Pa Environment Digest Sept. 1, 2014
A weekly newsletter about environmental issues in Pennsylvania, including Marcellus Shale natural gas development.
Content
PA Environment Digest
An Update On Environmental Issues In PA
Edited By: David E. Hess, Crisci Associates
Winner 2009 PAEE Business Partner Of The Year Award
Harrisburg, Pa September 1, 2014
Chesapeake Bay Foundation Launches Clean Water For The Keystone State Campaign
The Chesapeake Bay FoundationPA has launched an exciting statewide campaign Clean Water
Counts urging Pennsylvania officials to make clean water a priority throughout the Keystone State,
and to commit the needed funding to ensure that all 83,000 miles of waterways in the state are clean.
According to the Department of Environmental Protection’s most recent statewide water quality
survey, nearly onequarter, almost 20,000 miles, of the creeks, rivers, and lakes that we rely on for
recreation, and for drinking and household uses, are polluted.
“Healthy families, strong communities, and a thriving Pennsylvania economy depend on it,” said
Harry Campbell, CBFPA’s Pennsylvania Executive Director. “That’s why we’re calling on the state to
prioritize clean water and funding to decrease pollution from agricultural activities and runoff from our
urban and suburban communities.”
In addition to calling on state officials to commit the needed resources for clean water, CBF is
also asking something of local officials and citizens.
“We’re asking all Pennsylvania residents to show their support for clean water by signing the
Clean Water Counts online petition,” said Campbell. “And we’re asking County Commissioners
throughout the state to adopt Clean Water Resolutions, to further encourage state officials to prioritize
clean water.”
Without targeted prioritization and funding to address pollution issues, the Commonwealth’s
most important resource, clean water, will continue to be susceptible to pollution and degradation
The Clean Water Counts campaign is a part of CBF’s ongoing mission to improve water
quality locally, and downstream in the Chesapeake Bay. By working together and following
Pennsylvania’s Clean Water Blueprint, we can restore our local rivers and streams.
Together, we can have clean water for today, and for generations to come.
Online petition signatures will be accepted through October 18th, the anniversary of the Clean
Water Act.
To learn more about the campaign, visit the Clean Water Counts webpage.
NewsClips:
Susquehanna Smallmouth Bass Send SOS
OpEd: Antique Sewage System Cannot Persist In Pittsburgh
Allegheny River Cleanup Sept. 6, 8, 12, 13
DEP Lists Water Supplies Damaged, High Hydrogen Sulfide Emissions From Gas Drilling
The Department of Environmental Protection Thursday released a table listing the 248 water supplies
found by DEP to be contaminated by oil and natural gas drilling from 2008 to 2014, about 1.2 percent
of new wells drilled during that time period.
Other complaints are still being investigated.
According to Scott Perry, DEP Deputy Secretary for Oil and Gas Management, about half the
water supplies were damaged by conventional oil and gas wells and about half were unconventional
(Marcellus Shale) gas wells.
The problems include methane gas contamination, spills of wastewater and other pollutants, and
wells that went dry or were otherwise rendered undrinkable.
The records show that some of the problems were temporary.
The table with links to the letters of determination by DEP or the orders issued to correct the
problems.
DEP also posted a list of 19 oil and gas wells that have high levels of hydrogen sulfide
emissions greater than 20 ppm. 14 of the wells with high emissions were conventional oil and gas
wells and 5 were unconventional (Marcellus Shale) wells.
7 of the wells are still active, 8 have been plugged, 2 were abandoned wells and 2 are in
regulatory inactive status (inactive, but not abandoned or producing).
Hydrogen sulfide can cause conjunctivitis and respiratory tract irritation at levels of 50 to 100
ppm and loss of consciousness and possibly death after 30 minutes of exposure at levels of 500 to 700
ppm.
DEP reports 20,178 conventional and unconventional oil and gas wells were drilled between
January 2008 and the end of July 2014. There were 12,098 conventional wells and 8,080
unconventional (Marcellus Shale) wells.
Copies of the list of damaged water supplies and the wells with hydrogen sulfide emissions are
available online.
NewsClips:
DEP Releases List Of 248 Wells Impacted By Drilling
DEP Releases Full List Of Wells Ruined By Gas Drilling
DEP Publishes List of Water Supplies Damaged By Drilling
Drilling Wastewater Contaminated Drinking Water In Westmoreland
Indiana County Twp Fights Drilling Wastewater Well
Study Seeks Link Between Fracking, Birth Defects
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Senate/House Agenda/Session 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 (September 15): House Bill 202 (HarperRMontgomery) prohibiting standby water service
charges for fire companies; House Bill 1684 (EverettRLycoming) which seeks to clarify a minimum
royalty payment in state law; House Bill 2104 (GodshallRMontgomery) further providing for
consumer protections in variable rate electric supplier contracts; House Resolution 249
(SwangerRLebanon) supporting increased development and delivery of oil from North American oil
reserves sponsor summary; Senate Bill 771 (GordnerRColumbia) establishing the State Geospatial
Coordinating Board. <> Click Here for full House Bill Calendar.
Senate (September 15): All bills on the Senate Calendar were Tabled as per the Senate procedure
for a summer break. <> Click Here for full Senate Bill Calendar.
Committee Meeting Agendas This Week
House: <> Click Here for full House Committee Schedule.
Senate: <> Click Here for full Senate Committee Schedule.
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
Removing Bar To Severance Tax: House Bill 2403 (WhiteDWashington) removing language from
Act 13 barring a natural gas severance tax sponsor summary.
Session Schedule
Here is the latest voting session schedule for the Senate and House
House
September 15, 16, 17, 22, 23, 24
October 6, 7, 8, 14, 15
November 12
Senate
September 15, 16, 22, 23, 24
October 6, 7, 8, 14, 15
November 12
News From Around The State
Brodhead Watershed Assn To Celebrate 25th Anniversary, Receives PPL Grant
The Brodhead Watershed Association received a timely donation this month supporting its
AdoptaStream Site Program and 25th Annual Dinner Celebration on October 2.
A donation from PPL Utilities in the amount of $3,000 will allow the BWA to step up vigilance
in monitoring local streams, and protecting drinking water, and will contribute to a lively celebration at
this year’s 25th Annual Dinner.
The BWA, a nonprofit environmental organization, formed in 1989 as a group of individuals and
business owners dedicated to ensuring clean water in Monroe County.
For the past twenty five years, BWA’s Volunteer StreamWatchers have been testing water
quality in the Brodhead, Cherry, Marshalls, McMichael, Paradise and Pocono creeks and their
tributaries. PPL Utilities recognizes this important work spanning a quarter century, and a donation was
made possible by Pocono Regional Affairs Director Paul Canevari.
“We are pleased to support the BWA and its volunteers to continue protecting the water we all
drink and depend on,” said Canevari at a check presentation event this past Monday.
“We thank PPL Electric Utilities and Paul for his ongoing support of our essential work and
look forward to acknowledging PPL Utilities as River Patron at our 25th Annual Dinner Celebration,”
said BWA President John Smith.
Anyone interested in assisting the BWA protect the community’s water resources is invited to
attend the Annual Dinner Celebration which will highlight the BWA’s activities over the past twenty five
years.
The event will take place on October 2 at the Chateau at Camelback in Tannersville, Monroe
County. Register at the Brodhead Watershed Association website or call the BWA office at
5708391120.
Penn State Extension: Riparian Buffer Message Delivered At County Fairs
Penn State Extension Water Resources Extension Educator, Jim Clark, put together a riparian buffer
water message that he is displaying at the county fairs in Northcentral Pennsylvania this summer. The
message is simple, “Find a Stream and Plant a Tree.”
The most important step that homeowners could take to improve the quality of water in streams
that flow through their property is to establish a riparian buffer. It would be great if it could be 50 feet
wide, but this would not be practical on a lot of properties, so homeowners are encouraged to do as
much as they can.
This best management practice can save time, labor, and energy, because homeowners just
need to stop mowing to the edge of the stream or water body.
Riparian buffers have several benefits including preventing sediment, nitrogen, phosphorus,
pesticides, and other pollutants from entering the water. The plants in the buffer slow runoff water
carrying pollutants and help it infiltrate down into the ground.
Forested riparian buffers slow down flood water reducing its ability to do damage. One Forest
Service study showed that a single 9 year old pear tree was able to intercept 58 gallons of stormwater
from a half inch rain event. Buffers provide valuable wildlife habitat and the overhanging riparian
vegetation keeps the water cooler.
