pa environment digest jan. 11, 2016
TRANSCRIPT
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PA Environment Digest
An Update On Environmental Issues In PAEdited By: David E. Hess, Crisci Associates
Winner 2009 PAEE Business Partner Of The Year Award
Issue #602 Harrisburg, Pa January 11, 2016
DEP Releases Final Chapter 78 Drilling Regulations For Action By EQB
The Department of Environmental Protection Wednesday released the final version of its
Chapter 78 (conventional) and Chapter 78A (unconventional-- Marcellus Shale) oil and gas
drilling regulations it has submitted to the Environmental Quality Board for consideration on
February 3.The regulatory package-- over 2,500 pages-- is available on the EQB webpage. The
package includes the Executive Summary , Preamble, Final Regulation , Comment/Response- Part
1 (original comment period), Comment/Response- Part 2 (advanced notice of final rulemaking),
Regulatory Analysis Form, 1-Page Summaries and a Regulation Fact Sheet.
Comments by the Conventional Oil and Gas Advisory Committee and comments by the
Oil and Gas Technical Advisory Board are also available.
“These regulatory changes are balanced, incremental and appropriate; protecting public
health while enabling responsible drilling to proceed,” said DEP Secretary John Quigley. “These
rules are a long time coming -- more than 4 years -- and were written with an unprecedented
amount of public participation and transparency. We’ve worked hard to ensure that the health
and saf ety of our citizens are protected, and the needs of industry are being met.”Quigley said the amendments to the oil and gas regulations address surface activities at
well sites, and center on five core areas:
— Improve protection of water resources,
— Add public resources considerations,
— Protect public health and safety,
— Address landowner concerns, and
— Enhance transparency and improve data management.
“It’s important to emphasize the role of the public and stakeholders in this process.
Across a dozen public hearings, two public comment periods that attracted almost 28,000
comments, and 20 meetings with the Oil and Gas Technical Advisory Board and Conventional
Oil and Gas Advisory Committee, this has been an exercise in transparency in rulemaking,” saidQuigley.
“These rules present a distinct, substantive separation of regulatory provisions applicable
to conventional and unconventional wells. They will allow the oil and gas industries in
Pennsylvania to continue to flourish, while adding additional common-sense environmental and
public health safeguards,” he added.
Here are a few differences between the regulations for unconventional (Marcellus Shale)
and conventional drilling--
http://www.dep.pa.gov/Business/Energy/OilandGasPrograms/OilandGasMgmt/OilGasTech/Pages/default.aspx#.Vova-jaa10chttp://files.dep.state.pa.us/PublicParticipation/Public%20Participation%20Center/PubPartCenterPortalFiles/Environmental%20Quality%20Board/2016/February%203/COGAC%20to%20EQB%20Report%20Ch%2078.pdfhttp://paenvironmentdaily.blogspot.com/2016/01/conventional-oil-gas-advisory-committee.htmlhttp://files.dep.state.pa.us/PublicParticipation/Public%20Participation%20Center/PubPartCenterPortalFiles/Environmental%20Quality%20Board/2016/February%203/TAB%20Report.pdfhttp://files.dep.state.pa.us/PublicParticipation/Public%20Participation%20Center/PubPartCenterPortalFiles/Environmental%20Quality%20Board/2016/February%203/Comment%20Response%20-%20Part%202.pdfhttp://files.dep.state.pa.us/PublicParticipation/Public%20Participation%20Center/PubPartCenterPortalFiles/Environmental%20Quality%20Board/2016/February%203/Comment%20Response%20-%20Part%202.pdfhttp://files.dep.state.pa.us/PublicParticipation/Public%20Participation%20Center/PubPartCenterPortalFiles/Environmental%20Quality%20Board/2016/February%203/Final%20Exec%20Summary.pdfhttp://files.dep.state.pa.us/PublicParticipation/Public%20Participation%20Center/PubPartCenterPortalFiles/Environmental%20Quality%20Board/2016/February%203/Final%20Order.pdfhttp://files.dep.state.pa.us/PublicParticipation/Public%20Participation%20Center/PubPartCenterPortalFiles/Environmental%20Quality%20Board/2016/February%203/Final%20Order.pdfhttp://files.dep.state.pa.us/PublicParticipation/Public%20Participation%20Center/PubPartCenterPortalFiles/Environmental%20Quality%20Board/2016/February%203/Final%20Annex%20A.pdfhttp://files.dep.state.pa.us/PublicParticipation/Public%20Participation%20Center/PubPartCenterPortalFiles/Environmental%20Quality%20Board/2016/February%203/Comment%20Response%20-%20Part%201.pdfhttp://files.dep.state.pa.us/PublicParticipation/Public%20Participation%20Center/PubPartCenterPortalFiles/Environmental%20Quality%20Board/2016/February%203/Comment%20Response%20-%20Part%201.pdfhttp://files.dep.state.pa.us/PublicParticipation/Public%20Participation%20Center/PubPartCenterPortalFiles/Environmental%20Quality%20Board/2016/February%203/Comment%20Response%20-%20Part%201.pdfhttp://www.dep.pa.gov/PublicParticipation/EnvironmentalQuality/2016%20Meetings/Pages/default.aspx#.Vo1CUjaa10chttp://www.dep.pa.gov/PublicParticipation/EnvironmentalQuality/2016%20Meetings/Pages/default.aspx#.Vo1CUjaa10chttp://www.dep.pa.gov/PublicParticipation/EnvironmentalQuality/2016%20Meetings/Pages/default.aspx#.Vo1CUjaa10chttp://www.paenvironmentdigest.com/newsletter/default.asp?NewsletterArticleID=11953http://www.dep.pa.gov/Business/Energy/OilandGasPrograms/OilandGasMgmt/OilGasTech/Pages/default.aspx#.Vova-jaa10chttp://files.dep.state.pa.us/PublicParticipation/Public%20Participation%20Center/PubPartCenterPortalFiles/Environmental%20Quality%20Board/2016/February%203/TAB%20Report.pdfhttp://paenvironmentdaily.blogspot.com/2016/01/conventional-oil-gas-advisory-committee.htmlhttp://files.dep.state.pa.us/PublicParticipation/Public%20Participation%20Center/PubPartCenterPortalFiles/Environmental%20Quality%20Board/2016/February%203/COGAC%20to%20EQB%20Report%20Ch%2078.pdfhttp://files.dep.state.pa.us/PublicParticipation/Public%20Participation%20Center/PubPartCenterPortalFiles/Environmental%20Quality%20Board/2016/February%203/Fact%20Sheet%20for%20Final%20Ch%2078%20Regulation.pdfhttp://files.dep.state.pa.us/PublicParticipation/Public%20Participation%20Center/PubPartCenterPortalFiles/Environmental%20Quality%20Board/2016/February%203/One%20Page%20Summaries.pdfhttp://files.dep.state.pa.us/PublicParticipation/Public%20Participation%20Center/PubPartCenterPortalFiles/Environmental%20Quality%20Board/2016/February%203/Final%20RAF.pdfhttp://files.dep.state.pa.us/PublicParticipation/Public%20Participation%20Center/PubPartCenterPortalFiles/Environmental%20Quality%20Board/2016/February%203/Comment%20Response%20-%20Part%202.pdfhttp://files.dep.state.pa.us/PublicParticipation/Public%20Participation%20Center/PubPartCenterPortalFiles/Environmental%20Quality%20Board/2016/February%203/Comment%20Response%20-%20Part%201.pdfhttp://files.dep.state.pa.us/PublicParticipation/Public%20Participation%20Center/PubPartCenterPortalFiles/Environmental%20Quality%20Board/2016/February%203/Comment%20Response%20-%20Part%201.pdfhttp://files.dep.state.pa.us/PublicParticipation/Public%20Participation%20Center/PubPartCenterPortalFiles/Environmental%20Quality%20Board/2016/February%203/Final%20Annex%20A.pdfhttp://files.dep.state.pa.us/PublicParticipation/Public%20Participation%20Center/PubPartCenterPortalFiles/Environmental%20Quality%20Board/2016/February%203/Final%20Order.pdfhttp://files.dep.state.pa.us/PublicParticipation/Public%20Participation%20Center/PubPartCenterPortalFiles/Environmental%20Quality%20Board/2016/February%203/Final%20Exec%20Summary.pdfhttp://www.dep.pa.gov/PublicParticipation/EnvironmentalQuality/2016%20Meetings/Pages/default.aspx#.Vo1CUjaa10chttp://www.dep.pa.gov/PublicParticipation/EnvironmentalQuality/2016%20Meetings/Pages/default.aspx#.Vo1CUjaa10chttp://www.paenvironmentdigest.com/newsletter/default.asp?NewsletterArticleID=11953
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-- Use of pits to store drilling wastes: The unconventional industry will be prohibited from
utilizing pits to store drill cuttings and waste fluids. The conventional industry will continue to
be able to use pits that are less than 3,000 square feet and store less than 125,000 gallons of fluid
under a permit by rule. Larger pits will require an individual permit.
-- Disposal of drill cuttings: The unconventional industry will be required to obtain an
individual permit to dispose of drill cuttings at the well site. This practice is permitted by rule forthe conventional industry and no changes to this practice are proposed through this rulemaking.
