Pa Environment Digest March 18, 2019

Issue #768 Harrisburg, PA March 18, 2019
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Gov. Wolf Announces Winners Of Governor's Award For Environmental Excellence
On March 15, One individual and 17

organizations, businesses, and local
governments in Pennsylvania have been
selected by the Department of
Environmental Protection to receive the
prestigious 2019 Governor’s Award for
Environmental Excellence.
“Prioritizing and protecting our environment is fundamental to maintaining
Pennsylvania’s natural resources and preserving our commonwealth for future generations,” said
Gov. Tom Wolf. “I’m so pleased to present awards to these deserving Pennsylvanians and I
thank them for their contributions.”
The award recipients were chosen among 28 applicants. Any individual, business, school,
government agency, or community organization in Pennsylvania was eligible to apply.
DEP evaluated projects for their degree of environmental protection, innovation,
partnership efforts, economic impact, consideration of climate change, and sustainability and
results achieved.
“Each of these projects, while unique, works to achieve the same goal of protecting our
environment,” said DEP Secretary Patrick McDonnell. “I applaud all of the applicants and this
year’s winners, who are on the front lines every day protecting our precious natural resources.”
All award winners will be recognized at a special Governor’s Award for Environmental
Excellence dinner on April 16 in Harrisburg hosted by the PA Environmental Council.
Individual Lifetime Dedication Award
The Lifetime Dedication Award will be presented to the family of John Waffenschmidt
in his honor. Until he passed away in 2018, John was a vice president at Covanta Delaware
Valley Resource Recovery Facility in Chester, Pa.
Through the Prescription for Safety (Rx4Safety) Program, he lobbied successfully for
legislation to allow safe disposal of expired and unwanted medications in Pennsylvania.
As a result, not only are unused medications kept from entering the environment through
improper disposal, but they’re taken out of access, helping to combat the societal challenge of
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overdose and addiction.
John’s personal efforts and contributions, as well as his initiatives through Covanta,
helped many Chester residents, particularly children, students, and seniors. His deep
commitment to the Chester Environmental Partnership strengthened cooperation between
industry and city residents.
He also spearheaded efforts such as a children’s asthma program, the Covanta
scholarship program, and countless other initiatives, bringing passionate advocacy, leadership,
and financial support to the community.
Awards to Organizations, Governments, and Businesses
Allegheny County
-- Allegheny Land Trust: Greenprint Planning Tool—With this interactive online map,
communities and citizens can learn where green space and environmental challenges, such as
landslide proneness and flooding, exist in their neighborhoods. They can improve their planning
efforts, for example, by creating needed stormwater management in environmental justice areas
that have none or by wisely siting development projects to save future disaster clean-up dollars.
-- Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy: Frick Environmental Center—The conservancy has
expanded and diversified its environmental and sustainability education outreach by creating the
first municipally owned, certified Living Building that’s free and open to the public. The
building incorporates permeable pavement, rain barrels, stormwater retention beds, wastewater
treatment, and other features.
Bucks County
-- New Britain Borough Wilma Quinlan Nature Preserve Committee: Habitat restoration at
the nature preserve—Volunteers carried out a three-year project to clear invasive species; install
nesting boxes; redesign trails to prevent erosion; conduct a soil study; install benches; and plant
386 native trees, 119 native shrubs, and wildflowers.
-- Newtown Creek Coalition: Newtown Common and Creek Restoration—This streambank
stabilization project included coir logs, rain gardens, porous pavement, and a team effort by
many volunteers to plant native trees, shrubs, and grasses to help the borough meet its sediment
and nutrient pollutant reduction goals.
Butler County
-- Seneca Landfill: Lego-V Compressed Natural Gas fueling station— Converting
approximately 22 existing diesel fueled vehicles to CNG will reduce the greenhouse gas
emissions by approximately 515 metric tons per year. This is equivalent to the planting of 13,202
trees, removing 109 additional cars from the roadway or recycling 185 tons of waste instead of
landfilling.
Cambria County
-- Saint Francis University Institute for Energy: Mobile educational laboratory—Teachers
and students created a 160-square-foot mobile learning space that demonstrates a solar panel,
biomass heating, energy efficiency techniques, wind energy, and sustainable building features.
They’ve taken this pint-size innovative educational powerhouse to various locations in the state,
enabling over 2,000 Pennsylvanians to enter the tiny classroom and learn about energy and
sustainability.
Chester County
-- Valley Creek Restoration Partnership: Environmental Stewardship and Economic
Development in an Urbanized Watershed—This Valley Forge National Historical Park Buffer
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Replacement Project included the installation of five new deer fence enclosures, including
planting and live staking of 4,000 feet on both sides of Valley Creek. VCRP also organized
plantings of 4,068 trees and 1,450 live stakes by 542 volunteers along more than 4385 lineal feet
of stream, plus rain gardens and a green roof.
Dauphin County
-- Penn State Extension: Dive Deeper Youth Water Educators Summit—This annual
conference has educated about 450 educators over four years, motivating and preparing them to
educate youth statewide about critical water quality issues and to develop them into
Pennsylvania’s future water stewards.
Erie County
-- Environment Erie: Reclaim Erie—Collaborations with neighborhood organizations turned
four vacant lots and blighted properties into community assets with increased green space that
offers interaction opportunity, native pollinators, and the potential to increase property values,
while deterring illegal dumping and other health and safety hazards.
-- Erie International Coastal Cleanup Steering Committee: Erie International Coastal
Cleanup—There are an estimated 2,500 tons of plastic in Lake Erie, and much of it stays close
to shore. More than 2,600 volunteers, from school children to adults, each donated at least two
hours of time to participate in numerous activities to clean up litter on the shorelines of the lake
and tributaries.
Lancaster County
-- City of Lancaster: Shelley Road green infrastructure—To address persistent flooding that
overwhelmed the aging storm drain infrastructure, the city installed bioretention areas,
permeable pavement, an underground reservoir, and a step pool conveyance system. As a result,
about 2 million gallons of stormwater, over 900 pounds of suspended solids, and 32 pounds of
nitrogen are removed from about four acres of streets annually. Click Here for more on
Lancaster’s Green Infrastructure Plan.
-- Conestoga Valley High School: CV Recycles—The school’s recycling awareness and action
campaign kicked off with creation of a 6-foot-tall sign spelling “RECYCLES” made from metal
mesh and filled with recyclable materials. It’s barreled on to collect recyclables equivalent to
enough energy to power a convenience store for a year and offset the same amount of
greenhouse gases as 10 acres of forest land.
Luzerne County
-- Earth Conservancy: Environmental Workforce Training Program—Unemployed or
underemployed residents are provided free training in surveying skills and technologies as well
as job placement assistance. This has created self-sustaining employment and economic
empowerment, met local companies’ need for skilled employees, helped to restore brownfield
sites, and raised awareness of the environmental challenges related to abandoned mines after the
collapse of the anthracite coal industry.
Lycoming County
-- Ralph S. Alberts Company: Furnace and lighting energy efficiency upgrades—An
innovative new furnace system removes degraded polyurethane from the metal framework of
amusement park rides so the frame can be reused. Through this and the conversion of 269 bulbs
at the plant with LED lighting, Alberts has eliminated 410 tons of carbon dioxide emissions,
saved 6,900 MMBTU in natural gas and over 10,000 kilowatt hours of electricity, and saved
about $28,000 annually.
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Northampton County
-- Harvest Home Meats, LLC: Conservation practices—Harvest Home Meats, LLC: is a
family-operated, grass-based preserved farm located outside of Bangor, Pa. on the pastoral
northeastern edge of the Lehigh Valley. Richard and Dohl Difebo are the first Pennsylvania
farmers to receive the national Leopold Conservation Award.
The family’s cattle are dependent on grass farms that have been in the DiFebo and Ott
families for the last hundred years. Initially, Harvest Home Meats’ farms were not entirely
grass-based agricultural operations. This status was achieved over the 20-year period between
1994 and present, through the efforts of Richard DiFebo.
Today, the family practices no till farming and cover cropping, rotational grazing, and
they have implemented many conservation practices. The family also created the Ott
Environmental Learning Campus by fencing and preserving wetlands and installing a bee
pollination habitat to promote education of conservation practices.
Northumberland County
-- Middle Susquehanna Riverkeeper Association: Loyalsock Creek 2018 Pennsylvania
River of the Year education program—Volunteers contributed about 1,500 hours to hands-on
activities, nature walks, and other programs to teach everyone about watershed restoration, creek
access projects, and the value of natural areas. A scholarship program was developed that
enabled Big Brother/Big Sister teams in a local environmental justice community to experience
paddling in a natural environment for the first time.
Philadelphia County
-- Schuylkill River Redevelopment Corporation (two awards): Schuylkill Banks Trail
Extension South to Christian Trail and Schuylkill Banks Greenway North End Bioswale—
Schuylkill Banks Trail South to Christian project extended the Schuylkill River Trail 1,400 linear
feet south along the tidal Schuylkill River.
The benefits of this project include the expansion of recreation and healthy-living
opportunities for the surrounding communities, an enhanced riparian buffer for urban wildlife
and migrating waterfowl, shoreline stabilization, improved stormwater management and
improved water quality.
The South to Christian trail and greenway project cleared six acres of invasive vegetation
from the Schuylkill riverbank, remediated the contaminated soil of this previously industrial
brownfield site, constructed 1,400 linear feet of pedestrian- and cyclist-only trail, stabilized 200
linear feet of the riverbank with habitat-sensitive elements such as live staking, planted 127 new
trees, 6,544 new native and well-adapted grasses and flowering perennials, strengthened the
riparian buffer and created vital habitat for urban wildlife and migrating waterfowl.
The North-End Bioswale project improved 0.49 acres of riparian buffer along the tidal
Schuylkill River. One hundred twenty cubic yards of amended soil were added to the area to
improve water infiltration. Seven new trees and 3,810 new native and well-adapted grasses and
flowering perennials were planted to further stabilize the area and better manage stormwater.
During a rain event, this area can now capture and filter 107,070 gallons of stormwater
before entering into the Schuylkill River, decreasing the amount of pollution that enters the river.
Westmoreland County
-- Westmoreland County Conservation District: Stormwater basin retrofitting educational
video—The videos illustrate the function, design, assessment, retrofitting, and maintenance of
stormwater basins. During the workshops, 382 individuals watched the video and provided
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feedback on their understanding of how retrofitting, inspection, and maintenance impact water
quality.
Awards Dinner
Click Here for more information on the April 16 dinner for winners of the Governor’s
Award for Environmental Excellence.
For more information on this awards program and for past winners, visit the 2019
Governor’s Award for Environmental Excellence webpage.
Related Stories:
R. Timothy Weston To Receive PA Bar Assn. Environmental & Energy Law Section Lifetime
Achievement Award
Game Commission Manager Lauren Ferreri Recognized For Conservation Achievements
[Posted: March 15, 2019]
PA Chesapeake Bay Watershed Planning Steering Committee Meets March 22 To Hear

Funding Workgroup Report
The PA Chesapeake Bay Watershed Implementation Plan

Steering Committee is scheduled to meet on March 22 to
begin reviewing the last pieces of information needed to put
them in position to review the draft of the Watershed
Implementation Plan at its next meeting on April 3 [new
meeting].
The Committee is expected to review the final nutrient
reduction numbers, cost numbers from the Funding
Workgroup and the final draft outline for the Watershed Plan.
The meeting will be held from 9:00 a.m. to Noon in Room
105 of the Rachel Carson Building. Click Here to register to join the meeting online.
Participants will also need to call in 1-650-479-3208, PASSCODE: 648 449 003.
A new meeting of the Steering Committee has been scheduled for April 3, 2nd Floor
Auditorium, Rachel Carson Building starting at 9:00 to review the draft of the Watershed
Implementation Plan.
For more information and copies of available handouts, visit the PA Chesapeake Bay
Watershed Implementation Plan Steering Committee webpage.
NewsClips:
Lancaster Farming: DCNR Secretary Sees Riparian Buffer Progress
Editorial: Lackawanna County Commissioners Must Lead On Stormwater
Why PA Residents Should Car Trump Wants To Cut Chesapeake Bay Cleanup Funding 90%
Cong. Smucker, Sen. Casey Affirm Support Of Chesapeake Bay Funding After Trump’s
Proposed Cuts
Editorial: Funding For Chesapeake Bay Again Proposed To Be Cut By Trump
Bay Journal: Look For Signs Of Spring Around The Chesapeake Bay Watershed
Latest From The Chesapeake Bay Journal
Click Here to subscribe to the free Chesapeake Bay Journal
Related Stories:
Bay Journal Op-Ed: Healthy Trees, Forests Are Great Cure For What Ails Chesapeake Bay
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PaEN: Pennsylvania Leopold Conservation Award To Recognize PA Farmer With $10,000 Prize
Farmers Urged To Apply For Leopold Farm, Forest Conservation Grants
Chesapeake Bay Stewardship Fund Offering: Small Watershed & Innovative Nutrient &
Sediment Reduction Grants
NRCS-PA Now Accepting Applications For Funding To Protect Wetlands, Farmland On
Working Farms
March 19 Penn State Water Insights Seminar Highlights Stroud Water Center's Research On Soil
Health
Rep. Mehaffie Introduces Bill To Prevent Nuclear Power Plant Closures Costing $500
Million Annually
On March 11, Rep. Tom Mehaffie (R-Dauphin)

announced the introduction of legislation-- House
Bill 11-- updating the Pennsylvania Alternative
Energy Portfolio Standards (AEPS) Act to recognize
nuclear energy for its significant contribution to the
state’s zero-carbon energy production.
Even though Pennsylvania’s nuclear power plants
generate 42 percent of the Commonwealth’s
electricity and provide 93 percent of the
Commonwealth’s zero-carbon electricity, nuclear
energy has been excluded from Pennsylvania’s AEPS program, which currently recognizes 16
other forms of electricity generation.
Known as the Keep Powering Pennsylvania Act, House Bill 11 would amend
Pennsylvania’s AEPS Act to include nuclear energy as a qualifying energy resource under a new
Tier III.
The new third tier of AEPS will recognize the value that all zero-emission electric
generation resources provide, including carbon-free nuclear energy. As is the case with the
existing AEPS law, Tier III will include a structure that requires the purchasing of credits.
“While much discussion will occur in the coming months about costs, the cost of doing
nothing is $4.6 billion, including $788 million annually in higher electricity costs to consumers,
whereas the cost of this bill is approximately $500 million – that’s an 8-to-1 benefit-to-cost
ratio,” Rep. Mehaffie said. “I see this situation as a win-win. Without nuclear energy, the typical
residential electric bill will increase by $2.39 per month, but with nuclear energy, the typical
monthly residential electric bill will only increase $1.77 per month, so the legislature can save
Pennsylvania consumers money, keep our nuclear plants open and keep our air clean.”
Exelon Corporation announced plans to shut down Three Mile Island (TMI) by
September 2019, and FirstEnergy Corporation said it plans to shut down Beaver Valley Power
Station in western Pennsylvania in 2021 if current market flaws are not addressed.
The Nuclear Energy Caucus, a bicameral and bipartisan legislative body held hearings
throughout 2018 with the key stakeholders to formulate a legislative solution.
“We’ve been working together with industry experts for many months on a
comprehensive policy solution that levels the playing field for nuclear power while being
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mindful of consumers and taxpayers,” Rep. Mehaffie said. “The result is legislation, supported
by labor groups, business leaders, environmental advocates and workers, that will preserve
Pennsylvania’s nuclear energy plants and the clean, reliable energy and good-paying jobs they
provide.”
Irreversible preparations for the shutdown process at TMI, however, would begin in June
2019, adding to the urgency for a legislative remedy.
“We can’t wait another day to act on this. The hourglass is running low and peoples’
paychecks and utility bills are at stake,” Rep. Mehaffie said. “It’s time we finally acknowledge
nuclear energy for its long-term employment, economic, environmental and grid resilience
benefits. Let’s Keep Powering Pennsylvania!”
Pennsylvania’s five nuclear power plants account for nearly 16,000 full-time jobs and
provide $69 million in net state tax revenues annually.
Click Here for a video of Rep. Mehaffie’s announcement (Facebook).
Click Here for Rep. Mehaffie’s Keep Powering Pennsylvania Act webpage for a copy of
the bill, a summary and other background information.
Sen. Ryan Aument (R-Lancaster), a co-chair of the Nuclear Energy Caucus was expected
to introduced a bill to prevent the premature closure of Pennsylvania’s nuclear power plants by
the end of last week but did not.
Reactions
Andrew Williams, Director of Regulatory and Legislative Affairs, Environmental
Defense Fund, issued this statement on the legislation--
The bill fails to address the immediate need to develop a durable strategy to clean up the
carbon pollution from Pennsylvania's energy sector.
Placing a binding, declining limit on power sector carbon emissions that creates the
opportunity for flexible, low-cost and efficient market-based solutions to achieve the limit will
ensure Pennsylvania actually cuts pollution at the lowest cost while fostering investment in, and
deployment of, zero emission electricity.
This is the foundation for any sustainable long-term energy strategy.
"It's time for Pennsylvania to focus on cost-effective policies to reduce pollution and
figure out what their neighbors have already: clean energy solutions can be deployed at cost
savings to customers. Pennsylvania must take concrete action to reduce its carbon emissions. It's
the only state from Maine to Virginia without a limit on carbon pollution from the power sector,
and today's proposed legislation will leave Pennsylvania even further behind.
“This is an expensive Band-Aid that saddles consumers with the majority of risk.”
Ten Pennsylvania environmental groups issued this statement on the proposal--
“Pennsylvanians need and deserve a forward-thinking, long-term strategy to fight climate
change and invest in a clean energy economy centered around renewable energy. This legislation
does nothing to advance the deployment of renewable energy in Pennsylvania and further locks
us into increasingly expensive nuclear power from old and outdated equipment.
“Pennsylvania’s policymakers ought to be working to significantly scale up clean, safe
and affordable renewable energy from wind, solar, geothermal and low-impact hydro power.
Building a clean energy economy around renewable energy in tandem with a declining,
enforceable limit on carbon pollution from power plants will reduce emissions significantly in
Pennsylvania as well as create jobs and protect health and the environment.
“We urge Pennsylvania legislators to shift their focus from preserving the aging energy
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sources of the past and instead look ahead toward real climate solutions that will advance a clean
energy future in our Commonwealth.”
The groups included: Sierra Club, Natural Resources Defense Council, Clean Air
Council, PennFuture, PennEnvironment, Keystone Progress, Clean Water Action, Physicians for
Social Responsibility Philadelphia/Pennsylvania, Conservation Voters of Pennsylvania and the
Philadelphia Solar Energy Association.
AARP Pennsylvania State Director Bill Johnston-Walsh said the nuclear bailout bill
would saddle consumers with unfair and unnecessary surcharge--
Johnston-Walsh said the legislation will unfairly raise rates for Pennsylvania utility
customers to pay for electric power delivered to customers in 12 other states. The state’s nuclear
plants currently sell electricity to the regional power grid which supplies 13 states, including
Pennsylvania.
He added that Pennsylvania electric utility customers should not be forced to pay higher
rates to benefit corporations already making millions in profits. Four out of five nuclear power
generators in Pennsylvania are profitable according to their owners – and were projected to make
a profit of more than $600 million, according to PJM Interconnection's Independent Market
Monitor.
“Pennsylvania utility customers expect to pay fair and reasonable prices for electricity –
and not a dollar more,” said Johnston-Walsh. “Our residents expect their elected leaders to
protect their interests above the interests of already profitable nuclear power companies.”
Johnston-Walsh said AARP will continue to fight any proposed nuclear bailout
legislation in the General Assembly.
The PA Chamber Of Business and Industry issued this statement on the proposal--
“This legislation – which would result in Pennsylvania immediately having the most
coercive energy mandate law in the country – stands in stark contrast with our organization’s
energy policy, which provides for supporting competitive markets and opposing government
actions that force, subsidize or mandate energy choices.
“This policy was established by the PA Chamber’s board of directors, whose membership
ranges across various commercial and industrial sectors. Not only would this legislation impose
greater costs on Pennsylvania residents and businesses, it would also stifle private sector
innovation in the energy sector and threaten the Commonwealth’s role as leader in energy
production and manufacturing.
“Our organization opposed the original Alternative Energy Portfolio Standards Act out of
concerns it would harm ratepayers and distort the market – which it very clearly has. As such,
we must voice our opposition to this new proposal.
“By walling off nearly 70 percent of the market, Pennsylvania is in jeopardy of losing its
position as the largest net exporter of power in the country. It is quite possible that the
Commonwealth would end up importing power from other states with higher emissions
footprints, in essence negating any environmental benefits associated with preserving one at-risk
nuclear facility.
“Imposing further mandates on utilities and ratepayers are sure to increase costs – with
some estimating that families and businesses would be forced to pay more than $1 billion a year
in higher energy costs.
“In particular, it is estimated that Pennsylvania manufacturers in a variety of industries
will see higher energy costs up to several hundred thousand dollars per year.
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“The business climate in Pennsylvania is already challenging enough; the legislature
should seriously consider whether it wants to layer another substantial cost to this sector and
hamper our state’s ability to retain existing and attract new investment.
“Additionally, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission recently directed PJM to
adjust its electricity auction rules out of concern for the impact of state policies distorting the
market.
“The General Assembly must be aware of the possibility that FERC will soon direct the
grid operator to deduct the value of these state subsidies out of market payments, leaving the
state in an even worse position – significantly higher energy costs with no tangible benefit.
“To be clear, we continue to support PJM’s proposed amendments to its energy market
reserve pricing rules, which address some of the challenges identified by generators over the past
several years.
“Pennsylvania’s competitive energy market has helped to lower energy costs, while at the
same time reducing emissions throughout the Commonwealth.
“Rather than imposing additional mandates that will stifle innovation in the energy space,
we are urging lawmakers to support thoughtful, durable and rational energy policy that focuses
on a nationwide approach that relies on competitive markets and private sector innovation to help
ensure the country’s energy security while at the same time reducing carbon and other pollutant
emissions.”
Pennsylvania Coal Alliance Executive Direct Rachel Gleason released this statement in
response to the nuclear power plant proposal--
“The Pennsylvania Coal Alliance strongly opposes any proposal that would
inappropriately prop up one type of electric generation over another in our state, and do so at the
expense of ratepayers, taxpayers and other producers of reliable electricity in the
Commonwealth.
“Legislation that would provide subsidies or force utilities to purchase electricity that is
more expensive than other sources is a disservice to individuals and businesses that pay energy
bills, as well as to all the stakeholders involved in energy generation and distribution.
"Solutions to address any challenges presented by a multi-state, diversified grid that
serves over 65 million people must be developed at the national level.”
Leaders of Nuclear Powers Pennsylvania welcomed the formal introduction of bipartisan
legislation – known as the Keep Powering Pennsylvania Act – in the House of Representatives
that would reform an existing state law to recognize the contributions the state’s nuclear industry
makes throughout the Commonwealth.
“If you care about keeping electricity prices affordable, care about keeping good-paying
jobs in Pennsylvania, and care about keeping harmful greenhouse gases out of our environment,
then this is legislation you can feel good about,” said Bill McGee, Co-Chair of Nuclear Powers
Pennsylvania and the business manager of Local 23 of the International Association of Heat and
Frost Insulators and Allied Workers. “Our thousands of members across Pennsylvania are
excited to see this legislation introduced, because it gets us one step closer to protecting our
state’s valued nuclear fleet. Nuclear power is our state’s largest source of clean energy. It helps
keep our energy costs low, all while keeping 16,000 jobs right here in Pennsylvania.”
“More than 600,000 rural Pennsylvanians living in 42 counties count on the reliability
and affordability of electricity that comes largely from nuclear power,” said Frank Betley,
President & CEO of the Pennsylvania Rural Electric Association. “It’s clear that nuclear power
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plays a vital role in Pennsylvania, especially in our rural communities that have long been
invested in this carbon-free resource. Electric cooperatives are pleased the General Assembly is
taking a forward-leaning approach in recognizing nuclear power’s positive contributions to the
Commonwealth. We look forward to working on this bipartisan effort to secure the future of
nuclear power in Pennsylvania.”
The AEPS approach was first detailed in a bipartisan report from Pennsylvania’s Nuclear
Energy Caucus released in November 2018.
That report states, “Allowing any nuclear plant in the Commonwealth to close would
have significant consequences for fuel diversity, resiliency, the environment, customers, and the
state’s economy.” The impacts would be felt in both urban and rural parts of Pennsylvania.
According to economists at The Brattle Group, failure to address this energy imbalance
will cost Pennsylvanians an estimated $4.6 billion annually. This includes:
-- $788 million in increased electricity costs;
-- $2 billion in lost state GDP;
-- $1.6 billion in carbon emissions-related costs; and
-- $260 million in costs associated with harmful emissions.
Click Here for the full announcement by the Nuclear Powers Pennsylvania group.
Leaders of Clean Jobs for Pennsylvania applauded the formal introduction of bipartisan
legislation that would reform an existing state law to recognize the contributions the state’s
nuclear energy makes throughout the Commonwealth.
“This legislation is important to the economic and environmental well-being of the entire
state and in particular central Pennsylvania,” said Mike Pries, co-Chair of CJFP and a Dauphin
County Commissioner. “Without its passage, Three Mile Island will be shuttered in September
and our region will lose more than 600 full-time, family-sustaining jobs and thousands of
supplemental jobs forever.”
“Passing this legislation is extremely important to the thousands of skilled craftsmen and
women who work in Pennsylvania,” said Joe Gusler, President of the Central Pa. Building
Trades Council and a co-Chair of CJFP. “With its passage 1,600 additional workers will be
employed at TMI this fall performing maintenance on the plant. Those jobs don’t exist if the
plant closes.”
Click Here for the full announcement by Clean Jobs for Pennsylvania.
Clean Jobs for Pennsylvania is a diverse coalition of business, labor, environmental,
education, civic and local elected leaders who have come together to support the continued
operation of Three Mile Island and the Commonwealth’s four other nuclear plants and the
benefits they provide to their local communities.
(Photo: Three Mile Island, Dauphin County.)
NewsClips:
Maykuth: $500 Million: That’s How Much Lawmakers Are Asking For To Rescue Nuclear
Power Plants
Cusick: Rep. Mehaffie Talks Up His Nuclear Bailout Bill; Opponents Line Up To Trash It
Legere/Litvak: Nuclear Rescue Bill In PA Carries A $500 Million Price Tag
PLS Reporter: Skeptics Decry Bailout As Nuclear Advocates Roll Out Plan To Save State’s
Nuclear Power Plants
Crable: Bill Introduced to Subsidize Nuclear Power In PA, Save Three Mile Island
Thompson: $500 Million Nuclear Power Rescue Bill Introduced In PA
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Consumers Would Foot The Bill To Prop Up PA’s Ailing Nuke Plants Under House Proposal
Caruso: Lawmakers Skeptical Of Nuclear Rescue Proposal; Could Solar Panels, Wind Get The
Job Done?
PA Lawmaker: State Crafted Nuke Subsidy Bill After DOE Said Not To Wait For Bailout
PA Bill Would Add Nuclear Power To Alternative Energy Lists
Reuters: PA Lawmaker Offers Bill To Save Nuclear Power Plants
AP-Levy: Fight Over Nuclear Plants Arrives At PA Capitol
Bailout Bill Proposed For Three Mile Island Nuclear Plant
NRDC: Pennsylvania’s First Nuclear Subsidy Bill Explained
Market Monitor Report: TMI Only Uneconomical Nuclear Plant In PA
Bloomberg: In America’s Shale Country, Nukes, Gas Are Duking It Out
Thyroid Cancer Study Re-Ignites Debate Over Three Mile Island Accident’s Health Effects
Cusick: Nuclear Watchdog Group Wants NRC To Investigate Safety Issue At Three Mile Island
Crable: PPL Blasts Proposal To Subsidize Nuclear Power, Save TMI From Closing
Op-Ed: Your Electricity Bill Could Increase To Rescue Nuclear Power Plants - PPL President
Op-Ed: Why Should Electric Customers Subsidize Nuclear Generation - PPL President
Editorial: PA Should Let Three Mile Island Close - Lancaster Paper
Editorial: Pennsylvania Should Let Three Mile Island Close - Lancaster
AP: Nuclear Industry Pushing For Fewer Inspections At Plants
Maykuth: Are Tiny Nuclear Reactors The Path To A Carbon-Free Future?
DOE’s Perry Says Federal Coal, Nuclear Bailout Not Dead, But Encourages States To Act
Ohio Weighs Nuclear Plant Bailout At FirstEnergy’s Urging, Will It Boost Renewables Too?
Op-Ed: It Sounds Crazy, But Fukushima, Chernobyl, Three Mile Island Show Why Nuclear
Power Is Inherently Safe
PJM Pushes FERC To Act On Capacity Market Rules, Citing Uncertainty, Confusion
Feds Say Trump Budget Won’t Affect Parks Twp. Radioactive Waste Dump Cleanup
Related Stories:
PJM Tells 2 House Committees Competitive Electric Markets Significantly Reduced Prices For
PA Ratepayers; Grid Will Remain Reliable Into The Future
Kleinman Center For Energy Policy Estimates Bill Supporting Nuclear Power Plants Would Cost
Ratepayers $500 Million A Year
PUC Commissioner Andrew Place Circulates Paper On Nuclear Power Plant Policy Alternatives
Nuclear Energy Caucus Releases Report On The Impact Of Closing Nuclear Power Plants,
Possible Solutions
Cap-And-Trade Climate Petitioners Resubmit Entire Petition To EQB With Updated List Of
Petitioners
Auditor General DePasquale Calls For State Action On Climate Change, Brace For New Costs
PJM Tells 2 House Committees Competitive Electric Markets Significantly Reduced Prices
For PA Ratepayers; Grid Will Remain Reliable Into The Future
On March 11, F. Stuart Bresler, III, from the