As Clark’s poster states “Riparian buffers often lead to healthier streams.”
Two handouts accompany the exhibit and both can be found on the web. The Penn State
Extension Riparian Buffers Brochure and the fact sheet entitled “The Role of Trees and Forests in
Healthy Watersheds” are available on Penn State's Green Industry website.
(Written By: James A. Clark, Extension Water Resources Educator, Renewable Natural
Resources Extension Team, Penn State Extension, McKean County, and reprinted from the Penn
State Extension Watershed Winds newsletter.)
Opinion: Our Susquehanna River Is Sick
By Douglas E Fessler, Sunbury, PA
My story starts at just one point along the lifegiving Susquehanna River. Sunbury primarily gets its
drinking water from Little Shamokin Creek (Plum Creek), secondarily it pulls from the Susquehanna
River.
Using too much cow manure on fields, use of pesticides and herbicides, and contamination from
mine acid runoff are just some of the problems in our local area relating to keeping our water clean and
safe.
So the problems that are in our waterways cannot fall on the shoulders of the water treatment
plants alone, they can only do so much as explained below.
The Loyalsock Creek is a 64mile tributary that empties into West Branch of the Susquehanna
River. Recent talking about fracking in the Loyalsock State Forest is leading to another example how
hasty decisions 64 miles inland can affect future generations (who will be left to deal with unforeseen
problems). People will tell you what that it’s safe now, but again, unforeseen consequences come into
play.
For example, the effects of mine runoff have made the Shamokin Creek one of the most
polluted waterways in Pennsylvania. This creek transports around 5,000 pounds of lead to the
Susquehanna River annually.
The Shamokin Creek contributes 53 percent of the total lead that reaches the Susquehanna
River. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency advises against any swimming in or consumption of
the water of the Shamokin Creek, this means water treatment plants can't clean the water.
This example shows exactly how the unregulated management of our waterways can lead to
undrinkable to literally unusable water.
Do we sit around and wait for the Susquehanna River to reach this breaking point? Do we look
at the problem individually asking what can I do about it? Do we point fingers to find out exactly whose
problem it is?
The truth is it’s a problem for all of us and it’s going to take communities up and down the
Susquehanna River coming together to address the issues as Pennsylvanians.
The Susquehanna River and its tributaries are barometric windows to the health of the
environment. The health of the environment is directly related to us and our future generations, it’s the
food we eat and the air we breathe.
Despite what we are told, our river is sick and it’s up to us to fix it. We are no longer the
children... we are the adults we once looked to make sure everything was OK.
Douglas Fessler is active in the annual Susquehanna River Cleanup Project and in other local
watershed groups in and around Sunbury. He can be contacted by sending email to:
[email protected].
NewsClips:
Susquehanna Smallmouth Bass Send SOS
OpEd: Antique Sewage System Cannot Persist In Pittsburgh
Allegheny River Cleanup Sept. 6, 8, 12, 13
Allegheny River Cleanup Events Sept. 6, 8, 12
The Friends of Allegheny Wilderness are hosting cleanup events along the Allegheny River September
6, 8 and 12. Click Here for all the details.
Summer Issue Of Estuary News Now Available From Partnership For Delaware Estuary
The Summer edition of Estuary News is now available from the Partnership For The Delaware Estuary
featuring articles on
Investing In The Future, Delaware’s Clean Water Initiative
The Delaware River: Wild, Scenic and Managed
Interview With The Delaware River Masters
Water Systems To Be Major Challenge In Years Ahead
RevolutionEra Dam Surrendering To Shad After 2 Centuries
— NCCo's Stormwater Amnesty Program: Breathing New Life into Waterways
— Five DIY Projects that Really Hold Water
— PDE to Honor Two at Philly Fundraiser
— Five New Faces at the PDE
— Help Us Rally Supporters for the River and Bay
— Estuary Events
PA American Water Works Assn. Offers Fall Training Schedule
The PA SectionAmerican Water Works Association recently posted its fall training schedule. Click
Here for a list of available training opportunities.
DEP Assesses $250,000 Penalty Against 4 Gas, Oil Services Companies
The Department of Environmental Protection Tuesday announced a Consent Order and Agreement
with William C. Henderson, Titusville Oil & Gas Associates Inc., Eagle Line Corporation, and Olympia
Oil Services Inc., which includes $250,000 in civil penalties.
The civil penalties stem from various violations of the Clean Stream Law, Solid Waste
Management Act, and Oil and Gas Act, including failure to obtain Erosion and Sediment Control
general permits during earthmoving, unauthorized discharge of production fluids, failure to report such
unauthorized discharges, failure to plug abandoned wells, and other violations.
The violations were discovered during inspections of various properties owned and operated by
Henderson and his companies between March 2010 and June 2014.
Further investigations by DEP also concluded that Henderson and Titusville Oil had disturbed
more than five acres and disturbed wetlands without permits, along with several other ongoing issues.
In addition to the penalties, Henderson and his three companies must take all actions necessary
to attain compliance with the state’s laws and regulations, including the cease and desist of all
unauthorized well activity, restoration of all illegally disturbed areas, and submission of outstanding
reports, among other requirements.
Henderson is the president and operator of the three companies, and is subject to the
requirements of the Consent Order and Agreement. Henderson and his companies are required to pay
the civil penalty in payments, with an immediate $25,000 payment and equal payments of $56,250 over
the next 12 months.
In 2011 William Henderson was charged by the Office of Attorney General for criminal
violations of dumping gas well production brine into abandoned wells.
For more information call 8143326945.
DEP Reschedules Hearings On Hilcorp Gas Pooling Requests For Oct. 27, 28
The Department of Environmental Protection Tuesday announced hearing officer Michael Bangs has
rescheduled the public hearing sessions on an Application for Gas Well Spacing Units, or spacing order,
received from Hilcorp Energy Co., for October 27 and 28.
Hilcorp Energy Co. is applying for a well spacing order that establishes four gas well drilling
units on 3,267 acres to drill into the Utica Shale Formation in Pulaski Township, Lawrence County and
Shenango Township, Mercer County.
Under the Oil and Gas Conservation Law of 1961, when a spacing order application is
submitted, an administrative hearing must be held prior to a final decision on the application.
On July 11, the hearing officer rescheduled the hearing sessions for September 16 and 17, after
two previous postponements. Due to a scheduling conflict, Hilcorp requested new hearing dates. At the
request of the hearing officer, the parties determined agreeable dates for the hearing.
On August 5, the intervening property owners renewed their Motion to Stay, which would delay
the hearing pending a final ruling by the Commonwealth Court on a related matter. On Aug. 11, hearing
officer Bangs denied the motion.
The first hearing session has been rescheduled for October 27 and 28. The hearing session will
begin at 10 a.m. and 9 a.m. respectively and be held at the Albert P. Gettings Government Center
Annex of the Lawrence County Government Center, Assembly Room, 349 Countyline St., New
Castle.
The first twoday hearing session will accept testimony on the spacing order application. DEP,
Hilcorp and property owners and operators in the area subject to the order will be eligible to provide
testimony. The first session will be open for the general public to attend and observe.
The second hearing session will begin at 6 p.m. on October 28, at the same location. As
requested previously by DEP, anyone from the general public will have the opportunity to provide input
about the application at the second session.
Interested persons and operators wishing to present testimony at either session should contact
Glenda Davidson at 7177874449 at least seven days prior to the first session.
Those giving testimony at the second session will be requested to submit three written copies of
their oral testimony to the assigned hearing officer.
The department will submit a public notice of the rescheduled hearings for publication in local
papers at least two weeks prior to the hearing sessions. Although not required by law, DEP also will
directly notify all royalty owners and operators within the area subject to the requested order.
Information on the hearing will also be published in the Pennsylvania Bulletin.
For more information, visit DEP’s Conservation Law webpage or call 7177722199.
NewsClip: New Hearing Dates Set For Hilcorp Forced Pooling Requests
Capitolwire.com: Attorney General Issues Subpoenas On Gas Well Royalty Payments
Capitolwire.com reported late Tuesday and Thursday Attorney General Kathleen Kane has issued
administrative subpoenas to Marcellus Shale drilling companies across the state as part of her Office’s
review of gas well royalty payment issues.
The subpoenas demand dozens of pieces of information about corporate structure,
postproduction costs and royalty payment calculations, and where companies hold leases on public
lands, according to a source with knowledge of the subpoena.
