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Weekly PA Environment Digest Newsletter
April 13, 2009
(4/10/2009)
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* Bipartisan Senate, House Bills Introduced To Strengthen Nutrient Credit Trading Program

* Marcellus Shale: Counties Oppose DEP Action To Eliminate Permits By Conservation Districts
Eleven counties in the heart of Pennsylvania affected by Marcellus Shale drilling have issued a statement opposing the action by the Department of Environmental Protection to eliminated local conservation districts from the permit process for erosion and sedimentation and stream and wetlands in relation to the natural gas industry.

* DEP Sets Meeting With Industry On Marcellus Shale Drilling Wastewater Policy April 15
The Department of Environmental Protection announced an April 15 meeting of the Marcellus Shale Wastewater Partnership to be held at 1:00 p.m. in the Auditorium of the Rachel Carson Building in Harrisburg. (formal notice)

* Seneca Resources Will Not Sign $31 Million Marcellus Drilling Lease For State Forest Land
The Associated Press this week reported Seneca Resources, one of the successful bidders for part of the 74,000 acres of State Forest land leased last year to companies interested in drilling Marcellus Shale for natural gas, refused to sign its $31 million lease with the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources.

* Video Blog - Gateway To PA Trash Sweep Successful On April 4
On April 4 nearly 45 volunteers, along with local sponsors, PennDOT and even 5 inmates from the Beaver County jail, helped clean up a section of Beaver Creek in and around Lock 57 Park in Ohioville.

* Online Radio - Allegheny Front Radio Highlights Laurel Hill Creek, An Endangered Stream
American Rivers recently named Laurel Hill Creek in Allegheny County one of the most endangered rivers in the country.

* On the Senate/House Agenda/Session Schedule/Bills Introduced
The Senate and House are now on Easter break and return to voting session on April 20.
* Senate Republican Policy Committee Holds Public Hearing On Marcellus Shale Gas Reserves

* PA Applying For Stimulus Funds For Fish Ladders, Dam Removals On Susquehanna River
As part of the effort to aggressively pursue stimulus funds through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, Gov. Rendell announced this week the Commonwealth is applying to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration for stimulus funds to build fish passages at three locations on the Susquehanna River and remove 10 dams on the tributaries that connect to it.

* Chesapeake Bay Program Annual Report: More Bad News for the Bay
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Chesapeake Bay Program latest Bay Barometer has given the Bay's health a score of 38 percent out of 100 percent in terms of the estuary's recover.

* NRCS To Provide $3.1 Million To Protect Pennsylvania Farmland
USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service is accepting applications now through June 1 for approximately $3.1 million available to protect Pennsylvania's agricultural land through the Farm and Ranch Lands Protection Program.

* $1.4 Million Wetland Development Grants Available In Mid-Atlantic Region
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Mid-Atlantic Region issued its 2009 Request for Proposals for Wetland Development Grants to develop comprehensive programs for wetland protection and management.

* Meadville Area Water Authority Receives Award From PA Rural Water Association
The Meadville Area Water Authority, managed by American Water, has received the 2009 Source Water System of the Year Award from the Pennsylvania Rural Water Association.

* EPA Releases New Website To Improve Watershed Management Techniques
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has published a new Watershed Central website to help watershed stakeholders improve their watershed management techniques.

* Help Plant A Riparian Buffer In Lebanon County On April 25
On April 25 the Chesapeake Bay Foundation and other partners need volunteers to help plant 300 native trees and shrubs in a riparian stream buffer on the Hess Farm* along Conewago Creek near Palmyra in Lebanon County from 9:00 a.m. to noon.

* Friends Of Wissahickon Offer Lectures on Global Warming, Children's Connection With Nature
Friends of the Wissahickon is offering two free lectures on reducing global warming and the growing disconnection between children and nature at Chestnut Hill Library this spring.

* Volunteers Needed For Christina River Watershed Cleanup April 18
Volunteers are needed on April 18, from 8 a.m. to noon, for the Christina River Watershed Cleanup, an annual event where participants pick up litter that would otherwise pollute one of Delaware's largest waterways.

* Springside School: Free Garden Advice, Other Earth Week Activities You Should Consider
The Wissahickon Valley Watershed Association, in conjunction with Springside School and Audubon Pennsylvania, invite the community to attend one of their free upcoming Earth Week events.