PJM Interconnection, the interstate electric grid
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operator, told two House Committees competitive electricity generation markets have served
Pennsylvania consumers well by significantly reducing electricity prices.
Bresler said “the production and transmission of wholesale electricity in Pennsylvania is
reliable today and will continue to be so into the future” regardless of expected power plant
closures.
He said there was no action Pennsylvania needed to take from a grid reliability standpoint
to maintain that reliability.
“Both PJM and Pennsylvania hold a more diverse fuel mix portfolio today than has been
the case historically. Coal, natural gas, and nuclear power generation now comprise a more
balanced share of the overall portfolio for both installed capacity and energy production,” Bresler
said.
He noted a 2018 PJM study on fuel security found the electricity grid system is currently
fuel secure “even under extreme but credible operating conditions.” PJM is, however, taking a
deeper look at the fuel security issues.
Bresler appeared before the House Environmental Resources and Energy and Consumer
Affairs Committees in separate informational meetings.
On the subject of what he called out-of-market programs states have been adopting to
prevent the closure of certain power plants or for pricing carbon emissions, Bresler said these
programs tend to “perturb” the electricity market and prevent the right price signals from being
sent at the wholesale level.
He emphasized PJM is entirely neutral on the kinds of out-of-market programs states
adopt. (At the same time as these meetings, Rep. Mehaffie was unveiling a l egislative initiative
to prevent the premature closure of nuclear power plants in Pennsylvania costing $500 million a
year.)
Bresler said PJM has proposed a rule change by the Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission that would make sure these state programs are considered separately from the PJM
market and any changes in prices related to those programs to ratepayers are paid by the
customers in the states that adopt them.
Natural Gas
On the increasing use of natural gas to generate electricity in the state, Bresler said,
“Pennsylvania electric consumers saw the immediate benefits of the industry’s game-changing
innovation that is shale extraction. Over the last decade of shale gas development, Pennsylvania
consumers have seen significant declines in wholesale energy costs.
“Without competitive electricity markets, consumers could have been locked into
outmoded, high-cost power generation technologies,” Bresler added. “Instead, Pennsylvania’s
13-million residents saw the market react with agility to reflect the new pricing dynamics of low
cost fuel and highly efficient new technologies. This is a major success for Pennsylvania and its
consumers.”
Bresler said Pennsylvania has developed the most robust generation development market
among the PJM states.
“In 2018 alone, 19 new or upgraded natural gas plants – totaling over 5,000 megawatts of
capacity – came online in Pennsylvania. An additional 7,500 megawatts of new natural gas
projects in Pennsylvania are presently being studied by PJM.
“This is also a major success for Pennsylvania and its consumers,” said Bresler.
“Importantly, given the open, transparent, nondiscriminatory markets in place in our region and
12
supported by Pennsylvania’s policies, these resources have been financed and constructed mostly
by merchant developers. As such, investment risk is assumed by the developers, not by end-use
customers as was the case under the vertically integrated monopolies that existed before
restructuring.”
He noted a 2017 PJM study found “... no upper bound that would constrain the levels of
natural gas the [electric] system could accept to operate reliably.” A follow up study in 2018 on
the issue of fuel security found the grid system to be fuel secure “even under extreme but
credible operating conditions.” PJM is now looking deeper into the fuel security issue, however.
Click Here for a copy of Bresler’s written testimony. Click Here for the attachment to his
testimony.
Click Here for a video of the House Environmental Committee meeting. Click Here for a
video of the House Consumer Affairs Committee meeting. (When posted.)
Rep. Daryl Metcalfe (R-Butler) serves as Majority Chair of the House Environmental
Committee and can be contacted by calling 717-783-1707 or sending email to:
dmetcalf@pahousegop.com. Rep. Greg Vitali (D-Delaware) serves as Minority Chair and can be
contacted by calling 717-787-7647 or sending email to: gvitali@pahouse.net.
Rep. Brad Roae (R-Crawford) serves as Majority Chair of the House Consumer Affairs
broae@pahousegop.com. Rep. Robert Matzie (D-Beaver) serves as Minority Chair and can be
contacted by calling 717-787-4444 or sending email to: rmatzie@pahouse.net.
(Graph: Shows sources of electric generation that have successfully offered electricity in P
JM’s
competitive auctions since 2007/08.)
NewsClips:
Power Plants
Job Done?
Cusick: Nuclear Watchdog Group Wants NRC To Investigate Safety Issue At Three Mile Island
13
Related Stories:
Rep. Mehaffie Introduces Bill To Prevent Nuclear Power Plant Closures Which Will Cost $500
Million Annually
Auditor General DePasquale Calls For State Action On Climate Change, Brace For New Costs
Auditor General DePasquale Calls For State Action On Climate Change, Brace For New
Costs
On March 14, Auditor General Eugene DePasquale held his first

public hearing on Pennsylvania’s response to the climate change
crisis, which is the focus of a special report he is developing.
“The climate crisis will disrupt our economy and create
unforeseen burdens on taxpayers,” DePasquale said. “Considering
how little serious work is being done about it in Washington, it’s time
for states to make certain they’re doing all they can to be prepared.”
DePasquale announced last December that his special report
will focus on state government’s response to climate change and steps
that can better prepare the state for the future, noting that the problem
will impact communities of all sizes.
“Beyond the safety risks posed by severe weather and
infrastructure damage, a changing climate will impact health,
transportation, agriculture, forestry, tourism – a whole host of issues,” DePasquale said.
DePasquale’s hearing was held at the Stuckeman Family Building on the Campus of
Penn State. Witnesses scheduled to testify included:
-- Dr. Michael Mann, Distinguished Professor of Atmospheric Science, Penn State University
-- Robert Altenburg, Energy Center Director, PennFuture
-- Steve Miller, Vice Chair, Ferguson Township Supervisors
-- Alan Sam, Sustainability Coordinator, Borough of State College
-- Richard Schuettler, Executive Director, PA Municipal League
-- Hannah Smith-Brubaker, Executive Director, PA Association of Sustainable Agriculture
-- Grant Gulibon, Regulatory Affairs Director, PA Farm Bureau
14
“We’re not here to debate whether the climate crisis exists; it’s already happening,”
DePasquale added. “I want our state to be ready for what the federal government’s own experts
predict is going to occur.”
A federal report issued last fall said that in the Northeast region, climate change poses
threats to public health and safety from extreme heat and flooding; raises concerns about damage
to aging power, water, sewer and transportation systems; and will impact rural communities,
farming, forestry and tourism by altering ecosystems.
DePasquale will conduct two additional hearings as part of developing the special report,
which is expected to be complete this summer.
Visit Auditor General Eugene DePasquale’s website for more information on audits he is
engaged in.
NewsClips:
Auditor General DePasquale: We Cannot Rely On Federal Govt. On Climate Change
Auditor General: Climate Change Is An Environmental And Economic Crisis
Xian: Auditor General On Climate Change: Each Disaster Is A Hit To State Taxpayers
There’s A Sense We Have to Act Now On Climate Change Say Experts At Penn State
PaEN: DEP To Discuss Draft Regs Controlling VOC [Methane] Emissions From Existing Oil &
Gas Operations At March 21 Advisory Board Meeting
Shell Urges Trump White House To Tighten Methane Leak Rules
PA Environmental Council: Statement On Shell Support Of Methane Rules
PaEN: Senators Ask Colleagues To Sign On To Bipartisan Bill To Increase Renewable Energy
Purchase By Utilities From 8% To 30% By 2030
Column: 3 Philly School Kids Are Striking Friday Because Grown-Ups Failed them On Climate
PaEN: PUC Approves Duquesne Light Filing For Third-Party Electric Vehicle Charging Stations
Op-Ed: Pennsylvania Needs To Do More To Support Electric Vehicles - NRDC
NPR: It’s 2050 And This Is How We Stopped Climate Change
Allegheny Front: Meet An Organizer Of The Pittsburgh Youth Climate Strike
Students In PA, NJ Skipping Class To Urge Action On Climate Change
Column: 3 Philly School Kids Are Striking Friday Because Grown-Ups Failed Them On Climate
Youth Climate Strikes To Take Place In More Than 100 Countries
Letter: There Is A Bipartisan Path Forward On Climate Change
Letter: Anti-Climate Change Ad Is Dangerous
Op-Ed: It’s Time To Act On Climate Change - Bipartisan U.S. Senators
UN: Environment Is Deadly, Worsening Mess, But Not Hopeless
Gore: U.S. Getting Close To Political Shift On Climate Change
New Plan To Protect Lower Manhattan From Climate Change
Related Stories:
Million Annually
4th National Climate Assessment: Climate Change Is Human Caused; Flooding, Wildfires,
Health Impacts, Infrastructure, Economic Damage Will Increase Without Action
71% Increase In Very Heavy Precipitation In Last 54 Years, 831,000 Pennsylvanians Living At
Risk On Floodplains
15
Attorney General, Delaware County DA Conducting Joint Investigation Into Mariner East
Pipelines
On March 11, District Attorney Katayoun M. Copeland

announced the Delaware County District Attorney’s
Office and the Office of the Pennsylvania Attorney
General Josh Shapiro, at the request of the District
Attorney, are conducting a joint investigation regarding
allegations of criminal misconduct by Energy Transfer
LP, Sunoco Logistics Partners, and related corporate
entities, involving pipeline construction and related
activities for Mariner East 1, 2, and 2X pipelines.
“There is no question that the pipeline poses certain concerns and risks to our residents,
and as District Attorney, I am working to do everything possible within my power to ensure the
safety of residents,” said Copeland. “At this time, we are thoroughly reviewing the evidence
available to us, working with the Attorney General’s Office, and seeking action within our
jurisdictional boundaries.
“We want residents to know that we have heard their concerns, and we are willing to hear
any new concerns that they may have about the pipeline by contacting my Office,” said
Copeland. “Due to the fact that the pipeline spans over 17 different counties in Pennsylvania, we
sought assistance from our partners in law enforcement, the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s
Office. As this remains an open and active investigation, the details available for disclosure are
very limited, as is the case in any of investigation.”
Mariner East 2 is a 350-mile expansion of Sunoco’s current Mariner East pipeline
system, designed to carry natural gas liquids from the Marcellus and Utica shale gas fields.
Many residents in Delaware County have directly expressed concerns over the operations
of the pipeline and made formal complaints and allegations of potential criminal misconduct.
Residents have also expressed concerns regarding the potential of catastrophes and
property damage.
“I would like to thank the Del-Chesco United for Pipeline Safety, the Middletown
Coalition for Community Safety, and other residents for taking the time to meet with us and
sharing their concerns and formal complaints,” said Copeland.
George Alexander of Media Borough, a member of the leadership team of Del-Chesco
United for Pipeline Safety said “We welcome this criminal investigation of Sunoco and any
elected officials that may have been involved in illegal activities. Our schools, neighborhoods
and senior living facilities have been subjected to unacceptable risk given the extremely
dangerous materials that Sunoco proposes to transport through our communities in industrial
quantities. It’s time that we had a full accounting of the means by which Sunoco has exerted its
influence, and we are counting on the law enforcement officers now on the case to detect and
prosecute all illegal activity, including any corruption by government officials who were elected
to protect us.
Bibianna Dussling of Middletown Township spoke on behalf of the Middletown
Coalition for Community Safety, a chapter of Del-Chesco United, adding, “For far too long,
we’ve seen elected officials putting the profit-driven interests of the Texas corporation Sunoco
ahead of the safety and economic well-being of our township, and even the laws of our
16
Commonwealth. We hope the launching of these multiple criminal probes will serve to protect
the Pennsylvanians placed at risk of harm by Sunoco’s recklessly proposed export project.”
If you would like to submit a complaint regarding misconduct by the pipeline company,
please contact the Delaware County District Attorney’s Office Criminal Investigation Division at
610-891-4700.
On December 19, Chester County District Attorney Thomas Hogan announced he opened
a criminal investigation into the construction and “not so subtle bullying” of residents in
connection with Sunoco’s Mariner East Pipelines.
NewsClips:
Phillips: Attorney General, Delaware County DA Launch Criminal Investigation Into Mariner
East Pipelines
AP-Levy: Attorney General Opens Investigation Into Mariner East 2 Pipeline
Maykuth: Attorney General Launches Criminal Investigation Into Mariner East Pipeline Project
Attorney General, Delaware County Have Joined Mariner East Pipeline Investigation
PA Attorney General Launches Investigation Into Mariner East Pipelines
Delaware County DA Launches Investigation Of Mariner East Pipeline
Op-Ed: First Trump, Then Sunoco’s Mariner East Pipeline Mess, No Wonder Republicans Are
Scared
PA Landowners Ask U.S. Supreme Court To Hear Atlantic Sunrise Pipeline Case
Sen. Dinniman, Rep. Friel Otten Form Pipeline Safety Caucus
The $1 Billion Gas Pipeline Project Dividing New York
Related Stories:
Chester County District Attorney Opens Criminal Investigation Into Mariner East Pipeline
Construction
Chester County DA Says His Investigation Of Mariner East Pipelines Is Widening And
Deepening After Latest Sinkhole Found
Related Stories This Week:
14 Senate, House Members Ask Gov. Wolf To Halt Mariner East Pipeline Operations Until
Safety Protocols Are In Place
Senators Killion, Dinniman Introduce Resolution Forming Senate/House Commission To Make
Recommendations To Improve Pipeline Safety, Construction Practices
DEP Proposes Water Quality Certification For Adelphia Gateway Pipeline Project In Eastern PA
Proposed Water Quality Certification Published For Columbia Case East & West Pipeline
Project, Armstrong, Butler, Clarion Counties
On March 11, 3 Senate and 11 House members representing Chester and Delaware counties
signed a letter to Gov. Tom Wolf asking him to impose a moratorium on the transmission of
natural gas liquids products through the Mariner East pipeline system until the mandated safety
protocols are in place for local responders to properly manage a pipeline emergency.
The letter was signed by Representatives Steve Barrar (R-Delaware), Carolyn Comitta
(D-Chester), Danielle Friel Otten (D-Chester), Kristine Howard (D-Chester), Tim Hennessey
17
(R-Chester), John Lawrence (R-Chester), Chris Quinn (R-Delaware), Christina Sappey
(D-Chester), Melissa Shusterman (D-Chester), Dan Williams (D_Chester) and Leanne Krueger
(D-Delaware), and Senators Andy Dinniman (D-Chester), Katie Muth (D-Chester) and Tim
Kearney (D-Delaware).
Chester County Emergency Services and local school districts along the pipeline,
including Downingtown Area School District, Rose Tree Media School District and West
Chester Area School District have requested Energy Transfer Partners' subsidiary SPLP to
provide its Emergency Response Plan for the Mariner East Pipeline project.
Responders and school districts need to complete their comprehensive All Hazards
Emergency Response Plans and fulfill their statutory requirements under Title 35 of state law.
The letter urges Gov. Wolf to preserve the health, welfare and safety of constituents who
live, work and raise their families in the high-consequence areas of Chester and Delaware
counties within the impact radius of Mariner East.
“We have pipelines currently transporting highly volatile products through our
communities, and our local first responders are not able to adequately plan their emergency
response or mitigate our risk because the operator has failed to cooperate with repeated requests
for their Emergency Response Plan,” said Rep. Friel Otten. “Energy Transfer Partners and
Sunoco are risking a catastrophe, which is a criminal offense.
“I am grateful to my colleagues for their collaboration on this request. The bipartisan
support for this moratorium underscores how important it is to take every possible step to ensure
the safety of our communities and our first responders.”
Click Here for a copy of the letter.
NewsClips:
East Pipelines
Scared
Related Stories:
Pipelines
18
DEP Reaches Settlement On Diversified Gas & Oil Abandoned Conventional Wells
On March 11, the Department of Environmental Protection announced a settlement with

Diversified Gas & Oil Corporation and Diversified Oil & Gas, LLC (collectively referred to as
Diversified) and Alliance Petroleum Co LLC (Alliance) over well plugging violations in 23
Pennsylvania counties.
“This agreement is a win for the Commonwealth because it ensures that over 1,400 oil
and gas wells are properly maintained or plugged and that these operators, not Pennsylvania
citizens, bear the full cost of operating or plugging them,” said DEP Secretary Patrick
McDonnell.
Diversified and Alliance have agreed to a $7 million surety bond for the wells covered by
this settlement, plus an additional $20,000 to $30,000 bond for each abandoned or nonproducing
oil and gas well acquired in the future.
Under current law, adopted in 2012 as an amendment to Pennsylvania's Fiscal Code,
conventional oil and gas operators such as Diversified and Alliance are only required to secure
$25,000 of blanket bonding to cover all of their wells, which in the case of the two companies,
amounts to bonding of approximately $2 per well.
The performance bonding negotiated in this settlement is closer to actual plugging costs
that can begin around $20,000 per well and go much higher depending on well and site
conditions.
With this Consent Order and Agreement (COA) in place, DEP has approved pending
transfers of non-producing mostly conventional oil and gas wells to Alliance and Diversified.
The COA allows some wells to be put back into production, so long as minimum
production levels are maintained, and sets a plugging and restoration schedule for non-producing
wells of 15 years while prioritizing the plugging of wells that pose health, safety, and/or
environmental threats.
The COA may be extended for an additional 5 years subject to additional bonding of
$30,000 per well for wells to be plugged during the extension.
The Oil and Gas Act requires owners and operators to plug wells upon abandonment. In
July 2018, DEP issued orders to Alliance, XTO Energy Inc. (XTO), and CNX Gas Company
LLC (CNX) to plug 1,058 abandoned oil and gas wells across the state—based on required
self-reporting of well production data—and held pending transfers of said wells.
Those wells, along with wells that Diversified also reported as non-producing, make up
the approximately 1400 wells specifically addressed in in the COA. Alliance, XTO, and CNX
appealed DEP’s orders to the Pennsylvania Environmental Hearing Board.
Pennsylvania has over 8,000 orphaned and abandoned oil and gas wells on its inventory
and hundreds of thousands of legacy wells may be unaccounted for, posing a major financial
liability and environmental, public health, and safety risk.
Click Here for a copy of the consent order and agreement.
NewsClips:
Post-Gazette: DEP Strikes Deal With Diversified Gas & Oil On Plugging Or Restarting 1,412
Conventional Oil & Gas Wells
DEP Reaches Settlement On Diversified Gas & Oil Abandoned Conventional Wells
Frazier: DEP Reaches $7M Agreement Over 1,400 Abandoned Oil & Gas Wells
Huba: DEP Reaches Settlement With Companies To Plug Abandoned Wells In Western PA
19
Related Story:
DEP To Discuss Draft Regs Controlling VOC [Methane] Emissions From Existing Oil &
Gas Operations At March 21 Advisory Board Meeting
On March 21, DEP’s Oil and Gas Technical Advisory

Board is scheduled to meet to discuss draft proposed
RACT regulations covering volatile organic compound
emissions with a “co-benefit” of reducing methane
emissions from existing oil and gas operations.
In December, DEP discussed its proposed approach
to the regulation with the Air Quality Technical Advisory
Committee outlining many of the same points it plans to
make in the March 21 presentation.
The approach used in the regulation is based on a federal
Control Technique Guideline for oil and gas facilities
which will be used to develop a RACT standard. RACT is
defined as the lowest emission limitation that a particular
source is capable of meeting with economically feasible,
reasonably available emissions control technology.
DEP acknowledged at the Air Quality Advisory Committee meeting EPA is now
considering changes to its CTG requirement, but said they intend to move ahead with a proposed
rule in any event because of regional commitments to meet federal ozone standards.
While the draft regulation technically proposes to regulate VOC emissions, these controls
will in turn reduce methane emissions because both volatile organic compounds and methane are
found in many oil and gas operations.
Generally, the draft regulation outline calls for a 95 percent reduction in VOC emissions,
however, some equipment-specific requirements call for less or more. For example, natural gas
processing plants are required to have zero VOC emissions.
At the Air Quality meeting, DEP said the regulation, as drafted, would exempt the “lion’s
share” of conventional oil and gas wells (perhaps 80 percent or more) and roughly 6 percent of
unconventional gas wells in Pennsylvania from the leak detection and repair requirements due to
the threshold emission limits.
These estimates are rough because DEP staff said they have not yet done firm
calculations to estimate how many wells may be exempt.
There are now about 80,000 conventional oil and gas wells and about 10,651 active
unconventional gas wells in Pennsylvania.
A report by the Environmental Defense Fund in February of 2018 on methane emissions
from oil and gas wells in Pennsylvania found about 50 percent of those emissions come from
conventional oil and gas wells (268,900 tons) and about 50 percent from unconventional gas
wells (253,500 tons).
The higher conventional gas well methane emissions cannot be accounted for by natural
20
gas production.
In fact, conventional gas wells account for only about 5 percent of natural gas production
in the state, while 95 percent of the production comes from unconventional (shale) gas wells.
Another difference in the way conventional gas wells are treated is in reporting methane
emissions. Conventional oil and gas wells are not required to report their methane emissions to
DEP, while unconventional wells are, even though they make up about half the methane
emissions.
Marcellus Shale Coalition President David Spigelmyer issued a statement in December
about the draft regulation saying, “While we’re still reviewing the proposal, we do have initial
concerns about potential costs as well as DEP’s timing given ongoing federal regulatory activity
associated with existing source emissions.
“That said, Pennsylvania’s continued success in enhancing air quality, as reflected by
DEP’s own data, is occurring alongside and largely due to the Commonwealth’s leading natural
gas production position. Again, rather than creating more regulatory uncertainty, it would be
prudent for DEP to delay any regulatory proposals until federal rules are finalized.”
No draft of the regulations has yet been posted as a handout for the meeting. Click Here
for November 2018 draft. [Note: The draft proposed regulation language will be an action item
at the April 11 Air Quality Technical Advisory Committee meeting and will be posted about 2
weeks prior to the meeting-- on or about March 28.]
The meeting will be held in Room 105 of the Rachel Carson Building starting at 10:00.
Click Here to register to join the meeting via Skype.
For more information, visit the DEP Oil and Gas Technical Advisory Board webpage.
Questions should be directed to Todd Wallace, 717-783-9438, twallace@pa.gov.
(Photo: How Reducing Methane Emissions Creates Jobs, Environmental Defense Fund.)
NewsClips:
Commonwealth Court Clears The Way For Attorney General To Pursue Unfair Trade
Practices Case Against Chesapeake, Anadarko On Drilling Royalties, Payments
On March 15, Commonwealth Court issued a decision allowing

Attorney General Josh Shapiro to pursue Unfair Trade Practices
Act cases against Chesapeake Energy and Anadarko for promises
they made to landowners when leasing their land for natural gas
drilling.
The Court found that natural gas leases were in fact “trade”
and “commerce” and therefore covered by the state Unfair Trade
Practices and Consumer Protection Act.
With respect to a second claim based on anti-trust by the
Attorney General that the companies made an unlawful market
sharing agreement to not lease properties for drilling in areas where
one or the other company was operating intrinsically violated the
Unfair Trade Practices Act, the Court said the law does not support
21
that conclusion.
However, with respect a separate count argued by the Attorney General that the
companies allegedly disingenuous and misleading behavior constitutes unfair methods of
competition and unfair or deceptive acts or practices under the Unfair Trade Practices Act, the
Court sided with the Attorney General.
The Court remanded to the Bradford County trial court for further action on the counts
upheld by Commonwealth Court.
“Today’s Commonwealth Court ruling is a victory that upholds our lawsuit against
Chesapeake Energy Corporation and Anadarko Petroleum Corporation,” said Attorney General
Shapiro. “The court’s decision allows our action to move forward and address the misconduct
by these companies against landowners in oil and gas leases under the Unfair Trade Practices
and Consumer Protection Law. I’m fighting for landowners who we charge have been ripped off,
and my Office will continue to pursue this case on behalf of Northeast Pennsylvanians.
Click Here for a copy of the decision.
Related Story:
Court: Injection Well Developer Does Not Need To Wait To Challenge A Local Zoning
Decision Until It Has Permits For The Well
Keep PA Beautiful Engages Nearly 130,000 Volunteers To Remove Over 7.2 Million
Pounds Of Trash In 2018
Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful and its local affiliates

and partners held community improvement events
in 2018 engaging 129,632 volunteers to remove
over 7.2 million pounds of trash, 2.3 million pounds
of electronics waste, recycled or properly disposed
of 43,352 tires and attracted $481,400 of in-kind
donations.
The diverse project initiatives include illegal dump
and river cleanups, litter pickups, recycling and
special collections, tree and flower plantings,
murals and painting of community structures, rain
garden and outdoor classroom construction and
educational events just to name a few.
“Since our inception in 1990, over 141 million pounds of trash has been removed from
our landscape and over 8.7 million pounds of electronics have been collected and recycled!
Countless neighborhoods have been improved because of the dedicated service of volunteers
who participate in our programs, such as the Great American Cleanup of PA, International
Coastal Cleanup and our adoption program for local roads and areas,” explained Shannon Reiter,
President of Keep PA Beautiful.
Keep PA Beautiful has committed county or municipal based affiliates serving 39
counties across the state that work closely with program partners, local governments,
like-minded organizations and volunteers to coordinate initiatives in their three program areas of
Prevent It, Clean It and Keep It.
22
Click Here to find an affiliate near you. Click Here to find an event near you.
To participate in the 2019 Great American Cleanup of PA that runs through May 31 visit
the Great American Cleanup of PA website or contact Michelle Dunn, Great American Cleanup
of PA Program Coordinator, at 1-877-772-3673 ext. 113, or send email to:
mdunn@keeppabeautiful.org.
For more information on programs, initiatives and special events, visit the Keep
Pennsylvania Beautiful website. Click Here to become a member. Click Here to sign up for
regular updates from KPB, Like them on Facebook, Follow on Twitter, Discover them on
Pinterest and visit their YouTube Channel.
Also visit the Illegal Dump Free PA website for more ideas on how to clean up
communities and keep them clean and KPB’s Electronics Waste website.
NewsClips:
Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful Removes 7.2 Million Pounds Of Trash
College Groups To Participate In Spring Litter Cleanup In Washington County
WITF Smart Talk: Picking Up The Poconos Initiative
Williamsport: City-Wide Litter Sweeps To Take Place In Late April
DEP/Health Announce New Statewide Tick Surveillance Program, Part Of A 5-Year Study
Of Tickborne Illnesses In PA
On March 14, the Department of Environmental Protection

announced it is conducting a five-year environmental
surveillance of ticks to assess the risk of tickborne illnesses
across Pennsylvania with funding provided by the state
Department of Health.
DEP also coordinates the mosquito, bird and horse
surveillance effort for the West Nile Virus Control
Program, which was expanded to include the Zika Virus.
The survey, which started in July 2018 in coordination
with county governments, is part of the Pennsylvania
Lyme Disease Task Force recommendations in 2015 for
combating the growing incidence of Lyme and other tick-borne diseases. It is funded annually
through the state budget.
“Lyme disease affects thousands of Pennsylvanians every year, but ticks are also known
to carry other pathogens that could infect humans. This survey will provide important data that
will help us better understand these arachnids in our environment and inform Pennsylvanians on
how, when and where to avoid getting bitten by a disease-carrying tick,” said DEP Secretary
Patrick McDonnell. “We want everyone to enjoy the outdoors and take the proper precautions to
avoid contact with ticks, and we are proud to support the Lyme Disease Task Force’s efforts to
protect Pennsylvanians.”
“Lyme disease is a major public health concern in Pennsylvania,” Secretary of Health Dr.
Rachel Levine said. “Many people believe that Lyme disease, and the ticks that carry the disease,
can only be found in wooded areas. However, I know personally, as do many others, that ticks
can be found in your backyard, where you walk your dog, or the local park. These surveillance
23
efforts will help us to share with all Pennsylvanians the importance of taking steps to protect
yourself.”
The survey is taking place in every county in Pennsylvania to track ticks’ habitats, life
stages and peak activity levels and to test them for human pathogenic diseases. Additionally, 38
counties are conducting a specific survey of nymphal blacklegged (Ixodes scapularis) ticks,
which can transmit Lyme Disease to humans.
Ticks are collected using white felt drags that sample low-lying ground cover and
understory vegetation for questing ticks.
Fall and winter surveillance focused on analyzing adult blacklegged ticks for emerging
and changing disease burdens in public use habitats across Pennsylvania, such as parks,
playgrounds or recreational fields.
The spring and summer surveillance will focus on collecting three tick species: the
blacklegged tick in its immature nymphal stage, when it most often infects humans with Lyme
disease, as well as human babesiosis and human granulocytic anaplasmosis; the adult American
dog (Dermacentor variabilis) tick, which transmits Rocky Mounted Spotted Fever and
Tulameria; and adult lone star (Amblyomma americanum) tick, which transmits Ehrlichiosis and
Tularmeria.
The nymphal stage of the blacklegged tick causes the most tickborne illness in
Pennsylvania due to its size and activity period. It is significantly smaller — about the size of a
poppy seed — than the adult and therefore less likely to be discovered on the human body.
“The nymphal stage of the blacklegged tick’s lifespan overlaps with people enjoying the
outdoors in the spring and summer,” McDonnell said. “Tracking and testing them at this stage is
extremely important because it will allow us to more accurately pinpoint when and where risk of
human illness is most prevalent and help prevent cases of Lyme disease in the future.”
Since July 1, 2018, DEP collected 3,663 adult black-legged ticks for testing.
For more information on Lyme Disease, visit the Department of Health’s Lyme Disease
webpage.
For more information on ticks and tickborne diseases, visit the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention’s website.
(Photo: The tick that carries Lyme Disease.)
NewsClips:
Schneck: Tick Watch Under Way Across Pennsylvania By State
PA Collects Thousands Of Ticks For Study To Combat Lyme Disease
Tick Survey Planned For Erie County
Related Story:
DCNR Good Natured Blog: Will A Harsh PA Winter Kill Ticks?
Agriculture Extends Spotted Lanternfly Quarantine Area To Dauphin County
The Department of Agriculture published notice

in the March 16 PA Bulletin extending the
Spotted Lanternfly quarantine area to Dauphin
County.
In November 2017, 13 other Pennsylvania
24
counties – Berks, Bucks, Carbon, Chester, Delaware, Lancaster, Lebanon, Lehigh, Monroe,
Montgomery, Northampton, Philadelphia, and Schuylkill – were placed under quarantine to help
stop the spread of the Spotted Lanternfly.
Click Here for quarantine area requirements of businesses, landowners and others. Click
Here for a copy of the PA Bulletin notice.
“Whether you are a contractor, farmer, truck driver or business or rail owner, the Spotted
Lanternfly can pose a risk to your business and threaten your bottom line,” said Russell
Redding, Secretary of Agriculture. “It is incumbent on Pennsylvania’s business community to
obtain a permit so that we can demonstrate our due diligence to trading partners and restrict the
movement of this invasive pests to other areas of the Commonwealth and other states.”
“I encourage all Pennsylvania businesses to learn how they can do their part to get
permitted, and for communities and homeowners to join us in this fight,” said Sec. Redding.
“This invasive insect is prone to human-assisted movement, so residents need to stay vigilant,
check their vehicles, and survey their surroundings. By contacting your local Penn State
Extension staff, you can receive tips and information about the latest products available to
combat Spotted Lanternfly, such as sprays, sticky bands, and other approved control methods.”
Businesses operating in the quarantine zone must have permits to move equipment and
goods within and out of the zone.
As part of the Spotted Lanternfly quarantine agreement beginning May 1, 2019, the
Department’s Bureau of Plant Industry will begin to perform inspections and verification checks
to confirm that businesses are properly permitted.
Failure to take the permit exam and educate employees could result in possible penalties
and fines.
Online Permit Training
Penn State Extension is now offering an online Spotted Lanternfly Permit Training For
Business Program to teach businesses best practices to stop its spread.
Click Here to register for this free training program. Click Here for a short video
overview.
March 21 Webinar
The Department of Agriculture is hosting a Do I Need A Spotted Lanternfly Permit
webinar for business owners on March 21 from 1:00 to 2:00 p.m.
Find out more about Spotted Lanternfly, visit Agriculture’s Spotted Lanternfly, the
USDA Lanternfly and the Penn State Extension Spotted Lanternfly webpages.
NewsClips:
Schneck: Spotted Lanternfly Quarantine Zone Expanded To Dauphin County
Spotted Lanternfly Quarantine Zone Expands Into Central PA
March 21 Spotted Lanternfly Webinar Teaches About Permit, Species
Related Story:
Business Owners: Do I Need A Spotted Lanternfly Permit Webinar March 21
Business Owners: Do I Need A Spotted Lanternfly Permit Webinar March 21
The Department of Agriculture is hosting a Do I Need

