Pa Environment Digest Feb. 26, 2018

Issue #713 Crisci Associates, Harrisburg, PA Feb.
26, 2018
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Budget Hearing: DCNR To Release Monitoring Report On State Forest Drilling By Early
Summer
DCNR Secretary Cindy Adams Dunn Thursday told the House

Appropriations Committee her agency will release its next report
documenting the environmental impacts of drilling on state forest land by
early summer.
The first report released in April 2014 by the Corbett Administration,
documented impacts to infrastructure, flora, forest health, invasive species,
water, soil, air, incidents, fauna, recreation, community engagement, timber,
energy, revenue and forest landscapes from drilling starting in 2008 through
2012. The reports are being done every five years.
Secretary Dunn said while Gov. Wolf’s moratorium on new natural gas
drilling is still in effect, the build out of well pads and the infrastructure to support the existing
drilling leases continues.
She noted the new report will show the build out of 30 to 40 percent of the drilling leases,
but much of the development since the last report has been ancillary structures like pipelines and
compressor stations.
The 2014 report found 1,486 acres of state forest land was converted to facilitate gas
development over the 385,400 acres of land leased for natural gas drilling. All the drilling leases
were signed before 2011 in the Rendell Administration.
DCNR also noted in the 2014 report that even with shale gas development, state forests
retained the Forest Stewardship Council sustainable forest certification. State forests maintain
that certification today.
Secretary Dunn said there have been 653 wells drilled on the state forest leases and
DCNR is collecting royalties from the 633 producing wells. This year they expect revenues of
$80 million from the leases and next year about $79 million.
The revenue is deposited in DCNR’s Oil and Gas Lease Fund, but is used to pay for state
park and state forest operations or transferred to other funds to use for other purposes.
DCNR works with a Natural Gas Advisory Committee on the report and other issues
related to drilling on state forest lands. For more information, visit DCNR’s Natural Gas
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Management webpage.
Click Here for a copy of Secretary Dunn’s written budget testimony.
Questions from House members at the hearing brought up familiar issues, duplicating
most of the questions asked at last year’s budget hearing. Here are some issues not brought up
last year--
-- DCNR Special Funds: In response to a question from Rep. Joe Markosek (D-Allegheny),
Minority Chair of the House Appropriations Committee, Dunn explained special funds like the
Keystone Recreation, Park and Conservation Fund and the Environmental Stewardship (Growing
Greener) Fund do not have unused monies in them. Fund monies are attached to projects as they
are approved and need to be reserved to pay the costs of those projects. Many projects, she said,
are completed over 3 or 4 years, but the money needs to be there when they are. Taking money
out of these special funds is taking money away from these projects. She noted a recent
Independent Fiscal Office report confirmed the way these monies are handled and noted there are
no unused monies in those funds. (Click Here for more on this issue.) Dunn said DCNR will
soon open a new portal for grantees to improve communications with the department and to
better track grant completion progress.
-- General Fund Increase: Rep. Lee James (R-Butler) questioned why there was a significant
increase in General Fund money proposed in the budget. Dunn explained less money was being
transferred from the Oil and Gas Fund to pay DCNR’s operating expenses and that money is
being made up by an increase in General Fund money.
-- Submerged Land Agreements: Rep. Seth Grove (R-York) asked why DCNR was still
signing submerged land leases with pipeline and gas drilling companies when the Governor’s
moratorium on natural gas leasing was in place. Dunn explained the leases were not for
production, but, for example, allowing a drilling company to drill under a stream bed to connect
to a lease the company owns on the other side of the stream.
-- How Do DCNR Grants Generate Jobs: Rep. Maria Donatucci (D-Delaware) asked if DCNR
calculated how many jobs DCNR grants generate. Lauren Imgrund, DCNR Deputy Secretary for
Conservation and Technical Services, said DCNR has invested over $350 million in 2,300
projects that have resulted in $700 million of economic impact in those communities. With
respect to local parks, a National Recreation and Park Association report found the 6,000 local
parks in Pennsylvania generated $1.6 billion in economic impact from capital expenditures and
supported 12,500 jobs. The Heritage Areas Program investments have resulted in $2.3 billion in
economic value added supporting 25,000 jobs. (Click Here for more on economic impacts.)
-- Efficiency Savings: Asked by Rep. Marguerite Quinn (R-Bucks) for examples of where
DCNR has improved efficiencies, Dunn said their Go-Time and sustainability initiatives, which
includes building LEED certified buildings, purchasing electric vehicles and other measures are
reducing operating costs. As an example, DCNR Deputy Secretary for Administration Michael
Walsh said through guaranteed energy savings contracts, DCNR has invested $5.5 million and
will save $7.5 million in energy costs.
Responding to another member’s question, Dunn said DCNR is part of a cluster of
agencies-- DEP, Agriculture, Milk Marketing Board and the Environmental Hearing Board-- that
now share human resources and information technology services.
-- Entry/Parking Fees: Rep. Doyle Heffley (R-Carbon) suggested perhaps a parking or entrance
fee, particularly for out-of-state residents, would help DCNR offset some of its costs. Dunn said
DCNR has embraced the model of having no entrance fee so parks and forests are more available
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to all residents of the state. She noted DCNR-owned recreational facilities act as magnets for
visitors and provide the local economy with significant benefits. Dunn said in talking to other
states, the experience has been the number of visitors drops off when fees are introduced. She
said there are more practical issues with an entrance fee and gave the example of Pymatuning
State Park in Mercer County that has 27 different roads going through it.
-- Volunteers Are Critical: Rep. Keith Greiner (R-Lancaster) asked if DCNR engages
volunteers to help state parks in any way. Dunn said DCNR could not do its job without
volunteers. John Norbeck, DCNR Deputy Secretary for Parks and Forestry, said volunteers from
the PA Parks and Forests Foundation and local “Friends” groups contribute over $3 million a
year in service to parks and forests. DCNR also has its own Conservation Volunteer Program
helping state parks and forests in a variety of ways. Rep. Stan Saylor (R-York), Majority Chair
of the House Appropriations Committee, invited Dunn to develop an article legislators could use
in their newsletters to tell their constituents about the volunteer opportunities.
-- Spotted Lanternfly: In response to a question from Rep. Susan Helm (R-Dauphin) about the
spotted lanternfly, Dunn said DCNR is working closely with the Department of Agriculture on
the issue. This year, she said, DCNR transferred $340,000 from the Environmental Stewardship
Fund to Agriculture to help in their efforts, in addition to providing technical and research
support through DCNR’s Forest Pest Division. She noted this is just one of the forest pests
DCNR deals with, the others being the emerald ash borer, gypsy moth and woolly adelgid.
-- Gypsy Moths: Prompted by a question from Rep. Mike Carroll (D-Lackawanna), Minority
Chair of the House Environmental Resources and Energy Committee, John Norbeck said the
gypsy moth population should be declining this year, but DCNR staff is now making an
assessment of the population and will have a better idea of the threat later this spring. Dunn
noted $2 million from the Environmental Stewardship (Growing Greener) Fund is used to spray
for gypsy moths.
Click Here for a copy of Secretary Dunn’s budget testimony.
Click Here for copies of testimony and video of House Appropriations Committee budget
hearings and the complete hearing schedule.
NewsClips:
Bay Journal: Morelli: PA’s Environmental Rights Amendment Grows Some Teeth
Trump Once Again Wants to Cut Energy Assistance To The Poor
Editorial: Trump Budget Continues Assault On The Environment
Editorial: Allegheny River Locks & Dams Sorely Need Proposed Funding Boost
Editorial: Resources Can Help Restore Heat To Those Without
Related Stories:
DCNR Releases 2017 Accomplishments Report
Budget Testimony By DCNR Secretary Cindy Adams Dunn, Celebrating 125 Years Of The State
Park System
Next Week’s Budget Hearings: DEP, Agriculture, DCNR
[Posted: Feb. 23, 2018]
Budget Testimony By DCNR Secretary Cindy Adams Dunn, Celebrating 125 Years Of The
State Park System
Below is the budget testimony submitted by
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DCNR Secretary Cindy Adams Dunn to the House and Senate Appropriations Committees--
Thank you for this opportunity to discuss the budget for the Department of Conservation
and Natural Resources.
If you pay attention to trends, you’ll note that businesses wanting to grow and companies
looking to locate pay increasingly close attention to quality of life issues. Skilled workers and
business owners want to live in communities:
-- With parks where families can play;
-- That are walkable and bikeable with diverse recreational
opportunities;
-- That offer clean water and are sustainable; and
-- That integrate quality of life with economic development.
The governor’s Amazon in PA website notes our state boasts an ideal blend of thriving
cities, walkable urbanscapes, and charming small towns with plenty of rugged woodlands and
lush countryside to explore off the beaten path – including 121 beautiful state parks.
These are the amenities that DCNR and its partners provide to Pennsylvanians that both
support our recreational and tourism economy through a revitalized park and forest system, and
ensure that we are conserving our natural resources, protecting our people, and the environment.
DCNR’s proposed total budget of about $392 million provides funding for our current
level of operations, maintains current complement levels, and provides us with the funding we
need to continue to make Pennsylvania an attractive place to live, work, and do business.
In his budget address, Governor Wolf emphasized a focus on an ambitious plan to ensure
Pennsylvania’s workforce has the skills and education to succeed in 21st century jobs.
One of the best examples of the Administration’s commitment to workforce development
and skills training is DCNR’s youth conservation corps.
This program offers work experience, job training, and educational opportunities to
young people who complete recreation and conservation projects, mostly on Pennsylvania’s
lands. It helps them get real world experience on active work projects, and helps them gain skills
that will make them more attractive and productive job candidates.
The Outdoors Corps looks to ignite a love of the outdoors and a passion for conservation
of natural places in young people, who because of screen time and school schedules are
increasingly disconnected from Pennsylvania’s natural and cultural heritage.
Makiah Cintron, who participated in the Wilkes-Barre Outdoor Corps crew last year said
. . . “For me as a person, I think I developed a really good work ethic and positive attitude when
working with others. I definitely see a different side to myself when I am working outdoors.”
This youth engagement program is among six strategic initiatives DCNR is focusing on
[youth, recreation, forest consideration, climate, water and sustainability]. These agency-wide
efforts include practices that are--
-- Responding to and lessening the impacts of climate change;
-- Putting acres of trees in the ground along streams to improve the quality of our water;
-- Conserving forest lands and promoting forest product jobs including efforts to address
worker’s comp challenges for loggers; and
-- Continuing leadership on green practices, including installing chargers for electric vehicles in
state parks.
Governor Wolf’s budget proposal helps us continue and expand these crucial initiatives,
while also keeping our focus on cost savings and efficiencies.
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DCNR has ongoing projects aimed at reducing costs and increasing efficiency in
operations including Guaranteed Energy Savings Act (GESA) projects that will begin this spring,
which will save hundreds of thousands on energy bills while providing significant upgrades to
our infrastructure.
Through these efforts, DCNR is continuing to demonstrate that we are a good steward of
the commonwealth’s resources, and are using the resources we do get effectively to improve the
quality of life of every Pennsylvanian.
One hundred and twenty-five years ago this summer, Pennsylvania dedicated its first
state park at Valley Forge, now in the national park system. [Click Here for more on the history
of state parks.]
Around the same time the Pennsylvania Forestry Commission was being formed, with an
excerpt from the Forestry Association’s publication noting . . . “the preservation of extensive
woodland areas is one of the most important duties the citizen owes to the future.”
We at DCNR take great pride in our conservation history, and draw on it to guide our
work as we respond to today’s natural resource and environmental opportunities and challenges.
We look forward to working with you in the coming year to uphold the rights to clean air,
pure water, and to the preservation of the natural, scenic, historic, and esthetic values of the
environment guaranteed by our Constitution for all Pennsylvanians.
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.
(Photo: Secretary Dunn with members of the PA Outdoor Corps.)
NewsClips:
Related Stories:
Summer
[Posted: Feb. 22, 2018]
House and Senate budget hearings continue next week with these agencies on the schedule--
-- February 26-- House: 10:00- Department of Environmental Protection; 3:00- Department of
Agriculture
-- February 26-- Senate: 3:00- Department of Transportation
-- February 28-- Senate: 1:00- Department of Agriculture; 3:00- Department of Conservation &
Natural Resources
-- March 1-- Senate: 3:00- Department of Environmental Protection
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-- March 8-- House: 10:00- Governor’s Budget Secretary
-- March 8-- Senate: 1:00- Governor’s Budget Secretary
All House budget hearings will be held in Room 140 of the Main Capitol in Harrisburg.
Click Here to watch the hearing online. Click Here for the full House budget hearing schedule.
All Senate budget hearings will be in Hearing Room 1, North Office Building. Hearings
are typically webcast on the Senate Republican website. Click Here for the full Senate budget
hearing schedule.
NewsClips:
Related Stories:
Summer
Budget Testimony By DCNR Secretary Cindy Adams Dunn, Celebrating 125 Years Of The State
Park System
[Posted: Feb. 23, 2018]
PA Resources Council Honors 18 Western PA Organizations With Zero Waste Awards
The PA Resources Council Thursday presented its

