The Department of Environmental Protection Tuesday announced the release of the first draft of the Pipeline Infrastructure Task Force report which will open a 30-day public comment period beginning November 14. (formal notice)

Bipartisan Senate and House Leadership and Gov. Wolf Wednesday said they have come up with a draft framework for a budget settlement that involves the state budget and some sort of pension reform and changes to Pennsylvania’s state-owned liquor system.

With reports of a severance tax on natural gas drillers excluded from a potential budget deal, statewide environmental advocacy organization PennFuture president and CEO, Larry J. Schweiger, released the following statement late Tuesday:

The public is invited to again vote online for the 2016 Pennsylvania River of the Year, choosing from among five waterways nominated across the state.

PA Environment Digest now has a Google+ Circle called Green Works In PA.  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 House and Senate Coal Caucuses will hold a hearing on EPA’s Clean Power Climate Plan November 17 in the Senate Majority Caucus Room starting at 9:00 a.m.

The House Local Government Committee is scheduled to meet on November 18 to consider bills to exempt certain more rural communities from mandatory recycling and authorize local governments to impose stormwater management fees without forming a municipal authorities.

The Department of Environmental Protection published notice in the November 14 PA Bulletin it has finalized an update to its statewide Nonpoint Source Management Plan.

Regional business leaders gathered Tuesday for the 2015 Chesapeake Bay Business Forum in Baltimore, Maryland, to rally business and support for Bay restoration.

Aqua America, Inc. President and CEO Christopher Franklin accepted the Green Vision Award from PENJERDEL for the company’s corporate commitment to environmental quality through its long history of superior performance in providing high quality drinking water and wastewater treatment.

Capital Region Water, Lower Paxton Township, and Susquehanna Township in Dauphin County have committed, by virtue of an intergovernmental cooperation agreement, to working together on the Paxton Creek Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) Strategy to reduce sediment from stormwater discharges and stream bank erosion and improve the health of Paxton Creek.

Pennsylvania’s County Conservation Districts recently awarded more than $48,000 provided by the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP) Mini-Grant Program for 20 projects in 21 counties.

On November 7, 90 volunteers joined the Tookany/Tacony-Frankford Watershed Partnership for a Community Planting Day at Ethel Jordan Park along the Jenkintown Creek in Philadelphia.

Pennsylvania is home to 86,000 miles of rivers and streams, the second most stream miles of of any state in America. Yet, 19 percent of those miles do not support healthy aquatic life, while some are not fishable, swimmable, or drinkable.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is partnering with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, pork and dairy producers, and environmental and scientific experts to launch the Nutrient Recycling Challenge, a competition to develop affordable technologies that recycle nutrients from livestock waste.

The November 9 edition of the Watershed Winds newsletter is now available from Penn State Extension featuring articles on--

The November 10 Chesapeake Bay Journal is now available featuring articles on--

The Susquehanna River Basin Commission is scheduled to hold its next meeting on December 4 in Hearing Room 1, North Office Building, Harrisburg starting at 9:00 a.m.  (formal notice)

Natural Lands Trust and the Chester County Association of Township Officials are calling for nominations for the Growing Greener Communities Award, which honors conservation-minded accomplishments by townships in Chester County.

Students attending schools in 10 southwestern Pennsylvania counties will have the opportunity to show how they will make a difference in the area’s air quality by participating in the sixth annual “Let’s Clear the Air Poster Challenge” sponsored by the Southwest Pennsylvania Air Quality Partnership, Inc. and the PA Resources Council, Inc.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Tuesday announced the award of the latest round of 35 Environmental Education Grants in 24 states, including one in Pennsylvania.

Despite years of progress in recycling and reducing municipal waste, there are still more than 6,500 illegal dumpsites in Pennsylvania, the topic of November’s “Environmental Focus.”  This month’s edition of the Pennsylvania Environmental Council’s monthly environmental affairs program airs on the Pennsylvania Cable Network (PCN) on Sunday, November 15 at 4 p.m.

How will you celebrate America Recycles Day? America Recycles Day, a Keep America Beautiful initiative, takes place annually on and around November 15 to recognize the benefits of recycling while providing an educational platform that helps raise awareness about the value of reducing, reusing and recycling – every day – throughout the year.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Friday recognized the waste reduction accomplishments of 29 participants in and endorsers of EPA’s WasteWise program and EPA’s Food Recovery Challenge, including the Philadelphia Prison System for food recovery.

