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Senate & House Schedule + Table of Contents
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Hardball: Growing Greener Lobbying Continues
Gov. Rendell went to Washington County this week for a mock bill signing of his Advanced Energy Portfolio Standards legislation, Senate Bill 1030.
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Quick Rundown on Remaining Bills Signed, Vetoed by the Governor
Action by the Governor on mass transit and forest and farmland assessment.
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DEP Proposing Automatic Inflation Increases for Tank, Air Emission Fees
The Department of Environmental Protection has proposed the first changes to its regulations to charge fees that will automatically increase every year with the rate of inflation in the storage tank and air quality programs. DEP is expected to propose the practice across all its programs charging fees.
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Innovative “Philly Rewards Recycling” Program Gets Underway
Beginning this week about 6,000 homes in the Germantown and Chestnut Hill sections of Philadelphia will be involved in testing a brand new approach to recycling that its backers hope will provide an incentive far beyond "doing the right thing" –- hard cash in your pocket.
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EPA Funds Pilot Deconstruction Project in Philadelphia
EPA's Regional Administrator Donald S. Welsh presented a grant award to the Mid-Atlantic Consortium of Recycling and Economic Development Officials and the Institute for Local Self-Reliance, at an event at the EPA Region 3 Public Information Center on America Recycles Day. These organizations will use this grant to conduct building surveys beginning this winter, evaluate deconstruction techniques and establish a web-based materials exchange database. For more information on waste and materials exchange programs, go to EPA’s materials exchange website
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PA’s First Voluntary Clean School Bus Program Gets Underway
Department of Agriculture Secretary Dennis Wolff this week helped the Conewago Valley School District in Adams County celebrate the beginning of the first voluntary program to run school buses on bio-derived diesel fuels.
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EPA Helping Pennsylvanians Breathe Easier
EPA Region 3 Regional Administrator, Donald S. Welsh presented a $41,958 check to the Pennsylvania Department of Health at St. Luke's Presbyterian Head Start, in Philadelphia to increase awareness of tobacco smoke as a trigger that exacerbates asthma.
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Eagles Team Up with Philadelphia Schools To Plant Trees
The Philadelphia Eagles joined state, city and school officials this week at Richard Wright Elementary School in North Philadelphia to kick off plans to plant 300 trees at 15 elementary schools and five park sites across the city as part of TreeVitalize, a public-private partnership to restore tree cover to the five-county Philadelphia region.
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Wharton School Study Finds Greening Good Investment
Investments in greening and in vacant land management can increase property values by as much as 30 percent.
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Student Test Scores Benefit from Environment Education
Students involved in environmental education score higher on standardized tests, tend to have higher grades and stay in school longer, according to a new report from the Environmental Education Association of Washington. “Report Card on the Status of Environmental Education in Washington State”
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New Online Tool Looks at Water Quality, Land Use Impacts
In partnership with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Purdue University, the Local Government Environmental Assistance Network (LGEAN) recently launched an online tool to help local government planners measure the water quality impacts of land use changes. Specifically, local governments provide information about their location, the proposed land use change, and the area's soil type. Based on community-specific climate data, the Long-Term Hydrologic Impact Assessment (L-THIA) model estimates changes in recharge, runoff, and non-point source pollution resulting from proposed development. (Courtesy: Hourglass Foundation, Lancaster County)
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PennDOT to Develop Long-Range Transportation `Mobility Plan'
The Department of Transportation is embarking on an effort to develop a long-range "Pennsylvania Mobility Plan," a blueprint outlining goals, objectives and strategies to guide the future of the state's transportation system. It will also prioritize needed transportation investments.
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Learn About Water, Wastewater, Nonpoint Source Financial Assistance
The Pennsylvania Infrastructure Investment Authority will hold a series of five Information Exchange meetings across the state for project sponsors to learn about how PennVEST operates and about new nonpoint source control funding available.
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Application Period Now Open for Emergency Response Grants
The State Fire Commissioner announced this week the application period will open for the 2004-05 Volunteer Fire Company/Volunteer Ambulance Service grant program on January 3 and will run through February 28.
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Christmas Tree Farms Report Brisk Sales
The Pennsylvania Farm Bureau says farmers are reporting strong sales of “live” Christmas trees at Pennsylvania farms. Growers say the supply of trees is just right to meet the demand and that it’s a growers market.
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Water Quality Credit Trading
Pfizer, Lititz Borough Sign First Nutrient Trading Agreement in U.S.
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Watershed Grants
Applications Invited for Five-Star Restoration Matching Grants Program
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Watershed Grants II
Apply for Banrock Station Wines Wetlands Conservation Program
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DEP Makes Personnel Announcements
The Department of Environmental Protection this week made two major personnel announcements.
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Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful, Dept. of Transportation Win Anti-Litter Recognition
The non-profit Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful was recognized for its efforts to fight litter and promote beautification last week at the national conference of the Keep American Beautiful organization.
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Watershed NewsClips
A sampling of NewsClips on watershed topics from around the state.
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Help Wanted
Northeast Sustainable Energy Fund Director
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Regulations
Environmental Quality Board and Public Utility Commission rulemaking notices, Dec. 21 EQB meeting cancelled.
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Technical Guidance & Permits
The Department of Environmental Protection published this interim final technical guidance and notices this week-
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Calendar of Events
Upcoming conferences, workshops and meetings, plus links to other calendars.
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Special Report: Bipartisan Commission Issues Strategy on U.S. Energy Challenges
The National Commission on Energy Policy, a bipartisan group of top energy experts from industry, government, labor, academia, and environmental and consumer groups today released a consensus strategy, more than two years in the making, to address major long-term U.S. energy challenges.
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Contributions Invited
Send your stories about environmental issues, programs and positive actions to PA Environment Digest - DHess@crisciassociates.com .
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04/22/24 - 117 New Stories - REAL Environmental & Conservation Leadership In PA: http://tinyurl.com/9bh4zbtr
