Here are 63 new stories in the PA Environment Digest about individuals, groups, local governments, farmers, businesses, watershed groups and many more working all across Pennsylvania to restore and protect the environment and show others the beauty that surrounds us.

While PA Environment Digest’s priority is to highlight positive examples of environmental and energy leadership, 2022 is an election year which demands accountability to voters.

PA Environment Digest Is Putting The Best Links To Environment & Energy Articles and NewsClips Here.   Are You Telling Your Story?

On December 2, Governor-Elect Josh Shapiro and Lieutenant Governor-Elect Austin Davis announced the members of seven Transition Advisory Committees, which will advise the incoming Administration and prepare to advance Governor-Elect Shapiro’s top priorities: growing our economy, making our communities safer, and ensuring all Pennsylvania students receive a high-quality education.

On November 29, Attorney General Josh Shapiro announced that Coterra Energy Inc., formerly known as Cabot Oil and Gas, has pleaded no contest to a misdemeanor charge of prohibition against discharge of industrial wastes under the state's Clean Streams Law in Dimock, Susquehanna County.

On December 1, Kurt Klapkowski, Acting Deputy Secretary for Oil and Gas Management, said he has ordered a “top to bottom review” of how DEP regulates underground natural gas storage areas as a result of the leak of 1 billion cubic feet of gas from the Equitrans Rager Mountain Gas Storage Area in Cambria County November 6 to 20.

On November 30, the Environmental Quality Board voted 16 to 2 to approve the emergency regulation setting VOC/methane emission limits for conventional oil and gas facilities.

On December 1, Kurt Klapkowski, Acting DEP Deputy Secretary for Oil and Gas Management, reported the agency is preparing to plug the next 198 abandoned conventional oil and gas wells under the new federal Abandoned Well Plugging Program funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.

On December 1, Kurt Klapkowski, Acting DEP Deputy Secretary for Oil and Gas Management, said the schedule for considering updates to environmental protection standards for conventional oil and gas drillers will be up to the incoming Shapiro-Davis Administration.

A malfunction at Shell’s petrochemical plant in Beaver County once again lit the sky orange on Monday evening [November 28] in the first incident since the company announced the start of commercial operations two weeks ago, according to the Post-Gazette.

To give the public a better understanding of the compliance record of oil and gas industrial facilities in Pennsylvania, PA Environment Digest developed this feature summarizing the more serious violations DEP reports through its Compliance Reporting Database on a weekly basis -- Saturday through Friday.

The following DEP notices were published in the December 3 PA Bulletin related to oil and gas industry facilities.  Many of the notices offer the opportunity for public comments.

On November 18, the Department of Environmental Protection formally notified the Independent Regulatory Review Commission it was withdrawing the final regulation changing the water quality standard for manganese, ending the rulemaking process.

On December 1, a coalition of environmental groups announced the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has granted a petition to begin the process of promulgating new water quality standards under Section 303(c)(4)(B) of the federal Clean Water Act for the Delaware River estuary.

The Department of Environmental Protection is inviting comments on the proposed renewal of an NPDES Industrial Waste Discharge Permit for the Energy Harbor Generation LLC  Little Blue Run Coal Ash Disposal Area (former Bruce Mansfield Power Plant) in Shippingport Borough, Beaver County. (Dec. 3 PA Bulletin, page 7413)

By Karl Blankenship, Chesapeake Bay Journal

On December 2, the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation announced $33.8 million in grant awards to support the restoration and conservation of the Chesapeake Bay watershed.

The Generating Awareness For Project Success (GAPS) Program, a collaboration between the Foundation for Pennsylvania Watersheds and Three Rivers QUEST with support from the Colcom Foundation, is accepting applications for assistance in developing stream remediation projects.

The Headwaters RC&D Council is now accepting applications for the Sinnemahoning Watershed Grant Program In McKean County.  The deadline to apply is January 20.

On November 30, Department of Conservation and Natural Resources Secretary Cindy Adams Dunn announced the public is invited to again vote online for the 2023 Pennsylvania River of the Year, choosing from among four waterways nominated throughout the state.