* Slip Slidin Away Lunch-time Program On Slide-Prone Soils In Westmoreland April 24
Landslides arenft just a California phenomenon. They happen here in western Pennsylvania, too, and often in the springtime after heavy and frequent rains.

* Professional Geologists Hold Introduction To Marcellus Shale Program May 6
The PA Council of Professional Geologists will hold an Introduction to Marcellus Shale educational program on May 6 from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m.at the Inn at Chester Springs in Exton, Pa.

* Teens Building A Green City--Free Symposium Led by Philadelphia Students April 25
For teens who are curious about how plants grow, how to run your own farmerfs market, or how to keep Philadelphia beautiful, Students United for Philadelphia Agriculture will be leading a green symposium at W.B. Saul High School of Agriculture Sciences on April 25.

* Pitt, Carnegie Mellon, Duquesne Students Present Ideas On Sustainability At April 16 Program

* PEDA Soliciting Proposals For $21 Million In Funding For Innovative, Advanced Energy Projects
The PA Energy Development Authority this week announced it is accepting applications for $21 million in funding for innovative, advanced energy projects. (formal notice)

* Food Merchants Association: Watts Up with Electricity Seminar On May 20
With electricity rate caps expiring over the next two years, business owners could be looking at a 30 to 60 percent increase in their electric utility bills. That's why the Pennsylvania Food Merchants Association and Pennsylvania Convenience Store Council are offering the "Watts Up With Electricity" seminar on May 20 at the Harrisburg Hilton.

* EPA: Exelon Reduced Its Greenhouse Gas Emissions By More Than 35 Percent
In its ongoing effort to address climate change, Exelon announced this week as of the end of 2008 it had reduced its greenhouse gas emissions by more than 35 percent from 2001 levels.

* University Of Pittsburgh Receives Enviro-Star Award For Environmental Excellence
In honor of its ongoing commitment to environmental stewardship and sustainability, the University of Pittsburgh has been awarded the Allegheny County Health Department's Enviro-Star Award.

* PUC Hosts Central Dauphin High School's Green Power Club
To establish a dialogue on alternative energy solutions on the grassroots level with energy leaders of tomorrow, the Public Utility Commission this week hosted the Central Dauphin High School Green Power Club.

* DEP Says Alliance Landfill To Turn Methane Gas Into Electricity
Rather than burning the methane produced at its operation in Lackawanna County and releasing it into the air, Alliance Landfill will turn that gas into electricity under plans approved today by the Department of Environmental Protection.

* PPL Reapplies For Holtwood Hydroelectric Plant Expansion Project
PPL announced this week said it will file a new application with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission for a project that would add 125 megawatts of clean, renewable electric generating capacity at the Holtwood hydroelectric plant on the Susquehanna River in Lancaster County, Pa.

* PA Receives $1.7 Million Clean Diesel Federal Stimulus Funding
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency this week has allocated Pennsylvania $1.73 million in federal stimulus funding to support clean diesel projects and loan programs to address the nation's existing fleet of over 11 million diesel engines.

* Banking Dept. Approves e3bank, First Green Triple Bottom Line Financial Institution

* PA Environmental Council Set To Honor Winners Of Governor's Environmental Award April 22

* PROP Hosts Municipal Recycler's Roundtable April 16 In Allentown
The Professional Recyclers of Pennsylvania will host a municipal recyclers roundtable in Allen on April 16 at the City of Allentown, Bureau of Recycling and Solid Waste, 1400 Martin Luther King, Jr. Dr. starting at 10:00 a.m.

* Pittsburgh's Fifth Avenue Place Opens Recycling Store For Week of Earth Day

* EPA Proposes To Add Two Pennsylvania Sites To Superfund List
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency this week proposed to add two Pennsylvania sites to the federal Superfund list-- the Foster Wheeler Energy Corp./Church Road TCE site in Mountain Top, Pa and the BoRit Asbestos Site in Ambler, Pa.

* 2009 State Park, Forest Award Winners To Be Celebrated At May 5 Dinner
The PA Parks and Forests Foundation announced the recipients of the 2009 state park and forests awards this week which recognize eight groups, facilities and individuals for exemplary service, programs and work to protect and enhance our state park and forest system.