-- Secondary containment at well sites: The unconventional industry will be required to
employ secondary containment around all storage vessels, trucks used to store pollutional
substances and drill rigs. Secondary containment is only required at new, replaced or refurbished
brine tanks at conventional sites.
-- Gathering lines: The unconventional rules contain new sections on gathering line
construction and horizontal directional drilling beneath streams. The conventional rules do not
contain these sections.
-- Temporary pipelines: The unconventional rules contain a new section on the installation and
use of temporary lines used to transport fresh water and wastewater. The conventional rules do
not contain this provision.-- Water management plans: The unconventional rules require operators to obtain a water
management plan before they withdraw water for hydraulic fracturing purposes. The
conventional rules do not contain this requirement.
-- Beneficial use of brine: Conventional operators have the ability to beneficially use their brine
for dust suppression and de-icing purposes. Waste fluid from unconventional wells may not be
used.
-- Reporting: Unconventional operators must report their product (gas and condensate) and
waste on a monthly basis. Conventional operators must report annually.
Industry Reaction - Unconventional Drillers
Marcellus Shale Coalition president David Spigelmyer issued the following statement
regarding the Department of Environmental Protection’s release of its final rulemaking regarding
oil and gas operations:
“Pennsylvania is already well-recognized for having among the nation’s strongest and
most effective environmental and enforcement standards, which the industry has worked hard to
modernize. Unfortunately, DEP failed to consult with the industry regarding its comprehensive
comments, as well as to better understand the cost of compliance with this rulemaking as they
had done with the initial proposal in 2013. As reflected in our comments, this rulemaking will
cost Pennsylvania job creators nearly $2 billion annually without providing meaningful
environmental benefits.
“We have worked in good-faith to provide constructive comments on this proposed rule.
We stand ready to work collaboratively with DEP and the General Assembly to advancecommon-sense policies that work for all Pennsylvanians.”
Pennsylvania Independent Oil & Gas Association President Louis D. D’Amico today
issued the following statement regarding the state Department of Environmental Protection’s
transmittal of the final oil and natural gas regulations (Chapter 78 and 78a) to the Environmental
Quality Board:
“The development of these regulations over the past four years has been flawed to the
point of being fraudulent. The modernization of environmental controls was required by Act 13
http://marcelluscoalition.org/
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for the unconventional industry and yet, despite working on these regulations since 2011, DEP
has still not explained or shown the need to make them applicable to the conventional industry.
“The reasonableness of these rulemaking packages is not determined by the volume of
materials accompanying them, and DEP’s touting its responses to ‘every one of the almost
28,000 comments’ received is disingenuous because many of those comments were form letters
and, more importantly, DEP’s responses come too late in the process to have any legitimacy ormerit.
“Just as disingenuous is DEP’s reference to the ’20 meetings with the Oil and Gas
Technical Advisory Board and Conventional Oil and Gas Advisory Committee’ as some type of
evidence this has been an ‘exercise in transparency in rulemaking.’ One must remember that in
the middle of this rulemaking process this administration quietly replaced all of the long-serving
and dedicated TAB members and violated the Oil and Gas Act by trying to add new ‘non-voting’
members, and yet still failed to engage TAB and the Conventional Oil and Gas Advisory
Committee in the required ‘consultation’ or to provide both with the required ‘reasonable
opportunity to review and comment prior to submission of the packages to the EQB.
“Repeated references by this administration to whatever it proposes as ‘commonsense’
cannot magically transform any of them, especially these rulemakings. We look forward to pressing on with our fight against this abuse of process and extreme regulatory overreach these
rulemakings represent.”
Industry Reaction - Conventional Drillers
PA Independent Oil & Gas Association President Louis D. D’Amico Thursday issued the
following statement regarding the Department of Environmental Protection’s transmittal of the
final oil and natural gas regulations (Chapter 78 and 78a) to the Environmental Hearing Board
[Note: Should be Environmental Quality Board.]:
“The development of these regulations over the past four years has been flawed to the
point of being fraudulent. The modernization of environmental controls was required by Act 13
for the unconventional industry and yet, despite working on these regulations since 2011, DEP
has still not explained or shown the need to make them applicable to the conventional industry.
“The reasonableness of these rulemaking packages is not determined by the volume of
materials accompanying them, and DEP’s touting its responses to ‘every one of the almost
28,000 comments’ received is disingenuous because many of those comments were form letters
and, more importantly, DEP’s responses come too late in the process to have any legitimacy or
merit.
“Just as disingenuous is DEP’s reference to the ’20 meetings with the Oil and Gas
Technical Advisory Board and Conventional Oil and Gas Advisory Committee’ as some type of
evidence this has been an ‘exercise in transparency in rulemaking.’ One must remember that in
the middle of this rulemaking process this administration quietly replaced all of the long-serving
and dedicated TAB members and violated the Oil and Gas Act by trying to add new ‘non-voting’members, and yet still failed to engage TAB and the Conventional Oil and Gas Advisory
Committee in the required ‘consultation’ or to provide both with the required ‘reasonable
opportunity to review and comment prior to submission of the packages to the EQB.
“Repeated references by this administration to whatever it proposes as ‘common sense’
cannot magically transform any of them, especially these rulemakings. We look forward to
pressing on with our fight against this abuse of process and extreme regulatory overreach these
rulemakings represent.”
http://www.pioga.org/
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For more information on Chapter 78, visit the Environmental Quality Board webpage.
For more background information on how the Chapter 78 regulations were developed, visit
DEP’s Oil and Gas Management Regulations webpage.
NewsClips:
No Fracking Pits Allowed Under New DEP Drilling Regs
DEP Finalizes New Oil & Gas Drilling Regulations DEP Proposes Changes To Drilling Rules
DEP Releases Final Oil And Gas Regulations
DEP Releases Final Oil And Gas Regulations
DEP Moves Forward With Oil And Gas Rulemaking
How Much Will New DEP Drilling Regs Cost Industry?
Allegheny Front: What’s In DEP’s New Drilling Regs?
Related Stories:
Conventional Oil, Gas Advisory Committee Again Challenges DEP Drilling Regs
Marcellus Drilling Advisory Committee Provides Drilling Reg Comments To EQB
Analysis: Myth-- Conventional Oil And Gas Drilling Is Benign
Conventional Oil, Gas Advisory Committee Again Challenges DEP Drilling Regs
The voting members of DEP’s Conventional Oil and Gas Advisory Committee Monday finalized
its comments on the final Chapter 78 drilling regulations and submitted them to the
Environmental Quality Board for its consideration.
The voting member comments from the Committee again alleged DEP did not follow the
proper rulemaking procedures in developing the regulation; they said the rule creates an
unreasonable burden on drillers to replace water supplies they contaminated to pre-drilling
standards; creates an unreasonable standard for restoring drilling sites to pre-drilling standards;
and made other comments.
DEP’s 2014 Oil and Gas Annual Report found conventional oil and gas wells had three
times the violations of unconventional wells and nearly three times the number of enforcement
actions during 2014.
Click Here for a copy of the Committee’s 43 pages of comments.
Industry Reaction - Conventional Drillers
PA Independent Oil & Gas Association President Louis D. D’Amico Thursday issued the
following statement regarding the Department of Environmental Protection’s transmittal of the
final oil and natural gas regulations (Chapter 78 and 78a) to the Environmental Hearing Board
[Note: Should be Environmental Quality Board.]:
“The development of these regulations over the past four years has been flawed to the
point of being fraudulent. The modernization of environmental controls was required by Act 13for the unconventional industry and yet, despite working on these regulations since 2011, DEP
has still not explained or shown the need to make them applicable to the conventional industry.
“The reasonableness of these rulemaking packages is not determined by the volume of
materials accompanying them, and DEP’s touting its responses to ‘every one of the almost
28,000 comments’ received is disingenuous because many of those comments were form letters
and, more importantly, DEP’s responses come too late in the process to have any legitimacy or
merit.
