The PA Environmental Council Wednesday posted this statement on this year’s state budget deliberations and chronically inadequate funding for environmental and conservation programs--

The Department of Environmental Protection Thursday warned cuts to environmental and public health programs in the proposed budget from House Republicans will slow down the permit reviews and could put air and water quality at risk.

Conservation, recreation and preservation organizations and individuals are joining together for a Susquehanna River Rally on June 17 in Harrisburg to call for clean water funding as state budget negotiations commence.

The PA Parks and Forests Foundation sent out this urgent message Thursday morning--

By Marci Mowery, President, PA Parks & Forests Foundation & Tim Herd, Executive Director, PA Recreation & Parks Society

Senate Majority Leader Jake Corman (R-Centre) told the media after a budget meeting with the House Wednesday he hopes to get the gaming bill back out of the Senate next week and is looking at an FY 2017-18 spend number “about the same” as the House— $31.52 billion.

The Independent Fiscal Office Thursday released updated revenue estimates for FY 2016-17 and FY 2017-18 that are $820 million lower than estimates they released last year.

The Senate Tuesday unanimously passed Senate Bill 646 (Killion-R-Delaware) that would prevent a funding crisis in the state’s Recycling Program by eliminating the expiration date for the Act 101 $2 per ton recycling fee on waste disposed in Pennsylvania.

The House Monday passed a package of four bills authorizing local governments to charge fees to implement local stormwater pollution reduction programs all sponsored by Rep. Garth Everett (R-Lycoming), one of Pennsylvania’s members and current chair of the interstate Chesapeake Bay Commission.

The Public Utility Commission Thursday posted detailed information about this year’s distribution of Impact Fees on natural gas producers, totaling $173,258,900, on the PUC’s interactive Act 13 website.

The Senate Tuesday voted 29 to 20, largely along party-lines, to pass Senate Bill 561 (Disanto-R- Dauphin) which allows the General Assembly to kill state regulations by doing nothing.

The House Environmental Resources and Energy Committee is scheduled to meet on June 19 to consider two bills rolling back environmental protection measures from surface and deep coal mining and legislation on certifying mine emergency responders.

Here are the Senate and House Calendars for the next voting session day and Committees scheduling action on 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--

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

Presenters told the Joint Senate/House Air and Water Pollution Control and Conservation Committee Tuesday it is critical the General Assembly authorize the $2 recycling fee which supports waste and recycling programs, fix the broken electronics recycling law and engage stakeholders in a more comprehensive review of updates needed to the 1988 Act 101 recycling and municipal waste law.

In testimony submitted to the Joint Conservation Committee for a hearing Tuesday, June 13, Keep PA Beautiful President Sharon Reiter said the 1988 Recycling and Waste Reduction law (Act 101) succeeded in creating the biggest curbside recycling program in the nation and encouraged safe sites for waste disposal. 

In testimony Tuesday, Department of Environmental Protection officials urged the Joint Legislative Air and Water Pollution Control and Conservation Committee to permanently reauthorize a crucial component of the landmark Act 101 of 1988 that established Pennsylvania’s recycling program.

Pennsylvania has an official state animal-- whitetail deer, a tree-- hemlock, fish-- brook trout, plant-- Penngift crownvetch, insect-- firefly, flower-- mountain laurel, bird-- ruffed grouse, fossil-- phacops rana, dog-- great dane, beverage-- milk and even a state locomotive- PA Railroad K4S.

The Senate Environmental Resources and Energy Committee is scheduled to meet on June 19 to consider several wastewater infrastructure bills and legislation to change the makeup of the Underground Storage Tank Indemnification Board.

Carol Collier, former Executive Director of the Delaware River Basin Commission, was honored by the PA Environmental Council with the Winsor Award at the 47th Environmental Partnership Dinner Wednesday in Philadelphia.

By Karl Blankenship, Chesapeake Bay Journal

The Chesapeake Bay Foundation-PA Thursday announced it will receive an innovative federal grant designed to put conservation practices on farms that will allow municipalities to satisfy stormwater pollution reduction requirements and return profits to capital investors.

The latest newsletter is now available from Forests For The Bay featuring articles on--

American Water Works Company, Inc. Monday announced the achievement of 18 Partnership for Safe Water awards, including the West Shore Regional Water Treatment Plant in  Cumberland County.

The Susquehanna River Basin Commission Monday told members of the House State Government Committee a three-year intensive management reorganization has resulted in a more than 40 percent reduction in municipal permit fees, overall streamlining of its regulatory process and creation of a Public Water Supply Assistance Program to offer technical assistance and further fee reductions to small municipal water supply systems.

Volunteers are needed for the 27th Annual River Sweep June 17, from 8 a.m. to noon to help clean up stream and riverbanks in Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Fayette, Washington and Westmoreland Counties.

