undoing Progress In Reducing Pollution To Chesapeake Bay Agencies Unveil New Chesapeake Bay Cleanup Strategy DCNR Leading Statewide Forest Buffer Effort To Improve Water Quality PA Coalition Emerges To Support Farmers In Effort To Clean Up Chesapeake Bay CBF­PA: Lack Of Funding For Farmers Defeats Effort To Meet Clean Water Commitment CBF Op­Ed: Farm Bureau Can Choose To Be A Sore Loser Or Part Of The Solution Rock Lititz Project Reduces Sediment, Nutrient Runoff Without Taxpayer Money

News From Around The State

Chesapeake Bay Journal: Despite Progress, States To Fall Short Of Bay Cleanup Targets

Karl Blankenship, Editor of the Chesapeake Bay Journal, recently did a comprehensive article ​ ​ ​ examining the issues related to the Chesapeake Bay Program’s midpoint assessment and whether states are meeting their sediment and nutrient reduction targets. Here is just a small part of the article. Click Here to read the entire article. ​ ​ Take one Conowingo Dam, sprinkle it with a bit of climate change, mix in an unhealthy ​ ​ amount of phosphorus­saturated soil and you could have the recipe for a big Bay headache. Those are some of the major science and policy issues that local, state and federal officials are grappling with as they take stock of where Chesapeake Bay cleanup efforts stand with the halfway mark approaching in the agreed­upon timetable for reaching restoration goals. For several years now, officials have been preparing for what’s known as the “midpoint assessment,” mulling over new science, monitoring data, land use and other local information to gauge the effectiveness of actions taken to date. And perhaps even more importantly, they’re trying to understand what’s changed since the latest Bay cleanup goal was set in 2010. The goal of the assessment, slated for completion next year, is to use all available new information to make whatever adjustments are needed to complete the multi­billion dollar restoration effort by its 2025 deadline. Based on the results, states and the federal agencies will need to revise their strategies for delivering a healthy Bay for the public — as well as for the crabs, fish, underwater grasses and even bottom­dwelling worms that depend on it. The good news is that a wealth of new information is providing a clearer­then­ever picture of where pollution is coming from and how it’s affecting the nation’s largest estuary. On the other hand, that information, when melded together, is likely to show that meeting nitrogen, phosphorus and sediment reduction goals by 2025 will be a more daunting task than what was envisioned just a few years ago. * * * The assessment’s outcome will set the stage for tough policy debates among the EPA and the states. New information could make the cleanup job substantially more difficult — perhaps impossible — for some agricultural areas with phosphorus­saturated soils. Pennsylvania, which is already significantly lagging in its efforts, could face additional burdens related to the Conowingo issue. ​ Among the questions that could arise: Would other areas, sectors or states be able or willing to take on more of the pollution­reduction burden? Conversely, would states or federal agencies be willing to send more money or resources to problematic areas? “I think they would be tough conversations to have, but I think we are going to have to have them,” said Beth McGee, senior water quality scientist with the Chesapeake Bay ​ Foundation. ​ An even more difficult question: If the changes show the cleanup effort is more difficult, will Bay water quality goals actually be attainable? * * * Key Issues In The Midpoint Assessment Here’s a look at some of the key issues in the midpoint assessment: ­­ Conowingo Dam: Scientists have long warned that one day the reservoir behind the ​ Conowingo Dam on the Susquehanna River was filling with sediment, and as that happens, more nutrients and sediment pass through the dam and enter the Bay. But when the Chesapeake Bay Total Maximum Daily Load was completed in 2010, it wasn’t recognized that the reservoir had essentially already reached its storage capacity and the flow of nutrients had already increased. A recent U.S. Army Corps of Engineers report said that offsetting the lost pollution­trapping impact of Conowingo Dam could require 2.4 million additional pounds of nitrogen reductions and 270,000 pounds of additional phosphorus reductions from the Susquehanna River. Those are reductions that were not factored into the TMDL. Not only are they extra nutrients that have to be controlled, but they are coming from the worst possible place: the Susquehanna. Pound­for­pound, nutrients from the river have a greater impact on dissolved oxygen levels in the deep­water areas of the upper Bay — the area which has the greatest problem meeting water quality standards — than nutrients from other rivers. Computer modeling shows that if those nutrient reductions don’t come from the Susquehanna, other portions of the Bay watershed would have to cut back by nearly twice as much — 4.4 million pounds of nitrogen and 410,000 pounds of phosphorus — to achieve the same water quality benefit. Factor in that Pennsylvania, which contributes the lion’s share of the Susquehanna’s nutrients, is already tasked with the greatest reduction burden of any state and is far behind schedule in meeting its goals, and the stage is set for a difficult policy debate, probably next year. ­­ Climate Change: Water in the Bay and its tributary rivers is warming; Chesapeake water ​ levels are rising; and the frequency and severity of storms have been increasing. All of that can affect the amount of nutrients and sediment washing off the land and how they affect water quality. The interactions are complex: Higher sea levels can draw more ocean water into the Bay and cause more water mixing — which is generally a good thing — but they can also erode shorelines and buffering marshes. Warmer water tends to hold less oxygen than cooler water and threatens the survival of ecologically vital eelgrass in the Lower Bay. On balance, scientists and officials believe such changes will ultimately make the Bay cleanup more difficult. Key questions: How rapidly will they occur, and will they have an impact by 2025, or sometime later? At the least, the issue could force a re­examination of some of the best management practices being installed, as well as how to maintain their effectiveness in decades to come. For instance, stormwater and some farm runoff controls may need to be designed to withstand larger, more frequent storms. Building so­called “living shorelines” may become more important in managing erosion and protecting marshes. ­­ Phosphorus: In the past, the Bay Program’s watershed model assumed that the amount of ​ phosphorus that runs off farmland was related to the amount that is applied. But research has shown that in areas where phosphorus levels have built up in soils over many decades, the nutrient continues to leak out even if little or none is spread on fields. That may help explain why the model shows phosphorus levels going down in some places where water quality monitoring shows worsening trends. A new sub­model is being developed in cooperation with land grant universities and the U.S. Department of Agriculture to better account for the phosphorus buildup in soils. Once completed, it’s likely to discount at least some of the phosphorus reductions previously estimated by the model. The EPA last year warned states of that likely change, saying the agency “believes that the level of effort to manage phosphorus may increase” and states should “consider additional actions to manage phosphorus” in the future. ­­ Best Management Practices: In the past, the Bay Program only counted a few dozen best ​ management practices, or BMPs, toward meeting nutrient and sediment reduction goals. In the last few years, scores of expert panels have been convened to examine the benefits of new practices — urban tree canopies, oyster aquaculture, street sweeping, manure­to­energy technologies and many more. But the panels in some cases have recommended changes in the amount of nutrient reductions associated with various BMPs. Further, as they interact with new, fine­scale modeling, the effectiveness of BMPs could be increased or decreased in specific places. Meanwhile, states have been making efforts to identify conservation practices already adopted by farmers — usually those without cost­share funding from conservation agencies — that haven’t been factored into the cleanup effort yet. On the other hand, the EPA has also been pressing states to clean up their historic BMP data going back to 1985 and removing from their records those that no longer exist, or those that might have been double­counted. Also, after 2018, the states must begin periodically inspecting BMPs to ensure that they are maintained and functioning. Those not verified will not be counted toward pollution reduction goals. ­­ New Models: The Bay Program partnership relies on a series of computer models that have ​ been developed and refined over three decades to estimate the nutrients and sediment reaching the Bay and how they will impact water quality. There is an air quality model, for instance, that estimates atmospheric deposition on the Bay and its watershed; a watershed model that estimates the movement of nutrients from the land to the Bay; and an estuarine model that simulates water quality in the mainstem of the Chesapeake. In addition, there are a variety of sub­models that cover land uses, the effectiveness of best management practices, underwater grass habitats, oyster filter feeding and more. The models have undergone significant refinements since they were used to establish TMDL goals in 2010. Changes have focused on the better handling of local movements of nutrients in the watershed — especially phosphorus — and local water quality conditions in shallow parts of the Bay. The refinements should provide a clearer picture of how nutrients move across the landscape; how that movement may vary regionally; and how the Bay’s water quality is ultimately affected. Because the models are calibrated against decades of historical water­quality monitoring data, their updating should not yield major changes in the overall estimates of nutrients reaching the Bay. It may revise tallies of where nutrients are coming from, though it is too early to say by how much. Another change: Many of the nutrient reduction actions on the landscape take years before they actually affect the amount reaching the Bay. For the first time, the updated watershed model will be able to give an idea of the time lag— and therefore when the Chesapeake might be cleaned up. ­­ Monitoring: The Bay Program has long been criticized for being overly reliant on computer ​ models as its primary tool for assessing pollution reduction efforts. Over the last decade and a half, beefed­up monitoring in tributaries has provided better information about trends in nutrient and sediment pollution and their sources. Those data are expected to give the midpoint assessment a better picture of real­world conditions, and what’s driving those trends. Improved monitoring also could play a bigger role in tracking cleanup progress. EPA officials are already experimenting, for the first time, with translating nutrient reduction goals — now spelled out in pounds removed from wastewater and runoff per year — into predicted loads of nitrogen and phosphorus in some local waterways. Cleanup efforts could then be tracked with real­world water quality monitoring, rather than by relying on simulations of virtual stream conditions generated by computer models. ­­ Land Use: Very little affects nutrient pollution more than land use. For the watershed model, ​ all land in the 64,000­square­mile watershed is given a use, such as impervious surface or pavement, turf grass, pasture, degraded riparian pasture, forest, disturbed forest and so on. Each of these land uses is assigned a different nutrient loading rate by teams of experts based on a variety of factors. Land use designations in the model have sometimes been highly contentious because in many cases they did not accurately reflect local conditions. For the midpoint assessment, land use information has been overhauled. It’s been revised based on new satellite imagery that provides 1­meter­square detail for the entire watershed, incorporating roads, buildings — even stream forest buffers — that previously went unseen. In addition, local governments have been invited to provide information on their communities and to review what’s been put together by the Bay Program. So far, local governments representing about 80 percent of the watershed population have provided local land use, land cover, zoning or other information. * * * ­­ Sediment: Agriculture, the largest source of nutrients, is not on the trajectory to meet 2017 ​ goals in most states, though the most significant shortfall is in Pennsylvania. Agricultural nitrogen was reduced from 113.8 million pounds in 2009 to 99.2 million pounds in 2015, but needs to reach 88.7 million pounds in 2017 and 71.9 million in 2025. Click Here to read the entire article. ​ For more on Chesapeake Bay­related issues in Pennsylvania, visit the CBF­PA webpage. ​ ​ Click Here to sign up for Pennsylvania updates (bottom of left column). ​ NewsClips: Chesapeake Bay Journal: Despite Progress, States To Fall Short Of Bay Cleanup Targets PA Officials Collaborate On Chesapeake Bay Watershed Farm Inspections Crable: Farm Inspections To Begin Soon As Part Of Chesapeake Bay Reboot Op­Ed: Benefits Of Soil Health Extend Beyond Farm PA Puts Its Lagging Chesapeake Bay Cleanup On Pollution Diet Chesapeake Bay Commission Quietly Pushed Environmental Agenda For 35 Years Related Stories: DEP, Conservation Districts Work On Farm Inspections In Chesapeake Bay Watershed DEP Tells House Committees Chesapeake Bay Program Faces Inadequate Resources, Data Sen. Yaw Sponsors Resolution Designating June 5­11 Chesapeake Bay Awareness Week Dams On Susquehanna Are Undoing Progress In Reducing Pollution To Chesapeake Bay Agencies Unveil New Chesapeake Bay Cleanup Strategy DCNR Leading Statewide Forest Buffer Effort To Improve Water Quality PA Coalition Emerges To Support Farmers In Effort To Clean Up Chesapeake Bay CBF­PA: Lack Of Funding For Farmers Defeats Effort To Meet Clean Water Commitment CBF Op­Ed: Farm Bureau Can Choose To Be A Sore Loser Or Part Of The Solution Rock Lititz Project Reduces Sediment, Nutrient Runoff Without Taxpayer Money

DEP, Conservation Districts Work On Farm Inspections In Chesapeake Bay Watershed

In a briefing to the State Conservation Commission Tuesday, Department of Environmental ​ ​ Protection officials discussed details of the collaboration between DEP and county conservation districts to conduct farm inspections in the Chesapeake Bay watershed as part of the recently announced “Bay Reboot” strategy. ​ ​ DEP announced the strategy in January. It was developed in conjunction with the Pennsylvania departments of Agriculture, and Conservation and Natural Resources, and the State Conservation Commission. The strategy relies on a mix of technical and financial assistance for farmers, improved technology, expanded data gathering, improved program coordination and capacity and – when necessary – stronger enforcement and compliance measures. The Wolf administration sought additional resources from the federal government, and has been working with farm organizations to assist in capturing on­the­farm data of best ​ ​ management practices throughout the bay watershed. Capturing this data is essential to Pennsylvania receiving full credit in the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency model, which is used to measure progress toward pollution reduction goals. DEP Secretary John Quigley and Veronica Kasi, program manager of DEP’s newly formed Chesapeake Bay Program Office, will deliver the update to SCC members at their statewide meeting in Harrisburg and provide a timeline for implementation. “With valuable feedback from our partners, DEP has developed a draft Standard ​ Operating Procedure and inspection report form for conservation district and agency staff to ​ follow when completing field inspections as called for as part of the reboot strategy,” Quigley said. “DEP will send pre­inspection letters to farmers to make them aware of the inspection program and afford them an opportunity to demonstrate compliance prior to a field inspection.” In December 2010, EPA developed a total maximum daily load (TMDL) for the Chesapeake Bay in response to court orders and the federal Clean Water Act, which requires Pennsylvania to reduce annual discharges of nitrogen, phosphorous and sediment entering the bay watershed. These reductions are needed to meet water quality standards by 2025. The Bay Reboot strategy is a recognition by the Wolf administration that a "mid­course change in direction," or refocus of work, is necessary because Pennsylvania will not reach the goals as described in the current Watershed Implementation Plan. Quigley said DEP also just finished pilot­testing the draft SOP this month in a few counties. The results of this pilot testing, along with other comments received from conservation district and agency staff, will be used to finalize this draft SOP, which can be found on DEP’s website here. Once finalized, DEP and conservation district staff will be provided with formal training before full implementation of the program in July. County conservation district staff have had a role in compliance inspections under the Chapter 83 Nutrient Management and Chapter 102 Erosion & Sedimentation regulatory programs for decades. As part of the Bay Reboot strategy, conservation district staff will shift their focus from conducting 100 educational farm visits to conducting 50 farm inspections each year. The inspections will initially focus on ensuring farmers have implemented manure management and erosion and sedimentation plans as well as identifying any significant water quality problems. “We want to make sure conservation district staff have all the tools and training they need to properly conduct these inspections while continuing their invaluable work of providing our farm community with compliance assistance,” Quigley said. “This collaborative approach with input from all of our partners will be key to our success in improving our water quality.” The strategy centers around six elements: — Put high­impact, low­cost Best Management Practices (BMPs) on the ground, and quantify undocumented BMPs in watersheds impaired by agriculture or stormwater. — Improve reporting, record keeping and data systems to provide better and more accessible documentation. — Address nutrient reduction by meeting EPA’s goal of inspecting 10 percent of farms in the watershed, ensuring development and use of manure management and agricultural erosion and sediment control plans, and enforcement for non­compliance. — Identify legislative, programmatic or regulatory changes to provide the additional tools and resources necessary to meet federal pollution reduction goals by 2025. — Obtain additional resources for water quality improvement. — Establish a Chesapeake Bay Office to coordinate the development, implementation and funding of the commonwealth’s Chesapeake Bay efforts. The draft Standard Operating Procedure and related materials on Pennsylvania’s Chesapeake Bay Program are available online. ​ ​ For more information, visit DEP’s Chesapeake Bay Office webpage. For more ​ ​ information on conservation districts, visit the PA Association of Conservation Districts website. ​ ​ NewsClips: Chesapeake Bay Journal: Despite Progress, States To Fall Short Of Bay Cleanup Targets PA Officials Collaborate On Chesapeake Bay Watershed Farm Inspections Crable: Farm Inspections To Begin Soon As Part Of Chesapeake Bay Reboot Op­Ed: Benefits Of Soil Health Extend Beyond Farm PA Puts Its Lagging Chesapeake Bay Cleanup On Pollution Diet Chesapeake Bay Commission Quietly Pushed Environmental Agenda For 35 Years Related Stories: Chesapeake Bay Journal: Despite Progress, States To Fall Short Of Bay Cleanup Targets DEP Tells House Committees Chesapeake Bay Program Faces Inadequate Resources, Data Sen. Yaw Sponsors Resolution Designating June 5­11 Chesapeake Bay Awareness Week Dams On Susquehanna Are Undoing Progress In Reducing Pollution To Chesapeake Bay Agencies Unveil New Chesapeake Bay Cleanup Strategy DCNR Leading Statewide Forest Buffer Effort To Improve Water Quality PA Coalition Emerges To Support Farmers In Effort To Clean Up Chesapeake Bay CBF­PA: Lack Of Funding For Farmers Defeats Effort To Meet Clean Water Commitment CBF Op­Ed: Farm Bureau Can Choose To Be A Sore Loser Or Part Of The Solution Rock Lititz Project Reduces Sediment, Nutrient Runoff Without Taxpayer Money

CBF Op­Ed: Farm Bureau Can Choose To Be A Sore Loser Or Part Of The Solution

By William C. Baker, Chesapeake Bay Foundation ​

[NOTE: The following Op­Ed was printed in the Chesapeake Bay Journal ​ May 12.] ​

The long and expensive fight by the American Farm Bureau Federation, the Fertilizer Institute and their allies to derail the Chesapeake Clean Water ​ Blueprint is finally over. ​ The [U.S.] Supreme Court refused to hear their appeal of a lawsuit that they had lost in both the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania in Harrisburg and in a unanimous decision by the Third Circuit Court of Appeals in Philadelphia. Now that their legal opposition has finally been turned back, we reached out to the Farm Bureau and its allies to encourage them to work with us, rather than fight us. But despite the decision by the Supreme Court, the Farm Bureau continues its anti­EPA rhetoric. In a recent press statement, they continue to contend that the “EPA has asserted the power to sit as a federal zoning board, dictating which land can be farmed and where homes, roads and schools can be built.” This argument has been repeatedly rejected by federal courts. The Chesapeake Clean Water Blueprint pollution caps are still under attack. Timothy Bishop, a partner with Mayer Brown LLP in Chicago who represents the American Farm Bureau Federation, is quoted as saying the question of the EPA’s authority has “just been postponed” until there are nine justices on the court. There is a real danger in denying agriculture’s role in restoring water quality. The very best estuarine science in the world has presented indisputable evidence that agriculture is part of the problem and must be part of the solution. Beyond the Bay, as well, a recent University of Michigan­led multi­institution study concluded that a 40 percent reduction in phosphorus runoff from farms and other sources would be needed to stem the harmful algae blooms and dead zones plaguing Lake Erie. If that 40 percent reduction sounds familiar, it should. For decades, Bay scientists have known that to restore our local rivers, streams and the Chesapeake Bay, we need to reduce nitrogen and phosphorus pollution by 40 percent. We have made progress, but much of it has been achieved by reducing pollution from sewage treatment plants. While many farmers have implemented best management practices, the full agricultural community must do its fair share. The Chesapeake Clean Water Blueprint provides a roadmap to recovery, but it must be fully implemented. With the 2017 Midpoint Assessment just around the corner, it appears that ​ ​ the region will miss another mark, by millions of pounds of pollution, largely because of Pennsylvania, and primarily from agriculture. The Commonwealth’s officials have acknowledged the problem, and said they are committed to getting the state back on track. Our reaction is to trust, but verify. An editorial in Lancaster (PA) Farming put it well: ​ ​ “We should always keep careful watch of what the government is doing, especially with our money and our freedoms. “But TMDL requirements provide an opportunity to show the rest of the nation that farmers can co­exist with non­farmers and that the environment doesn’t have to suffer as a result. “Farm Bureau may have lost its battle, but farmers have a chance to win the pollution war.” We in the Chesapeake Bay region have the opportunity to show the nation, and the world, what can be accomplished if businesses, governments, individuals — and even the Farm Bureau — work together to reduce pollution in our local waterways and the Chesapeake Bay. For more on Chesapeake Bay­related issues in Pennsylvania, visit the CBF­PA webpage. ​ ​ Click Here to sign up for Pennsylvania updates (bottom of left column). ​ For more information, visit DEP’s Chesapeake Bay Office webpage. ​ ​ NewsClips: Chesapeake Bay Journal: Despite Progress, States To Fall Short Of Bay Cleanup Targets PA Officials Collaborate On Chesapeake Bay Watershed Farm Inspections Crable: Farm Inspections To Begin Soon As Part Of Chesapeake Bay Reboot Op­Ed: Benefits Of Soil Health Extend Beyond Farm PA Puts Its Lagging Chesapeake Bay Cleanup On Pollution Diet Chesapeake Bay Commission Quietly Pushed Environmental Agenda For 35 Years Related Stories: Chesapeake Bay Journal: Despite Progress, States To Fall Short Of Bay Cleanup Targets DEP, Conservation Districts Work On Farm Inspections In Chesapeake Bay Watershed DEP Tells House Committees Chesapeake Bay Program Faces Inadequate Resources, Data Sen. Yaw Sponsors Resolution Designating June 5­11 Chesapeake Bay Awareness Week Dams On Susquehanna Are Undoing Progress In Reducing Pollution To Chesapeake Bay Agencies Unveil New Chesapeake Bay Cleanup Strategy DCNR Leading Statewide Forest Buffer Effort To Improve Water Quality PA Coalition Emerges To Support Farmers In Effort To Clean Up Chesapeake Bay CBF­PA: Lack Of Funding For Farmers Defeats Effort To Meet Clean Water Commitment Rock Lititz Project Reduces Sediment, Nutrient Runoff Without Taxpayer Money

