Senate Majority Leader Dominic Pileggi (R-Delaware) told a natural gas industry conference on Thursday he thought broad Marcellus Shale regulatory legislative and possibly a drilling impact fee will pass the General Assembly this Fall.

By Andrew Health, Renew Growing Greener Coalition

Gov. Tom Corbett Thursday and Friday urged residents in central and eastern Pennsylvania to remain vigilant in light of continued rain, quickly rising rivers and streams, as well as dangerous flash flooding resulting from the remnants of Tropical Storm Lee.

County conservation districts and watershed groups should be aware that stream restoration structures, passive and active mine drainage treatment systems, natural stream restoration structures, farm conservation structures and other stream improvement projects funded by Growing Greener, Section 319 and other sources should be included in any flood damage assessment submitted by counties to the Federal Emergency Management Agency if they were damaged by floodwaters.

When you’re visiting a nature center, local park, or even driving on the highway you often see signs that identify the name of the local watershed that you are in. However, when you return home that same sign doesn’t hang at the entrance to your neighborhood or at end of your driveway. So how do you know what watershed you live in?

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

The Environmental Quality Board meets to consider proposed regulations controlling volatile organic compound emissions from printing presses, a rulemaking petition proposing to require DEP to use its "cause/effect protocol which conducting stream surveys and a rulemaking petition to use its Guidelines for Identifying, Tracking and Resolving Violations for Water Quality, both by the same company-- GWP Management-- which operators wastewater plants in Williamsport.

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.

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