* State Parks Urban Youth Adventure Camps To Benefit From Macy's Promotion
Adventure camps that introduce young people from urban areas to nature and outdoor recreation will benefit from a promotion being held by the Pennsylvania Parks and Forests Foundation and Macy's department stores.

* PA Recreation And Park Society Honors 5 From DCNR
At the recent annual meeting of the PA Recreation and Park Society gave out awards to five current or former Department of Conservation and Natural Resource employees, recognizing many years of service in support of improving recreational opportunities and parks through the Commonwealth--

* Audubon PA Seeks Input On Waggoner's Gap Hawk Watch
Audubon Pennsylvania is seeking feedback about the use and development of the Waggoner's Gap Hawk Watch on the Cumberland-Perry county border north of Carlisle.

* Game Commission Begins Accepting DMAP Landowner Applications
Landowners looking to enroll in the Game Commission's Deer Management Assistance Program(DMAP), which is designed to help landowners manage deer on their properties, have until July 1 to submit an application to the appropriate Game Commission Region Office.

* Partnership Sustains Timber Production and Protects Wildlife Habitat In Elk Country
Conservation Forestry, LLC and The Nature Conservancy - Pennsylvania this week announced an agreement that will help conserve the forested fabric of Elk County while maintaining the economic benefits of the region's working forests, protecting wildlife, providing outdoor recreational opportunities, and keeping the land on the local tax rolls.

* Preservation Board Protects Additional 2,928 Acres Of Prime Farmland
Prime farmland in 14 counties will remain viable for future agricultural production through today's action by the Agricultural Preservation Board to protect an additional 2,928 acres on 37 farms, said Agriculture Secretary Dennis Wolff.

* Ralph W. Abele College Scholarship Applications Due April 30

* Donald Welsh, Long-Time Environmental Champion, Named PA Environmental Council CEO
Paul M. King, Board Chair for the Pennsylvania Environmental Council, announced this week Donald S. Welsh has been named the new President and Chief Executive Officer.

* John Quigley Named Acting Secretary of DCNR
John Quigley has been named by Gov. Rendell as Acting Secretary of the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources to replace departing Michael DiBerardinis.

* DEP Bid Opportunity For Mine Reclamation Project In Cambria County

* Spotlight - Mine Water Powers Energy-Saving Geothermal System For Pittsburgh Church
The Herron Avenue Corridor Coalition in Pittsburgh's Hill District recently held an unveiling ceremony at the John Wesley A.M.E. Zion church to demonstrate the geothermal heating and cooling system using abandoned mine water from an early 1800s mine to heat and cool the church.

* Opinion - Electricity Deregulation: A Successful Transition
By Elizabeth Bryan, Commonwealth Foundation

* Feature - Birding Opportunities Soar In The Alleghenies, Top Five Birding Tips

* Feature - The Red Coats Are Coming! Hummingbirds That Is, Game Commission Needs Your Help

* Grants & Awards
This section gives you a heads up on upcoming deadlines for grants and financial assistance as well as nominations for awards and other recognition programs.  NEW means from last week—
* Quick Clips
Here's a selection of NewsClips on environmental topics from around the state--
* Watershed NewsClips
Read a sampling of NewsClips on watershed topics from around Pennsylvania.
* Regulations
The Department of Environmental Protection published notice of a draft stream classification assessment and listing methodology for comment. The Department of Agriculture published a notice correcting odor management certification requirements.
* Technical Guidance & Permits
The Department of Environmental Protection published notice of a final policy on implementing temperature criteria for wastewater.
* Calendar of Events
Upcoming conferences, meetings, workshops, plus links to other online calendars. Meetings are in Harrisburg unless otherwise noted. NEW indicates new from last week. Go To: PA Environment Digest Calendar Page
* Stories Invited
Send your stories about environmental issues, programs and positive actions to PA Environment Digest- DHess@CrisciAssociates.com.
* Supporting Member PA Outdoor Writers Assn./PA Trout Unlimited
PA Environment Digest is a supporting member of the Pennsylvania Outdoor Writers Association, Pennsylvania Trout Unlimited and the Doc Fritchey Chapter Trout Unlimited.

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