third annual Zero Waste Events and Business Awards
to 18 environmental leaders in recognition of their
commitment to adopting sustainable environmental
practices and diverting waste through recycling,
composting and reuse.
“PRC’s Zero Waste Pennsylvania program provides
special events, commercial businesses and institutions
with vital waste reduction assistance,” said PRC
Western Regional Director Justin Stockdale. “We’re
pleased to recognize the accomplishments of those committed to preserving the environment,
and we applaud the efforts of this year’s class of honorees for their outstanding leadership,
innovation and dedication.”
In 2017, PRC’s Zero Waste team assisted dozens of events, businesses and institutions
with sustainable waste management solutions.
Last year, Zero Waste efforts diverted 46 tons of materials to be recycled/composted and
reached nearly 600,000 individuals directly and indirectly through waste audits as well as public
and private zero waste services.
“Our Zero Waste team members provide technical expertise and hands-on assistance to
enable a wide variety of organizations to pursue the ultimate goal of producing zero waste,” said
Stockdale. “Each year many successful partnerships result in diverting tons of material to
become valuable compost and recycled products.”
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Kathy Hrabovsky, Sustainability Manager for Allegheny County's Department of
Facilities Management, served as keynote speaker.
The award winners included--
Achievement Awards -- recognizing events/institutions that diverted a significant percentage of
waste in 2017
Gold (90 percent or more waste diversion)
-- Bounty At Boyce Mayview Park Fall Fest, Township of Upper St. Clair
-- Dick’s Sporting Goods Pittsburgh Marathon -- Pittsburgh Three Rivers Marathon, Inc.
-- Richard S. Caliguiri Great Race -- City of Pittsburgh Office of Special Events
Silver (75 to 89 percent waste diversion)
-- Conservation Consultants Inc.
-- Deutschtown Music Festival
-- Hay Day & Family Green Fest -- Allegheny County
-- Kickball For A Cause -- Pump
-- Mon Valley Sizzles - Sterling Events
-- Steel City Big Pour - Construction Junction
Bronze (60 to 74 percent waste diversion)
-- Department of Facilities Management -- Allegheny County Office of Sustainability
Achievement
-- 412 Food Rescue
-- Leaf2Go, LLC
-- UPMC Passavant
-- UPMC Presbyterian
Excellence Awards -- recognizing exemplary dedication to principles of zero waste
-- East End Food Co-Op
-- Maple Syrup Festival -- Beaver County Department of Waste Management
-- UPMC Vanadium Woods Village
-- U.S. Postal Service Pennsylvania District
The awards ceremony/celebration was held at Construction Junction in Pittsburgh.
Event sponsors were Giant Eagle, Sterling Events, Zero Fossil Energy Outfitters and
Construction Junction.
To learn more about reducing or eliminating your waste stream, visit PRC’s Zero Waste
Pennsylvania webpage or call 412-488-7490.
For more information on programs, initiatives and special events, visit the PA Resources
Council website. Click Here to sign up for regular updates, follow PRC on Twitter or Like them
on Facebook. Click Here for PRC’s Events Calendar. Click Here to support their work.
[Posted: Feb. 23, 2018]
Bay Journal: PA's Environmental Rights Amendment Grows Some Teeth
By Donna Morelli, Chesapeake Bay Journal
For all of its natural bounty, Pennsylvania has environmental woes aplenty. Take your pick —
19,000 miles of impaired streams, 5,500 of them from abandoned coal mines; state
environmental agencies and programs starved of funds as Pennsylvania fails to do its part to
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maintain safe drinking water and clean up the Chesapeake Bay; and state forests carved up by
drilling pads and pipelines.
But the state does have an Environmental Rights Amendment.
Since 1971, Pennsylvania’s constitution has guaranteed that the people have a right to
clean air, pure water and the preservation of the natural, scenic, historic and esthetic values of the
environment.
The amendment also says that the state’s natural resources are the common property of
all the people, including generations yet to come, and that the state shall conserve and maintain
them.
Until lately, those high-sounding words have been just that, without any real impact on
what happens in the state.
But twice in the last four years, Pennsylvania’s Supreme Court has rendered decisions
putting teeth in the environmental rights amendment — first, in a lawsuit over whether
communities have the power to bar hydraulic fracturing and, later, over how the legislature is
spending revenue derived from leasing state forestland for “fracking,” as the controversial
natural gas extraction method is known.
The high court’s rulings, in 2013 and 2017, have generated buzz among lawyers and
elected officials, as well as heartened environmental activists used to losing political scraps with
the state’s powerful extractive industries.
The full import of the court’s decisions has yet to play out, with more litigation in the
works. But already, some activists have been emboldened to push to expand its application in
Pennsylvania — and to spread similar green amendments nationwide.
“These decisions have empowered people,” said George Jugovic, director of legal affairs
for the environmental group, PennFuture. “People are talking about it and asking questions:
‘How does this affect my life? How does this affect the resources that are important to me?’”
Pennsylvania is one of nearly two dozen states with language about environmental
protection in their constitution. Advocates say the Keystone State’s provision is more potent than
most because it’s been enshrined among the “Declaration of Rights” enumerated at the beginning
of the state’s governing document.
The amendment grew out of an earlier era of environmental depredation of the state by
the coal industry, when thousands of acres of forest were destroyed by strip mines and streams
were rendered lifeless by acid drainage.
“People were sick and tired of seeing dead fish and dirty water in the streams and rivers
after coal companies would dump their waste,” recalled Franklin L. Kury, the former state
legislator who drafted the environmental rights amendment.
Campaigning on a platform of “clean streams and clean politics,” Kury won election to
the state House of Representative in 1966 and wrote the words to Article 1, Section 27 in 1969.
The legislature had already responded to the growing environmental concerns being
expressed nationwide by passing new environmental regulations and revising its Clean Streams
law to include the coal industry. But Kury thought more was needed.
“I wanted to write a law with broad basic principles that would last for time,” he said.
The year after the nation’s first Earth Day, Pennsylvania voters approved the amendment by a
margin of nearly four to one.
For the next four decades, though, it proved pretty toothless, defanged by a 1973
Commonwealth Court ruling that applied a circuitous logic to what it meant. Basically,
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government just had to show that the benefits of whatever project was being challenged were
greater than the environmental damage likely to be caused. In nearly all cases, the government
won.
Then, the right case came along with the right argument. It grew out of the backlash in
Pennsylvania to the explosion of fracking across the state. As some townships tried to zone
fracking away from schools and populated areas, the industry succeeded in getting state
legislators to pass a law saying only the state could regulate fracking.
The Delaware Riverkeeper and nine Pennsylvania municipalities took on the new law,
led by Robinson Township, a mid-size suburb of Pittsburgh. The case, Robinson v.
Commonwealth, went all the way to Pennsylvania’s Supreme Court, which in a landmark
decision declared the green amendment trumped parts of that law. It upheld the rights of a local
community to say no to fracking.
“All these years, nothing that I’ve done legally and personally moved me as much as that
court decision,” Kury said of the 2013 ruling.
A second, more recent environmental rights ruling — also tied to fracking — is more
complicated, but potentially just as far-reaching.
Since 2008, Pennsylvania’s governors and lawmakers have been using revenues earned
from leasing state forest lands for fracking to balance the state budget. The Pennsylvania
Environmental Defense Foundation, a nonprofit founded in 1986, decided to challenge that
practice.
Pennsylvania awarded its first oil and gas lease on public lands in 1947 and by 1955 the
state created the Oil and Gas Lease Fund. Until 2008, the Department of Conservation and
Natural Resources, which manages Pennsylvania’s vast network of public lands, was the sole
beneficiary of the fund.
From 1947 to 2008, according to court documents, oil– and gas-leasing revenue totaled
$165 million. But the explosion of shale gas drilling brought in $167 million in 2009 alone. State
officials decided to divert most of that revenue into the general fund, leaving the DCNR an
amount up to $50 million a year.
The Marcellus Shale gas play took off just as the economy plunged into a recession; and
like many states, Pennsylvania’s budget had a huge hole to fill. In a cash-strapped state where
raising taxes was — and is — political poison, it was too tempting to keep using the millions of
dollars from state forest leases as a cash cow.
Last June, in a decision built on the logic of its earlier 2013 ruling, the high court decreed
in Pennsylvania Environmental Defense Foundation v. Commonwealth that the money raised by
leasing the state’s natural resources must be used solely to restore and maintain those resources.
It’s too early to tell what the latest decision will mean.
What is clear, is that there will be more lawsuits — and the wait shouldn’t be long. The
Pennsylvania Environmental Defense Foundation has gone back to court, asking a judge to
declare parts of the 2018 budget legislation unconstitutional because it relies on transfers from
the oil and gas fund.
“We have state forest that is significantly degraded,” said John Childe, the foundation’s
attorney. “DCNR is not able to deal with the impacts to plants and animals and forest
fragmentation. We’re losing funding for the restoration of the forests. If you can’t balance the
budget, create new funds; don’t take it from our state forests. You can’t rob Peter to pay Paul.”
The Commonwealth Court, an intermediate appeals court, is still weighing how that
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money must be spent, Childe said. If the foundation is successful, the cumulative $1.1 billion in
lease revenue will be reserved exclusively to restore the state forests. The state may have to
repay money already spent elsewhere.
It’s complicated how the money is spent now; some is siphoned off for the general fund
and some goes to the DCNR and is granted to communities for projects — and expenses.
About $20 million annually goes to Growing Greener, a program established in 1999 that
distributes grants to deal with a broad array of environmental needs, from sewer upgrades to
farmland preservation.
The program once had a dedicated source of funding — tipping fees on trash hauling —
but in recent years has relied on borrowed money. The $20 million will be zeroed out if the
Environmental Defense Foundation wins in court.
Some activists worry that the case could take scarce state funding away from Growing
Greener and other needy environmental initiatives.
“I’m concerned as a Pennsylvanian; I want to see the environment funded,” said Andrew
Heath, executive director of the Growing Greener Coalition, a coalition of environmental groups
supporting the fund. “But when I put my executive director hat on, my job is to see as much
money go into the program as possible.”
So far, the amendment hasn’t seemed to guarantee that lawmakers will provide adequate
funding for Bay restoration, drinking water protection or other environmental protections.
The most recent state budget left the Department of Environmental Protection with no
new money, despite receiving warning letters from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
about Pennsylvania’s lagging performance in reducing nutrient pollution to the Susquehanna
River and the Chesapeake Bay, and the state’s shortcomings in ensuring public drinking water
safety.
But David Hess, a former DEP secretary who is now a lobbyist, said he believes the latest
court ruling has the potential to force a much-needed reform in the state’s anemic funding for
environmental preservation and protection.
The state’s lawmakers have been balancing the budget with “bubble gum and baling
wire” for the last 13 years, Hess said. And the money from gas leasing is just part of the problem.
Environmental agencies are cut, and special funds tend to be viewed as easy marks for diversion.
“The General Assembly isn’t going to change unless they are forced to,” Hess said.
“They are loath to raise taxes, and they are loath to raise new revenue. They want the easy way
out, and the easy way out is to patch together whatever they can steal where they can.”
[Note: The most recent example is from January when the Senate passed a bill to finance
more initiatives out of the Environmental Stewardship (Growing Greener) Fund, without adding
any new money.]
Every year, as expenses climb, a group of legislators insists it won’t raise taxes or fees for
any purpose whatsoever. But revenues from income and sales tax are down since the recession.
With four-fifths of the budget devoted to health, human services and education, that leaves a
diminishing share for everything else, including the environment.
The court ruling on the oil and gas fund could wreak major change, but Rep. Kate Harper
a Republican from Montgomery County, predicted it will take some time for her colleagues to
take the environmental rights amendment seriously. She suggested that “strategic lawsuits will
change their mind.”
Some activists see a brighter green road ahead. Maya K. van Rossum, the Delaware
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Riverkeeper, hopes to turn the court victories into a movement. The Delaware Riverkeeper
Network, a co-plaintiff in the Robinson case, launched an initiative in 2014 aiming for an
environmental rights provision in every state’s constitution. Rossum wrote a book last year on
the topic, The Green Amendment.
Environmental laws aren’t protecting anyone, van Rossum contended. “The green
amendment is right up there with our rights for freedom of religion and our freedom to own
guns,” she said.
John Childe, a Pennsylvania Environmental Defense Foundation lawyer who argued the
recent funding case, sees the environmental rights amendment as an essential bulwark against the
grinding down of precious natural resources. “It’s the only hope for our planet,” he said.
(Reprinted from the Chesapeake Bay Journal.)
NewsClips:
Latest From The Chesapeake Bay Journal
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Related Stories:
PA Environmental Defense Foundation Asks PA Supreme Court To Consider Unconstitutional
Oil & Gas Fund Spending Issues Commonwealth Court Won’t
PA Supreme Court Declares Law Diverting Oil & Gas Lease Funds To General Fund
Unconstitutional
PA Supreme Court Rules Act 13 Drilling Law Municipal Preemption Unconstitutional
Senate Passes Bill To Finance More Initiatives Out Of The Growing Greener Fund Without
Adding Any New Money
IFO Report Confirms There Are No Unused Monies In Environmental Special Fund Balances
Gov. Wolf’s Budget Bumps DEP, DCNR Budget, But DEP Remains Just Above 1994 Levels
House, Senate, Governor Agree On $31.996B Spending Plan, Fails To Address ANY
Environmental Funding Shortfalls
Final Budget Bills Littered With Bad Environmental Riders: A Budget That Failed To Address
ANY Environmental Shortfalls
[Posted: Feb. 19, 2018]
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--
Bill Calendars
House (March 12): House Bill 1401 (DiGirolamo-R-Bucks) which amends Title 58 to impose a
sliding scale natural gas severance tax, in addition to the Act 13 drilling impact fee, on natural
gas production (NO money for environmental programs) and includes provisions related to
minimum landowner oil and gas royalties; House Resolution 284 (Moul-R-Adams) urging
Congress to repeal the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s MS4 Stormwater Pollution
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Prevention Program (sponsor summary). <> Click Here for full House Bill Calendar.
Senate (March 19): Senate Bill 792 (Alloway-R-Franklin) requiring law fertilizer applicators to
be certified in application techniques and creates an education program; Senate Resolution 104
(Bartolotta-R-Washington) resolution urging the Governor to end the moratorium on new
non-surface disturbance natural gas drilling on state forest land (sponsor summary); House Bill
913 providing for the adoption of stormwater fees by incorporated towns; House Bill 914
providing for the adoption of stormwater fees by boroughs; House Bill 915 providing for the
adoption of stormwater fees by first class townships; and House Bill 916 providing for the
adoption of stormwater fees by Cities of the Third Class; House Bill 1341 (Pyle-R-Armstrong)
further providing for training and certification of emergency medical personnel responding to
bituminous deep mine accidents (House Fiscal Note and summary); House Bill 1486
(Zimmerman-R-Lancaster) exempting agricultural high-tunnel structures from the Stormwater
Management Act (House Fiscal Note and summary); House Bill 1550 (Klunk-R-York) changing
restrictions on preserved land to allow for an additional residence (House Fiscal Note and
summary). <> Click Here for full Senate Bill Calendar.
Committee Meeting Agendas This Week
House: Budget Hearings: Department of Environmental Protection; Department of Agriculture.