A Spotted Lanternfly Permit webinar for business
25
owners on March 21 from 1:00 to 2:00 p.m.
Wondering if your business needs a Spotted Lanternfly permit? Get your questions
answered at this webinar.
Business owners, supervisors or managers who travel frequently, make deliveries or have
other conveyances would benefit from this webinar.
Businesses operating in the quarantine zone must have permits to move equipment and
goods within and out of the zone.
The quarantine zone now includes Berks, Bucks, Carbon, Chester, Dauphin [new],
Delaware, Lancaster, Lebanon, Lehigh, Monroe, Montgomery, Northampton, Philadelphia, and
Schuylkill
As part of the Spotted Lanternfly quarantine agreement beginning May 1, 2019, the
Department’s Bureau of Plant Industry will begin to perform inspections and verification checks
to confirm that businesses are properly permitted.
Failure to take the permit exam and educate employees could result in possible penalties
and fines.
Click Here to register for this free webinar on March 21.
Online Permit Training
Click Here to register for this free training program. Click Here for a short video
overview.
NewsClips:
Related Story:
Agriculture Extends Spotted Lanternfly Quarantine Area To Dauphin County
R. Timothy Weston To Receive PA Bar Assn. Environmental & Energy Law Section
Lifetime Achievement Award
R. Timothy Weston, an environmental litigation and counseling partner

at K&L Gates in Harrisburg, will be honored with the 2019
Pennsylvania Bar Association Environmental and Energy Law Section
Lifetime Achievement Award during the Environmental Law Forum,
April 3 and 4, at the Harrisburg Hilton & Towers.
The award honors contributions made to the section and general efforts
that enhance the development, improvement and furtherance of the
practice of environmental law that benefit the community or represent
outstanding personal achievement.
Weston began his career 47 years ago and is considered by many in the
environmental bar to be a leading expert on water law in Pennsylvania.
26
He has litigated and won numerous precedent-setting cases on behalf of public water supply
systems, industries and state governments regarding water rights, stormwater liabilities and water
quality issues.
In 2001, Weston was awarded the Samuel Baxter Memorial Award by the Water
Resources Association of the Delaware River Basin for his lifetime contributions to water
management in the mid-Atlantic region.
A founding partner of K&L Gates’ Harrisburg office, Weston’s practice involves a broad
spectrum of complex project development, transactional, infrastructure privatization and
public-private partnership projects, regulatory and environmental permitting, and litigation
matters.
Prior to entering private practice, Weston served for eight years as assistant attorney
general for the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Resources (DER), providing counsel
for a wide range of natural resource and environmental protection programs, including the
Pennsylvania State Water Plan and water resource management activities.
From 1979 to 1987, Weston served as associate deputy secretary for Resources
Management in the DER, and as commissioner on the Delaware and Susquehanna River Basin
Commissions.
During his tenure with DER, Weston was actively involved in the development of
significant environmental legislation.
In addition, Weston was instrumental in the development of Harrisburg University of
Science and Technology and currently sits on its Executive Committee and Board of Trustees, of
which he is a former chair.
He served as chair of the Statewide Water Resources Committee created under the
Pennsylvania Water Resources Planning Act and is a member of the Citizens Advisory Council
to the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection.
Weston is a member of the PBA and its Environmental and Energy Law Section, as well
as the American and Dauphin County bar associations.
An accomplished speaker and author, Weston has spoken about and published numerous
law review articles in the field of environmental regulation and natural resources management.
Weston received a B.A. from the University of California in 1969 and graduated cum
laude from Harvard Law School in 1972.
Other recent winners of the award include: 2018 - Richard H. Friedman, McNees
Wallace & Nurick LLC; 2017- Keith Welks, Deputy State Treasurer, former DER Chief
Counsel; 2016 - John Carroll, former DER Chief Counsel; 2015- Philip L. Hinerman; 2014 -
James M. Seif, former Secretary of DEP; 2013- Terry Bossert; 2012- Michael Bedrin; and 2011 -
Jack Ubinger, Jones Day & PA Environmental Council.
Click Here for a list of awardees compiled by the Section going back to 1994 when the
award winner was former Sen. Franklin Kury, the author of Pennsylvania’s Environmental
Rights Amendment.
Environmental Law Forum
Offering up to 12 substantive and 2 ethics CLE credits, the Environmental Law Forum
will feature updates on energy, conventional land developments, environmental litigation,
changing laws, developing legislation, new technologies and more.
For more information, visit the Environmental Law Forum event page.
Related Stories:
27
Gov. Wolf Announces Winners Of Governor's Award For Environmental Excellence
Lauren Ferreri, of Newmanstown, captured the

“Woman of Environmental Education” award
sponsored by PennFuture, honoring Ferreri’s
dedication to educating her community about
sustainability and environmental policy.
Ferreri is the manager of the Game Commission’s
Middle Creek Wildlife Management Area in Lancaster
and Lebanon counties. Her duties include overseeing
the Visitor’s Center and museum. She is also
responsible for managing the controlled waterfowl
hunts and the collection of biological data at the area.
Ferreri graduated with a degree in Conservation and
Wildlife Management from Delaware Valley College in 2010. She started with the Game
Commission as a Bio-Aide with the deer research/trapping team.
The following year she became the leader of that team, and then became a biologist in the
Northcentral Region. In 2016, Lauren accepted her current position at Middle Creek.
Ferreri has had a big impact at Middle Creek in her short tenure, said Bruce Metz,
director of the Game Commission’s Southeast Region. One of her early goals was to provide
educational signage on the trails and the popular wildlife driving tour.
She designed signs focused on wildlife and the habitat they need, then helped develop
audio for the wildlife driving tour visitors can access by radio.
Ferreri also was instrumental in re-energizing the National Hunting and Fishing Day
event at Middle Creek, which now includes more than 30 conservation agencies or
outdoor-related groups. More than 2,000 people attended the events in 2017 and 2018.
And she recently oversaw the installation of a camera to livestream the snow goose and
tundra swan migration that makes Middle Creek a popular tourist destination.
“Lauren is always taking advantage of training opportunities and recently graduated from
the year-long Governor’s Emerging Leaders Program. She is well respected in the agency and
deserving of this award,” Metz said.
Ferreri said she is honored to receive the award.
“I am extremely humbled and grateful to win this award. Not only does the award
recognize women in conservation, but hopefully sheds light on the importance of the Middle
Creek Wildlife Management Area to the public,” she said. “Women in the conservation field are
reaching positions where they have an ability to impact many people, not just in the state of
Pennsylvania, but nationwide and worldwide. I am honored to be part of that movement.”
Lauren will accept her award at the PennFuture’s 5th Annual Celebrating Women in
Conservation Awards program in late April in New Cumberland.
The 2019 Awards are designed to encourage continuing excellence in conservation and to
forge a stronger network of exceptional women working to protect the Commonwealth’s
28
environment.
(Photo: Lauren Ferreri, B
anding Together To Track Middle Creek’s Ducks,
Lancasteronline.com.)
Related Story:
Winners Of The Women In Conservation Awards Announced By PennFuture
Related Stories This Week:
Gov. Wolf Announces Winners of Governor’s Award For Environmental Excellence
Achievement Award
April 5 PA Wildlife Gala To Raise Money For Wildlife Conservation & Education
The 2nd annual Pennsylvania Wildlife Gala to

benefit the Wildlife for Everyone Foundation,
will be held at the Nittany Lion Inn, State
College, on April 5, beginning with a cocktail
reception at 5:30 pm.
The Wildlife for Everyone Foundation, based
in State College, is the nonprofit organization
that promotes wildlife conservation and
education in Pennsylvania.
This year’s event will feature wildlife
biologist, Mark Ternent, from the Game
Commission who will discuss Pennsylvania’s black bear.
Ternent is an expert on bears, serving with the Game Commission for the past 19 years
where he is responsible for studying and managing Pennsylvania’s black bear population.
Prior to that, he served as a black bear and grizzly bear biologist in Wyoming. Bears have
been the focus of Ternent’s career in wildlife research since 1991 and he is the author of many
wildlife articles and reports.
The wildlife gala is the largest fundraising event for the Wildlife for Everyone
Foundation. Last year’s inaugural event netted over $50,000. Proceeds benefit the Wildlife
Foundation’s programs: Seedings for Schools, the wildlife scholarship fund and the Wildlife
Center slated for ground breaking this summer.
The Wildlife Center, located in Centre County, will serve as an outdoor learning
classroom and nature observatory for all individuals regardless of limitation.
Opportunities to support the Foundation throughout the evening include a stellar selection
of silent auction items, raffles and a live auction that will include original artwork from
renowned Pennsylvania wildlife artist, Laura Mark-Finberg.
Other live auction items include: Dinner for ten at Bentzel Mill, a beautifully restored
historic mill in York, Pennsylvania hosted by owners, John and Denise Gilliland, offering a
5-course meal with wine pairings followed by a tour of the on-site wildlife museum that features
exotic animals and treasures from around the world.
Also, Dancing with Wolves, a guided farm-nature-wildlife tour at Penn’s Cave and
Wildlife Park that transports the party of four across grazing pastures, mountain trails and forests
29
affording an up close and intimate experience with some of North America’s most captivating
species including elk, bison, wolves, cougars, foxes and much more.
RSVP by March 22 to 814-238-8138 or visit the Events webpage to purchase your tickets
or for information. Individual tickets are $125; tables of 10 are $1,200.
Sponsorship opportunities available. All proceeds benefit the mission of the Wildlife for
Everyone Foundation.
For more information on programs, initiatives and other upcoming events, visit the
Wildlife for Everyone Foundation website.
Related Story:
Wildlife For Everyone Foundation Awards College Scholarships To 5 Students
Senate/House Bills Moving Last Week
The following bills of interest saw action last week in the House and Senate--
House
Farmland Preservation: House Bill 370 (Klunk-R-York) amending the Agricultural Area
Security Law to provide for the voluntary relinquishment of the right to construct a residence to
further reduce the value of the property (sponsor summary) was removed from the Table and was
referred to the House Appropriations Committee. (This bill is scheduled to be considered by the
House Appropriations Committee March 18.)
Value Of Water Systems: House Bill 751 (Roae-R-Crawford) further providing for the
computation of income from small water and sewer systems relating to ratemaking was amended
and reported out of the House Consumer Affairs Committee and is now on the House Calendar
for action.
Tree Of Heaven Noxious Weed: House Bill 404 (Lawrence-R-Chester) designating the tree of
heaven, preferred home for the spotted lanternfly, as a noxious weed was removed from the
Table and referred to the House Appropriations Committee. (This bill is scheduled to be
considered by the House Appropriations Committee March 18.)
Wind Energy/Farmland: House Bill 441 (Sonney-R-Erie) allowing wind energy facilities on
farmland preserved under the Agricultural Area Security Law (sponsor summary) was removed
from the Table and was referred to the House Appropriations Committee.
Hellbender: Senate Bill 9 (Yaw-R-Lycoming) designating the Eastern Hellbender as the state
amphibian and clean water ambassador (sponsor summary) is Tabled.
Senate/House Agenda/Session Schedule/Gov’s Schedule/ Bills Introduced
Here are the Senate and House Calendars for the next voting session day and Committees
scheduling action on bills of interest as well as a list of new environmental bills introduced--
30
Bill Calendars
House (March 18): House Bill 374 (Everett-R- Lycoming) establishing the Keystone Tree
Fund to support tree planting programs by the Department of Conservation and Natural
Resources (sponsor summary); House Bill 751 (Roae-R-Crawford) further providing for the
computation of income from small water and sewer systems relating to ratemaking. <> Click
Here for full House Bill Calendar.
Senate (March 18): Senate Bill 147 (Laughlin-R-Erie) authorizing the Game Commission to
allow Sunday hunting. Click Here for full Senate Bill Calendar.
Committee Meetings This Week
House: the Appropriations Committee meets to consider House Bill 370 (Klunk-R-York)
amending the Agricultural Area Security Law to provide for the voluntary relinquishment of the
right to construct a residence to further reduce the value of the property (sponsor summary),
House Bill 404 (Lawrence-R-Chester) designating the tree of heaven, preferred home for the
spotted lanternfly; the Environmental Resources and Energy Committee meets to consider
House Bill 247 (Oberlander-R-Clarion) to allow cross unit unconventional drilling (sponsor
summary); the Insurance Committee meets to consider House Bill 328 (Warren-D- Bucks)
establishing a Flood Insurance Premium Assistance Task Force (sponsor summary). <> Click
Here for full House Committee Schedule.
Senate: Joint Senate & House Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committees hold joint hearing
on Gov. Wolf’s proposed PA Farm Bill. <> Click Here for full Senate Committee Schedule.
Other: Joint Conservation Committee informational meeting on promoting PA Route 6 for

biking and local tourism
Bills Pending In Key Committees
Check the PA Environmental Council Bill Tracker for the status and updates on pending state
legislation and regulations that affect environmental and conservation efforts in Pennsylvania.
Bills Introduced
The following bills of interest were introduced last week--
Fish & Boat Commission Fees: House Bill 808 (Mehaffie-R-Dauphin) authorizing the Fish and
Boat Commission to adopt its own fees for 3 years (sponsor summary).
DEP Authority To Regulate Groundwater Withdrawals: House Bill 804 (Moul-R-Adams)

authorize DEP to regulate withdrawals of groundwater [which it does not have now] and with the
aim of taking that authority away from the Susquehanna River Basin Commission and requires
31
any groundwater regulations adopted by DEP to be submitted first to the Senate and House
Environmental Committees for approval before the regulations could be promulgated (sponsor
summary). Click Here for more.
Commission On Pipeline Construction And Operations: Senate Resolution 33 (Killion-R

-Delaware, Dinniman-D-Chester) establishing a Senate/House Commission on Pipeline
Construction and Operation to recommend legislation to improve the safety, oversight and
interagency coordination for pipelines supported by the Legislative Budget and Finance
Committee (sponsor summary).
House and Senate Co-Sponsorship Memos
House: Click Here for all new co-sponsorship memos
Senate: Click Here for all new co-sponsorship memos
Session Schedule
Here is the latest voting session schedule for the Senate and House--
Senate
March 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 27
April 8, 9, 10, 29, 30
May 1, 6, 7, 8
June 3, 4, 5, 10, 11, 12, 17, 18, 19, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28
House
March 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 27
April 8, 9, 10, 15, 16, 17, 29, 30
May 1, 6, 7, 8, 13, 14, 15, 22, 23
June 3, 4, 5, 10, 11, 12, 17, 18, 19, 20, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28
Governor’s Schedule
Gov. Tom Wolf's work calendar will be posted each Friday and his public schedule for the day
will be posted each morning. Click Here to view Gov. Wolf’s Weekly Calendar and Public
Appearances.
News From The Capitol
House Committee To Consider Bill Creating Flood Insurance Premium Assistance Task
Force March 18
The House Insurance Committee is scheduled to meet on March 18 to

consider House Bill 328 (Warren-D- Bucks) establishing a Flood
32
Insurance Premium Assistance Task Force (sponsor summary).
Rep. Perry Warren (D-Bucks) said on introducing the bill, “Within recent years, the
Federal Emergency Management Agency has revised its flood maps to require many more
properties in Pennsylvania to hold flood insurance.
“While flood insurance is meant to mitigate the financial harm and help lessen the
emotional devastation caused by floods, more and more Pennsylvanians require assistance with
paying for their flood insurance due to rising premiums.
“This increases the overall annual cost of owning a house in a floodplain, thereby making
properties in these areas less attractive to potential buyers. Many communities along
Pennsylvania's rivers and creeks are at risk of reduced property sales and values due to rising
flood insurance premiums.
“To better identify and address this issue, my bill would establish the Flood Insurance
Premium Assistance Task Force. The task force would issue recommendations regarding
potential programs that provide premium discounts, programs that incentivize local governments
to support flood mitigation efforts and the implementation of any necessary changes to state
statute or policy regarding the administration of flood insurance.”
The meeting will be held in Room B-31 of the Main Capitol starting at 11:30. Click Here
to watch the meeting live online.
Rep. Tina Pickett (R-Tioga) serves as Majority Chair and can be contacted by calling
717-783-8238 or sending email to: tpickett@pahousegop.com. Rep. Anthony DeLuca
(D-Allegheny) serves as Minority Chair and can be contacted by calling 717-783-1011 or
sending email to: tdeluca@pahouse.net.
(Photo: Rep. Warren.)
NewsClips:
Luzerne Flood Authority Seeks Support For Grants To Fund 2 Projects
Williamsport Levee Repair Costs Nearing $2 Million
PEMA, Local Officials Discuss How Restore PA Would Prevent Flood Damage, Help Disaster
Survivors
Related Story:
71% Increase In Very Heavy Precipitation In Last 54 Years, 831,000 Pennsylvanians Living At
Risk On Floodplains
House Environmental Committee Meets March 19 To Consider Bill Allowing Cross Unit
Drilling Under Several Properties
The House Environmental Resources and Energy Committee is scheduled to meet on March 19
to consider House Bill 247 (Oberlander-R-Clarion) to allow cross unit unconventional drilling.
“The legislation will provide for a process and accounting mechanism to allow well bores
to cross multiple units provided the operator has the right to drill wells on the units via leases
with all landowners/members of the units,” said Rep. Donna Oberlander, prime sponsor of the
bill. “The operator is then required to reasonably and proportionately allocate the production
across the various members of the units. The legislation does not impair any current contracts or
leases, does not allow for any production from unleased land, and would not apply in cases
33
where this practice would be contractually prohibited.”
Click Here for a sponsor summary of the bill.
The meeting will be held in Room 205 Ryan Office Building starting at 10:00. Click
Here to watch the meeting online.
Rep. Daryl Metcalfe (R-Butler) serves as Majority Chair of the House Environmental
dmetcalf@pahousegop.com. Rep. Greg Vitali (D-Delaware) serves as Minority Chair and can be
contacted by calling 717-787-7647 or sending email to: gvitali@pahouse.net.
House Tourism & Recreation Committee Holds March 19 Info Meeting On PA Parks &
Forests Foundation Infrastructure Needs Report
The House Tourism and Recreational Development Committee is

scheduled to hold an informational meeting on March 19 to hear a
presentation from the PA Parks and Forests Foundation on their 2018
infrastructure repair needs report.
On January 28, the Parks and Forests Foundation released the “The
Legacy of Pennsylvania Parks and Forests: The Future is in Our
Hands” report documenting the need for hundreds of millions of
dollars in maintenance and replacement work to keep state parks and
forests safe and accessible to the public.
In her House and Senate budget hearings, DCNR Secretary Cindy
Adams Dunn has said there is a $1 billion backlog of maintenance
projects in parks and forests.
The meeting will be held in Room 205 of the Ryan Office Building
starting at 9:00. Committee meetings are typically webcast through the House Republican
Caucus website.
Rep. David Millard (R-Columbia) serves as Majority Chair of the Committee and can be
contacted by calling 717-783-1102 or send email to: dmillard@pahousegop.com. Rep. Mark
Longietti (D-Mercer) serves as Minority Chair of the Committee and can be contacted by calling
717-772-4035 or send email to: mlongiet@pahouse.net.
Related Stories:
Pennsylvanians Urged To Help Preserve The Legacy Of PA’s State Parks & Forests
Senators Question Use Of Project Funds To Pay Agency Operating Costs, Sustainability Of
DCNR Funding Choices
DCNR Touts Restore PA Bond Proposal As The Only Plan That Can Truly Address State’s
Infrastructure Needs
DCNR Good Natured Blog: A Plan To Restore Pennsylvania
House Bill Would Give Either Senate Or House Environmental Committee A Veto Over
Any DEP Groundwater Withdraw Regulations
Rep. Dan Moul (R-Adams) has again introduced legislation-- House Bill
34
804-- authorizing DEP to broadly regulate groundwater withdrawals for the first time, but would
give either the Senate or House Environmental Committees the authority to veto any regulation
adopted to implement the legislation without a full vote of the Senate or House.
This legislation is part of an effort by Rep. Moul and others to eliminate the authority of
the Susquehanna River Basin Commission over groundwater withdrawals in Pennsylvania.
Background
DEP presently has no authority to broadly regulate withdrawals of water like the
Susquehanna and Delaware River Basin Commissions do, contrary to the public statements by
Rep. Moul saying DEP’s authority “duplicates” the authority of the commissions.
In fact, Act 220 of 2002 specifically prohibits DEP from doing just that. Section 3136 (a)
of that law says--
“Limitations upon department.--Nothing contained in this chapter shall be construed to
authorize, diminish or expand the existing authority of the department, including the
Environmental Quality Board, to regulate, control or require permits for the withdrawal or use of
water. Nothing contained in this chapter shall be construed to authorize, diminish or expand the
existing authority of the department under the act of June 22, 1937 (P.L.1987, No.394), known
as The Clean Streams Law. Further, nothing set forth in this chapter, any regulations adopted
under this chapter or in the State water plan shall authorize the department to take any action to:
(1) Modify or impair any permits, agreements or other approvals issued under other State
statutes or vested rights related to water withdrawals or uses.
(2) Interfere with or impose additional conditions upon the use or operation of any existing
reservoir or water storage facility.
(3) Regulate or impose any conditions upon any activity or use not currently authorized under
applicable State statutes and regulations.”
In addition, a November 2018 audit of the river basin commissions by Auditor General
DePasquale concluded the commissions and DEP do not duplicate efforts.
One Committee Regulation Veto
For the first time, this legislation would add yet another layer of bureaucracy on to the
process of adopting DEP regulations by requiring a final regulation at the end of the review
process required by the Regulatory Review Act to be submitted to the House and Senate
Environmental Resources and Energy Committees for review.
The bill gives either the House or Senate Environmental Committee the authority to veto
a regulation prohibiting it from going into effect under this bill.
No final regulation adopted under this legislation could go into effect unless it was
approved by the committees.
Presently the General Assembly has the ability to block a final regulation from going into
effect if both the full Senate and House pass a resolution and present that resolution to the
Governor for his action, just like they were passing a law.
Or, they could simply pass another law by vote of the full Senate and House and present
that legislation to the Governor for his action as required by the state constitution.
It is important to note, the veto by either committee under this bill would come--
-- After DEP works with several advisory committees to develop a regulation;
-- After the regulation is adopted as proposed for public comment by the Environmental Quality
Board on which 4 legislators sit;
-- After an initial public comment period that would include no doubt include public hearings;
35
-- After an initial opportunity for review and comment on the proposal by the Senate and House
Environmental Committees;
-- After an initial review of the proposal by the Office of Attorney General for form and legality;
-- After an initial review and comment on the proposal by the Independent Regulatory Review
Commission;
-- After it returns to DEP who would work with several advisory committees to consider all the
public and other comments received to revised the regulation and put it in final form;
-- After the final version of the regulation is adopted by the Environmental Quality Board on
which 4 legislators sit;
-- After the review and opportunity to comment on the final regulation by the House and Senate
Environmental Committees; and
-- After the review of the final regulation by the Independent Regulatory Review Commission,
which has the opportunity to approve or disapprove of a regulation.
The bill is now in the House Environmental Resources and Energy Committee. Click
Here for a sponsor summary of the bill.
The same bill last session-- House Bill 2222-- was referred to the House State
Government Committee
Related Stories:
Auditor General DePasquale Releases Audits Of Delaware, Susquehanna River Basin
Commissions -- No Duplication Of Effort With DEP
Rep. Metcalfe: PA Leaders That Adopted Susquehanna River Basin Compact Were Incompetent,
Negligent Or Corrupt
Senators Killion, Dinniman Introduce Resolution Forming Senate/House Commission To

Make Recommendations To Improve Pipeline Safety, Construction Practices
On March 13, Senate Concurrent Resolution 33 was

introduced by Senators Tom Killion (R-Delaware),
Andy Dinniman (D-Chester) and others to form a
Senate/House Commission to make
recommendation on legislation to improve the
Safety oversight and interagency coordination over
pipelines in the state.
On announcing the concurrent resolution, Senators
Killion and Dinniman said, "Natural gas and oil
extraction has increased dramatically over the last
decade in the Commonwealth resulting in the
construction of new pipeline infrastructure to
transport hazardous liquids, gases and other byproducts in large quantities through the most
sensitive areas of Pennsylvania.
"As such, many communities in the Commonwealth have experienced the negative
aspects associated with pipeline construction. Our communities now face increased safety risks
due to these high pressure pipelines being situated in close proximity to homes, schools and
population centers.
36
"The construction of pipelines has also resulted in hundreds of environmental and safety
violations along with the contamination of private water wells and public waterways.
"These incidents and safety concerns have demonstrated a clear need for exploring
measures which will improve management, increase safety and provide for more comprehensive
oversight of pipeline construction and operations.
The Commission is charged to "develop and recommend legislation to improve the
safety, oversight and interagency coordination for pipelines in this Commonwealth" with the
support of the Legislative Budget and Finance Committee.
The recommendations are due by July 1, 2020.
Since this is a concurrent resolution, it would have to be adopted by both the Senate and
House before the Commission is established.
A very similar proposal last session-- Senate Resolution 373-- was reported out of
Committee, but was never taken up by the full Senate.
This resolution is in addition to a package of other pipeline related bills introduced by
Senators Killion, Dinniman and others so far this session.
Governor’s Pipeline Task Force
In February 2016, the Pipeline Task Force presented a series of 184 suggestions to Gov.
Wolf to help Pennsylvania achieve responsible development of natural gas pipeline infrastructure
in the state. Among the recommendations were--
-- Plan, site and route pipelines to avoid/reduce environmental and community impacts
-- Amplify and engage in meaningful public participation
-- Establish early coordination with local landowners and lessors
-- Educate landowners on pipeline development issues
-- Develop long-term operations and maintenance plans to ensure pipeline safety and integrity
-- Train emergency responders
-- Enhance emergency response training for responder agencies
-- Employ construction methods that reduce environmental impact
-- Minimize impacts of stream crossings
-- Ensure adequate agency staffing for reviewing pipeline infrastructure projects
Click Here for a copy of the report.
NewsClips:
East Pipelines
Scared
Related Stories:
37
Pipelines
Senators Ask Colleagues To Sign On To Bipartisan Bill To Increase Renewable Energy

Purchases By Utilities From 8% to 30% By 2030
On March 14, Senators Art Haywood

(D-Montgomery), Thomas Killion (R-Delaware) and
Steven Santarsiero (D-Bucks) started circulating a
co-sponsorship memo on legislation to increase the
Tier 1 Alternative Energy Portfolio Standards
requirement for renewable energy from the current 8
percent to 30 percent by 2030.
The bill would carve out 7.5 percent of the target for
in-state, grid-scale solar (such as utility-scale solar
farms) as well as 2.5 percent for in-state distributed generation solar (such as rooftop solar).
“We are excited that senators Haywood, Killion and Santarsiero recognize the
tremendous potential for a clean energy economy in Pennsylvania powered by renewable
energy,” said the Clean Power PA Coalition in a statement. “Their proposed legislation to
modernize renewable energy standards will cut carbon emissions, improve public health and our
environment and create tens of thousands of new family-sustaining jobs for residents of our
Commonwealth.
“Reducing carbon emissions from the power generation sector in Pennsylvania is a
critical and urgent goal we must meet in order to tackle climate change. Significantly scaling up
solar and wind generation via the AEPS will help Pennsylvania mitigate its status as the nation’s
third-largest carbon emitter.
“We are also glad that the senators have included strong consumer protection measures as
part of this important and much needed policy effort.
“It’s time for Pennsylvania to pursue a clean energy future in which addressing climate
change will also drive job creation and innovation. Senators Haywood, Killion and Santarsiero
have proposed a bold vision for this path forward and we look forward to working with them to
make these renewable energy goals a reality.”
Click Here for a copy of the co-sponsor memo.
(Photo: Solar energy installation at Elizabethtown College, Lancaster County.)
NewsClips:
Turkey Hill Dairy Now Powered By 100% Renewables
Solar Farm Could Power Westmoreland Wastewater Plant
$75 Million, 80MW Solar Farm Gets Green Light In York County, Would Be Largest In PA
$75 Million, 540 Acre Solar Farm Proposed In Conewago Township, York County
Related Stories:
38
Million Annually
PA Solar Future Plan Recommends Dramatic Increase In AEPS Solar Mandate Of Up To 8%
The Feds
President Signs Bill To Permanently Reauthorize Federal Land & Water Conservation
Fund
On March 12, the President signed into law a

sweeping package of public lands bills that includes
a measure to permanently reauthorize the program
for the first time in its 54-year-history.
The new law puts an end to the cycle of expiration
and renewal LWCF has suffered in recent years.
The National Wildlife Federation provided this list
of other provisions in the bill--
-- WILD Act to conserve endangered species,
combat invasive species (including Asian carp) and
fight poaching;
-- Reauthorizes Neotropical Migratory Bird Act;
-- Allows the transport bows through national parks;
-- Adopts the policy that federal public lands will be open hunting, fishing, and recreational
shooting unless deemed otherwise closed for specific reasons;
-- Requires studying and identifying federal lands that could be opened to hunting, fishing and
recreation activities;
-- Facilitates the construction and expansion of public target ranges, including ranges on Federal
land managed by the Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management; and
-- Designates new wilderness, wild and scenic river, steelhead management area, and desert
conservation areas.
Click Here for more information on the package from the National Wildlife Federation.
For more on the impact of the Land and Water Conservation Fund in Pennsylvania, visit
the PA Environmental Council website.
Visit The Nature Conservancy-PA webpage to learn more about programs, initiatives and
events in Pennsylvania.
NewsClips:
Trump Signs Public Lands, Federal Land & Water Conservation Fund Reauthorization Bill
York, Lancaster Counties Earn National Heritage Area Designation To Draw Tourists, Spur
Economy
Chesapeake Bay Foundation Opposed To Proposed 90% Cut In Federal Bay Funding
On March 11, the Trump Administration proposed drastic cuts to the Chesapeake Bay Program.
39
Currently funded at $73 million, the budget proposes reducing funding to $7.3 million, a 90
percent cut.
EPA’s Chesapeake Bay Program coordinates science, research, and modeling to
implement the Chesapeake Clean Water Blueprint, and provides grants to state and local
governments and others to help reduce pollution.
Chesapeake Bay Foundation President William C. Baker issued this statement--
“This is a slap in the face to a national treasure finally beginning to recover from decades
of pollution.
“If the President’s budget were to be enacted it would devastate efforts to restore local
rivers, streams, and the Chesapeake Bay.
“The Bay Program is the glue that holds the state/federal partnership together. And it’s
working. Over time, pollution is declining, the dead zone is getting smaller, and Bay grasses are
increasing. But the Bay is far from saved.
“Chesapeake Bay restoration efforts have strong, bipartisan support. We will work with
the region’s members of Congress to ensure that funding is increased, not reduced.”
For more on Chesapeake Bay-related issues in Pennsylvania, visit the Chesapeake Bay
Foundation-PA webpage. Click Here to sign up for Pennsylvania updates (bottom of left
column). Click Here to support their work.
NewsClips:
Trump Proposes Slashing EPA Budget By 31 Percent
Trump’s Energy Budget Makes Coal, Nuclear Priority Over Renewables
Related Stories:
Choose Clean Water Coalition Pushing For More Chesapeake Bay Cleanup Funding
Pennsylvania Leopold Conservation Award To Recognize PA Farmer With $10,000 Prize
Working Farms
PA Chesapeake Bay Watershed Planning Steering Committee Meets March 22 To Hear Funding
Workgroup Report
On March 13, more than 100 members of the Choose