http://www.pioga.org/https://goo.gl/dp5n5mhttp://www.paenvironmentdigest.com/newsletter/default.asp?NewsletterArticleID=32700http://paenvironmentdaily.blogspot.com/2016/01/dep-releases-final-chapter-78-78a.htmlhttps://goo.gl/dp5n5mhttps://goo.gl/dp5n5mhttp://www.dep.pa.gov/Business/Energy/OilandGasPrograms/OilandGasMgmt/OilGasConventional/Pages/default.aspx#.VovWRjaa10chttp://files.dep.state.pa.us/PublicParticipation/Advisory%20Committees/AdvCommPortalFiles/Oil_and_Gas/Conventional_Oil_and_Gas/COGAC%20Final%20Draft%20032315.pdfhttp://www.paenvironmentdigest.com/newsletter/default.asp?NewsletterArticleID=31809http://paenvironmentdaily.blogspot.com/2016/01/marcellus-drilling-advisory-committee.htmlhttp://paenvironmentdaily.blogspot.com/2016/01/conventional-oil-gas-advisory-committee.htmlhttp://alleghenyfront.org/story/whats-pennsylvanias-new-oil-and-gas-regulationshttp://www.pennlive.com/news/2016/01/shale_coalition_environmentali.html#incart_river_homehttp://www.natlawreview.com/article/pennsylvania-dep-moves-forward-oil-and-gas-rulemaking-despite-legal-and-politicalhttp://wesa.fm/post/dep-releases-final-oil-and-gas-ruleshttp://wesa.fm/post/dep-releases-final-oil-and-gas-ruleshttp://powersource.post-gazette.com/powersource/policy-powersource/2016/01/07/State-DEP-proposes-changes-to-drilling-rules/stories/201601070033https://stateimpact.npr.org/pennsylvania/2016/01/06/dep-finalizes-new-oil-and-gas-drilling-regulations/http://www.pennlive.com/news/2016/01/dep_announces_new_regulations.html#incart_river_homehttp://www.dep.pa.gov/Business/Energy/OilandGasPrograms/OilandGasMgmt/Public-Resources/Pages/Oil-and-Gas-Surface-Regulations.aspx#.Voqx9JMrJBxhttp://www.dep.pa.gov/PublicParticipation/EnvironmentalQuality/2016%20Meetings/Pages/default.aspx#.Vo1CUjaa10c
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“Just as disingenuous is DEP’s reference to the ’20 meetings with the Oil and Gas
Technical Advisory Board and Conventional Oil and Gas Advisory Committee’ as some type of
evidence this has been an ‘exercise in transparency in rulemaking.’ One must remember that in
the middle of this rulemaking process this administration quietly replaced all of the long-serving
and dedicated TAB members and violated the Oil and Gas Act by trying to add new ‘non-voting’
members, and yet still failed to engage TAB and the Conventional Oil and Gas AdvisoryCommittee in the required ‘consultation’ or to provide both with the required ‘reasonable
opportunity to review and comment prior to submission of the packages to the EQB.
“Repeated references by this administration to whatever it proposes as ‘common sense’
cannot magically transform any of them, especially these rulemakings. We look forward to
pressing on with our fight against this abuse of process and extreme regulatory overreach these
rulemakings represent.”
EQB Consideration Of Regulation Feb. 3
DEP released the final version of the Chapter 78 (conventional) and Chapter 78A
(unconventional) drilling regulations Wednesday.
The Environmental Quality Board is scheduled to meet on February 3 to consider the
final regulations.Conventional Committee Meeting Jan. 13
The Committee’s next meeting is on January 13 to consider other issues, including:
Review of Forms Required To Implement Chapter 78; Review of Technical Guidance To
Implement Chapter 78; DCNR Presentation On PA Natural Diversity Inventory Review System;
Presentation on EPA Clean Power Climate Plan Requirements; and Well Completion, Waste
Reporting, Drilling/Coal Mining Coordination.
The meeting will be held in Room 105 of the Rachel Carson Building starting at 10:00
a.m. Meetings of the Committee are frequently webcast, but no information has been posted yet
on that option.
The Conventional Oil and Gas Advisory Committee was created and named by DEP
Secretary in March of last year because DEP lacked an advisory group specifically on
conventional, versus Marcellus Shale, drilling industry.
For more information, visit DEP’s Conventional Oil and Gas Advisory Committee
webpage. DEP Contact: Kurt Klapkowski, Office of Oil and Gas Management, 400 Market
Street, Harrisburg, PA 17101, 717-772-2199, [email protected] .
Unconventional Drilling Advisory Committee Meeting Jan. 14
The next meeting of DEP’s Oil and Gas Technical Advisory Board (unconventional
Marcellus Shale drilling) is January 14 at the same location, time and with a similar agenda. The
DEP contact is the same.
The final version of the Chapter 78 (conventional) & 78A (unconventional) drilling
regulations is available on the Environmental Quality Board
webpage along with othersupporting materials.
For more background information on how the Chapter 78 regulations were developed,
visit DEP’s Oil and Gas Management Regulations webpage.
NewsClips:
No Fracking Pits Allowed Under New DEP Drilling Regs
DEP Finalizes New Oil & Gas Drilling Regulations
DEP Proposes Changes To Drilling Rules
http://powersource.post-gazette.com/powersource/policy-powersource/2016/01/07/State-DEP-proposes-changes-to-drilling-rules/stories/201601070033https://stateimpact.npr.org/pennsylvania/2016/01/06/dep-finalizes-new-oil-and-gas-drilling-regulations/http://www.pennlive.com/news/2016/01/dep_announces_new_regulations.html#incart_river_homehttp://www.dep.pa.gov/Business/Energy/OilandGasPrograms/OilandGasMgmt/Public-Resources/Pages/Oil-and-Gas-Surface-Regulations.aspx#.Voqx9JMrJBxhttp://www.dep.pa.gov/PublicParticipation/EnvironmentalQuality/2016%20Meetings/Pages/default.aspx#.Vo7wCjaa10chttp://www.dep.pa.gov/Business/Energy/OilandGasPrograms/OilandGasMgmt/OilGasTech/Pages/default.aspx#.Vova-jaa10cmailto:[email protected]://www.dep.pa.gov/Business/Energy/OilandGasPrograms/OilandGasMgmt/OilGasConventional/Pages/default.aspx#.VovWRjaa10chttp://paenvironmentdaily.blogspot.com/2016/01/dep-releases-final-chapter-78-78a.html
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DEP Releases Final Oil And Gas Regulations
DEP Releases Final Oil And Gas Regulations
DEP Moves Forward With Oil And Gas Rulemaking
How Much Will New DEP Drilling Regs Cost Industry?
Allegheny Front: What’s In DEP’s New Drilling Regs?
Related Stories:DEP Releases Final Chapter 78 Drilling Regulations For Action By EQB
Marcellus Drilling Advisory Committee Provides Drilling Reg Comments To EQB
Analysis: Myth-- Conventional Oil And Gas Drilling Is Benign
Marcellus Drilling Advisory Committee Provides Drilling Reg Comments To EQB
On Wednesday the five voting members of DEP’s Oil and Gas Technical Advisory Board on
unconventional (Marcellus Shale) drilling submitted extensive comments to the Environmental
Quality Board on DEP’s final Chapter 78A drilling regulations .
The voting members of TAB commend DEP for the hard work and commitment its staff
has put into the regulatory development process, but makes a series of six recommendations onhow the TAB could have been used more effectively.
The TAB comments listed concerns with the final regulations, including the protections
for endangered species should be narrowed to meet the requirement of a recent procedural ruling
by Commonwealth Court ; how the restoration of water supplies damaged by drilling should not
be returned to Safe Drinking Water standards or better; the extent to which drillers are required
to identify abandoned wells in the area of drilling; well site restoration; and other issues.
The voting members of TAB also said the guidance and forms needed to implement the
regulation should be completed prior to enforcement of the regulations.
The voting members of TAB include: Bryan McConnell, P.G., Tenaska, Inc.; Fred
Baldassare, P.G., ECHELON Applied Geoscience Consulting; Robert Hendricks, P.G., Shell
Exploration and Production Company; Casey Saunders, P.E., CONSOL Energy; and David
Yoxtheimer, P.G., Marcellus Center for Outreach and Research, Penn State University.
Non-Voting Member Comments
The comments of the three non-voting members of TAB were also included in the report
sent to the EQB. The comments reviewed the extensive public participation tools DEP used in
the process of developing the regulations, including adding additional members to TAB to
provide other points of view.
“These rules are intended to provide for the safe, efficient, and environmentally sound
production of Pennsylvania’s oil and gas resources.
“Throughout the extensive public process, concerns have been expressed that either the
regulations are too restrictive on industry, or that they are not restrictive enough to adequately protect the public health and the environment.
“As with any rulemaking, these will always be some degree of disagreement. It is the job
of the PA DEP to balance the comments received, and, based on their own experience and the
laws of the Commonwealth, promulgate regulations they believe to be reasonable and necessary
for the protection of the environment.
“We believe the need and authority for this rulemaking is clear, the rules are based on
sound science and engineering and the PA DEP has taken unparalleled steps to consult with
http://www.paenvironmentdigest.com/newsletter/default.asp?NewsletterArticleID=34431http://www.paenvironmentdigest.com/newsletter/default.asp?NewsletterArticleID=34431http://www.dep.pa.gov/PublicParticipation/EnvironmentalQuality/2016%20Meetings/Pages/default.aspx#.Vo7gnzaa10chttp://files.dep.state.pa.us/PublicParticipation/Public%20Participation%20Center/PubPartCenterPortalFiles/Environmental%20Quality%20Board/2016/February%203/TAB%20Report.pdfhttp://www.portal.state.pa.us/portal/server.pt/community/oil_and_gas_technical_advisory_board_(TAB)/18260http://www.paenvironmentdigest.com/newsletter/default.asp?NewsletterArticleID=31809http://paenvironmentdaily.blogspot.com/2016/01/marcellus-drilling-advisory-committee.htmlhttp://paenvironmentdaily.blogspot.com/2016/01/dep-releases-final-chapter-78-78a.htmlhttp://alleghenyfront.org/story/whats-pennsylvanias-new-oil-and-gas-regulationshttp://www.pennlive.com/news/2016/01/shale_coalition_environmentali.html#incart_river_homehttp://www.natlawreview.com/article/pennsylvania-dep-moves-forward-oil-and-gas-rulemaking-despite-legal-and-politicalhttp://wesa.fm/post/dep-releases-final-oil-and-gas-ruleshttp://wesa.fm/post/dep-releases-final-oil-and-gas-rules
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industry and the public in their formation.
