Here are 76 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.

Below are examples of going the WRONG WAY on environmental and energy issues from last week’s articles and NewsClips--

PA Environment Digest Put Links To The Best Environment & Energy Articles and NewsClips From Last Week Here By Topic.

On May 8, the PA Wilds Center for Entrepreneurship, Inc. announced the recipients of the 2023 Champions of the PA Wilds Awards.

In an April 2023 DEP determination of whether natural gas drilling contaminated a Washington County family’s water well, DEP said the “widespread presence of PFAS” forever chemicals in fresh water may have led to “inadvertently” using contaminated water to frack a shale gas well.

On May 11, the Environmental Integrity Project and Clean Air Council filed a federal lawsuit against the Shell Petrochemical Plant for repeatedly violating permitted air pollution limits from a massive new plastics production plant in Beaver County, which opened last year.

On May 10, the Community Environmental Legal Defense Fund announced PA General Energy, LLC notified the Department of Environmental Protection that it intends to plug its proposed toxic frack-waste injection well in Grant Township after this Memorial Day.

Penn State is hosting the annual Shale Network Workshop on May 18 and 19 at the Penn Stater Hotel and Conference Center in State College.

From May 6 to 12, DEP’s Oil and Gas Compliance Database shows oil and gas inspectors filed 449 inspection entries that resulted in reporting 65 violations of environmental regulations-- 49 violations by the conventional oil and gas industry and 16 violations by the unconventional shale natural gas industry.

According to a DEP inspection last week, Seneca Resources Co., LLC has failed to respond to notices of violations to cleanup a shale gas well pad on DCNR State Forest land in Delmar Township, Tioga County for seven months and counting.

The following DEP notices were published in the May 13 PA Bulletin related to oil and gas industry facilities.  Many of the notices offer the opportunity for public comments.

Triumph Township in Warren County published an advertisement in the Warren County Guide on May 8 soliciting bids for approximately 100,000 gallons of salt brine to dump on township roads.

By Gregory Wrightstone, CO2 Coalition

In December 2022, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency released new regulations to address fugitive methane emissions from oil and gas well sites and centralized production facilities.

On May 10, Republicans on the Senate Environmental Resources and Energy Committee reported out legislation to narrow the grounds of appealing DEP actions, authorizing special “stream cleaning” permits and renaming DEP to the Department of Environmental Services.

Republicans in the Senate last week moved legislation to kill regulations by doing nothing, allow the waiver of any permitting requirement and add more time, cost and bureaucracy to the permitting and regulatory process.

On May 11, the PJM Interconnection released its annual summer assessment and predicts sufficient supply to meet summer electricity needs for the 65 million people it serves across 13 states and the District of Columbia-- including Pennsylvania-- under anticipated conditions.

On May 9, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and its co-sponsors, American Public Health Association, the Educational Partnerships for Innovation in Communities – Network (EPIC-N), Environmental Defense Fund, Environmental Justice journal, and Groundwork USA, announced the Phase 2 winners of the Environmental Justice (EJ) Video Challenge for Students.

By Noah Evans, Penn State News

By Melissa Lopez, North Branch Land Trust, Land Protection and Stewardship Coordinator

On May 11, the Pike County Tick Borne Diseases Task Force held its second annual “Safe Steps” Children’s Art Contest. Children in grades K-6 were asked to illustrate “where do ticks live” or “how to protect yourself from tick bites.”

The York County Master Watershed Stewards are now accepting entries to the Street 2 Creek Storm Drain Art Contest through May 22.

On May 10, Pennsylvania American Water announced 14 watershed-related projects across the Commonwealth will receive financial support through the company’s annual Environmental Grant Program.

Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful will continue its partnership with the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation to implement the Cigarette Litter Prevention Program (CLPP) at rest stops across the state with a $20,000 grant from Keep America Beautiful. 

On May 12, Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful celebrated the inaugural class of their Young Ambassador of Pennsylvania Program during a virtual graduation ceremony.

The Pennsylvania Resources Council in partnership with the Cambria County Solid Waste Authority will host a one-day household chemical collection event on May 20 in Johnstown to provide Pennsylvania residents with an opportunity to safely and cost effectively dispose of common chemicals such as cleaners, paints, batteries, electronic cigarettes, motor oil and pesticides. 

Communities across the region were alive with volunteers this April in celebration of Earth Week and the 3rd Annual Susquehanna Greenway Cleanup Week.

On May 11, the PA Wilds Center is requesting the Maryland Air National Guard to conduct a full Environmental Impact Statement on its proposal to conduct very low-altitude training flights over a significant portion of the 13-county PA Wilds Region.

The Pennsylvania Environmental Council, in partnership with the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, is announcing the availability of a new mini-grant for an “urgent issue on a designated PA Water Trail.”

The May 12 Take Five Fridays With Pam is now available from the PA Parks and Forests Foundation featuring articles on--

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

The PA Organization for Watersheds and Rivers, Stroud Water Research Center, Penn State Extension Master Watershed Steward Program will host a May 17 webinar on Putting Water Quality Data To Work Locally - A Conversation Cafe from 6:00 to 7:30 p.m.

Pennsylvania mining industry leaders, government representatives and faculty will speak at the inaugural Mining PA Conference, to be held August 14-16 at the Penn Stater Hotel and Conference Center in State College.

DCNR launched its Lawn Conversion Program in early 2020, inviting Pennsylvanians to transform their manicured turf into native woods and meadows.

The information you need to follow legislation in the House and Senate- starting with articles and NewsClips from last week--

Articles and NewsClips about federal actions impacting Pennsylvania--

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 May 13 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.