After 25 years of watching promises broken and commitments unfulfilled, the Chesapeake Bay Foundation this week filed a lawsuit in federal court to require the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to enforce the law and reduce pollution sufficiently to remove the Chesapeake Bay from the federal ‘impaired waters’ list.

In the newest installment of the Western PA Coalition for Abandoned Mine Reclamation Video Diaries,we visit the Somerset Watershed Summit and go on a tour of the Casselman River watershed in southern Somerset County to learn about water quality projects going on there.

The House Democrats this week appointed their committee chairs, but naming actual committee members may be delayed until later in the month over a Democratic proposal to reduce the size of standing committees from 16 to 13, eliminating two Republican and one Democratic seat on each committee.

The Fish and Boat Commission is seeking nominations for the 2008 Ralph W. Abele Conservation Heritage Award, the highest recognition conferred by the agency.

With the weak economy putting increased pressure on state revenues, Gov. Rendell this week released the latest Governor's Report on State Performance.

The Rivers Conservation and Fly Fishing Youth Camp is now accepting applications for its 2009 camp to be held June 21-26 at the Allenberry Resort in Boiling Springs, Pa.

Life-size exhibits created by Pennsylvania FFA chapters will showcase agricultural advances that are improving the environment during the 2009 Pennsylvania Farm Show's Agricultural Technology Display competition.

The 2009 Pennsylvania Farm Show will get underway in Harrisburg on January 10 and will last until the 17th. Traditionally, the Farm Show is known for its bad weather and for its food court.

The Department of Environmental Protection will energize the 2009 Pennsylvania Farm Show with a display that teaches visitors to make the connections between climate change, energy conservation and renewable energy.

The Fish and Boat Commission is soliciting input from partners and stakeholders for its strategic plan development. The survey will be open through January 9.

A  Sustainable Landscapes Conference will be held in Hershey on April 1 to help municipal officials, park staff, planners, landscape architects, environmental advisory council members, farmers and others manage landscapes in a healthier, more environmentally friendly way.

Pennsylvania Fuels for Schools and Beyond, a statewide multi-organization initiative promoting energy alternatives to Pennsylvania schools and businesses, is holding a public information meeting on January 14 from 6:30 to 8:30 pm at the Adams County Agriculture and Natural Resource Center in Gettysburg.

Plants, genetically modified to ease the breaking down of their woody material, could be the key to a cheaper and greener way of making ethanol, according to Penn State researchers who add that the approach also could help turn agricultural waste into food for livestock.

Pennsylvania has signed a letter of agreement with 10 Mid-Atlantic states that will reduce greenhouse gas emissions from transportation fuels and other sources by developing a comprehensive, regional low carbon fuel standard, Gov. Rendell announced this week.

The Department of Environmental Protection is now accepting applications for $3 million in Small Business Energy Efficiency Grants. The deadline for submitting applications is May 1.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is co-sponsoring a nationwide "Lifecycle Building Challenge"  competition in partnership with the American Institute of Architects, West Coast Green, and others.

To mitigate the risk posed by the upcoming PPL Electric rate increase,Mount Joy Wire Corp. of Lancaster County recently took action to upgrade its facility with energy efficient lighting and motion sensors financed by Sustainable Energy Fund.

Using a simple, inexpensive test to detect radon gas seeping into homes could help prevent lung cancer and save thousands of lives, Acting Department of Environmental Protection Secretary John Hanger said this week.

The Chester County Board of Commissioners, through the Chester County Solid Waste Authority, is now offering free Certified Master Composting Classes at three convenient locations during March.

The Pennsylvania Resources Council, Waste Management, Inc. and the City of Pittsburgh will hold a television recycling event on February 21 at two locations.

A seven-member board established under Pennsylvania's new bituminous mine safety law met for the first time this week to begin making the state's deep underground coal mines safer for those who work there.

Nature Abounds, a national non-profit organization led by Pennsylvania native Melinda Hughes-Wert, has chosen Western Pennsylvania for its national headquarters and future training center. Two of its first projects are to implement the volunteer-based IceWatch USA in the state and to pull together volunteers from the Pennsylvania Senior Environment Corps involved in water quality monitoring and other projects.

The Environmental Quality Board published notice of proposed changes to hazardous waste management regulations. The Department of Environmental Protection published notice of a proposed general air quality permit covering offset lithographic printing presses.