“As such, we endorse advance of the rulemaking.”
The non-voting members include: Michael Griffin, PhD, Department of Engineering and
Public Policy, Carnegie Mellon University; Emily Krafjack, Connection for Oil, Gas &
Environment in the Northern Tier ; and John Walliser, PA Environmental Council.
A copy of the comments is available online.Industry Reaction - Unconventional Drillers
Marcellus Shale Coalition president David Spigelmyer issued the following statement
regarding the Department of Environmental Protection’s release of its final rulemaking regarding
oil and gas operations:
“Pennsylvania is already well-recognized for having among the nation’s strongest and
most effective environmental and enforcement standards, which the industry has worked hard to
modernize. Unfortunately, DEP failed to consult with the industry regarding its comprehensive
comments, as well as to better understand the cost of compliance with this rulemaking as they
had done with the initial proposal in 2013. As reflected in our comments, this rulemaking will
cost Pennsylvania job creators nearly $2 billion annually without providing meaningful
environmental benefits.“We have worked in good-faith to provide constructive comments on this proposed rule.
We stand ready to work collaboratively with DEP and the General Assembly to advance
common-sense policies that work for all Pennsylvanians.”
Pennsylvania Independent Oil & Gas Association President Louis D. D’Amico today
issued the following statement regarding the state Department of Environmental Protection’s
transmittal of the final oil and natural gas regulations (Chapter 78 and 78a) to the Environmental
Quality Board:
“The development of these regulations over the past four years has been flawed to the
point of being fraudulent. The modernization of environmental controls was required by Act 13
for the unconventional industry and yet, despite working on these regulations since 2011, DEP
has still not explained or shown the need to make them applicable to the conventional industry.
“The reasonableness of these rulemaking packages is not determined by the volume of
materials accompanying them, and DEP’s touting its responses to ‘every one of the almost
28,000 comments’ received is disingenuous because many of those comments were form letters
and, more importantly, DEP’s responses come too late in the process to have any legitimacy or
merit.
“Just as disingenuous is DEP’s reference to the ’20 meetings with the Oil and Gas
Technical Advisory Board and Conventional Oil and Gas Advisory Committee’ as some type of
evidence this has been an ‘exercise in transparency in rulemaking.’ One must remember that in
the middle of this rulemaking process this administration quietly replaced all of the long-serving
and dedicated TAB members and violated the Oil and Gas Act by trying to add new ‘non-voting’members, and yet still failed to engage TAB and the Conventional Oil and Gas Advisory
Committee in the required ‘consultation’ or to provide both with the required ‘reasonable
opportunity to review and comment prior to submission of the packages to the EQB.
“Repeated references by this administration to whatever it proposes as ‘common sense’
cannot magically transform any of them, especially these rulemakings. We look forward to
pressing on with our fight against this abuse of process and extreme regulatory overreach these
rulemakings represent.”
http://marcelluscoalition.org/http://files.dep.state.pa.us/PublicParticipation/Public%20Participation%20Center/PubPartCenterPortalFiles/Environmental%20Quality%20Board/2016/February%203/TAB%20Report.pdfhttp://pecpa.org/http://cogentpa.org/http://cogentpa.org/https://www.cmu.edu/epp/people/faculty/michael-griffin.html
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EQB Consideration Of Regulation Feb. 3
DEP released the final version of the Chapter 78 (conventional) and Chapter 78A
(unconventional) drilling regulations Wednesday.
The Environmental Quality Board is scheduled to meet on February 3 to consider the
final regulations.
Unconventional Drilling Advisory Committee Meeting Jan. 14The next meeting of DEP’s Oil and Gas Technical Advisory Board (unconventional
Marcellus Shale drilling) is January 14 to consider other issues, including: Review of Forms
Required To Implement Chapter 78; Review of Technical Guidance To Implement Chapter 78;
DCNR Presentation On PA Natural Diversity Inventory Review System; Presentation on EPA
Clean Power Climate Plan Requirements; and Well Completion, Waste Reporting, Drilling/Coal
Mining Coordination.
The meeting will be held in Room 105 of the Rachel Carson Building starting at 10:00
a.m. Meetings of the Committee are frequently webcast, but no information has been posted yet
on that option.
For more information, visit DEP’s Conventional Oil and Gas Advisory Committee
webpage. DEP Contact: Kurt Klapkowski, Office of Oil and Gas Management, 400 MarketStreet, Harrisburg, PA 17101, 717-772-2199, [email protected] .
Conventional Committee Meeting Jan. 13
The Committee’s next meeting is on January 13 at the same location, time and with a
similar agenda. The DEP contact is the same.
The final version of the Chapter 78 (conventional) & 78A (unconventional) drilling
regulations is available on the Environmental Quality Board webpage along with other
supporting materials.
For more background information on how the Chapter 78 regulations were developed,
visit DEP’s Oil and Gas Management Regulations webpage.
NewsClips:
No Fracking Pits Allowed Under New DEP Drilling Regs
DEP Finalizes New Oil & Gas Drilling Regulations
DEP Proposes Changes To Drilling Rules
DEP Releases Final Oil And Gas Regulations
DEP Releases Final Oil And Gas Regulations
DEP Moves Forward With Oil And Gas Rulemaking
How Much Will New DEP Drilling Regs Cost Industry?
Allegheny Front: What’s In DEP’s New Drilling Regs?
Related Stories:
DEP Releases Final Chapter 78 Drilling Regulations For Action By EQB
Conventional Oil, Gas Advisory Committee Again Challenges DEP Drilling Regs Analysis: Myth-- Conventional Oil And Gas Drilling Is Benign
Nominations For 2016 Governor’s Award For Environmental Excellence Due Jan. 15
The Department of Environmental Protection invites
Pennsylvania businesses, farms, government agencies,
educational institutions, non-profit organizations and
http://www.paenvironmentdigest.com/newsletter/default.asp?NewsletterArticleID=31809http://paenvironmentdaily.blogspot.com/2016/01/conventional-oil-gas-advisory-committee.htmlhttp://paenvironmentdaily.blogspot.com/2016/01/dep-releases-final-chapter-78-78a.htmlhttp://alleghenyfront.org/story/whats-pennsylvanias-new-oil-and-gas-regulationshttp://www.pennlive.com/news/2016/01/shale_coalition_environmentali.html#incart_river_homehttp://www.natlawreview.com/article/pennsylvania-dep-moves-forward-oil-and-gas-rulemaking-despite-legal-and-politicalhttp://wesa.fm/post/dep-releases-final-oil-and-gas-ruleshttp://wesa.fm/post/dep-releases-final-oil-and-gas-ruleshttp://powersource.post-gazette.com/powersource/policy-powersource/2016/01/07/State-DEP-proposes-changes-to-drilling-rules/stories/201601070033https://stateimpact.npr.org/pennsylvania/2016/01/06/dep-finalizes-new-oil-and-gas-drilling-regulations/http://www.pennlive.com/news/2016/01/dep_announces_new_regulations.html#incart_river_homehttp://www.dep.pa.gov/Business/Energy/OilandGasPrograms/OilandGasMgmt/Public-Resources/Pages/Oil-and-Gas-Surface-Regulations.aspx#.Voqx9JMrJBxhttp://www.dep.pa.gov/PublicParticipation/EnvironmentalQuality/2016%20Meetings/Pages/default.aspx#.Vo7wCjaa10cmailto:[email protected]://www.dep.pa.gov/Business/Energy/OilandGasPrograms/OilandGasMgmt/OilGasConventional/Pages/default.aspx#.VovWRjaa10chttp://www.dep.pa.gov/Business/Energy/OilandGasPrograms/OilandGasMgmt/OilGasTech/Pages/default.aspx#.Vova-jaa10chttp://paenvironmentdaily.blogspot.com/2016/01/dep-releases-final-chapter-78-78a.html
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individuals to submit nominations for the 2016 Governor’s Award for Environmental
Excellence .
Nominations are due January 15.
This prestigious award honors those projects that have transformed environmental
challenges into opportunities.
“We want to showcase the kinds of innovative, energy-saving and restorative projectstaking place all across Pennsylvania,” DEP Secretary John Quigley said. “These projects and the
people who develop them will help lead Pennsylvania into the next era of environmental
protection.”
Award-winning projects will be selected based on eight criteria: protection, partnership,
public service, environmental education and outreach, pollution prevention, economic impact,
innovative technology, and new this year, climate change.
“Pennsylvania's climate has been steadily warming over the past century and if it
continues, such warming will have disastrous impacts to our environment and economy,”
Quigley said. “We are particularly interested in projects that actively seek to limit or reduce the
rate of long-term climate change through the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions.”
To be eligible for consideration, projects must have been completed between August 1,2014 and July 31, 2015.
Nominations must be submitted by email to: [email protected] in order to
be considered.
Project guidelines and nomination forms are available on DEP’s 2016 Governor’s Award
for Environmental Excellence webpage.