(Reprinted from the Chesapeake Bay Journal May 12.) ​ ​

Students Paddle For Prizes, Fun At CBF­PA’s First Canoe Classic May 15

The Chesapeake Bay Foundation­PA’s Pennsylvania ​ ​ Student Leadership Council will host its first Canoe ​ Classic for local high school students, on May 15, from 1 ​ to 4 p.m., at Susquehanna Outfitters in Wormleysburg, ​ ​ near Harrisburg. Student teams from Cedar Cliff, Cumberland Valley, Fairfield, and Lancaster Catholic high schools are scheduled to compete. More teams from south central Pennsylvania and Maryland are expected to enter before Sunday. Please check with CBF for updates on additional participating schools. The event schedule is as follows: 12:30­1 p.m. Safety briefing for racers; 1­2 p.m. Racing; 2­2:30 p.m. Food and sound check; 2:30­3 p.m. Awards ceremony; 3­4 p.m. “Rivers” band The one­half mile canoe competition will begin at Susquehanna Outfitters, proceed upriver, and then go downstream to the finish. The event is designed so that even first­time paddlers will have fun and feel safe. The Canoe Classic will be held rain or shine. High waters on the river could cancel or postpone the event. The Canoe Classic will also include a live performance by the Carlisle­based folk/rock band “Rivers,” from 3­4 p.m. In lieu of a registration fee, students are asked to commit to an action or advocacy project to help cleanup and protect Pennsylvania’s rivers and streams. For more information, check out the Canoe Classic webpage ​ ​ For more on Chesapeake Bay­related issues in Pennsylvania, visit the CBF­PA webpage. ​ ​ Click Here to sign up for Pennsylvania updates (bottom of left column). ​ NewsClips: Chesapeake Bay Journal: Despite Progress, States To Fall Short Of Bay Cleanup Targets PA Officials Collaborate On Chesapeake Bay Watershed Farm Inspections Crable: Farm Inspections To Begin Soon As Part Of Chesapeake Bay Reboot Op­Ed: Benefits Of Soil Health Extend Beyond Farm PA Puts Its Lagging Chesapeake Bay Cleanup On Pollution Diet Chesapeake Bay Commission Quietly Pushed Environmental Agenda For 35 Years

Latest Chesapeake Bay Journal News Now Available

The May 9 Chesapeake Bay Journal news is now available featuring articles on­­ ​ ​ ­­ Despite Progress, States Likely To Fall Short Of Interim Bay Cleanup Targets ​ ­­ Industry, Environmentalists Find Fault With PA Pipeline Task Force Report ​ ­­ Local Govt. Committee To Help Localities Realize Their Role In Restoring Watershed ​ ­­ Click Here to sign up for your own copy (bottom of the page). ​ ​ NewsClips: Chesapeake Bay Journal: Despite Progress, States To Fall Short Of Bay Cleanup Targets PA Officials Collaborate On Chesapeake Bay Watershed Farm Inspections Crable: Farm Inspections To Begin Soon As Part Of Chesapeake Bay Reboot Op­Ed: Benefits Of Soil Health Extend Beyond Farm PA Puts Its Lagging Chesapeake Bay Cleanup On Pollution Diet Chesapeake Bay Commission Quietly Pushed Environmental Agenda For 35 Years

Study: Water Quality Monitoring Inadequate To Detect Drilling Impacts In Susquehanna

A study released in February by the Northeast­Midwest Institute and the ​ U.S. Geological Survey found that, even after 8 years of intense shale gas development in the Susquehanna River Basin, current water quality monitoring is inadequate for detecting potential surface water or groundwater quality impacts of shale gas development activities in the basin. The study reviewed water quality data through 2013. The Susquehanna River Basin Commission started its Remote Water Quality ​ Monitoring Network in 2010 and issued its first report on water quality ​ in 2012. The most recent report shows no water quality changes due to ​ drilling. ​ Water monitoring to measure the effect of new industries on water resources requires targeted sampling plans and relevant monitoring parameters to detect water quality impacts from emerging technology. “Because they were selected to meet other monitoring objectives, the existing long­term monitoring sites in the Susquehanna River Basin are not in the right locations and do not collect the right data to detect water quality change related to shale gas development” stated Elin Betanzo, lead author of the study. The report did find that newer surface water monitoring programs in the Susquehanna River Basin are collecting water data in the right locations to detect changes related to shale gas development, but additional parameters, increased sampling frequency, long­term data collection, and continuous streamflow data are needed to be able to detect relevant surface water quality trends. Ms. Betanzo further noted that “the amount of data available through public data sharing systems for detecting changes in groundwater is even more limited than surface water data.” The study presents several strategies for collecting the water data needed to detect whether shale gas development is contaminating surface water or groundwater in the Susquehanna River Basin. Hydraulic fracturing and shale gas development in the Marcellus shale of Pennsylvania has taken off in the past decade. The number of unconventional wells grew from less than 200 in 2007 to more than 9,300 as of August 2015. Along with this new growth comes concern about potential water quality impacts of the relatively new technique of high­volume hydraulic fracturing and the cumulative effects of shale gas development on the environment as development activities have moved into minimally developed areas, especially in the headwaters of the Susquehanna River Basin. “This report by the Northeast­Midwest Institute points out how difficult it is for the public to access water data to answer questions about whether shale gas development in the Susquehanna River Basin impacts water quality, and it takes a hard look at available water data for identifying potential problems,” said Dr. Susan Brantley, head of the Shale Network at Penn ​ State University. “This report lays some of the groundwork for designing targeted approaches for ​ surface water and groundwater monitoring programs in the Susquehanna River Basin.” The study calls for increased monitoring in watersheds with a high density of active HVHF wells and a new systematic, long­term groundwater monitoring program for detecting water quality change related to shale gas development in freshwater aquifers that underlie the Susquehanna River Basin. Coordination among water monitoring organizations, the shale gas development industry, and local citizens is essential to efficiently collect the data needed to track any water quality changes in the Susquehanna River Basin. The study presents these findings regarding existing water data in the Susquehanna River Basin: ­­ Existing surface water data are insufficient to detect water quality change related to shale gas development. Out of approximately 14,700 surface water monitoring sites in the ​ Susquehanna River Basin, only 10 monitoring sites have enough barium data (an indicator associated with HVHF development) for a water quality trend analysis, and none of these sites are located in watersheds with a substantial number of active HVHF wells; few of the 26 recommended surface water monitoring parameters are available for monitoring sites with a long­term data record. ­­ Recent targeted monitoring programs through the Susquehanna River Basin Commission ​ and Department of Environmental Protection are monitoring in appropriate locations, but ​ additional sampling frequency, parameters, and streamflow data are needed before water quality trends can begin to be detected. ­­ Publicly available groundwater quality data in the Susquehanna River Basin are not sufficient to identify water quality change related to shale gas development and are not ​ adequate to serve as the foundation of a new monitoring program. The study also presents recommendations for immediate action: ­­ Increase sampling frequency at a subset of targeted surface water monitoring sites and maintain long­term monitoring, collecting the full suite of priority surface­water parameters ​ and streamflow at each monitoring site. The incremental cost estimates for increased surface water monitoring and data analysis range from $720,000 to $1.7 million per year, a small percentage of the value of these water resources to the region. ­­ Design and implement a systematic, long­term groundwater monitoring program for ​ detecting groundwater quality change related to shale gas development in the Susquehanna River Basin, building on data collected by shale gas development companies if appropriate. The cost estimates for implementing this groundwater monitoring program, including data analysis, range from $362,000 to $524,000 per year for the Susquehanna River Basin. ­­ Establish a coordinating entity to develop and implement surface water and groundwater monitoring plans in the Susquehanna River Basin, with representation from water monitoring ​ organizations, shale gas industry, domestic well owners, and citizens. A copy of the study is available online. ​ ​ For the results of recent water quality monitoring in the Susquehanna, visit the Susquehanna River Basin Commission Remote Water Quality Monitoring Network webpage. ​ ​

DEP Participates In Luzerne County Save The River Earth Day Celebration

"Save the River by Recycling and not Polluting the Air" was the theme of a Department of Environmental Protection booth at Earth Day Celebration 2016 at RiverFront Park in Kingston, Luzerne County on April 22. DEP Northeast Regional Air Quality employees Chris Ostrowski and Brandi Thear, along with Community Relations Coordinator Colleen Connolly, demonstrated how DEP tests for pollutants in the air and how clean air goes along with preserving the earth. Ostrowski used a hand­held monitoring device to show how the department tests for VOCs, nitrates, CO and other pollutants. The 1,000 students who attended also learned how recycling can be a valuable tool in keeping the earth clean by not clogging up landfills or rivers with plastics, glass or paper. (Photo: DEP's Chris Ostrowski demonstrates a hand­held air quality monitoring device to students.)

(Reprinted from the May 12 DEP News. Click Here to sign up for your own copy.) ​ ​ ​ ​

USGS Study Of Juniata River Shows No Impacts From Drilling, Acceptable Water Quality

The results of a 26­month water quality study released Tuesday on the headwater streams of the Juniata River watershed in Western Blair County found no impacts from natural gas drilling and acceptable water quality. The full report, “Physical, chemical, and biological characteristics of selected headwater ​ streams along the Allegheny Front, Blair County, Pennsylvania, July 2011–September 2013,” is ​ available online. The aim of the study was to gather baseline data that could be used to determine if current and future exploration and development of natural gas mining will have an environmental impact on the watershed. The U.S. Geological Survey conducted the study in cooperation with the Altoona Water ​ Authority and the Blair County Conservation District from July 2011 through September 2013, ​ ​ ​ and the findings were mostly positive. “We have not detected impacts to surface­water quality from natural gas extraction activities in the study area,” said Dennis Low, U.S. Geological Survey Hydrologist and lead author of the study. “We rated water quality for most of the streams in the study as being acceptable.” While the study concluded gas extraction is not currently having a negative impact, two other factors were identified that lowered the health and quality of some streams. “There were three streams that had impacts that could affect aquatic life and water quality ­ most of that was from historic abandoned mine drainage,” said Low. In addition to the drainage issue from abandoned mines, the USGS researchers also discovered a noticeable trend of road deicing salts influencing the streams during the winter months. Low said they detected spikes of high conductance water and changes in the water chemistry that occurred when conditions were favorable for the application and runoff of road salts. While the Altoona and the Tyrone Water Authorities obtain their water from the Juniata River watershed, Low says the residents of Western Blair County have no cause for alarm. The headwater streams most affected by abandoned mine drainage and road salts are not used for water supply. Overall water quality in the study area was acceptable for aquatic life and did not exceed Environmental Protection Agency limits, said Low. This study is useful to water resource managers because the results provide a baseline against which future changes can be compared. James Eckenrode, a Watershed Specialist with the Blair County Conservation District, said this study will be an invaluable tool in the restoration and future protection of the streams in the Juniata River watershed. The report is available online. For more information, Click Here for the complete ​ ​ ​ ​ announcement of the study.

Tree Planting In Weiser State Forest Underscores Abandoned Mine Reclamation Efforts

Volunteers, including PA Environmental Council staff ​ ​ and DCNR Bureau of Forestry personnel kicked off a large tree­planting operation throughout Weiser State ​ Forest [Columbia County] on April 30. ​ More than a dozen people planted around 1,500 seedlings on the day, with 4,000 seedlings being planted before the project has been completed. "It was really a fulfilling day,” said PEC Executive Vice President Patrick Starr. “Not only did we plant trees together, we enjoyed working together to solve one of Pennsylvania’s most intractable pollution problems. I was so gratified that more than a dozen volunteers pitched in for the cause—even our bus driver decided to plant trees!” A four­acre segment of the state forest in Columbia County that’s been affected by the remnants of mining activity was targeted by the volunteers in an effort to improve the area’s water quality and restore lost forest habitat. Pennsylvania has more miles of streams affected by mine land drainage than any other state, with more than 15,000 degraded acres needing to be reforested. The volunteers, drawing from Columbia, Northumberland and Berks counties and also including members of the Shamokin Creek Restoration Alliance, spent the day planting seedlings ​ ​ such as sumac, scrub oak, pitch pine and aspens to restore a forest on a mine land site affecting tributaries of the Shamokin Creek. A forester from the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement demonstrated how to plant the young trees. One of the volunteers, John Dawes, is the executive director of the Foundation for PA ​ Watersheds, which has been working with a wide variety of environmental groups, government ​ agencies, volunteer organizations and others to improve the health of watersheds and forests affected by past mining activity in Pennsylvania. While other causes of stream degradation pose risks to Pennsylvania’s watersheds, abandoned mine drainage actually is the largest threat to the state’s stream health. Dawes has supervised small grants to over 350 environmental and watershed associations throughout the state since the Foundation for Pennsylvania Watersheds was founded in 1994. The intent is to provide seed money to allow a local group to access agency funding through DCNR, DEP, the federal Office of Surface Mining, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. This has resulted in over $159 million in project cost. The majority of this small grants budget is for abandoned mine reclamation. In 2014, Dawes received the ECHO Award from the U.S. Dept. Of Interior’s Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement. Named to signify the most common principles behind the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act (SMCRA)—Environment, Community, Humanity and Ownership—the award is given to recognize individuals for their contributions to support and strengthen SMCRA, the law designed to protect people and the environment from the adverse effects of coal mining while providing for the nation’s energy needs. “The problem of historic abandoned mine lands is the worst environmental scar on the landscape of Pennsylvania,” said Dawes. “The planting of scarred mine lands is not rocket science. It is a matter of adding soil amendments and ripping the surface to allow trees to thrive—including the blight resistant American Chestnut trees which represent decades of selective breeding. “Communities near these sites have depressed land and housing values in the 44 out of 67 counties affected by abandoned mine lands. Reclamation means jobs—truck hauling, heavy machinery deployment, tree planting, nursery propagation, etc. Philanthropy is willing to partner with the state and the federal Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement to get this job done!” Pennsylvania has over 200,000 acres of abandoned mine lands. Improving the health of these areas is an important goal of DCNR and the Department of Environmental Protection. DEP’s Forestry Reclamation Approach (FRA) involves the planting of higher quality trees, minimum compaction of the reclaimed ground, the use of native as well as non­competitive ground covers and proper tree planting techniques. On some plots—like the ones in Sproul State Forest [Clinton and Centre counties] where ​ ​ they’ve been doing AML reclamation projects since the early 1990s and have reclaimed around 100 acres—a mix of hardwoods and conifers are used. Species include oaks, white pine, red pine, spruce and aspen. DCNR is committed to offering technical assistance in reclamation projects on private lands throughout the state in addition to hosting tree plantings on state forest land. “DCNR, through the Bureau of Forestry, has a deep history in taking spoiled lands—whether it was through over­harvesting of timber or unreclaimed mine lands—and returning them to productive forest lands,” said DCNR Deputy Secretary for Parks and Forestry John Norbeck. “In this case, we are working with our partner organizations to return the land to a healthy state and cleaning up the waterways.” This particular planting was a first for PEC as a partner in the Appalachian Regional ​ Reforestation Initiative and in partnership with DCNR’s Bureau of Forestry, DEP, the Office of ​ Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement, and Green Forests Work. This planting and others in the coming months are funded by the Foundation for ​ Pennsylvania Watersheds. ​ For more information on programs, initiatives and special events, visit the PA ​ Environmental Council website, visit the PEC Blog, follow PEC on Twitter or Like PEC on ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Facebook. Click Here to receive regular updates from PEC. ​ ​ ​ NewsClips: PA 2nd Only To NY In Number Of Invasive Forest Pests Flight 93 Tree Seedlings Planting A Living Tribute Smoke Covering Parts Of Lackawanna County From Brush Fire Burn Ban Still In Effect In Schuylkill County

Related Story: Volunteers Plant 4,000 Trees At Weiser State Forest Columbia County

(Reprinted from the May 13 DCNR Resource newsletter. Click Here to sign up for your own ​ ​ ​ ​ copy (bottom of the page).)

3 Rivers Wet Weather: Better Backyards For Health Streams May 15 In Pittsburgh

3 Rivers Wet Weather and the North Area Environmental Council will host a Better Backyards ​ ​ ​ ​ for Healthy Streams Workshop on May 15 starting at 2:00 in the Ross Community Center, 1000 ​ Ross Municipal Drive in Pittsburgh. The workshop will help residents learn about steps they can take to improve water quality in their local streams to provide better management of stormwater runoff. Presentations by StormWorks and the Allegheny County Conservation District will ​ ​ ​ ​ include: ­­ How hard surfaces such as roofs and driveways affect stormwater; ­­ What to consider when choosing stormwater best management practices for your property; ­­ A menu of options to manage stormwater and the maintenance required; and ­­ Healthy lawn care practices to reduce polluted runoff. Local vendors that provide installation and maintenance of rain gardens, rain barrels and more will be on hand to answer your questions. Questions? Call 3 Rivers Wet Weather at 412­578­8375 or send email to: [email protected]. Click Here to register for the workshop. ​ ​ ​ 3 Rivers Wet Weather has also scheduled a series of Wet Weather Workshops for ​ municipalities to help them meet stormwater planning and water quality requirements. Click ​ Here for more information. ​ NewsClips: Swift: Senate Moves On Rain Fee Bill Project Aims To Slow Inner­City Erie Stormwater Runoff Harvesting Rain Provides Environmental, Economic Benefits In Erie Cochranton Awarded $20K Growing Greener Stormwater Grant

Allegheny County Municipal Stormwater Planning & MS4 Water Quality Workshops Set

3 Rivers Wet Weather has scheduled a series of workshops on topics to help municipalities with ​ ​ ​ wet weather planning and meeting their MS4 regulatory requirements for water quality. The workshops are scheduled for­­ ­­ May 24: Green Infrastructure: Build It Right The First Time, Green Tree Municipal Building. ​ 9:00­11:00 a.m; ­­ June 16: Green Infrastructure Ground Truthing: Monitoring Results Case Studies From ​ Across The Country. Green Tree Municipal building. 9:00­11:00 a.m. Click Here for more information and to register. ​ 3 Rivers Wet Weather and the North Area Environmental Council will also host a Better ​ ​ ​ ​ Backyards for Healthy Streams Workshop on May 15 starting at 2:00 in the Ross Community ​ Center, 1000 Ross Municipal Drive in Pittsburgh. For more information on stormwater management initiatives, visit the 3 Rivers Wet ​ Weather website. ​ NewsClips: Swift: Senate Moves On Rain Fee Bill Project Aims To Slow Inner­City Erie Stormwater Runoff Harvesting Rain Provides Environmental, Economic Benefits In Erie Cochranton Awarded $20K Growing Greener Stormwater Grant

Youghiogheny River Symposium June 24­25 At Penn State­Fayette In Uniontown

Join the Chestnut Ridge Chapter of Trout Unlimited and its partners, Mountain Watershed ​ ​ ​ Association and the Youghiogheny Riverkeeper, Ohiopyle State Park and the Fayette County ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Conservation District for the 2nd Youghiogheny River Symposium on June 24­25. ​ ​ ​ The opening day June 24 features a keynote address by Department of Conservation and Natural Resources Secretary Cindy Adams Dunn. In addition, Dr. Cynthia Walter, associate professor of biology at St. Vincent College in Latrobe, will discuss World Heritage Sites and why many areas in Pennsylvania should be considered as candidates. Other panel discussions on June 24 include: ­­ The Living River: with speakers from Fish & Boat Commission, Department of ​ Environmental Protection, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers; ­­ The River of Opportunity: with speakers from Laurel Highlands Visitor Bureau, Wilderness ​ ​ ​ ​ Voyageurs and Ohiopyle State Park; ​ ­­ History of Healing: with speakers from Casselman River Watershed Association, Chestnut ​ ​ ​ Ridge TU, Jacobs Creek Watershed Association, Mountain Watershed Association, Sewickley ​ ​ ​ Creek Watershed Association; ​ ­­ The River at Risk: with topics including Invasive Species, Shale Gas, Abandoned Mine ​ Drainage, Active Mining Water Quantity and Climate Change by California University of Pennsylvania. The symposium ends with a “Call to Action.” Afterwards, attendees and guests can meet for Happy Hour at the nearby Knights of Columbus pavilion to hear some of the best fishing guides on the Yough talk about their creel surveys – the number and size of some of the river’s big browns and rainbows. Events will be held June 24 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Pennsylvania State University Fayette, Eberly Campus, on Route 119 in Uniontown. Cost is $20. June 25 is a relaxed day for attendees beginning at 11 a.m. at the Youghiogheny Lake outflow in Confluence. Tour the cage culture nursery maintained by Chestnut Ridge TU in conjunction with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Stop by the chapter’s tent at the outflow, grab a hot dog at noon and see one of CRTU’s most popular projects while taking some time to wet a line on the Yough. Co­sponsors for the symposium include the Fayette County Commissioners, Foundation ​ for Pennsylvania Watersheds, Mountain Watershed Association and the Youghiogheny ​ Riverkeeper, and the Fayette County Conservation District. Visit the 2nd Youghiogheny River Symposium webpage to view the agenda or download ​ ​ directions and to register. For more information of programs, initiatives and other upcoming events, visit the Chestnut Ridge Chapter of Trout Unlimited and Mountain Watershed Association websites. ​ ​ ​ Click Here to sign up for regular updates from the Association. ​

(Reprinted from the Spring 2016 newsletter of PA Council of Trout Unlimited. Click Here to ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ sign up for PA TU updates by email (top of page).)