Clean Water Coalition met with their members of
Congress to discuss increased support for the
Chesapeake Bay restoration effort.
The Coalition, made up of more than 230 nonprofit
organizations across the Chesapeake Bay watershed, is
requesting that Congress increase funding for the
Chesapeake Bay, specifically $90 million for the
Environmental Protection Agency Chesapeake Bay
Program, up from $73 million.
40
Over the past two years, both of the President’s proposed budgets have called for a
reduction or elimination of funding for the Environmental Protection Agency’s Chesapeake Bay
Program.
Both times, the Coalition, in partnership with members of the Chesapeake watershed
delegation in Congress, have worked to successfully restore funding, as it results in millions of
dollars in support for projects that are improving communities and protecting local waterways in
every state in the region and the District of Columbia.
“For the past two years, our Coalition has focused on restoring the critical $73 million in
funding for the Chesapeake, which was eliminated in the president’s budget for 2018 and cut by
90 percent in 2019,” said Chante Coleman, director of the Choose Clean Water Coalition. “With
the leadership of our strong Chesapeake congressional delegation, we have successfully
protected this funding, but now we have to focus on what the Chesapeake cleanup needs to get
over the finish line knowing that we face new and growing challenges.”
When the Chesapeake Bay Blueprint was created in 2010, it was estimated that the
Conowingo Dam would trap pollution through 2025.
However, last year, new research determined that the reservoir behind the dam was
actually full, and as a result more pollution was entering the Chesapeake Bay than had been
originially accounted for.
Now it is estimated that the Chesapeake Bay cleanup will need to reduce an additional 6
million pounds of nitrogen every year to mitigate water quality impacts from Conowingo.
Also, the Chesapeake Bay region saw record amounts of rainfall this past year, resulting
in increased flooding and runoff into local streams.
These major rainfall events are only expected to increase with climate change, which will
require on-the-ground pollution and flood reducing projects to adapt to new pressures.
“This is a critical investment in clean water, targeted directly at improving water quality
in local rivers, streams, and the Chesapeake Bay. The majority of the Chesapeake Bay Program
budget goes directly toward matching public and private investments in reducing pollution. The
Bay Program is the glue that holds the state/federal partnership together. And it’s working. Over
time, the dead zone is getting smaller, Bay grasses are increasing, and local economies are
improving. But the Bay is far from saved,” said Chesapeake Bay Foundation President William
C. Baker. “State and federal efforts must be accelerated. This additional funding is critical to
finishing the job.”
In addition to increased funding for the Chesapeake Bay Program, the Coalition is also
asking congress for a 50 percent increase in funding for the Chesapeake Bay Gateways and
Trails Program, to fully fund the 2018 federal Farm Bill’s conservation programs to ensure
responsible farms in the Chesapeake region remain economically viable.
The Coalition is also requesting that Congress not ignore clean water issues when they
put together a Federal Infrastructure Spending Package.
The Coalition recommends tripling the funding for the Clean Water State Revolving
Fund to $5 billion to be included in such an Infrastructure Package. This Fund provides low
interest loans for sewage treatment and stormwater control upgrades and retrofits for local
governments and ratepayers in every state.
For more information, visit the Choose Clean Water Coalition website.
For more on Chesapeake Bay-related issues in Pennsylvania, visit the Chesapeake Bay
Foundation-PA webpage. Click Here to sign up for Pennsylvania updates (bottom of left
41
column). Click Here to support their work.
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Workgroup Report
USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service Seeks Public Comments On Conservation

Practice Standards
On March 11, USDA’s Natural Resources

Conservation Service announced it is seeking
public input on its existing national
conservation practice standards as part of
implementing the 2018 Farm Bill.
NRCS offers 150-plus conservation practices to
America’s farmers, ranchers and forest
landowners to help them meet their business
and natural resource needs on their working
lands.
“With the help of NRCS, agricultural producers
across the country are taking voluntary steps to
improve their operations while benefiting natural resources,” NRCS Chief Matthew Lohr said.
“As part of our process of implementing the 2018 Farm Bill, we are asking agricultural
producers, conservation partners and others to provide feedback on our practice standards in an
effort to refine and enhance them.”
NRCS is requesting public comments on how to improve conservation practice standards
that support programs such as the Environmental Quality Incentives Program and Conservation
Stewardship Program, which help producers cover part of the costs for implementing these
practices.
The comment period ends April 25, 2019. More information can be found in the Federal
Register notice.
These standards provide guidelines for planning, designing, installing, operating and
maintaining conservation practices.
2018 Farm Bill
As part of implementing the 2018 Farm Bill, NRCS is reviewing conservation practices
by:
-- Evaluating opportunities to increase flexibility while ensuring natural resource benefits.
42
-- Seeking avenues for the optimal balance between meeting site-specific conservation needs and
minimizing risks of design failure and associated construction and installation costs.
-- Ensuring, to the maximum extent practicable, the completeness and relevance of the standards
to local agricultural, forestry and natural resource needs, including specialty crops, native and
managed pollinators, bioenergy crop production, forestry and others.
Providing Comments
Comments may be submitted using any of the following methods:
-- Federal eRulemaking Portal: Follow the instructions for submitting comments.
-- Mail or hand-delivery: Public Comments Processing, Attention: National Environmental
Engineer, Natural Resources Conservation Service, United States Department of Agriculture,
1400 Independence Avenue SW, Room 6130-S, Washington, DC 20250.
NRCS will use comments as part of updating standards. For more information on how
NRCS is implementing the Farm Bill.
For more information on programs, initiatives, financial assistance and upcoming events,
visit the Natural Resources Conservation Service-PA webpage.
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Workgroup Report
[Posted: March 11,, 2019]
News From Around The State
DEP, Lycoming College Host Open House March 18 In Williamsport For Landowners,
Municipalities Seeking To Work In Streams Impacted By Flooding
The Department of Environmental Protection's Northcentral

Regional Office and the Clean Water Institute of Lycoming College
will hold an open house on March 18 to provide information and
resources to landowners and municipalities seeking to work in
streams impacted by flooding and erosion.
The meeting will be held at the Mary Lindsay Welch Honors Hall,
Lycoming College, corner of East Fourth Street and Basin Street,
Williamsport from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m.
During the open house, DEP staff will provide an overview of
Restore Pennsylvania, a bold, four-year, $4.5 billion statewide
initiative that will provide funding for critical flood control
infrastructure, including large-scale stream restoration and
maintenance work.
43
Attendees can also speak one-on-one about their stream work and flooding questions with
staff from DEP and eight other state, federal, county, and non-profit agencies, and view
educational displays and demonstrations.
In addition to DEP and the Clean Water Institute, other agencies participating in the open
house include the Fish and Boat Commission, PennDOT, PA Emergency Management Agency,
U.S. Natural Resources Conservation Service, Northcentral Pennsylvania Conservancy,
Lycoming County Conservation District, and the Lycoming County Department of Planning and
Community Development’s Hazard Mitigation Division.
Questions about this event should be directed to Megan Lehman, DEP Northcentral
Regional Office, 570-327-3659 or send email to: meglehman@pa.gov.
For more information on stream maintenance, download a copy of DEP’s Guidelines For
Maintaining Streams In Your Community.
NewsClips:
Survivors
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House Committee To Consider Bill Creating Flood Insurance Premium Assistance Task Force
March 18
The Sand County Foundation, in partnership

with the Pennsylvania Farm Bureau and Heinz
Endowments, will present the Pennsylvania
Leopold Conservation Award and its $10,000
prize to a farmer or forester to recognize
voluntary conservation practices on private
working lands.
The deadline for applications is August 15.
“The Heinz Endowments’ sustainability
program promotes community health and
vitality through sustainable food systems, and as
part of this work we are pleased to cosponsor the Leopold Conservation Award,” said Andrew
McElwaine, vice president of sustainability for Heinz Endowments. “We believe the Leopold
Conservation Award, and the outstanding leadership in agriculture that it recognizes, plays an
important role in encouraging the continued growth of Pennsylvania’s sustainable agriculture
movement.”
The inaugural award will be presented at the Pennsylvania Farm Show in January, 2019,
along with the prize and a crystal award depicting Aldo Leopold.
Given in honor of renowned conservationist Aldo Leopold, the award recognizes those
who inspire others with their dedication to land, water and wildlife habitat management on
44
private, working land.
The Pennsylvania Leopold Conservation Award is made possible through the support of
platinum sponsor, Heinz Endowments, and the assistance and support of Pennsylvania Farm
Bureau, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, Pennsylvania Department of
Agriculture, Pennsylvania Association of Conservation Districts, Center for Dairy Excellence,
and Dairymen’s Association.
Click Here for the application and all the details.
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The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, EPA and the

Chesapeake Bay Program are now accepting applications
for 2 grants programs: the Small Watershed Grants and
Innovative Nutrient and Sediment Reduction Grants.
Small Watershed
The Small Watershed Grants Program supports projects
within the Chesapeake Bay watershed that promote
community-based efforts to protect and restore the diverse
natural resources of the Chesapeake Bay and its tributary
rivers and streams. Proposals are due May 14.
NFWF will award funding through two distinct funding opportunities--
-- Implementation (SWG-I) grants will be awarded for projects that result in direct,
on-the-ground actions to protect and restore water quality, species, and habitats in the Bay
watershed;
-- Planning and Technical Assistance (SWG-PTA) grants will be awarded for projects that
enhance local capacity to more efficiently and effectively implement future on-the-ground
actions through assessment, planning, design, and other technical assistance-oriented activities.
NFWF estimates awarding $5-7 million in grants through the combined SWG program in
2019 contingent on the availability of funding.
Click Here for all the details.
Nutrient & Sediment Reduction
The Innovative Nutrient and Sediment Reduction Grants Program supports projects to
accelerate the rate and geographic scale of implementation of water quality improvements
specifically through the collaborative and coordinated efforts of sustainable, regional-scale
partnerships and networks of practitioners with a shared focus on water quality restoration and
protection.
45
Proposals are due May 14. NFWF estimates awarding $5-7 million in grants through the
INSR program in 2019 through a two-stage application process, contingent on the availability of
funding.
For more information on this and other grant opportunities from NFWF, visit the
Chesapeake Bay Stewardship Fund webpage.
Related Stories:
Working Farms
Workgroup Report

Working Farms
USDA’s Natural Resources

Conservation Service-PA is now
accepting applications from
Pennsylvania landowners and groups
interested in protecting the state’s
wetlands and working farms through the
Agricultural Conservation Easement
Program (ACEP).
The deadline for applications is April
19, although NRCS will accept
applications on a continual basis.
This year, Pennsylvania NRCS has funding available in both the Wetland Reserve
Easement (WRE) and Agricultural Land Easement (ALE) components of this 2018 Farm Bill
program.
Wetlands Easement
WRE applicants must have farm records established with USDA's Farm Service Agency
and the land should have been owned for two years.
Eligible land includes farmed wetlands that can be successfully and economically
restored; former or degraded wetlands with a history of agricultural use; wetlands farmed under
natural conditions; and “prior-converted” cropland converted on or before December 23, 1985.
CRP land established with trees may also be eligible for enrollment through a waiver
process.
Landowners have two options under WRE--
-- Permanent Easements – NRCS pays 100 percent of the easement value for the purchase of
the easement. Additionally, NRCS pays up to 100 percent of the restoration costs.
-- 30-Year Easements – NRCS pays the landowner 50 to 75 percent of the easement value for
46
the purchase of the easement and 50 to 75 percent of the restoration costs.
Land Easement
ALE focuses on saving productive crop, grass, pasture, and nonindustrial private
forestland from conversion to non-agricultural uses.
Eligible partners include state and local governments and non-governmental
organizations that have farmland or grassland protection programs. Under ALE, NRCS may
contribute up to 50 percent of the fair market value of the agricultural land easement.
Applications are available at your local USDA Service Center- PA and on the NRCS Get
Started webpage.
Learn more about ACEP, other Farm Bill programs and assistance available through your
PA-NRCS Office webpage.
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Workgroup Report
Chesapeake Conservancy Seeking Volunteers To Identify, Collect Livestakes In Centre,

Northumberland March 19, 24
The Chesapeake Conservancy is seeking individuals

and groups wanting to learn about live staking to sign
up for a unique volunteer opportunity to identify and
collect livestakes-- live trees and shrubs-- at events in
Centre and Northumberland counties.
Volunteers will collect live stakes to be embedded into
the banks of streams for forest restoration projects later
this year. Live stakes are living shrub and tree
branches that root when inserted into the soil.
Volunteers will learn how to identify live staking
species, cut live stakes, and store them before installation.
The livestake collection events will be held--
-- March 19: Montandon Wetlands in Northumberland County starting at 8:30 with a morning
group and 12:30 with an afternoon group, Click Here to register; and
-- March 24: Spring Mills, Centre County at Harter Road, Click Here to register.
Anyone who signs up for the event also gets an email with instructions of where to meet
a few days in advance of the events.
Sign up as an individual or a group at the links above or by contacting Adrienne
Gemberling with the Chesapeake Conservancy by calling 570-372-4762 or sending email to:
agemberling@chesapeakeconservancy.org.
Chesapeake Conservancy website.
NewsClip:
47
Related Stories:
Livestaking For Minor Streambank Repairs Workshop March 30 In Lancaster County
Bay Journal Op-Ed: Healthy Trees, Forests Are Great Cure For What Ails Chesapeake
Bay
By: Paul Solomon & Jeanne M. Riley, Forest Managers
Trees are, indeed, quite remarkable. They are integral

to air and water quality as well as a source of water,
mitigation for stormwater and control for erosion and
sediment.
One hundred mature trees can remove 53 tons of
carbon dioxide annually, along with 430 pounds of
other air pollutants, according to the U.S. Forest
Service.
Forests provide recreational opportunities and wildlife
habitat and are a source of scenic beauty. They
contribute important economic benefits, from the production and harvesting of wood products to
increases in property values.
Yes, it seems that forests do it all. They are, indeed, an integral component of our health,
economy and general well-being.
Pennsylvania forests occupy 17 million acres or 58 percent of the state. They are a
feature, to varying degrees, of every Pennsylvania county and exist in a variety of
configurations, from extensive woodland tracts to farm woodlots to forested buffers.
Approximately 70 percent of the state’s forested acreage is privately owned.
Trees are also essential to the overall health of the Chesapeake Bay. They control
stormwater, the greatest source of pollutants in the Bay and its tributaries.
Trees reduce runoff by drawing up large quantities of water from the surrounding soil.
The leaves, branches and trunk surfaces of trees intercept, absorb and subsequently evaporate up
to 40 percent of the water they capture.
Trees also take up harmful chemicals such as metals or solvents, transforming them into
less harmful substances.
One large tree can capture and filter up to 36,500 gallons of water annually, according the
American Forest Foundation.
Intercepting water and, thereby, providing the opportunity for it to infiltrate into the
ground, as virtually all of it did historically, reduces runoff. Then, as groundwater levels rise, the
number and volume of flow in seeps and springs increases, ensuring a strong and consistent base
flow in streams.
From an aerial perspective, Pennsylvania’s forests appear to be staying constant in size,
except perhaps in the more rapidly growing regions of Pennsylvania. But the quality of forests
has declined, and they continue to be at risk from an increasing number of both natural and
48
human forces.
These include unsustainable and mismanaged harvesting practices, invasive plants such
as the nonnative bush honeysuckle, invasive insects such as the spotted lanternfly and the large
population of ever-hungry white-tailed deer.
All of these developments threaten the natural regeneration processes that have been the
hallmark of Pennsylvania’s forests since its founding.
The importance of forests to the environment, health and the economy, and the many
threats they are currently facing, are cause for significant concern, if not alarm. Citizens, elected
officials and policymakers interested in taking action to address the various threats may wonder
what they can realistically accomplish.
Woodland owners, who collectively own 70 percent of Pennsylvania’s forest acreage, can
take it upon themselves to learn and implement best management practices.
They can also engage forestry professionals to provide advice on the use of silvicultural
and best management practices, especially when harvesting.
Landowners harvest their woods relatively infrequently; those who do not obtain expert
advice are more likely to harvest unsustainably, doing damage to the health and value of their
woods.
On a policy level, elected officials, policymakers and citizens can ensure that forested
landscapes are given due consideration in the community comprehensive planning process.
Pennsylvania counties are required to adopt and maintain a comprehensive plan under the
Pennsylvania Municipalities Planning Code. Local municipalities, particularly townships, have
the responsibility to draw on their county’s comprehensive plan and, if needed, to develop a plan
of their own.
These plans provide the foundation and rationale for conserving forested land.
When undertaking comprehensive planning, policymakers, elected officials and citizens
can ensure that the background studies prepared for comprehensive plans accurately reflect the
history, location and importance of local forests to community life.
In addition, tree species as well as potential threats from pests and disease should be
included in the natural resources inventory. Current forest management practices of landowners
can be described and evaluated.
A goals and objectives statement pertaining to forestry would follow from the
background studies. The community should explicitly define what role it desires forests to have
in the life and landscape of the county or municipality in the future.
An important element of a comprehensive plan is a future land use map, which is the
precursor or basis for a zoning map. This map establishes the foundation for the development of
zoning, subdivision and land development ordinances.
These ordinances have the force of law and, as such, undergo a formal approval process,
after which they can serve to promote forest conservation.
A comprehensive plan offers a variety of tools for putting forestry conservation efforts
into place.
Establishing a forestry zoning district ordinance (with accompanying map) can ensure
that existing forested landscapes that have not been developed or slated for development are
conserved for both existing and future generations.
A forestry conservation designation can be included in an agricultural zoning district, or a
forestry overlay zone can be established within a conservation or agricultural zone.
49
A professional planner with a natural resource background can provide guidance on the
variety of tools available to serve the community’s goals for forest conservation.
Through concerted efforts by both communities and forest landowners, it is possible to
both conserve — and draw benefits from — Pennsylvania’s forests, while ensuring that these
forests do their part to protect the Chesapeake Bay and endure for generations to come.
Paul Solomon and Jeanne M. Riley, both active in planning and managing forests, are
co-authors of a new publication, Sustaining and Improving Pennsylvania’s Forest Land through
Comprehensive Plans: the Vital Role of Counties and Municipalities, which offers advice for
public officials about management strategies to protect forests as unique natural resources. The
report is free upon request to the authors by sending email to: ariley202@comcast.net.
(Reprinted from the Chesapeake Bay Journal)
Check into these resources for managing sustainable woodlands and forests:
Penn State Center For Private Forests
Penn State Extension Community Forests
DCNR Managing Your Woods
Forests For The Chesapeake Bay
Foundation for Sustainable Forests
DCNR Community Tree Management
Pennsylvania Horticultural Society Tree Tender,
Western PA Conservancy TreeVitalize Pittsburgh
Keystone 10 Million Trees Partnership
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New Online Course Provides In-Depth Understanding Of Meaningful Watershed

Educational Experience For Educators
By Andrew Pizzala, Chesapeake Bay Program
The Chesapeake Bay Program is excited to

announce the launch of a free online course created
to provide in-depth understanding of the
Meaningful Watershed Educational Experience
(MWEE) for all educators.
The course, MWEE 101, is housed on Chesapeake
Exploration, a learning resource provided by the
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
The course is a free resource that is based on An
Educator’s Guide to the Meaningful Watershed
Educational Experience and comprises three
50
lessons:
-- Why MWEEs? This lesson will explore the history, rationale and educational context of the
MWEE as well as explore case studies of how three teachers have embedded MWEEs in their
classes.
-- What Makes a MWEE? This lesson will follow the three case studies and introduce the
components of the MWEE.
-- Planning and Evaluating MWEEs. Using the three case studies again, this lesson will delve
into the planning and evaluating of MWEEs.
Throughout the course, participants will gain an extensive understanding of the essential
elements and supporting practices by following a series of case study videos and by looking at
examples of completed planning and implementation tools including the Environmental Literacy
Model.
In the coming months, this course will be offered for continuing education credits in
Maryland, Virginia, Pennsylvania and Delaware.
In late 2019, the Bay Program will roll out a series of free, tailored courses that build on
the MWEE 101 course to engage participants in actually planning and implementing their
MWEE while considering more specifics like state standards, local environmental issues and
community partners and resources.
In the future, the Bay Program’s Education Workgroup also hopes to create a course for
administrators and non-formal organizations to explore how the MWEE can be embedded
systemically in support of the Bay Program’s Environmental Literacy Goal.
These tailored courses will be available on Bay Backpack, an online resource for teachers
complete with information about MWEEs, lesson plans and grant opportunities. Visit
BayBackpack.com to learn more about MWEEs.
(Reprinted from the Chesapeake Bay Program Blog.)

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Registration Now Open For 25th Delaware River Sojourn June 14-22
Allegheny Land Trust Releases Full Schedule of Environmental Education Activities, Events
March 19 Penn State Water Insights Seminar Highlights Stroud Water Center's Research
On Soil Health
51
The Penn State Environment and Natural Resources Institute
will host another Water Insights Seminar on March 19 on
research being done by the Stroud Water Research Center on
soil health, cover crops and no-till farming.
Matt Ehrhart, Director of Watershed Restoration at
Stroud, will review the work Stroud is doing with the PA
No-Till Alliance and Steve Groff of Cover Crop Coaching to
provide outreach, training, mentoring and technical advising to
producers who are transitioning to soil health focused farming
systems.
Staff from Stroud are working with 2 individual
producers to implement hundreds of acres of new cover crops
and multi-species cover crops in the White Clay Creek Watershed where extensive long term
monitoring is in place and positioned to evaluate watershed scale outcomes of the
implementation.
Stroud is also in the fourth year of a USDA Conservation Innovation Grant project to
evaluate the water quality impacts as well as changes in soil parameters and soil microbial
communities resulting from a transition to a 24/7 cover system implementing no-till planting and
a multispecies cover crop on two paired control/experimental fields.
Stroud has also recently initiated a related research project with the Rodale Institute.
This project includes four field scale trial plots including: 1. Conventional Practice; 2.
Conservation Ag (no-till with cover crop); 3. Organic; 4. Organic No-Till (cultivation for weed
control).
These fields are on a six year rotation plan with comprehensive collection of soil, water
quality, production, and economic data.
The Seminar will held from Noon to 1:00 in Room 312 of the Ag and Bio Engineering
Building on Penn State’s main campus in State College and is available online via Zoom.
For more information on past Seminars, visit the Water Insights Seminars webpage.
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Opportunity To Bid On DEP Mine Subsidence Control Project In Lackawanna County
The Department of Environmental Protection published notice in the March 16 PA Bulletin of an
52
opportunity to bid on a mine subsidence control project in Lackawanna County.
Related Story:
Feature - What We Owe To Pennsylvania’s Rachel Carson
By Emmy Hicklin, Chesapeake Bay Foundation
“We stand now where two roads diverge.

But unlike the roads in Robert Frost's
familiar poem, they are not equally fair.
The road we have long been traveling is
deceptively easy, a smooth superhighway
on which we progress with great speed, but
at its end lies disaster. The other fork of the
road—the one 'less traveled by'—offers our
last, our only chance to reach a destination
that assures the preservation of our earth."
—Rachel Carson
In honor of Women's History Month, we are looking back at some of the natural world's greatest
heroines. And perhaps there's no one more deserving of that descriptor than Rachel Carson.
Back in 1962—before there was an Earth Day, or EPA, or even a Chesapeake Bay
Foundation—marine biologist, writer, and conservationist Rachel Carson wrote Silent Spring.
The book that started it all, Spring is credited for launching the environmental movement.
In it, Carson investigates the damage that the fast-growing use of DDT to control insects had
inflicted on birds and other wildlife, and eventually humans.
Despite the initial uproar after the book's release (“What she wrote started a national
quarrel," said CBS Reports in a one-hour special shortly after the book was published), Carson
ultimately changed the way people look at the natural world.
"Her message that humans cannot totally control nature, or eradicate species we don' t
like—at least not without harmful side effects—came through clearly. She advocated integrated
management: using a minimum of chemicals combined with biological and cultural controls,"
says the PBS website.
William Shawn, managing editor of The New Yorker (where the book was printed in
three parts in June of 1962), called Silent Spring in a letter to Carson: "a brilliant achievement . .
. You have made it literature, full of beauty and loveliness and depth of feeling."
The year after Silent Spring came out, President Kennedy directed his Science Advisory
Committee to investigate Carson's claims. Its investigation vindicated Carson's work and led to
an immediate strengthening of chemical pesticide regulations.
Seven years later, President Nixon established the Environmental Protection Agency with
one of its first tasks being to ban the use of DDT and other harmful pesticides.
Carson died of cancer two years after Silent Spring was published, at age 56. \
On the plaque by the sea where her ashes were spread read the words, "Rachel Carson
53
(1907-1964), Writer, Ecologist, Champion of the Natural World, Here at last returned to the sea,"
along with a quote from one of her last letters: "But most of all I shall remember the monarchs."
Carson's foresight and courage to speak out about human activities that destroy our
natural world and the necessity that we all need to be good stewards of the Earth, led to
tremendous strides in the environmental community.
Here at the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, we are now facing an historic, unprecedented
opportunity to really truly save the Bay through the Chesapeake Clean Water Blueprint. Perhaps
we would never have come so far were it not for the heroic efforts of individuals like Carson.
Emmy Nicklin is Director of Digital Communications at CBF. She can be contacted by sending
email to: enicklin@cbf.org.
(Reprinted from the Chesapeake Bay Foundation Blog.)
For more information on Rachel Carson--
Rachel Carson Homestead, Springdale, Allegheny County, PA
Pennsylvania Conservation Heritage Project - Rachel Carson Documentary
Explore PA History - Rachel Carson
DEP Falcon Cam - Connection To Rachel Carson
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WITF: Airing Of Three Mile Island Accident Documentary 40 Years Later March 26
WITF Smart Talk: Media Coverage Of TMI Accident Was Part Of The Story
WITF: Gov. Thornburgh Speaks 2 Days After TMI Partial Meltdown
Sisk: After TMI Accident, CMU Team Pitched The Idea Of Using Robots For Cleanup, It Was
Just The Beginning
2 Weeks Before Three Mile Island Accident, China Syndrome Movies Hits Theaters Depicting
Reactor Accident
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28, 1979
On March 27 Penn State Harrisburg Will Mark 40th Anniversary Of Three Mile Island Accident
PHMC: 18 New State Historical Markers Approved, Several Related To PA’s Environmental
Heritage
PUC Highlights Importance of Safe Drinking Water During-- Fix A Leak Week
On March 14, the Public Utility Commission

highlighted the importance of safe drinking water,
along with the role of water efficiency and
conservation efforts, in conjunction with National
“Fix a Leak Week,” which is March 18-24, 2019.
The annual Fix a Leak campaign challenges
households across the country to check their
fixtures for leaks and consider the environmental
and economic impact of wasted water.
54
“Household leaks nationwide waste nearly 1-trillion gallons of water per year – enough
water to supply every family in Pennsylvania for more than two full years,” said PUC Vice Chair
David W. Sweet.
According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), an estimated 10 percent
of all homes have leaks that waste 90 gallons or more per day, and the average household leaks
can waste more than 10,000 gallons of water every year.
Leaks nationwide equal the annual household water use of more than 11 million homes.
As part of Fix a Leak Week, Pennsylvanians are encouraged to identify and fix leaks
around their homes. The PUC and EPA offer the following tips:
-- Review your water usage during a colder month, such as January or February. If a family of
four exceeds 12,000 gallons per month, there are serious leaks.
-- Check your water meter before and after a two-hour period when no water is being used. If the
meter changes at all, you probably have a leak.
-- Identify toilet leaks by placing a drop of food coloring in the toilet tank. If any color shows up
in the bowl after 10 minutes, you have a leak. (Be sure to flush immediately after the experiment
to avoid staining the tank.)
-- Examine faucet gaskets and pipe fittings for any water on the outside of the pipe to check for
surface leaks.
More tips for finding leaks and saving water are available on the EPA’s WaterSense
website.
To learn more about drinking water issues, visit DEP’s Safe Drinking Water webpage.
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Pittsburgh Water Authority Has Money To Replace Lead Service Lines For Free
Bagenstose: Military Moves Toward Treatment Study Of Willow Grove Base Water
Contamination
PA American Water Invests $37 Million In Lackawanna County Water, Wastewater
Infrastructure
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House Bill Would Give Either Senate Or House Environmental Committee A Veto Over Any
DEP Groundwater Withdraw Regulations
DEP Proposes Water Quality Certification For Adelphia Gateway Pipeline Project In
Eastern PA
The Department of Environmental Protection published

notice in the March 16 PA Bulletin of a proposed Section
401 Water Quality Certification for the Adelphia Gateway
Pipeline Project which runs through Chester, Delaware,
Montgomery, Bucks and Northampton Counties. (PA
Bulletin page 1219)
The project includes use of 84.2 miles of existing 18-inch
pipeline and 4.4 miles of new 20-inch pipeline to transport
natural gas from Martins Creek, Northampton County to
Marcus Hook Delaware County and related compressor
55
stations and lateral pipelines.
Comments are due on the proposed certification April 15. Read the full PA Bulletin
notice for all the details. (PA Bulletin page 1219)
NewsClips:
East Pipelines
Scared
Related Stories:
Pipelines
The Department of Environmental published notice in the March 16 PA Bulletin of a proposed