<> Click Here for full House Committee Schedule.
Senate: Budget Hearings: Department of Transportation; Department of Agriculture;

Department of Conservation & Natural Resources. <> Click Here for full Senate Committee
Schedule.
Other: Joint Legislative Budget and Finance Committee meeting to release reports on Update
of Cost Estimates For An Alternative Approach to Meeting PA’s Chesapeake Bay Nutrient
Reduction Targets.
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--
Water/Wastewater Bill Assistance: House Bill 2099 (Davis-D-Allegheny) establishing a

Low-Income Water and Wastewater Assistance Program to pay customer bills (sponsor
summary).
Session Schedule
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Here is the latest voting session schedule for the Senate and House--
Senate
Budget Hearings: Feb. 20 - March 8
March 19, 20, 21, 26, 27, 28
April 16, 17, 18, 23, 24, 25, 30
May 1, 2, 21, 22, 23
June 4, 5, 6, 11, 12, 13, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29
House
Budget Hearings: Feb. 20 to March 8
March 12, 13, 14
April 9, 10, 11, 16, 17, 18, 30
May 1, 2, 22, 23
June 4, 5, 6, 11, 12, 13, 18, 19, 20, 21, 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 Around The State
DEP Releases Information On Maintaining Streams To Assist Flood Recovery Efforts
The Department of Environmental Protection Friday

released a resource for understanding what landowners
can do to work in or adjacent to streams impacted by
flooding.
The full-color booklet, Guidelines for Maintaining
Streams in Your Community, is an easy-to-use resource
for understanding the DEP regulations that apply when
working in Pennsylvania streams.
“With 86,000 miles of streams and rivers in Pennsylvania, DEP receives many inquiries
about stream work from municipalities, landowners, businesses, and communities affected by
flooding, or by those simply wishing to perform stream restoration to protect property and
infrastructure and prevent future flood impacts,” said DEP Secretary Patrick McDonnell. “Our
new booklet and accompanying poster, with ‘Red/Yellow/Green Light’ guidance, takes the
guesswork out of the most common actions.”
DEP regulates activities in watercourses to protect public health, safety and the
environment. Activities that change, expand or diminish the course, current or cross-section of a
watercourse are regulated.
The guide is a first step in determining what regulatory requirements may apply before
beginning a project. It contains a helpful “green, yellow, and red light” list of potential stream
13
activities to indicate whether permits are likely to be required.
The booklet contains additional sections on myths and rules of thumb, and was reviewed
by local government officials who typically are the first stop for landowners seeking guidance.
Just a few of the “green light” actions that can be done without DEP notification include
removing non-native material, such as litter and construction debris from the stream, banks, and
riparian areas; or removing woody debris with the use of hand-held equipment.
A typical “yellow light” action, which could require DEP notification and/or an
emergency permit, is rebuilding a road or bridge across a stream, or removing gravel bars using
heavy equipment.
A “red light” action, which definitely requires review and a permit, includes dredging,
damming, or redirecting the flow of a stream.
Stream work that is not properly designed and permitted can inadvertently cause
conditions to worsen in the next flood event, also impacting downstream neighbors.
The booklet is intended to help guide stream work to be done in an environmentally
sensitive manner, and in a way that reduces the likelihood of future problems.
The posters, which include the cautions and regional contact information, and are suitable
for downloading, can be found here. Additional fact sheets, with details on regulations,
emergency authorizations, and assistance, can be found here.
“When in doubt, the first step should always be to contact your regional DEP office,”
said McDonnell. You can find your DEP Regional Office.
For more information on these resources, contact Megan Lehman, Community Relations
Coordinator, DEP Northcentral Regional Office, at 570-327-3659 or send email to:
meglehman@pa.gov.
Additional information to deal with the immediate aftermath of flooding is available on
DEP’s Flood Recovery webpage.
NewsClips:
Flood Watch In Effect This Weekend For Most Of Midstate
Flooding In Pittsburgh Set To Worsen With Weekend Storms
Noon Friday NWS Middle Atlantic River Forecasting Center Flood Event Briefing: Click Here
to download
Landslide Reduces Traffic Lanes In Ross, McCandless
Flooding Causes Road Closings In Westmoreland, Fayette, Washington Counties
Susquehanna River On The Rise As Weekend Rainfall Approaches, Will It Flood?
Police Officer Rescued From Rising Water In Washington County, Flood Warning Issued In
Western PA
Crews Clear Major Roads, But Landslides Close 2 More In Pittsburgh Area
Pittsburghers Use Parkway East Bathtub Flooding For Epic Photo Op
Carr: Ohio River In Pittsburgh Still Under Flood Advisory, Region Recovers From Deluge
Yough River Towns Quite Wet As River Crests At Nearly 23 Feet
Editorial: Rising To Meet Rising Waters’ Challenges
Ice Jam Damaged River Common Fishing Pier In Wilkes-Barre
[Posted: Feb. 23, 2018]
DEP Rolls Out New Chapter 105 General Permit-5 Water Obstruction, Encroachment
Form, Instructions
14
The Department of Environmental Protection published notice in the February 24 PA Bulletin
announced revised instructions and form are available for Chapter 105 Water Obstruction and
Encroachment General Permit Registrations for State Programmatic General Permit-5.
The new form is required to be used starting March 26.
In general, the changes to the forms streamline and clarify the information that is required
to obtain coverage under a Chapter 105 Water Obstruction and Encroachment General Permit.
The General Permit Instructions (3150-PM-BWEW-0500) have also been simplified to
better explain the General Permit registration requirements.
The Fee Calculation Worksheet (3150-PM-BWEW-0553) is no longer required to be
submitted for registration completeness, but can continue to be used as a reference to assist the
applicant in determining the correct permit fees.
The Reporting Criteria Checklist (3150-PM-BWEW-0051) is no longer required to be
submitted by the permit registrant or reviewed by the Department. The checklist will continue to
serve as a useful tool.
The Aquatic Resource Impact Table (3150-PM-BWEW-0557) has been condensed by
removing references to Federal impact data based on discussions with the United States Army
Corps of Engineers.
This new format should expedite the Department reviews to determine if any impact area
triggers a review by the United States Army Corps of Engineers for the Federal authorization.
The Bog Turtle Screening Form (3150-PM-BWEW-0550) will no longer be required
because bog turtle habitat information is now available when a Pennsylvania Natural Diversity
Inventory receipt is obtained.
The new documents will be posted in DEP’s eLibrary under Waterways Engineering and
Wetlands/ Water Obstructions and Encroachment and Wetlands/ General Permits. (Note: A new
DEP eLibrary site is going live sometime on February 23. Search by document number if you get
lost.)
March 6 Webinar
DEP is hosting a webinar on the use of the new forms and procedures March 6 starting at
1:30. Click Here to register.
Questions about these changes should be directed to Sidney Freyermuth, Chief, Water
Obstruction and Encroachments, Bureau of Waterways Engineering and Wetlands at
717-772-5977 or send email to: sfreyermut@pa.gov.
[Posted: Feb. 23, 2018]
NFWF Delaware River Restoration Fund Grant Applications Due April 12
The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation Delaware River