It's unclear if the information about public land leases and their location obtained through the
subpoenas would reveal recent industry interest in state parks and forest land relating to Corbett's
“nonsurface impact” leasing proposal contained in the 201415 budget.
Democrats in the Legislature and environmentalists have asked the Corbett Administration for
information about the governor's budget proposal to allow further leasing of state forest and park land
for natural gas drilling on existing well pads, which the administration contends would cause “no
additional surface impacts.”
Lawmakers predicted it would generate $95 million this fiscal year, but the proposal also is part
of a pending lawsuit in state court.
In broadening her office's investigation, Kane issued administrative subpoenas, which differ from
traditional subpoenas and are considered controversial because judicial oversight is not required.
Refusal to comply with the administrative subpoena could result in a contempt of court charge,
according to the administrative code.
Spokespeople for both the Attorney General and the Marcellus Shale Coalition refused to
comment on the matter.
In February Gov. Corbett, Sen. Gene Yaw (RLycoming), Majority Chair of the Senate
Environmental Resources and Energy Committee, and Sen. Joe Scarnati (RJefferson) asked the
Attorney General for an official inquiry into postproduction cost deductions by natural gas producer
Chesapeake Energy.
In March Sen. Yaw said the Attorney General confirmed she would be starting an investigation.
On June 27, 2013, Sen. Yaw convened a public hearing of the Senate Environmental
Resources and Energy Committee on royalty issues.
“During our hearing, the Committee heard testimony that deductions by Chesapeake were as
high as 100 percent of some royalty checks. This raises a significant consumer protection issue for
hundreds of constituents in my Senate district,” said Sen. Yaw.
In light of the ongoing issues between Chesapeake Energy and Bradford County leaseholders,
Sen. Yaw has also introduced a package of legislation, known as the Oil and Gas Lease Protection
Package to safeguard leaseholder rights.
The bills include: Senate Bill 1236 (YawRLycoming) amends the Oil and Gas Lease Act
further providing for payment of royalties,Senate Bill 1237 (YawRLycoming) establishing the Natural
Gas Lease AntiRetaliation Act to protect royalty interest owners andSenate Bill 1238
(YawRLycoming) establishing the Oil and Gas Lease Satisfaction Act providing for certain forms and
damages. Sponsor summary of all three bills.
All three bills passed the Senate in April over stiff opposition from the drilling industry. They
remain in the House Environmental Resources and Energy Committee.
Rep. Garth Everett introduced House Bill 1684 to address the royalty issues in March. The bill
was reported out of the House Environmental Resources and Energy Committee in April after an
industryfriendly amendment was added. It was remained on the House Calendar since then.
NewsClips:
Report: AG Widens Investigation Into Gas Royalty Complaints
New Hearing Dates Set For Hilcorp Forced Pooling Requests
AG Kane Goes On Witch Hunt Over Drilling Royalties
Environmental Groups Respond To Auditor General Report On Marcellus Shale Drilling
Environmental and citizen organizations sent Department of Environmental Protection Secretary, Chris
Abruzzo a letter Thursday challenging the agency’s response to issues raised in Auditor General Eugene
DePasquale’s DEP Performance Audit, released on July 22.
The organizations take issue with DEP’s claim that flaws in the agency’s programs have been
fixed and details critical gaps that put water quality and health at risk. In addition, the organizations
express disappointment with DEP’s rejection of all of the eight key deficiencies uncovered in the
Performance Audit.
Although DEP simultaneously agreed with all or parts of 22 of the 29 related recommendations
from the Auditor General, the agency has yet to provide any evidence of how they intend to implement
the recommendations.
"PADEP has fallen down on the job despite their attempts to favorably spin the critical analysis
laid out so graphically by the Auditor General's performance audit. The Auditor General explains how
the agency simply isn't effectively serving the public in its oversight responsibilities of shale gas
development and DEP defensively responded with lots of weak excuses. The people of Pennsylvania
and our clean water and air are paying the price of DEP's failings and until they make fundamental
changes they will continue to contribute to the shale gas problems communities are experiencing," said
Tracy Carluccio, Deputy Director, Delaware Riverkeeper Network.
"The DEP's press release states that the Auditor General's report found no instances where the
agency failed to protect public health, safety, or the environment from unconventional gas drilling
activities. Secretary Abruzzo said that the report ‘validates’ his agency's performance, but perhaps
Secretary Abruzzo doesn't know what ‘validates’ means,” said Karen Feridun, founder of Berks Gas
Truth. “A scathing 145page report that cites numerous significant deficiencies and makes no fewer than
29 recommendations for overhauling the DEP's record keeping systems and addressing its completely
inadequate process of conducting inspections is hardly validation of the agency's clearly skewed
selfperception. It certainly provides no validation of matters that were outside of the scope of the audit,
namely the DEP's ability to protect public health, safety, or the environment."
The organizations have regularly met with DEP staff for more than a year to discuss impacts
from oil and gas operations on water quality.
Earthworks, one of the organizations involved in the meetings, recently released their own report
Blackout in the Gas Patch, which details similar problems in how DEP permits and oversees gas and oil
operations and subsequent impacts on air and water quality.
Both that report and the Performance Audit confirm many of the same issues the organizations
have directly asked DEP to address.
“We’ve met with DEP, analyzed the response to the Auditor General, and conducted our own
research with one central goal in mind: to help Pennsylvania’s regulators step up and protect the
environment and health,” said Nadia Steinzor, Eastern Program Coordinator for Earthworks and author
of the Blackout report. “DEP should stop refuting strong evidence of problems and start advocating for
more agency resources and stronger industry oversight. Only then will it be able to fulfill its mandate and
serve the public”
“We wholeheartedly agree with the overall conclusions of the Performance Audit and the
Blackout in the Gas Patch report,” said Steve Hvozdovich, Marcellus Shale Policy Associate, Clean
Water Action. “If these reports validate anything, it is the message we have been publicly delivering for
over a year now that DEP is underfunded, understaffed, and does not have sufficient policies in place to
meet the continuing demands placed upon it by expanded shale gas development and to protect the
environment and health.”
The organizations believe the reforms adopted by DEP and outlined in the comment response
section of the Performance Audit are insufficient. Their letter details steps DEP needs to take in five key
areas, including transparency of information; communication with citizens; tracking of complaints and
agency responses; tracking of oil and gas field waste; and the frequency of well inspections.
The organizations hope these comments will spur DEP to provide clarification and enhance
measures to solve and prevent environmental and health impacts associated with oil and gas operations,
and to be more responsive to the public it serves.
“The DEP’s attempts to shirk all negative critiques make our calls for greater transparency
louder. It is time for the DEP to own up to its flaws and start a real dialogue with the public. Our
organizations will not stop applying pressure until the DEP institutes essential departmentwide reform,”
said Nick Kennedy, Community Advocate, Mountain Watershed Association.
“Unfortunately for Pennsylvania’s environment and the health of the state’s residents, the AG’s
report validated many of the deficiencies that citizens and experts in the field already knew about the
DEP’s oversight of fracking in the Commonwealth,” stated Kristen Cevoli, Fracking Program Director
of PennEnvironment. “For the health of Pennsylvania’s citizens and its environment, it is critical that the
DEP, as well as our elected officials in Harrisburg, embrace the recommendations laid out by the
Auditor General’s office. If not, fracking will leave Pennsylvania with the same toxic legacy as the coal
industry before it, and future generations will be left footing the bill and doing the cleanup.”
A copy of the letter is available online.
Third Round Of Act 13 Natural Gas Vehicle Grants Opens Aug. 30
Gov. Tom Corbett and the Department of Environmental Protection Thursday announced the third
round of Natural Gas Vehicle Grants will open on August 30 and will provide an estimated $6 million to
help pay for the incremental purchase and conversion costs of heavyduty natural gas fleet vehicles.
(formal notice)
Applications are due November 14 and will be awarded this winter.
“Pennsylvania continues to move in the right direction by creating opportunities to convert
vehicle fleets from imported oil to homegrown, cleanburning, affordable natural gas,” Gov. Corbett
said. “We encourage all who are eligible for this funding to lower their operational costs and lessen our
dependency on foreign oil.”
Since 2013, $14 million has been awarded to 44 organizations and companies making the
switch to compressed natural gas (CNG), liquefied natural gas (LNG) and bifuel vehicles weighing
14,000 pounds or more.
Those eligible to apply include nonprofit organizations, local transportation organizations, state
owned or state related universities, commonwealth or municipal authorities, forprofit companies and the
Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission.
Requests can be no more than 50 percent of the incremental purchase or retrofit cost per
vehicle, with a maximum total of $25,000 per vehicle.