The Department of Transportation Tuesday discussed using Recycled Asphalt Paving or RAP, an innovative paving method, for the first time in Armstrong County to improve nearly five miles of rural roadway.

The Department of Environmental Protection Tuesday announced positive mosquito results for West Nile Virus have been found in East Pennsboro Township, Cumberland County, Scranton, Lackawanna County and Manchester Township. York County.

The Appalachian Regional Commission, slated for elimination by the Trump Administration, Wednesday released $15.7 million in funding for economic development projects, including a $1.4 million grant to the Washington Greene County Job Training Agency to train displaced workers from the coal sector.

In 2016, natural gas provided 34 percent of total electricity generation, surpassing coal to become the leading generation source. In the Northeast, electricity generation with natural gas has exceeded coal-fired generation since February 2011.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Tuesday provided more details on its proposal to pause the rule now in place controlling methane emissions from oil and gas drilling operations saying its review would take 2 years while it reconsiders the regulation.

Gov. Tom Wolf Thursday announced the opening of the latest of 29 Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) fueling stations planned as part of a Public Private Partnership, this one in York at 415 Zarfoss Drive.

By Joseph Sabino Mistick

The Department of Environmental Protection and the Air Quality Partnership have forecast Saturday, June 17 will be a Code Orange Air Quality Action for ozone in Southwest Pennsylvania, including the counties of Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Butler, Fayette, Washington and Westmoreland.

The Environmental Quality Board published notice in the June 17 PA Bulletin of proposed rulemaking to control volatile organic compound emissions from industrial cleaning solvents, aerospace manufacturing and rework and additional RACT requirements for major sources of nitrogen oxides and volatile organic compounds.

The Department of Environmental Protection published notice in the June 17 PA Bulletin of proposed infrastructure State Implementation Plan revisions related to the 2012 fine particulate matter standard.

The Department of Environmental Protection has scheduled hearing on permit actions related to Perdue AgriBusiness in Lancaster County and the Brunner Island Power Station in York County.  The hearings will be held--

The Department of Environmental Protection published notice in the June 17 PA Bulletin notifying all owners and operators of air contamination sources subject to the state’s air emission inventory that the agency will only accept inventory submissions in an electronic format starting in 2018.

The Public Utility Commission Wednesday announced a series of appointments to its Consumer Advisory Council, which provides input to the PUC on issues important to utility customers. Members of the CAC will serve two-year terms, from July 1, 2017, through June 30, 2019.

The Green Building Alliance will showcase 9 Net-Zero Energy Projects in Western Pennsylvania at a special event on June 27 at the Frick Environmental Center, 2005 Beechwood Boulevard in Pittsburgh from 3:00 to 6:00 p.m.

Attorney General Josh Shapiro Wednesday announced he and 10 other state Attorneys General are suing the U.S. Department of Energy over its failure to finalize energy-use standards designed to save consumers and businesses billions of dollars, conserve energy and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Pennsylvania’s Agricultural Land Preservation Board last Thursday added 2,724 acres on 34 farms in 15 counties to the more than 5,100 farms across the state permanently preserved for agricultural production.

The Delaware Highlands Conservancy Monday announced it has awarded its Yeaman Scholarship in the amount of $1,000 to Truth Muller, a 2017 homeschooled graduate from within the Monticello School District, New York and the Vanessa Van Gorder Memorial Scholarship in the amount of $1,000 to Alexandra Squatrito, a 2017 graduate of Wallenpaupack Area High School, Wayne County.

Join the PA Environmental Council and the Philadelphia Office of Transportation and Infrastructure Systems on July 13 to explore the potential impacts of the Spring Garden Street Greenway and learn about how trails help connect users to the rivers.

The PA Parks and Forests Foundation Wednesday announced it has been awarded a $10,000 grant from Recreation Equipment, Inc. to help support restoration of Laurel Highlands Hiking Trail Adirondack shelters.

Offering white-tailed deer hunters more hunting opportunities across Pennsylvania, state forestlands and state parks again are participating in the Game Commission's Deer Management Assistance Program, or DMAP.

The June 14 issue of the Resource newsletter is now available from the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources featuring articles on--

A unique look at the early 20th century landscape design and vision at Grey Towers National Historic Site, Milford, Pike County will be the focus of a free lecture and walk on July 8 beginning at 4:00 p.m.

The Department of Environmental Protection published notices in the June 17 PA Bulletin of the opportunity to bid on mine reclamation projects in Armstrong, Beaver and Elk counties.

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.

The Environmental Quality Board published notice in the June 17 PA Bulletin of proposed rulemaking to control volatile organic compound emissions from industrial cleaning solvents, aerospace manufacturing and rework and additional RACT requirements for major sources of nitrogen oxides and volatile organic compounds.

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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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