Restoration Fund is now soliciting proposes to restore the
water quality and habitats of the Delaware Watershed.
Proposals are due April 12.
The Delaware River Restoration Fund will award
matching grants of $50,000 to $500,000 each to improve
waters and habitats that contribute to the overall health of
the Delaware River watershed.
15
Approximately $2 million - $2.5 million in grant funding is available. Major funding for
the DRRF is provided by the William Penn Foundation with additional support from the
American Forest Foundation and the U.S. Forest Service.
Grants will be awarded in three categories:
-- Targeted Watershed Implementation Grants will be awarded to nonprofit organizations,
local governments and educational institutions to implement on-the-ground restoration to
improve water quality and habitat within the focus areas of one or more of six Delaware River
Watershed Initiative sub-watershed restoration or hybrid “Clusters,” including: the
Kirkwood-Cohansey Cluster, New Jersey Highlands Cluster, Middle Schuylkill Cluster,
Schuylkill Highlands Cluster, Brandywine-Christina Cluster, and Suburban Philadelphia Cluster.
Projects should be located within or benefit Cluster focal areas as identified in the Cluster Plans.
One or more of three priority strategies must be addressed: Conservation on Working Lands –
Farms and Forests; Restoring Streams, Floodplains and Wetlands; and Green Stormwater
Infrastructure in Urban/Suburban Landscapes.
-- Cluster Cornerstone Grants will be awarded to nonprofit organizations, local governments
and educational institutions to implement large-scale, strategic project(s) in Cluster focus areas
that will serve as “cornerstones” for restoration aggregation. These projects will integrate
several partners with clear roles, address multiple restoration priorities through a detailed work
plan, and leverage Cluster resources (including monitoring) to serve as a model in
collaboratively advancing goals set forth in Cluster plans.
-- Habitat Restoration Grants will be awarded to nonprofit organizations, local governments
and educational institutions to address habitat restoration priorities as outlined in NFWF’s
Delaware River Watershed Business Plan and in NFWF’s partnership with the American Forest
Foundation.
For all the details on how to apply, visit the Delaware River Restoration Fund 2018
Request For Proposals webpage.
Related Story:
NRCS-PA Seeks Proposals For Farm Conservation Innovation Grants
[Posted: Feb. 20, 2018]
USDA's Natural Resources Conservation

Service-PA is now accepting applications for up
to $225,000 in funding through the Conservation
Innovation Grants to promote the development
and adoption of innovative approaches for
agricultural production in Pennsylvania.
The deadline for applications is April 27.
Grants will be awarded for projects between one and three years’ duration with individual
awards not exceeding $75,000. State and local units of government, non-governmental
organizations, and individuals are eligible for these grants
This year, NRCS is seeking proposals focused on non-industrial private forestland, urban
and micro scale agriculture, soil health, and pollinators. CIG does not fund research projects but
makes an exception for on-farm conservation research as defined in the funding announcement.
16
Projects must involve landowners who meet eligibility requirements for the
Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP).
“CIGs explore on-the-ground conservation pilots and field demonstrations that can offer
new opportunities for technology transfer to communities, governments and other institutions,”
says NRCS PA State Conservationist Denise Coleman. “We have provided over $1.4 Million in
funding for 24 state CIG projects since 2010, and look forward to working with our partners on
the next crop of CIGs to offer Pennsylvania farmers more options for sustainable production
methods.”
Applications must be submitted electronically on the Grants.gov website, and emailed in
PDF format to Denise Coleman, Pennsylvania State Conservationist, at
denise.coleman@pa.usda.gov.
Questions about this announcement can be directed to: Noel.Soto@pa.usda.gov or
717-237-2173.
For more information on programs, funding and technical assistance opportunities, visit
the Natural Resources Conservation Service-PA webpage.
NewsClips:
Farm To Faucet, Enlisting PA Farmers to Keep Delaware’s Water Clean
Black Farmers Finding Their Way To The Fields, Empty Lots Of Pennsylvania
AP: Sen. Casey Wants To Bolster Research Of Organic Agriculture
Related Story:
Franklin County Farm Adopts Unique Technology To More Precisely Apply Manure Nutrients
[Posted: Feb. 23, 2018]
Franklin County Farm Adopts Unique Technology To More Precisely Apply Manure
Nutrients
By Will Parson, Chesapeake Bay Program Blog
Harvest season last fall was almost two months of

14-hour work days for Pennsylvania farmer Rick
Hissong. One day, about halfway through that period,
he stopped his pickup truck at the top of a hill
overlooking some of the 1,500 acres of Franklin
County his family owns as part of Mercer Vu Farms.
He wanted to show me what has become a
rare event.
Soon, a low growl joined the sound of his
idling truck and a tractor appeared with a tank of liquid manure to spread as fertilizer across a
field of recently cut corn stalks.
“We used to haul liquid up here four times a year, now we only do liquid one time a
year,” Hissong said.
Mercer Vu’s fields are up to 16 miles from the headquarters and milking parlor of the
dairy, Hissong explained, and hauling heavy liquid manure is expensive compared to lightweight
dry fertilizer.
Starting in 2002, when the farm built those headquarters, the Hissong family
17
implemented a system of extracting water from the manure generated by roughly 1,500 cows,
saving money and also reducing the farm’s carbon footprint.
“We’re really trying to keep the liquid close to home because of the expense of the haul,
and we manage the solids by hauling those farther away,” Hissong said.
For the first part of the process, Mercer Vu turned to an unlikely source—a company that
makes mining equipment—for a machine that removes most of the sand that is used as bedding
for the cows, that gets mixed in with the manure when barns are flushed out with water.
Then, a centrifuge known as a cyclone separator spins at high speeds to remove even
more fine solid particles from the liquid. Those fine particles contain 40 percent of the manure’s
phosphorus, a nutrient that is a major source of water pollution.
The cyclone separator was implemented with support from an On-Farm Pilot Project
grant from the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS).
Ultimately, Hissong is left with three products he can reuse on his farm: sand, dry manure
and liquid manure.
Almost all of the sand is reused as bedding for livestock. Mercer Vu composts the dry
manure before using it, and in addition to being cheaper to transport to its fields, it is easier to
precisely control the application of the dry, nutrient-rich fertilizer so that it doesn’t wash into
nearby Conococheague Creek and pollute the Susquehanna River and the Chesapeake Bay.
The practice also cuts Mercer Vu’s use of fossil fuels from transportation by an estimated
3,500 tons of greenhouse gas emissions a year.
In 2017, Mercer Vu earned an honorable mention from the Innovation Center for U.S.
Dairy’s award for Outstanding Achievement in Resource Stewardship, as well as recognition
from the Land O’Lakes SUSTAIN initiative.
In 2014, with another grant from the NRCS Environmental Quality Incentive Program
(EQIP), Mercer Vu further reduced its climate impact by adding a plastic cover to its 7.8
million-gallon lagoon used to store the liquid manure following the separation process.
Methane is flared off to convert it to carbon dioxide, which is less potent as a greenhouse
gas. The cover also reduces the amount of nitrogen escaping into the air by 90 percent, lowering
air pollution.
“It changes the methane into carbon dioxide, but the biggest reason I wanted to do it was
to capture the rainwater,” Hissong said. “Every drop of water that comes out of the sky, gets into
that pit and that was extra hauling costs for us too. That’s like four million gallons extra
rainwater a year that gets added to that system. It costs about a penny a gallon to haul so it gets to
be a pretty big cost savings in a year’s time not having to haul that.”
Hissong said that eventually he would like to use that rainwater in the separation process
as well, to avoid using well water.
“It’s all about recycling,” Hissong said.
Hissong estimates that there are only a handful of dairies with covered lagoons in
Pennsylvania, and believes that Mercer Vu was an early adopter of manure separation. But the
farm’s sustainable practices go back decades further.
Mercer Vu started in 1949 with just seven milking cows owned by Hissong’s
grandparents, Glen and Mae. In 1967, they passed the farm on to their son Ron, who married his
wife Judy soon after.
Their sons, Rick and Rod, with their respective wives Becky and Amy, bought the farm
from Ron and Judy in 2011.
18
“Dad was an early adopter of no-till back in the mid-60s, early 70s,” Hissong said.
Hissong said that rocky soil was one reason for the shift away from tilling the soil. Today
the farm is almost 100 percent no-till, meaning the soil is less disturbed when crops are planted,
and it makes extensive use of cover crops.
These practices increase soil health and allow stormwater to soak into the ground instead
of causing erosion and polluting waterways with nutrients and sediment.
“We’re using cover crops for nutrient management purposes, but it also ties up that
nitrogen that’s residual there from the previous year from manure applications in the fall and
spring,” Hissong said.
The farm also recently planted riparian buffers around some of their fields to absorb
runoff before it reached waterways. Hissong’s teenage sons Bryce and Roy help maintain the
young trees, which are still protected by plastic tubes.
“I figure they’re going to remember these trees more than I will someday, and appreciate
nursing them and babying them all,” Hissong said.
After some time watching the tractor cast fertilizer on that far-flung field, Hissong drove
through the town of Mercersberg to get back to Mercer Vu’s headquarters. The farm’s mission
statement expresses a commitment to the community as well as the animals and the environment,
which has been a strong motivation behind continued innovation at the farm.
“Whether it was the cows or the land...they need to come first because they’ll take care of
you in the end,” Hissong said. “Going the extra mile to do just a couple initiatives to take care of
the ground or the animal always reaps a benefit in the end.”
See more photos of Mercer Vu Farms in Chesapeake Bay Program photo archive.
NewsClips:
Related Story:
[Posted: Feb. 23, 2018]
Slippery Rock Watershed Coalition Seeks Volunteers For Watershed Data Loggers
The Slippery Rock Watershed Coalition in Butler County is

seeking volunteers to collect watershed water quality data.
Are you looking for a fun, interesting way to volunteer and
help us help our watershed? You may want to consider
volunteering as a data logger monitor! We are looking for
one or two folks to download the data that is automatically
tracked in our data logger devices.
A “data logger” is an electronic device that records data
over time or in relation to location either with a built in
instrument or sensor or via external instruments and
sensors.
The data loggers will be located outdoors in the headwaters of Slippery Rock Creek.
Volunteer monitors will be trained at how to download the conductivity and temperature data
19
onto a waterproof shuttle.
The downloading is done on a flexible schedule, just monthly or bi-monthly, and all you
need to know will be taught in an easy training session.
The information collected will help us determine the health of this area of Slippery Rock
Creek, and signal problematic environmental events.
If you are interested in becoming a data logger monitor, please contact Shaun Busler at
724-776-0161.
NewsClip:
Earth Conservancy Outlines Progress Amid Councilman’s Criticism
Related Stories:
Penn State Researchers Team Up To Tackle State’s Acid Mine Drainage Problem
February Catalyst Newsletter Now Available From Slippery Rock Watershed Coalition
(Reprinted from the February Catalyst newsletter from the Slippery Rock Watershed Coalition.
Click Here to sign up for your own copy.)
[Posted: Feb. 20, 2018]
The February edition of the Catalyst newsletter is