The November newsletter of the Professional Recyclers of PA is now available featuring articles on--

The Department of Environmental Protection Thursday announced it has determined the Phase I portion of Elcon Recycling Services, LLC’s hazardous waste application is in conformance with the Phase I exclusionary siting criteria at its proposed location in Falls Township, Bucks County.

The Department of Environmental Protection Thursday announced Sunoco Pipeline, L.C. paid DEP a $59,000 civil penalty as part of a settlement agreement for Sunoco’s violations of the Dam Safety and Encroachments Act that affected wetlands and streams in five southern Pennsylvania counties.

While it might not feel like it, colder winter weather is on the way and the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection wants all residents to stay safe and warm this winter by properly preparing their homes. Home winterization can help keep your home warmer, while using less energy and costing less money.

The November 12 edition of DEP News is now available from the Department of Environmental Protection featuring articles on--

PJM Interconnection, which manages the high voltage power grid for 13 states and Washington, D.C., has sufficient resources to meet forecasted demand for electricity this winter it said Thursday.

The Department of Environmental Protection closed the comment period for EPA’s Clean Power Climate Plan on Thursday, but you can still read what others had to say about the plan and what steps were recommended to DEP to implement these new requirements.

The Department of Conservation and Natural Resources will hold the last of 12 statewide meetings to hear comments on its draft State Forest Management Plan on November 18 in Room 105 of the Rachel Carson State Office Building, 400 Market St., Harrisburg.

The PA Parks and Forests Foundation is now accepting nominations for its annual awards established in 2006 to draw well-deserved attention to the outstanding service, programs and exemplary work being done at state parks and forests.

The PA Conservation Heritage Project has released three mini-documentaries in partnership with WITF public television in Harrisburg covering the lives and contributions of Gifford Pinchot, Ralph Abele and Mira Lloyd Dock.

The Fall issue of Penn’s Stewards, the newsletter of the PA Parks and Forests Foundation is now available featuring stories on--

Get Outdoors Poconos, a grant-funded program administered by Brodhead Watershed Association in Monroe County, seeks to show Pocono folks where the best in local hiking is to be had.

Would you like to avoid the crowds and commercialism of the “Black Friday” weekend this year? Here is something different and interesting to do instead!

Lacawac Sanctuary offers friends, supporters and the general public an opportunity to enjoy the holidays with a traditional afternoon Holiday Tea and Tour on either November 21 or 22 from 1 to 3 p.m. 

The Penn State Institutes of Energy and the Environment has identified five strategic research themes where PSIEE believes that Penn State can achieve global prominence: Climate and Ecosystem Change; Future Energy Supply; Health and the Environment; Smart Energy Systems; and Water and Biogeochemical Cycles.

Interested in learning more about aquatic invasive species in Pennsylvania, and the steps you can take to prevent their spread? 

The Fish and Boat Commission has scheduled a special Fisheries Committee meeting in Erie on November 24 to discuss a draft update to the trout management plan.

The Fishing Creek Sportsman Association has donated $5,000 to the Fish and Boat Commission’s “S.O.S. – Save Our Susquehanna” campaign, pushing total contributions from concerned anglers to more than $28,000.

DEP Secretary John Quigley announced the winners of the 2015 Secretary's Excellence Awards during a ceremony on November 5.

The Department of Environmental Protection published notice in the November 14 PA Bulletin of an opportunity to bid on a mine subsidence control project in Clearfield County and an abandoned mine reclamation project in Luzerne County.

This section lists House and Senate Committee meetings, DEP and other public hearings and meetings and other interesting environmental events.

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

No new regulations were published this week.  Pennsylvania Bulletin - November 14, 2015

CLICK HERE to Print The Entire PA Environment Digest.

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.

PA Environment Digest is a supporting member of the Pennsylvania Outdoor Writers Association, Pennsylvania Council Trout Unlimited and the Doc Fritchey Chapter Trout Unlimited.  Sponsor: 2016 Keystone Coldwater Conference, State College, Feb. 26-27.