Grant Webinar
Eligible applicants are encouraged to participate in a related webinar, scheduled for September
22, from 2 to 3 p.m.
To register for the webinar and view the updated guidance document and online grant
application, visit DEP’s Natural Gas Vehicle Grant Program webpage.
NewsClip: DEP Opens 3rd Round Of CNG Vehicle Grants
DEP New Stanton District Mining Office Opens Replacing Greensburg, Uniontown
The Department of Environmental Protection Greensburg and Uniontown district offices will begin
operating out of a new location beginning on September 2.
The justcompleted building is convenient to the Pennsylvania Turnpike and I70, located at
131 Broadview Road, New Stanton, PA 15672. The phone number for the office is 7249255500.
The New Stanton Office consolidates staff from DEP’s Mine Safety, District Mining, Field
Operations and Oil and Gas Management Programs. Employees from both offices will be moving in
between September 2 and 4.
The 38,000 square foot building is designed to be energy efficient, utilizing many materials with a
high recyclable content. The offices feature energy efficient lighting, a highly efficient heating and
airconditioning system controlled by an automated building management system and water saving, low
flow toilets and bathroom fixtures.
For more information, call 4124424400.
EPA Presents President’s Environmental Youth, Environmental Ed Awards To 2 In PA
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Wednesday presented the President’s Environmental Youth
Award to May Wang from Bucks County and the President’s Innovations in Environmental Education
Award to David Andrews of Butler County.
May Wang
15year old May Wang was recognized for the experiments she conducted about removing a
common contaminant from drinking water.
“Energetic students like May Wang and all the young people who competed for the PEYA
awards have the enthusiasm to promote awareness of our nation’s environment,” said EPA
MidAtlantic Regional Administrator Shawn M. Garvin. “Her water project demonstrates the kind of
leadership needed to take on tough environmental challenges.”
Wang, a rising junior at Council Rock High School in Holland, experimented with using
activated charcoal to remove Bisphenol A (BPA) from water supplies. BPA, which has been shown to
cause reproductive and developmental effects in animal studies, is used in the manufacture of a wide
range of consumer and industrial products.
From her experiments, Wang concluded that activated charcoal as a filter is effective for
removal and is active for a number of times after the initial use.
In addition to the PEYA program, May’s research paper was accepted for presentation at the
American Water Resource Association’s 50th Annual Water Resource Conference, and the
Association for Environmental Health and Science Foundation’s 30th Annual International Conference
on Soils, Sediments, Water, and Energy later this year.
Wang was one of 60 students nationwide to receive a PEYA award this year. The PEYA
program is about promoting awareness of our nation's natural resources, encouraging positive
community involvement, and recognizing students who can do these things and prove themselves to be
outstanding young leaders in environmental stewardship.
David Andrews
David Andrews of Butler Junior High School in Butler with the Presidential Innovation Award
for Environmental Educators.
“David Andrews’ dedication to environmental education inspires students to promote
sustainability in their school and their community,” said EPA Regional Administrator Shawn M. Garvin.
“He oversees several classroom projects that provide his students with a greater awareness of
environmental issues and an appreciation of natural resources.”
Andrews, a general science, environmental science and chemistry teacher, was one of 17
teachers nationwide who received a PIAEE award.
Andrews raises brook trout with students through the “Trout in the Classroom” program and
then releases the fish into streams to boost the local fish population. He also works with his students to
conduct fish population and water quality surveys.
Andrews also oversees other classroom projects including treeplantings, litter cleanups,
coordinating paper recycling and providing opportunities for students to work with professional
biologists. His work with local waterways encourages students to give back to their local communities
and foster a sense of environmental stewardship.
NewsClip: Bucks Teen Wins National Award For Environmental Research
Sustainable Food Project 2014 Students For Sustainability Challenge
The Sustainable Food Project is excited to announce the Students For Sustainability Challenge, a
competition open to all high school and undergraduate college students.
The Students For Sustainability Challenge engages teams of high school and undergraduate
students to develop and present concepts and innovations on how to feed the world sustainably and
improve global food security.
Students team with likeminded classmates and faculty advisors to rethink a selfselected issue
concerning sustainable production, processing and/or distribution of nutritious food. Any relevant,
sustainable innovative solution will be considered.
Teams approach their Challenge using one of three Pathways to Discovery:
Behavior—Study processes for adopting more sustainable food solutions
Design—Conceive a system to produce, process or distribute food more sustainablu.
Technology—Invent a device or method to enhance sustainability
Challenge subjects include Agriculture, Environmental Science, Engineering, Social Sciences
and Economics.
“The Students For Sustainability Challenge is an exciting opportunity for teachers and
professors to help students realize the relevance of their areas of study,” said SFP Youth Program
Chair, Shane Stevenson. “$25,000 in cash prizes will be awarded. Participating students articulate their
ideas and knowhow into solutions for making a difference in solving our world’s environmental and
hunger challenges.”
First Prize is $ 10,000 All ages/categories; 2nd Prizes, $ 5,000 (1 University, 1 High School);
and 3rd Prizes, $ 1,000 (2 University, 2 High School, 1 AtLarge).
Funding for the Challenge is provided in part by the Sustainable Food Project , an independent
nonprofit initiative of Sustainable Food Pavilion, Inc, a registered public charity. Individual contributions
to the Challenge are matched up to $25,000 by a private grant.
Registration for the Challenge opens September 1. To preregister and for more information,
visit the Students For Sustainability Challenge.
Outdoor Celebration For Military Families Highlights Special Recreation Event Sept. 6
Military service members, veterans and their families are invited to a free day of recreation at Gifford
Pinchot State Park on September 6 from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. with the PA Parks and Forests
Foundation.
Families can try a wide variety of outdoor pursuits, including kayaking, rowing, nature
photography, disc golf, handcrank bicycling, fishing and more at no cost. The event takes place at the
Conewago Day Use Area, off Alpine Rd. in Wellsville, PA.
Now in its second year, Military and Families Appreciation Day: Returning to the Outdoors is
designed for attendees to explore new kinds of recreation, enjoy the outdoors together, and learn about
adaptive recreation opportunities for all who may have suffered injuries in the line of service.
“The goal is to inspire peers, families and friends to get outdoors by raising awareness of their
options, providing handson training in a variety of recreational pursuits, and make adaptive equipment
more readily available,” PPFF President Marci Mowery says. “We are thrilled to bring back this event
for a second year and welcome all military families to come out and spend a special day at the park.”
More than 25 organizations will provide information and activities to try throughout the day.
Activity leaders and exhibitors include Heroes on the WaterCentral PA Chapter, Susquehanna Service
Dogs, IAM ABLE Foundation, Summit Search and Rescue, Above Limits, Total Outdoors,
Department of Military & Veterans Affairs Mobile Outreach Bus, Lebanon VA, PA National Guard,
and many more. There will also be a free luncheon for attendees, donated by Mission BBQ restaurant.
Registration is encouraged, but not required for the event. Folks can learn more and signup for
lunch online. They can also find the event on Facebook.
Natural Lands Trust Green Hills Preserve Now Open To Public In Berks County
Natural Lands Trust Wednesday announced its 168acre Green Hill Preserve in Robeson Township,
Berks County, is now open to the public.
Once slated for development, the property—known as Green Hills Preserve—provides crucial
habitat for wildlife; now, it is a place of refuge and exploration for visitors as well.
The property, originally approved for a highdensity development, went into foreclosure in
2009. Prudential Fox & Roach’s Land Development Division took the unusual step of seeking a
conservation solution.
After more than two years working to piece together critical funding, Natural Lands Trust was
able to purchase the property from the lender in 2012.
Over the past two years, Natural Lands Trust has worked to secure funding for visitor
amenities, such as parking and a trail network. With those elements now in place, Green Hills Preserve
is open—freeofcharge—to visitors for hiking, bird watching, nature exploration, and dog walking
(dogs must be leashed at all times). The preserve is open during daylight hours, seven days per week.
Green Hills Preserve features gently rolling agricultural fields, woodlands, and wetlands. A
tributary to Allegheny Creek, a Department of Environmental Protectiondesignated “Cold Water
Fishery” stream, bisects the preserve.
The Preserve is situated within the Schuylkill Highlands, a region at the nexus of two landscapes
that have been prioritized for protection: the Highlands (as defined by the US Congress) and the
Schuylkill River watershed, a focus of much planning work by the Department of Conservation and
Natural Resources, DEP and the Philadelphia Water Department.
