Here are 110 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.

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

On August 24, PennFuture, the Sierra Club, Clean Air Council, Protect Penn-Trafford, and Earthworks announced they have filed a joint lawsuit in Commonwealth Court against the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, including the General Assembly and Gov. Shapiro, challenging the constitutionality of a law that prevents the Commonwealth from protecting communities, public health and the environment from the harm caused by abandoned conventional oil and gas wells.

On August 18, Petro Erie, Inc. filed an appeal with the Environmental Hearing Board of the field order DEP issued on July 21, 2023 ordering the company to cleanup the conventional oil well wastewater spill that contaminated the Village of Reno’s water supply in Venango County near the Lower Leno 6 well. [Docket No. 2023063]

On August 21, 2023, DEP did a detailed inspection of conventional oil well wastewater tanks near the Lower Reno 1 well operated by Petro Erie, Inc. in Sugarcreek Borough, Venango County and found a pipe running from wastewater tanks into a ditch with a visible impact area from past discharges.

On August 24, Equitrans Midstream Corp. released the results of its root cause investigation into the uncontrolled leak of natural gas from the Rager Mountain Storage Facility in Cambria County in November of 2022, one of the largest natural gas leaks in the world in 2022.

From August 19 to 25, DEP’s Oil and Gas Compliance Database shows oil and gas inspectors filed 528 inspection entries.

Rep. Charity Grimm Krupa (R-Fayette) announced her intention to introduce legislation to prohibit DEP from issuing any permits or authorizations allowing oil and gas wastewater injection wells in Pennsylvania.

This editorial first appeared in the Republican Herald on August 22, 2023--

On August 22, the House Philadelphia LNG Natural Gas Export Task Force chaired by Rep. Martina White (R-Philadelphia)  held a hearing at Widener University in Chester, Delaware County on a proposal to build an LNG natural gas export facility in Chester.

The following DEP notices were published in the August 26 PA Bulletin related to oil and gas industry facilities.  Many of the notices offer the opportunity for public comments.

In July, the Executive Director of the Susquehanna River Basin Commission gave his approval to 25 water use permits for individual shale gas well drilling pads in Bradford, Cameron, Centre, Lycoming, Sullivan, Susquehanna, Tioga counties.  (formal notice)

The Susquehanna River Basin Commission will hold its next business meeting on September 14 in Harrisburg.  On its tentative agenda is consideration of its FY 2025 budget, a climate change resolution and water withdrawal requests, including eight shale gas drilling operations-- 1 in Exceptional Value Loyalsock Creek.

The Public Utility Commission recently approved two penalty settlements with Columbia Gas totaling $1,525,000 for a house explosion in Washington County and two natural gas pipeline over-pressurization incidents in Franklin and Clarion counties.

On August 24, the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) today announced a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) to strengthen safety requirements for millions of miles of gas distribution pipelines.

On August 25, Gov. Josh Shapiro and Department of Environmental Protection Secretary Rich Negrin announced they have secured combustible gas detectors for the Rustic Ridge neighborhood in Plum Borough following an explosion that took the lives of six Pennsylvanians and damaged multiple homes.

On August 24, a coalition of fifteen organizations based in Western Pennsylvania has sent a letter to the Shapiro administration denouncing the formation of a secret committee, whose members and meeting minutes are not known to the public, in an apparent attempt to scuttle Pennsylvania’s entrance into the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI).

On August 24, the Public Utility Commission took action to seek comments from interested parties on a PUC policy statement that proposes guidelines for the use of electricity storage by electric distribution companies encouraging a transition toward a future that accommodates evolving needs of customers and helping to enhance the reliability and resilience of the electric distribution grid in Pennsylvania.

The Department of Environmental Protection announced it is now accepting applications for $2.6 million in Driving PA Forward Clean Diesel Grants through October 20.  (formal notice)

The Pennsylvania Agriculture Energy Efficiency Rebate Program is now accepting applications for funding to assist agricultural producers with the purchase of LED lighting systems, efficient ventilation equipment, and efficient milk pumping and cooling equipment for their farming operations.  (formal notice)

The Air & Waste Management Association will hold its 15th annual Symposium on Electric Power Transformation - Energy, Environment, Policy, Technology September 26-27 in Pittsburgh.