Nominations Now Being Accepted For 2016 Western PA Environmental Awards
Nominations for the 2016 Western Pennsylvania Environmental Awards are now being accepted.
The deadline for nominations is February 12.
The awards are presented annually to local organizations that demonstrate leadership,
effectiveness, and results in making an impact on the environment and will be awarded at PEC’s
annual Pittsburgh dinner on May 26.
The Awards are open to any group, individual, program, company, school, or
organization located and working in one of the following counties: Allegheny, Armstrong,
Beaver, Bedford, Blair, Butler, Cambria, Cameron, Centre, Clarion, Clearfield, Crawford, Elk,
Erie, Fayette, Forest, Fulton, Greene, Huntingdon, Indiana, Jefferson, Lawrence, McKean,
Mercer, Somerset, Venango, Warren, Washington, and Westmoreland.
Online nomination submissions
are encouraged, but nominations through U.S. Mail will
be accepted. Please include a copy of the nomination cover sheet with your mailed submission.
Please include contact information for nominator and nominee, if different. Include both phonenumber and email, if available.
Each nomination is limited to four (4) typed, one-sided, double-spaced 8 1∕2” x 11”
pages, and must provide responses to the following five questions:
-- What environmental need within the community or organization did the nominee address?
-- What kind of solution did the nominee develop to address the identified need? Describe any
unique or innovative aspects of the initiative, particularly any special challenges overcome as
part of the implementation and/or outstanding creativity involved.
http://pecpa.org/event/wpea2016/http://pecpa.org/event/wpea2016/http://www.dep.pa.gov/About/Awards/EnvironmentalExcellence/Pages/default.aspx#.VmnbtoSa10chttp://www.dep.pa.gov/About/Awards/EnvironmentalExcellence/Pages/default.aspx#.VmnbtoSa10cmailto:[email protected]://www.dep.pa.gov/About/Awards/EnvironmentalExcellence/Pages/default.aspx#.VmnbtoSa10chttp://www.dep.pa.gov/About/Awards/EnvironmentalExcellence/Pages/default.aspx#.VmnbtoSa10c
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-- What effect or impact did the nominee have on the environment? (Base your answer on
environmental benefits related to community awareness, environmental quality, the local
economy, the public, technical contributions, etc.) Include in your response the scope or breadth
of this impact within the community or organization.
-- What specific examples, data, or other evidence demonstrates the environmental effect or
impact described above?-- What other pertinent information about this nominee would you like the judges to consider?
In addition, all nominations must have one (1) letter of support from someone outside the
nominee’s organization who is familiar with the success of the nominated activity; someone
other than the nominator must write this letter.
The letter should explain the impact of the nomination, its environmental significance or
benefit, and its relevance in meeting a specific need. Letters of support may be submitted
separate from the nomination, but must also be received by February 12.
Winners of the Awards will receive a $5,000 cash award designated to the nonprofit
organization of their choice, a commemorative award, two complimentary tickets to the Western
Pennsylvania Environmental Awards Dinner, media recognition of their program and award,
along with recognition and a full description of their winning project in the Awards Dinner program.
Mailed entries may be submitted to: Pennsylvania Environmental Council, 2016 Western
PA Environmental Awards Program, 2124 Penn Avenue, 2nd Floor, Pittsburgh, PA 15222.
For more information, visit the 2016 Western Pennsylvania Environmental Awards
webpage. If you have any questions about the nomination process, please call the Pennsylvania
Environmental Council at 412-481-9400 or send email to: [email protected].
Visit Here to sign up for regular updates from the PA Environmental Council.
Learn How To Go Green At DEP’s Farm Show Exhibit
Visitors to the 100th Pennsylvania Farm Show
can
learn how to live green, plant green, build green and
save green at DEP's new interactive exhibit, titled,
"Go Green, PA."
The new exhibit features lots of energy-saving
and green product information for both inside and
outside your home. DEP’s display is located near the
butter sculpture in the Main Hall of the Farm Show
Complex.
Visit DEP’s Go Green PA
webpage for ideas on how you can protect the environment.
The Pennsylvania Farm Show is the nation’s largest indoor agricultural event, featuring6,000 animals, 10,000 competitive exhibits, and 300 commercial exhibitors.
For more information, visit the 100th Pennsylvania Farm Show website. The Farm Show
runs from January 9 to 16 in Harrisburg.
NewsClips:
Chiques Creek Watershed Rain Garden Going To Farm Show
Innovative Program Promotes Grazing In Chesapeake Watershed
The Real Cost Of Green Infrastructure
http://stormwater.wef.org/2015/12/real-cost-green-infrastructure/?utm_content=bufferd2b92&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=bufferhttp://blogs.usda.gov/2016/01/06/innovative-program-promotes-rotational-grazing-in-chesapeake-bay-area/http://lancasteronline.com/news/community/chiques-creek-watershed-rain-garden-is-going-to-the-farm/article_c1157b40-b3c8-11e5-b26c-a34fae1827db.htmlhttp://www.farmshow.state.pa.us/http://www.dep.pa.gov/Citizens/Go_Green_PA/Pages/default.aspx#.VpAs7jaa10dhttp://www.farmshow.state.pa.us/http://pecpa.org/email-signup/mailto:[email protected]://pecpa.org/http://pecpa.org/http://pecpa.org/event/wpea2016/
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Related Story:
1,000 Pound Butter Sculpture At Farm Show Will Be Turned Into Renewable Energy
(Reprinted from the January 7 DEP News. Click Here to sign up for your own copy.)
1,000 Pound Butter Sculpture At Farm Show Will Be Turned Into Renewable Energy
A sculpture made from more than 1,000 pounds of butter and
showcasing the diversity of Pennsylvania agriculture exhibited
throughout the 100th Pennsylvania Farm Show was unveiled
Thursday at the Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex and Expo
Center in Harrisburg.
The sculpture, sponsored by Mid-Atlantic Dairy Association
and Pennsylvania Dairy Promotion Program, has been a staple
of Pennsylvania’s Farm Shows since 1991.
This year’s sculpture pays tribute to the 100th Pennsylvania Farm Show and the state’s
agriculture industry.It depicts the many commodities grown and produced within Pennsylvania with a blue
rosette ribbon, while capturing a show enjoyed by all ages: an FFA member exhibiting her dairy
cow, along with a 4-H member with his baby chicks, a lady and gentleman showing off their
blue ribbon apples and pies, and a quilt and spinning wheel behind them. These features are
surrounded by the words “100th PA Farm Show” as a blue and gold centerpiece.
“For the past 100 shows, the Pennsylvania Farm Show has provided an opportunity for
exhibits to display the best of the state’s agriculture industry and for visitors to learn more about
how their food goes from the farm to the shelf,” said Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding.
“Whether you’re enjoying your first Farm Show milkshake, displaying your best sewing work,
or exhibiting your prized animal, everyone has their own blue ribbon experience at the Farm
Show.”
At the close of the show, the butter, which was donated by Land O’ Lakes in Carlisle,
Cumberland County, will be given to a Juniata County dairy farm. The butter will be put through
a methane digester, where it will be converted into renewable energy for the farm.
For more information, visit the 100th Pennsylvania Farm Show website. The Farm Show
runs from January 9 to 16 in Harrisburg.
NewsClips:
Chiques Creek Watershed Rain Garden Going To Farm Show
Innovative Program Promotes Grazing In Chesapeake Watershed
The Real Cost Of Green Infrastructure
Related Story:Learn How To Go Green At DEP’s Farm Show Exhibit
PA Environment Digest Google+ Circle, Blogs, Twitter Feeds
PA Environment Digest now has a Google+ Circle called Green Works In PA . Let us join your
Circle.
Google+ now combines all the news you now get through the PA Environment Digest,
https://plus.google.com/+DavidHessGreenWorksInPA/postshttp://paenvironmentdaily.blogspot.com/2016/01/learn-how-to-go-green-at-deps-farm-show.htmlhttp://stormwater.wef.org/2015/12/real-cost-green-infrastructure/?utm_content=bufferd2b92&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=bufferhttp://blogs.usda.gov/2016/01/06/innovative-program-promotes-rotational-grazing-in-chesapeake-bay-area/http://lancasteronline.com/news/community/chiques-creek-watershed-rain-garden-is-going-to-the-farm/article_c1157b40-b3c8-11e5-b26c-a34fae1827db.htmlhttp://www.farmshow.state.pa.us/http://www.farmshow.state.pa.us/http://www.dep.pa.gov/Citizens/Pages/DEP-Newsletter.aspx#.Vo7aTTaa10chttp://paenvironmentdaily.blogspot.com/2016/01/jan-7-dep-news-now-available.htmlhttp://paenvironmentdaily.blogspot.com/2016/01/1000-pound-butter-sculpture-at-farm.html
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Weekly, Blog, Twitter and Video sites into one resource.
You’ll receive as-it-happens postings on Pennsylvania environmental news, daily
NewsClips and links to the weekly Digest and videos.
Also take advantage of these related services from Crisci Associates --
PA Environment Digest Twitter Feed: On Twitter, sign up to receive instant updates from:
PAEnviroDigest.