now available from the Slippery Rock Watershed
Coalition in Butler County featuring stories on--
-- Seeking Volunteers For Watershed Data
Loggers!
-- Hazardous Waste and Electronics Collection
Dates In March, April
-- Interesting Regional Activities To Get You
Thinking Warm, Sunny Thoughts
-- KIDS Catalyst: A-maze-ing Animal Dads!
-- Click Here to sign up for your own copy.
The Catalyst newsletter is distributed to over 1,200 individuals in over a dozen countries
including: Brazil, Peru, South Korea, Mexico, England, Wales, Venezuela, South Africa, New
Zealand, Australia and Germany.
For more information on programs, initiatives and upcoming events, visit the Slippery
Rock Watershed Coalition website.
(Photo: Jennings Environmental Education Center in Slippery Rock, Butler County.)
NewsClip:
Related Stories:
[Posted: Feb. 20, 2018]
By David Kubarek, Penn State News
20
As Penn State researchers stood on the banks of Scalp
Level Run, an acid mine drainage (AMD)-polluted
stream in Cambria County, a scientific question formed:
How is nature removing toxic metals from the drainage
at a rate faster than any other tested waters in the state,
under pH conditions deemed too low to do so?
For decades, cleanup efforts have involved raising the
pH of AMD before using chemical oxidation to remove
iron and other metals. And yet, at Scalp Level Run, the
pollutants were being removed at a pH of around 3, and
importantly, before entering the stream.
“We initially started this work because of an observation that was intriguing,” said
Jennifer Macalady, associate professor of geosciences. “Some of these natural spring sites do a
really good job of removing iron so that heavy metals can be treated more effectively, and that’s
great because those metals are very toxic. Some AMD treatment methods are not effective
because iron coats the treatment bed. Based on observations at Scalp Level Run, we wanted to
see if there was a microbial component that was helping facilitate the removal of iron.”
The initial research that began nearly a decade ago sparked an interdisciplinary effort to
better understand the important role microbiology plays in mitigating AMD, Pennsylvania’s
largest non-point source water pollutant, impacting 2,500 miles of streams, according to the
Department of Environmental Protection (DEP).
Understanding AMD
AMD is the acidic metal-rich water formed when water reacts with rock containing
sulfur, such as those exposed from abandoned coal mines. When sulfur reacts with air and water
it forms sulfuric acid. Rainwater and other drainage then carries the AMD to nearby streams,
rivers or lakes, creating environmental risks.
Macalady said AMD is treated using two methods: active or passive mitigation. Active
treatment, where drainage is collected and then chemically treated, is expensive and labor
intensive.
Passive treatment, where drainage is exposed to wetlands or limestone beds, is less
costly, and is more commonly used to treat AMD, especially because Pennsylvania has so many
points of pollution.
But sometimes these passive treatments fail. Macalady, wondering if the cause for failure
could be answered by a better understanding of its ecology, joined a team of researchers to assess
these systems.
“We wanted to understand how microbes behave in passive treatment sites and the
answer is we still don’t know because they’re complicated,” Macalady said. “But we have made
some important discoveries.”
Because Scalp Level Run did the best job of mitigating AMD on its own, Macalady
figured assessing the ecology there might offer the strongest clues.
“Using microbiology, we have started to investigate these systems to find out if we can
improve them, Macalady said. “Our main focus is not building a better treatment system but
providing info to people who do.”
At Scalp Level Run and other polluted waters across the state, the team began looking at
21
the water’s microbiology but also other factors such as pH, iron levels and turbidity to see how
physical, biological and chemical factors impact AMD mitigation. Knowing these relationships,
Macalady said, could be key to designing better systems.
One takeaway so far is that pH level determines which microbes are present.
“At Scalp Level Run, there was no change in which microbes were present and that was
initially very surprising but it allowed us to confirm a hypothesis, which was that pH is the main
driver of which AMD microorganisms succeed,” Macalady said.
At areas such as Brubaker Run the pH shifted, as did the types of microbes.
“An application of that finding would be if you’re going to design an acid mine treatment
system and you know that the pH is going to change you should expect a variety of unrelated
microbial species to be involved in the job of cleaning up the waste,” Macalady said.
Science In Action
In a lab at Penn State, a team of researchers led by William Burgos, professor of civil and
environmental engineering, got a break.
They enriched microbial communities from Scalp Level Run and Brubaker Run and fed
equal concentrations of iron to each while controlling the pH and water flow rate. They expected
that Scalp Level’s microbes would continue to dominate. Luckily, they were wrong.
“What was proven instead was that diverse microbial communities that exhibit diverse
kinetics in the field converge to similar kinetics when the hydrodynamics and the geochemical
conditions are held constant,” Burgos said. “That’s a good thing from an engineering standpoint
because we won’t have to make these passive treatment systems site-specific.”
Together Macalady and Burgos’s results mean that engineered systems could rely on
existing microbes in acidic wastewater for mitigating most of the state’s AMD sources. Burgos’s
group has since focused on other variables, such as increasing the surface area for
acid-neutralizing bacteria to colonize, as a means of improving AMD treatment.
Burgos first learned about mother nature’s ability to treat AMD after touring DEP sites
across the state. They measured pH at the point it surfaces and contrasted it with drainage after it
passed through the so-called "kill zone," the rust-stained soil where trees and other vegetation
were destroyed by the pollution.
The results were stark. Much of the iron and acidity was being removed naturally.
“One of the first things the DEP would often do is build their treatment system right in
the kill zone,” Burgos said. “So we were able to convey the message to them — and this was an
important one — don’t bulldoze the kill zone because the kill zone was giving you a remarkable
amount of treatment.”
Now, when possible, treatment systems are installed after the kill zone. For especially
problematic areas, engineered terraces, which increase the contact time microbes have with the
AMD, are added.
Solution Spans Disciplines
Christy Grettenberger, now a post-doctoral researcher in the Department of Earth and
Planetary Sciences at University of California, Davis, spent years wading through Pennsylvania
waters, studying AMD en route to earning her doctorate in ecology under Macalady’s guidance.
Like Macalady, she has a background in geosciences and ecology, and was drawn to the
project because it crossed disciplines in an effort to combat a daunting environmental issue.
Grettenberger has published several research papers on AMD at Scalp Level Run.
The project offered her two things: the ability to study microbes in a simplified
22
environment due to life-restricting pH levels and the chance to work within a team capable of
putting science into action.
“I like the applied portion of science because I can conduct research and work with
engineers tasked with building something that uses that science,” Grettenberger said. “I can work
with watershed groups or others to implement it. It’s really getting to see your science put into
action in a way that you could never do by yourself, which results in making a difference in the
environment and hopefully in the state budget.”
The Why In Science
Macalady grew up in Colorado but her parents shared stories with her about a problem
that’s plagued Pennsylvania for generations.
“There are two things that come together nicely in this project for me, one is that both of
my parents grew up in this area and dealing with AMD issues was part of their childhood,”
Macalady said. “The other reason is it’s such a beautiful system for learning about the
interactions between microbes and minerals. It’s really a nice combination for me. I feel like I’m
doing something to help with a problem that has been a problem for generations.”
Burgos said he’s compelled to tackle the state’s AMD problem.
“Penn State is the land-grant university of Pennsylvania, which has more than 2,500
miles of streams that have some sort of negative impact from AMD. It’s the state’s No. 1 water
quality problem. I feel a personal obligation to address such a major issue for the state’s future.”
(Photo: Bill Burgos, professor of civil and environmental engineering, and Lance Larson, who
earned his Ph.D. from Penn State in environmental engineering and biogeochemistry in 2013,
investigate an iron oxide mound surrounding an acid mine drainage spring impacting a
Pennsylvania watershed.)
NewsClip:
Related Stories:
[Posted: Feb. 21, 2018]
DEP Opportunity To Bid On Mine Reclamation, Gas Well Plugging Projects
The Department of Environmental Protection published notices in the February 24 PA Bulletin

announcing the opportunity to bid on projects plugging two abandoned oil and gas wells in
Butler and Jefferson counties and an abandoned mine reclamation project in Butler County.
The Department of Environmental Protection has available a current list of
Abandoned Mine Reclamation, Acid Mine Drainage, Surface Mine Reclamation, Cleaning Out
and Plugging Oil and Gas Wells, Waterways Engineering (Concrete Dams/Concrete Lined
Channels, Walls and Box Culverts, etc.), Hazardous Site Remediation, Removal and Disposal of
Underground Storage Tanks, and Wetland Restoration projects available for bidding. Click Here
for the list.
The Department of Conservation and Natural Resources has a current list of bid
proposals for construction projects in State Parks and State Forests available online. Click Here
for the list.
[Posted: Feb. 23, 2018]
23
Wildlands Conservancy/Stroud Water Research Center Citizen Science Volunteer
Training April 28
The Stroud Water Research Center and the

Wildlands Conservancy will host a Citizen
Science Volunteer Training Workshop on
April 28 from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. in
Emmaus, Lehigh County.
Are you interested in making a
difference in your community by
volunteering to assist with real research
projects? Join Wildlands Conservancy and
Stroud Water Research Center for a day of
hands-on instream training in Emmaus!
Learn about the Delaware River Watershed Initiative data quality standards, methods for
testing and tools for reporting. Gain the knowledge you’ll need to assist with future monitoring
projects, meet like-minded individuals and have fun!
A parent or guardian must be present if you are under 18 years of age.
Click Here for all the details and to register.
For more information on programs, initiatives and special events, visit the Wildlands
Conservancy website. Like on Facebook, Follow on Twitter and Join on Instagram. Click Here
to support the Conservancy.
For more information on programs, initiatives and special events, visit the Stroud Water
Research Center website, Click Here to subscribe to UpStream. Click Here to subscribe to
Stroud’s Educator newsletter. Click Here to become a Friend Of Stroud Research, Like them on
Facebook, Follow on Twitter, include them in your Circle on Google+ and visit their YouTube
Channel.
NewsClips:
Green Sisters To Talk On Faith, The Environment March 8 In Pittsburgh
Schneck: Rivers Conservation, Fly Fishing Youth Camp Registration Open
Dioramas At The Academy Of Natural Sciences Get A Cleaning
Related Stories:
Weathering The Storm Stormwater Workshops To Be Offered In June In Erie, Latrobe
Teaching Green Newsletter Now Available From DEP
Wildlands Conservancy Highlights March Education Programs, Hiring Naturalists, Citizen
Science Workshop
Stroud Water Research Center Announces Bernard W. Sweeney, Ph.D. Executive Director's
Fund
Philadelphia Water Summit March 7, Part Of Philadelphia Flower Show
Registration Now Open For PA Groundwater Symposium May 8 In State College
PA Section American Water Works Assn Annual Conference May 8-10
Water Insights Seminar Feb. 27: Climate Change Impacts On Wetland Hydrology
Help Wanted: Wildlands Conservancy Seasonal Naturalists, Intern Opportunities
[Posted: Feb. 21, 2018]
24
The Department of Environmental Protection will

host two Weathering The Storm Stormwater
Education Workshops in Erie and Latrobe during
June. The workshops will be held--
-- June 12: 8:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m, Alumni Room of
the Waldron Campus Center, Gannon University,
109 University Square, Erie,; and
-- June 13: 8:30 a.m. -3:30 p.m, Winnie Palmer
Nature Reserve, Saint Vincent College, 744 Walzer
Way, Latrobe, Westmoreland County.
Everyone can help reduce the pollution that
stormwater carries into Pennsylvania’s streams and rivers.
Attend the free “Weathering the Storm” workshop to learn and complete stormwater
management activities from WET: In the City. Afterward, take home a copy of this curriculum
and activities guide.
While informative to all educators, this workshop may also be useful to municipal staff
looking for community education ideas. Act 48 credit available for teachers.
To register, contact Bert Myers, Director of DEP’s Environmental Education and
Information Center, by sending email to: gimyers@pa.gov or call 717-705-3767.
For more information on environmental programs in Pennsylvania, visit DEP’s website,
Click Here to sign up for DEP’s monthly newsletter, visit DEP’s Blog, Like DEP on Facebook,
Follow DEP on Twitter and visit DEP’s YouTube Channel.
NewsClips:
Related Stories:
Wildlands Conservancy/ Stroud Water Research Center Citizen Science Volunteer Training
April 28
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(Reprinted from DEP’s Teaching Green newsletter. Click Here to sign up for your own copy.)
[Posted: Feb. 22, 2018]
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The Department of Environmental Thursday

released the first edition of its quarterly
Teaching Green newsletter to help educators,
students and parents discover workshops, online
tools, curriculum materials, grants and other
resources they may find help in teaching
environment topics.
For easy access, DEP groups the news in
each issue by topic, such as air quality; climate;
energy; grants; water; and of course falcons—the famous residents of the 15th floor ledge here at
Rachel Carson State Office Building in Harrisburg.
The first issue features articles on--
-- Keystone Energy Education Program Workshops
-- $$ EPA Environmental Education Grants Available And How To Apply
-- Harrisburg Falcons and Resources For Educators
-- Londonderry Twp’s Water Workshop Series A Big Hit In Dauphin County
-- Look Below The Surface With DEP To Learn About Water Quality In PA
-- Weathering The Storm Stormwater Workshops To Be Offered In June In Western PA
-- Chesapeake Bay Meaningful Watershed Educational Experiences Take It Up A Notch
-- $$ Chesapeake Bay Watershed Education, Training Grants Available
Click Here for a copy of the first issue.
To sign up and for more information, visit DEP’s Teaching Green Newsletter webpage.
Questions should be directed to Bert Myers, Director of DEP’s Environmental Education and
Information Center, by sending email to: gimyers@pa.gov or call 717-705-3767.
NewsClips:
Related Stories:
April 28
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[Posted: Feb. 22, 2018]
Wildlands Conservancy Highlights March Education Programs, Hiring Naturalists,

Citizen Science Workshop
The Lehigh Valley-based Wildlands Conservancy

Wednesday highlighted educational programs and activities
in March, including--
-- Project Feeder Watch Saturdays, Sundays In March
-- March 1: Pre-K Pathfinders: Snow Sculptors
-- March 15: You & Me: Dragon Eggs
-- March 20: Spring Equinox Hike
-- March 24: Wild Eggs
-- March 30: Family Spring Night Hike
-- April 28: Citizen Science Volunteer Training Workshop
-- Register Now For Summer Camps For Explorers Of Every Age (photo)
-- Now Hiring Naturalists
For more information on programs, initiatives and special events, visit the Wildlands
Conservancy website. Like on Facebook, Follow on Twitter and Join on Instagram. Click Here
to support the Conservancy.
NewsClips:
Related Stories:
April 28
Fund
[Posted: Feb. 21, 2018]
Stroud Water Research Center Announces Bernard W. Sweeney, Ph.D. Executive