The area’s importance derives from the need to protect water quality, conserve habitat, and
develop recreational opportunities in a region set for considerable growth over the next 20 years.
For more information, visit the Natural Lands Trust’s Green Hills Preserve webpage.
Valley Green Bank Lead Sponsor Of Friends Of The Wissahickon’s 90th Anniversary
Friends of the Wissahickon Friday announced Valley Green Bank will be the lead sponsor of its 90th
anniversary celebration and gala, which will take place on October 25 at the Valley Green Inn.
“Valley Green Bank is honored to be the lead sponsor for the Friends of the Wissahickon’s
90th Anniversary,” said Jay Goldstein, president and CEO of Valley Green Bank. “Friends of the
Wissahickon is to be congratulated and celebrated for its dedication to the wellbeing of the
Wissahickon Valley. FOW is a dynamic institution whose impact contributes to the quality of life for its
near neighbors, residents of greater Philadelphia and visitors from far and wide all who marvel at how
lucky we are to have the Wissahickon as a backyard,” Goldstein said.
“We’re grateful for the continued commitment and support of the Valley Green Bank,” said
Maura McCarthy, FOW’s executive director. “As a dedicated neighborhood institution, Valley Green
Bank recognizes the important role that the Wissahickon Park plays in the local community.”
Valley Green Bank has three branches in Philadelphia located in Mt. Airy, Chestnut Hill and
South Philadelphia. It also has commercial loan offices in Center City, Philadelphia and Radnor, Pa.
The Bank offers a traditional mix of deposit accounts, including noninterest and interestbearing
checking accounts, savings, money market and certificate of deposit accounts. It also offers customers
individual retirement accounts. Valley Green Bank is a member of FDIC.
FOW’s 90th anniversary gala will take place on October 25 at the historic Valley Green Inn.
The gala event will include a farmtotable menu designed by Aimee Olexy of Talulah’s Table, as well
as cocktails, dancing, an auction and more.
Funds raised through these events will go towards FOW’s stewardship of the Wissahickon
Valley Park and historic Valley Green Inn.
FOW has been the steward of historic Valley Green Inn since 1934, maintaining the historic
building and generating revenue to maintain the Inn, its surroundings and the Wissahickon Valley Park.
Built in 1850, Valley Green Inn is the last remaining example of the many roadhouses and
taverns that served the carriage trade along the Wissahickon Creek in the 19th century.
FOW is celebrating its 90th anniversary throughout 2014. Founded in 1924, FOW is a
1,600member nonprofit organization and works in partnership with Philadelphia Parks and Recreation
to restore historical park structures, eliminate invasive plant species, monitor watershed management
issues, and restore trails throughout the Wissahickon Park.
For more information and to purchase tickets for the gala, visit the FOW website.
Live Bald Eagle To Visit Hawk Mountain Sanctuary August 30
Visit Hawk Mountain Sanctuary on “Bald Eagle Migration Day,” August 30, and see a live bald eagle
up close and personal during two free presentations at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. by Carbon County
Environmental Center. Eagle programs will be held in the outdoor amphitheater, or indoors in the event
of rain.
Bald Eagle Migration Day is designed to remind visitors that late August and early September
are some of the best times to see bald eagles on migration. At this time of year visitors have a 40
percent chance of seeing a bald eagle at Hawk Mountain’s North Lookout, and a 52 percent chance
between September 1 and 15th.
“Eagles are on the rise, and now more than ever you have a chance of seeing one at Hawk
Mountain Sanctuary,” says Mary Linkevich, a spokesperson for the Sanctuary.
Children will be invited to participate in a bald eagle counting activity at the Lookout, and free
information about eagles, their conservation status and their natural history can be found in the Visitor
Center.
For more information, visit the Hawk Mountain Sanctuary website.
Wild About Wildlife And Our Home Program, Bucks/Montgomery Sept. 6
The Indian Valley Public Library in Telford, Bucks/Montgomery counties will hold a special Wild About
Wildlife And Our Home Program September 6 starting at 10:00 a.m.
Activities include a series of education programs for all ages, special story times and crafts for
kids and information tables from local organizations. This free event attracted over 250 people last
year.
For more information, visit the Indian Valley Public Library website.
U.S. House Committee Holds Hearing On Northern Long Eared Bat Sept. 8 In Harrisburg
The U.S. House Natural Resources Committee will hold a full Committee field hearing in Harrisburg on
September 8 on “The Northern Long Eared Bat: The Federal Endangered Species Act and the Impacts
of a Listing on Pennsylvania and 37 Other States.”
The hearing will examine questions regarding bat data and nonhumancaused disease, as well
as the likely negative impacts that a federal endangered listing for this particular species would have on
important activities such as farming and forestry.
The Northern Long Eared Bat is one of hundreds of species included in the U.S. Department of
the Interior’s 2011 settlements with two groups that requires listing decisions by 2016. A final decision
for the Northern Long Eared Bat could be made within the next several months.
Witnesses at the hearing will testify about the economic impacts of the endangered listing on
Pennsylvania citizens and how the actions regulated under the proposed designation would fail to
mitigate problems causing the decline of the species.
“This hearing is part of the House Natural Resources Committee’s effort to improve and update
the Endangered Species Act. I want to thank Chairman Doc Hastings for initiating this timely hearing on
the proposal by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to designate the Northern Long Eared Bat as
endangered, which will have sweeping effects on a range of economic sectors in 38 states including
Pennsylvania,” said Rep. Glenn ‘GT’ Thompson (PA05).
“I support the Endangered Species Act’s goal to preserve and protect domestic species. The
proposal to list the Northern LongEared Bat on the ESA is another example of government rushing
forward with a regulation that would have significant and farreaching impacts on the economy, in this
case, home building, farming, manufacturing, and even land management for ecological purposes. This
hearing is an important opportunity to hear from local stakeholders on the negative effects that this
potential listing would have on local communities and the U.S. Department of the Interior and the U.S.
Fish and Wildlife Service should fully evaluate the ramifications of this proposal to find a solution that
protects the bat while allowing activities that minimally affect it to continue," said Rep. Scott Perry
(PA04).
The hearing will be held in Hearing Room 1, North Office Building, Harrisburg starting at 10:00.
Historic Marker Placed For Game Commission Conservation Training School
The Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission Friday placed a marker recognizing the country’s
firstever training school for conservation officers.
The marker, placed in Jefferson County at Game School and Empire Ridge roads, is about 1.5
miles from the site of the original Ross Leffler School of Conservation – the Game Commission’s
training school for lawenforcement officers.
The Brockway training school not only was the first of its kind dedicated to the training of Game
Protectors – lawenforcement positions that today are referred to as Wildlife Conservation Officers – it
would quickly become the model for similar facilities nationwide.
Addressing a crowd that gathered at a dedication ceremony at which the marker was unveiled,
Game Commission Executive Director R. Matthew Hough said the Ross Leffler School of Conservation
has contributed immeasurably to the advancement of wildlife conservation in Pennsylvania, and it’s a
contribution that is ongoing.
“Today we are here to memorialize the Ross Leffler School of Conservation – the first, and still
the finest, Wildlife Conservation Officer training school in the country,” said Hough, who himself
graduated from the training school in Brockway. “I am pleased to announce that there are 29 cadets
currently enrolled in the 30th Class with plans to graduate in March 2015.”
The building that originally served as the training school at the Brockway site no longer is
standing. It was built in 1915 as a hunting camp, and converted to a facility that would accommodate 25
trainees. The school opened its doors in 1936.
And between the opening and 1987, when the Ross Leffler School of Conservation was moved
to a wing of the Game Commission’s Harrisburg headquarters, 19 classes and a total of 430
conservation officers completed their training at the Brockway school.
One Brockway graduate, retired Wildlife Conservation Officer Bill Bower, told the crowd that
assembled about the dedication those graduates share in protecting Pennsylvania’s wildlife resources,
and in turn its rich hunting and trapping heritage.
“There is no love greater among men than that which they hold for the land and all that the land
contains, because it is bound up in their own happiness, that of their children and of the future
generations,” Bower said.
Bower said the idea for a permanent training school grew out of a need to meet the many challenges that
existed in protecting Pennsylvania’s wildlife resources as the 20th century neared.
When the Game Commission was established in 1895, many wildlife populations suffered from
unregulated hunting, overharvest and illegal taking. The officers hired to enforce the laws that existed
worked in constant danger. Training was necessary, and as the years progressed, the need for a
permanent facility became evident.