PA Environment Daily Blog: provides daily environmental NewsClips and significant stories
and announcements on environmental topics in Pennsylvania of immediate value. Sign up and
receive as they are posted updates through your favorite RSS reader. You can also sign up for a
once daily email alerting you to new items posted on this blog. NEW! Add your constructive
comment to any blog posting.
PA Capitol Digest Daily Blog to get updates every day on Pennsylvania State Government,
including NewsClips, coverage of key press conferences and more. Sign up and receive as theyare posted updates through your favorite RSS reader. You can also sign up for a once daily
email alerting you to new items posted on this blog.
PA Capitol Digest Twitter Feed: Don't forget to sign up to receive the PA Capitol Digest
Twitter feed to get instant updates on other news from in and around the Pennsylvania State
Capitol.
Senate/House Agenda/Session Schedule [Updated] /Gov’s Schedule
Here are the Senate and House Calendars and Committee meetings showing bills of interest aswell as a list of new environmental bills introduced--
Bill Calendars
House (Jan. 11): House Bill 48 (Godshall-R-Montgomery) setting standards for drinking water
well construction; House Bill 530 (Reese-R-Somerset) Education Code bill with much of the
“agreed-to” language still remaining, but with changes; House Bill 544 (Moul-R-Adams) further
providing for liability protection for landowners who open their land for recreation (sponsor
summary ); House Bill 1327 (Peifer-R-Pike) Fiscal Code bill with “agreed-to” budget language
restored, plus some extras; House Resolution 60 (Emrick-R-Northampton) directing the
Legislative Budget and Finance Committee to conduct a comprehensive review of the state’s program to regulate the beneficial use of sewage sludge; Senate Bill 385 (Pileggi-R-Delaware)
updating and improving the Transit Revitalization investment District; Senate Bill 307
(Yudichak-D-Luzerne) providing for an independent counsel for the Environmental Quality
Board; Senate Bill 811 (Hughes-D-Philadelphia) FY 2015-16 Capital Budget bill; Senate Bill
1071 (Browne-R-Lehigh), the “agreed-to” pension reform bill; Senate Bill 1073
(Browne-R-Lehigh) “agreed-to” $30.8 billion General Fund budget bill. Click Here for full
House Bill Calendar.
http://www.legis.state.pa.us/WU01/LI/SC/HC/0/RC/SCHC.HTMhttp://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/billInfo/billInfo.cfm?sYear=2015&sInd=0&body=S&type=B&bn=1073http://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/billInfo/billInfo.cfm?sYear=2015&sInd=0&body=S&type=B&bn=1071http://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/billInfo/billInfo.cfm?sYear=2015&sInd=0&body=S&type=B&bn=1071http://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/billInfo/billInfo.cfm?sYear=2015&sInd=0&body=S&type=B&bn=0811http://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/billInfo/billInfo.cfm?sYear=2015&sInd=0&body=S&type=B&bn=0307http://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/billInfo/billInfo.cfm?sYear=2015&sInd=0&body=S&type=B&bn=0385http://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/billInfo/billInfo.cfm?sYear=2015&sInd=0&body=H&type=R&bn=0060http://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/billInfo/billInfo.cfm?sYear=2015&sInd=0&body=H&type=B&bn=1327http://www.legis.state.pa.us//cfdocs/Legis/CSM/showMemoPublic.cfm?chamber=H&SPick=20150&cosponId=16928http://www.legis.state.pa.us//cfdocs/Legis/CSM/showMemoPublic.cfm?chamber=H&SPick=20150&cosponId=16928http://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/billInfo/billInfo.cfm?sYear=2015&sInd=0&body=H&type=B&bn=0544http://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/billInfo/billInfo.cfm?sYear=2015&sInd=0&body=H&type=B&bn=0530http://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/billInfo/billInfo.cfm?sYear=2015&sInd=0&body=H&type=B&bn=0048http://www.twitter.com/PaCapitolDigesthttp://www.crisciassociates.com/category/capitol-blog/http://www.crisciassociates.com/category/environment-blog/http://www.twitter.com/http://www.crisciassociates.com/
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Senate (Jan. 19): Senate Bill 201 (Schwank-D-Berks) authorizing the leasing of property in the
Clean and Green Program to a rural enterprise (sponsor summary ); Senate Bill 805
(Boscola-D-Lehigh) allowing an Act 129 opt-out for large electric users (sponsor summary );
House Bill 57 (Payne-R-Dauphin) further providing for natural gas competition (sponsor
summar y). Click Here
for full Senate Bill Calendar.
Committee Meeting Agendas This Week
House: Click Here for full House Committee Schedule.
Senate: Click Here for full Senate Committee Schedule.
Bills Pending In Key Committees
Here are links to key Standing Committees in the House and Senate and the bills pending in
each--
House
Appropriations
Education
Environmental Resources and Energy
Consumer Affairs
Gaming Oversight
Human Services
Judiciary
Liquor Control
Transportation
Links for all other Standing House Committees
Senate
Appropriations
Environmental Resources and Energy
Consumer Protection and Professional Licensure
Community, Economic and Recreational Development
Education
Judiciary
Law and JusticePublic Health and Welfare
Transportation
Links for all other Standing Senate Committees
Session Schedule [Updated]
Here is the latest voting session schedule for the Senate and House--
http://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/CteeInfo/StandingCommittees.cfm?CteeBody=Shttp://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/CteeInfo/index.cfm?Code=19&CteeBody=Shttp://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/CteeInfo/index.cfm?Code=33&CteeBody=Shttp://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/CteeInfo/index.cfm?Code=29&CteeBody=Shttp://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/CteeInfo/index.cfm?Code=39&CteeBody=Shttp://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/CteeInfo/index.cfm?Code=23&CteeBody=Shttp://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/CteeInfo/index.cfm?Code=31&CteeBody=Shttp://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/CteeInfo/index.cfm?Code=7&CteeBody=Shttp://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/CteeInfo/index.cfm?Code=9&CteeBody=Shttp://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/CteeInfo/index.cfm?Code=3&CteeBody=Shttp://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/CteeInfo/StandingCommittees.cfm?CteeBody=Hhttp://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/CteeInfo/StandingCommittees.cfm?CteeBody=Hhttp://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/CteeInfo/index.cfm?Code=38&CteeBody=Hhttp://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/CteeInfo/index.cfm?Code=28&CteeBody=Hhttp://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/CteeInfo/index.cfm?Code=24&CteeBody=Hhttp://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/CteeInfo/index.cfm?Code=56&CteeBody=Hhttp://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/CteeInfo/index.cfm?Code=54&CteeBody=Hhttp://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/CteeInfo/index.cfm?Code=10&CteeBody=Hhttp://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/CteeInfo/index.cfm?Code=8&CteeBody=Hhttp://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/CteeInfo/index.cfm?Code=12&CteeBody=Hhttp://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/CteeInfo/index.cfm?Code=4&CteeBody=Hhttp://www.legis.state.pa.us/WU01/LI/CO/SM/COSM.HTMhttp://www.legis.state.pa.us/WU01/LI/CO/HM/COHM.HTMhttp://www.legis.state.pa.us/WU01/LI/SC/SC/0/RC/CAL.HTMhttp://www.legis.state.pa.us//cfdocs/Legis/CSM/showMemoPublic.cfm?chamber=H&SPick=20150&cosponId=15697http://www.legis.state.pa.us//cfdocs/Legis/CSM/showMemoPublic.cfm?chamber=H&SPick=20150&cosponId=15697http://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/billInfo/billInfo.cfm?sYear=2015&sInd=0&body=H&type=B&bn=0057http://www.legis.state.pa.us//cfdocs/Legis/CSM/showMemoPublic.cfm?chamber=S&SPick=20150&cosponId=18088http://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/billInfo/billInfo.cfm?sYear=2015&sInd=0&body=S&type=B&bn=0805http://www.legis.state.pa.us//cfdocs/Legis/CSM/showMemoPublic.cfm?chamber=S&SPick=20150&cosponId=15642http://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/billinfo/billinfo.cfm?syear=2015&sInd=0&body=S&type=B&bn=201
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Senate
January 19, 20, 25, 26, 27
February 8, 9, 10
Budget Hearings: Feb. 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 29, March 1, 2, 3, 4, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 (no session during
hearings)March 14, 15, 16, 21, 22, 23
April 4, 5, 6, 11, 12, 13
May 9, 10, 11, 16, 17, 18
June 6, 7, 8, 13, 14, 15, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30
House
January 11, 12, 25, 26, 27
February 8, 9, 10
March 14, 15, 16, 21, 22, 23
April 4, 5, 6, 11, 12, 13
May 2, 3, 4, 16, 17, 18, 23, 24, 25June 6, 7, 8, 13, 14, 15, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30
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
New Year, Same Old Budget Fight; What Will Pass The House Remains The Issue
The holiday season’s Peace on Earth, Goodwill Toward Men (and Women), didn’t seem to have
much impact on the Senate, House or the Governor.
While all sides said they need to work together to get the budget finished after Gov.
Wolf’s line-item veto, everyone remains locked into the same positions.
There were also two new fights started-- one over how the basic education funding Wolf
did approve is being spent and a second over the Wolf Administration’s decision to borrow $2
billion to help the cash flow in the General Fund.