Director's Fund
The Chester County-based Stroud Water Research

Center, which advances knowledge and stewardship of
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fresh water, is seeking funding for the new Bernard W. Sweeney, Ph.D., Executive Director's
Fund to further community-empowerment programs regionally and around the world.
Supporting the fund will honor Sweeney's long career at the Stroud Center while ensuring
the legacy of his dedication to critical center-wide initiatives. A gift of any amount allows entry
to a special event, Tip Your Hat to Bern, on March 23. Naming opportunities are available for
leadership gifts. Click Here to learn more about the event or to purchase tickets.
As a young Ph.D. student under Ruth Patrick, Sweeney began his internship at the Stroud
Center in June of 1973. He became the second executive director on April 11, 1988, a role he
filled for the next 28 years.
Some of his notable accomplishments include the following:
-- Launched the Center’s education program for schools and community outreach. We currently
serve more than 5,000 individuals in educational outreach each year.
-- Opened the Maritza Station in Costa Rica. This led to a series of tropical studies and education
programs throughout Central and South America.
-- Guided separation from the Academy of Natural Sciences. Under Sweeney’s leadership, the
Stroud Center became an independent 501(c)(3) on October 1, 1999.
-- Added watershed restoration to our mission. Sweeney’s research has led him to the conclusion
that trees are vitally important for healthy streams.
-- Created a global presence. Sweeney’s research and expertise has helped us to develop
relationships with countries near and far, expanding our footprint.
To learn more, go to Stroud’s Special Gifts webpage. Please contact David Reinfeld,
director of campaign programs and major gifts, at 610-268-2153, 314 or
dreinfeld@stroudcenter.org to inquire about project needs such as capital renovations,
underwriting programs, or operational support within each area. EIN: 52-2081073
For more information on programs, initiatives and special events, visit the Stroud Water
Research Center website, Click Here to subscribe to UpStream. Click Here to subscribe to
Stroud’s Educator newsletter. Click Here to become a Friend Of Stroud Research, Like them on
Facebook, Follow on Twitter, include them in your Circle on Google+ and visit their YouTube
Channel.
(Photo: Chesapeake Bay Journal, Benefits Of Forest Buffers.)
NewsClips:
Related Stories:
April 28
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[Posted: Feb. 23, 2018]
Join the PA Horticultural Society and The William Penn

Foundation for the first-ever Philadelphia Water Summit on
March 7 from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. at the PA Convention
Center, 12th and Arch Street in Philadelphia.
Leading environmental and industry experts will
educate on freshwater issues and real-world solutions as
part of a larger mission to help keep the region's precious
waters clean.
This day-long summit will feature speakers on
topics ranging from Floating Wetlands to Water in Space.
Keynote speakers include Mary Ellen Weber, astronaut and competitive skydiver, and
William Robert Irvin, President and CEO of American Rivers.
The Summit is part of this year’s Philadelphia Flower Show which is open from March 3
to 11.
For more information and to register, visit the Philadelphia Water Summit webpage.
Related Stories:
April 28
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[Posted: Feb. 23, 2018]
In celebration of National Drinking Water Week,

Penn State Extension and the Department of
Environmental Protection along with numerous
other sponsors invite you to attend the 2018
Pennsylvania Groundwater Symposium May 8 at
the Ramada Inn Conference Center in State
College, Centre County.
The Symposium theme, Groundwater Science and
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Fiction, will provide a forum for researchers, students, professionals and educators working in
the groundwater field to exchange information and promote protection of groundwater resources
throughout the state.
The day-long symposium will begin at 8:30 a.m. with opening remarks by Russell
Redding, Secretary, Department of Agriculture.
The morning plenary session will be highlighted by a keynote presentation on Scientific
Facts No Longer Count in Political Decisions on Groundwater: A Case Study in Point, and
What, If Anything Can Scientists Can Do About It? by Dr. Donald Siegel from Syracuse
University.
Additional morning and afternoon plenary and concurrent session speakers will address
numerous important groundwater issues in Pennsylvania.
New for 2018 - an optional field trip on May 7 starting at 1:00 p.m. at the Ramada Inn
parking lot and ending by 6:00 p.m. The field trip will be taught by Dave Yoxtheimer and will
visit numerous locations near State College of hydrogeologic interest.
The field trip will be limited to 40 registrants and pre-registration is required to reserve
your spot. See the "Optional Field Trip" tab on the registration page for more information.
The Symposium has been approved for 0.6 Continuing Education Units (CEU's) and the
optional field trip has been approved for 0.5 CEU's.
Registrants who indicate an interest in these credits/hours in their registration information
and have completed the sign in/sign out form will have a certificate mailed to them after the
Symposium. Continuing Education Units are the only professional credits this course is approved
for.
A nominal registration fee of $42 for the symposium is made possible thanks to generous
funding support from the Department of Environmental Protection, the PA Ground Water
Association and the PA Water Resources Research Center.
Discounted registration is also available for certified Penn State Master Well Owner
volunteers. Registration is limited to the first 260 registrants and the Symposium has filled to
capacity the last three years so register early to guarantee your spot!
There will be no walk-in registration on the day of the Symposium.
To register or for more information, visit the Pennsylvania Groundwater Symposium
webpage. Questions should be directed to Bryan Swistock at 814-863-0194 or send email to:
brs@psu.edu.
(Map: Pennsylvanna’s major aquifers.)
Related Stories:
April 28
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[Posted: Feb. 20, 2018]
The PA Section of the American Water Works Association is now accepting registrations for its
70th Annual Conference to be held May 8 to 10 at the Kalahari Resort and Convention Center at
Pocono Manor, Monroe County.
Among the speakers will be AWWA Vice President Ray Baral is the Assistant Manager
of Water Treatment at the Metropolitan District Commission, in Hartford, Connecticut. He
received the Operator’s Meritorious Service Award in 2000 and the Connecticut Department of
Public Health Educator of the Year Award in 2015.
Click Here for the Conference Schedule. Click Here for a schedule of Technical
Sessions.
To register and for all the details, visit the PA-AWWA Conference webpage.
Related Stories:
April 28
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[Posted: Feb. 22, 2018]
The February 27 Water Insights Seminar will feature a presentation by Mike

Nassry, an Ecological Engineer at Penn State’s Department of Geography, on
Climate Change Impacts on Wetland Hydrology.
This presentation will discussion ongoing wetland research in
freshwater sites across the Mid-Atlantic Region, high-altitude glacier-fed
systems of the Peruvian Andes, and coastal wetlands in the temperate
rainforest of Southeast Alaska.
Climate change driven shifts to the amount and timing of water
supporting these wetlands are impacting the ability of these systems to provide
a unique suite of ecosystems services including carbon storage, flood control, lands for livestock
grazing, and salmon spawning habitat.
The Seminar will be held from Noon to 1:00 p.m. in Room 102 of the Forest Resources
Building at Penn State University in State College. Click Here to attend the Seminar by webinar
31
(sign in with your name and email).
Click Here for the full schedule of Water Insights Seminar series from Penn State’s
Environment and Natural Resources Institute and recordings of past Seminars.
Other Archived Water Insights Seminars:
Chesapeake Bay: Emerging Policy And Practice Innovations To Improve Water Quality
Presentation Now Available Online
Water Insights Seminar: What Is Water Law And Why Should Scientists Care? - Available
Online.
Water Insights Seminar: Policies To Minimize Damage Caused By Aquatic Invasive Species
Related Stories:
April 28
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[Posted: Feb. 23, 2018]
Jennifer Szweda Jordan and Unabridged Press will again host the Standup
Sisters: Green Habits program on March 8 at St. Thomas More Church,
126 Fort Couch Road in Bethel Park, near Pittsburgh, from 7:00 to 9:00
p.m.
Five Catholic sisters will tell stories on environmental topics ranging from
raising bees to dining on donated roadkill at this free event which is in the
same style as The Moth Radio Hour and TED Radio Hour.
“Decades before Pope Francis published ‘Laudato Si: On Care For Our
Common Home’ in 2015, sisters were harvesting solar and wind power,” says Jennifer Szweda
Jordan, a longtime environmental journalist and the producer of Standup Sisters.
Click Here to make your reservation.
NewsClips:
Sister Pat Lupo Honored With Women In Conservation Award In Erie
EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt: Bible Says Harvest The Natural Resources
[Posted: Feb. 25, 2018]
EQB Invites Comments On Proposed Changes To Storage Tank Regulations
32
The Environmental Quality Board published notice in the February 24 PA Bulletin of the
opportunity to comment on proposed changes to regulations in Chapter 245 dealing with the
Storage Tank and Spill Prevention Program. (PA Bulletin page 1101)
The proposed update to the Storage Tank regulations contain changes required by the
federal Leaking Underground Storage Tank Program for Pennsylvania to keep authority to
administer that program.
For underground tanks, these changes include: adding secondary containment
requirements for new and replaced tanks and piping; adding operator training requirements;
adding periodic operation and maintenance requirements for UST systems; removing certain
deferrals; adding new release prevention and detection technologies; updating codes of practice;
and making editorial and technical corrections.
The proposal would, among other changes, shorten the in-service inspection cycle for
aboveground tanks.
The last major update to the program’s regulations was 10 years ago.
There are currently about 7,100 storage tank owners with over 12,600 storage tank
facilities in the state.
DEP’s Storage Tank Advisory Committee recommended the changes be presented to the
EQB for action.
Comments on the proposed regulation changes are due by March 26 and can be submitted
through DEP’s eComment system. A copy of the proposed regulations are also available on the
eComment page.
More background on the regulation changes is available on the Environmental Quality
Board October 17, 2017 meeting webpage.
[Posted: Feb. 23, 2018]
Lancaster County Solid Waste Authority CEO Jim Warner To Retire
Jim Warner, CEO for the Lancaster County Solid Waste Management
Authority, announced this week his plan to retire from the
organization by end of year.
Warner is a 32-year veteran of the solid waste industry, with
22 years at the helm for LCSWMA, guiding the organization through
many crucial and strategic moves to position LCSWMA as an industry
leader.
Under his direction, LCSWMA has grown to an $85 million
organization, managing close to 1 million tons of waste annually.
LCSWMA has also invested in resources, projects and initiatives that
not only fulfill its core mission, but also enhance the livability of the community it serves.
For LCSWMA’s Board of Directors, hiring a successor for Warner will be no easy task,
with Steve Dzurik, Board Chair, saying, “During his tenure as CEO, Jim’s vision and
entrepreneurial leadership has had a profoundly positive impact on LCSWMA. His strategic
decisions have helped shape the organization’s growth and development, transforming it into an
innovative industry leader.”
A sub-committee of LCSWMA’s Board is working diligently to find the right person to
lead LCSWMA into its next chapter. Dzurik notes that Warner’s retirement has been planned for
33
some time, which afforded the search committee the ability to engage in a thorough process to
find his successor.
Further announcements on CEO succession will be forthcoming in future months.
As for Warner, his transition at the end of the year marks a new beginning. He says, “I’m
proud of the great work we accomplished at LCSWMA over these few last decades. And I now
look forward to the next great adventure.”
To learn more about programs, initiatives and services, visit the Lancaster County Solid
Waste Management Authority website.
NewsClips:
Crable: Jim Warner, Who Transformed Lancaster Waste Authority, To Retire
New Map Reveals State Of Litter In Philadelphia Block By Block
Philadelphia Trash Tirade, What Are Officials Doing About It?
Butler County To Hold Hazardous, E-Waste Collection
E-Waste Recycling Driver Starts In Murrysville Next Week
Tyrone May Dump Recycling Committee To Save Money
PRC Composting, Rain Barrel Workshops Set In Allegheny County
[Posted: Feb. 21, 2018]
Household Hazardous Waste, E-Waste Collection In Butler County March 18, April 22
Butler County will hold Household Hazardous Waste and Electronics Waste Collection events
on March 18 and April 22 (Earth Day) at 129 Ash Stop Road in Evans City, Butler County.
Many chemical products found in the home, garage, workshop, and garden contain
hazardous ingredients. These products, such as weed killer, fertilizer, paint, oven cleaner, drain
cleaner, and rat poison, need to be used and stored safely.
When they are disposed of, they must be handled differently than ordinary trash because
even small amounts can cause environmental damage.
Not sure what to do with that old tv, computer, paint, pesticides, batteries, fluorescent
bulbs and CFLs, etc.?
For those residing in Butler County, the county is pleased to continue with its electronics
and hazardous waste collection. Thanks to the Board of Butler County Commissioners and grant
funding from the PA Department of Environmental Protection, several collection dates are
offered throughout the year.
Drop-off times are made only by appointment, by calling ECSR at 1-866-815-0016. You
must call to schedule a drop-off time. Nominal fees apply for most items.
Remember once you purchase a hazardous product, you are responsible for handling and
disposing of it properly. Follow some simple tips: Buy only what you need. Follow the
manufacturer’s instructions for proper use and handling.
Old paint can be mixed with cat litter or sawdust and left to dry. Once dry, it can be put in
the garbage. Be sure no liquid is left because liquid is not allowed in a landfill. If you are unsure
about what to do with a product, don't put it down the drain.
Hazardous wastes can be a danger in the sewer lines, to the workers who service the
sewer system, to your neighbors, your local environment, and to the wastewater treatment plant.
Take advantage of your local hazardous waste collection sites! -- Slippery Rock
Watershed Coalition.
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NewsClips:
Related Stories:
Fill Policy, Changes To Recycling Law On March 8 Agenda Of Solid Waste & Recycling
Advisory Committees
BioHiTech Supports Keep PA Beautiful's 2018 Great American Cleanup Of PA
(Reprinted from the February Catalyst newsletter from the Slippery Rock Watershed Coalition.
Click Here to sign up for your own copy.)
[Posted: Feb. 20, 2018]
Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful Thursday

