Pittsburgh plays host June 5 to the United Nations Environment Programme North American World Environment Day 2010 activities which this year have the theme “Biodiversity: Connecting with Nature.”

Pennsylvania collected $1.8 billion in General Fund revenue in May, which was $124.9 million, or 6.5 percent, less than anticipated, Secretary of Revenue C. Daniel Hassell reported today. Fiscal year-to-date General Fund collections total $24.6 billion, which is $1.2 billion, or 4.8 percent, below estimate.

By not having a natural gas severance tax, Pennsylvania has lost more than $54 million since last October that could have funded vital state services including education and health care, as well as drilling-related environmental and local costs, according to the PA Budget and Policy Center.

Did you know you can search nearly 6 years of back issues of the PA Environment Digest on dozens of topics, by county and on any key word you choose. Just click on the search page.

Here are the Senate and House Calendars and Committee meetings showing bills of interest as well as a list of new environmental bills introduced--

The Upper Delaware River, the drinking water source for 17 million people across New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania is at risk from Marcellus Shale natural gas drilling, a threat that landed the Upper Delaware in the number one spot in America’s Most Endangered Rivers: 2010 edition, according to the American Rivers group.

The drinking water for hundreds of thousands of people is at risk from pollution created by natural gas extraction in the Monongahela River Basin. This threat landed the Monongahela in the number nine spot in America’s Most Endangered Rivers: 2010 edition, produced by American Rivers.

The Department of Environmental Protection published notices inviting comments on seven Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) watershed plans (Pa Bulletin, page 3019 to 3021).  They include:

The June issue of the EE Connections newsletter from the PA Center for Environmental Education is now available online. This month's newsletter highlights these stories:

Sylvia Gong, an eighth grader at Hopkins Junior High School in Fremont, Calif., received the top North American prize in the United Nations Environment Programme's 19th annual International Children's Painting Competition. Her painting addresses the theme, "Biodiversity – Connecting with Nature."

Guided tours will give visitors a chance to see the only population of Regal Fritillary butterflies in Pennsylvania beginning at 10 a.m. on July 2, 3, 4, 9, and 10 at Fort Indiantown Gap in Annville, Lebanon County.

By Rep. David Levdansky

This section gives you a heads up on upcoming deadlines for awards and grants and other recognition programs. NEW means new from last week.

Here's a selection of NewClips on environmental topics from around the state--

On June 15 the Environmental Quality Board will consider final regulations on hazardous waste exclusions, control of VOCs from large appliance and metal furniture surface coating operations, water and wastewater operator certification (which includes a project decrease in fee income from $1.1 million to $938,128 annually) and proposed rulemaking revising noncoal mining permit fees which will increase fees from about $25,000 annually to $2.5 million annually.

Upcoming legislative meetings, conferences, workshops, plus links to other online calendars. Meetings are in Harrisburg unless otherwise noted.  NEW means new from last week.  Go to the online Calendar webpage.

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

PA Environment Digest is a supporting member of the Pennsylvania Outdoor Writers Association, Pennsylvania Council Trout Unlimited and the Doc Fritchey Chapter Trout Unlimited.