ReImagine Appalachia’s Faith in Action group organized a webinar this past Spring entitled Environmental Justice for All: Ensuring Equity and Benefits Across Our Most Climate-Impacted Communities.

On August 22, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and The Hershey Company announced the joint commitment of $2 million to support local dairy farmers.

On August 23, the Susquehanna River Basin Commission announced the launch of a new Stream and Watershed Enhancement Grant Program to support local organizations dedicated to the health and wellness of our waterways.

The Department of Environmental Protection is now accepting applications for $1 million in Small Business Advantage Grants to support energy efficiency and farm conservation projects.  The deadline for applications is March 22.  (formal notice)

The Department of Environmental Protection will begin accepting applications for Coastal Zone Grants on August 28.  The deadline to submit applications is October 16.  (formal notice)

With a theme of "Silver Lining in PA's Legacy Abandoned Mines: Celebrating 25 Years," the Pennsylvania Abandoned Mine Reclamation Conference Committee would like to welcome you to a conference October 24-26 at the Altoona Grand Hotel in Altoona, PA. 

On August 23, the federal Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement announced the award of  $100,000 to the Schuylkill Headwaters Association to treat mine acid drainage in Schuylkill County.

The federal Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement has awarded a $100,000 grant to the Western Pennsylvania Coalition for Abandoned Mine Reclamation to repair the Arnot Mine Drainage Treatment System in Tioga County.

By Diane Huskinson, Stroud Water Resource Center

By Diane Huskinson, Stroud Water Research Center

The Department of Environmental Protection is inviting comments on a draft Supplement to the Manure Management For Environmental Protection Guidance covering animal manures and agricultural process wastewater.  (formal notice)

The Stroud Water Research Center and PASA Sustainable Agriculture will host an in-person event on September 6 Launching The Agroforestry Project At Wild Fox Farm in Berks County from 1:00 to 3:30 p.m.

On October 21, Penn State Extension and the Audubon Society of Western Pennsylvania will host a Backyard Stream Repair Field Day at the Beechwood Farms Nature Reserve In Allegheny County from 9:00 a.m. to Noon.

On August 24, the Department of Environmental Protection announced after a meeting of the Commonwealth Drought Task Force that drought watch has been lifted for 47 counties and remains for 20 counties.

On August 23, the Susquehanna River Basin Commission announced the award of $75,000 in grants to support groundwater level monitoring efforts by 12 recipients.

On August 17, U.S. Senators Bob Casey (D-PA) and John Fetterman (D-PA) and members of Congress Madeleine Dean (D-PA-4), Chrissy Houlahan (D-PA-6), Susan Wild (D-PA-7), Daniel Meuser (R-PA-9), and Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA-1) sent a bipartisan letter to President Joe Biden urging him to approve a request by Gov. Josh Shapiro for a major disaster declaration for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania in response to severe storms, straight-line winds, and flooding that occurred across the Commonwealth in July.

On August 22, the Brandywine Conservancy announced the launch of the Brandywine Flood Study-- nearly two years after Hurricane Ida produced historic flooding that devastated the region.

Clean out the basement, the garage and the garden shed! 

With funding from the Ocean Conservancy, Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful collaborated with numerous individuals, organizations and businesses who make their home in Lake Erie, to pilot devices made to capture debris that makes its way into the water.

On August 25, the Department of Agriculture announced 2,645 acres on 35 farms in 18 counties will be forever protected from future residential or commercial development.

A special project of WeConservePA collected 15 essays from individuals who made the choice to permanently conserve their land and published it as In Their Own Words.

Three new guides are now available from WeConservePA addressing carbon issues in conservation easements--

The August 25 Take Five Fridays With Pam is now available from the PA Parks & Forests Foundation featuring articles on--

The DCNR Wild Resource Conservation Program will hold a hearing October 11 on grant applications submitted for FY 2023-24 funding.  (formal notice)

Wildlife conservation in Pennsylvania is a true success story. Our citizens are blessed with 480 species of birds and mammals.

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

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 August 26 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.