House Republicans
House Majority Leader David Reed (R-Indiana) said the House plans to reconvene onJanuary 11 and 12 to work on the 10 percent of the budget that was not approved by the
Governor, including funding for Penn State, Pitt, Temple and Lincoln University.
That remaining 10 percent will require additional revenues, but Rep. Reed said
lawmakers would be looking to other alternatives, like liquor privatization and an expansion of
gambling, before adopting any sort of general tax increase to make up those revenues.
How the remaining 10 percent gets funded, Rep. Reed said, depends on the outcome of
conversations with the Governor and Senate [sic].
http://plsreporter.com/Home/TabId/56/artmid/472/articleid/1101/Republicans-point-budget-blame-finger-back-at-Wolf.aspx#.Vow00jK4h38.twitterhttp://www.governor.pa.gov/Schedule/Pages/schedule.aspx#.VNVGE0K4lBx
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Also on tap in the House, he said, is work on the Fiscal Code-- House Bill 1327
(Peifer-R-Pike) -- and Education Code-- House Bill 530 (Reese-R-Somerset)-- bills. The House
Tuesday referred both bills back to the Rules Committee.
When asked whether there will be a return to the budget framework agreed to by all four
Caucuses and the Governor in November, Reed said it would have to be considered as a package.
“You’re going to have to see some items back on the table, certainly pension reform, property tax reform, and liquor privatization as well,” Rep. Reed said. “Ideally, we’d like to
close out this year and then move to next year, but the governor’s budget address is less than 30
days away [February 9], so whether that’s possible or not depends on which way people want to
go.”
Rep. Reed was also quoted as saying any budget deal is dead without the House priorities
of full liquor privatization and higher income and sales taxes to reduce local property taxes.
At another point, Rep. Reed floated the idea that maybe his members would accept the
line-item vetoes made by Gov. Wolf and move on to next year’s budget.
Senate Republicans
Senate Majority Leader Jake Corman (R-Centre) repeated several times this week there
isn’t much for the Senate to vote on, since all the budget-related bills and funding bills for theuniversities are in the House.
President Pro Tempore Joe Scarnati (R-Jefferson) said, “We’re talking about how we’d
like to bring this whole scenario to an end, but certainly the Governor has a role in it and that
role has been drawing pretty hard lines.”
“Here’s what [House and Senate Republicans] are in accord with: if there’s no pension
changes supported by House Democrats, then clearly there is no new revenue and clearly the
Governor is responsible for that,” Sen. Scarnati said. “For the Governor to say he didn’t know
the House Democrats were voting as a bloc against pension reform, clearly shows the attitude of
‘I just want tax increases,’ the Governor is saying,” he said.
Senate Majority Appropriations Chair Pat Browne (R-Lehigh) added, “What we have to
do is make sure we can get as much done before the Governor’s budget address and—in the end
if we are talking about revenue to finalize, which we will be—that all of these things are a part of
that because that’s something we’ve committed to.”
In his very short acceptance speech after being unanimously re-elected President Pro
Tempore of the Senate, Joe Scarnati quoted a passage from a letter Thomas Jefferson wrote to
John Adams, “I like the dreams of the future better than the history of the past.” To which Sen.
Scarnati added, “It sounds like he served in the Pennsylvania Legislature in 2015.”
Gov. Wolf
On Wednesday, January 6, Gov. Wolf distributed a video
railing against the “fiscally
irresponsible [Republican] budget that increases the deficit and cuts education funding by $95
million.”Coincidentally, it was the day after the Senate and House reconvened for the ceremonial
beginning of their 200th legislative session and then left town again.
“Two weeks ago [actually it was December 29], I vetoed their budget, while releasing
emergency funding for schools and key services. Now, the legislature, which has been on
vacation since before Christmas, needs to come back to Harrisburg and finish their work.
“The budget they sent me not only underfunded education and adds to the deficit, it also
is plain unfinished. Literally, it is not complete. It is unacceptable and the legislature needs to
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come back and immediately pass a responsible budget.
“We have a real chance to make historic investments in schools, truly balance the budget
and begin to fix the deficit, and Republicans need to get back to work immediately to finish the
job.”
At an event in Pittsburgh Thursday, Gov. Wolf was again critical of Republicans on the
budget telling the crowd, “Don’t hire people who think the job is not to show up.” At the sametime, Wolf said, “I'm not sure what more needs to be done. If they don't want to have a budget, I
don't know what more I can do beyond what I've already done.”
New Issues
Gov. Wolf used his own authority this week to direct how to spend the $2.8 billion in
education funding approved as part of the stopgap budget, since no education bill was passed by
the General Assembly.
Republicans say too much of the money is going to Philadelphia schools and the
redirection of $58 million in funding hurts charter schools and rural school districts.
Wolf said he’s only following the hybrid education funding formula agreed to, but not
enacted, as part of the budget.
Senate Republicans are exploring whether legal action is warranted on Wolf’s schoolspending.
At the Wolf Administration’s request, the State Treasurer Wednesday opened a $2 billion
line of credit in order to ensure the state’s General Fund cash balance does not drop below zero.
The Administration immediately used $1 billion of that to prevent a $922 million deficit in the
account.
Wolf blamed the need for the line of credit on the inability of the Republican-controlled
General Assembly to deal with the structural deficit.
Both Senate and House Republicans were critical of the move, reminding Democrats they
blasted Gov. Corbett in 2014 when he did the same thing.
Senate Republicans said House Democrats have failed to deal with the single largest cost
driver in the budget-- pensions.
What’s Next?
The House reconvenes January 11 and 12 and the Senate plans to reconvene on January
19, 20. Their voting session schedule through June 30 was also released.
Leaders in both chambers say there’s not much point in coming back to Harrisburg unless
there’s something to vote on.
Of course the Senate will be busy next week with a hearing January 12 on whether
Attorney General Kane can do her job without a law license; a hearing Kane said she would not
attend.
The fun and games continue in Harrisburg.
NewsClips:Rep. Christiana Posed To Introduce Natural Gas Severance Tax
Sturla’s New Severance Tax Proposal Would Fund Pensions
Wolf Takes Jabs At GOP Lawmakers In Pittsburgh Stop
Lawmakers Mull Leaving Wolf’s Deep Cuts To Budget
PA Legislative Leaders Pow-Wow On Budget Tuesday
AP: Lawmakers Reconvene, Budget Status Unclear
PLS: Republicans Point Budget Blame Finger At Wolf
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PLS: General Assembly Continues Wait-And-See Approach To Budget
Partial Budget Raises Odds Of Work On 2 Plans At Once
New Year Brings No Hint Of Budget Breakthrough
John Baer: PA Politics, What Lies Ahead?
Wolf Borrows $2 Billion To Pay PA Bills
School Funding Distribution Gives Rise To New Battle Kane Won’t Testify At Senate Removal Hearing
News From Around The State
Penn State To Survey Farm Conservation Practices In Chesapeake Bay Watershed
If you're a farm operator in the Chesapeake Bay watershed, you
soon will have a chance to highlight what steps you and your
fellow farmers have taken to protect and enhance water quality
in the region.
Several agricultural and governmental organizations have
partnered to develop a mail survey to over 20,000 farmers that
will ask producers to document conservation practices they
have adopted to promote water quality and soil health in the
bay watershed.
"Pennsylvania agriculture has done much to improve water quality in our local rivers and
streams and the Chesapeake Bay," said Matthew Royer, director of the Agriculture and
Environment Center in Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences. "Yet that positive story
often is not told. We want to give farmers in the bay watershed a chance to tell that story."
More than half of Pennsylvania's land area drains to the Chesapeake Bay. The
Susquehanna River, which flows through the state's most fertile farming region, is the bay'slargest tributary.
The survey will be administered by the Penn State Survey Research Center, which soon
will mail a letter to farmers in the watershed seeking their participation. College of Agricultural
Sciences researchers will analyze the survey responses, and cumulative results will be provided
to the Department of Environmental Protection to document the practices farmers have adopted
to conserve soil and water and to protect water quality.
Ten percent of the participants will be selected randomly for farm visits by Penn State
Extension to assess inventory results and help researchers better understand the methods used
and challenges encountered when adopting various management practices.
Responses will be kept completely confidential and never will be associated with a
farmer's name or location, according to James Shortle, Distinguished Professor of Agriculturaland Environmental Economics and the lead researcher for the survey.
"The results reported to the Department of Environmental Protection will be provided in
summary form and will not include any names or locations of survey participants," Shortle said.
"All inventory and farm visit results will be permanently anonymized to prevent identification of
respondents."
Richard Roush, dean of the College of Agricultural Sciences, noted that many of the
conservation practices that farmers have implemented over the years are not accounted for in
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tracking the progress made toward meeting priority water quality goals, including cleaning up
the Chesapeake Bay.
"This is especially true where farmers have adopted these practices on their own initiative
and by using their own dollars," Roush said. "This survey will allow farmers in the Chesapeake
Bay watershed to report conservation practices implemented on their farms so the agricultural
community can get the credit it deserves for improving water quality. We also hope it will helpus set priorities for research and extension educational programs that can assist producers in
identifying and adopting appropriate best management practices."
Farmers will have the option of filling out the paper version of the survey or completing
it online.
Participants are asked to submit their responses by April 30.