announced BioHiTech has pledged support for
the 2018 Great American Cleanup of PA, a
statewide community improvement initiative
that runs from March 1 through May 31.
Events registered with the initiative receive
free cleanup supplies of gloves, bags and
vests, as supplies last and access to free or
reduced disposal.
The new sponsor, BioHoTech, is a national
green technologies company with offices in Harrisburg, New York and London that develops
and deploys cost-effective innovative technology-based solutions for waste disposal geared
toward providing a true zero landfill environment.
BioHiTech specializes in preventing and diverting food waste from the landfill,
converting waste into renewable fuel and improving waste equipment performance.
“We at BioHiTech are proud to be a part of the Great American Cleanup of PA. Our
company was founded on the idea of providing sustainable waste management solutions to
businesses and municipalities so we fully understand the need to be environmentally responsible
to insure that everyone can enjoy a clean and green community. The Great American Cleanup of
PA organizes events across the state to clean up litter, recycle hard-to-dispose of items, plant
flowers and trees, and conduct many other activities to help beautify local communities. As a
company that operates in Harrisburg as well as the Philadelphia area, we are happy to sponsor
their important efforts to help make Pennsylvania a greener place to live and work,” said Frank
E. Celli, Chief Executive Officer, BioHiTech Global.
“We are grateful for the support of BioHiTech and share the company’s goals of waste
diversion. Waste diversion not only reduces landfill costs but also the burden on landfills,
35
minimizing the impact on human health and our environment,” said Shannon Reiter, President of
Keep PA Beautiful. “Our volunteers and sponsors are who help make the Great American
Cleanup of PA, Pennsylvania’s premier community improvement initiative, possible. We
couldn’t do it without them.”
To become a sponsor of the 2018 Great American Cleanup of PA, contact Shannon
Reiter by sending email to: sreiter@keeppabeautiful.org or 724-836-4121.
Since the inception of this event in 2004, over 2.1 million volunteers have picked up 97
million pounds of litter and waste, 170,619 miles of roads, waterways, shorelines, and trails have
been cleaned, and more than 181,000 trees, bulbs, and flowers have been planted.
Volunteers also removed over 279,681 tires and 226,395 pounds of scrap metal.
To register an event, visit the Great American Cleanup of PA webpage 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:
Related Stories:
Advisory Committees
[Posted: Feb. 22, 2018]
Advisory Committees
The DEP Solid Waste Advisory Committee and Recycling Fund Advisory Committee are
scheduled to hold a joint meeting on March 8 to discuss proposed changes to DEP’s
Management of fill policy.
The Committees will also continue their discussions of proposed priority changes to the
Act 101 Recycling law, Recycling Grant Programs and the responsibilities of County Recycling
Coordinators.
The meeting will be held in Room 105 of the Rachel Carson Building in Harrisburg
starting at 10:00.
For more information and available handouts, visit the DEP Solid Waste Advisory
36
Committee webpage. Questions should be directed to Laura Henry, 717-772-5713 or send email
to: lahenry@pa.gov.
NewsClips:
Related Stories:
[Posted: Feb. 23, 2018[
DEP To Hold March 26 Meeting/Hearing On TCE Contamination Site In Lycoming

County
The Department of Environmental Protection will hold a meeting and hearing March 26 on the
proposed response to TCE contamination of water supply wells in the Rose Valley Lake area of
Gamble Township in Lycoming County. (PA Bulletin page 1219)
The water supply wells of six homes in the Rose Valley Lake have been contaminated by
trichloroethene at levels that approach or exceed the statewide cleanup standard.
DEP is proposing and is in the process of providing water treatment systems to remove
the TCE from the water supplies to ensure residents have water that meets or is below the
statewide health standards for TCE.
The combined meeting and hearing will be held at the Gamble Township Community
Hall, 17 Beech Valley Road, in Trout Run. The meeting will start at 6:00 p.m. DEP staff will be
available to discuss the contamination and the response during the meeting. The hearing will
start at 7:00.
Persons wishing to present comments at the hearing should register in advance by
contacting Megan Lehman at 570-327-3659 or send email to: meglehman@pa.gov.
Documents related to this response are available for public review at the DEP
Northcentral Regional Office, 208 West Third Street, in Williamsport. Call 570-327-3636 to set
up a review of the file at this location.
The administrative record is also available at the Gamble Township Building, 17 Beech
Valley Road, Trout Run, PA. Call 570-998-9483 to make an appointment with Gamble
Township to review the file.
[Posted: Feb. 23, 2018]
DEP Awards Total Of 155 Small Business Advantage Grants To Cut Energy, Other Costs,
Program Now Closed
Department of Environmental Protection Secretary Patrick McDonnell Thursday officially

closed the 2017 Small Business Advantage Grant, after approving nearly $1 million in funding to
37
help reduce costs, energy consumption, and waste for 155 small businesses statewide.
“With nearly 1 million small businesses in Pennsylvania, the economy of the
Commonwealth relies heavily on these entrepreneurial ventures,” said DEP Secretary Patrick
McDonnell. “The Small Business Advantage Grant has helped small businesses cut their
expenses, assisted in reducing or eliminating their environmental impact, and allowed them to be
more competitive in local, regional, and international markets.”
This fiscal year the department approved nearly $1 million in grants for 155 projects
statewide, leveraging an additional $2 million in matching private investment from the recipients
to complete their projects.
The range of savings per business was between $502 and $41,274 per year with the
average annual savings per business being $4,061. Combined, small businesses will realize net
savings of $629,387 annually.
Projects included installing energy saving LED lighting, switching from traditional
chemical based X-ray equipment to waste-free digital equipment, replacing inefficient heating
systems with high efficiency boilers and HVAC solutions, installing equipment to eliminate
idling for long distance trucks, and replacing dry-cleaning machinery which generates hazardous
waste with equipment using more environmentally friendly processes and materials.
One of the awardees, a veterinarian from Butler County, used the grant to purchase
digital X-ray equipment that will eliminate the annual disposal of over 1,000 gallons of
film-developing chemicals, prevent the landfilling of more than 3,000 X-ray films and related
materials, save over 1,000 gallons of water and save nearly 4,200 kWh of electricity annually.
The $9,500 grant was matched with a private investment of over $43,000 by the business owner.
A mid-size manufacturer of farm equipment located in Union County matched the $7,000
grant with over $14,000 of private investment to buy new, energy efficient lighting to lower their
electricity consumption by over 54 percent.
They estimate annual cost savings of $6,600, a reduction of 82,000 kWh of electricity,
and improved lighting conditions on the production floor.
Eligible small businesses had fewer than 100 employees, and were required to reduce
their energy consumption or waste by 25 percent or more. The grant was available to
Pennsylvania-based small businesses to install equipment which significantly lowered their
energy use or decreased the amount of pollution or waste generated by their operations.
Due to the popularity of the program, applications for grants exceeded the program
allotment well before the June 30, 2018 closing date. Future grant availability will be announced
at a later date.
“Success stories such as these demonstrate the value of partnering with the business
community to invest in energy efficient and waste prevention technology. This program is a
win-win for small businesses and for Pennsylvania’s environment,” said Secretary McDonnell.
Click Here for a list of grants awarded.
For more information about the program, visit DEP’s Small Business Advantage Grant
webpage.
NewsClips:
NE Companies, Health Providers Awarded DEP Energy Saving Grants
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Court Rules In Favor Of AG Shapiro In DOE Energy Efficiency Case
[Posted: Feb. 22, 2018]
PA Recreation & Park Society Annual Conference March 27-30 In Monroe County
The PA Recreation and Park Society will hold is 2018 Annual
Conference March 27-30 at the Kalahari Resorts & Convention
Centers in Pocono Manor, Monroe County.
For over 70 years, the PA Recreation and Park Society has invited
park and recreation professionals from across the state to attend
over 40 education sessions and off-site tours, extensive exhibit hall,
socials, and networking opportunities at its Annual Park Conference
and Expo.
Developed by PRPS Staff and a Committee of PRPS professionals,
this is the elite professional development event for park and
recreation professional in Pennsylvania!
To register and for all the details, visit the PRPS 2018 Annual Conference webpage.
For more information on programs, initiatives, upcoming events and training
opportunities, visit the PA Recreation and Park Society website. Like them on Facebook,
Follow them on Twitter, visit their YouTube Channel, and find them on Instagram. Click Here
to support their work.
NewsClips:
Sen. Yudichak Plans To Walk Delaware & Lehigh Trail After Super Bowl Pledge
PA Great Outdoors: New Trail System Developing In Elk County
Columbia, Lancaster County: Rolling On The Susquehanna River
Penn State Study: Great Recession’s Profound Impact On Parks, Recreation Funding
Feb. 23 Take Five Fridays With Pam, PA Parks & Forests Foundation
New Philly Council Bill Threatens Progress On Bike Lanes
Editorial: Question PennDOT’s Free Ride For Cyclists
Interior Dept Balancing Development Protections For Public Land, Is Facing Upheaval
Related Story:
PA Recreation & Park Society 2018 Outdoor Recreation Survey, Feb. 23 Deadline To Respond
[Posted: Feb. 20, 2018]
A Role Model For Multiple Generations To Gather And Play In Lycoming County
Tucked in among farm fields and wooded areas in