Section 401 Water Quality Certification for the Columbia Gas East & West Pipeline replacement
project running through Armstrong, Butler and Clarion counties. (P A Bulletin page 1216)
The project involves replacing 4.11 miles of 10-inch pipeline with 10-in pipeline from the
Ellwood City compressor station in Butler County to the Rimersburg compressor station in
Clarion County.
Comments are due on the proposed certification April 15. Read the full PA Bulletin
notice for all the details. (PA Bulletin page 1216)
NewsClips:
East Pipelines
56
Scared
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Pipelines
DEP: Soil Samples At A Park, Day Care Center In Palmerton, Carbon County Exceed
Lead Standard
On March 13, Department of Environmental Protection announced soil samples taken at

Palmerton Borough Park and West End Day Care, a private facility, in Palmerton, Carbon
County showed exceedances of the statewide health standards for metals (lead).
Based on the soil screening results and the surface soil sampling results, DEP is
recommending additional sampling within and adjacent to Palmerton Borough Park and West
End Day Care.
The results of the original soil sampling and screening were sent to property owners and
DEP has discussed them with officials from Palmerton Borough and Palmerton School District.
DEP is not aware of any steps taken by Palmerton Borough and West End Daycare
regarding the soil sampling.
Results of samples taken at eight other locations came back below statewide standards.
The sampling was done after a report issued last year by the Agency for Toxic
Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) concluded a public health hazard is likely for young
children and pregnant women living near the American Zinc Recycling facility in Palmerton.
The results indicated that one sample collected from West End Day Care found total lead,
total cadmium, and total zinc levels exceeded the statewide health standards; and two samples
collected from Palmerton Borough Park found total lead and total cadmium levels exceeded the
statewide health standards.
“The soil sampling results are a concern and DEP is committed to doing its part to protect
the health of residents,” said DEP Secretary Patrick McDonnell. “DEP is working with the EPA
and local officials on future plans to monitor and remediate lead levels in Palmerton.”
In October of 2018, representatives from DEP, ATSDR, and the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA) conducted both soil screening and soil sampling at ten separate
locations in the borough.
DEP utilized an X-ray Fluorescence (XRF) device for the soil screening, which is an
X-ray instrument used for non-destructive chemical analyses of rocks, minerals, sediments, and
57
fluids.
A total of 141 XRF scans for lead, cadmium, chromium, zinc, nickel, and copper were
completed at the properties. In addition, a total of 18 traditional soil samples were taken at the
properties.
The samples were sent to DEP’s Bureau of Laboratories in Harrisburg for analysis of
lead, cadmium, chromium, zinc, nickel, and copper.
The analysis of the XRF screening indicated, aside from the metal levels, a high level of
moisture in the soil, which could have impacted those results.
Click Here for a copy of the DEP’s soil sampling report, including the metal levels.
Questions should be directed to Colleen Connolly, DEP Northeast Regional Office,
570-826-2035 or send email to: coconnolly@pa.gov.
NewsClips:
High Lead Levels Found In Soil Around Palmerton Day Care And In Borough Park
Related Story:
Dept. Of Human Services Explores Use Of Medicaid Funds For Lead Exposure Prevention And
Remediation Initiative
Dept. Of Human Services Explores Use Of Medicaid Funds For Lead Exposure Prevention
And Remediation Initiative
On March 14, Tom Wolf announced the Department of Human Services (DHS) is exploring the
possibility of using Medicaid funds to pay for primary prevention measures that focus on
identifying and reducing the sources of environmental childhood lead exposure.
“It’s wise for Pennsylvania to consider opportunities to leverage Medicaid funds to
combat the detrimental impacts of lead,” Gov. Wolf said. “If it’s approved by the federal
government, this proposal could benefit thousands of Pennsylvania’s children who have been
exposed to lead or are suffering from lead poisoning, as well as potentially lower health care
spending for treating lead-related health problems.”
Pennsylvania submitted a concept paper to the Centers of Medicaid & Medicaid Services
(CMS), asking them to consider a demonstration to test the effectiveness of using Medicaid
funds for primary prevention measures on lead sources such as lead-based paint, dust, and water
sources and increase remediation efforts in lead-contaminated housing and child-care facilities
across Pennsylvania.
According to the California Environmental Health Tracking Program, Pennsylvania is
sixth in the nation in the percent of children with lead poisoning. The dangers of lead are widely
known. Lead poisoning in childhood is a cause of learning and behavior problems that persist for
a lifetime.
“Not all communities have the resources to help all children with elevated blood lead
levels address the source of exposure or prevent continued exposure,” DHS Sec. Teresa Miller
said. “This project could help prevent lead exposure and alleviate the cost of remediation in
lead-contaminated housing and child-care facilities across the Commonwealth.”
Lead exposure often does not manifest in physical symptoms, but may result in long-term
neurological damage, especially if the exposure occurs during the critical stages of brain
58
development in early childhood.
Lead in a child’s body can slow growth and development, damage the brain and nervous
system, cause hearing, speech, learning and behavior problems.
Pennsylvania’s Medical Assistance or Medicaid program has long had a central role in
helping tackle lead poisoning.
Medicaid sets the standard for frequency of lead screening for program beneficiaries,
incentivizes screening in its managed care system through provider pay for performance
incentives, and pays for environmental lead investigations to identify the sources of the lead
exposure in children with elevated blood lead levels.
The program also bears the financial consequences of lead exposure, paying for the
comprehensive physical and behavioral health services that are available to children who have
been exposed.
The proposal requests that CMS consider the possibility of a specialized benefit package
under Section 1115 of the Social Security Act, which gives the Secretary of Health and Human
Services authority to approve experimental, pilot, or demonstration projects that promote the
objectives of Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP).
Acceptance of the proposal would indicate that CMS is willing consider an 1115 waiver
application for this type of benefit package.
Upon approval of an 1115 waiver, this demonstration would allow Pennsylvania to test
the effectiveness of preventive environmental lead inspection and increased remediation efforts
in lowering lead poisoning rates and related spending for services to Medicaid recipients.
The demonstration would be available statewide but targeted at children with a high risk
of having elevated blood lead levels across the Commonwealth.
This proposal is one of several initiatives the Wolf Administration has in place or is
exploring to combat the pervasive effects of lead exposure among children in Pennsylvania.
The Department of Health’s Bureau of Family Health offers a toll-free Lead Information
Line (1-800-440-LEAD) to respond to caller questions and provide electronic materials about
lead poisoning and other environmental hazards.
Also, the Health Department oversees the Lead Surveillance Program, which tracks and
monitors childhood lead activity through the Pennsylvania National Electronic Disease
Surveillance System (PA-NEDSS).
PA-NEDSS is a web-based application system that receives all lead reports on
Pennsylvania's children. Through PA-NEDSS, the Division of Child and Adult Health Services
can identify possible high-risk areas, locate areas of under-testing and identify other potential
service need.
For information on health threats from lead from other sources, visit the Department of
Health’s Lead Poisoning webpage.
Senate Lead Task Force
The Joint State Government Commission and a special Senate Lead Exposure Task
Force will be making recommendations on reducing exposure to lead as early as April as a result
of Senate Resolution 33, sponsored by Sen. John Yudichak (D-Luzerne), Minority Chair of the
Senate Environmental Resources and Energy Committee.
NewsClips:
59
Related Story:
DEP: Soil Samples At A Park, Day Care Center In Palmerton, Carbon County Exceed Lead
Standard
EQB Publishes Proposed Fine Particulate Matter Regulations For Comment, 3 Hearings
Set
The Environmental Quality Board published notice in the March 16 PA Bulletin of proposed
regulations for comment on control of fine particulate matter in nonattainment new source
review program.
Three public hearings have been scheduled on the proposal, each starting at 1:00 p.m.--
-- April 16: DEP Southcentral Regional Office, 909 Elmerton Ave, Harrisburg
-- April 17: DEP Southwest Regional Office, 400 Waterfront Dr., Pittsburgh
-- April 18: DEP Southeast Regional Office, 2 East Main St., Norristown
Persons wishing to present testimony at a hearing are requested to contact the
Environmental Quality Board, P.O. Box 8477, Harrisburg, PA 17105-8477, or call 717-787-4526
at least 1 week in advance of the hearing to reserve a time to present testimony.
Click Here to read the entire PA Bulletin notice for more information.
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Sisk: Allegheny County Revises Order Against U.S. Steel After Company Updates Repair
Timeline
New Allegheny County Order Would Speed Up Repairs To U.S. Steel Coke (Coal) Plant, Curtail
Pollution
Allegheny Health Dept. Revises Order, U.S. Steel To Expedite Repairs At Coke (Coal) Plant
U.S. Steel Releases Photos Of Repairs At Clairton Coke Works After Fire
Erie Coke (Coal) Plant Appeal Of DEP Order Assigned To Erie EHB Judge
Study: Blacks, Hispanics Bear The Burden Of Air Pollution
Op-Ed: EPA Must Stop Deadly Attack On Mercury, Air Toxics Standards
Related Story:
DEP To Discuss Draft Regs Controlling VOC [Methane] Emissions From Existing Oil & Gas
Operations At March 21 Advisory Board Meeting
PUC Approves Duquesne Light Filing For Third-Party Electric Vehicle Charging Stations
On March 14, the Public Utility Commission

approved a filing by Duquesne Light as part of an
ongoing statewide effort to help remove uncertainty
and potential barriers to the deployment of
third-party electric vehicle (EV) charging stations.
The Commission voted 5-0 today to approve a
60
supplement tariff for Duquesne Light, in response to an EV policy statement adopted last year by
the PUC.
The Commission’s November 2018 policy statement was designed to help promote
increased investment in EV charging infrastructure in the state by reducing regulatory
uncertainty and providing greater consistency among electric distribution companies (EDCs).
The policy statement clarifies that third-party electric vehicle charging is providing a
service, and not considered resale of electricity under the Public Utility Code. EDCs were
directed to amend their tariffs to address third-party EV charging stations consistent with the new
policy.
As the Commissioners noted, technological advancements are transforming the electric
consumption of consumers and impacting the grid as a whole – and it is important for utilities to
adapt their infrastructure and tariff structure to address these changes, which include a growing
number of electric vehicles.
The approval of the Duquesne Light filing comes just weeks after approval of similar
filings by the four FirstEnergy electric distribution companies serving Pennsylvania.
NewsClips:
Reuters: EPA Unveils Plan To Allow Sales Of Higher Ethanol Gasoline
Phillips: Japan Looks Past Battery-Powered Electric Cars, Envisions A Hydrogen Society
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PUC Approves FirstEnergy Filings On Removing Barriers For 3rd Party Electric Vehicle
Charging Stations
PUC Approves PECO Rate Settlement With Pilot Program For Fast-Charging Stations For
Electric Vehicles
DEP Unveils Plan To Increase Electric Vehicle Use In Pennsylvania
DEP Accepting Grant Applications To Replace, Repower Or Retrofit Fleet Diesel Trucks, Buses,
Other Vehicles
DEP Accepting Driving PA Forward Grants/Rebate Applications For Clean Trucks, Buses; 2
How To Apply Webinars Set
Vista Energy Marketing To Pay $52,700 Penalty To PUC In Door-To-Door Energy Sales
Case
On March 14, Public Utility Commission moved to impose a $52,700 penalty in a settlement
agreement with Vista Energy Marketing LP (Vista), following an investigation into the
company’s marketing and sales practices as a licensed electric generation supplier in
Pennsylvania.
The Commission voted 5-0 to approve a motion by PUC Chair Gladys M. Brown that
modifies a settlement between Vista and the PUC’s independent Bureau of Investigation &
Enforcement (I&E) – increasing civil penalties to $52,700.
I&E initiated an informal investigation of Vista based on a referral by the Commission’s
Office of Competitive Market Oversight, which became aware of Vista engaging a third-party
vendor for door-to-door sales and marketing without a proper criminal background investigation
being fully completed.
61
“The regulations in this instance are clear, permitting any person to conduct door-to-door
marketing or sales activities without having obtained and reviewed a background check is a
violation,” noted Chairman Brown in her motion.
In addition to the enhanced civil penalties, the company has agreed to:
-- Revise its marketing practices to potential customers; and
-- Ensure that its training programs for sales representatives remain compliant with PUC
regulations.
Vista and I&E have 45 days from issuance of the PUC’s Opinion and Order to indicate
their intent to withdraw from the Settlement, or the modified settlement will become final.
The Commission’s requirement for background checks restricts a supplier from
employing a person to conduct door-to-door sales and marketing activities until the supplier has
obtained and reviewed a criminal history record from the Pennsylvania State Police (State
Police) and from every other state in which the person resided for the last 12 months.
The criminal background investigation must include checking the sex offender registry
commonly referred to as the “Megan’s Law” registry maintained by the State Police.
Consumer Tips for Door-to-Door Energy Sales
Pennsylvania has clear rules regarding energy sales practices, and the PUC encourages
consumers to understand these important protections.
Regulations require agents who conduct door-to-door activities, or appear at public
events, to wear an identification badge, and consumers should immediately seek proper
identification before engaging a door-to-door salesperson.
The identification badge must:
-- Accurately identify the supplier, its trade name and logo;
-- Display the agent’s photograph;
-- Display the agent’s full name;
-- Be prominently displayed; and
-- Display a customer-service phone number for the supplier.
Upon first contact with a customer, an agent must identify himself by name, the energy
supplier he represents, and the reason for the visit.
The agent also must make clear that he is not working for - and is independent of - the
customer’s local utility or any other supplier.
Additionally, the agent may not wear apparel or accessories – or even carry equipment
containing branding elements – that suggests a relationship with a utility, government agency, or
other supplier.
Call the PUC Consumer Hotline-- 800-692-7380-- with questions or potential violations
of these requirements.
NewsClip:
Maykuth: PUC Slaps Hefty Fine On Energy Firm For Employing Rapist As Door-To-Door
Salesman In Bucks
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PUC Approves Duquesne Light Filing For Third-Party Electric Vehicle Charging Stations
62
By Ashley Nottingham, Penn State News
Penn State will host the 2019 Eastern SME (Society

for Mining, Metallurgy and Exploration) Eastern
SME Spring Collegiate Mine Rescue Contest from
8:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. on March 30, at the Penn
State Snider Agricultural Arena.
Seven competitive mine rescue teams —
including Penn State’s Mount Nittany Mine Rescue
Team — are expected to compete in this year's
event.
“This is the first time that Penn State will
host the contest,” said Jeffery Kohler, professor and
chair of the mining engineering program in Penn State’s John and Willie Leone Family
Department of Energy and Mineral Engineering. “It will be an honor to host teams from the
University of Kentucky, Virginia Tech, and West Virginia University, as well as the
professionals from the mining companies and federal and state agencies who will serve as
contest administrators and judges.”
Mine rescue contests are intended to perfect the skills and test the knowledge of team
members who may need to respond to a mine emergency.
“Mine emergencies, such as explosions or fires, are exceedingly rare in the nation’s more
than 600 active underground mines” Kohler said. “However, when they do occur, self-escape can
be quite challenging. In these instances, specially trained mine rescue teams are called upon to
enter the mine and attempt a rescue of any trapped miners. The mine openings may contain toxic
gases, visibility may be near zero, passageways may have collapsed, and the mine’s
infrastructure may have been compromised.”
The federal Mine Safety and Health Administration requires that all underground mines
have rescue teams. These teams are required to practice on a regular basis and to demonstrate
their mastery of the required competencies.
Through collegiate mine rescue contests, students are able to develop and practice the
skills necessary to respond to a mine rescue emergency when they go into the workforce.
Penn State’s team was originally founded in 2010 by two 1983 mining engineering
graduates, Edward Zeglen Jr. and Susan Bealko. Zeglen, chief mine engineer, and Bealko,
corporate safety director, both at GMS Mine Repair & Maintenance Inc., launched the team in
response to the nation’s growing need for professional mine rescue teams. Zeglen now coaches
the Mount Nittany Mine Rescue Team.
“We go through a simulated mine maze searching for survivors and handling dangers like
gas removal along the way,” said Zeglen. “We also test our breathing apparatus and make sure
they are functioning properly. I have always enjoyed training young engineers throughout my
career and teaching safety first. Having mine rescue knowledge is an important part of mining
safety, ventilation and roof control.”
The team has been meeting weekly to practice emergency scenarios and prepare for the
contest. T.J.Greene, a longstanding member who served as the team’s captain at two previous
contests, is currently mentoring Vanilo Antonio, current president of the Mount Nittany Mine
Rescue Team, and helping prepare the new members.
63
“Despite the fact that we are doing simulations and are safe, I’m gaining skills that are
used in real life to help miners that are in dangerous situations,” said Antonio. “We are students
that one day might save another person’s life because we have the training and knowledge
needed to react in a dangerous situation inside a mine.”
Sekhar Bhattacharyya, associate professor of mining engineering, has been advising the
team for the past year. Bhattacharyya has previously worked in mining production and enjoys
helping the students prepare.
“Miners are never prepared enough for emergencies despite thorough training. I expect
all of these students to lead their future employers and build a safe work environment,” said
Bhattacharyya.
A mine rescue situation will be set up in the Snider Agricultural Arena. Local members
from SME and local responders are invited to the event.
“In many instances, they do not have many opportunities to view such competitions,”
said Bhattacharyya. “The insight gained from this experience will help them to better prepare
those who may deal with mine emergencies in the future.”
This contest is free and open to the public.
For more information on mine safety in Pennsylvania, visit DEP’s Deep Mine Safety
webpage. Click Here to watch a video about deep mine safety. Click Here to watch a video
about the 2002 Quecreek Mine Rescue.
(Reprinted from Penn State News. )
NewsClips:
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Opportunity To Bid On DEP Mine Subsidence Control Project In Lackawanna County
Court: Injection Well Developer Does Not Need To Wait To Challenge A Local Zoning
On March 8, Commonwealth Court issued a ruling that Penneco Environmental Solutions, LLC
did not have to wait until it had state and federal permits in hand for a proposed drilling waste
injection disposal well before challenging a ruling by Plum Borough’s Zoning Hearing Board
against its project in Allegheny County.
Click Here for a copy of the ruling.
Related Story:
64
Commonwealth Court Clears The Way For Attorney General To Pursue Unfair Trade Practices
Cases Against Chesapeake, Anadarko On Drilling Royalties, Payments
PA Chamber’s Annual Environmental Conference & Trade Show April 23 In Hershey
The PA Chamber of Business and Industry’s 2019 Environmental Conference and Trade Show
on April 23 at the Hershey Lodge in Hershey.
Bill Wehrum, Assistant EPA Administrator For Air & Radiation, will be a featured
speaker at the Conference.
For those new to the environmental profession and for seasoned environmental directors,
the Conference & Trade Show will provide updates on the latest compliance information, and
practical strategies on some of the most challenging and timely environmental issues—from
major national areas of concern to state regulations—to help environmental managers in their
day-to-day activities on the job.
Among the other featured speakers will be--
-- Richard McMahon, Senior Vice President, Energy Supply & Finance, Edison Electric
Institute;
-- Tom Quaadman, Executive Vice President, Capital Markets Group, U.S. Chamber of
Commerce; and
-- Marc Lindsay, Senior Member-Investment Stewardship Team, Vanguard, on the
Environmental, Sustainability and Governance (ESG) Panel.
Click Here to register or for more information.
The Hershey Company Announces Action Plans To Protect, Restore Forests In Cocoa
Growing Region
On March 14, The Hershey Company announced it is

taking action to protect forests and restore forest cover in
the cocoa growing regions in West Africa by releasing
action plans that are part of the company’s commitments
as a founding member of the Cocoa & Forest Initiative
(CFI).
In February 2018, Hershey publicly committed to no new
deforestation in its cocoa supply chain, effective
immediately, and to implementing agroforestry tree
planting programs.
The new CFI forest protection plans for the two largest
cocoa-producing countries in West Africa – Ghana and Cote d’Ivoire – step up Hershey’s
forestry commitments with specific actions to end deforestation and to begin restoring forests.
Hershey’s CFI action plans will be delivered through its Cocoa For Good sustainable
cocoa strategy, announced in April 2018. The plans focus on sensitive forest areas and are
designed to inhibit encroachment on these protected areas by implementing locally tailored
development programs.
65
“Cocoa, the key ingredient in chocolate, is beloved by people around the world,” said
Beatrice Moulianitaki, Head of Sustainable Sourcing. “We want to ensure that this cherished
product continues to be available for a growing number of consumers worldwide without
damaging the forests close to where most of the world’s cocoa is grown. With the proper care
and resources, we are confident that cocoa can continue to grow while protecting sensitive
forests and habitats in the region.”
Hershey’s CFI action plans are organized under three strategic pillars:
-- Forest Protection and Restoration
-- Sustainable Production and Farmers’ Livelihood
-- Community Engagement and Social Inclusion
Hershey has created specific goals, actions and timebound targets for both Ghana and
Cote d’Ivoire under each of the three pillars. The three pillars are designed to work together to
ensure a holistic approach to protecting forests while taking into consideration the human impact.
This approach ensures that communities are fully engaged in these efforts and the actions
benefit both the people and the surrounding ecosystem.
Plans include:
-- Distributing 900,000 multi-purpose trees to farms in Ghana and Cote d’Ivoire by 2022
-- Distributing more than 2.5 million improved cocoa seedlings to farmers in Ghana and Cote
d’Ivoire by 2022
-- Satellite mapping of 50,000 farms across Ghana and Cote d’Ivoire in the Hershey supply chain
by 2019
For the past several years under its Cocoa For Good program, Hershey has been
implementing programs that meet the CFI commitments.
The company’s agroforestry programs have already distributed more than 3.5 million
cocoa trees and about 320,000 shade trees in West Africa between 2013 and 2017.
Hershey will continue to review, expand and improve current programs to meet its CFI
2022 goals.
Click Here to see Hershey’s detailed CFI Action Plans.
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Reduce Its Impact On The Planet
Wildlife For Everyone Foundation Awards College Scholarships To 5 Students
On March 12, the Wildlife for Everyone

Foundation announced the award of a $500
stipend to each of 5 students at 4 institutions of
higher learning from its Wildlife Scholarship
Fund to support them in their respective wildlife
and natural resource-related fields.
The fundamental goal of the Wildlife Scholarship
66
Fund is to inspire the next generation of conservationists by presenting opportunities for students
to advance their career interest in wildlife conservation.
“We were impressed by the talent, dedication and diversity of accomplishments of our
scholarship recipients and are looking forward to watching their careers develop,” said Margaret
Brittingham, professor of Wildlife Resources at Penn State University and chair of the
Foundation’s Scholarship Committee.
The scholarship winners are--
-- Michaela Wallingford (Spring Mills, Centre County) is a sophomore studying Wildlife and
Fisheries Science at Penn State-University Park campus.
Michaela was raised in a wildlife-centered family and has held a passion and concern for
wildlife conservation from a young age. Upon completion of her undergraduate education, she
plans to pursue a Master of Science degree in Wildlife Management.
Michaela looks forward to becoming a dedicated conservationist and following in the
footsteps of her parents as a wildlife biologist for either the Game Commission or the U.S. Fish
and Wildlife Service.
She is currently the vice president of the Penn State Student Chapter of the Wildlife
Society.
-- Victoria Roper (Bloomsburg, Columbia County) is pursuing a master’s degree in biology at
the Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania. She received a B.S. in Biology from the University
of New Orleans and plans to pursue her PhD following graduation.
Currently, she instructs undergraduate biology students on field research collection
techniques and laboratory skills. Her long-term goal is to work with The Nature Conservancy
and to continue her life-long commitment to avian research, conservation, and mentoring young
scientists.
Victoria is a member of the Pennsylvania Wildlife Society and the Pennsylvania Society
for Ornithology.
-- Jessica Brown (Dauphin, Dauphin County) is a senior majoring in Wildlife and Fisheries
Science at Penn State-University Park campus. She will continue her education as a master’s
student in Entomology at Penn State upon graduation in May 2019.
This summer, Jessica will conduct her first field season as part of her graduate research
investigating tick choice and host behaviors as a driver of tick burdens. Jessica is treasurer of the
Penn State Student Chapter of the Wildlife Society and a member of the Entomological Society
of America.
Her goal is to become a professor of wildlife biology with a focus on wildlife
parasitology.
-- Kristin Bomboy (Shickshinny, Luzerne County) is currently pursuing a master’s degree in
Biology at the Indiana University of Pennsylvania. She holds a B.S. in Environmental Science:
Fisheries and Wildlife Biology from the California University of Pennsylvania.
Kristin enjoys taking photos of wildlife and nature. She is passionate about her
responsibility as a wildlife and natural resource professional and hopes to teach and help others
foster an appreciation for our natural resources.
Kristin is a member of the Wildlife Society and former treasurer of the California
University of Pennsylvania Student Chapter. She is also a member of the PA Association of
Environmental Professionals.
She hopes to get a job that allows her to do public outreach for the betterment of wildlife
67
and its habitat.
-- Makayla Whaling (Luthersburg, Clearfield County), is a senior majoring in Wildlife
Technology at Penn State-DuBois campus. She plans to continue in the field of Wildlife and
Fisheries Science with the goal of becoming a wildlife biologist.
Makayla looks forward to gaining experience from her field-related internships this
summer. She is a member of many wildlife-related clubs including the Penn State Dubois
Chapter of the Wildlife Society and the student chapter of the National Wild Turkey Federation.
The vision of the Wildlife for Everyone Foundation is to be the leading advocate for
wildlife conservation in Pennsylvania. The foundation was formed in 2004 to provide all wildlife
enthusiasts with a way to show their commitment through much-needed financial support for
wildlife conservation efforts and education.
Since its inception, the Foundation has raised millions of dollars to support projects
including wildlife and wetland habitat improvements, creek and lake restorations, the Seedlings
for Schools program and student educational opportunities.
The Foundation’s mission connects all wildlife and nature enthusiasts to the great
outdoors, including birders, hunters, anglers, students and everyone with an appreciation for
nature’s treasures.
For more information on programs, initiatives and upcoming events, visit the Wildlife for
Everyone Foundation. Click Here for information on attending the April 5 Wildlife Gala in State
College.
(Photo: Top Row: Michaela Wallingford, Victoria Roper, Jessica Brown; Second Row: Kristin
Bomboy, Makayla Whaling.)
NewsClips:
Related Stories:
The 2019 Delaware River Sojourn will be held

from June 14-22 and is now accepting
registrations. This year the Sojourn is celebrating
its 25th anniversary.
You may choose to paddle the entire Sojourn or
you may register for the section(s) or day(s) of
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your choice. Spaces are limited, so register early!
The Sojourn starts at the Zane Grey Museum in Lackawaxen, PA and ends up in
Florence, NJ.
The Delaware River Sojourn is a nonprofit event and is planned and priced as a package.
It typically costs more to put on the Sojourn than what we take in, and contributions of time,
goods, and services from our many sponsors and supporters allow us to keep participant costs as
low as possible. The Sojourn Committee is ever appreciative of the donations, grants, and
in-kind services that it receives.
NewsClips:
Related Stories:
DCNR Now Accepting Applications For Volunteer Fire Company Wildfire Fighting Grants
On March 12, The Department of Conservation and