May Catalyst Newsletter Now Available From Slippery Rock Watershed Coalition

The May edition of The Catalyst newsletter is now available from the Slippery Rock Watershed ​ ​ ​ Coalition in Butler County featuring stories on­­ ​ ­­ Slippery Rock University Students Sample Wolf Creek Narrows ­­ Upcoming Events At Jennings Environmental Education Center ​ ­­ The Kids Catalyst Go Fish ­­ PA Abandoned Mine Reclamation Conference ​ ­­ Click Here to sign up for your own copy. ​ ​ The Catalyst newsletter is distributed to over 1,100 individuals in over a dozen countries including: Brazil, Peru, South Korea, Mexico, England, Wales, Venezuela, South Africa, New Zealand, Australia and Germany. For more information on programs, initiatives, upcoming events and volunteer opportunities, visit the Slippery Rock Watershed Coalition website. ​ ​

Coldwater Heritage Partnership Grant Aids Little Lehigh Buffer Project

On April 9, approximately 40 volunteers from the Little Lehigh Chapter of Trout Unlimited, Boy ​ ​ Scout Troop 131 and several community members completed Phase 1 of the chapter’s 2016 riparian buffer restoration project on Little Lehigh Creek. The chapter was awarded a $7,000 Coldwater Heritage Partnership implementation grant ​ ​ earlier this year to fund planting of 164 native trees and shrubs along a 1,200­foot long section of the Little Lehigh in Lower Macungie Township, Lehigh County. The chapter’s project partners included Troop 131, which provided labor; Lower Macungie Township, which owns the land where the project took place; and Wildlands ​ Conservancy, which consulted with the chapter on planning and selecting appropriate riparian ​ buffer plants. The township’s Public Works Department also assisted by augering all planting holes ahead of time and providing mulch for the new plantings. Members of the community also volunteered to cut up sections of chicken wire to be used for protective cages for the finished plantings. The obvious beneficiaries of this project will be the trout in Little Lehigh Creek, which is designated by the Department of Environmental Protection as a high quality coldwater fishery. The township was also interested in mitigating stormwater runoff to the creek, because DEP’s Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System regulations hold the township accountable for ​ ​ the quality of stormwater entering the creek. The riparian buffer plantings will help to filter contaminants from stormwater washing off of the adjacent road and coming from residential development across the road. Because the neighboring development dates to the 1960s, its stormwater is conveyed directly to the Little Lehigh with no detention or retention structures. Water quality in the Little Lehigh is important to humans as well as trout because it is one of the public water sources for both the City of Allentown and Lower Macungie Township. Phase 2 of the project, scheduled for May 14, will involve planting an additional 118 trees and shrubs in the riparian buffer to 500 feet upstream of the Phase 1 project area. The second phase will be funded by a $5,000 private grant that the Little Lehigh Chapter was awarded from the Rettew Charitable Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Rettew ​ ​ Associates, Inc. Rettew employees will be assisting with the field work for the Phase 2 planting. For more information on programs, initiatives and other upcoming events, visit the Little ​ Lehigh Chapter of Trout Unlimited website. ​ For information on grants and other programs, visit the Coldwater Heritage Partnership ​ website.

(Reprinted from the Spring 2016 newsletter of PA Council of Trout Unlimited. Click Here to ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ sign up for PA TU updates by email (top of page).)

Philadelphia Celebrates 5 Years Of Green City, Clean Waters

Philadelphia Water Commissioner Debra A. McCarty joined students and members of the West Philadelphia Coalition for Neighborhood Schools at Henry C. Lea Elementary Tuesday to celebrate five years of Green ​ City, Clean Waters. ​ She also celebrated the completion of a new schoolyard featuring three rain gardens, nearly two dozen new trees, and porous paving and play surfaces. The green stormwater tools were funded largely through a $242,000 Stormwater Management Incentives ​ Program grant from Philadelphia Water. ​ In addition to making Lea a greener, more vibrant place to learn and play, the green infrastructure tools manage over 58,000 gallons of stormwater runoff for every inch of rain that falls. Dedicated volunteers held a planting day in April to complete the project.. ​ ​ The ribbon cutting ceremony was followed by a play activity that highlighted the need to protect our rivers now and for future generations, and students held up a sign that read "Our Green School Yard Makes Otters Happy!" Because Lea is located in the Schuylkill Watershed, area storm drains and sidewalks are ​ marked with river otters to remind people that trash and pollution in the streets gets washed into ​ the Schuylkill. River otters remind people trash and pollution in the streets get washed into the Schuylkill River where a short otter video was filmed. ​ ​ For more information, visit Philadelphia Water’s Green City, Clean Waters webpage. ​ ​ (Reprinted from Philadelphia Water’s Blog.) ​ ​ NewsClips: Philadelphia Water Celebrates 5 Years Of Green City, Clean Waters Project Aims To Slow Inner­City Erie Stormwater Runoff Harvesting Rain Provides Environmental, Economic Benefits In Erie

Delaware River Watershed Remains A Top Priority For Trout Unlimited

By Katy Dunlap, Trout Unlimited Eastern Water Project Director ​ ​

For decades, the Delaware River watershed has been a top priority for Trout Unlimited. If you have ever fought with a wild brown trout in the West Branch of the Upper Delaware, or chased after small browns in the tailwaters of the Lehigh, or even cast a line in Valley Creek – a Class A stream wild trout stream located just a short 40­minute drive from Philadelphia, then you know why TU has worked so hard to protect and restore the basin’s trout streams. Without a doubt, this has been a “One TU” effort with grassroots and staff work­ing together to provide comprehensive coverage of the watershed. TU recently organized a “fly­in” for TU members from the Delaware River watershed to meet with their members of Congress in Washington, D.C. Four outstanding TU volunteers from Pennsylvania joined the event, including Brian Wagner (Forks of the Delaware Chapter of TU), Mike Recine (Monocacy Chapter of TU), and ​ ​ Peter Hughes and Chuck Cutshall (Valley Forge Chapter of TU). ​ ​ Meetings focused on educating federal decisionmakers about the importance of protecting fish and wildlife habitat in the Delaware River watershed and the need for federal funding to achieve conservation goals – both of which could be accomplished with passage of the Delaware River Basin Conservation Act (DRBCA). ​ ​ The DRBCA would create a non­regulatory, voluntary program within the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service to help identify, prioritize and implement projects that enhance sh and wildlife habitat protection and restoration. Importantly, this bill authorizes $5 million in federal funding for a competitive grant program that could leverage existing restoration and enhancement efforts in the basin – most of which are currently funded by private foundation investments and state and local dollars. In early April, Trout Unlimited brought that message home to Pennsylvania to raise awareness of the DRBCA among regional and local organizations. We hosted an intimate conservation roundtable discussion focused on the DRBCA in Malvern, Pa., with Congressman Ryan Costello (PA­06) and about 20 people representing 15 local conservation organizations from his district, including the Tulpehocken, Perkiomen and Valley Forge TU chapters. While each organization described the challenges they are addressing to protect water quality and fish and wildlife habitat, one thing became abundantly clear: additional federal dollars would significantly enhance and expand the work that is being done in Pennsylvania’s 6th district. There are countless other issues that TU staff, chapters and grassroots members are working on to improve, protect and restore the Delaware River watershed’s streams and aquatic life – too many to describe here. Thank you. Without your efforts, the Delaware River watershed wouldn’t be the amazing coldwater fishery it is today.

Katy Dunlap, Trout Unlimited Eastern Water Project Director, can be contacted by sending ​ ​ ​ email to: [email protected]. ​ ​ NewsClips: The World Will Know Our Wild Delaware River Geotourists Can Now Find Their Way To Poconos Jeffrey Featherstone, Fmr DRBC Water Expert, Passes

(Reprinted from the Spring 2016 newsletter of PA Council of Trout Unlimited. Click Here to ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ sign up for PA TU updates by email (top of page).)

Delaware River Basin Commission Proposes Restructuring Of Water Withdrawal Fees

The Delaware River Basin Commission Monday announced a proposal to make several changes ​ ​ to its project review fee structure and to adjust its water supply charges annually for inflation. ​ ​ An informational meeting for the public will be held June 15 on the fee proposal from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. at the Washington Crossing Historic Park Visitor Center, 1112 River Road, Washington Crossing, Bucks County. This meeting will include presentations by DRBC staff as well as a question and answer period. Oral comments for the record will not be accepted at this informational meeting. “Funding goals for DRBC are based upon the principle that the sources of funds need to be stable, sustainable, and right­sized to meet critical program needs,” said DRBC Executive Director Steve Tambini. “Project review fees, which were last updated in July 2009, and current fee structures do not fully support the basic regulatory programs needed to manage and protect the basin’s water resources.” The DRBC is proposing new fee structures aligned with the One Process/One Permit Program adopted by unanimous vote of the commission in December 2015. The program became effective on March 4, 2016. For routine DRBC docket applications and renewals that are processed by DRBC’s member state agencies through One Process/One Permit, the DRBC project review fees currently in effect are proposed to be eliminated. DRBC will continue to be involved in the review process; however, a separate DRBC fee will no longer be required at the time of application to the state agency. Instead, DRBC’s costs associated with reviews are proposed to be supported by an annual monitoring and coordination fee. This proposed annual fee would apply to all water withdrawals and wastewater discharges subject to DRBC review and approval under the Delaware River Basin Compact and implementing regulations, including those permits issued under the One Process/One Permit Program. The annual fee would range from $300 to $1,000 depending upon the monthly water allocation for withdrawals and the design capacity for wastewater dischargers. With respect to water withdrawal programs for which the DRBC continues to act as the lead agency, the project review fee is proposed to be restructured. The amount will no longer be based upon project costs or a flat renewal rate; rather, it will be based upon the applicant’s requested monthly allocation. This change would better align DRBC’s review fee with the actual cost of conducting a thorough technical review of these applications. No change is proposed to fees for DRBC’s review of projects that are neither water withdrawals nor wastewater discharges. The DRBC review fees for such projects are, and will continue to be, based upon project costs. To pay the capital and operating costs of water supply and flow augmentation storage owned by the commission in two reservoirs constructed and maintained by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the DRBC also collects water supply charges when applicable for surface water withdrawals within the basin. The water supply charges rates have not changed since January 2011, and no changes to the rate structure or the base rates are currently proposed. However, the DRBC is proposing an annual indexed inflation adjustment for most fees and charges, including water supply charges. Beginning in 2017, annual increases are proposed to become effective automatically on July 1. No change to the rate will occur in any year in which the applicable inflation index is flat or negative. “We are pleased to be able to work collaboratively with our member state agencies to more effectively deliver coordinated, regulatory outcomes consistent with the scope, jurisdiction, and requirement of the Delaware River Basin Compact,” said Tambini. “The DRBC staff and commissioners are announcing these fee restructuring proposals today after carefully reviewing several options to ensure sustainable funding to support our critical regulatory programs.” Public Comments Due August 12 Interested parties will have the opportunity to provide written and oral comments to the DRBC on these fee proposals. The written comment period will run through 5 p.m. on August 12. Oral comments will be accepted at a public hearing to be held July 27 at 1 p.m. at the DRBC office building, 25 State Police Drive, in West Trenton, N.J. Commission action may occur only during a public business meeting following a duly noticed public hearing. For more information on the fee proposal, visit the DRBC Fee Proposal Notice webpage. ​ ​ NewsClips: The World Will Know Our Wild Delaware River Geotourists Can Now Find Their Way To Poconos Jeffrey Featherstone, Fmr DRBC Water Expert, Passes

May 9 Watershed Winds Newsletter Now Available From Penn State Extension

The May 9 edition of the Watershed Winds newsletter is now available from Penn State ​ ​ Extension featuring articles on­­ ­­ Interaction Between Groundwater & Climate Highlighted At PA Groundwater Symposium ​ ­­ Crayfish May Help Restore Dirty Streams ​ ­­ Pesticide Applicators Learn To Keep Groundwater Resources Safe ​ ­­ Extension Completes Drinking Water Workshops In Dauphin, Cumberland, Bucks ​ ­­ Scientists Study How To Keep On­Farm Pathogens Out Of Drinking Water ​ ­­ USGS: Vegetation Traps Nutrients, Sediment In Floodplains In Chesapeake Bay Watershed ​ ­­ Click Here to sign up for your own copy. ​ ​

Countdown Is On To Start Of DEP Mobile Inspections, Electronic Permitting

Since January 2015, the Department of Environmental Protection has embarked on a wide­ranging, Secretary­prioritized, internal modernization effort that will include improved business processes, a transition to new geolocation­based mobile solutions, paperless workflows, archive digitization, internal data­driven analytical research efforts, and greater data transparency. The next milestone of this effort will be the introduction of an electronic permitting application, as well as the implementation of a mobile inspection application. These two initiatives, lead by DEP CIO Sean Crager, will be operating by February 15, 2017, and their use will be expanded to other program areas following the initial rollout. The pilot focus for electronic permitting will be the mining deputate and the Bituminous Surface Mine Permit Application. DEP has identified over $500,000 in Title V federal matching funds to build out the agency’s first, full­service electronic permitting system. The goal will be to use this code for all of the agency’s 700+ authorizations. DEP is currently developing this system in­house, and expects this system to increase productivity while saving money and providing better service for the regulated community. By rolling out mobile inspections, DEP will end a double entry system where inspections are conducted with carbonless paper and then keyed into the central database later by the same inspector. DEP believes this investment will double an inspector’s productivity that is expected to save $6.5 million over five years. DEP is currently partnering with PennDOT’s Mobile Application Team to build the app and leverage their backend infrastructure to support that capability. DEP will begin with an oil and gas inspection process as a pilot, with a goal of configuring the app for additional inspections in the near future. Up to 350 inspectors will be equipped with this technology by early 2018.

(Reprinted from the May 12 DEP News. Click Here to sign up for your own copy.) ​ ​ ​ ​

Environmental Quality Board To Consider Another DEP Fee Increase May 17

The May 17 Environmental Quality Board meeting agenda includes another proposed regulation ​ ​ ​ increasing fees, this one is for the laboratory accreditation program that would raise about $170,000 more per year. In April, the EQB approved proposed fee increases for public comment for the radon and radiological health programs totalling about a $2.1 million increase annually. DEP is scheduled to increase permit fees in at least six programs, including the coal and ​ ​ noncoal mining program to help make up for General Fund cuts to the agency. The May agenda also includes a final rulemaking updating the remining standards for coal surface mining. The meeting will be held in Room 105 Rachel Carson Building starting at 9:00. For more information and available handouts, visit the Environmental Quality Board ​ webpage or contact Laura Edinger, Environmental Quality Board, by calling 717­772­3277 or send email to: [email protected]. ​ ​ NewsClips: Bumsted: Revived Shale Tax Could Have Legs Swift: Budget Deadline Nearing Fast Micek: There Will Be A Budget On Governor’s Desk By June 30 John Baer: Hey, Ready For Another State Budget Battle? Sale Of Asbury Woods Nature Center In Erie Delayed By Budget Impasse Editorial: Preserve Priceless National Parks By Increasing Funding Editorial: Crumbling Infrastructure Not A Cliche In PA

DEP Citizens Advisory Council To Hear Report On Impact Of Budget Cuts May 17

DEP’s Citizens Advisory Council will hear a report at its May 17 meeting on the impact of DEP ​ ​ budget cuts on the Bureau of Laboratories operations which have a critical role to play in determining compliance with all air, water, waste, mining and other state environmental protection programs. The Council will also hear presentations on DEP’s Alternative Fuel Incentive Grant Program, DCNR’s new Riparian Forest Buffer Initiative and an update on DEP’s Workforce Planning and Civil Service Reforms. DEP also provided the Council with its May Report on significant agency activities over ​ ​ the last month, upcoming advisory committee meetings and its regular monthly report on actions by the Oil and Gas Program. The CAC meeting will be held in Room 105 Rachel Carson Building starting at 10:00 a.m. The meeting will also be available via webcast. Click Here to register for the webcast. ​ ​ For more information, visit DEP’s Citizens Advisory Council webpage or contact Katie ​ ​ Hetherington Cunfer, Citizens Advisory Council, by calling 717­705­2693 or send email to: [email protected]. ​ NewsClips: Bumsted: Revived Shale Tax Could Have Legs Swift: Budget Deadline Nearing Fast Micek: There Will Be A Budget On Governor’s Desk By June 30 John Baer: Hey, Ready For Another State Budget Battle? Sale Of Asbury Woods Nature Center In Erie Delayed By Budget Impasse Editorial: Preserve Priceless National Parks By Increasing Funding Editorial: Crumbling Infrastructure Not A Cliche In PA

June 20 Meeting, Hearing On Changes To Air Permit For Lackawanna Gas Power Plant

The Department of Environmental Protection Friday announced it will host a public meeting and hearing on revisions to an air quality plan approval for Lackawanna Energy Center, LLC on June ​ ​ 20 from 6 to 9:30 p.m. at the Valley View High School, in Archbald The company is proposing to build and operate a 1500­megawatt natural gas­fired power plant in the Borough of Jessup, Lackawanna County. Lackawanna Energy Center submitted a plan approval application on February 24, 2016, to revise the layout of the plant to include three smaller steam turbines and three smaller air­cooled condensers in place of the originally planned single steam generator and single air­cooled condenser. The steam turbines and air­cooled condensers are not air emission sources, therefore, this plan approval application does not change any emission limits imposed under the previously issued plan approval in December 2015. The purpose of the meeting will be to describe and answer questions from the public about the proposed reconfiguration of the steam turbines and air cooled condensers. Immediately following the meeting, a public hearing will be held to take testimony. A public notice for the receipt of plan approval application appeared in the PA Bulletin on March 12, 2016. A public notice for the intent to issue the plan approval and public meeting/hearing will appear in the PA Bulletin on May 14, 2016. Concerned citizens who wish to ask questions or offer testimony at the meeting and hearing can pre­register by notifying Colleen Connolly, Community Relations Coordinator by sending email to: [email protected]. ​ ​ Citizens may also submit written testimony by 4 p.m. on July 1. Those comments can be addressed to Mark Wejkszner, Air Quality Program Manager, DEP Northeast Regional Office, 2 Public Square, Wilkes­Barre, PA 18711; or by email to: [email protected]. ​ ​ A copy of the draft plan approval and application can be viewed at DEP’s Northeast Regional Office in Wilkes­Barre. Those wishing to make an appointment to view the documents can do so between the hours of 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. by calling 570­826­2511. NewsClips: Manganese Levels Higher Than Normal In Beaver County Borough Air Quality Improves In Franklin County What Perdue Soybean Plant Means For York County Local Official Says Opposition To Soybean Plant Fading Editorial: Balancing Business, Environmental Health Editorial: Kids Are Shown To Suffer From Bad Air Quality Get Ready For More Detailed Look At Pittsburgh’s Air Pollution Trump Promises To Eliminate 90% Of Coal Laws Hazardous Waste Incinerator Proposal In Works In Susquehanna County Emmaus Residents Exposed To Unsafe Level Of Air Carcinogen