The idea was championed by Board of Commissioners president Ross Leffler, who would
serve as commissioner for nearly 30 years, and was later appointed Assistant Secretary of the Interior
by President Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1957.
Leffler’s contribution is recognized not only in the training school’s name, but also on the
historical marker.
The marker is the newest of more than 2,000 located across the state, said Jean Craige Pepper
Victor, of the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission. These markers chronicle the people,
places and events that have made the Commonwealth notable, she said.
“These single threads are woven into the great tapestry which is our rich and diverse heritage,”
Craige Pepper Victor said.
The Brockway training school would remain an integral part of the community until 1987, when
the Ross Leffler School of Conservation was moved to the Game Commission’s Harrisburg
headquarters.
Senate President Pro Tempore Joseph Scarnati (RJefferson) said the fact the training school no
longer is in Brockway made the dedication ceremony bittersweet.
“I am pleased to see the original site of the Ross Leffler School of Conservation receive
recognition with a historical marker from the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission,” Sen.
Scarnati stated. “However this day is bittersweet, given that the training school was moved from our
community to Harrisburg. The facility was an important part of Brockway and I am extremely
disappointed that it is no longer a part of our community today.”
To date, the Ross Leffler School of Conservation has produced 648 fulltime Game Protectors
and Wildlife Conservation Officers through 29 graduating classes at the two sites.
Board of Game Commissioners President Robert W. Schlemmer said the marker is a fitting
tribute to the innovation that spurred the creation of that original training school, which has created a
lasting legacy in Pennsylvania and nationwide.
"The Ross Leffler School of Conservation, the first and finest in the nation, shall continue to
graduate the most knowledgeable and superbly trained Wildlife Conservation Officers in the world, thus
enabling the hunting and trapping heritage of Pennsylvania to continue for present and future
generations," Schlemmer said.
Opportunity To Bid On DEP Gas Well Plugging Project In Warren County
The Department of Environmental Protection published notice of an opportunity to bid on a gas well
plugging project in Warren County.
Help Wanted: PartTime Administrator, PA Chapter American Chestnut Foundation
The PA Chapter of the American Chestnut Foundation is accepting applications for a parttime
administrator based at Penn State University in State College. The deadline for applications is
September 1. Click Here to apply for Job Number 53133.
Your 2 Cents: Issues On Advisory Committee Agendas
This section gives you a continuously updated thumbnail sketch of issues to be considered in upcoming
advisory committee meetings where the agendas have been released
September 3 DEP hearing on proposed attainment demonstration for Lower Beaver Valley
Nonattainment Area for 2008 lead standard. DEP Southwest Regional Office, 400 Waterfront Dr.,
Pittsburgh. 1:00. (formal notice)
September 3 Susquehanna River Basin Commission meeting. Radisson Hotel Corning, Finger Lakes
Ballroom, 125 Denison Parkway East, Corning, NY. 8:30. (formal notice)
Informational presentation on the Corning area
Release of proposed rulemaking for comment
Rescission of unneeded or outdated policies
Regulatory compliance matters related to Southwestern Energy, other companies
Regulatory Program Projects.
<> Click Here for more details on the agenda, handouts
September 9 DEP Storage Tank Advisory Committee meeting. Room 105 Rachel Carson Building.
10:00.
September 9 CANCELED. DEP Board Of Coal Mine Safety meeting. DEP Cambria Office, 286
Industrial Park Road, Ebensburg. 10:00. (formal notice)
September 910 Delaware River Basin Commission hearing, meeting. Washington Crossing Park,
1112 River Road, Washington Crossing, PA. (formal notice)
— Directing the Executive Director to prepare Stage 2 total maximum daily loads (TMDLs) for
polychlorinated biphenyls for the Delaware River Estuary and Bay and to furnish these to the United
States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) so that the EPA may establish the Stage 2 TMDLs;
— Authorizing the Executive Director to enter into an agreement with New York University Medical
Center for studies on the effects of PCBs and dissolved oxygen on Atlantic Sturgeon;
— Water projects for DRBC approval.
<> Click Here for more details on the agenda and available handouts
September 10 CANCELED. DEP Sewage Advisory Committee meeting. Room 105 Rachel
Carson Building. 10:30. (formal notice)
September 10 Agenda Released. DEP Mine Families First Response and Communications Advisory
Council meeting. Marion Center Mine Rescue Station, 21 Griffith Dr., Home, PA 1:00. (formal
notice)
Bureau of Mine Safety Report
Mental Health Issues in a Mine Disaster
How The Council Can Support The Family Liaisons
Election of Chair
<> Click Here for available handouts.
September 16 Environmental Quality Board meeting. Room 105 Rachel Carson Building. 9:00.
September 16 DEP Citizens Advisory Council meeting. Room 105 Rachel Carson Building. 10:00.
September 16 DEP Climate Change Advisory Committee meeting. 12th Floor Conference Room,
Rachel Carson Building. 10:00. (formal notice)
September 17 DEP Water Resources Advisory Committee meeting. Room 105 Rachel Carson
Building. 9:30.
September 18 DEP Recycling Fund Advisory and Solid Waste Advisory Committees joint meeting.
Room 105 Rachel Carson Building. 10:00.
September 22—DEP, DCNR Meeting, Hearing On Gun Club Shooting Range In Centre County.
Rush Township municipal building, 150 North Richard St. in Philipsburg. Meeting—6:30, Hearing –
7:30.
September 23 DEP Small Water Systems Technical Assistance Center Board meeting. Room 105
Rachel Carson Building. 10:00.
September 24DEP Board Of Coal Mine Safety meeting. DEP Cambria Office, 286 Industrial Park
Road, Ebensburg. 10:00. (formal notice)
September 24 DEP State Board for Certification of Sewage Enforcement Operators meeting. 11th
Floor Conference Room B, Rachel Carson Building. 10:00.
September 25 DEP Oil and Gas Technical Advisory Board meeting. Room 105 Rachel Carson
Building. 10:00.
October 2 DEP LowLevel Radioactive Waste Advisory Committee meeting. Room 105 Rachel
Carson Building. 10:00.
October 8 CANCELED. DEP Technical Advisory Committee on DieselPowered Equipment for
deep mining. Fayette County Health Center, Uniontown. 10:00. (formal notice)
October 9 DEP Air Quality Technical Advisory Committee meeting. Room 105 Rachel Carson
Building. 9:15.
October 15 DEP Cleanup Standards Scientific Advisory Board. 14th Floor Conference Room,
Rachel Carson Building. 9:00.
October 15 DEP Agricultural Advisory Board meeting. DEP Southcentral Regional Office, 909
Elmerton Ave., Harrisburg. 10:00.
October 15 NEW. DEP Technical Advisory Committee on DieselPowered Equipment for deep
mining. DEP Office, 131 Broadview Rd, New Stanton. 10:00. (formal notice)
October 16 DEP Radiation Protection Advisory Committee meeting. Room 105 Rachel Carson
Building. 9:00.
October 16 Agenda Released. DEP State Board for Certification of Water and Wastewater Systems
Operators meeting 10th Floor Conference Room, Rachel Carson Building. 10:00.
October 21 Environmental Quality Board meeting. Room 105 Rachel Carson Building. 9:00.
October 21 DEP Citizens Advisory Council meeting. Room 105 Rachel Carson Building. 10:00.
October 22 DEP Small Business Compliance Advisory Committee meeting. 12th Floor Conference
Room, Rachel Carson Building. 10:00.
October 23 DEP Mining and Reclamation Advisory Board meeting. Room 105 Rachel Carson
Building. 10:00.
October 27 NEW. DEP hearing on Hilcorp Energy gas pooling requests in Lawrence, Mercer
counties. Albert P. Gettings Government Center Annex of the Lawrence County Government Center,
Assembly Room, 349 Countyline St., New Castle. 10:00.
October 28 DEP Climate Change Advisory Committee meeting. 12th Floor Conference Room,
Rachel Carson Building. 10:00.
October 28 NEW. DEP hearing on Hilcorp Energy gas pooling requests in Lawrence, Mercer
counties. Albert P. Gettings Government Center Annex of the Lawrence County Government Center,
Assembly Room, 349 Countyline St., New Castle. 9:00.
November 5 DEP Environmental Justice Advisory Board meeting. Delaware Room, 16th Floor,
Rachel Carson Building. 8:30.
November 5 DEP Sewage Advisory Committee meeting. Room 105 Rachel Carson Building. 10:30.