Natural Resources is now accepting applications for
Volunteer Fire Company Wildfire Fighting Grants.
The deadline for application is May 2.
The grant program, offered through DCNR and
paid through federal grants from the U.S. Department
of Agriculture Forest Service, has awarded more than
$12.5 million since it began in 1982.
“Spring’s warming temperatures, sunny days,
and strong winds all combine to usher in wildfire
dangers that emphasize the value of having well-trained
and well-equipped local fire fighting forces in rural areas,” Department of Conservation and
Natural Resources Secretary Cindy Adams Dunn said. “Pennsylvania’s volunteer firefighters
deserve the very best training and equipment, and these grants help them obtain both.”
In 2018, almost $646,900 was awarded to 132 volunteer fire companies serving rural
areas and communities where forest and brush fires are common.
“Fighting a wildfire is very different from fighting a home or building fire and requires
specialized training and equipment,” said State Fire Commissioner Bruce Trego. “These grants
ensure that the men and women doing the work have what they need to do their job safely while
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protecting their communities.”
Local fire fighting forces in rural areas or communities with fewer than 10,000 residents
qualify for the aid, which is used for training and equipment purchases directly related to fighting
brush and forest fires.
In reviewing applications, priority will be placed on projects that include the purchase of
wildfire suppression equipment and protective clothing. Grants also may be used for purchasing
mobile or portable radios, installing dry hydrants, wildfire prevention and mitigation work,
training wildfire fighters, or converting and maintaining federal excess vehicles.
These vehicles are presented to the local departments exhibiting the greatest needs and
those that commit to outfitting them for fire suppression.
Also, grants now can be used to purchase new/used 4X4 vehicles which will be utilized
as a Type 6 or 7 Wildland Engine, and costing $40,000 or less.
Aid is granted on a cost-share basis. Grants for any project during a fiscal year cannot
exceed 50 percent of the actual expenditures of local, public, and private nonprofit organizations
in the agreement.
The maximum grant that will be considered from any fire company in 2019 is $10,000.
Grant applications must be electronically submitted through DCNR’s Volunteer Fire
Company Wildfire Fighting Grants webpage.
For more on wildfires, visit DCNR’s Wildfire webpage or call the Bureau of Forestry at
717-787-2925. Click Here for tips on how homeowners can reduce the risk of wildfires.
For more information on state parks and forests and recreation in Pennsylvania, visit
DCNR’s website, Click Here to sign up for the Resource newsletter, Visit the Good Natured
DCNR Blog, Click Here for upcoming events, Click Here to hook up with DCNR on other
social media-- Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Flickr.
NewsClip:
Wildfire Risk Increasing In Pennsylvania During Spring
Related Story:
DCNR: Pennsylvanians Urged To Exercise Caution To Prevent Wildfires
Applications Now Being Accepted For Schuylkill Highlands Landscape Mini-Grants
The Schuylkill River Heritage Area and Natural Lands

are now accepting applications for the 2019 Schuylkill
Highlands Landscape Mini-Grant Program. Applications
are due April 30.
Projects should demonstrate consistency with the goals of
the Schuylkill Highlands program. Both planning and
implementation projects are eligible.
All planning projects must be completed within 24
months. Early implementation projects are encouraged
that can be completed within a year.
All grants require a 50/50 or 1:1 match with AT LEAST
half of the required match being cash. Up to one-half of the required match may be in-kind.
The Schuylkill River Heritage Area includes portions of Berks, Bucks, Chester,
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Lancaster, Lebanon, Lehigh and Montgomery counties
For more information on the Schuylkill Highlands, visit the Schuylkill River Heritage
Area website.
For more on conservation landscape initiatives in other areas of the state, visit DCNR’s
Conservation Landscapes webpage.
Chestnut Hill Conservancy Protects 2 Properties In Philadelphia
The Chestnut Hill Conservancy now holds a conservation

easement on 3.5 acres along Bethlehem Pike, Stenton
Avenue, and Bells Mill Road, ensuring that this
prominent gateway to Chestnut Hill in Philadelphia will
be protected in perpetuity.
This and an earlier easement on the property brings the
total land protected by this one family to 11.6 acres, an
astounding amount of protected land within a city.
In addition, before it was sold, the owners of a beautiful
W. Willow Grove Avenue home placed a preservation
easement on the property.
With this easement the owners sought to preserve not only the facades and roof of the
house, but also the novel concept of the planned community pioneered by the Houston and
Woodward family, the viewshed from W. Willow Grove Avenue, and the features that contribute
to the unique character of Chestnut Hill.
For more information, visit the Chestnut Hill Conservancy website.
NewsClip:
Allegheny Land Trust Issues Call Of Urgency To Save County’s Green Spaces
Related Stories:
PA Land Trust Assn. Offers Guides On Land Conservation, Allowing Land Encroachments
PA Land Trust Assn. Offers Guides On Land Conservation, Allowing Land

Encroachments
The PA Land Trust Association offer

landowners and local land trusts a series of
guides on how to allow encroachments on
preserved land or any land. The guides
include--
-- Encroachment: Allowing Continued use Without Risking Loss Of Ownership
-- Model Permission For Encroachment
Also available is a guide to regulating rooftop solar installations.
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For more information on these and other topics related to land conservation, visit PLTA’s
Conservation Tools webpage. Click Here for the latest ConserveLand Update newsletter.
For more information on programs, initiatives and upcoming events, visit the PA Land
Trust Association website, Click Here to sign up for regular updates from PLTA, Like them on
Facebook, and Follow them on Twitter. Click Here to support their work.
The 2019 PA Land Conservation Conference will be held May 16-18 at Skytop Lodge in
Monroe County.
NewsClip:
Related Stories:
Allegheny Land Trust Releases Full Schedule Of Environmental Education Activities,

Events
The Allegheny County-based Allegheny Land

Trust released a full schedule of education
activities and events coming up over the next
few months including--
-- March 20: Starlight Stroll, Audubon
Greenway
-- March 31: History & Hooch, Barking Slopes’
Trails
-- April 13: Fungus Among Us, Sycamore Island
-- April 17: Plant Pursuit, First Life Of Spring, Dead Man’s Hollow
-- April 25: Educator Workshop: Getting Little Hands On The Land
-- April 26-29: 2019 City Nature Challenge
-- April 28: Scouting Out iNaturalist
-- May 4-5: STREAM Girls Workshop
-- Various Dates: Young Voices For The Planet Workshops (Educators)
Click Here to check their Events Calendar and to register.
For more information on programs, initiatives, upcoming educational programs and other
events, visit the Allegheny Land Trust website. Click Here to add your email to their mailing
list. Click Here to support their work.
NewsClips:
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Related Stories:
PA Land Trust Assn. Offers Guides On Land Conservation, Allowing Land Encroachments
Tiadaghton Audubon: How The Fate Of The Florida Sparrow Impacts Pennsylvania,
March 20, Wellsboro, Tioga County
The Tiadaghton Audubon Society Of Tioga & Potter

Counties will host a special program March 20 featuring a
presentation by Game Commission Ornithologist Dr. Sean
Murphy on How The Fate Of The Florida Sparrow Impacts
Pennsylvania.
A 30-year effort has been undersay to improve
conditions for the Cape Sable seaside sparrow to
contributed to its survival and recovery.
Conservation efforts include annual range-wide population
surveys by ground and helicopter, vegetation and
hydrologic monitoring, use of prescribed fire to control
woody vegetation, controlling wildfires to protect sparrow
habitats and banding birds so they can be identified in the
future.
In March 2016, Dr. Murphy moved to Williamsport and began working for Conservation
InSight, a nonprofit scientific research organization focused on providing solutions to avian
conservation issues.
He helped develop a spatially-explicit population estimator for the endangered Cape
Sable seaside sparrow and implemented new survey protocols to improve current data collection
methods.
In January of this year, Dr. Murphy was named the state ornithologist to head the Game
Commission Wildlife Diversity Division’s Endangered and Nongame Birds Section.
Dr. Murphy is a member of the Wildlife Society, American Ornithological Society,
Association of Field Ornithologists, International Wader Study Group, Waterbird Society, and
the Pennsylvania Biological Survey-Ornithological Technical Committee.
He is a past President of the Ornithological Societies of North America and currently
serves as an elected council member for the Waterbird Society and their Diversity Committee.
The program will be held at the Wellsboro High School Administration Building, 227
Nichols Street in Wellsboro starting at 7:00 p.m. A business meeting of Tiadaghton Audubon
will start at 6:00 p.m. Both meetings are open to the public.
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Tiadaghton Audubon Society Of Tioga & Potter Counties Blog. Questions about this event
should be direct to Sean or Robin Minnick at 570-948-9052.
NewsClip:
How Florida Sparrow’s Fate Impacts Pennsylvania, March 20 Program
Peregrine Falcons At Pitt’s Cathedral Of Learning Have 1st Egg Of Season
Why A Wounded Bald Eagle Couldn’t Be Saved At Centre Wildlife Care
Nesting Pair Of Eagles Returns To Presque Isle State Park
Allegheny Front: Birders Make The Best Friends
Thomas: Tundra Swans Are A Treat For Those Lucky Enough To Catch Their Migration North -
Western PA
How Middle Creek Wildlife Area Staff Count Snow Geese
Out-Of-Staters “Flock” To Middle Creek Wildlife Areas In March
Middle Creek Snow Geese Population May Be Near Peak With 150,000 Birds - Video
On March 27 Penn State Harrisburg Will Mark 40th Anniversary Of Three Mile Island
Accident
By Kalisha DeVan, Penn State News
Forty years ago, on March 28, 1979, there was a

partial meltdown of a reactor at the Three Mile
Island (TMI) Nuclear Generating Station in Dauphin
County, Pennsylvania, marking the most serious U.S.
commercial nuclear power plant accident to date.
Penn State Harrisburg will hold “TMI 40: Honoring
the Community and Legacy of the Accident at Three
Mile Island” to commemorate the event in the library
Morrison Gallery from 3 to 8:30 p.m. March 27.
“The historic Three Mile Island accident is woven
into the fabric of the surrounding community,” said
Holly Angelique, professor of community psychology and interim director of the School of
Behavioral Sciences and Education. “It set a precedent for understanding nuclear risks, security
and safety. It also informed research and provided a catalyst for social change.
“This event features many diverse voices and points of view from community members,
scholars, a medical researcher, journalist, artist, and a former nuclear industry insider. It features
participants from the local community, Gettysburg College, Penn State Hershey Medical Center,
Stanford University and Fukushima Prefecture, Japan. This one-day conference marks a very
important moment in the history of this community.”
Exhibit
Heidi Abbey Moyer, coordinator of Penn State Harrisburg Archives and Special
Collections, will welcome attendees with a tour of the Three Mile Island archival collection at
Penn State Harrisburg.
The exhibition, titled "From the Archives: An Exhibit Commemorating the 40th
Anniversary of the Accident at Three Mile Island" and co-curated by graduate assistant archivist
74
Raven Haywood, will be displayed from March 26 until May 31 in the Penn State Harrisburg
library.
Arnie Gundersen, a former nuclear industry executive and founder of Fairewinds Energy
Education Organization will open the event with a keynote address, from 3:30 to 4 p.m.
Panel Discussions
Panel presentations will include:
A community panel titled “Art, Journalism, and Activism” from 4 to 5:30 p.m. The
panel is chaired by Angelique, and includes panelists:
-- Eric Epstein, chairman of Three Mile Island Alert, Inc. presenting “How Many Times Are
We Going to Bail TMI Out?”
-- Paula Kinney of Concerned Mothers and Women presenting “Forty Years of Activism”
-- Hiroko Aihara, an independent journalist from Fukushima, Japan presenting "Current
Situation in Fukushima: Invisible Nuclear Disaster"
-- Yasuyo Tanaka, artist of “If the Wind Blows” Disaster and Self-Reform exhibit at Robert
Blackburn Printmaking Workshop in New York City.
A panel discussion titled “Health, Action, and Public Policy: Academic
Contributions” from 6:30 to 8 p.m. It is chaired by Hannah Spector, assistant professor of
education, and includes panelists
-- Dr. Darrin Bann of Penn State Hershey Medical Center presenting “Altered Molecular
Profile in Thyroid Cancers in TMI Vicinity”
-- Marci Culley of the College of Coastal Georgia presenting “Citizen Participation After
Environmental Disasters”
-- Kyoko Sato of Stanford University presenting "Living in a Nuclear World: The Politics of
Knowledge on the Effects of Radiation."
-- Kaoru Miyazawa of Gettysburg College presenting “Ethnographic Research and Education in
Post-Disaster Fukushima”
Candlelight Vigil
A candlelight vigil will be held at 3:30 a.m. March 28, at the Three Mile Island nuclear
power plant. Although the Three Mile Island accident did not result in any deaths, the vigil is
held to remember the impact the event had on the community.
For additional information, contact Katie Martin by sending email to: kwm19@psu.edu.
(Reprinted from Penn State News. )
Resource Links:
PHMC: Nuclear Accident At Three Mile Island Historical Marker
WITF Documentary: TMI: Meltdown At Three Mile Island: 40 Years Later, March 28 At 8:30
NewsClips:
Just The Beginning
Related Stories:
28, 1979
Million Annually
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Feature-- 40 Years Ago Pennsylvanians Woke Up To The Accident At Three Mile Island,
March 28, 1979
At 3:53 a.m., March 28, 1979, the cascading

failures of valves, pumps, gauges and reactor
operators combined to produce the worst accident
in the U.S. commercial nuclear power industry.
The accident occurred at the Three Mile Island
nuclear power plant Unit 2 near Middletown, a
few miles downstream from Harrisburg. For 48
hours, the reactor was dangerously out of control.
Anyone living in and around T.M.I. remembers
exactly where they were on March 30 when they
heard Gov. Dick Thornburgh order all preschool
children and pregnant women within five miles of the plant to evacuate and later everyone within
10 miles to close their windows and stay indoors.
Seven thousand people were evacuated and perhaps a hundred thousand more fled.
A hydrogen bubble formed in the reactor bringing it very close to exploding. Within a few days,
scientists reduced the size of the bubble. The cooling down process, however, took a month and
the radioactive plant would take years to decontaminate.
Though no lives were lost in the accident, the uncertainty and fear it caused gave people a
new sense of vulnerability. The day after the accident, 35,000 protesters in Hanover, West
Germany, chanted, "We all live in Pennsylvania."
In contrast to Unit 2, Unit 1 at Three Mile Island has operated successfully since it first
began commercial operations in 1974 producing electricity for Pennsylvania and the
Mid-Atlantic region.
As a result of the accident, emergency planning and response programs at the local, state
and federal level were dramatically improved around nuclear plants and state efforts to monitor
radiation and provide direct oversight at these facilities also underwent significant changes.
Here are remembrances from that day by two of the people who were touched in unique
ways by the accident –
-- Thomas M. Gerusky, the late Director of the Bureau of Radiation Protection at the
then-Department of Environmental Resources on March 28, 1979, and who was in charge of the
state’s technical response to the accident; and
-- James M. Seif, former Secretary of the Department of Environmental Protection, and in 1979
administrative assistant to Gov. Dick Thornburgh.
(Photo: Thomas Gerusky, James Seif.)
It’s a Biggie – Some Thoughts on the Accident at Three Mile Island
By Thomas M. Gerusky
Last week, I was interviewed by the producers of a proposed Public Television Network show
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which will provide a 20-year update on the Three Mile Island accident. That accident occurred
on March 28, 1979.
To prepare for the interview, I went back to my notes and published reports of the
accident to refresh my memory. As I wandered through the documents, the memories of that
time and the aftermath of the accident came slowly into focus. The following are some of the
thoughts that returned.
It is difficult to discuss the accident and the Commonwealth’s response to it without
reviewing the attitudes of the public, the press, the nuclear industry, the regulators and the
technical world. Nuclear power was touted as the safest form of supplying energy. Nuclear
reactors were designed and operated to run without a serious accident. New nuclear power
stations were being proposed all over the country.
The staff of the Bureau of Radiation Protection and the Pennsylvania Emergency
Management Agency had prepared emergency response plans for an accident at those power
reactors situated in the state and for accidents at other facilities and on the transportation routes
for spent fuel and other sources of radioactivity. Infrequently, transportation accidents had taken
place and we had responded. In no case was there any serious release to the environment nor any
exposure of the public.
A plan had been drawn up for the Three Mile Island complex. It is interesting to note that
a public meeting on that plan was held in Middletown, just north of the reactors, only a short
time before the accident and few people showed up.
At approximately 7 a.m. on the morning of March 28, I received a call from our bureau’s
emergency officer, Bill Dornsife, a nuclear engineer who had previously worked at Three Mile
Island, who informed me that he had received a call from the island concerning an emergency
that was occurring there.
He gave me some details, but the words I will always remember were "It’s a biggie."
The procedure was for me to proceed to the office while other staff members contacted
other individuals and agencies to provide them with the information.
I arrived at the office around 7:20 a.m. From that time on and continuing for the next 30
days, our office was open and staffed around the clock. Bureau and department technical and
administrative staff assisted in providing the coverage. It became a team effort and continued a
team effort through the cleanup.
Although we had established an open phone line with the reactor, the lack of early
information was a major concern. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission, the federal regulator of
the facility, had not yet arrived on site and even after they arrived, little new information was
forthcoming.
Metropolitan Edison Company, the operator of TMI, had stated through its public
relations office in Reading that the accident was under control and that no serious releases of
radioactivity had occurred. Our information from the radiation protection staff on the island
indicated otherwise.
As the seriousness of the accident became more apparent, more Pennsylvania officials
became involved, first Lt. Gov. William Scranton, and then Gov. Dick Thornburgh. The
administration had just been sworn into office the previous January and their responsibilities
under emergency conditions were just becoming known to them.
Throughout the course of the accident, both men exhibited professionalism and
leadership. I was really impressed with the way the governor listened to the information he was
77
receiving, asked very pointed questions and then made up his mind after reviewing all of the
facts.
Two days later, Friday, March 30, was a day I will always remember.
We had been receiving reports from the island that controlled releases of radioactive
gases were occurring. Monitoring was being performed from a helicopter situated above the
release point and off-site.
The information concerning the levels was being relayed by phone to the NRC
emergency desk at the commission’s headquarters in Washington. There was confusion
concerning the data and Washington incorrectly thought that the levels reported at the release
point were occurring off-site.
As a result, they contacted the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency and
recommended an evacuation. From that point on, chaos reigned until the governor contacted the
chairman of the NRC to question its recommendation.
On a subsequent telephone call from the chairman to the governor, he told the governor
that the NRC had no idea what was happening inside that reactor and, when questioned about the
need for an evacuation, he stated that if his wife and daughter were in the immediate vicinity of
TMI, he would get them out.
Gov. Thornburgh had no choice, and started a voluntary evacuation program for the most
vulnerable of the population, pregnant women and small children. The governor also requested
that senior NRC staff be sent to the island to take over the accident response.
That brought Harold Denton and many NRC staff members here. Someone said later that
it was impossible to "run" an accident response from Washington.
The ensuing days were filled with tension, the possibility of an explosion from a
hydrogen bubble growing inside the reactor, the visit of President Jimmy Carter and the governor
to the plant, the planning for a massive evacuation of the residents of the area in case things got
worse, continuing releases of inert radioactive gases from the stack, the hoard of press from all
over the world, and finally, the subsequent relaxation of the recommendation for evacuation
based upon the knowledge that there was no potential for an explosion.
For us, the NRC, the utility and the public in the vicinity of TMI, the cleanup of the
reactor over the next 10 years, the need to vent the remaining radioactive Krypton from the
building before anyone could enter, learning that the fuel had melted and the expenditure of over
a billion dollars kept the accident in our minds.
The reactor has now been mothballed with considerable radioactive material still inside.
It will stay that way until it’s sister reactor, Three Mile Island I, is shut down. They will be
decommissioned together, when the next generation also will learn what happened on March 28,
1979.
REACTOR!!??
by James M. Seif
I enjoyed Tom Gerusky’s account of the TMI incident, and would like to add three memorable
moments of my own.
The first occurred about 7:30 a.m. on Wednesday, March 28, 1979.
Always an early riser, I was settled into my small office in Room 225, Main Capitol, the
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official address of the Governor’s Suite in Harrisburg. State Trooper Denny Denisevicz and I had
just made a "fresh pot"— his had cooked all night as he tended the antique Governor’s
Switchboard.
I was administrative assistant to Gov. Dick Thornburgh. My duties were principally as
scheduler. (The "Abominable No Man" as he put it.) But only two months had elapsed since
inauguration, and all of us were still trying to define our assignments.
My phone rings. Denny says, "a guy from Met Ed wants to reach the Governor to report
something."
One thing I did know about my job was to step in front of such anonymous reports. I say,
"anonymous" because I had just moved to Harrisburg, and had no idea that GPU was a utility
and didn’t know that Three Mile Island was a power plant — let alone a nuke.
In any case, the man told me his emergency manual required a call to the governor’s
office when there’s a "reportable incident at our plant."
"Okay, what happened?"
"We lost cooling in the reactor, but it’s okay now. We’ve shut down as a precaution."
"REACTOR!!??" (I still hope I didn’t say it that way.)
"Yes, this is a nuclear power plant."
I asked several questions. Did they call local police? State Police? Emergency
management people? The nuclear regulators in Washington? Yes to all. Was anyone hurt? No.
What about damage to equipment? He didn’t know.
Given the answers to his questions and his calm tone, I concluded that the call was little
more than his following the checklist in his manual — and the "call the governor" item was on
the checklist as a matter of political caution and not necessary for any real emergency purpose.
It turns out that was, in fact, the origin of the "call the governor" item, but of course, as
the crisis developed in the next hours, I felt I had been misled.
I can’t recall now if I mentioned any of this to Gov. Thornburgh or not, but I did let him
take a scheduled trip out of town that day, and valuable hours were lost.
The second recollection is from late Saturday night, March 31, when the crisis reached its
most perilous point.
Reactor temperature was rising, evacuation was accelerating and a lot of us were getting
tired and edgy. After riding around for several hours with State Police Commissioner Dan Dunn,
I was especially tense.
Dan was a former FBI Special Agent, whom I had known for years, and he was one of
the drollest and most cheerful people I knew. But this night, his jaw was clenched.
Back in the governor’s office with other staff, we checked the TV and Saturday Night
Live, hosted by the comedians Bob and Ray, came on.
To our shock, it opened by announcing a contest to pick a new capitol of Pennsylvania!!!
We called the network in New York, hoping that the script could be altered by the news
of how serious we thought the problem had become. We figured the network — and certainly the
sponsors — would not want to add to any panic.
No such luck. An unresponsive switchboard operator said only that he would try to get a
message to the theater.
To this day, I recall him by the name he carries in that night’s phone log: FNU LNU –
First Name Unknown, Last Name Unknown. This was FBI lingo taught to me years before – by
Dan Dunn.
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Finally, there was an interesting postscript: About six weeks after the crisis had passed,
Another governor called. Gov. Thornburgh was on the road; and so I took the call.
This governor was also a "rookie" and was calling to glean some of the lessons of TMI.
We spoke about the organizational issues of emergency management, local-state
relations, medical perils (including panic), the political danger of Congressional Second
Guessers, the media circus and so on.
I was impressed because he was one of the few people who was interested in the policy
and managerial implications of what had happened, and the only governor that I know of who
ever called.
When we were finished, I said, "Thank you for calling, Gov. Clinton."
He said, "It’s Bill. Keep up the good work, Dick!"
Resource Links:
PHMC: Nuclear Accident At Three Mile Island Historical Marker
WITF Documentary: TMI: Meltdown At Three Mile Island: 40 Years Later, March 28 At 8:30
NewsClips:
Just The Beginning
Reactor Accident
Related Stories:
PHMC: 18 New State Historical Markers Approved, Several Related To PA’s Environmental
Heritage
Million Annually
PHMC: 18 New State Historical Markers Approved, Include Several Related To PA’s
Environmental Heritage
On March 14, the PA Historical and Museum