Airborne Manganese Levels In Glasgow, Beaver County Warrant Further Investigation

The Department of Environmental Protection Tuesday announced airborne manganese concentrations in Glasgow Borough in Beaver County warrant further investigation. The results ​ of a short­term (eight­month) monitoring project revealed manganese levels exceeding federal health­based long­term screening guidelines. DEP, in consultation with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Ohio’s environmental agency, will begin conducting further investigation of manganese emissions from the nearby S.H. Bell East Liverpool Terminal, located in East Liverpool, Ohio, and Midland, PA, ​ ​ along the Ohio River, and other potential sources. “The health of our citizens is paramount to DEP,” said DEP Secretary John Quigley. “Releasing this information allows state and federal agencies to work closely with the residents on improving air quality in the region.” In response to concerns raised by the residents of Glasgow Borough regarding the emission of metals from processing facilities including the S.H. Bell facility, DEP conducted ambient air monitoring to characterize ambient concentrations of eight metals: arsenic, beryllium, cadmium, chromium, lead, manganese, nickel, and zinc. The ambient air concentrations of metals other than manganese did not exceed the long­term screening values. During the every­six­day sampling period from October 26, 2014 to July 5, 2015, 40 total suspended particulate (TSP) and 41 PM10 filters were collected and quality assured as valid samples. The analyses performed by DEP’s Bureau of Laboratories included the weight of particulate matter and metal concentrations. At the request of DEP, the U.S. EPA provided assistance with data analysis and recommended health­based long­term screening values The average ambient manganese level measured in Glasgow Borough ranged from 0.036 to 2.23 micrograms per cubic meter, with a mean concentration of 0.521 micrograms per cubic meter. The mean manganese concentration exceeded the U.S. EPA and Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry’s health­based long­term screening values of 0.05 and 0.30 micrograms per cubic meter, respectively. DEP sent a copy of the final summary report to the Glasgow Borough Council, Department of Health, ATSDR, U.S. EPA and Ohio EPA. In addition to requesting further evaluation of the metals data by the PA DOH and ATSDR, DEP intends to work closely with residents in the Glasgow area, U.S. EPA and Ohio EPA to reduce ambient concentrations of manganese in the area. DEP’s summary report and pertinent government agency contact information is available ​ online. ​ NewsClips: Manganese Levels Higher Than Normal In Beaver County Borough Air Quality Improves In Franklin County What Perdue Soybean Plant Means For York County Local Official Says Opposition To Soybean Plant Fading Editorial: Balancing Business, Environmental Health Editorial: Kids Are Shown To Suffer From Bad Air Quality Get Ready For More Detailed Look At Pittsburgh’s Air Pollution Trump Promises To Eliminate 90% Of Coal Laws Hazardous Waste Incinerator Proposal In Works In Susquehanna County Emmaus Residents Exposed To Unsafe Level Of Air Carcinogen

DEP Notice Of Enforcement Policy For 500 PPM Heating Oil Sulfur Limit

The Department of Environmental Protection published a notice in the May 14 PA Bulletin ​ outlining a transition policy for enforcement of the July 1 deadline for selling heating oil that meets a 500 parts per million sulfur content standard (25 Pa. Code Section 123.22). ​ ​ The transition policy is in response to unprecedented heating oil inventories remaining from an unusually warm winter. Other states have similar transition periods. The PA Petroleum Association, representing heating oil distributors, had proposed a 15 ppm ultra low sulfur standard like other neighboring states have adopted to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, but that was not adopted by the Corbett Administration in 2013.

PennFuture, Stay Positive Clairton Host Air Quality Expo May 15

PennFuture and Stay Positive Clairton are hosting an Air Quality Expo May 15 from 4 to 6 p.m. ​ at the Community Economic Development Corporation Center located at 282 St. Clair Avenue in Clairton, Allegheny County. “The issue of air quality is important to me because people in Clairton have a greater chance of getting cancer and asthma rates are a lot higher. So, basically, everyone here is just getting poisoned slowly,” said Stay Positive Clairton student leader, Jaden McDougald, age 16. “This event puts a face to the science of air quality,” said Annie Regan, western Pennsylvania outreach coordinator for PennFuture. “Interactive activities, on­site experts, advocacy organizations, community members, and the student group, Stay Positive Clairton, are helping to show that residents of the region can take air quality into their own hands – improving their health and community.” The event features information, resources, refreshments, and will premiere PennFuture’s documentary, “Clairton Coke Works, Clean Up Our Air,” PennFuture produced the short film that features Mon Valley residents affected by air pollution. Matt Brosey directed and edited the film. “Air pollution is much more than statistics,” said Regan. “These personal stories provide a critical perspective on the impacts of air pollution.” PennFuture began working with residents while it investigated violations of air emissions standards at U.S. Steel’s Clairton Coke Works. PennFuture uncovered approximately 6,700 air pollution limit violations between January 1, 2012 and May 31, 2015, which is akin to over five violations a day, every day, for nearly three and a half years. “U.S. Steel and the regulators charged with protecting public health repeatedly failed to uphold their duty,” added Regan. “We know that bad air travels to affect the entire region and all county residents should see what’s really going on.” PennFuture issued legal notice to U.S. Steel and the Allegheny County Health ​ ​ Department in late January. Just days before the deadline by which it could initiate legal action to hold US Steel accountable for the violations, US Steel and ACHD agreed to settle the violations in county court without involving PennFuture or notifying the public in advance.

EDF: EPA Finalizes Oil And Gas Methane Emission Limits

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Thursday finalized clean air standards limiting ​ emissions of methane from new and heavily modified sources in the oil and gas industry. ​ According to the agency’s national emissions inventory, oil and gas companies currently ​ ​ release at least 9.8 million metric tons of methane into the air each year (34 percent more than previous estimates). Methane, the main ingredient in natural gas, is a powerful greenhouse gas, with 84 times the warming power of carbon dioxide over a 20­year time frame. The announcement is the latest in an ongoing series of important steps by the Obama administration aimed at reducing oil and gas methane emissions by 40­45 percent by 2025. The new EPA standards build from policies and practices in the states and private sector including clean air solutions being deployed in Colorado, Wyoming and Ohio. Importantly, the new emission standards provide for national solutions to address emissions leaking from newly constructed or rebuilt oil and gas industrial activity. However, the standards do not provide for limits on the leaks and emissions from existing oil and gas infrastructure, the single largest source of methane in our air. "The U.S. oil and gas industry pumps out almost 10 million metric tons of methane pollution a year from thousands of sites in communities all across the nation,” said Environmental Defense Fund President Fred Krupp. “It's a tremendous threat to our climate, and a needless waste of valuable resources. Cutting this pollution is the fastest, cheapest path to slow the warming we will otherwise see in the next 20 years. “A vast body of science has revealed the scale of the problem, and proven we can keep [much of] that escaping gas in the pipes at minimal cost. Some companies are already setting a great example of what can be achieved using common sense solutions to find and fix leaks. “We need common sense standards to make ‘best practice’ the standard practice. And we need to build on today’s announcement by extending these same level­headed standards to thousands of existing facilities that are still exempt despite generating millions of tons of methane pollution a year." For more information EDF actions related to oil and gas operations, visit EDF’s Oil and ​ Gas webpage. ​ Industry Reaction Marcellus Shale Coalition President David Spigelmyer issued this statement in response to the ​ EPA’s final oil and gas methane limits regulation— “Pennsylvania’s natural gas producers are leading the way in environmentally responsible energy development that’s resulting in significant, meaningful air quality improvements. “Yet the [Obama] Administration’s latest rule is a classic case of a Washington solution in search of a problem as the facts clearly demonstrate that methane emissions continue to plummet even as natural gas production rises. “As Pennsylvania’s energy producers continue to weather this painful market downturn, there couldn’t be a worse time for more unnecessary, costly Washington red tape that will result in little­to­no environmental benefit.” Other Reaction Nature Abounds President Melinda Hughes Thursday released this statement in conjunction with ​ the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency final rule setting limits on climate­changing methane emissions from oil and gas operations— “Nature Abounds applauds the Obama Administration on setting standards projected to reduce the equivalent of 11 million metric tons of carbon pollution by 2025 and save Americans a net of $170 million in costs related to methane pollution. “By issuing a standard for new and modified sources, EPA sets the stage to begin work on a rule to curb emissions from existing oil and gas operations. “Oil and gas operations are the largest industrial source of methane, a greenhouse gas that is 80 times more potent than carbon dioxide over a twenty­year time frame. “Methane is a powerful contributor to climate change and in 2013 alone, the oil and gas sources emitted over 7.3 million metric tons of methane. Reducing methane emissions was and continues to be necessary for our future. “By doing so, it should also lead to a reduction of respiratory problems which are experienced in epic numbers in our mountainous area as the toxic air gets entrapped in the valleys. “The reduction also lowers the risk of explosive risks that methane also brings to our area as mixtures of just 5 to 15 percent of methane in air can be explosive. “The oil and gas industry must take responsibility for their pollution, rather than asking the public and our environment to bear the burden. Thank you to the EPA for fulfilling their mission 'to protect human health and the environment'. There's absolutely no reason that we cannot have a strong economy while also protecting our environment and future generations." Hughes testified at the EPA hearings last fall on the proposed methane rule. ​ ​ For more information on programs, initiatives and upcoming events of this Pennsylvania­based nonprofit group, visit the Nature Abounds website or contact Melinda ​ ​ Hughes at 814­765­1453 x203 or send email to: [email protected]. ​ ​ For more on Pennsylvania’s actions to reduce methane, visit DEP’s Methane Reduction ​ Strategy webpage. ​ NewsClips: EPA Releases Rules To Curb Methane Leaks From Oil & Gas Industry U.S. Proposes To Cut Oil & Gas Methane Emissions By Nearly Half EPA Finalizes New Methane Standards For Oil & Gas Industry U.S. Proposes To Cut Oil & Gas Methane Emissions By Nearly Half Editorial: New Methane Regulation Clears Air Is It Time For Climate Activists To Change Tactics? Editorial: Climate Thugs, Colluding AGs Ashley Funk: Coming Home To Coal PA Country PA 2nd Only To NY In Number Of Invasive Forest Pests Related Stories: PEC TV: Methane Emissions Environmental Focus Program Now Online EDF: EPA Finalizes Oil And Gas Methane Emission Limits Gov. Wolf Announces New Methane Regulations On Oil & Gas Industry PEC, Other Groups React To New PA Oil & Gas Methane Emission Reduction Proposals

PEC TV: Methane Emissions Environmental Focus Program Now Online

Methane emissions, the main component of natural gas and a highly potent greenhouse gas — and their consequences for Pennsylvania in the natural gas age is the topic of April’s “Environmental Focus” now ​ ​ available online. ​ This edition of the PA Environmental Council’s monthly environmental affairs television ​ ​ program aired first on the Pennsylvania Cable Network (PCN) April 17. ​ ​ Pennsylvania is the second­largest producer of natural gas in the United States; even conservative estimates of methane emissions from active and abandoned oil and gas wells make this issue a tremendous issue for the Commonwealth. Methane, 80 times more potent than carbon dioxide over a near term time free, is responsible for about one­fourth of the global warming today. The half­hour television show features Andrew Place, Vice Chairman of the Public Utility Commission, and one of the foremost experts on natural gas energy policy and technology. Following Vice Chairman Place’s interview, a roundtable discussion composed of Sam Robinson from Gov. Tom Wolf’s Office of Policy and Planning, Andrew Williams of the Environmental Defense Fund, and PEC’s John Walliser continued the discussion. “Any meaningful dialogue on climate change in Pennsylvania has to include reduction of methane emissions,” Walliser said. “Our knowledge of the true extent of these emissions in Pennsylvania is incomplete, and, as the recent gas leak in California’s Aliso Canyon illustrates, even one leak can result in very serious public health and environmental problem.” Previous editions of “Environmental Focus” have featured topics such as outdoor recreation on Pennsylvania’s waterways, Pennsylvania’s state budget, the Pennsylvania Pipeline Infrastructure Taskforce, and the Delaware River Conservation Program with guests such as Department of Environmental Protection Secretary John Quigley, Department of Conservation and Natural Resources Secretary Cindy Adams Dunn, Rep. Kate Harper (R­Montgomery), and Andrew Johnson of the William Penn Foundation. Click Here to watch this episode and to view past episodes of PEC’s Environmental ​ Focus TV program. More information about Pennsylvania’s methane reduction strategy is available at DEP’s Framework For Actions On Methane Reductions webpage. ​ For more information on programs, initiatives and special events, visit the PA ​ Environmental Council website, visit the PEC Blog, follow PEC on Twitter or Like PEC on ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Facebook. Click Here to receive regular updates from PEC. ​ ​ ​ NewsClips: EPA Releases Rules To Curb Methane Leaks From Oil & Gas Industry U.S. Proposes To Cut Oil & Gas Methane Emissions By Nearly Half EPA Finalizes New Methane Standards For Oil & Gas Industry U.S. Proposes To Cut Oil & Gas Methane Emissions By Nearly Half Editorial: New Methane Regulation Clears Air Is It Time For Climate Activists To Change Tactics? Editorial: Climate Thugs, Colluding AGs Ashley Funk: Coming Home To Coal PA Country PA 2nd Only To NY In Number Of Invasive Forest Pests Related Stories: EDF: EPA Finalizes Oil And Gas Methane Emission Limits PA’s Marcellus Drilling Industry Reacts To New EPA Rule Limiting Methane Emissions Nature Abounds Applauds New EPA Cutting Oil & Gas Methane Emissions Gov. Wolf Announces New Methane Regulations On Oil & Gas Industry PEC, Other Groups React To New PA Oil & Gas Methane Emission Reduction Proposals

DEP Proposes Issuing Water Quality Certification For PennEast Pipeline

The Department of Environmental Protection published notice in the May 14 PA Bulletin proposing to issue federal Clean Water Act certification for the PennEast Pipeline running ​ ​ through Bucks, Carbon and Luzerne counties (PA Bulletin, page 2450). DEP is accepting public ​ ​ ​ ​ comments on the proposed certification until June 13. NewsClips: Weld Coating Being Looked At As Cause Of Pipeline Explosion Westmoreland Residents Wonder Why Pipelines Don’t Have Automatic Shutoffs Allegheny Front: Pipeline Owner Sorry For Explosion Westmoreland Residents Worried About Effects Of Pipeline Explosion Could Faster Gas Flow Have Contributed To Westmoreland Pipeline Explosion? Crable: Another Gas Pipeline Planned For Lancaster County Atlantic Sunrise Pipeline Opponents File Lawsuit, Threatening Project’s Momentum Invoking Eminent Domain, Pipelines Run Roughshod Over Landowners Human Pipeline Formed At Philadelphia Natural Gas Summit Editorial: Crumbling Infrastructure Not A Cliche In PA

DEP Oil & Gas Staff Participate In Sustainable Energy Workshop In Mongolia

Two members of the Department of Environmental Protection’s Oil and Gas program joined other executives from Pennsylvania’s Department of State and the U.S. Department of Commerce at a sustainable energy development workshop in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, on May 4­6. “This was an unprecedented opportunity for DEP to assist Mongolian government leaders by sharing our knowledge regarding environmental regulation of the oil and gas industry,” DEP Deputy Secretary for Oil and Gas Management Scott Perry said. “DEP’s regulations are among the most protective in this country but still allow for the industry to proceed in a responsible manner.” Perry was joined by DEP’s Director of District Oil and Gas Operations John Ryder. Perry and Ryder made seven presentations to the 13 Mongolian government executives on a wide range of topics, including interagency government coordination, conventional and unconventional well construction and permitting, adapting to water­stressed areas, and inspections, auditing and compliance tracking. The workshop was sponsored by the U.S. Department of Commerce and the American embassy in Ulaanbaatar in coordination with the Mongolian Petroleum Authority and the Ministries of Mining and the Environment and Tourism. Funding for the workshop was provided by the federal and state departments of State. Mongolia is a country of about three million people in East Asia. Coal, copper and gold mining represent more than 80 percent of the country’s exports. The country also exports nearly 10 million barrels of oil to China annually.

(Reprinted from the May 12 DEP News. Click Here to sign up for your own copy.) ​ ​ ​ ​

Keep PA Beautiful Applauds Pennsylvania Winners Of 2016 RecycleMania

Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful Wednesday congratulated the ​ Pennsylvania winners of the 2016 RecycleMania competition­­ ​ ​ Saint Joseph’s University in Philadelphia was the Grand ​ Champion with a recycling rate of 48.9 percent and the Per Capita Classic winner was Bucknell University in Lewisburg ​ ​ who recycled 26.5 pounds per capita. “The day­to­day efforts put forth by the students and faculty of colleges and universities who participated in the competition to reduce the amount of waste that is sent to the landfill is admirable,” stated Shannon Reiter, President of Keep PA Beautiful. “KPB is proud that over 20 Pennsylvania colleges and universities participated in this worthwhile competition, demonstrating that we can all do our part to make a difference in our environment and engage others to do the same. Recycling is not only good for the environment but it also helps drive the success of the recycling market in Pennsylvania.” “Research shows people are more likely to recycle when they see it as part of the culture around them,” said Brenda Pulley, Senior Vice President of Recycling, Keep America Beautiful. “RecycleMania provides us with an opportunity to heighten awareness about the importance of recycling among college students, and help make recycling participation a core component of the college experience. Our hope is that these recycling behaviors stick with them throughout their life, creating a new generation of community stewards.” The 2016 tournament featured 350 schools participating from 48 states and the District of Columbia and Canada, with an enrollment of 4.4 million students. RecycleMania is the nation’s premier waste reduction and recycling competition and mobilizes colleges and universities to benchmark and improve efforts to reduce or eliminate waste. The initiative is managed by Keep America Beautiful. Competing colleges and universities are ranked according to how much recycling, trash and food waste they collect over two months. During the 2016 competition, participating schools recycled or composted 79.3 million pounds of recyclables and organic materials, preventing the release of 122,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (MTCO2E) into the atmosphere, which is equivalent to preventing annual emissions from 24,000 cars. The competition is made possible with the sponsorship support of Alcoa Foundation, The Coca­Cola Company, CyclePoint® from SourceAmerica® and Rubbermaid Commercial Products®. For a complete list of participating schools and results go to the 2016 RecycleMania ​ website. For more information on programs, initiatives and special events, visit the Keep ​ Pennsylvania Beautiful website. Click Here to sign up for regular updates from KPB, Like them ​ ​ ​ ​ on Facebook, Follow on Twitter, Discover them on Pinterest and visit their YouTube Channel. ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Also visit the Illegal Dump Free PA website for more ideas on how to clean up ​ ​ communities and keep them clean and KPB’s new Electronics Waste website. ​ ​ Sign up now for the 2016 Great American Cleanup of PA and set up your own cleanup ​ ​ and beautification event through May 31.

