Tuesday, November 4 you get to decide whether Tom Corbett (R) or Tom Wolf (D) will be Governor the next four years.

PA Environment Digest now has a Google+ Circle called Green Works In PA.  Just go to your Google+ page and search for DHess@CrisciAssociates.com, the email for the Digest Editor David Hess,  and let us join your Circle.

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

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

Sen. Lisa Baker (R-Luzerne) Friday announced Gov. Corbett has signed Senate Bill 720 into law to for the first-time-ever create a state program for small disaster assistance.

Thanks to the likes of the Bon Jovi, Katy Perry, Willie Nelson and other music stars, the Chesapeake Bay will benefit from cleaner upstream waters in one Susquehanna River tributary.

On November 1 the Department of Environmental Protection published notice of a proposed consent order and agreement with Dana Mining and AMD Reclamation, Inc. to collect and treat acid mine drainage discharges from abandoned underground coal mines in the Dunkard Creek Watershed in Greene County.  (PA Bulletin page 6994)

A new monthly science café brings devotees of water science together for conversations with top experts in the field. Tapping Our Watershed, hosted by the Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University, will meet next on November 17, to raise glasses with Carol Collier, the Academy’s senior advisor for watershed management and policy.

Government officials, partners and homeowners gathered along the Neshaminy Creek in Langhorne, Bucks County this week to celebrate the completion of a 12-year, $27 million flood mitigation project made possible through the cooperation of local and federal governments.

The Department of Environmental Protection invites county and city planners, engineers, developers, redevelopment authorities and community leaders to attend a training session about stormwater management control for permitted activities on November 13, in Harrisburg.

The Susquehanna River Basin Commission will receive public comment at two separate hearings on November 6. at the Pennsylvania State Capitol, Room 8E-B, East Wing, Commonwealth Avenue, Harrisburg. (formal notice) The times are as follows:

Westminster College and the Slippery Rock Watershed Coalition are again sponsoring the Student Symposium on the Environment December 4 at the McKelvey Campus Center, Witherspoon Rooms and Mueller Theater, Westminster College

The Delaware Riverkeeper Network Thursday filed a petition in Commonwealth Court against Gov. Corbett and the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources challenging Executive Order 2014-03 issued May 23, 2014 titled Leasing of State Forests and State Park Land for Oil and Gas Development.

Gov. Tom Corbett Monday announced the Department of Community and Economic Development awarded an Industrial Sites Reuse Program grant to the Borough of Conshohocken for environmental remediation at the former Verizon building to be utilized as a new municipal complex.

Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful affiliates invite local residents to dispose of electronics properly. PA CleanWays of Venango County, Tri-County CleanWays and Keep Juniata County Beautiful are holding electronic collections during the month of November.

Don’t trash that campaign sign!  Bring it to the Centre County Recycling & Refuse Authority and have it recycled between November 5th and November 28th.

The October 30 edition of DEP News is now available from the Department of Environmental Protection featuring articles on--

UGI Utilities, Inc. is encouraging eligible natural gas and electric customers to apply for federal energy assistance dollars to keep their homes warm this winter.  In addition, UGI will provide assistance those who need help in completing the application.

The Public Utility Commission Friday announced it will hold a hearing on the future of Philadelphia Gas Works on November 14.

Calvin Ernst, founder and president of Ernst Conservation Seeds in Meadville, Crawford County, was recently honored for a lifetime of contributions to the native seed industry by the Atlantic Seed Association and Penn State University during separate events.

How a changing climate is affecting the region and Pennsylvania will be the topic of the final lecture in the 2014 South Mountain Speakers Series on November 13 at Dickinson College in Carlisle.

Department of Conservation and Natural Resources Secretary Ellen Ferretti Monday joined state and local officials and hiking enthusiasts on the Black Forest Trail in the Tiadaghton State Forest District to dedicate a new bridge spanning Slate Run in the village of Slate Run, Lycoming County.

In 2014, Mike and Kieu Manes played a tremendous role in moving the Appalachian Trail  MEGA-Transect Chestnut Project forward in Pennsylvania. This project trains volunteer hikers to recognize and count surviving American chestnut trees, as they hike along the Appalachian Trail.

Fall tree planting season has begun for TreeVitalize Pittsburgh and we need your help with plantings across the Pittsburgh area. Plantings run through November 22 and are held rain or shine.

The November edition of Water, Land, Life newsletter is now available from the Western PA Conservancy featuring articles on--

The PA Parks and Forest Foundation will showcase the winning entries in its Through The Seasons Photo Contest on November 12 at the Roy Pitz Brewing Company, 140 N. 3rd St. in Chambersburg on November 12 at 4:00.  Click Here for more information.

Friends of Allegheny Wilderness Thursday marked the 30th anniversary of the signing of the federal Pennsylvania Wilderness Act permanently protecting the Allegheny Islands and Hickory Creek Wilderness Areas from all forms of development for future generations to use and enjoy.

Please join Allegheny Land Trust at the National Aviary on Pittsburgh’s North Side for a fundraiser celebration of 20 years of land conservation excellence on November 22 featuring a VIP hour from 6 to 7 p.m. and a main event from 7 to 11 p.m.

Visitors to Hawk Mountain Sanctuary, Kempton, Berks County, will have a guaranteed chance to see North America’s largest predatory bird on “Golden Eagle Saturday,” held November 8 with one-day-only eagle programs at 10 a.m., noon and 2 p.m.

The October 29 issue of the Resource newsletter is now available from the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources featuring articles on--

The Department of Environmental Protection published notice of the opportunity to bid on a mine reclamation projects in Butler County, Luzerne County, Schuylkill County and a second project in Schuylkill County.

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.  It also gives you a heads-up on House and Senate Committee meetings, conferences and other interesting events.  Meetings are in Harrisburg unless otherwise noted.

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

Here's a selection of NewsClips on environmental topics from around the state--

Here are NewsClips on topics related to Marcellus Shale natural gas drilling--

Here are NewsClips on watershed topics from around the state--

The Department of Environmental Protection published notice it is requesting authority to implement the federal Hospital, Medical, Infectious Waste incinerators Plan in Pennsylvania along with a public hearing November 12 in Harrisburg.

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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:  DHess@CrisciAssociates.com.

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