The survey was developed collaboratively by Penn State, PA Farm Bureau, PennAg
Industries Association , PA Farmers Union , PA Association for Sustainable Agriculture,
Professional Dairy Managers of PA, the Department of Agriculture, the State Conservation
Commission , the PA Association of Conservation Districts and the Department of Environmental
Protection.
Last October, the PA Association of Conservation Districts and other groups gavefarmers an opportunity to voluntarily report their farm conservation practices by filling out an
online survey. That survey will be closed in favor of the new Penn State mail survey.
For more information, contact Matthew Royer, Director of Penn State’s Agriculture and
Environment Center, by sending email to: [email protected] or call 814-863-8756.
NewsClips:
Chiques Creek Watershed Rain Garden Going To Farm Show
Innovative Program Promotes Grazing In Chesapeake Watershed
The Real Cost Of Green Infrastructure
Register Now For 2016 Keystone Goldwater Conference Feb. 26-27 In State College
The 2016 Keystone Coldwater Conference will be held February 26-27 at
the Ramada Inn Conference Center in State College, Centre County. The
theme for the upcoming conference is Coldwater Resources: Connecting
Conservation, Protection, Restoration, and Stewardship.
The Conference, held every other year, is a unique opportunity for
grassroots conservation organizations, environmental professionals, college
faculty, staff, and students to share ideas, concepts, and network in order to
protect, conserve and restore Pennsylvania's coldwater resources.
Speakers at the Conference include: Keynote-- DCNR Secretary Cindy
Adams Dunn and Charlie Charlesworth, President, PA Council of TroutUnlimited .
The agenda for February 26 and February 27 are packed with useful workshops and offer
lots of opportunities to mingle.
Student Posters Still Being Accepted
College students currently participating in research that relates to the conservation,
protection, restoration of Pennsylvania's coldwater streams are invited to participate in a student
poster session.
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The session will be held during the February 26 evening social. Students should prepare a
poster and a 3-5 minute presentation on their research. Posters will be judged by a technical team
on the presentation and outline of the poster. The top three presentations will be announced
during the conference on Saturday.
Click Here for all the details on student posters.
Sponsorship InformationWant to become a sponsor for this important event? Click Here for all the details on how
you can support this unique effort.
To register for the Conference or for more details, visit the 2016 Keystone Coldwater
Conference website.
NewsClips:
Study Of Sick Susquehanna Bass Cites Endocrine Disrupters
No Link Between Fracking, Smallmouth Bass Decline
WITF Smart Talk On Sick Susquehanna River Bass
Editorial: Susquehanna Impaired? You Bet
Study: Asian Carp Could Be Huge Presence In Lake Erie
First Winter Ice Forms On Lake Erie Letort Spring Run Focus Of New Book
Registration Now Open For 2016 Schuylkill River Watershed Congress March 12
Register now for the 2016 Schuylkill River Watershed Congress to be held March 12 at the
Montgomery County Community College Pottstown Campus .
The Watershed Congress, held annually since 1998, continues to advance the best
available information and techniques for protecting and restoring watersheds. The focus on
networking across disciplines means that the Congress melds science, policy and practical
applications into one program.
Every year, a growing and changing group of individuals attends to gain new knowledge,
acquire tools, and practice techniques that will allow them to take active roles in the stewardship
of their natural resources.
New this year: Get the Watershed Congress App.
Visit Here for a detailed Congress agenda. Online registration is available.
For all the details, visit the 2016 Schuylkill River Watershed Congress webpage.
Feature: Clean Water Among Many Visions For Many Streams Farm In York County
Among the many dreams Bob and Maggie Cahalan have for
their southern York County farm, protecting the water thatruns through it is one of their most important.
With the help of CBF in Pennsylvania and
restoration specialist Ashley Spotts, the Cahalans and their
partners planted more than 300 native trees and shrubs on
three acres, as buffers to trap and filter pollutants that would
otherwise flow into Ebaugh and Shaw streams. The cool,
babbling waters converge into Deer Creek, a tributary of the
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Susquehanna River, and eventually into the Chesapeake Bay.
CBF is emphasizing clean water efforts in York County through its "Clean Water Counts:
York " program, which organizes and mobilizes residents to urge leaders in Harrisburg to show
greater commitment to improving water quality, and focuses on the need to clean up York
County's 350 miles of impaired creeks, streams, and rivers.
The Cahalans live in Greenbelt, Maryland, and with partners Eugenia Kalnay and JorgeRivas, bought the 37-acre farm in Stewartstown, just north of the Mason-Dixon Line, in 2011. It
is no longer a working farm, in that there currently are no crops or livestock to tend.
The forested and streamside buffers on Many Streams Farm are unique in the diversity of
plants chosen. Various oaks and hickories, persimmon, paw paw, honey locust, and several types
of berry-producing shrubs are among the 40 species.
With guidance from CBF, Many Streams Farm benefited from the Commonwealth's
Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP), which makes annual rental payments for
land taken out of pasture or production and based on soil type.
"The CREP plan has everything they need to know, including tree and shrub numbers,
maintenance requirements, contractor lists, tree lists, and reimbursement costs for the program,"
CBF's Ashley Spotts says."CREP had value beyond monetary value, because it had certain procedures that were
developed and outlined," Bob Cahalan says. "We had to plant to a certain date and get 70 percent
to survive."
The Cahalans intend to practice permaculture amid the farm's rolling hills, streams, and
wetlands. They see permaculture as the harmonious integration of landscape and people,
providing food, energy, shelter, and other material and non-material needs in a sustainable and
ethical way.
"Experimenting with restorative and re-generative soil building agriculture that does not
depend on annual plantings for food sources is a major goal," Maggie Cahalan says. "We hope to
foster increased use of perennial and tree crops as food sources for humans and animals. We
think it is especially appropriate for the sloped land of this piedmont hill farm."
The Cahalans would like to produce half of their personal food on Many Streams Farm.
They have plans for spiral orchards of varieties of apples and cherries; a medicine wheel garden
of ginger, berries, witch hazel and other medicinal plants; a farm museum; and a greenhouse.
They are installing 30 solar panels to generate energy for farm needs and even have a project to
harvest acorns and make bread.
They also see the property as a place for environmental education, a nursery for heirloom
and edible native plants, and an opportune place for senior citizens to contribute and integrate.
The Cahalans' interest in clean water and the Chesapeake Bay extends beyond their York County
Farm.
They are very active in the non-profit CHEARS (CHesapeake Education, Arts, andResearch Society), dedicated to the health of all who share the Chesapeake watershed
environment. It is a vehicle for volunteer work to help the health of the Bay. The goal of the
non-profit is to foster rural-urban linkages for the good of the Chesapeake watershed in urban,
suburban, and rural areas in Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Virginia.
The Cahalans are also very much committed to Chestory (The Center for the Chesapeake
Story), with roots in southern Maryland and the work of the late Tom Wisner . It is a group of
artists, scientists, citizen activists, educators, poets, writers, and waterfolk who believe that art,
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song, and story can be the thread that binds people with the deep spiritual Chesapeake
experience.
The Cahalans' passion for the Bay grew out of their reading CBF's State of the Bay report
in 2005 . "One of our first activities was to write an article for the little town we lived in, in
Greenbelt," Maggie Cahalan says. "It was to summarize materials from the Foundation, and it
galvanized us. I think the work of the Foundation in educating people is really important."For more information on programs, initiatives and special events, visit the
CBF-Pennsylvania webpage. Visit Here to sign up for regular updates from CBF-PA (bottom of
left panel.)
NewsClips:
Study Of Sick Susquehanna Bass Cites Endocrine Disrupters
No Link Between Fracking, Smallmouth Bass Decline
WITF Smart Talk On Sick Susquehanna River Bass
Editorial: Susquehanna Impaired? You Bet
Study: Asian Carp Could Be Huge Presence In Lake Erie
First Winter Ice Forms On Lake Erie
Letort Spring Run Focus Of New Book
(Written By: B.J. Small, CBF-PA Media and Communications Coordinator. Reprinted from the
Chesapeake Bay Foundation Blog , January 6.)
Join The Eastern Coalition For Abandoned Mine Reclamation Reclaim Crew
The Eastern Coalition For Abandoned Mine Reclamation’s Reclaim
Crew is a locally-based group of volunteers that assists EPCAMR
with reclamation efforts.
Join Reclaim Crew and be involved with a group of like-minded
individuals who care about the environment.
Learn about the reclamation efforts going on in your area, attend
meet & greets with other Reclaim Crew members at local restaurants, and enjoy events tailored
to sustainable issues here in the Anthracite Coal Region of Northeastern Pennsylvania!
EPCAMR is active in 16 Northeast counties, including: Tioga, Bradford, Susquehanna,
Lycoming, Sullivan, Wyoming, Lackawanna, Luzerne, Northumberland, Carbon, Schuylkill,
Columbia, Lebanon, Dauphin, Montour, and Wayne.
For more information, contact Elizabeth Rosser by sending email to: [email protected]
or Gabby Zawacki at: [email protected]
.
For information on programs, initiatives and special events, visit the Eastern Coalition
For Abandoned Mine Reclamation
website. Visit Here to sign up for regular updates fromEPCAMR, like E