Register Now For PROP’s Recycling & Organics Conference July 27­29 In Harrisburg

Register now for the Professional Recyclers of PA 26th Annual Recycling and Organics ​ ​ ​ Conference to place July 27– 29 at the Best Western Premier in Harrisburg. ​ Attendees will be able to learn about New Horizons for Harrisburg – Creating a Clean City from the Ground Up, Single Stream, Litter Management, Recycling Markets, 21st Century Materials Management, Next Generation Materials, New E­Cycling Opportunities, The Other “R” – ReUse, as well as Legislative updates, and updates from the Department of Environmental Protection. Click Here to see the full schedule. ​ ​ Of course there will be the Annual Film Festival, a Jam session on the patio, Trivia ​ ​ Night, and of course Certification classes, pre­conference as well as several opportunities to acquire continuing education units during the conference. Let’s not forget that we will have exhibitors from across Pennsylvania as well as around the country and Canada available to show you what is new and how to make the most out of your programs with their products. Sponsorship & Ads PROP also has opportunities to sponsor sessions and plenaries, as well as other items at ​ ​ the conference, such as meals and networking events. PROP is now accepting ads for the ​ ​ conference booklet. Ads must be received by no later than June 24 to make sure your ad is in the booklet. There will be plenty of opportunities for networking with other conference attendees and exhibitors. For all the details, visit PROP’s Annual Recycling and Organics Conference webpage. ​ ​

Centre County Now Selling Compost From State College To Benefit Education Fund

The Centre County Recycling & Refuse Authority is currently selling State College Borough ​ ​ compost at its facility located at 253 Transfer Road in Bellefonte. This is local compost made and bagged at the State College Borough Compost Facility. Bags are available for purchase at the Scale House. The compost comes in 40 pounds bags at the cost of $6/bag. All proceeds from the sale of compost benefit the Authority’s Education Endowment Fund. For questions regarding the sale of compost, please call the office at 814­238­7005, or send email to: [email protected]. ​ ​ For more information on programs, initiatives and upcoming events, visit the Centre ​ County Recycling & Refuse Authority website. ​

Gov. Wolf Announces Zika Virus Surveillance Plan, Risks Very Low In PA

Gov. Tom Wolf Thursday announced his administration’s plan to bolster surveillance, mitigation, and response efforts for Zika virus to ​ ​ better protect all residents in the Commonwealth. The Pennsylvania Zika Virus Response Plan, developed by the departments of Health and Environmental Protection, outlines the phases of education, surveillance, and response activities that will occur for various levels of mosquito activity within the Commonwealth as well as triggers based on the presence of Zika disease within the state. The phases range from the current situation of a moderate level of travel­associated cases to potential widespread local transmission by mosquitoes. Pennsylvania has requested funds from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to implement this plan. “My administration is committed to ensuring the health and safety of all Pennsylvanians,” said Gov. Wolf. “We are continuing to work with our partners on the local, state, and federal levels to keep Pennsylvania safe. The roll­out of this plan is another proactive step in our collaborative strategy to protect our citizens and prevent the spread of the Zika virus.” “This Zika Virus Response Plan will better help us protect the health of the more than 12 million people who call Pennsylvania home,” said Secretary of Health Karen Murphy. “Zika generally causes very mild symptoms and rarely leads to serious side effects in those who become ill with the virus. However, pregnant women and those of childbearing age are at greatest risk as Zika is known to potentially cause serious and even fatal birth defects in some babies born to women infected with the virus during pregnancy. This plan will help ensure we have the measures in place to better inform and protect all of our residents.” The main goals of the Pennsylvania Zika Virus Response Plan are to: ­­ Enhance DOH surveillance for Zika cases in Pennsylvanians; ­­ Develop a plan that will enable DOH to test for the virus without using CDC laboratories; ­­ Enhance DEP vector surveillance and control of the Aedes albopictus and Aedes aegypti species of mosquitos; and ­­ Ensure collaboration between commonwealth agencies and partners to educate pregnant women and the general public about important Zika virus messages. Currently, the only confirmed cases of Zika in Pennsylvania are in individuals who contracted the virus while visiting one of the areas where the virus is actively spreading. At this time, no cases of Zika in Pennsylvania or in the continental U.S. have occurred as a result of locally acquired infections. Once warmer temperatures arrive in the Commonwealth and remain in place throughout the summer months, the risk of limited local transmission of Zika virus by the type of mosquitos that potentially carry it will increase. “DEP and our county partners are focused on monitoring for the presence of mosquitoes potentially associated with Zika transmission and implementing control measures when necessary,” said DEP Secretary John Quigley. “We are working very closely with the Department of Health to ensure the safety of our citizens.” Zika is a generally mild illness, and most individuals do not have any symptoms. When symptoms do occur, they can include fever, rash, joint or muscle pain, conjunctivitis (pink eye), or headache, and last from several days to one week. Although the Aedes aegypti mosquito remains the primary carrier of the Zika virus, Aedes albopictus has also been implicated as a secondary carrier of this disease. While Aedes aegypti has not been found in Pennsylvania since 2002, Aedes albopictus has been found throughout the major metropolitan areas of southern Pennsylvania. These species are different from ones DEP currently surveys and require different tactics. The new surveillance and control methods outlined in the plan that are needed to protect public health from this potential threat will require additional DEP resources. The disease can also be transmitted sexually, as well as by blood transfusions. The CDC advises men who have traveled to the Zika­affected areas to wear condoms consistently and correctly during sex to avoid spreading the virus to their partners. This is especially important for men whose partners are pregnant women or women who are of childbearing age, as the Zika virus has been linked to potentially severe birth defects in babies born to women who had the illness during pregnancy. The CDC also recommends that all pregnant women consider postponing travel to Zika­affected areas. Women who are pregnant, planning to become pregnant, or may be pregnant and must travel to these areas should first consult with their health care provider. Pregnant women who visit Zika­affected areas and develop symptoms within two weeks of returning home should contact their healthcare provider. Because there currently is no vaccine or treatment for Zika, the best way to avoid contracting the virus is to prevent mosquito bites by: ­­ Using an insect repellent containing DEET; ­­ Wearing light­colored, lightweight, loose­fitting clothing that covers hands, arms, legs, and other exposed skin. ­­ Using physical barriers such as screens, closed doors and windows. The Aedes types of mosquitos that can potentially transmit the Zika virus bite during the daytime. To control all mosquitos outside your home or business: ­­ Install or repair and use window and door screens. ­­ Once a week, empty and scrub, turn over, cover, or throw out any items that hold water like buckets, planters, toys, pools, birdbaths, flowerpot saucers, or trash containers. Mosquitos lay eggs near water. ­­ Use an outdoor flying insect spray where mosquitos rest – dark, humid areas like under patio furniture or under the carport or garage. Have clogged roof gutters cleaned every year, particularly if the leaves from surrounding trees have a tendency to plug up the drains. Roof gutters can produce millions of mosquitoes each season. If you have a septic tank, repair cracks or gaps. Cover open vent or plumbing pipes with wire mesh that consists of holes smaller than an adult mosquito. For more information, visit the Department of Health’s Zika Virus webpage. ​ ​ NewsClips: Wolf Rolls Out Zika Plan For Pennsylvania As Weather Warms, PA Prepares For Zika Virus PA Prepares Strategy To Fight Zika Virus This Summer Lancaster Getting Special Focus In PA’s Zika Plan What Is Zika Risk In Adams, York Counties? Zika Update: Scientists Still Learning About Strange Virus

Benefits Of Waste­To­Energy vs. Landfills Needs To Be Recognized In PA Climate Plan

Covanta Energy’s recent comments on DEP’s draft Climate Action Plan Update highlighted the ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ need for the Plan to recognize the benefits of energy­from­waste facilities in reducing climate­changing emissions from the disposal of waste as countries around the world have done. Covanta fully supports Pennsylvania’s efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the state. The draft Climate Action Plan inaccurately included negative emissions of carbon dioxide equivalents in Pennsylvania from waste landfills, when in fact, landfill operators reported 2.66 million tons of carbon dioxide equivalents as part of the U.S. EPA Mandatory Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program. The draft plan also attributed a 75­99 percent lifetime methane collection system efficiency at landfills, when in fact, California, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and the Environmental Commissioner of Ontario have data to justify a 35 to 70 percent efficiency. To achieve DEP’s collection efficiency number, a landfill would have to collect 100 percent of its methane gas all the time with no leaks, failures or downtime for 90 years, a clear impossibility. Covanta noted energy­from­waste facilities are recognized by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, the European Union and many other states and national governments and nongovernment organizations around the world as a way to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions. Greenhouse gas mitigation is achieved by displacing grid connected fossil­fuel fired electricity, recovering metals from the waste stream for recycling, and most importantly, by avoiding landfill emissions of methane, a potent Short Lived Climate Pollutant over 30 times stronger than carbon dioxide over 100 years when all of its impacts are considered and over 80 times stronger over 20 years. The only sure way of reducing landfill methane emissions is to prevent their generation in the first place through landfill diversion. In fact, this approach has been followed with great success by the European Union, primarily through the Landfill Waste Directive, which calls for the reduction in landfilling of biodegradable wastes. Covanta recommended Pennsylvania include energy­from­waste facilities in Tier 1 of its Alternative Energy Portfolio Standards as an additional strategy to comply with the EPA Clean ​ Power Climate Rule. ​ EPA gave very clear guidance to states on how to incorporate renewable energy, including WTE, as an eligible component of approvable state plans. Senate Bill 1035 sponsored by Sen. Scott Wagner (R­York), now in the Senate ​ Environmental Resources and Energy Committee, would make this needed change to the AEPS. Covanta concluded its comments by saying, “As Pennsylvania, the region, and the nation develop growing and significant amounts of intermittent renewable generation, it is critically important to ensure sufficient capacity is available from baseload renewable sources, such as waste­to­energy facilities.” A copy of the Covanta comments are available online. ​ ​ Covanta operates 5 energy­from­waste facilities in Pennsylvania, including in Dauphin, Delaware, Lancaster, Montgomery and York counties and an electronics waste recycling facility in Philadelphia. NewsClips: EPA Releases Rules To Curb Methane Leaks From Oil & Gas Industry U.S. Proposes To Cut Oil & Gas Methane Emissions By Nearly Half EPA Finalizes New Methane Standards For Oil & Gas Industry U.S. Proposes To Cut Oil & Gas Methane Emissions By Nearly Half Editorial: New Methane Regulation Clears Air Is It Time For Climate Activists To Change Tactics? Editorial: Climate Thugs, Colluding AGs Ashley Funk: Coming Home To Coal PA Country PA 2nd Only To NY In Number Of Invasive Forest Pests

(Note: Crisci Associates represents Covanta in Pennsylvania.) ​ ​

Advisory Committee To Consider Final DEP Climate Plan Update May 17

DEP’s Climate Change Advisory Committee will review the final version of the update to DEP’s ​ ​ Climate Action Plan at its meeting on May 17. ​ Also on the agenda is a presentation on DCNR’s Climate Change Paper, DEP’s Legacy ​ ​ Well Emissions Study and a discussion House Bill 2030 (Santarsiero­D­Bucks) setting at 50 ​ ​ ​ percent by 2030 greenhouse gas emission reduction goal. The meeting will be held in the16th Floor Conference Room in the Rachel Carson ​ Building starting at 10:00. For more information and copies of available handouts, visit DEP’s Climate Change ​ Advisory Committee webpage or contact Mark Brojakowski, Bureau of Air Quality, by calling ​ 717­772­3429 or send email to: [email protected]. ​ ​ NewsClips: EPA Releases Rules To Curb Methane Leaks From Oil & Gas Industry U.S. Proposes To Cut Oil & Gas Methane Emissions By Nearly Half EPA Finalizes New Methane Standards For Oil & Gas Industry U.S. Proposes To Cut Oil & Gas Methane Emissions By Nearly Half Editorial: New Methane Regulation Clears Air Is It Time For Climate Activists To Change Tactics? Editorial: Climate Thugs, Colluding AGs Ashley Funk: Coming Home To Coal PA Country PA 2nd Only To NY In Number Of Invasive Forest Pests

PA League Of Women Voters Sustainable Energy & Jobs Symposium May 19 Pittsburgh

The League Of Women Voters of PA will host the THRIVE: Sustainable Energy, Jobs & ​ ​ ​ Economic Development Symposium on May 19 at the Energy Innovation Center in Pittsburgh. ​ ​ ​ Sessions will cover various forms of renewable energy, as well as economic development initiatives such as those being launched by the city of Pittsburgh. Participants will hear from renewable energy businesses (such as Aquion Energy) and sustainable job­training programs. Luncheon keynote speaker Dr. Patricia DeMarco will present on "Just Transitions" for workers from the fossil fuel economy. The day will conclude with a strategic planning session on policy, including best practices to spread sustainable economic development across Western Pennsylvania. The Symposium begins at 9 a.m. (light breakfast 8:30 a.m.), includes lunch, as well as a tour of the Energy Innovation Center. The symposium is free; however, due to the limited space, invitation­only (and open to the media). Click Here for a detailed Symposium agenda. ​ Symposium presentations will be recorded and made available to the public on the League of Women Voters Natural Gas webpage. ​ ​ This event is part of “The Straight Scoop on Shale” initiative funded by a Colcom ​ ​ Foundation grant to League of Women Voters of Pennsylvania’s Citizen Education Fund. NewsClips: Solar Activists Step Up Demands On PECO Energy Demonstrators Again Pressure PECO On Solar Power Residents Pack Meeting On Bethlehem’s Wind Turbine Plan Bethlehem Turbine Project Faces Headwind In Poconos GE Closing Blawnox Solar Components Plant Investments In Renewable Energy On The Rise Editorial: Renewables Here To Stay

Award Winner: Pittsburgh Green Building Alliance

The Green Building Alliance in Pittsburgh is one of 5 winners of the 2016 Dominion, PA ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Environmental Council Western PA Environmental Awards. ​ ​ ​ Award winners will be honored at a special awards ceremony on May 26 at the Westin ​ ​ Convention Center in downtown Pittsburgh. Green Building Alliance is a nonprofit organization that inspires the creation of healthy, high­performing places. In Pittsburgh, 47 percent of greenhouse gas emissions originate from commercial buildings and 30 percent of the energy used by the average commercial building is wasted. GBA created the Pittsburgh 2030 District, a nationally recognized and locally­driven, ​ ​ voluntary community of buildings working in collaboration towards inspirational, but measurable performance goals. Existing buildings participating in the Pittsburgh 2030 District are committed to 50 percent reductions in energy use, water consumption, and transportation­ related emissions by 2030. The Pittsburgh 2030 District aims to create a stronger downtown by helping property owners work collaboratively together and with a set of stated common goals to improve indoor air quality, reduce resources used, increase asset value, and create solid returns on investment. Through this program, Pittsburgh’s existing buildings are able to voluntarily join the green building conversation in a way that recognizes past efforts to create efficient properties while striving towards the future with ongoing peer­to­peer education that is driving the region’s economic competitiveness today, in the year 2030, and beyond. Energy demand reduction targets for new construction and major renovations are more aggressive, with a goal of carbon neutrality by 2030. District partners make a simple pledge – commit to the goals of The 2030 Challenge and work together with other Pittsburgh 2030 District property, community, and resource partners to reach those targets. In just three years, GBA launched and has fostered Pittsburgh’s District to be the largest 2030 District in the world to date. Through December 2014, the Pittsburgh 2030 District included 436 buildings with over 65.5 million square feet of real estate in Downtown Pittsburgh and Oakland–all actively working towards 50 percent reductions in energy consumption, water use, and transportation emissions by the year 2030, with new construction reaching carbon neutrality by 2030. As a testament to the ongoing growth of the District, at the end of 2015 the total square footage increased to 67.6 million square feet. For 2015, 380 properties (87 percent of those participating) saved 503,295,273 kBtu’s, or the equivalent energy use of 5,562 homes. Additionally, 96 downtown buildings (representing 80 percent of downtown’s square footage) achieved a 10 percent reduction in water use, putting Downtown Pittsburgh at its 2015 goal, representing almost 53 million gallons of water—or 362 homes’ annual water usage. Information on training and other initiatives is available on the Green Building Alliance ​ in Pittsburgh website. Click Here to sign up for regular updates from the Alliance. ​ ​ ​ For more information on programs, initiatives and special events, visit the PA ​ Environmental Council website, visit the PEC Blog, follow PEC on Twitter or Like PEC on ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Facebook. Click Here to receive regular updates from PEC. ​ ​ ​ NewsClips: Pittsburgh Shakes Off The Rust CMU: Make Buildings More Sustainable, Put Water Pipes On Outside Related Story: Award Winner: Crawford County Riparian Restoration Program

State Treasurer Relaunches KeystoneHELP Home Energy Efficiency Loan Program

The Pennsylvania Treasury, in partnership with leading national clean energy finance company Renew Financial and the Energy Programs Consortium Thursday announced the relaunch of the award­winning Keystone Home Energy Loan Program (KeystoneHELP) ​ KeystoneHELP provides Pennsylvania homeowners with up to $20,000 of affordable financing for home energy efficiency improvements. KeystoneHELP is additionally supported by the Department of Environmental Protection and the PA Infrastructure Investment Authority. (Photo: DEP Secretary John Quigley.) Originally launched statewide in 2006, KeystoneHELP is an innovative public/private partnership that allowed approximately 14,000 homeowners to borrow up to $15,000 at very competitive rates for a range of home improvements, including HVAC equipment, water heaters, air conditioning, roofing, insulation, windows, doors, siding, geothermal power systems, and other improvements. Before going dormant in July 2014 due to a lack of funding, the program became a national model for residential energy efficiency financing. The relaunch of KeystoneHELP will build on the significant economic and environmental impacts that earlier projects are already having. Those projects are estimated to produce energy efficiencies that ­­ over the life of the loans ­­ will reduce utility bills by more than $140 million, avoid 421,633 metric tons of greenhouse gases and save .53 terawatt hours of electricity. Additionally, these projects will reduce natural gas usage by an estimated 15.7 million therms, cut heating oil consumption by 6 million gallons and lower propane usage by 1.9 million gallons. The relaunch is made possible, in part, by a first­of­its kind financing partnership that includes PennVEST – the state’s water infrastructure development authority. Pennsylvania is the first state in the country to use its revolving water funds to support loans financing residential energy efficiency improvements that protect water quality by reducing airborne emissions. KeystoneHELP is also supported by a secondary loan market created by the Warehouse ​ for Energy Efficiency Loans (WHEEL), the only national financing facility that offers affordable ​ financing for home energy efficiency projects not only in Pennsylvania but also in many other states in the country. WHEEL was created in 2014 through a collaboration involving Renew Financial, Pennsylvania Treasury, Citigroup, EPC and others. KeystoneHELP was originally launched in 2006 by energy efficiency lender AFC First Financial Corporation, now a part of Renew Financial, as a pilot program with the West Penn Power Sustainable Energy Fund and expanded statewide with Pennsylvania Treasury shortly after. The program was recognized with a 2013 Stars of Energy Efficiency award from the Alliance to Save Energy and won several other energy efficiency awards. And both Renew ​ Financial and Citi were recognized with an Energy Efficiency award from Environmental Finance in March 2016, which noted the first WHEEL securitization as one of the “Deals of the Year.” KeystoneHELP efficiency loans are fixed­rate loans with longer terms available than typical bank financing. Since there is no penalty for prepayment, homeowners may pay it off at any time. Benefits To Consumers Philadelphia homeowner Lizzie Rothwell is a KeystoneHELP customer who has realized significant savings on her utility bills thanks to various home efficiency upgrades she completed, including roof coating and insulation, new Energy Star appliances, electric panel replacements, new ductwork and air sealing. "My husband and I bought a traditional Philadelphia trinity­style townhouse that was built around 1915 and definitely in need of some updates,” said Rothwell. “We quickly realized that our top priority was to upgrade the energy performance. KeystoneHELP made it possible for us to finance a package of home energy improvements with a reassuringly low and fixed interest rate. The drop in our utility bills was immediately apparent, and our house is much more comfortable year­round as a result of the improvements." “We are extremely proud to be able to again offer the KeystoneHELP program to Pennsylvania residents, enabling them to make crucial energy efficiency improvements to their homes,” said Renew Financial CEO Cisco DeVries. “Our goal is to help homeowners across the country make these much needed home improvements to reduce their energy use and utility bills, and this is one more step in achieving that goal.” KeystoneHELP program features include: Low, fixed interest rate; Fixed monthly payments; Loans up to $20,000, unsecured financing; Flexible repayment terms of 5, 7 or 10 years; 100 percent of the project can be financed; Thousands of eligible improvements to save energy,and money; Up to 25 percent of the financed amount can be used for non­qualifying products; Work completed by KeystoneHELP Registered Contractors; No upfront costs and no hidden fees; Fast, simple approval and application process; and Strong consumer protections Registered Network of Contractors Renew Financial is building mutually beneficial relationships with contractors/dealers in the home services industry. All contractors who participate in the KeystoneHELP program are fully licensed and have received training on the program and how to respond to consumer inquiries. Only approved contractors/dealers are allowed to perform work under this financing and more than 250 contractors statewide have already enrolled in the program since enrollments opened last month. Pennsylvania residents interested in learning more details about KeystoneHELP should go to the Keystone Home Energy Loan Program website. ​ ​ NewsClips: State Revives Energy­Efficient Home Loan Program State Revives Energy Efficiency Loans For Homeowners Harrisburg City: PPL Fails To Account For New LED Lights As Speed Limits Rise In PA, Fuel Economy Falls