November 12 DEP Water Resources Advisory Committee meeting. Room 105 Rachel Carson
Building. 9:30.
November 18 Environmental Quality Board meeting. Room 105 Rachel Carson Building. 9:00.
November 18 DEP Citizens Advisory Council meeting. Room 105 Rachel Carson Building. 10:00.
December 2 DEP Storage Tank Advisory Committee meeting. Room 105 Rachel Carson Building.
10:00.
December 9 DEP Climate Change Advisory Committee meeting. 12th Floor Conference Room,
Rachel Carson Building. 10:00.
December 9 DEP Board Of Coal Mine Safety meeting. DEP Cambria Office, 286 Industrial Park
Road, Ebensburg. 10:00.
December 10 Agenda Released. DEP State Board for Certification of Water and Wastewater
Systems Operators meeting 10th Floor Conference Room, Rachel Carson Building. 10:00.
December 11 DEP Air Quality Technical Advisory Committee meeting. Room 105 Rachel Carson
Building. 9:15.
December 17 DEP Agricultural Advisory Board meeting. DEP Southcentral Regional Office, 909
Elmerton Ave., Harrisburg. 10:00.
December 18 DEP Small Water Systems Technical Assistance Center Board meeting. Room 105
Rachel Carson Building. 10:00.
December 22 DEP State Board for Certification of Sewage Enforcement Operators meeting. 11th
Floor Conference Room B, Rachel Carson Building. 10:00.
Visit DEP’s new Public Participation Center for information on how you can Be Informed! and Get
Involved! in DEP regulation and guidance development process.
Click Here for links to DEP’s Advisory Committee webpages.
DEP Calendar of Events
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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.
September 3 PPFF 2014 Photo Contest
September 19 Southeast PA TreeVitalize Watershed Grants
September 19 FirstEnergy Science, Engineering Classroom Education Grants
September 22 CFA Alternative and Clean Energy Program
September 22 CFA Renewable Energy Program
September 22 CFA High Performance Building Program
September 30 DEP Recycling Performance Grants
October 3 PECO Green Region Environmental Grants
October 20 DEP Coastal Resources Grants
October 23 PEMA Fire Company & Ambulance Services Grants
October 31 Hawk Mountain Sanctuary Digital Photo Contest
October 31 PRC Lens On Litter Photo Contest
November 14 NEW. DEP Natural Gas Vehicle Grants
December 31 DEP Alternative Fuel Vehicle Rebates (or until they last)
Visit the DEP Grants and Loan Programs webpage for more ideas on how to get financial assistance
for environmental projects.
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Budget/Quick NewsClips
Here's a selection of NewsClips on environmental topics from around the state
New Poll: Wolf Widens Lead Over Corbett 49 to 24 Percent
Budget
Editorial: Corbett Needs To Talk About Severance Tax
Wolf Eyes Shale’s Golden Egg To Boost School Funding
OpEd: Shale Severance Tax Can Help Fund Schools
Other
Bucks Teen Wins National Award For Environmental Research
Lancaster Wants Businesses To Recycle, Offers Audits
Keystone Landfill Mountain Of Trash, Good Deal Or Bad?
Editorial: Organize Opposition To Landfill Expansion
Covanta, Enviro Justice Network Come To Verbal Blows
State Doesn’t Monitor Syringe Disposal At Home
DEP Probing Illegal Dumping In Schuylkill, Carbon
DEP: Sludge Disposal OK In Cumberland County
Water Contamination Discussed At Willow Grove Base
Mild Weather Kept Smog Levels At Bay In Western PA
Sunrise Solar Energy Takes On West Penn Power Over Metering
Farmers, Solar Owners Fight Limits On Power Generation
OpEd: For Strong, Secure U.S. Look To Renewable Energy
Debate Continues On Impacts Of EPA Carbon Emissions Rule
OpEd: Fight For Clean Power
Lancaster Receives Sustainable PA Community Certification
NRC Sets Berwick Nuclear Plant Meeting Sept. 3
Will Organic Farming Save Lehigh Valley Farmers?
OpEd: Organic Farming, Gas Infrastructure Don’t Mix
Man Pleads Guilty In Allegheny National Forest WellPlugging Case
CCC Boys Attend Festival At Promised Land State Park
Lackawanna Heritage Valley Celebrates 30th Anniversary
Editorial: Rail Trail Taking In Southern Lancaster County
DCNR To Draw Down Lake At Ricketts Glen State Park
Fish Commission Begins Drawdown Of Colyer Lake, Centre County
Editorial: Charging Riders On Trails Not Sound
Game Commission Leffler School Slated For Historical Marker
DEP’s NewsClips webpage Click Here
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Marcellus Shale NewsClips
Here are NewsClips on topics related to Marcellus Shale natural gas drilling
Report: AG Widens Investigation Into Gas Royalty Complaints
AG Kane Goes On Witch Hunt Over Drilling Royalties
Corbett, Fitzgerald Welcome Gas Drilling At Pittsburgh Airport
Pittsburgh Airport Gas Drilling Set For Official Kickoff
Pittsburgh Airport Gas Drilling Royalties Flow In
FEMA: No Flood Assistance For Properties With Natural Gas Leases
New Hearing Dates Set For Hilcorp Forced Pooling Requests
DEP Releases List Of 248 Wells Impacted By Drilling
DEP Releases Full List Of Wells Ruined By Gas Drilling
DEP Publishes List of Water Supplies Damaged By Drilling
Drilling Wastewater Contaminated Drinking Water In Westmoreland
Indiana County Twp Fights Drilling Wastewater Well
Study Seeks Link Between Fracking, Birth Defects
State Regulators Take Closer Listen To Gas Compressor Stations
DrillingRelated Health Registry Never Implemented
Editorial: Attend To Gas Drilling Health Issues
Editorial: You Know The Drill
Concerns Raised About Gas Pipeline Under French Creek
Williams To Expand Transco Pipeline System In PA
Will Pipeline Lower Natural Gas Prices In Lehigh Valley?
OpEd: Organic Farming, Gas Infrastructure Don’t Mix
OpEd: Rebuttal, Jared Cohon’s Fracking Role Raises Concern
Man Pleads Guilty In Allegheny National Forest WellPlugging Case
Gas Company Defrauds Dominion Gas Of $950,000
Company Finds Success In Jobs Outside Shale Industry
PA Natural Gas Development Leading To Reverse Brain Drain
DEP Opens 3rd Round Of CNG Vehicle Grants
Financial/Other States
$90 Billion Left In Marcellus Shale, Analyst Says
Fracking Foes Have Oil Industry Concerned
State’s Energy Sector A JobCreating Engine
Rex Energy Expanding Gas Production In Butler County
Study: Drilling Workers Could Be Exposed To Benzene
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Flooding/Watershed NewsClips
Here are NewsClips on watershed topics from around the state
Flooding
FEMA: No Flood Assistance For Properties With Natural Gas Leases
Dunbar Continues Cleanip Efforts After Flood
Other Watershed NewsClips
OpEd: Antique Sewage System Cannot Persist In Pittsburgh
Allegheny River Cleanup Sept. 6, 8, 12, 13
Susquehanna Smallmouth Bass Send SOS
Latest From The Chesapeake Bay Journal
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Regulations, Technical Guidance & Permits
The Environmental Quality Board published notices covering several actions: nonacceptance of the
petition for rulemaking by Ashley Funk setting carbon dioxide emission limits; accepting for study a
petition to upgrade the classification of several streams in Monroe County; and accepting for study a
petition to upgrade the classification of a stream in Delaware County.
Pennsylvania Bulletin August 30, 2014
Proposed Regulations Open For Comment DEP webpage
Proposed Regulations With Closed Comment Periods DEP webpage
DEP Regulatory Agenda DEP webpage
Technical Guidance & Permits
No new technical guidance was published this week.
Technical Guidance Comment Deadlines DEP webpage
Recently Closed Comment Periods For Technical Guidance DEP webpage
Technical Guidance Recently Finalized DEP webpage
Copies of Final Technical Guidance DEP webpage
Visit DEP’s new Public Participation Center for information on how you can Be Informed! and Get
Involved! in DEP regulation and guidance development process.
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Calendar Of Events
Upcoming legislative meetings, conferences, workshops, plus links to other online calendars. Meetings
are in Harrisburg unless otherwise noted. NEW means new from last week. Go to the online Calendar
webpage.