Commission announced the approval of 18 new PA
Historical Markers, the familiar blue-and-gold signs that
commemorate people, events and locations in
Pennsylvania's history.
Several related to Pennsylvania's environmental heritage
include--
-- Marianna Mine Explosion, Marianna, Washington
County: This tragic incident occurred in 1908 and is one
of the worst mining disasters in U.S. history. It gained
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national attention, catalyzed public awareness, and along with other accidents in the early 20th
century led to the establishment of the United States Bureau of Mines (USBM). Before it was
dissolved in 1996, the USBM conducted research and disseminated information on the
extraction, processing, use and conservation of mineral resources.
-- Fruit Research & Extension Center, Butler Township, Adams County: Established in
1918, the Penn State Fruit Research & Extension Center (FREC) conducted extensive research
into diseases and pests attacking Pennsylvania fruit trees and developed treatments for them.
FREC is credited with eradicating plum pox, substantially reducing losses due to pests, and
increasing yields for more than a decade. It has affected fruit growers, distributors and
consumers nationwide.
-- William J. Murtagh (1923–2018), Philadelphia: One of the nation’s leading preservationists,
Murtagh was instrumental in the enactment of the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966
and is considered a founding father in the field of historic preservation. He was also a leader at
the National Trust for Historic Preservation and the first keeper of the National Register of
Historic Places. He received numerous preservation awards and served on the boards of national
and international preservation organizations.
Since 1946 PHMC’s historical markers have chronicled the people, places and events that
have affected the lives of Pennsylvanians over the centuries. The signs feature subjects such as
Native Americans and settlers, government and politics, athletes, entertainers, artists, struggles
for freedom and equality, factories and businesses, and a multitude of noteworthy topics.
Nominations for historical markers may be submitted by any individual or organization
and are evaluated by a panel of independent experts from throughout the state and approved by
the agency’s commissioners.
More information, including application information, visit the PHMC’s Historical Marker
Program website.
The Pennsylvania Conservation Heritage website is a great place to learn about
environmental history in the Commonwealth.
Visit the Explore PA History website to search for more key people, events and places
that make up Pennsylvania’s environmental heritage.
NewsClips:
Just The Beginning
Reactor Accident
Related Stories:
28, 1979
Million Annually
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Environmental NewsClips - All Topics
Here are NewsClips from around the state on all environmental topics, including General
Environment, Budget, Marcellus Shale, Watershed Protection and much more.
The latest environmental NewsClips and news is available at the PA Environment Digest Daily
Blog and Twitter Feed.
PaEN: Gov. Wolf Announces Winners of Governor’s Award For Environmental Excellence
Achievement Award
Sunday NewsClips
AP-Levy: Debate Over Nuclear Power Hits Home In Rural Pennsylvania
House Leaders Moving Cautiously On Nuclear Power Rescue Bill
As Levee Costs Grow In Williamsport, Next Stage Includes State Funding
Op-Ed: Pass A Natural Gas Severance Tax to Fund Infrastructure In PA - Gov. Wolf
PECO Tree Clearing Riles Residents In Bucks
Fort Indiantown Gap Begins Spring 2019 Prescribed Burn Season
Frye: Camping When Campfires Are Prohibited
Dietz: Game Commission Has Support In Its Battle Against Chronic Wasting Disease
Dietz: Game Commission Receives Credible Support In Its Battle Against Chronic Wasting
Disease
Nesting Pair Of Eagles Returns To Presque Isle State Park
Trout Stocking, Birding Events To Soon Be Underway In Centre County
Sunday - Environmental Heritage
Remembering The Three Mile Island Accident: Concern, Confusion, Chaos
Three Mile Island Nuclear Accident: The Ultimate Out-Of-Body Experience
Go To Three Mile Island And Camp There: Reporter Gets Careers Lessons From Nuclear
Accident
Sunday - National/International
Op-Ed: Rolling Back Portions Of Federal Clean Water Act Is A Bad Idea
Rescues, Evacuations As Floodwaters Breach Levees In Midwest
AP: W. S. Merwin, Prize-Winning Poet Of Nature, Dies At 91
Politics
Click Here for a Week’s Worth Of Political NewsClips
Air
PaEN: DEP To Discuss Draft Regs Controlling VOC [Methane] Emissions From Existing Oil
& Gas Operations At March 21 Advisory Board Meeting
PaEN: EQB Publishes Proposed Fine Particulate Matter Regulations For Comment, 3 Hearings
Set
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Timeline
New Allegheny County Order Would Speed Up Repairs To U.S. Steel Coke (Coal) Plant,
Curtail Pollution
U.S. Steel Releases Photos Of Repairs At Clairton Coke Works After Fire
Erie Coke (Coal) Plant Appeal Of DEP Order Assigned To Erie EHB Judge
Study: Blacks, Hispanics Bear The Burden Of Air Pollution
Alternative Fuels
PaEN: PUC Approves Duquesne Light Filing For Third-Party Electric Vehicle Charging
Stations
Awards & Recognition
PaEN: Gov. Wolf Announces Winners of Governor’s Award For Environmental Excellence
PaEN: R. Timothy Weston To Receive PA Bar Assn. Environmental & Energy Law Section
Lifetime Achievement Award
PaEN: Game Commission Manager Lauren Ferreri Recognized For Conservation
Achievements
Pittsburgh Recognized As Starting Point For Lewis And Clark Expedition
Biodiversity/Invasive Species
PaEN: Agriculture Extends Spotted Lanternfly Quarantine Area To Dauphin County
PaEN: Business Owners: Do I Need A Spotted Lanternfly Permit Webinar March 21
Plant For Pollinators
PaEN: DEP/Health Announce New Statewide Tick Surveillance Program, Part Of A 5-Year
Study Of Tickborne Illnesses In PA
PaEN: Tiadaghton Audubon: How The Fate Of The Florida Sparrow Impacts Pennsylvania,
Head Of Morris Arboretum Retiring After 42 Years, A Rare Tenure In Botanical World
Budget
Survivors
Rep. Kaufer Asks Attorney General To File Injunction To Stop Luzerne Stormwater Fee
Sanitary, Stormwater Fee Bills Due To Wyoming Valley Sanitary Authority Today
Stormwater Fee, Possible Park & Lock Project Dominate Butler Twp. Meeting In Luzerne
PaEN: House Tourism & Recreation Committee Holds March 19 Info Meeting On PA Parks &
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DCNR: Prince Gallitzin State Park, Cambria County, Needs $3.5 Million Of Infrastructure
Work
DCNR Secretary Tours Potential Trail Site In Pittsburgh To Promote Restore PA
Delaware Canal State Park Needs $90 Million Worth Of Improvements
Editorial: State Parks Report Sounds Alarm
PaEN: Choose Clean Water Coalition Pushing For More Chesapeake Bay Cleanup Funding
Ohio Governor Wants Nearly $1 Billion For Lake Erie, Waterways
Budget - Federal
Trump Proposes Slashing EPA Budget By 31 Percent
Trump Budget Diverts Spending From EPA And Renewables Toward Border Wall
PaEN: Chesapeake Bay Foundation Opposed To Proposed 90% Cut In Federal Bay Funding
PaEN: Choose Clean Water Coalition Pushing For More Chesapeake Bay Cleanup Funding
Environmentalists Slam Trump’s Proposal to Slash Chesapeake Bay Cleanup Funds
AP: Trump Seeks Cuts For Cleanup Of Great Lakes, Other Waterways
AP: Wolf, 4 Other Great Lakes Governors Oppose Trump Plan To Cut Great Lakes Funding
Trump’s Energy Budget Makes Coal, Nuclear Priority Over Renewables
Trump Budget Again Seeks Deep Cuts To EPA, DOE Renewables Research
Proposed Cuts
EPA Union Denounces 2020 Budget, Calls On Congress To Fully Fund Agency - Philadelphia
Trump Budget Proposes Funds To Finish Lower Mon Locks & Dam Project
Chesapeake Bay
PaEN: PA Chesapeake Bay Watershed Planning Steering Committee Meets March 22 To Hear
Funding Workgroup Report
PaEN: Bay Journal Op-Ed: Healthy Trees, Forests Are Great Cure For What Ails Chesapeake
Bay
PaEN: Chesapeake Bay Stewardship Fund Offering: Small Watershed & Innovative Nutrient &
PaEN: March 19 Penn State Water Insights Seminar Highlights Stroud Water Center's
Research On Soil Health
Proposed Cuts
Click Here to subscribe to the free Chesapeake Bay Journal
Click Here to support the Chesapeake Bay Journal
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Like Chesapeake Bay Journal On Facebook
Citizen Action
PaEN: DEP, Lycoming College Host Open House March 18 In Williamsport For Landowners,
PaEN: Chesapeake Conservancy Seeking Volunteers To Identify, Collect Livestakes In Centre,
Indoor Seeding For Gardeners Program Set At Mt. Pleasant Public Library
Climate
PaEN: Auditor General DePasquale Calls For State Action On Climate Change, Brace For
New Costs
Auditor General DePasquale: We Cannot Rely On Federal Govt. On Climate Change
Auditor General: Climate Change Is An Environmental And Economic Crisis
Xian: Auditor General On Climate Change: Each Disaster Is A Hit To State Taxpayers
There’s A Sense We Have to Act Now On Climate Change Say Experts At Penn State
Column: 3 Philly School Kids Are Striking Friday Because Grown-Ups Failed them On
Climate
Stations
NPR: It’s 2050 And This Is How We Stopped Climate Change
Climate
Letter: There Is A Bipartisan Path Forward On Climate Change
Letter: Anti-Climate Change Ad Is Dangerous
Op-Ed: It’s Time To Act On Climate Change - Bipartisan U.S. Senators
UN: Environment Is Deadly, Worsening Mess, But Not Hopeless
Gore: U.S. Getting Close To Political Shift On Climate Change
New Plan To Protect Lower Manhattan From Climate Change
Coal Mining
Compliance Action
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Timeline
New Allegheny County Order Would Speed Up Repairs To U.S. Steel Coke (Coal) Plant,
Curtail Pollution
Court Decisions
PaEN: Commonwealth Court Clears The Way For Attorney General To Pursue Unfair Trade
Practices Cases Against Chesapeake, Anadarko On Drilling Royalties, Payments
PaEN: Court: Injection Well Developer Does Not Need To Wait To Challenge A Local Zoning
Deep Mine Safety
PaEN: Penn State To Host Eastern Collegiate Mine Rescue Contest March 30
Delaware River
PaEN: House Bill Would Give Either Senate Or House Environmental Committee A Veto
Over Any DEP Groundwater Withdraw Regulations
Op-Ed: Our Beer Is Only As Good As Our Water
Delaware RiverKeeper March 15 RiverWatch Video Report
Drinking Water
Contamination
Infrastructure
PaEN: PUC Highlights Importance Of Safe Drinking Water During-- Fix A Leak Week
Earth Day
Education
PaEN: Wildlife For Everyone Awards College Scholarships To 5 Students
PaEN: Penn State To Host Eastern Collegiate Mine Rescue Contest March 30
PaEN: New Online Course Provides In-Depth Understanding Of Meaningful Watershed
Educational Experience For Educators
PaEN: Registration Now Open For 25th Delaware River Sojourn June 14-22
PaEN: Allegheny Land Trust Releases Full Schedule of Environmental Education Activities,
Events
Climate
Energy
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Power Plants
Job Done?
Cusick: Nuclear Watchdog Group Wants NRC To Investigate Safety Issue At Three Mile
Island
MSC: PA Leads Nation In Natural Gas Power Generation Growth
PA Accounts For 25 Percent Of U.S. Natural Gas Power Generation
Stations
PaEN: Vista Energy Marketing To Pay $52,700 Penalty To PUC In Door-To-Door Energy
Sales Case
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Maykuth: PUC Slaps Hefty Fine On Energy Firm For Employing Rapist As Door-To-Door
Salesman In Bucks
Chambersburg Sells Bonds To Upgrade Electric System
Op-Ed: Transource Power Line Would Cost PA Electricity Customers $514M In Higher Rates
Some Peoples Gas Customers In Moon Might Not Get Service Back Until Monday
Energy Conservation
Philadelphia Museum Of Art Swapping Out 11,000 Bulbs, Fixtures For LEDs
PaEN: Feature - What We Owe To Pennsylvania’s Rachel Carson
PaEN: Feature-- 40 Years Ago Pennsylvanians Woke Up To The Accident At Three Mile
Island, March 28, 1979
PaEN: On March 27 Penn State Harrisburg Will Mark 40th Anniversary Of Three Mile Island
Accident
Just The Beginning
Reactor Accident
PaEN: PHMC: 18 New State Historical Markers Approved, Several Related To PA’s
Farming
PaEN: Pennsylvania Leopold Conservation Award To Recognize PA Farmer With $10,000
Prize
PaEN: NRCS-PA Now Accepting Applications For Funding To Protect Wetlands, Farmland
On Working Farms
PaEN: USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service Seeks Public Comments On
Conservation Practice Standards
Philadelphia Releases RFP For Citywide Urban Agriculture Plan
Plant For Pollinators
Penn State Extension Agronomy Guide Is Farmer’s Bible
Flooding
PaEN: House Committee To Consider Bill Creating Flood Insurance Premium Assistance Task
Force March 18
Survivors
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Forests
Wildfire Risk Increasing In Pennsylvania During Spring
PaEN: DCNR Now Accepting Applications For Volunteer Fire Company Wildfire Fighting
Grants
PaEN: Agriculture Extends Spotted Lanternfly Quarantine Area To Dauphin County
PaEN: Business Owners: Do I Need A Spotted Lanternfly Permit Webinar March 21
Busy Time For Maple Syrup Makers In Erie Region
Squirrels Are Damaging Some Maple Syrup Operations
Sweet Treat: PA Contributes To Maple Syrup Production
Schneck: What’s The Strangest Thing You’ve Found In The Woods?
Geologic Hazards
Big Sinkhole Opens In Route 322 Dauphin County
Grants & Funding
PaEN: Pennsylvania Leopold Conservation Award To Recognize PA Farmer With $10,000
Prize
PaEN: Chesapeake Bay Stewardship Fund Offering: Small Watershed & Innovative Nutrient &
PaEN: NRCS-PA Now Accepting Applications For Funding To Protect Wetlands, Farmland
On Working Farms
PaEN: DCNR Now Accepting Applications For Volunteer Fire Company Wildfire Fighting
Grants
PaEN: Applications Now Being Accepted For Schuylkill Highlands Landscape Mini-Grants
Green Infrastructure
Bay
Editorial: Wolf Must Lock Down Funding For Codorus Creek Improvement Project In York
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Clay Twp., Lancaster County, Seeks To Improve Stormwater Runoff
Survivors
Hazardous Substances
PaEN: DEP: Soil Samples At A Park, Day Care Center In Palmerton, Carbon County Exceed
Lead Standard
Contamination
PaEN: Dept. Of Human Services Explores Use Of Medicaid Funds For Lead Exposure
Prevention And Remediation Initiative
Lake Erie
Land Conservation
PaEN: Allegheny Land Trust Releases Full Schedule of Environmental Education Activities,
Events
Crable: Rumors Swirl Around Sale Of Girl Scout Camp In Lancaster County
PaEN: Chestnut Hill Conservancy Protects 2 Properties In Philadelphia
PaEN: PA Land Trust Assn. Offers Guides On Land Conservation, Allowing Land
Encroachments
Trump Administration Moving To Ease Oil & Gas Drilling Restrictions In West
Littering/Anti-Dumping
PaEN: Keep PA Beautiful Engages Nearly 130,000 Volunteers To Remove Over 7.2 Million
Pounds Of Trash In 2018
Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful Removes 7.2 Million Pounds Of Trash
College Groups To Participate In Spring Litter Cleanup In Washington County
WITF Smart Talk: Picking Up The Poconos Initiative
Williamsport: City-Wide Litter Sweeps To Take Place In Late April
Mine Reclamation
PaEN: Opportunity To Bid On DEP Mine Subsidence Control Project In Lackawanna County
Noncoal Mining
Bagenstose: Sen. Santarsiero: DEP Investigating Rockhill Quarry Records
Oil & Gas
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PaEN: DEP Reaches Settlement On Diversified Gas & Oil Abandoned Conventional Wells
Frazier: DEP Reaches $7M Agreement Over 1,400 Abandoned Oil & Gas Wells
Huba: DEP Reaches Settlement With Companies To Plug Abandoned Wells In Western PA
MSC: PA Leads Nation In Natural Gas Power Generation Growth
PA Accounts For 25 Percent Of U.S. Natural Gas Power Generation
PaEN: House Environmental Committee Meets March 19 To Consider Bill Allowing Cross
Unit Drilling Under Several Properties
PaEN: Commonwealth Court Clears The Way For Attorney General To Pursue Unfair Trade
Practices Cases Against Chesapeake, Anadarko On Drilling Royalties, Payments
PaEN: Court: Injection Well Developer Does Not Need To Wait To Challenge A Local Zoning
Some Peoples Gas Customers In Moon Might Not Get Service Back Until Monday
Film On Arctic Refuge Battle Set For Pittsburgh Screening
Litvak: Rice Energy/EQT Proxy Fight History Plays Out On Ohio Farms
Trump Administration Moving To Ease Oil & Gas Drilling Restrictions In West
Permitting
PaEN: DEP Posts 65 Pages Of Permit-Related Notices In March 16 PA Bulletin
Personnel
Pipelines
PaEN: Attorney General, Delaware County DA Conducting Joint Investigation Into Mariner
East Pipelines
East Pipelines
Maykuth: Attorney General Launches Criminal Investigation Into Mariner East Pipeline
Project
PaEN: 15 Senate, House Members Ask Gov. Wolf To Halt Mariner East Pipeline Operations
Until Safety Protocols Are In Place
PaEN: Senators Killion, Dinniman Introduce Resolution Forming Senate/House Commission
To Make Recommendations To Improve Pipeline Safety, Construction Practices
Scared
PaEN: DEP Proposes Water Quality Certification For Adelphia Gateway Pipeline Project In
Eastern PA
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PaEN: Proposed Water Quality Certification Published For Columbia Case East & West
Pipeline Project, Armstrong, Butler, Clarion Counties
Radiation Protection
Power Plants
Job Done?
Cusick: Nuclear Watchdog Group Wants NRC To Investigate Safety Issue At Three Mile
Island
Recreation
PaEN: House Tourism & Recreation Committee Holds March 19 Info Meeting On PA Parks &
DCNR: Prince Gallitzin State Park, Cambria County, Needs $3.5 Million Of Infrastructure
Work
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DCNR Secretary Tours Potential Trail Site In Pittsburgh To Promote Restore PA
Delaware Canal State Park Needs $90 Million Worth Of Improvements
Local Leaders Tour Bucks State Parks, Assess Needs
First Phase Of Ohiopyle Construction On Schedule To Be Completed By Memorial Day
Editorial: Friends Of Lackawanna Appeal Affirms Opposition To Keystone Landfill
PaEN: March 15 Take Five Fridays With Pam, PA Parks & Forests Foundation
PaEN: Registration Now Open For 25th Delaware River Sojourn June 14-22
Hiker Rescued From Hillside Along Popular Trail Near Moraine State Park
DCNR Plans White-Water Release Into Tohickon Creek For Annual Boating Event In Bucks
March 15 Take Five Fridays With Pam, PA Parks & Forests Foundation
Ski Areas In NE Flying High As Season Wraps Up
A Park That Makes Money? Dilworth Park In Philadelphia Generated $2.5 Million In 2018
Hayes: Adaptive Sports Equipment Enables Outdoor Recreation For All
Ashley Residents Worried About Playground Plan
New Warrington Park To Offer App/Bluetooth Technology In Bucks County
Allegheny Twp OKs Money For Tredway Trail Expansion
Why Cyclists Feel Vulnerable In Philly’s Bike Lanes
Pittsburgh Recognized As Starting Point For Lewis And Clark Expedition
Crable: Extreme Adventurer: When Winter Weather Gets Rough, Ben Weaver Gets Going
Crable: Rumors Swirl Around Sale Of Girl Scout Camp In Lancaster County
York, Lancaster Counties Earn National Heritage Area Designation To Draw Tourists, Spur
Economy
Recycling/Waste
Recycling Today Highlights PRC’s Pop-Up Glass Recycling Initiative
Editorial: Pop-Up Recycling, PA Resources Council Helps Us Do The Right Thing
Sen. Yaw Tours Muncy Company Turns Out Drainage Pipes Made From Recycled Plastic
Millcreek Twp. Hauler Asks For Increased Fee To Cover Recycling Costs
Multi-Municipal Recycling Center May Move In Blair County
Logan Twp, Blair County To Apply For DEP Food Waste Recycling Grant
What Happens To The Flowers After The Philadelphia Flower Show Ends?
Editorial: Friends Of Lackawanna Appeal Affirms Opposition To Keystone Landfill
Renewable Energy
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Stormwater
Superfund - Federal
PaEN: DEP: Soil Samples At A Park, Day Care Center In Palmerton, Carbon County Exceed
Lead Standard
Susquehanna
Sustainability
PaEN: The Hershey Company Announces Action Plans To Protect, Restore Forests In Cocoa
Growing Region
10th Annual Sustainability Conference Sparks In-Depth Conversation About Smart Cities In
Pittsburgh
Wastewater Facilities
EPA OKs Plan To Stop Sewage Overflows From Allentown, Surrounding Municipalities
Sadsbury Twp, Chester County Sells Wastewater System
Infrastructure
Editorial: ALCOSAN Overhaul Should Include Transparency
Watershed Protection
Bay
Editorial: Wolf Must Lock Down Funding For Codorus Creek Improvement Project In York
Delaware RiverKeeper March 15 RiverWatch Video Report
Op-Ed: Our Beer Is Only As Good As Our Water
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Click Here to subscribe to the Chesapeake Bay Journal
Follow Chesapeake Bay Journal On Twitter
Like Chesapeake Bay Journal On Facebook
Wildlife
PaEN: Game Commission Manager Lauren Ferreri Recognized For Conservation
Achievements
Hunters Gather In Jefferson County To Protest Deer Removal Plans
Hunters Protest Chronic Wasting Disease Deer Elimination Plan
Hunters Gather To Hear Speaker Opposed To Deer Removal In Blair County To Deal With
CWD
Hunters, Hikers Debate Proposed Changes To PA Deer Hunting Season
Hayes: Old-Time Tradition May End With A Saturday Start To Deer Season
Letter: End Sunday Hunting Ban
Game Commission Sets March 25 Working Group Meeting
PaEN: Wildlife For Everyone Awards College Scholarships To 5 Students
Peregrine Falcons At Pitt’s Cathedral Of Learning Have 1st Egg Of Season
Why A Wounded Bald Eagle Couldn’t Be Saved At Centre Wildlife Care
Allegheny Front: Birders Make The Best Friends
Thomas: Tundra Swans Are A Treat For Those Lucky Enough To Catch Their Migration
North - Western PA
How Middle Creek Wildlife Area Staff Count Snow Geese
Out-Of-Staters “Flock” To Middle Creek Wildlife Areas In March
Middle Creek Snow Geese Population May Be Near Peak With 150,000 Birds - Video
Nature Watch: Rare For Erie, Eurasian Wigeon Spotted Off Perry Monument
Schneck: 4.2 Million Trout On The Way, First First-Day March 23
Over 40 Ice Fishermen Rescued After Ice Floe Breaks Off In Lake Erie
Film On Arctic Refuge Battle Set For Pittsburgh Screening
PaEN: April 5 PA Wildlife Gala To Raise Money For Wildlife Conservation & Education
West Nile/Zika Virus
Other
PaEN: PA Chamber’s Annual Environmental Conference & Trade Show April 23 In Hershey
The Manayunk Canal Almost Became The Manayunk Expressway In Philadelphia
Click Here For This Week's Allegheny Front Radio Program
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Public Participation Opportunities/Calendar Of Events
This section lists House and Senate Committee meetings, DEP and other public hearings and
meetings and other interesting environmental events.
NEW means new from last week. Go to the online Calendar webpage for updates.
Note: DEP published the 2019 schedules of its advisory committees, councils and board
meetings in the Dec. 10 PA Bulletin, page 7708.
March 16-- South Mountain Partnership Speakers Series: Creating The Appalachian Trail In
The South. Pine Grove Furnace Ironmasters House, Gardners, Adams County. Noon.
March 16-- South Mountain Partnership, Capital Resource Conservation & Development Area
Council Watershed Groups Working With Municipalities For Greater Impact Workshop. Adams
County Conservation District Office, 670 Old Harrisburg Road, Gettysburg. 9:00 a.m. to Noon.
March 16-- DCNR Bureau Of Forestry. Making The Most Of Your Piece Of Nature: A
Sustainable Backyard Workshop. Franklin Regional Senior High School, 3200 School Road in
Murrysville, Westmoreland County. 8:30 to 12:30.
March 16-- PA Resources Council Backyard Composting Workshop. Fox Chapel, Allegheny
County. 10:30 to Noon.
March 16-- Brodhead Watershed Association Get Outdoors Poconos Hike at the new Bluestone
Preserve In Paradise Township, Monroe County. 10:00.
March 18-- NEW. House Appropriations Committee meets to consider House Bill 370
(Klunk-R-York) amending the Agricultural Area Security Law to provide for the voluntary
relinquishment of the right to construct a residence to further reduce the value of the property
(sponsor summary), House Bill 404 (Lawrence-R-Chester) designating the tree of heaven,
preferred home for the spotted lanternfly. Room 140. Off the Floor.
March 18-- NEW. House Insurance Committee meets to consider House Bill 328 (Warren-D-
Bucks) establishing a Flood Insurance Premium Assistance Task Force (sponsor summary).
Room B-31 Main Capitol. 11:30. Click Here to watch the meeting live online. Click Here for
more on the agenda.
March 18-- Penn State Extension 2 Home Water And Septic System Workshops. Gracedale
Nursing Home Conference Room, 2 Gracedale Ave., Nazareth, Northampton County. 1:30 and
6:00.
March 18-- Penn State Extension Spotted Lanternfly Public Meeting. Quakertown, Bucks
County.
March 18-19-- PA Assn. Of Environmental Educators. 2019 Cityscapes & Greenscapes
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Conference. Philadelphia.
March 18-19-- Green Building Alliance Certified Passive House Tradesperson Training -
Module I. Pittsburgh.
March 19-- NEW. House Environmental Resources and Energy Committee meets to consider
House Bill 247 (Oberlander-R-Clarion) to allow cross unit unconventional drilling (sponsor
summary). Room 205 Ryan Building. 10:00. Click Here to watch the meeting online.
March 19-- Joint Conservation Committee informational meeting on promoting PA Route 6 for
biking and local tourism. Room 108 Irvis Building. 10:00.
March 19-- House Tourism and Recreational Development Committee holds an informational
meeting with a presentation by the PA Parks & Forests Foundation on infrastructure needs
report. Room 205 Ryan Building. 9:00. Click Here to watch the meeting live online. Click
Here for more on the agenda.
March 19-- CANCELED. Environmental Quality Board meeting. Room 105 Rachel Carson
Building. 9:00. Contact: Laura Edinger, 717-772-3277, ledinger@pa.gov. (formal notice)
March 19-- CANCELED. DEP Citizens Advisory Council meeting. The next scheduled meeting
is April 16. Contact: Keith Calador, Executive Director, 717-787-8171 or send email to:
ksalador@pa.gov. (formal notice)
March 19-- DCNR, Penn State Extension Forest Health, Insect & Disease Briefing. Penn Stater
Hotel and Conference Center, State College. 8:30 to 3:30.
March 19-- Dept. Of Labor & Industry Uniform Construction Code Review And Advisory
Council meeting. L&I Building, 651 Boas Street, Room E-100 in Harrisburg. 10:00. Contact:
Nathan Clark, 717-772-9162. (formal notice)
March 19-- Pipeline Safety Rally - Sen. Dinniman, Rep. Friel Otten. Capitol Rotunda,
Harrisburg. 10:00.
March 19-- NEW. Chesapeake Conservancy Livestake Identification, Collection Volunteer

Event In Northumberland County. Instructions on where to meet will be given to those who sign
up.
March 20-- Joint Senate & House Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committees hold joint hearing
on Gov. Wolf’s proposed PA Farm Bill. Hearing Room 1 North Office Building. 9:00. Click
Here for more on PA Farm Bill
March 20-- Penn State Extension Land Use Webinar Series. Options For Meeting MS4
Stormwater Pollution Reduction Requirements Without Breaking The Budget. Noon to 1:15.
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March 20-- Whitaker Center for Science & The Arts Premiere Of Expedition Chesapeake iMax
Film. Whitaker Center, Harrisburg. 5:30.
March 20-- PA Resources Council Backyard Composting Workshop. Point Breeze, Allegheny
County. 6:30 to 8:00.
March 20-21-- Registration Open. Northeast Recycling Council Spring Conference.

Wilmington, DE.
March 21-- Agenda Posted. DEP Oil and Gas Technical Advisory Board meeting. Room 105
Rachel Carson Building. 10:00. DEP Contact: Todd Wallace, 717-783-9438, twallace@pa.gov.
(formal notice) C
lick Here to register to join the meeting via Skype.
March 21-- Stroud Water Research Center World Water Day Celebration. At the Center,
Avondale, Chester County. 6:00.
March 21-- Penn State Extension Spotted Lanternfly Public Meeting. Nazareth, Northampton
County.
March 21-- NEW. Dept. of Agriculture Do I Need A Spotted Lanternfly Permit Webinar. 1:00
to 2:00.
March 21-- Dept. Of Agriculture’s Controlled Plant And Noxious Weed Committee meeting to
consider adding hemp to the Controlled Plant List. Room 309 Agriculture Building, 2301 North
Cameron Street, Harrisburg. 1:00. Questions should be directed to Trilby Libhart,
717-787-4843, or send email to: RA-plant@pa.gov. (formal notice)
March 22-- NEW. PA Chesapeake Bay Watershed Implementation Planning Steering
Committee meeting. Room 105 Rachel Carson Building. 9:00 to Noon. Click Here to attend via
webinar. Participants will also need to call in 1-650-479-3208, PASSCODE: 648 449 003.
March 22-- Tree Pittsburgh Tree Ordinance Workshop. Tree Pittsburgh, 32 62nd Street in
Pittsburgh. 8:30 to Noon.
March 22-- Penn State Extension Rights-Of-Way And Integrated Vegetation Management
Workshop. Extension Office in Mercer County at 463 N. Perry Highway, Mercer. 8:30 to 4:00.
March 22-23-- Registration Open. Penn State Center For Private Forests 4th Biennial Forest
Landowners Conference. Penn Stater Hotel and Conference Center, State College.
March 23-- South Mountain Partnership Speakers Series: Adams County Barn Survey Volunteer
Training. Apple Museum in Biglerville. 8:30.
March 23-- Jacobs Creek Watershed Association Tired Of Tires Collection Campaign,
Westmoreland County. Scottdale Borough, 10 Mount Pleasant Road, Scottdale. 9:00 to Noon.
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March 23-- Pocono Environmental Ed Center Angling & Hunting For Conservation Program.
At the Center, 538 Emery Road in Dingmans Ferry, Pike County.10:00 to 2:15.
March 24-- NEW. Chesapeake Conservancy Livestake Identification, Collection Volunteer

Event In Centre County. Instructions on where to meet will be given to those who sign up.
March 25-- Botstiber Institute For Wildlife Fertility Control Pennsylvania Deer Conflict
Management Seminar. Dixon University Center, Administration Building, Conference Room
B/C, 2986 North Second Street, Harrisburg. 5:30 to 8:00
March 25-26-- Green Building Alliance Certified Passive House Tradesperson Training -
Module II. Pittsburgh.
March 25-29-- Carnegie Mellon University Energy Week 2019. Pittsburgh.
March 26-- Penn State Extension Spotted Lanternfly Public Meeting. Lewisburg, Union County.
March 27-- NEW. DCNR Conservation and Natural Resources Advisory Council meeting.
Room 105 Rachel Carson Building. 10:00. Contact: Gretchen Leslie, 717-772-9084,
gleslie@pa.gov. (formal notice)
March 27-- NEW. Penn State Harrisburg 40th Anniversary Of Three Mile Island Accident
Program. Multiple events during the day.
March 27-- Penn State Extension Spotted Lanternfly Public Meeting. Macungie, Lehigh County.
March 27-28-- Advanced Watershed Educator Workshops For Non-Formal Educators. Jennings
Environmental Education Center, 2951 Prospect Road, Slippery Rock, Butler County. Click
Here to register.
March 28-- DEP Water Resources Advisory Committee meeting. Room 105 Rachel Carson
Building. 9:30. Contact: Diane Wilson, 717-787-3730, diawilson@pa.gov.
March 28-- DEP Mining and Reclamation Advisory Board Reclamation Committee meeting.
14th Floor Conference Room, Rachel Carson Building. 10:00. DEP Contact: Daniel Snowden,
717-783-8846 or send email to: dsnowden@pa.gov. (formal notice)
March 28-- Pike County Conservation District. Ways To Help Your Lake Stay Healthy.
Dingman Township Fire Hall, 680 Log Tavern Road, Milford. 9:00 to 11:00.
March 29-- Harrisburg University Center for Environment, Energy & Economy Climate
Disruption & Sustainable Development Series: Natural Gas In PA: Energy, Innovation And The
Environment. Harrisburg University, 14th Floor Auditorium, 326 Market Street, Harrisburg.
11:30 to 1:00.
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March 29-- Keystone Elk Country Alliance Student Environmental Career Day & Job Fair. Elk
Country Visitor Center, 134 Homestead Drive, Benezette, Elk County. 10:00 to 2:00
March 30-- PA Resources Council Pop-Up Glass Recycling Event. Edgeworth Borough,
Allegheny County. 9:00 to 2:00.
March 30-- Penn State Extension Livestaking For Minor Streambank Repairs Workshop.
Southeast Agricultural Research & Extension Center, 1446 Auction Road, Manheim, Lancaster
County. 9:00 to 11:30.
March 31-- Brodhead Watershed Association Reflections On A Changing Climate Program.

Brodhead Creek Heritage Center, 1539 Cherry Lane Road, Analomink, Monroe County. 1:00.
April 1-- Penn State Extension Spotted Lanternfly Public Meeting. Phoenixville, Chester
County.
April 2-- Penn State Extension Spring Gardening Workshop. Northampton Community Fowler
Family Center, 511 E. 3rd Street, Bethlehem. 6:30 to 8:30.
April 2-- PennVEST Information Session On Water Quality, Green Infrastructure Funding
Programs. Cambria County.
April 2-- Registration Open. PRPS Parks & Green Infrastructure - Managing Water For Multiple
Community Benefits Workshop. Penn Stater Conference Center, State College. 8:30 to 3:00.
April 3-- NEW. PA Chesapeake Bay Watershed Implementation Planning Steering Committee
meeting. 2nd Floor Auditorium, Rachel Carson Building. 9:00 to Noon.
April 3-- NEW. DEP State Board for Certification Of Water And Wastewater Systems Operator
meeting. 10th Floor Conference Room, Rachel Carson Building 10:00. Contact: Edgar
Chescattie, 717-772-2814, echescattie@pa.gov.
April 3- Brandywine Conservancy Land Trusts & Farmland Roundtable. Brandywine

Conservancy Offices, 1 Hoffman’s Mill Road, Chadds Ford, Chester County. 10:00 to 2:30.
April 4-6-- Registration Open. Mid-Atlantic Greenways & Trails Summit. Philadelphia.
April 5-- Wildlife For Everyone We Love Wild Things & Wild Places Gala. Nittany Lion Inn,
State College.
April 5-- Harrisburg University Center for Environment, Energy & Economy Climate Disruption
& Sustainable Development Series: Towards A Public Web-Platform For Limiting Methane
Emissions From The Oil & Gas Sector. Harrisburg University, 14th Floor Auditorium, 326
Market Street, Harrisburg. 11:30 to 1:00.
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April 6-- PA Resources Council Pop-Up Glass Recycling Event. South Fayette Twp., Allegheny
County. 9:00 to 2:00.
April 6-- PA Resources Council Backyard Composting Workshop. Point Breeze, Allegheny
County. 10:30 to Noon.
April 7-9-- CMU Mascaro Center For Sustainable Innovation. 2019 Engineering Sustainability
Conference. David L. Lawrence Convention Center, Pittsburgh.
Programs. Westmoreland County.
April 9-- DEP Environmental Justice Advisory Board meeting. 16th Floor Delaware Room,
Rachel Carson Building. 8:30. DEP Contact: Allison Acevedo, 484-250-5942. (f ormal notice)
April 9-- NEW. DEP Mine Families First Response & Communications Advisory Council
meeting. DEP New Stanton Office, 131 Broadview Road, New Stanton. 10:00. Contact: Peggy
Scheloske, 724-404-3143, mscheloske@pa.gov.
April 9-- Penn State Extension Spring Gardening Workshop. Northampton Community Fowler
Family Center, 511 E. 3rd Street, Bethlehem. 6:30 to 8:30.
Programs. Crawford County.
April 9-- Capital RC&D, NRCS-PA Farming & Conservation Opportunities For Hispanic,
African American, Other Underserved Farmers. Pine Forge Academy, 361 Pine Forge Road in
Pine Forge, Berks County. 9:00 to 3:00.
April 10-- NEW. DEP Technical Advisory Committee On Diesel-Powered Equipment (Mining)
meeting. DEP New Stanton Office, 131 Broadview Road, New Stanton. 10:00. Contact; Peggy
Scheloske, 724-404-3143, mscheloske@pa.gov.
April 10-- PA Resources Council Watershed Awareness/Rain Barrel Workshop. Point Breeze,
April 11- DEP Air Quality Technical Advisory Committee meeting. Room 105 Rachel Carson
Building. 9:15. DEP Contact: Kirit Dalal, 717-772-3436 or send email to: kdalal@pa.gov.
Programs. Lehigh County.
April 11-- South Mountain Partnership Science Summit.
101
April 13-- PA Resources Council Pop-Up Glass Recycling Event. Dormont Borough, Allegheny
County. 9:00 to 2:00.
April 13-- PA Resources Council Backyard Composting Workshop. O’Hara Township,
Allegheny County. 10:30 to Noon.
April 13-- Penn State Extension Spotted Lanternfly Public Meeting. Springfield, Delaware
County.
April 16-- Environmental Quality Board meeting. Room 105 Rachel Carson Building. 9:00.
Contact: Laura Edinger, 717-772-3277, ledinger@pa.gov.
April 16-- DEP Citizens Advisory Council meeting. Room 105 Rachel Carson Building. 10:00.
Contact: Keith Calador, Executive Director, 717-787-8171 or send email to: ksalador@pa.gov.
April 16-- NEW. EQB Hearing On Proposed Fine Particulate Matter Regulations. DEP
Southcentral Regional Office, 909 Elmerton Ave., Harrisburg. 1:00.
April 16- South Mountain Partnership Speakers Series: Charcoal Hearths, Collier Huts And
Haul Roads. Dickinson College in the Anita Tuvin Schlechter Auditorium, Carlisle, Cumberland
County. 7:00.
April 16-- PA Environmental Council Dinner Recognizing Winners Of Governor’s Awards For
Environmental Excellence. Hilton Harrisburg. 5:00. PA Environment Digest is a proud sponsor
lick Here for a list of 2019 winners.
of this special event. C
April 16-18-- PA American Water Works Association Annual Conference. Hershey Lodge and
Convention Center.
April 16-18-- Conodoguinet Creek Watershed Association Tree Wrapping. Shillelagh Farm,
6623 Carlisle Pike, Mechanicsburg, Cumberland County. 9:00 to Noon.
April 17-- NEW. DEP Small Business Compliance Advisory Committee meeting. 12th Floor
Conference Room, Rachel Carson Building. 10:00. Contact: Nancy Herb, 717-783-9269,
nherb@pa.gov. (f ormal notice)
Southwest Regional office, 400 Waterfront Dr., Pittsburgh. 1:00.
April 17-- Penn State Extension Land Use Webinar Series. Making The Most Of Historical And
Heritage Assets. Noon to 1:15.
April 17-- PA Resources Council Watershed Awareness/Rain Barrel Workshop. Phipps Garden
Center, Allegheny County. 7:00 to 8:30.
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Southeast Regional Office, 2 East Main St., Norristown. 1:00.
April 18-- Penn State PA Technical Assistance Program Benefits Of Energy Management
Systems Webinar. Noon to 1:00.
April 19-- Harrisburg University Center for Environment, Energy & Economy Climate
Disruption & Sustainable Development Series: Using The Latest Digital Innovations To Address
Energy Poverty In Developing Counties. Harrisburg University, Room 1151, 326 Market Street,
Harrisburg. 11:30 to 1:00.
April 20-- Clean Air Council Run For Clean Air. Philadelphia.
April 20-- PA Resources Council Watershed Awareness/Rain Barrel Workshop. Construction
Junction, Point Breeze, Allegheny County. 10:30 to Noon.
April 20-- PA Environmental Council, DCNR Tree Planting Weiser State Forest, Columbia
County. 9:00 to 1:00.
April 20-- Audubon Society of Western PA Earth Day Of Service To The Planet At 3 Locations.
Butler, Allegheny counties.
Programs. Dauphin County.
April 23-- NEW. DEP Climate Change Advisory Committee meeting. Room 105 Rachel
Carson Building 10:00. Contact: Lindsay Byron, 717-772-8951, lbyron@pa.gov.
April 23-- NEW. PA Chamber Of Business & Industry 2019 Environmental Conference &
Trade Show. Hershey.
April 24-- PA Resources Council Watershed Awareness/Rain Barrel Workshop. Sewickley
Public Library, Allegheny County. 7:00 to 8:30.
April 25-- DEP Agricultural Advisory Board meeting. DEP Southcentral Regional Office, 909
Elmerton Ave., Harrisburg. 9:30. DEP Contact: Jay Braund 717-772-5636 or jbraund@pa.gov.
(formal notice)
April 25-- NEW. DEP Mining And Reclamation Advisory Board meeting. 14th Floor
Conference Room, Rachel Carson Building. 10:00. Contact: Daniel Snowden, 717-783-8846 or
send email to: dsnowden@pa.gov.
April 25- PennFuture Celebrating Women In Conservation Awards Celebration. Susquehanna