Penn State To Lead University Coalition For Clean Fossil Energy Research

Penn State will lead a University Coalition for Fossil Energy Research (UCFER) that will ​ ​ advance basic and applied research for clean energy in support of the U.S. Department of Energy mission. UCFER will identify, select, execute, review and disseminate knowledge from research that will improve the efficiency of production and use of fossil energy resources while minimizing the environmental impacts and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Through a nationwide open competition, the six­year, $20 million project is awarded by the Department of Energy's National Energy Technology Laboratory. ​ ​ Founding members in addition to Penn State are the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Princeton University, Texas A & M University, University of Kentucky, University of Southern California, University of Tulsa, University of Wyoming and Virginia Tech. Chunshan Song, director of Penn State's Energy Institute in the College of Earth and ​ ​ Mineral Science and distinguished professor of fuel science and chemical engineering is the principal investigator and will be director of UCFER. "Penn State has clearly established itself among the very top tier of America's powerhouse energy research universities," said Penn State President Eric Barron. "I'm very pleased that Dr. Song has been recognized with this leadership role, and will be working with colleagues at other distinguished universities to generate and disseminate the knowledge that will address the energy security needs of our nation." UCFER will engage in both fundamental and applied research for clean and low­carbon energy based on fossil resources. Outreach and technology transfer to industry will be important components of the coalition. With the aim of reducing environmental impacts and minimizing carbon dioxide emissions, the coalition will explore research in coal, natural gas and oil, including carbon dioxide capture, storage and utilization. "We are grateful to DOE for entrusting us with this excellent opportunity and look forward to collaborating with our partner universities and the National Energy Technology Laboratory," said Penn State Vice President for Research Neil Sharkey. "Professor Song is ideally suited to lead this important multi­university collaboration and he has the full support of Penn State behind him to ensure effective deployment of precious federal dollars across the coalition as we work together to advance fossil energy research." UCFER will support the mission of the U.S. Department of Energy through mechanisms that promote collaboration among the National Energy Technology Laboratory and the universities that are members of the Coalition by the coordination of research and the sharing of data. Its collaborative research will focus on coal, natural gas, and oil and will involve expertise in one or more of the following five core competence areas ­­ geological and environmental systems, materials engineering and manufacturing, energy conversion engineering, systems engineering and analysis, and computational science and engineering. Research in gas and oil will also include unconventional resources such as shale gas, environmental impacts, and natural gas infrastructure ­­ leak detection and smart sensors, deep water technology, methane hydrates and enhanced recovery. The Department of Energy awarded a $20 million grant to support this project. For more information, visit the Penn State's Energy Institute webpage. ​ ​

EPA Awards 18 Brownfields Environmental Job Training Grants, 3 In PA

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Thursday announced the selection of 18 grantees for approximately $3.5 million in Brownfields Environmental Workforce Development and Job ​ Training Grants. ​ Three of the grants were awarded in Pennsylvania to the Energy Coordinating Agency in ​ ​ Philadelphia and the Redevelopment Authority of Cumberland County and to Auberle in ​ ​ ​ McKeesport Pennsylvania. ​ Each grantee will receive funds to operate environmental job training programs that advance environmental justice by providing opportunities for residents living in areas impacted by contaminated lands. Trainees gain experience for jobs related to cleanup activities in their own communities. “EWDJT grants transform lives by providing individuals the opportunity to gain meaningful long­term employment and a livable wage in the growing environmental field,” said Mathy Stanislaus, assistant administrator of EPA’s Office of Land and Emergency Management. “Individuals completing training have often overcome a variety of barriers to employment.” For more information, visit EPA’s Brownfields Environmental Workforce Development ​ and Job Training Grants webpage. ​

May 12 DEP News Now Available

The May 12 edition of DEP News is now available from the Department of Environmental Protection featuring articles on­­ ­­ Wolf Administration Increases Zika Surveillance Plans ​ ­­ KeystoneHELP Home Energy Efficiency Loan Program Relaunched ​ ­­ DEP, Conservation Districts Work On Farm Inspections In Chesapeake Bay Watershed ​ ­­ Airborne Manganese Levels In Glasgow, Beaver County Warrant Further Investigation ​ ­­ DEP Issues Air Permit For Perdue Soybean Oil Extraction Facility In Lancaster ​ ­­ EPA, DEP Reach $6.8M Penalty Settlement With Schneider Electric For Superfund Site ​ ­­ Countdown Is On To Start Of DEP Mobile Inspections, Electronic Permitting ​ ­­ DEP Reaches Nearly $1M Settlement With Talen Generation Over Martins Creek Ash Spill ​ ­­ DEP Oil & Gas Staff Participate In Sustainable Energy Workshop In Mongolia ​ ­­ DEP Announces Training For Municipalities In MS4 Stormwater Permit Program ​ ­­ DEP Begins 2016 Ozone Forecasting Season, Get Email Alerts Of Bad Air Days ​ ­­ Young Harrisburg Peregrine Falcons Inspected, Banded ​ ­­ EPA Recognizes PA Small Business Development Center Environmental Help Program ​ ­­ DEP Participates In Luzerne County Earth Day Celebration ​ ­­ Click Here to sign up for your own copy. ​ ​

Still Time To Apply: Goddard Leadership Legacy Institute Student Summer Program

The Goddard Leadership Legacy Institute is accepting ​ ​ applications for its summer residential program for students ages 13 to 15 through June 10. The program will be held at the Ironmaster’s Mansion ​ at Pine Grove Furnace State Park in Cumberland County from ​ ​ July 11­16. This cooperative education program is coordinated by the Central PA Conservancy and Pine Grove Furnace State ​ ​ Park and this year is joined by the Chesapeake Bay ​ Foundation­PA. ​ Participants will spend three days at the Ironmaster’s Mansion and two days at CBF­PA’s Philip Merrill Environmental Center in Annapolis, MD. The program explores conservation leadership, environmental and government issues, marine biology, water quality and ecosystems, field studies, land use, agriculture, and forestry. Students will also be taken on a workboat experience on the Chesapeake Bay. For more information on the program, scholarships and how to apply, visit the Goddard ​ Leadership Legacy Institute website or call 717­241­4360. ​ NewsClips: Perkiomen Valley Students Given Award For Schuylkill Watershed Work Hulk Actor Shows His Green Side To Philly Science Students Allegheny Front: Group Tackles Environmental Hazards At PA Schools Sale Of Asbury Woods Nature Center In Erie Delayed By Budget Impasse Asbury Woods EE Center Asks For $1 Million In Erie Ashley Funk: Coming Home To Coal PA Country

Kettle Creek Watershed Assn. Project Healing Waters Fly Fishing Event A Success

The Kettle Creek Watershed Association 3­day Project Healing Water Fly Fishing event on May ​ ​ 6­8 for disabled veterans was a success. The Association would like to thank all those who helped in any way, including by cooking and serving meals, housing veterans and mentoring them in fly fishing. These military heroes got to see elk on the trip up from Renovo via Bush Dam/Kettle Creek State Park to Cross Fork. They watched the fish stocking Friday night. Some saw a bear in the dumpster at the Cross Fork Inn. These were new experiences for many of them. Needless to say their actual fishing ​ ​ experience was destined to be the therapeutic success we wanted and they deserved. Hard to believe but this whole unselfish experience almost left us speechless. ​ It is something we will never forget. The Project Healing Waters Fly Fishing Program is designed to assist disabled/recovering ​ ​ military veterans deal with injuries and/or adjust to civilian life with the peaceful, therapeutic activity of fishing. PHWFF is dedicated to aiding in the physical and emotional rehabilitation of disabled military service personnel through fly fishing. For more information on programs, initiatives and other upcoming events, visit the Kettle ​ Creek Watershed Association website. The Association works to improve water quality in ​ Clinton, Potter and Tioga counties.

National Geographic Unveils Scenic, Wild Delaware River Geotourism Initiative

Businesses, organizations, elected officials, the National Park Service and community leaders participating recently participated in the Scenic, Wild Delaware River Geotourism initiative and introduced America’s newest and most compelling travel destination: the “Scenic, ​ Wild Delaware River.” ​ The Scenic, Wild Delaware River region offers unique cultural, recreational and natural experiences along the upper and middle Delaware River. Its attractions lay within a few hours’ drive of New York City, Newark and Philadelphia. The region is anchored by three river­based national parks: Upper Delaware Scenic and ​ Recreational River, Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area and Middle Delaware ​ ​ ​ ​ National Scenic River. ​ Here visitors can fish, swim and canoe in a river carved by geologic time and human history. They can connect with nature by watching eagles soar overhead and deer browse in forests and fields. The family can enjoy waterfalls that make the heart leap, learn to catch a fish downstream and picnic along the river’s banks. Visitors can discover friendly towns steeped in culture and history nestled among a postcard landscape from a bygone era. National Geographic unveiled the Scenic, Wild Delaware River MapGuide. ​ ​ Created in coordination with National Geographic Maps, the MapGuide is an interactive travel website featuring more than 600 landmarks, natural resources, attractions, activities, events, lodging and dining venues nominated for inclusion in the MapGuide by local residents, businesses, organizations, public and private land managers, educators and community establishments. The MapGuide aims to attract a niche market of national and international geotourists to the Scenic, Wild Delaware River region. This resource will serve national and international tourists seeking culturally and naturally authentic places, and it will allow visitors access to travel advice from local residents in order to create their own itineraries. The announcement included leaders from the Scenic, Wild Delaware River Geotourism Stewardship Council, along with James Dion, National Geographic Maps’ director of tourism programs. Speakers will showcase how to use the new travel website and announce projects for the coming year. Businesses, sites and attractions that appear in the new MapGuide were also represented. For more information, visit the National Geographic’s Scenic, Wild Delaware River ​ MapGuide website. ​ NewsClips: Geotourists Can Now Find Their Way To Poconos The World Will Know Our Wild Delaware River Jeffrey Featherstone, Fmr DRBC Water Expert, Passes

Kinzua Sky Walk Named 1 Of 10 Most Beautiful Sky Walks In The World

The Kinzua Bridge State Park Sky Walk in McKean County ​ ​ has been named one of the 10 most beautiful sky walks in ​ ​ the world by The Culture Trip website which showcases the ​ ​ best art, culture, food and travel for every country in the world. Measuring 624 feet long and 225 feet high, the sky walk is an old­world marvel reinvented for the modern era. Featuring a glass­bottomed observation deck, visitors can peer down at the historic structure’s supporting towers. A visitor’s center, which will include two classrooms and two exhibition halls dedicated to displays on engineering, energy and the environment, will be open this fall. For more information, visit the Kinzua Bridge Visitors webpage. ​ ​ NewsClips: Kinzua Sky Walk 1 Of 10 Most Beautiful Skywalks In The World DCNR Holds May 17 Open House At Ryerson Station State Park PennDOT Plans New Access Ramps To Moraine State Park Sand Work Underway At Presque Isle Beaches

DCNR Posts Open Data Portal Allowing Access To All Published GIS Data

The Department of Conservation and Natural Resources Friday posted a new Open Data ​ webpage that allows access to all of its published Geographic Information System data­­ over 130 datasets related to state parks, state forests, geology, recreational opportunities and more. “In line with Gov. Tom Wolf’s call for transparent, easily accessible government, DCNR is offering an Open Data site that should prove invaluable to this audience of science­based, data­driven environmental professionals,” said DCNR Secretary Cindy Adams Dunn. “I urge you all to take advantage of this new service.” “Gov. Wolf’s recent announcement that Pennsylvania is joining the open data movement ­­ and that DCNR is at the forefront ­­ will lead to exciting opportunities, not only for environmental professionals, but for the media, students, academia, taxpayers, businesses. The list is endless,” she added. In addition, Dunn said: ­­ The site will provide direct access to DCNR public GIS data, including well over 100 sets of data; ­­ Users can connect to the data from any device or platform; create their own maps and reports; and add to their own applications; ­­ This is a major increase in efficiency for us and DCNR partners/constituents, who rely on its information, as well as an improved tool for collaborative work; ­­ Most of the data accessed through the site is updated on a daily basis making the information more reliable; ­­ This data is the basis for DCNR’s highly used interactive maps which are highlighted and accessible via a map gallery in the Open Data site; and ­­ Emphasis is on easily available and transparent information. Click Here to go to DCNR’s Open Data Portal. ​ ​

May 13 DCNR Resource Newsletter Now Available

The May 13 edition of the Resource newsletter is now available from the Department of ​ ​ Conservation and Natural Resources featuring articles on­­ ­­ National Bike Month Showcases Biking Opportunities Throughout PA ​ ­­ DCNR Offering Open Data Website ​ ­­ Josh Swartley Named To Head Delaware Canal State Park Complex ​ ­­ Tree Planting In Weiser State Forest Underscores Abandoned Mine Reclamation Efforts ​ ­­ May 16 Environmental Issues Forum Focuses On Chronic Wasting Disease In Deer ​ ­­ Volunteers, HBG Senators Baseball Team Mark Arbor Day With Tree Planting ​ ­­ Explore Archery Programs Available At State Parks ​ ­­ Goddard Student Leadership Legacy Institute Looking For Applicants ​ ­­ Conservation Tip: Consider Native Plants For Landscaping Projects ​ ­­ Click Here to sign up for your own copy (bottom of the page). ​ ​

Gifford Pinchot’s Grey Towers Heritage Assn. Summer Lecture Series Set

Conservation and the Arts is a major focus of the Grey Towers Heritage Association ​ Summer 2016 Lecture Series at Grey ​ Towers National Historic Site, Milford, Pike County. ​ The lectures are free and open to the public. Grey Towers is the ancestral home of Gifford Pinchot, conservationist and two­term Governor of Pennsylvania. Public programs are geared toward heightening awareness of the conservation, social and philanthropic contributions that the Pinchot family made to improve the lives of all Americans. The lectures, which begin at 5:30 pm, show a relation to the Pinchot family and illustrate how writers, painters and photographers had and continue to have a connection to nature and have been able to help others, including the Pinchots, connect to and influence conservation. A lecture on the spirituality of Gifford Pinchot utilizes excerpts from Pinchot’s diaries to gain insight to his spiritual beliefs, including the afterlife. The lectures, which will be followed by a light reception and an opportunity to meet the guest speakers, are funded in part with an Orange and Rockland Community Investment Grant. Lecture schedule is as follows: ­­ June 4: “The Means of Seeing: Conservationism and the Nature Essays of John Burroughs.” The Pinchots included Burroughs’ writings in their collection of books that ​ influenced their thinking about nature and conservation. Matthew Nickel, Ph.D., published author and assistant professor of English at Misericordia University, is the guest speaker for this first in a series of lectures illustrating conservation and the arts. This program is co­hosted by the Gifford Pinchot Audubon Society, Grey Towers ​ ​ Heritage Association and the U.S. Forest Service. ­­ July 16: "Jervis McEntee, the Pinchot Family, and the Hudson River School of Art." This illustrated lecture by Kerry Dean Carso, associate professor of art history at SUNY New Paltz, will discuss the landscape painter Jervis McEntee (1828­1891) in relation to his friend and patron James Pinchot. A native of Rondout (now Kingston), New York, McEntee was known for his introspective and melancholy paintings of American scenery. He was part of a circle of artists (including Sanford Gifford, after whom Gifford Pinchot is named) who rented space in the Tenth Street Studio Building in New York. McEntee had a strong connection to the Milford area. He visited the Pinchot family at Grey Towers on two occasions and was himself named after John B. Jervis, the engineer of the Delaware and Hudson Canal, as was the city of Port Jervis. (Photo: This is Jervis McEntee’s iconic “View on the Hudson Near the Rondout,” from the collection of Richard Sharp.) This program is co­hosted by the Grey Towers Heritage Association and the U.S. Forest Service. ­­ August 27: "The Spirituality of Gifford Pinchot.” Former Grey Towers Director Ed ​ Brannon continues his exploration of Gifford Pinchot’s view of the afterlife and discusses how Pinchot’s personal diaries are a gateway to understanding his spiritual beliefs. This program is co­hosted by the Grey Towers Heritage Association and the U.S. Forest Service. ­­ September 17: “The Clearest Way into the Universe: Nature’s Meaning in the Photographs of Ansel Adams.” Gifford Pinchot was one of the first Americans to recognize ​ that photography could influence the nation’s conservation thinking. Ansel Adams also was a visionary figure in nature photography and wilderness preservation, and Dr. Brian Carso will present this third in a series of lectures in which he reflects on how Adams’ famous photographs continue to inspire an appreciation for natural beauty and a strong conservation ethic. This program is co­hosted by the Gifford Pinchot Audubon Society, Grey Towers Heritage Association and the U.S. Forest Service. All lectures begin at 5:30 pm. Pre­registration strongly recommended as seating is limited. Please call 570­296­9625 or send email to: [email protected]. ​ ​ For more information on programs, initiatives and other upcoming events, visit the Grey ​ Towers Heritage Association website. Click Here to sign up for regular updates from Grey ​ ​ ​ Towers.

Grey Towers’ Historic Garden Tour June 4 In Pike County

Come see the historic gardens at Grey Towers National ​ Historic Site, Gov. Gifford Pinchot’s former residence, in ​ ​ ​ Milford, Pike County, in its late spring glory on June 4 at 10 a.m. Participants will learn botanical as well as historical information about the many perennials, flowering and woody shrubs, such as the mountain laurel, Pennsylvania’s state flower, that should be blooming. The historic gardens that surround the stone mansion have provided inspiration since they were planted by Cornelia Pinchot nearly a century ago. Experience first­hand how the setting continues to inspire generations of visitors today. Meet Horticulturist Elizabeth Hawke at the Visitor Pavilion in the Grey Towers parking lot for this approximately 90­minute walking tour through the landscape. Reservations strongly suggested; call 570­296­9630 for information. $8 adults/$7 seniors; exact change preferred. The walk is held rain or shine; sturdy, comfortable footwear is recommended. For more information on programs, initiatives and other upcoming events, visit the Grey ​ Towers National Historic Site website. Click Here to sign up for regular updates from Grey ​ ​ ​ Towers.

Sen. Alloway Urges Public To Provide Online Feedback To Fish & Boat Commission

Sen. Rich Alloway II (R­Adams) is encouraging local anglers to provide feedback on issues pertaining to the Fish and Boat Commission through the use of a new online public comment webpage. Known as “The Fishing Hole,” the new webpage invites the public to share their ​ ​ thoughts, questions and concerns regarding the Commission, fishing and boating, and the state’s aquatic resources. “The new public comment page offers a great way for sportsmen to share their stories and experiences,” Sen. Alloway said. “I commend the Fish and Boat Commission for making this tool available, and I encourage all Pennsylvania anglers and boating enthusiasts to consider using this resource to make their voices heard.”

Spring Newsletter From PA Council Of Trout Unlimited Now Available

The Spring 2016 newsletter from the PA Council of Trout Unlimited is now available featuring ​ ​ ​ ​ stories on­­ ­­ Coldwater Heritage Grant Aids Little Lehigh Buffer Project ­­ Delaware River Watershed Remains A Top Priority For TU ­­ Tali MacArthur Named Coldwater Heritage Partnership & PA TU Program Director ­­ Youghiogheny River Symposium June 24­25 ­­ Annual PA TU Award Nominations Due July 31 ­­ Coldwater Heritage Awards 9 Grants At Keystone Coldwater Conference ­­ Women’s Initiative Chair Seeks To Jump­Start Events Across The State ­­ Chapter News ­­ Click Here to sign up for PA TU updates by email (top of page). ​ ​ The PA Trout newsletter is available by postal mail subscription of $5/year for 4 issues. Send your name and postal address to: PA Trout, PO Box 5148, Bellefonte, PA 16823 with a check made out to: PA Trout. For more information on programs, initiatives and upcoming events, visit the PA Council ​ of Trout Unlimited and Coldwater Heritage Partnership websites. ​ ​ ​

PA Council Of Trout Unlimited Names Tali MacArthur Program Manager

Tali MacArthur has been named Program Director for the Coldwater ​ Heritage Partnership and PA Council of Trout Unlimited with over 10 years’ ​ ​ ​ experience in the environmental conservation and management field. During a career at the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, Tali coordinated the Clean Marina Program, an incentive­based effort to encourage marina owners to reduce their ecological impacts on marine waters and habitats. She promoted the creation of public access trails and walkways along the urban Hudson River waterfront of north New Jersey. She also coordinated the NJ Volunteer Stream Monitoring Program and recruited and trained AmeriCorps volunteers as NJ Watershed Ambassadors who worked closely with local communities to monitor stream health and provide watershed education and outreach to local residents. Tali’s passion for outdoor recreation was ignited while she was living in Seattle, Wash., for graduate school. Bike rides and hikes with spectacular vistas of the Pacific Ocean, the Cascade mountain range, and the Gorge at George along the Columbia River inspired a desire to ensure that such critical landscapes and habitats are protected for fish and wildlife while still allowing for the use and enjoyment of those resources by local communities. Tali brings that passion to CHP and PATU and hopes that her work will serve to conserve and protect Pennsylvania’s coldwater streams and the legacy of fisheries they provide for residents and visitors alike. You can reach her at 814­359­5233 or c­[email protected]. ​ ​ For more information on programs, initiatives and upcoming events, visit the PA Council ​ of Trout Unlimited and Coldwater Heritage Partnership websites. Click Here to sign up for PA ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ TU updates by email (top of page). NewsClip: Trout Unlimited Chapter Reflects, Girds For Future

(Reprinted from the Spring 2016 newsletter of PA Council of Trout Unlimited. Click Here to ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ sign up for PA TU updates by email (top of page).)