By Penn State News

The Pike County Conservation District and Keystone 10 Million Trees campaign are partnering to provide free native trees and shrubs to communities and landowners in Pike County.

The Department of Conservation and Natural Resources and the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy are hosting the 2023 Watershed Forestry Summit on June 13-15 !

The PA Environmental Council’s In Case You Missed It In November is now available featuring articles on--

The Department of Environmental Protection is now accepting applications for Food Recovery Infrastructure Grants.  The deadline is March 17.  (formal notice)

The Pennsylvania Resources Council had an enthusiastic response from residents across the Commonwealth participating in the 2022 Gene Capaldi Lens on Litter Photo Contest. The entries were divided into student and adult categories, judging was conducted and following are the results.

On November 30, the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources celebrated the induction of Nolde Forest Environmental Education Center near Reading in Berks County into the national Old-Growth Forest Network.

If you are hiking the Horse-Shoe Trail through Manada Conservancy’s newest preserve in late spring or early summer, you might hear the flute-like call of the Wood Thrush, or you might enjoy the feathery branches of the hemlocks you pass through the woods. But even in the winter, it is a beautiful landscape.

Land that was once home to the historic Oakford Park in Jeannette, Westmoreland County, will once again be used as a local public space, thanks to a donation of the land to the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy from Regis and Jamie McHugh.

The Carbon Chamber & Economic Development Corporation Nature and Commerce Committee in partnership with the Pocono Mountains Visitors Bureau is proud to release two new videos focused on conservation in our area--

On November 30, Landforce, a nonprofit employment social enterprise, celebrated its 8th Anniversary by noting it has surpassed 57,000 hours of environmental stewardship in the Pittsburgh region.

The PA Recreation and Park Society is pleased to acknowledge outstanding achievements by agencies, boards, commissions, and individuals toward the advancement of community recreation and park services through its Recognition & Awards Program.

The Appalachian Trail Museum is now accepting nominations for the Appalachian Trail Hall of Fame through January 31.

The December 2 Take Five Fridays With Pam is now available from the PA Parks & Forests Foundation--

Opportunities to learn more about environmental and energy issues affecting Pennsylvania for students and adults--

The latest Catalyst newsletter from the Butler County-based Slippery Rock Watershed Coalition features the reopening of the Foltz School at the Jennings Environmental Education Center and presentations from the Northwest PA GIS Conference

On November 29, Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful announced it is accepting applications for the Litter Hawk Youth Award Program, a recognition program for students in Kindergarten through 6th Grade, who complete a designated project specific to their grade level.

On December 9, Misericordia University’s Environmental Studies program will host an in-person Ocean Sustainability Symposium (MOSS) featuring student projects and guest speakers explaining the importance of marine and ocean life.

Washington County-based Washington & Jefferson College Center for Energy Policy and Management will host “And on His Farm He Had… A Photovoltaic System? Where Solar and Farming Meet”—a free webinar discussing the growing field of agrisolar—on December 7 at 11:00 a.m.

The latest issue of Wild Heritage News from the PA Natural Heritage Program features articles on--

The Fall/Winter newsletter from the Crawford County-based Foundation for Sustainable Forests is now available featuring articles on--

On November 30 the two-year legislative session formally ended and all committees dissolved and bills died.  The next session will begin on January 3 when all this fun starts from scratch all over again! 

Articles and NewsClips about federal actions impacting Pennsylvania--

The U.S. Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources held a December 1 hearing on S. 3957-- the bipartisan STREAM legislation setting aside 30% of AML funding each year into accounts that accrue interest and can cover these perpetual costs under the federal Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.

Click Here for a list of public participation opportunities and a calendar of events.

Click Here for grants, awards, recognition programs and contest deadlines.

Highlights of the environmental and energy notices in the December 3 PA Bulletin--

Send your stories, photos and links to videos about your project, environmental issues or programs for publication in the PA Environment Digest to: PaEnviroDigest@gmail.com.

PA Environment Digest is a supporting member of the PA Organization for Watersheds & Rivers, PA Outdoor Writers Association, PA Council Trout Unlimited and the Doc Fritchey Chapter Trout Unlimited.