Club, New Cumberland, Cumberland County. 5:30 to 8:00.
103
April 26-- Berks Conservation District Forested Riparian Buffer Showcase. Berks County 4-H
Center, 1206 County Welfare Road, Leesport. Noon.
April 26-- Penn State Extension Spotted Lanternfly Public Meeting. Lords Valley, Pike County.
April 26-27-- Bucknell University 7th Annual Sustainability Symposium. Bucknell University,
Lewisburg, Union County.
April 27-- PA Resources Council Pop-Up Glass Recycling Event. Avalon & Bellevue Boroughs,
April 27-- Conodoguinet Creek Watershed Association Riparian Buffer Planting. East
Pennsboro Township's Ridley Park, 1625 Matthew Drive, Camp Hill, Cumberland County. 9:00
Programs. Lackawanna County.
April 29 to May 2-- Registration Open. Center for Watershed Protection. 2019 National
Watershed and Stormwater Conference. South Carolina.
Programs. Bedford County.
May 1-- NEW. DEP Laboratory Accreditation Advisory Committee meeting. Bureau of
Laboratories, Room 206, 2575 Interstate Drive, Harrisburg. 9:00. Contact: Aaren Alger,
717-346-8212 or send email to: aaalger@pa.gov.
May 1-- NEW. DEP Aggregate Advisory Board meeting. Room 105, Rachel Carson Building.
10:00. Contact: Daniel Snowden, 717-783-8846 or send email to: dsnowden@pa.gov.
May 1-- Pennsylvania Groundwater Symposium. State College.
May 1-- PA Resources Council Watershed Awareness/Rain Barrel Workshop. Green Tree
Municipal Building, Allegheny County. 7:00 to 8:30.
May 4-- PA Environmental Council, DCNR Moshannon State Forest Tree Planting, Clearfield
County.
May 4-- Manada Conservancy Native Plant Sale. Hummelstown Boro Park, Poplar Avenue and
Water Street in Hummelstown, Dauphin County.
May 4-- PA Environmental Council, DCNR Tree Planting at Moshannon State Forest, Clearfield
County. 9:00 to 2:00.
May 7-- Southwestern PA Commission’s Water Resource Center Stormwater Workshop. Moon
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Twp. Municipal Building, Moon Township, Allegheny County. 9:00 to Noon. Click Here to
register.
May 8-- South Mountain Partnership Speakers Series: Pollinators And Their Habitat. Messiah
College, Boyer Hall Room 131, Mechanicsburg, Cumberland County. 6:00.
May 8-- PA Parks & Forests Foundation Annual Awards Celebration. Susquehanna Club, New
Cumberland, Cumberland County. 5:00. Click Here for sponsor information. PA Environment
Digest is a proud sponsor of this special event.
May 8-- Southwestern PA Commission’s Water Resource Center Stormwater Workshop. Peters
Twp. Municipal Building, McMurray, Washington County. 9:00 to Noon. Click Here to
register.
May 8-10-- PA Assn. Of Environmental Professionals. 2019 Annual Conference - Growth
Through Collaboration. State College.
May 10-- PA Environmental Council, DCNR 2019 PA Mountain Bike Summit. Raystown Lake
Visitors Center, Huntingdon County. 10:00 to 4:00.
May 11-- PA Resources Council Pop-Up Glass Recycling Event. Upper St. Clair Twp,
May 11-- PA Resources Council Watershed Awareness/Rain Barrel Workshop. O’Hara
Township, Allegheny County. 10:30 to Noon.
May 14-- NEW. DEP Environmental Justice Advisory Board meeting. 16th Floor Delaware
Room, Rachel Carson Building. 8:30. DEP Contact: Allison Acevedo, 484-250-5942.
May 15-- Penn State Extension Land Use Webinar Series. The Benefits And Challenges of
Ridesharing On The Transportation System. Noon to 1:15.
May 16-- Penn State PA Technical Assistance Program Basics Of Building Re-Tuning Energy
Efficiency Webinar. Noon to 1:00.
May 16-- PennVEST Information Session On Water Quality, Green Infrastructure Funding
Programs. Luzerne County.
May 16-- PA Resources Council Watershed Awareness/Rain Barrel Workshop. Mt. Lebanon
Library, Allegheny County. 7:00 to 8:30.
May 16-18-- Registration Open. PA Land Trust Association. Land Conservation Conference.
Monroe County.
May 18-- Registration Open. Environmental Advisory Council Network Conference. Held in
105
conjunction with the PA Land Conservation Conference in Monroe County.
May 18-- PA Resources Council Backyard Composting Workshop. Ross Township, Allegheny
County. 4:00 to 5:30.
May 21-- PA Resources Council Backyard Composting Workshop. Mt. Lebanon Library,
May 22-- NEW. Environmental Quality Board meeting. Room 105 Rachel Carson Building.
9:00. Contact: Laura Edinger, 717-772-3277, ledinger@pa.gov. (f ormal notice)
May 22-- NEW. DEP Citizens Advisory Council meeting. Room 105 Rachel Carson Building.
10:00. Contact: Keith Calador, Executive Director, 717-787-8171 or send email to:
ksalador@pa.gov.
May 22-- NEW. DEP State Board For Certification Of Sewage Enforcement Officers meeting.
11th Floor Conference Room B, Rachel Carson Building. 10:00. Contact: Amy Forney,
717-772-2186, aforney@pa.gov.
May 22-- PA Resources Council Healthy Body & Healthy Home Workshop. Sewickley Public
Library, Allegheny County. 7:00 to 8:30.
May 23-- NEW. DEP Water Resources Advisory Committee meeting. Room 105 Rachel
Carson Building. 9:30. Contact: Diane Wilson, 717-787-3730, diawilson@pa.gov.
June 1-- PA Resources Council Pop-Up Glass Recycling Event. Kilbuck Township, Allegheny
County. 9:00 to 2:00.
June 3-7-- Registration Open. American Society of Mining & Reclamation Annual Meeting.
Montana.
June 4-- NEW. DEP Storage Tank Advisory Committee meeting. Room 105 Rachel Carson
Building. 10:00. Contact: Kris Shiffer, 717-772-5809, kshiffer@pa.gov.
June 4-- NEW. DEP Board Of Coal Mine Safety meeting. DEP Cambria Office, 286 Industrial
Park Road, Ebensburg. 10:00. Contact; Peggy Scheloske, 724-404-3143, mscheloske@pa.gov.
June 4-- PA Resources Council Watershed Awareness/Rain Barrel Workshop. North Park Rose
Barn, Allegheny County. 6:30 to 8:00.
June 6-- DEP Solid Waste Advisory Committee meeting. Room 105 Rachel Carson Building.
10:00. Contact: Laura Henry, 717-772-5713, lahenry@pa.gov. (formal notice)
June 6- PA Resources Council Watershed Awareness/Rain Barrel Workshop. Phipps Garden
Center, Allegheny County. 7:00 to 8:30.
106
June 8-- PA Resources Council Pop-Up Glass Recycling Event. Mt. Lebanon, Allegheny
County. 9:00 to 2:00.
June 11-- South Mountain Partnership Speakers Series: Appreciating The PA Local Craft Brew
Industry. Appalachian Brewing Company in Shippensburg. 6:30.
June 11-- PA Resources Council Backyard Composting Workshop. North Park Rose Barn,
June 12-- NEW. DEP Cleanup Standards Scientific Advisory Board meeting. Room 105 Rachel
Carson Building. 9:00. Contact: Michael Maddigan, 717-772-3609, mmaddigan@pa.gov.
June 13-- NEW. DEP Air Quality Technical Advisory Committee meeting. Room 105 Rachel
Carson Building. 9:15. Contact: Kirit Dalal, 717-772-3436 or send email to: kdalal@pa.gov.
June 13-- PA Resources Council Backyard Composting Workshop. Phipps Garden Center,
June 13-- Penn State Extension Spotted Lanternfly Public Meeting. Exton, Chester County.
June 16-21-- Cumberland Valley TU Rivers Conservation & Fly-Fishing Youth Camp. Messiah
College, Grantham, Cumberland County.
June 17-21-- Registration Open. Group Against Smog And Pollution Air Adventures Summer
Youth Camp. Pittsburgh.
June 18-- NEW. Environmental Quality Board meeting. Room 105 Rachel Carson Building.
9:00. Contact: Laura Edinger, 717-772-3277, ledinger@pa.gov. (f ormal notice)
June 18-- NEW. DEP Citizens Advisory Council meeting. Room 105 Rachel Carson Building.
10:00. Contact: Keith Calador, Executive Director, 717-787-8171 or send email to:
ksalador@pa.gov.
June 19-- NEW. DEP Coastal Zone Advisory Committee meeting. 10th Floor Conference
Room, Rachel Carson Building. 9:30. Contact: Stacey Box, 717-772-5622 or sbox@pa.gov.
June 20-- NEW. DEP Agricultural Advisory Board meeting. DEP Southcentral Regional
Office, 909 Elmerton Ave., Harrisburg. 9:30. DEP Contact: Jay Braund 717-772-5636 or
jbraund@pa.gov.
June 20-- NEW. DEP Oil and Gas Technical Advisory Board meeting. Room 105 Rachel
Carson Building. 10:00. DEP Contact: Todd Wallace, 717-783-9438, twallace@pa.gov.
June 23-29-- Registration Open. Keystone/TU Teens Conservation Camp. Keystone College,
107
Lackawanna County.
July 8-12-- Hawk Mountain Sanctuary Youth Appalachian Adventure Camp. Hawk Mountain
Sanctuary, Berks County.
July 18-- Penn State PA Technical Assistance Program Funding & Incentives To Implement
Energy Efficiency Projects Webinar. Noon to 1:00.
June 20-- Pike County Conservation District. Homeowner Tips To Protect Clean Water.
Dingman Township Fire Hall, 680 Log Tavern Road, Milford. 9:00 to 11:00.
July 24-26-- Registration Open. Professional Recyclers Of PA Annual Recycling & Organics
Conference. Harrisburg.
June 25-- NEW. DEP Climate Change Advisory Committee meeting. Room 105 Rachel Carson
Building 10:00. Contact: Lindsay Byron, 717-772-8951, lbyron@pa.gov.
August 12-16-- Hawk Mountain Sanctuary Youth Appalachian Adventure Camp. Hawk
Mountain Sanctuary, Berks County.
August 15-- Penn State PA Technical Assistance Program Building Re-Tuning For Energy
Efficiency In Downtown Buildings Webinar. Noon to 1:00.
August 22-25-- PA Association Of Hazardous Materials Technicians Annual Hazmat Training
and Education Conference. Seven Springs, Somerset County.
September 4-5-- PA Waste Industries Assn/Solid Waste Assn-Keystone Chapter Joint
Conference. Harrisburg Hilton.
September 8-11-- Registration Open. 2019 PA Abandoned Mine Reclamation and National
Abandoned Mine Lands Program Conference. Pittsburgh. PA Environment Digest is a proud
sponsor of this event.
September 11-- DEP Sewage Advisory Committee meeting. Room 105 Rachel Carson
Building. 10:30. Contact: Janice Vollero, 717-772-5157, jvollero@pa.gov. (f ormal notice)
September 12-- South Mountain Partnership Speakers Series: Methods Of Combating Illegal
Dumping And Vandalism In A Forest Setting. Caledonia State Park in Fayetteville, Franklin
County. 6:30.
September 19-- Penn State PA Technical Assistance Program Alternative Energy Projects For
Agriculture-Related Businesses Webinar. Noon to 1:00.
September 19-- Pike County Conservation District. Properly Maintaining Your On-Lot Septic
System. Dingman Township Fire Hall, 680 Log Tavern Road, Milford. 9:00 to 11:00.
108
September 22-24-- Pennsylvania Greenways And Trails Summit. Shippensburg University
Conference Center.
October 3-- Penn State PA Technical Assistance Program Economy, Energy And Environment
For Food-Related Industries Webinar. Noon to 1:00.
October 8-10-- Natural Areas Association Natural Areas Conference. Pittsburgh.
October 16-17-- 7th Annual Delaware River Watershed Forum. Allentown.
November 21-- Penn State PA Technical Assistance Program Entrepreneurship Ecosystem At

Penn State Webinar. Noon to 1:00.
Related Tools ----------------
Visit DEP’s Public Participation Center for public participation opportunities.

Click Here for links to DEP’s Advisory Committee webpages.
Visit DEP Connects for opportunities to interact with DEP staff at field offices.
Click Here to sign up for DEP News a biweekly newsletter from the Department.
DEP Facebook Page DEP Twitter Feed DEP YouTube Channel
DEP Calendar of Events DCNR Calendar of Events
Click Here to hook up with DCNR on other social media-- Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and
Flickr.
Senate Committee Schedule House Committee Schedule
You can watch the Senate Floor Session and House Floor Session live online.
Grants & Awards
This section gives you a heads up on upcoming deadlines for awards and grants and other
recognition programs. NEW means new from last week.
March 21-- Rivers Conservation & Fly-Fishing Youth Camp

March 20-- EPA Conowingo Dam Watershed Implementation Plan Grants
March 22-- PA American Water Stream Of Learning College Scholarship
March 22-- DEP Section 902 Recycling Implementation Grants
March 22-- CFA Alternative & Clean Energy Funding
March 22-- CFA Renewable Energy-Geothermal and Wind Funding
March 22-- CFA Solar Energy Funding
March 22-- CFA High Performance Building Funding
March 29-- PA Environmental Professionals Karl Mason, Walter Lyon Awards
March 29-- PA American Water Environmental Grants
March 29-- Schuylkill River Network Student Street Art Contest
March 31-- DEP Level 2 Electric Charging Station Rebates (First-Come)
March 31-- DEP Municipal, Hazardous Waste Host Municipality Inspector Grants
109
April 1-- DEP Farm Conservation Planning Reimbursement In 43 Counties
April 5-- Chesapeake Bay Foundation Save The Bay Photo Contest
April 10-- DCNR Community Conservation Partnership, Recreation, Buffer Grants
April 10-- Appalachian Regional Commission Coal Regions Workforce Grants
April 12-- PA American Water Protect Our Watersheds Student Art Contest
April 18-- Schuylkill River Restoration Fund Land Transaction Grants
April 19-- NEW. NRCS-PA Wetlands, Farmland Easement Programs
April 20-- PPL Future Environmental Leaders Scholarship
April 30-- NEW. Schuylkill Highlands Landscape Mini-Grants
May 2-- NEW. DCNR Volunteer Fire Company Wildfire Fighting Grants
May 3-- Pike Conservation District Environmental Ed Grant
May 10-- DEP Class 8 Truck/Transit Bus Clean Vehicle Grants
May 14-- NEW. NFWF Chesapeake Bay Small Watershed Grants
May 14-- NEW. NFWF Chesapeake Bay Innovative Nutrient & Sediment Reduction Grants
May 15-- Delaware River Basin Commission Spring Photo Contest
May 17-- CFA Alternative & Clean Energy Funding
May 17-- CFA Renewable Energy-Geothermal and Wind Funding
May 17-- CFA Solar Energy Funding
May 17-- CFA High Performance Building Funding
May 31-- CFA Act 13 Watershed Restoration Grants
May 31-- CFA Act 13 Abandoned Mine Drainage Abatement and Treatment Grants
May 31-- CFA Act 13 Orphan or Abandoned Well Plugging Grants
May 31-- CFA Act 13 Baseline Water Quality Data Grants
May 31-- CFA Act 13 Sewage Facilities Grants
May 31-- CFA Act 13 Flood Mitigation Grants
May 31-- CFA Act 13 Greenways, Trails And Recreation Grants
July 1-- PA Wilds Center Champion Of PA Wilds Awards
July 15-- DEP Grants/Rebates Electric Vehicle Charging Stations
July 19-- CFA Alternative & Clean Energy Funding
July 19-- CFA Renewable Energy-Geothermal and Wind Funding
July 19-- CFA Solar Energy Funding
July 19-- CFA High Performance Building Funding
August 15-- NEW. Leopold Farm Conservation Award
September 30-- DEP Recycling Performance Grants
December 16-- DEP Grants/Rebates Electric Vehicle Charging Stations
March 1-- Western PA Trail Volunteer Fund Grants
March 22-- DEP Act 101 Recycling Implementation Grants
June 1-- Western PA Trail Volunteer Fund Grants
September 1-- Western PA Trail Volunteer Fund Grants
September 4-- PA Parks & Forests Foundation Photo Contest
September 23-- DEP Class 8 Truck/Transit Bus Clean Vehicle Grants
December 1-- Western PA Trail Volunteer Fund Grants
-- Visit the DEP Grant, Loan and Rebate Programs webpage for more ideas on how to get
financial assistance for environmental projects.
110
-- Visit the DCNR Apply for Grants webpage for a listing of financial assistance available from
DCNR.
Regulations, Technical Guidance & Permits
Here are highlights of actions taken by agencies on environmental regulations, technical

guidance and permits.
Regulations -----------------------
The Environmental Quality Board published notice in the March 16 PA Bulletin of proposed
regulations for comment on control of fine particulate matter in nonattainment new source
review program.
The Public Utility Commission published notice in the March 16 PA Bulletin related to its
Energy Affordability for Low-Income Customers proceeding with regard to submitting
information.
The PUC formally published notice in the March 16 PA Bulletin of its implementation order
A Bulletin
related to revised procedures for the sale of public water and wastewater assets. (P
page 1259)
The Fish and Boat Commission published notice in the March 16 PA Bulletin formally adopting
changes to the list of endangered and candidate species related to fish.
Pennsylvania Bulletin - March 16, 2019
Technical Guidance -------------------
The Department of Environmental Protection published notice in the March 16 PA Bulletin

rescinding the Medical X-ray Procedures Operator Training Guide technical guidance as
unneeded.
The PA Infrastructure Investment Authority and DEP published notice in the March 16 PA
Bulletin of environmental assessments for projects being considered for funding. The projects
are located in Beaver, Bedford, Cambria, Erie and Monroe counties.
Permits ------------
The Department of Environmental Protection published notice of changes to the list of

companies certified to perform radon-related activities (March 16 PA Bulletin, page 1215).
Note: The Department of Environmental Protection published 65 pages of public notices related
to proposed and final permit and approval/ disapproval actions in the March 16 PA Bulletin -
111
pages 1157 to 1222.
Sign Up For DEP’s eNotice: Did you know DEP can send you email notices of permit
applications submitted in your community? Notice of new technical guidance documents and
regulations? All through its eNotice system. Click Here to sign up.
Related Tools ----------------------
Visit DEP’s Public Participation Center for public participation opportunities.
DEP Proposals Out For Public Review

Other Proposals Open For Public Comment - DEP webpage
Submit Comments on Proposals Through DEP’s eComment System
Recently Closed Comment Periods For Other Proposals - DEP webpage
Other Proposals Recently Finalized - DEP webpage
DEP Regulations In Process

Proposed Regulations Open For Comment - DEP webpage
Proposed Regulations With Closed Comment Periods - DEP webpage
Recently Finalized Regulations - DEP webpage
DEP Regulatory Update - DEP webpage
August 4, 2018 DEP Regulatory Agenda - PA Bulletin, Page 4733
DEP Technical Guidance In Process

Draft Technical Guidance Documents - DEP webpage
Technical Guidance Comment Deadlines - DEP webpage
Recently Closed Comment Periods For Technical Guidance - DEP webpage
Technical Guidance Recently Finalized - DEP webpage
Copies of Final Technical Guidance - DEP webpage
DEP Non-Regulatory/Technical Guidance Documents Agenda (July 2018)- DEP webpage
CLICK HERE To View Or Print Entire PA Environment Digest
CLICK HERE to View or Print the entire PA Environment Digest. This Digest is 114 pages
long.
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Send your stories, photos and links to videos about your project, environmental issues or
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PA Environment Digest is a publication of PA Environment News LLC and is edited by
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David E. Hess, former Secretary Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection. He can
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Did you know you can search back issues of PA Environment Digest since May 28, 2004 on
dozens of topics, by county and on any keyword you choose? Just click on the search page.
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Programs
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Sponsor: PEC Governor’s Awards For Environmental Excellence Dinner
PA Environment Digest is a proud sponsor of the PA Environmental Council Dinner

Recognizing Winners Of Governor’s Awards For Environmental Excellence on April 16 in
Harrisburg. Click Here for a list of the 2019 award winners.
Sponsor: PA Parks & Forests Foundation Awards Celebration
PA Environment Digest is proud to be a sponsor of the 2019 PA Parks & Forests Foundation
Annual Awards Celebration on May 8 in New Cumberland, Cumberland County.
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Issue #768 Harrisburg, PA March 18, 2019

PA Environment Digest Blog​ ​Twitter Feed​ ​ Facebook Page

Gov. Wolf Announces Winners Of Governor's Award For Environmental Excellence

On March 15, One individual and 17

PA Chesapeake Bay Watershed Planning Steering Committee Meets March 22 To Hear

The ​PA Chesapeake Bay Watershed Implementation Plan

On March 11, Rep. Tom Mehaffie (R-Dauphin)

On March 11, F. Stuart Bresler, III, from the

On March 14, ​Auditor General Eugene DePasquale​ held his first

On March 11, District Attorney Katayoun M. Copeland

On March 11, the Department of Environmental Protection ​announced a settlement​ with

On March 21, DEP’s ​Oil and Gas Technical Advisory

On March 15, Commonwealth Court ​issued a decision allowing

Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful​ and its local affiliates

On March 14, the Department of Environmental Protection

Agriculture Extends Spotted Lanternfly Quarantine Area To Dauphin County

The Department of Agriculture ​published notice

Business Owners: Do I Need A Spotted Lanternfly Permit Webinar March 21

The Department of Agriculture is hosting a ​Do I Need

R. Timothy Weston​, an environmental litigation and counseling partner

Game Commission Manager Lauren Ferreri Recognized For Conservation Achievements

Lauren Ferreri, of Newmanstown, captured the

The ​2nd annual Pennsylvania Wildlife Gala​ to

Senate/House Bills Moving Last Week

Senate/House Agenda/Session Schedule/Gov’s Schedule/ Bills Introduced

Committee Meetings This Week

Other: ​Joint Conservation Committee informational meeting on promoting PA Route 6 for

Bills Pending In Key Committees

The following bills of interest were introduced last week--

DEP Authority To Regulate Groundwater Withdrawals:​ ​House Bill 804​ (Moul-R-Adams)

Commission On Pipeline Construction And Operations:​ ​Senate Resolution 33​ (Killion-R

House and Senate Co-Sponsorship Memos

House: ​Click Here​ for all new co-sponsorship memos

Senate: ​Click Here​ for all new co-sponsorship memos

News From The Capitol

The ​House Insurance Committee​ is scheduled to meet on March 18 to

The ​House Tourism and Recreational Development Committee​ is

Senators Killion, Dinniman Introduce Resolution Forming Senate/House Commission To

On March 13, ​Senate Concurrent Resolution 33​ was

Senators Ask Colleagues To Sign On To Bipartisan Bill To Increase Renewable Energy

On March 14, Senators Art Haywood

On March 12, the President signed into law a

On March 13, more than 100 members of the ​Choose

USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service Seeks Public Comments On Conservation

On March 11, USDA’s ​Natural Resources

News From Around The State

The Department of Environmental Protection's Northcentral

Pennsylvania Leopold Conservation Award To Recognize PA Farmer With $10,000 Prize

The ​Sand County Foundation​, in partnership

The ​National Fish and Wildlife Foundation​, EPA and the

NRCS-PA Now Accepting Applications For Funding To Protect Wetlands, Farmland On

USDA’s ​Natural Resources

Chesapeake Conservancy Seeking Volunteers To Identify, Collect Livestakes In Centre,

The ​Chesapeake Conservancy​ is seeking individuals

By: Paul Solomon & Jeanne M. Riley, Forest Managers

Trees are, indeed, quite remarkable. They are integral

New Online Course Provides In-Depth Understanding Of Meaningful Watershed

By Andrew Pizzala, ​Chesapeake Bay Program

The Chesapeake Bay Program is excited to

(Reprinted from the ​Chesapeake Bay Program Blog​.)

Opportunity To Bid On DEP Mine Subsidence Control Project In Lackawanna County

The Department of Environmental Protection ​published notice in the March 16 PA Bulletin​ of an

Feature - What We Owe To Pennsylvania’s Rachel Carson

By Emmy Hicklin, ​Chesapeake Bay Foundation

“We stand now where two roads diverge.

On March 14, the Public Utility Commission

The Department of Environmental Protection published

PA Environment Digest Blog Twitter Feed Facebook Page

The PA Chesapeake Bay Watershed Implementation Plan

On March 14, Auditor General Eugene DePasquale held his first

On March 11, the Department of Environmental Protection announced a settlement with

On March 21, DEP’s Oil and Gas Technical Advisory

On March 15, Commonwealth Court issued a decision allowing

Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful and its local affiliates

The Department of Agriculture published notice

The Department of Agriculture is hosting a Do I Need

R. Timothy Weston, an environmental litigation and counseling partner

The 2nd annual Pennsylvania Wildlife Gala to

Other: Joint Conservation Committee informational meeting on promoting PA Route 6 for

DEP Authority To Regulate Groundwater Withdrawals: House Bill 804 (Moul-R-Adams)

Commission On Pipeline Construction And Operations: Senate Resolution 33 (Killion-R

House: Click Here for all new co-sponsorship memos

Senate: Click Here for all new co-sponsorship memos

The House Insurance Committee is scheduled to meet on March 18 to

The House Tourism and Recreational Development Committee is

On March 13, Senate Concurrent Resolution 33 was

On March 13, more than 100 members of the Choose

On March 11, USDA’s Natural Resources

The Sand County Foundation, in partnership

The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, EPA and the

USDA’s Natural Resources

The Chesapeake Conservancy is seeking individuals

By Andrew Pizzala, Chesapeake Bay Program

(Reprinted from the Chesapeake Bay Program Blog.)

The Department of Environmental Protection published notice in the March 16 PA Bulletin of an

By Emmy Hicklin, Chesapeake Bay Foundation

On March 13, Department of Environmental Protection announced soil samples taken at

Penn State will host the 2019 Eastern SME (Society

On March 14, The Hershey Company announced it is

On March 12, the Wildlife for Everyone

The 2019 Delaware River Sojourn will be held

The Schuylkill River Heritage Area and Natural Lands

The Chestnut Hill Conservancy now holds a conservation

The PA Land Trust Association offer

The Allegheny County-based Allegheny Land

The Tiadaghton Audubon Society Of Tioga & Potter

By Kalisha DeVan, Penn State News

March 19-- NEW. Chesapeake Conservancy Livestake Identification, Collection Volunteer

March 20-21-- Registration Open. Northeast Recycling Council Spring Conference.

March 24-- NEW. Chesapeake Conservancy Livestake Identification, Collection Volunteer

March 25-29-- Carnegie Mellon University Energy Week 2019. Pittsburgh.

March 31-- Brodhead Watershed Association Reflections On A Changing Climate Program.

April 3- Brandywine Conservancy Land Trusts & Farmland Roundtable. Brandywine

April 11-- South Mountain Partnership Science Summit.

April 25- PennFuture Celebrating Women In Conservation Awards Celebration. Susquehanna

May 1-- Pennsylvania Groundwater Symposium. State College.

October 8-10-- Natural Areas Association Natural Areas Conference. Pittsburgh.

October 16-17-- 7th Annual Delaware River Watershed Forum. Allentown.

November 21-- Penn State PA Technical Assistance Program Entrepreneurship Ecosystem At

Visit DEP’s Public Participation Center for public participation opportunities.

March 21-- Rivers Conservation & Fly-Fishing Youth Camp

The Department of Environmental Protection published notice in the March 16 PA Bulletin

Visit DEP’s Public Participation Center for public participation opportunities.

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