Kim Snyder New Manager Of DEP’s Wilkes­Barre Abandoned Mine Reclamation Office

The Department of Environmental Protection Saturday announced the appointment of Kim Snyder as Environmental Program Manager for the Bureau of Abandoned Mine Reclamation’s Wilkes­Barre Office. Snyder is taking over the position from the retiring Michael Korb on May 14. ​ ​ He began his career with BAMR in the Wilkes­Barre District Office in 1984. He has worked there for nearly 32 years and brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to the position. Snyder grew up in the Connellsville area of western Pennsylvania before attending Penn State University where he received a bachelor of Science Degree in Civil Engineering. He resides in Wilkes­Barre with his wife Sheryl, and three sons, John, Matthew and Timothy.

Help Wanted: Trout Unlimited Policy Director For The Mid­Atlantic Region

Trout Unlimited is seeking qualified candidates for the position of Policy Director for the ​ Mid­Atlantic Region to lead efforts to protect coldwater habitats under pressure from energy production and transmission activities based in Harrisburg or the Delaware River Watershed. Responsibilities include­­ ­­ Organize and lead advocacy campaigns that result in the protection of important coldwater fisheries; ­­ Build a coalition of hunters and anglers and other advocates who can be called upon to engage in conservation efforts; ­­ Conduct outreach to TU chapters, sportsmen's organizations, and other stakeholders about the potential effects of energy development and transmission and other pertinent conservation issues; ­­ Manage a small staff focused on facilitating volunteer monitoring programs, analyzing threats to coldwater fisheries, and engaging advocates in the protection of trout habitat; ­­ Fundraise to support ongoing conservation programs and ­­ Manage grants and budgets. Applications are due no later than June 10. Click Here for all the details. ​ ​

Help Wanted: Manada Conservancy Hiring Part­Time Program Coordinator

The Manada Conservancy in Dauphin County is seeking qualified candidates to fill a part­time ​ ​ Program Coordinator position to assist with the planning and implementation of upcoming events and programs. Primary responsibilities: Volunteer coordination; Event planning and execution; Provide assistance to the Acting Executive Director and Committee members with a wide variety of tasks; and Assist with a range of tasks from preservation work to daily office work, as needed. Essential Skills and Qualifications: Ability to work effectively with a wide variety of individuals, staff, Board members, partners, Manada members and volunteers; Excellent oral and written communication skills; Organized, self­motivated, attentive to details, and responsive to deadlines; Ability to multitask; Proficiency with Microsoft Office; experience in database management strongly preferred; Willingness to work a flexible schedule, some evenings and weekends required; and An interest in conservation and Manada Conservancy’s mission. The deadline for applications is May 30. Please submit resume and cover letter by email to [email protected]. ​ ​

Intern Wanted: Western PA Conservancy Watershed Conservation Intern In Elk County

The Western PA Conservancy is seeking college students to fill a Watershed Conservation Intern ​ ​ in the Conservancy’s Watershed Conservation Program Office in Ridgway, Elk County. Applications will be accepted until the position is filled. Click Here for all the details. ​ ​

Opportunity To Bid On DEP Mine Reclamation Project In Westmoreland County

The Department of Environmental Protection published notice in the May 14 PA Bulletin of an ​ ​ opportunity to bid on a mine reclamation project in Westmoreland 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 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.

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. ​ ​

May 13­15­­ Susquehanna Greenway: Susquehanna River Sojourn Sayer to Sugar Run. ​ ​ ​ ​ ​

May 14­­ PA Resources Council Hard­To­Recycle Collection Event. Frazer Township, ​ ​ ​ ​ Allegheny County.

May 14­­ Foundation for Sustainable Forests Loving The Land Through Working Forests. ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Corry, Erie County.

May 14­­ Pinchot’s Grey Towers Heritage Walk. Milford, Pike County. ​ ​ ​

May 14­­ PA Horticultural Society Meadowbrook Farm Open House & Plant Sale. Jenkintown, ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Montgomery County.

May 15­­ NEW. 3 Rivers Wet Weather Better Backyards For Healthy Streams Landowner ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Workshop. Ross Community Center, 1000 Ross Municipal Dr., Pittsburgh. 2:00. ​

May 15­­ NEW. Chesapeake Bay Foundation­PA Student Canoe Classic. Susquehanna ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Outfitters, Wormleysburg near Harrisburg. ​

May 16­­ Environmental Issues Forum, Joint Legislative Air & Water Pollution Control and ​ ​ Conservation Committee, featuring a presentation on chronic wasting disease in deer. Room ​ 8E­A East Wing Capitol. Noon.

May 17­­ NEW. Senate Democratic Policy Committee holds a roundtable discussion on the ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ public health effects of lead exposure. CHOP, Karabots Pediatric Care Center, 4865 Market St., Philadelphia. 11:00.

May 17­­ Agenda Posted. Environmental Quality Board meeting. DEP Contact: Laura Edinger, ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Environmental Quality Board, 400 Market Street, Harrisburg, PA 17101, 717­772­3277, [email protected]. ​ ­­ Proposed Rulemaking Increasing Laboratory Accreditation Fees ­­ Final Rulemaking Setting Remining Requirements ­­ Click Here for available handouts ​ ​

May 17­­ Agenda Posted. DEP Citizens Advisory Council. Room 105 Rachel Carson Building. ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ 10:00. DEP Contact: Katie Hetherington Cunfer, Citizens Advisory Council, P. O. Box 8459, Harrisburg, PA 17105­8459, 717­705­2693, [email protected]. Click Here to register to attend ​ ​ ​ ​ the meeting by webinar. ­­ Presentation On Impact Of DEP Budget Cuts On Bureau Of Laboratories Operations; ­­ Presentation On DEP’s Alternative Fuel Incentive Grant Program; ­­ Presentation On DCNR’s new Riparian Forest Buffer Initiative; and ­­ Update On DEP’s Workforce Planning and Civil Service Reforms. ­­ DEP’s May Report To CAC ​ ­­ Click Here for available handouts. ​ ​

May 17­­ Agenda Posted. DEP Climate Change Advisory Committee meets. 16th Floor ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Conference Room, Rachel Carson Building. 10:00. DEP Contact: Mark Brojakowski, Bureau of Air Quality, 400 Market Street, Harrisburg, PA 17101, 717­772­3429, [email protected]. ​ ​ (formal notice) ​ ​ ­­ DCNR’s Climate Change Paper Presentation ­­ DEP’s Legacy Well Emissions Study ­­ Discussion Of House Bill 2030 (Santarsiero­D­Bucks) Setting Emission Reduction Goal ​ ​ ­­ Review/Discussion Of Final Climate Change Action Plan ­­ Click Here for available handouts. ​ ​

May 17­­ Susquehanna River Basin Commission Developing Aquifer Testing Plans & ​ ​ Groundwater Withdrawal Applications Workshop. Commission’s Conference Center located at ​ 4423 N. Front Street, Harrisburg, PA. Day­Long.

May 18­­ NEW. Senate Consumer Protection and Professional Licensure Committee meets to ​ ​ ​ ​ consider House Bill 1241 (R.Brown­R­Monroe) exempting resorts offering water and sewage ​ ​ services from definition of public utility (House Fiscal Note and summary). Room 461. 10:30. ​ ​

May 18­­ NEW. Senate Urban Affairs and Housing Committee meets to consider Senate Bill ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ 141 (Greenleaf­R­Montgomery) amending the Real Estate Seller Disclosure Law to require ​ disclosure of a property’s flood history (sponsor summary), Senate Bill 142 (Greenleaf­R­ ​ ​ ​ ​ Montgomery) amending the Landlord and Tenant Act to require disclosure of a property’s flood history (sponsor summary). Rules Room. Off the Floor. ​ ​

May 18­­ CANCELED. DEP Conventional Oil and Gas Advisory Committee meeting. ​ ​ ​ ​ Rescheduled to June 23 at a joint meeting with the Oil and Gas Technical Advisory Board. DEP Contact: Todd Wallace, Oil and Gas Program, by calling 717­783­9438 or send email to: [email protected]. ​

May 18­19­­ PA Urban & Community Forestry Council Key To Long Term Urban Tree ​ ​ ​ ​ Survival Workshop. Allentown. ​

May 19­­ CANCELED. DEP Oil and Gas Technical Advisory Board meeting. Rescheduled to ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ June 23 at a joint meeting with the Conventional Oil and Gas Advisory Committee. DEP Contact: Todd Wallace, Oil and Gas Program, by calling 717­783­9438 or send email to: [email protected]. ​

May 19­­ NEW. PA League Of Women Voters Sustainable Energy & Jobs Symposium. ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Pittsburgh.

May 19­­ Penn State Webinar On Monitoring Seismic Activity In PA. 1:00. ​ ​ ​

May 19­­ Friends Of The Wissahickon Lessons Benefits Of Park, Garden Ecosystems. ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Montgomery County.

May 21­­ PA Resources Council Household Chemical Collection Event. Cambria County, ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Concurrent Technologies Corp. ETF Facility, Johnstown. 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

May 21­­ Brodhead Watershed Association Thunder Swamp Hike. Pike County. ​ ​ ​ ​ ​

May 23­­ NEW. House Transportation Committee holds a hearing on House Bill 1057 ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ (Ellis­R­Butler) amending the Alternative Fuels Tax Act relating to taxes imposed on electric and other alternative­fueled vehicles (sponsor summary). Room 205 Ryan Building. 11:30. ​ ​

May 24­­ NEW. 3 Rivers Wet Weather Green Infrastructure: Build It Right The First Time ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Municipal Workshop. Green Tree Municipal Building, Pittsburgh. 9:00­11:00 a.m. ​

May 24­25­­ PA Envirothon Competition. Susquehanna University, Camp Mount Luther in ​ ​ ​ Selinsgrove.

June 1­­ CANCELED. DEP Small Water Systems Technical Assistance Center Board meeting. ​ ​ ​ ​ Meeting rescheduled to June 23. DEP Contact: Dawn Hissner, DEP Bureau of Safe Drinking Water, 717­772­2189 or [email protected]. (formal notice) ​ ​ ​ ​ ​

June 3­­ Appalachian Trail Museum Hall Of Fame Banquet. Allenberry Resort, Boiling ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Springs, Cumberland County.

June 3­5­­ PA Environmental Council Environment Ride. Philadelphia to Bethlehem back to ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Philadelphia.

June 3­4­­ Brodhead Watershed Association Annual Native Plant Sale. Tannersville, Monroe ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ County.

June 4­­ Hawk Mountain Sanctuary Art Tour & Sale. Berks County. ​ ​ ​

June 4­­ Salvation Army. River & Wind Challenge Great Allegheny Passage Trail. Somerset ​ ​ ​ County.

June 4­­ NEW. Grey Towers’ Historic Landscape Walk. Grey Towers National Historic Site. ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Pike County

June 4­­ NEW. Grey Towers Heritage Assn. Summer Lecture Series: The Means Of Seeing: ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Conservationism And The Nature Essays Of John Burroughs. Grey Towers National Historic ​ Site, Milford, Pike County. 5:30 p.m. ​

June 4­10­­ 18th Annual Schuylkill River Sojourn. ​ ​ ​

June 4­12­­ Chesapeake Bay Watershed Awareness Week. ​ ​ ​

June 7­­ DEP Storage Tank Advisory Committee meeting. Room 105 Rachel Carson Building. ​ ​ ​ 10:00. DEP Contact: Charles M. Swokel, Bureau of Environmental Cleanup and Brownfields, ​ 400 Market Street, Harrisburg, PA 17101, 717­772­5806 or (800) 428­2657 ((800) 42­TANKS) within the Commonwealth, [email protected]. (formal notice) ​ ​ ​ ​ ​

June 9­­ DEP Air Quality Technical Advisory Committee meeting. Room 105 Rachel Carson ​ ​ Building. 9:15. Contact: Nancy Herb, [email protected]. ​ ​

June 12­17­­ Susquehanna Greenway: Susquehanna River Sojourn Laceyville to Shickshinny. ​ ​ ​ ​ ​

June 14­­ DEP Board of Coal Mine Safety meeting. DEP Cambria Office, 286 Industrial Park ​ ​ Rd., Ebensburg. 10:00. DEP Contact: Allison Gaida, Bureau of Mine Safety, Department of ​ Environmental Protection, New Stanton Office, 131 Broadview Road, New Stanton, PA 15672, 724­404­3147, [email protected]. ​ ​

June 14 or 15­­ DEP MS4 Stormwater Workshops. Uniontown. ​ ​ ​

June 15­­ Delaware River Basin Commission holds a business meeting on water withdrawal ​ ​ ​ requests and adopting guidelines for certain determinations made under the Commission’s water quality regulations. Washington Crossing Historic Park Visitor Center, 1112 River Road, Washington Crossing, PA. 10:30. (formal notice) ​ ​ ​

June 15­­ NEW. Delaware River Basin Commission informational meeting on proposed changes ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ to project review fee structure. Washington Crossing Historic Park Visitor Center, 1112 River ​ ​ ​ Road, Washington Crossing, Bucks County. 2:00­4:00 p.m.

June 16­­ DEP State Board for Certification of Water and Wastewater Systems Operators ​ meeting. 10th Floor Conference Room, Rachel Carson Building. 10:00. DEP Contact: Cheri Sansoni, Bureau of Safe Drinking Water, Operator Certification, 400 Market Street, Harrisburg, PA 17101, 717­772­5158, [email protected]. ​ ​

June 16­­ NEW. 3 Rivers Wet Weather Green Infrastructure Ground Truthing: Monitoring ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Results Case Studies From Across The Country Municipal Workshop. Green Tree Municipal ​ Building, Pittsburgh. 9:00­11:00 a.m.

June 17­19­­ Susquehanna Greenway: Susquehanna River Sojourn Shickshinny To Sunbury. ​ ​ ​ ​ ​

June 18­­ PA Resources Council Allegheny County ReuseFest. Mt. Lebanon. ​ ​ ​

June 18­­ Berks County Conservation District CREP Maintenance Field Day. Wernersville. ​ ​ ​ ​ ​

June 18­25­­ Delaware River Sojourn. ​ ​ ​

June 20­­ NEW. DEP Public Meeting, Hearing On Changes To Air Permit For Lackawanna ​ ​ ​ Energy Center, LLC Natural Gas Power Plant In Jessup Borough, Lackawanna County. Valley ​ View High School, Archbald, Lackawanna County. 6:00 to 9:30 p.m.

June 21­­ Environmental Quality Board meeting. DEP Contact: Laura Edinger, Environmental ​ ​ ​ Quality Board, 400 Market Street, Harrisburg, PA 17101, 717­772­3277, [email protected]. ​ ​

June 21­­ DEP Citizens Advisory Council. Room 105 Rachel Carson Building. 10:00. DEP ​ ​ ​ Contact: Katie Hetherington Cunfer, Citizens Advisory Council, P. O. Box 8459, Harrisburg, PA 17105­8459, 717­705­2693, [email protected]. ​ ​

June 21 or 22­­ DEP MS4 Stormwater Workshops. Scranton. ​ ​ ​

June 22­23­­ 2016 PA Abandoned Mine Reclamation Conference. Indiana University of PA, ​ ​ ​ Indiana.

June 23­­ Joint meeting of the Conventional Oil and Gas Advisory Committee and Oil and Gas ​ ​ ​ ​ Technical Advisory Board. DEP Moshannon District Office, 186 Enterprise Dr., Philipsburg. ​ ​ 10:00. DEP Contact: Todd Wallace, Oil and Gas Program, by calling 717­783­9438 or send email to: [email protected]. ​ ​

June 23­­ DEP Small Water Systems Technical Assistance Center Board meeting. Susquehanna ​ ​ Room, Fish & Boat Commission Building, 1601 Elmerton Ave., Harrisburg. 9:00. DEP Contact: Dawn Hissner, DEP Bureau of Safe Drinking Water, 717­772­2189 or [email protected]. ​ (formal notice) ​ ​

June 24­25­­ NEW. Youghiogheny River Symposium. Penn State University­Fayette. ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Uniontown.

June 24­29­­ Wildlands Conservancy Lehigh River Sojourn. ​ ​ ​ ​ ​

June 25­­ PA Resources Council Hard­To­Recycle Collection Event. LTBA, Allegheny County. ​ ​ ​ ​

June 28 or 29­­ DEP MS4 Stormwater Workshops. Wyomissing. ​ ​ ​

June 29­­ State Board for Certification of Sewage Enforcement Officers meeting. 11th Floor ​ ​ ​ Conference Room B, Rachel Carson Building. 10:00. DEP Contact: Kristen Szwajkowski, ​ Bureau of Point Non­Point Source Management, 400 Market Street, Harrisburg, PA 17101, 717­772­2186, [email protected]. ​ ​

June 30­­ DEP Solid Waste Advisory Committee meeting. Room 105 Rachel Carson Building. ​ ​ ​ 10:00. DEP Contact: Keith Ashley, Bureau of Waste Management, 400 Market Street, ​ Harrisburg, PA 17101, 717­787­2553, [email protected]. ​ ​

July 9­­ PA Resources Council Household Chemical Collection Event. Washington County, ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Washington County Fairgrounds. 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

July 16­­ NEW. Grey Towers Heritage Assn. Summer Lecture Series: Jervis McEntee, The ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Pinchot Family And The Hudson River School Of Art. Grey Towers National Historic Site, ​ ​ Milford, Pike County. 5:30 p.m.

July 19 or 20­­ DEP MS4 Stormwater Workshops. Lewisburg. ​ ​ ​

July 21­­ Agenda Posted. DEP Mining and Reclamation Advisory Board meeting. Cambria ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ District Mining Office, 286 Industrial park Road, Ebensburg. 10:00. DEP Contact: Daniel Snowden, Bureau of Mining Programs, 400 Market Street, Harrisburg, PA 17101, 717­787­5103, [email protected]. ​

July 25­29­­ The Sustainable Energy Fund Energypath Renewable Energy Conference, Student ​ ​ ​ ​ Energy Camps, Science Fair. Penn Stater Hotel and Conference Center, State College. ​

July 27­29­­ PROP Recycling & Organics Conference. Harrisburg. ​ ​ ​

August 13­­ PA Resources Council Household Chemical Collection Event. Allegheny County, ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Boyce Park Four Seasons Ski Lodge parking lot. 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

August 13­­ Lacawac Sanctuary 50th Anniversary Farm To Plate Dinner. Wayne County. ​ ​

August 20­­ PA Resources Council Hard­To­Recycle Collection Event. West Mifflin, Allegheny ​ ​ ​ ​ County.

August 24­­ CANCELED. DEP Conventional Oil and Gas Advisory Committee meeting. DEP ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Contact: Todd Wallace, Oil and Gas Program, by calling 717­783­9438 or send email to: ​ [email protected]. ​

August 25­­ CANCELED. DEP Oil and Gas Technical Advisory Board meeting. DEP Contact: ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Todd Wallace, Oil and Gas Program, by calling 717­783­9438 or send email to: [email protected]. ​

August 27­­ NEW. Grey Towers Heritage Assn. Summer Lecture Series: The Spirituality Of ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Gifford Pinchot. Grey Towers National Historic Site, Milford, Pike County. 5:30 p.m. ​ ​

September 15­18­­ Delaware Highlands Conservancy Women and Their Woods Educational ​ ​ ​ ​ Retreat. Milanville, Wayne County. ​

September 17­­ PA Resources Council Household Chemical Collection Event. Allegheny ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ County, South Park Wave Pool parking lot. 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

September 17­­ NEW. Grey Towers Heritage Assn. Summer Lecture Series: The Clearest Way ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Into The Universe: Nature’s Meaning In The Photographs Of Ansel Adams. Grey Towers ​ National Historic Site, Milford, Pike County. 5:30 p.m. ​

September 22­­ DEP Recycling Fund Advisory Committee meeting. Room 105 Rachel Carson ​ ​ Building. 10:00. DEP Contact: Keith Ashley, Bureau of Waste Management, 400 Market Street, Harrisburg, PA 17101, 717­787­2553, [email protected]. ​ ​

September 22­­ Penn State Extension Dive Deeper III Water Educator Summit. The Central ​ ​ ​ Hotel & Conference Center, Harrisburg.