September 3 DEP hearing on proposed attainment demonstration for Lower Beaver Valley
Nonattainment Area for 2008 lead standard. DEP Southwest Regional Office, 400 Waterfront Dr.,
Pittsburgh. 1:00. (formal notice)
September 3 Susquehanna River Basin Commission meeting. Radisson Hotel Corning, Finger Lakes
Ballroom, 125 Denison Parkway East, Corning, NY. 8:30. (formal notice)
September 9 NEW. House Consumer Affairs Committee holds a hearing on House Bill 2030
(SnyderDFayette) establishing the Coal Fired Electric Generation Deactivation Commission to
investigate the economic, electric reliability and environmental impacts associated with deactivating coal
fired power plants sponsor summary. Stover Building, Stover Lecture Room, 51 West College St.,
Waynesburg. 12:00.
September 9 CANCELED. DEP Board Of Coal Mine Safety meeting. DEP Cambria Office, 286
Industrial Park Road, Ebensburg. 10:00. (formal notice)
September 9 DEP Storage Tank Advisory Committee meeting. Room 105 Rachel Carson Building.
10:00.
September 910 Delaware River Basin Commission hearing, meeting. Washington Crossing Park,
1112 River Road, Washington Crossing, PA. (formal notice)
September 10 Agenda Released. DEP Mine Families First Response and Communications Advisory
Council meeting. Marion Center Mine Rescue Station, 21 Griffith Dr., Home, PA 1:00. (formal
notice)
September 10 CANCELED. DEP Sewage Advisory Committee meeting. Room 105 Rachel
Carson Building. 10:30. (formal notice)
September 10 Agenda Released. DEP Mine Families First Response and Communications Advisory
Council meeting. Marion Center Mine Rescue Station, 21 Griffith Dr., Home, PA 1:00.
September 11 NEW. Senate Game and Fisheries Committee holds a public hearing on the elk herd
in PA and the Elk Program. Keystone Elk County Alliance, 134 Homestead Rd., Benezette. 2:00.
September 16 Environmental Quality Board meeting. Room 105 Rachel Carson Building. 9:00.
September 16 DEP Citizens Advisory Council meeting. Room 105 Rachel Carson Building. 10:00.
September 16 DEP Climate Change Advisory Committee meeting. 12th Floor Conference Room,
Rachel Carson Building. 10:00. (formal notice)
September 17 DEP Water Resources Advisory Committee meeting. Room 105 Rachel Carson
Building. 9:30.
September 17 PA Environmental Council Environmental Policy Conference. Hilton Hotel,
Harrisburg. 9:00.
September 18 DEP Recycling Fund Advisory and Solid Waste Advisory Committees joint meeting.
Room 105 Rachel Carson Building. 10:00.
September 22 Environmental Issues Forum, Joint Conservation Committee. Pennsylvania’s
abandoned Turnpike, a 13mile stretch of the original Turnpike in Bedford and Fulton counties and
plans to turn it into a scenic, recreational biking trail. Room 8EA East Wing. 11:00. (Note time.)
September 22 NEW. DEP webinar on 3rd Round of Natural Gas Vehicle Grants. 2:00.
September 22—DEP, DCNR Meeting, Hearing On Gun Club Shooting Range In Centre County.
Rush Township municipal building, 150 North Richard St. in Philipsburg. Meeting—6:30, Hearing –
7:30.
September 23 DEP Small Water Systems Technical Assistance Center Board meeting. Room 105
Rachel Carson Building. 10:00.
September 24 DEP State Board for Certification of Sewage Enforcement Operators meeting. 11th
Floor Conference Room B, Rachel Carson Building. 10:00.
September 24DEP Board Of Coal Mine Safety meeting. DEP Cambria Office, 286 Industrial Park
Road, Ebensburg. 10:00. (formal notice)
September 25 DEP Oil and Gas Technical Advisory Board meeting. Room 105 Rachel Carson
Building. 10:00.
September 25 Penn State Extension Youth Water Educator’s Summit. The Central Hotel and
Conference Center, Harrisburg.
October 2 DEP LowLevel Radioactive Waste Advisory Committee meeting. Room 105 Rachel
Carson Building. 10:00.
October 6 Environmental Issues Forum, Joint Conservation Committee. Keep PA Beautiful will
present its recommendations for significantly reducing illegal dumping in Pennsylvania. Room 8EA East
Wing. Noon. (Note time.)
October 8 CANCELED. DEP Technical Advisory Committee on DieselPowered Equipment for
deep mining. Fayette County Health Center, Uniontown. 10:00. (formal notice)
October 9 DEP Air Quality Technical Advisory Committee meeting. Room 105 Rachel Carson
Building. 9:15.
October 15 DEP Agricultural Advisory Board meeting. DEP Southcentral Regional Office, 909
Elmerton Ave., Harrisburg. 10:00.
October 15 DEP Cleanup Standards Scientific Advisory Board. 14th Floor Conference Room,
Rachel Carson Building. 9:00.
October 15 NEW. DEP Technical Advisory Committee on DieselPowered Equipment for deep
mining. DEP Office, 131 Broadview Rd, New Stanton. 10:00. (formal notice)
October 16 DEP Radiation Protection Advisory Committee meeting. Room 105 Rachel Carson
Building. 9:00.
October 16 Agenda Released. DEP State Board for Certification of Water and Wastewater Systems
Operators meeting 10th Floor Conference Room, Rachel Carson Building. 10:00.
October 21 Environmental Quality Board meeting. Room 105 Rachel Carson Building. 9:00.
October 21 DEP Citizens Advisory Council meeting. Room 105 Rachel Carson Building. 10:00.
October 22 DEP Small Business Compliance Advisory Committee meeting. 12th Floor Conference
Room, Rachel Carson Building. 10:00.
October 23 DEP Mining and Reclamation Advisory Board meeting. Room 105 Rachel Carson
Building. 10:00.
October 27 NEW. Senate Game and Fisheries Committee holds a public hearing on Lyme disease,
Geisinger Medication Take Back Program, Great Lakes Fishery microbead ban, round goby impact on
PA waterways. Tom Ridge Environmental Center, 301 Peninsula Dr., Erie. 9:00.
October 27 NEW. DEP hearing on Hilcorp Energy gas pooling requests in Lawrence, Mercer
counties. Albert P. Gettings Government Center Annex of the Lawrence County Government Center,
Assembly Room, 349 Countyline St., New Castle. 10:00.
October 28 DEP Climate Change Advisory Committee meeting. 12th Floor Conference Room,
Rachel Carson Building. 10:00.
October 28 NEW. DEP hearing on Hilcorp Energy gas pooling requests in Lawrence, Mercer
counties. Albert P. Gettings Government Center Annex of the Lawrence County Government Center,
Assembly Room, 349 Countyline St., New Castle. 9:00.
November 5 DEP Environmental Justice Advisory Board meeting. Delaware Room, 16th Floor,
Rachel Carson Building. 8:30.
November 5 DEP Sewage Advisory Committee meeting. Room 105 Rachel Carson Building. 10:30.
November 12 DEP Water Resources Advisory Committee meeting. Room 105 Rachel Carson
Building. 9:30.
November 18 Environmental Quality Board meeting. Room 105 Rachel Carson Building. 9:00.
November 18 DEP Citizens Advisory Council meeting. Room 105 Rachel Carson Building. 10:00.
December 2 DEP Storage Tank Advisory Committee meeting. Room 105 Rachel Carson Building.
10:00.
December 9 DEP Climate Change Advisory Committee meeting. 12th Floor Conference Room,
Rachel Carson Building. 10:00.
December 9 DEP Board Of Coal Mine Safety meeting. DEP Cambria Office, 286 Industrial Park
Road, Ebensburg. 10:00.
December 10 Agenda Released. DEP State Board for Certification of Water and Wastewater
Systems Operators meeting 10th Floor Conference Room, Rachel Carson Building. 10:00.
December 11 DEP Air Quality Technical Advisory Committee meeting. Room 105 Rachel Carson
Building. 9:15.
December 17 DEP Agricultural Advisory Board meeting. DEP Southcentral Regional Office, 909
Elmerton Ave., Harrisburg. 10:00.
December 18 DEP Small Water Systems Technical Assistance Center Board meeting. Room 105
Rachel Carson Building. 10:00.
December 22 DEP State Board for Certification of Sewage Enforcement Operators meeting. 11th
Floor Conference Room B, Rachel Carson Building. 10:00.
Visit DEP’s new Public Participation Center for information on how you can Be Informed! and Get
Involved! in DEP regulation and guidance development process.
Click Here for links to DEP’s Advisory Committee webpages.
DEP 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
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