October 1­­ PA Resources Council Hard­To­Recycle Collection Event. Robinson Township, ​ ​ ​ ​ Allegheny County.

October 7­­ DEP Low­Level Radioactive Waste Advisory Committee meeting. Room 105 ​ ​ ​ Rachel Carson Building. 10:00. DEP Contact: Rich Janati, Bureau of Radiation Protection, 400 Market Street, Harrisburg, PA 17101, 717­787­2147, [email protected]. ​ ​

October 8­­ PA Resources Council Household Chemical Collection Event. Beaver County, ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Bradys Run Park Recycling Center. 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

October 26­28­­ Pennsylvania Brownfields Conference. Lancaster Convention Center, ​ ​ ​ Lancaster.

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

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. ​ ​

DEP Regulations In Process Proposed Regulations Open For Comment ­ DEP webpage ​ Submit Comments on Proposals Through DEP’s eComment System ​ Proposed Regulations With Closed Comment Periods ­ DEP webpage ​ Recently Finalized Regulations ­ DEP webpage ​ DEP Regulatory Update ­ DEP webpage ​ Feb. 27 DEP Regulatory Agenda ­ PA Bulletin, page 1123 ​

DEP Technical Guidance In Process Draft Technical Guidance Documents ­ DEP webpage ​ Technical Guidance Comment Deadlines ­ DEP webpage ​ Submit Comments on Proposals Through DEP’s eComment System ​ Recently Closed Comment Periods For Technical Guidance ­ DEP webpage ​ Technical Guidance Recently Finalized ­ DEP webpage ​ Copies of Final Technical Guidance ­ DEP webpage ​ DEP Non­Regulatory/Technical Guidance Documents Agenda (Feb. 1, 2016) ­ DEP webpage ​

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

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

DEP Calendar of Events DCNR Calendar of Events ​ ​

Note: The Environmental Education Workshop Calendar is no longer available from the PA ​ Center for Environmental Education because funding for the Center was eliminated in the FY 2011­12 state budget. The PCEE website was also shutdown, but some content was moved to the PA Association of Environmental Educators' website. ​ ​

Senate Committee Schedule House Committee Schedule ​ ​

You can watch the Senate Floor Session and House Floor Session live online. ​ ​ ​ ​

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Grants & Awards

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

May 14­­ Vote In Chesapeake Bay Foundation Photo Contest ​ ​ May 16­­ EPA Presidential Environmental Education Innovation Award ​ ​ May 16­­ USDA Wetland Reserve Enhancement Program ​ ​ May 19­­ DCNR Volunteer Fire Company Grants ​ ​ May 19­­ Schuylkill Highlands Conservation Landscape Mini Grant Program ​ ​ May 31­­ $2K Scholarships By National Assn. Of Abandoned Mine Land Programs ​ ​ May 31­­ PA Waste Watcher Awards Program ​ ​ May 31­­ Dominion Foundation Higher Education, K­12 Education Grants ​ ​ June 1­­ PA Horticultural Society Tree Of The Year Contest ​ ​ June 3­­ Great American Cleanup of PA Video Contest ​ ​ June 15­­ PA Horticultural Society Gardening & Greening Contest ​ ​ June 17­­ Sinnemahoning Creek Watershed Grants ​ June 30­­ Susquehanna Greenway Partnership Photo Contest ​ ​ June 30­­ CFA Act 13 Watershed Restoration Grants ​ June 30­­ CFA Act 13 Abandoned Mine Drainage Abatement And Treatment Grants ​ ​ June 30­­ CFA Act 13 Orphan Or Abandoned Well Plugging Grant Program ​ ​ June 30­­ CFA Act 13 Baseline Water Quality Data Grant Program ​ June 30­­ CFA Act 13 Sewage Facilities Grant Program ​ ​ June 30­­ CFA Act 13 Flood Mitigation Grant Program ​ ​ June 30­­ CFA Act 13 Greenways, Trails And Recreation Grant Program ​ ​ June 30­­ Susquehanna Greenways Partnership Photo Contest ​ June 30­­ Energypath Conference Student/Educator Scholarships ​ ​ July­­ CFA Renewable Energy­Geothermal And Wind Grants ​ July­­ CFA High Performance Building Grants ​ ​ July 8­­ ARIPPA Abandoned Mine Reclamation Grants ​ ​ July 8­­ PROP Recycling Film Festival ​ ​ September­­ CFA Renewable Energy­Geothermal And Wind Grants ​ September­­ CFA High Performance Building Grants ​ ​ October 31­­ PA Resources Council Lens On Litter Photo Contest ​ December 31­­ DEP Alternative Fuels Incentive 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.

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Environmental NewsClips ­ All Topics

Here are NewsClips from around the state on all environmental topics, including General Environment, Budget, Marcellus Shale, Watershed Protection and much more.

The latest environmental NewsClips and news is available at the PA Environment Digest Daily ​ Blog, Twitter Feed and add us to your Google+ Circle. ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​

New Poll: Clinton, Trump Neck And Neck In PA Clinton, Trump Deadlocked In PA Poll Finds Trump Promises To Eliminate 90% Of Coal Laws Toomey Hold On U.S. Senate Race Tenuous Poll Shows Tight Race For U.S. Senate Air Manganese Levels Higher Than Normal In Beaver County Borough Air Quality Improves In Franklin County What Perdue Soybean Plant Means For York County Local Official Says Opposition To Soybean Plant Fading Editorial: Balancing Business, Environmental Health Editorial: Kids Are Shown To Suffer From Bad Air Quality Get Ready For More Detailed Look At Pittsburgh’s Air Pollution Trump Promises To Eliminate 90% Of Coal Laws Hazardous Waste Incinerator Proposal In Works In Susquehanna County Emmaus Residents Exposed To Unsafe Level Of Air Carcinogen Alternative Fuels Solar Activists Step Up Demands On PECO Energy Demonstrators Again Pressure PECO On Solar Power GE Closing Blawnox Solar Components Plant Investments In Renewable Energy On The Rise Awards & Recognition Perkiomen Valley Students Given Award For Schuylkill Watershed Work Philadelphia Water Celebrates 5 Years Of Green City, Clean Waters Kinzua Sky Walk 1 Of 10 Most Beautiful Skywalks In The World Biodiversity/Invasive Species Keeping Microbes, Zebra Mussels Away PA 2nd Only To NY In Number Of Invasive Forest Pests Go Native At Kings Gas Environmental Ed Center Purple Blossoms Herald Spring At Kings Gap Environmental Center Budget Bumsted: Revived Shale Tax Could Have Legs Swift: Budget Deadline Nearing Fast Micek: There Will Be A Budget On Governor’s Desk By June 30 John Baer: Hey, Ready For Another State Budget Battle? Sale Of Asbury Woods Nature Center In Erie Delayed By Budget Impasse Editorial: Preserve Priceless National Parks By Increasing Funding Editorial: Crumbling Infrastructure Not A Cliche In PA Chesapeake Bay Chesapeake Bay Journal: Despite Progress, States To Fall Short Of Bay Cleanup Targets PA Officials Collaborate On Chesapeake Bay Watershed Farm Inspections Crable: Farm Inspections To Begin Soon As Part Of Chesapeake Bay Reboot Op­Ed: Benefits Of Soil Health Extend Beyond Farm PA Puts Its Lagging Chesapeake Bay Cleanup On Pollution Diet Chesapeake Bay Commission Quietly Pushed Environmental Agenda For 35 Years Climate EPA Releases Rules To Curb Methane Leaks From Oil & Gas Industry U.S. Proposes To Cut Oil & Gas Methane Emissions By Nearly Half EPA Finalizes New Methane Standards For Oil & Gas Industry U.S. Proposes To Cut Oil & Gas Methane Emissions By Nearly Half Editorial: New Methane Regulation Clears Air Is It Time For Climate Activists To Change Tactics? Editorial: Climate Thugs, Colluding AGs Ashley Funk: Coming Home To Coal PA Country PA 2nd Only To NY In Number Of Invasive Forest Pests Compliance Action DEP: Huber Breaker Owners Did Not Follow Compliance Agreement Delaware River The World Will Know Our Wild Delaware River Geotourists Can Now Find Their Way To Poconos Jeffrey Featherstone, Fmr DRBC Water Expert, Passes Drinking Water Perkiomen Valley Students Given Award For Schuylkill Watershed Work Editorial: Clean Water Will Stay So With Public Vigilance Nestle Water Plans To Donate $205/Day To Eldred Twp How Harrisburg Took Its Testing Of Children For Lead To Next Level Drought Sick Of Rain? We Might Need More Economic Development Shell To Move Forward With Highway Relocation For Cracker Plant Education Perkiomen Valley Students Given Award For Schuylkill Watershed Work Hulk Actor Shows His Green Side To Philly Science Students Allegheny Front: Group Tackles Environmental Hazards At PA Schools Sale Of Asbury Woods Nature Center In Erie Delayed By Budget Impasse Asbury Woods EE Center Asks For $1 Million In Erie Ashley Funk: Coming Home To Coal PA Country Emergency Response First Responders Train For Hazardous Spills, Derailments In Harrisburg Energy Power Failure Triggers Emergency Shutdown At Berwick Nuclear Plant Bethlehem Turbine Project Faces Headwind In Poconos Editorial: Renewables Here To Stay 2 More Natural Gas Fired Power Plants Advancing In PA Natural Gas Comes To 600 Homes In Northumberland County Electric, Gas Utilities Leaning On Rate Increases To Fund Projects PECO Combats People Stealing Power PUC Sets May 25 Hearing On Columbia Gas Rates Former UGI Employee charged With Hacking Company’s Computers Consol Shifted, Turned As Markets Changed Around It Trump Promises To Eliminate 90% Of Coal Laws Energy Conservation State Revives Energy­Efficient Home Loan Program State Revives Energy Efficiency Loans For Homeowners Harrisburg City: PPL Fails To Account For New LED Lights As Speed Limits Rise In PA, Fuel Economy Falls Environmental Heritage W­B Marker Will Note Founding Of American Institute Of Mining Engineers Farming PA Officials Collaborate On Chesapeake Bay Watershed Farm Inspections Crable: Farm Inspections To Begin Soon As Part Of Chesapeake Bay Reboot Expert On Farm­To­Table Weighs In Flooding Johnstown Flood National Museum About Missing And Missed Forests PA 2nd Only To NY In Number Of Invasive Forest Pests Flight 93 Tree Seedlings Planting A Living Tribute Smoke Covering Parts Of Lackawanna County From Brush Fire Burn Ban Still In Effect In Schuylkill County Green Buildings/Sustainability Pittsburgh Shakes Off The Rust CMU: Make Buildings More Sustainable, Put Water Pipes On Outside Green Infrastructure Project Aims To Slow Inner­City Erie Stormwater Runoff Harvesting Rain Provides Environmental, Economic Benefits In Erie Philadelphia Water Celebrates 5 Years Of Green City, Clean Waters Growing Greener Growing Greener Funding In Bradford, Lycoming, Union Counties 4 Growing Greener Grants Awarded In Allegheny, Beaver, Lawrence Counties Cochranton Awarded $20K Growing Greener Stormwater Grant Land Use Planning Wolf: Playing Field Tilted Against Cities Litter Cleanup/Illegal Dumping PRC Holding Hard To Recycle Event To Help Get Rid Of Old TVs Allegheny Reservoir Cleanup May 14 More Than 50 Volunteers Clean Up South Scranton Erie Collects 1,664 Tons During Spring Cleanup Erie County Partners With Keep America Beautiful Oil & Gas Bumsted: Revived Shale Tax Could Have Legs Op­Ed: Protect Public From Environmental Hazards Of Drilling, Adopt DEP Regulations 2 More Natural Gas Fired Power Plants Advancing In PA Natural Gas Comes To 600 Homes In Northumberland County EPA Releases Rules To Curb Methane Leaks From Oil & Gas Industry U.S. Proposes To Cut Oil & Gas Methane Emissions By Nearly Half EPA Finalizes New Methane Standards For Oil & Gas Industry U.S. Proposes To Cut Oil & Gas Methane Emissions By Nearly Half Editorial: New Methane Regulation Clears Air Drilling Wastewater Can Taint Surface Water, Methane Emissions Need Controls Drilling Communities Reap Benefits Of Housing Grants Letter: Notable Voices Calling For Drilling Moratorium Lawmakers Funnel Another $150K To Drilling Industry Research Group Fire Safety Training Held On Natural Gas Vehicles In Washington County First Responders Train For Hazardous Spills, Derailments In Harrisburg Range Resources Good Neighbor Awards A Success In Washington County Op­Ed: Obama Siding With Green Over Job Creation, Again Consol Shifted, Turned As Markets Changed Around It Penn Virginia Drilling Company Files For Bankruptcy Shell To Move Forward With Highway Relocation For Cracker Plant Protestors Rally Against Navy Yard Oil Plan Pittsburgh Area Gasoline Hits $2.40/Gallon As Speed Limits Rise In PA, Fuel Economy Falls Pipelines Weld Coating Being Looked At As Cause Of Pipeline Explosion Westmoreland Residents Wonder Why Pipelines Don’t Have Automatic Shutoffs Allegheny Front: Pipeline Owner Sorry For Explosion Westmoreland Residents Worried About Effects Of Pipeline Explosion Could Faster Gas Flow Have Contributed To Westmoreland Pipeline Explosion? Crable: Another Gas Pipeline Planned For Lancaster County Atlantic Sunrise Pipeline Opponents File Lawsuit, Threatening Project’s Momentum Invoking Eminent Domain, Pipelines Run Roughshod Over Landowners Human Pipeline Formed At Philadelphia Natural Gas Summit Editorial: Crumbling Infrastructure Not A Cliche In PA Recreation Bike Count To Analyze Impact Of Added Lanes Bike, Pedestrian Friendliness Big Factors In Home Marketability PennDOT Bike/Pedestrian Coordinator Visits Pittsburgh Editorial: Bike­Share Program Needs to Shift Into Higher Gear Dock To Lock Race Attracts Crowd On Greene River Trail Green Space, Trail Link Planned For South Side Terminal Kinzua Sky Walk 1 Of 10 Most Beautiful Skywalks In The World DCNR Holds May 17 Open House At Ryerson Station State Park PennDOT Plans New Access Ramps To Moraine State Park Sand Work Underway At Presque Isle Beaches $50K Worth Of Archery At PA State Parks Geotourists Can Now Find Their Way To Poconos The World Will Know Our Wild Delaware River Cedar Creek Park Expands By 28 Acres In Westmoreland Editorial: Think Carefully When Protesting Against Holtwood Park Editorial: Preserve Priceless National Parks By Increasing Funding Black Bear Spotted In Fairmount Park Philadelphia Recycling/Waste Hazardous Waste Incinerator Proposal In Works In Susquehanna County Emmaus Residents Exposed To Unsafe Level Of Air Carcinogen Renewable Energy Solar Activists Step Up Demands On PECO Energy Demonstrators Again Pressure PECO On Solar Power Residents Pack Meeting On Bethlehem’s Wind Turbine Plan Bethlehem Turbine Project Faces Headwind In Poconos GE Closing Blawnox Solar Components Plant Investments In Renewable Energy On The Rise Editorial: Renewables Here To Stay Schuylkill River Perkiomen Valley Students Given Award For Schuylkill Watershed Work Rowers Worried About Schuylkill River Sediment As Annual Dad Vail Begins, Schuylkill Dredging Issues Looms Schuylkill River In Dire Straits After Dredging Is Delayed Stormwater Swift: Senate Moves On Rain Fee Bill Project Aims To Slow Inner­City Erie Stormwater Runoff Harvesting Rain Provides Environmental, Economic Benefits In Erie Cochranton Awarded $20K Growing Greener Stormwater Grant Superfund Site Emmaus Residents Exposed To Unsafe Level Of Air Carcinogen Wastewater Facilities Lehigh Authority OKs First Project To Address Sewer Overflows Watershed Protection Swift: Senate Moves On Rain Fee Bill Growing Greener Funding In Bradford, Lycoming, Union Counties 4 Growing Greener Grants Awarded In Allegheny, Beaver, Lawrence Counties Cochranton Awarded $20K Growing Greener Stormwater Grant Editorial: Clean Water Will Stay So With Public Vigilance Lehigh Authority OKs First Project To Address Sewer Overflows Sick Of Rain? We Might Need More Delaware Riverkeeper May 6 RiverWatch Video Report Pool Eyed In Montco Creek Dumping Probe Saving White Clay Creek: The Charge Of The Dorothy Miller Brigade Latest From The Chesapeake Bay Journal Click Here to subscribe to the Chesapeake Bay Journal ​ Wildlife Harrisburg’s Newest Peregrine Falcons Get Banded Pittsburgh Falcon Feeds Some Of Young To 1 Of Its Chicks Pittsburgh Falcon Feeds Young To 4th Chick Adding To Queasy Nest Cam Season Audubon Society’s Raptor Program Teaches About Birds’ Role In Environment Harrisburg Home Of Endangered Yellow­Crowned Night Herons Schneck: How Many Common Bird Eggs Have You Seen? Keeping Microbes, Zebra Mussels Away Trout Unlimited Chapter Reflects, Girds For Future Work Completed On Asian Carp Barrier To Great Lakes Schneck: # Of Deer With Chronic Wasting Disease Doubles In 2015 Game Commission Celebrates Safety In The Woods Game Commission Warns Of Spikes On Game Lands Trail Black Bear Spotted In Fairmount Park Philadelphia Zika Virus Wolf Rolls Out Zika Plan For Pennsylvania As Weather Warms, PA Prepares For Zika Virus PA Prepares Strategy To Fight Zika Virus This Summer Lancaster Getting Special Focus In PA’s Zika Plan What Is Zika Risk In Adams, York Counties? Zika Update: Scientists Still Learning About Strange Virus Other Flight 93 Tree Seedlings Planting A Living Tribute Volunteers Set To Plant More Trees At Flight 93 Memorial Delco Native Susan Phillips Makes A Mark On The Environment

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Regulations, Technical Guidance & Permits

No new regulations were published this week. Pennsylvania Bulletin ­ May 14, 2016 ​

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. ​ ​

DEP Regulations In Process Proposed Regulations Open For Comment ­ DEP webpage ​ Submit Comments on Proposals Through DEP’s eComment System ​ Proposed Regulations With Closed Comment Periods ­ DEP webpage ​ Recently Finalized Regulations ­ DEP webpage ​ DEP Regulatory Update ­ DEP webpage ​ Feb. 27 DEP Regulatory Agenda ­ PA Bulletin, page 1123 ​

Technical Guidance & Permits

The Department of Environmental Protection published a notice in the May 14 PA Bulletin ​ outlining a transition policy for enforcement of the July 1 deadline for selling heating oil that meets a 500 parts per million sulfur content standard (25 Pa. Code Section 123.22). ​ ​ The transition policy is in response to unprecedented heating oil inventories remaining from an unusually warm winter. Other states have similar transition periods. The PA Petroleum Association, representing heating oil distributors, had proposed a 15 ppm ultra low sulfur standard like other neighboring states have adopted to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions, but that was not adopted in 2013.

DEP published notice in the May 14 PA Bulletin of changes to the list of companies certified to perform radon­related activities in Pennsylvania (PA Bulletin, page 2472). ​ ​ ​ ​

DEP Technical Guidance In Process Draft Technical Guidance Documents ­ DEP webpage ​ Technical Guidance Comment Deadlines ­ DEP webpage ​ Submit Comments on Proposals Through DEP’s eComment System ​ Recently Closed Comment Periods For Technical Guidance ­ DEP webpage ​ Technical Guidance Recently Finalized ­ DEP webpage ​ Copies of Final Technical Guidance ­ DEP webpage ​ DEP Non­Regulatory/Technical Guidance Documents Agenda (Feb. 1, 2016) ­ DEP webpage ​

Other DEP Proposals 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 ​

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

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

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

DEP Calendar of Events DCNR Calendar of Events ​ ​

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Send your stories, photos and links to videos about your project, environmental issues or programs for publication in the PA Environment Digest to: [email protected]. ​ ​ ​ ​

PA Environment Digest is edited by David E. Hess, former Secretary Pennsylvania Department ​ of Environmental Protection, and is published as a service of Crisci Associates, a ​ ​ Harrisburg­based government and public affairs firm whose clients include Fortune 500 companies and nonprofit organizations.

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PA Environment Digest weekly was the winner of the PA Association of Environmental ​ Educators' 2009 Business Partner of the Year Award. ​ ​

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PA Environment Digest is a supporting member of the Pennsylvania Outdoor Writers ​ ​ Association, Pennsylvania Council Trout Unlimited and the Doc Fritchey Chapter Trout ​ ​ ​ ​ Unlimited. ​