the Nippenose Valley in rural Lycoming County
is a former red brick elementary school that is a
great model of how to provide opportunities for
seniors and young people to interact and stay
healthy, and pull off a public-private partnership.
Picture the seniors living in the rehabilitated
school having their meals in the dining area
immediately adjacent and open to the former gym
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with basketball court -- where community members are walking laps, or kids from the
recreational basketball team are practicing.
In the coming year, with the help of a DCNR grant, residents getting some fresh air also
will be able to watch visiting young family members, or families from the community, play on
the upgraded playground equipment and park created from the old school playground.
On a recent snowy day, DCNR Secretary Cindy Adams Dunn joined Sen. Gene Yaw
[(R-Lycoming), Majority Chair of the Senate Environmental Resources and Energy Committee,]
and Limestone Township officials in celebration of an investment to support rehabilitation and
further development of Nippenose Valley Park.
“This grant represents the Wolf Administration’s continuing support of DCNR’s
commitment to local parks and playgrounds offering outdoor exercise and recreation to all ages,”
Dunn said. “Not only is this project unique in its location -- adjoining a former school converted
to an assisted living facility -- but it offers numerous opportunities for multi-generational
recreation, while showing what happens when state, county, and township governments work
together.”
The funding will support development of play equipment with: Required safety
surfacing; ADA access; Landscaping; Project signage; and Other related site improvements.
The playground is on the property of Nippenose Valley Village, a retirement community
outside Williamsport. DCNR awarded a $50,000 Keystone Fund grant for the improvements,
which will be matched by the private owners of the facility and Limestone Township.
“Well-maintained, accessible parks add value to our communities,” Sen. Yaw told the
gathering. “DCNR's decision to fund the Nippenose Valley Park project through the Community
Conservation Partnerships Program will allow the township to restore this space, while
improving recreation and providing enhanced outdoor opportunities for area visitors. “I
commend the state and Limestone Township officials on this exciting partnership.”
The former Nippenose Valley Elementary School closed in 2013. The building and
grounds were purchased and refurbished as a personal care home, Nippenose Valley Village.
The playground area was leased by the private owners to Limestone Township, which
applied for the grant and provided some of the required match. Future plans could include
development of trails and walking paths around the building and grounds.
“We are excited to join in this public and private partnership with DCNR, Limestone
Township and Lycoming County,” said Limestone Township Supervisor Chris Lorson. “Projects
like this provide recreation opportunities and employment opportunities. We are honored to have
the support of Secretary Dunn, Governor Wolf, and Sen. Yaw for this very important project.”
Facilities at the building are offered for use by the community, including for clubs,
athletics, and scout groups.
“The renovations will help bring more residents out into the park and will bring the
community together. That’s the main goal of the project,” said Britt Bassett of Bassett
Engineering at a community meeting before the grant was submitted.
Community Conservation Partnership Grants
The Nippenose Valley Park grant is among grants for 266 projects in the DCNR 2017
grant round. A total investment of $44 million is intended to create new recreational
opportunities, conserve natural resources, and help revitalize local communities.
“Grants such as this help achieve something that’s very important -- they supply
much-needed recreational opportunities to area residents and outside visitors, as well,” Dunn
40
said.
Grants are administered by DCNR through its Community Conservation Partnerships
Program (C2P2). Funding comes from the Keystone Fund, which is generated from a portion of
the realty transfer tax; the Environmental Stewardship Fund; and the ATV/Snowmobile Fund,
generated through fees for licenses; and federal monies.
The Keystone Fund is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year, and has provided
thousands of grants for recreation and conservation projects in counties throughout Pennsylvania.
Public Recreation Facilities In Rural Areas
In the face of pressing public health concerns relating to obesity, the National Recreation
and Park Association (NRPA) notes that adequate places to engage in physical activity are
important to all communities -- urban, suburban, and rural.
A NRPA report (PDF) found: Higher park acreage within a community is associated with
increased participation in physical activity; and Within parks, there are certain types of facilities
that encourage higher levels of physical activity than others, such as trails and playgrounds.
“Recreation assets are important everywhere in Pennsylvania,” Dunn said at the event at
Nippenose Valley. She noted the multi-dimensional aspect of the project, bringing seniors and
youths together at a recreational site, offering exercise and wellness for all ages.
Dunn said that playgrounds are important for the health and well-being of communities,
even in rural areas with lots of open space, such as Limestone Township.
Eligible applicants for C2P2 funding include: Counties; Municipalities; Municipal
agencies: Nonprofit organizations; State Heritage Areas; Prequalified land trusts; and For-profit
enterprises (for some grant types).
Apply Now For Grants
The 2018 grant round is open through April 11. DCNR has Bureau of Recreation and
Conservation advisors (PDF) who can assist with information in six regions of the state.
(Photo: Ramm Road Vista (2) by Nicholas A. Tonelli from DCNR’s Good Natured Blog.)
NewsClips:
Related Story:
State Investments In Playground Improvements Highlighted In Western Lycoming County
(Reprinted from the Feb. 21 Resource newsletter from DCNR. Click Here to sign up for your
own copy.)
[Posted: Feb. 22, 2018]
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Brodhead Watershed Assn March 17 Cherry Valley's Ridge Trail Hike In Monroe County
The Brodhead Watershed Association will host another in its series of Get Outdoors Poconos
hikes on March 17 on the Ridge Nature Trail in the Cherry Valley National Wildlife Refuge in
Monroe County.
Join hike leader Carol Hillestad for a challenging hike of about 2 miles starting at 10:00
a.m.
Cherry Creek meanders for 15 miles through Cherry Valley and into Delaware Water
Gap, and is often easily accessible. But to see the headwaters of this lovely little creek takes
some effort.
After a scramble up to the ridge, stop to catch your breath at the top, where long,
ridge-to-ridge views will reward your effort.
A woods road trail leads through a field studded with eastern red cedars. Many animals
visit this wild banquet hall, smack in the middle of the Atlantic flyway. Birds love the cedars’
tiny blue “berries” (actually odd-looking cones), as do many mammals such as meadow mice,
rabbits, foxes, possums and coyotes. And white-tailed deer, of course!
The hike series is administered by Brodhead Watershed Association and supported by a
grant from the William Penn Foundation.
The hike is free, but registration is required. Directions will be provided upon
registration.
To register, call 570-839-1120 or 570-629-2727; send email to:
info@brodheadwatershed.org. For information about this and other hikes in this series, visit the
Get Outdoors Poconos webpage.
For more information on programs, initiatives and other upcoming events, visit the
Brodhead Watershed Association website. Click Here to sign up for regular updates from the
Association. Click Here to become a member.
NewsClips:
Resource Link:
The Nature Conservancy: Cherry Valley
[Posted: Feb. 22, 2018]
DCNR Initiative To Replace, Renovate Fire Towers Across The State
Department of Conservation and Natural Resources

Secretary Cindy Adams Dunn Wednesday announced
newly renovated and replaced fire towers will be added to
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the Commonwealth’s wildfire fighting arsenal to support the Bureau of Forestry and volunteer
fire company efforts answering forest fire calls across the state.
"We must always take wildfires seriously. That’s why I’m delighted to note our
Pennsylvania wildfire fighters are getting yet another weapon in their detection and suppression
efforts -- a new tool with a rich, storied past in the form of newly constructed fire towers,” said
Dunn. Pennsylvania’s wildfire fighting force is viewed as among the best in the nation, and for
good reason. They have excellent training; the latest equipment; and a ‘can do’ spirit that sets
them apart when they fly out to help other states or fight wildfires here in the woodlands of
Pennsylvania.”
In September 2017, DCNR began a $4.6 million Department of General Services capital
project to replace 16 forest fire lookout towers on state forestland. Many of the original towers
still in operation today were constructed in the 1920s through 1940 and needed to be replaced.
The new fire towers are sturdier to meet today’s structural and foundation code
requirements. They will be safer to ascend, with improved stairs and railings, and be topped with
weather-proof cabs.
“Mountaintop fire towers continue to provide an excellent vantage point for spotting
wildfire smoke along the horizon and conveying fire locations to bureau-led firefighting crews,”
Dunn noted. “We still use aviation, but its costs and insurance rates for these flights have made
fire towers more economically feasible. Fire detection relies on fire towers, aviation, and people
on the ground. We don’t want to put all our eggs in one basket.”
Considering their historical significance, at least one of the original fire towers will be
carefully dismantled and repurposed at other locations.
In Delaware State Forest, the original tower at Big Pocono State Park, Monroe County,
has been delivered to the grounds of Gifford Pinchot’s summer residence at the U.S.D.A. Forest
Service’s Grey Towers National Historic Site in Milford.
Though winter weather crimped replacement work, construction will be resuming close
to Pennsylvania’s Wildfire Prevention Week, March 3-10.
DCNR issues an annual warning of springtime danger when bright sun, strong winds, and
warming temperatures quickly can increase wildfire dangers across Pennsylvania’s forests and
brush lands.
Statistics show nearly 85 percent of Pennsylvania’s wildfires occur in March, April and
May, before the greening of state woodlands and brushy areas. Named for rapid spread through
dormant, dry vegetation, under windy conditions, wildfires annually scorch nearly 7,000 acres of
state and private woodlands.
Besides the Big Pocono tower, others targeted for replacement include: Tamarack, Coffin
Rock and Snowshoe, in Sproul State Forest; Rockton, Chestnut Ridge (Knobs), Rattlesnake,
Summit and Black Hills, Moshannon; Dry Land, Mehoopany and Bear Springs, Pinchot; Brooks
Run and Bootjack, Elk; and Bears Head and Mauch Chunk, Weiser.
A key component of the tower replacement projects is coordination with radio and data
communication antenna systems.
Because of their location and elevation, many of the towers will be outfitted with various
state and federal radio communication antenna systems. These towers are anticipated to remain
safe and functional for many decades.
Secretary Dunn noted DCNR’s Bureau of Forestry is responsible for prevention and
suppression of wildfires on the Commonwealth’s 17 million acres of state and private woodlands
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and brush lands.
The bureau maintains a fire-detection system, and works with fire wardens and volunteer
fire departments to ensure they are trained in the latest advances in fire prevention and
suppression.
DCNR owns 50 fire towers that are still standing. Many were removed in the 1970s and
1980s. About 20 still are actively staffed in periods of high fire danger, and that number will
grow as replacements come online.
Click Here to watch a video of a visit to a now retired 87.5 foot fire tower in Cook Forest
State Park, Clarion County, built in 1929.
More information about wildfires is available by visiting DCNR’s Wildfire webpage.
(Photo: Fire tower at Bald Eagle State Forest, Union County)
NewsClips:
AP: DCNR Installing New Towers To Help Find Forest Fires
It’s Maple Sugaring Time At Lancaster County Central Park
Out-Of-Control Brush Fire Burns Over An Acre In Millersville
[Posted: Feb. 21, 2018]
Learn About Backyard Forestry At Free Seminar In Dauphin County March 17
The Dauphin County Woodland Owners Association will

host a Backyard Forestry Seminar March 17 at the Dauphin
County Agricultural & Natural Resources Center located at
1451 Peters Mountain Road, Dauphin from 8:30 to
Are you interested in learning more about Pennsylvania
forests, or maintaining and improving forest diversity on
your wooded property? If so, consider registering for this
free, educational, one-day seminar.
Topics include: The History of the Appalachian Trail and
the Civilian Conservation Corps; Spotted Lanternfly and
Golden Wing Warbler Management; Do It Yourself -- Backyard Forestry; Tips on Sustainable
Timber Management; and Hiring a Consulting Forester.
Pennsylvania woodlands are an amazing resource that provides untold economic,
ecological, and social value to the state’s citizens. One in eight Pennsylvania households own
woodland with an average size estimated at between 17 and 21 acres.
The Dauphin County Woodland Owners Association is an organization of owners and
other members of the public interested in forest related topics.
Pre-registration is requested. The cost of the Seminar is $10 payable at registration.
For more information or to register, contact Katica Cuturic at the Penn State Extension
Office – Dauphin County at 717-921-8803 or by emailing kxc27@psu.edu or contact Mike
Thomas, President, at tuckersdream@hotmail.com, 717-469-9366 for more information.
NewsClips:
44
own copy.)
[Posted: Feb. 22, 2018]
Recognizing The Conservation Work Of Black CCC Companies In PA
From 1933 to 1942, hundreds of thousands of

unemployed men worked as part of the Civilian
Conservation Corps in 151 camps throughout
Pennsylvania.
Some camps were on army bases, some were in
national parks, some worked with the soil
conservation service, but most camps were in
state parks and forests.
The CCC men fought forest fires; planted trees;
constructed roads and buildings; built picnic areas, swimming areas, and campgrounds; among
many other important job duties.
Unfortunately, during this time period, corps work was often segregated. There were 12
black CCC camps across Pennsylvania during the 1930s.
Without the hard work of these corps members across the state, many state parks would
not be what they are today, including Penn-Roosevelt [Centre County] and Pymatuning [Mercer
County] state parks.
Company 361 At Penn-Roosevelt State Park
Penn-Roosevelt State Park did not exist until June 5, 1933, when members of the CCC
Company 361 arrived to set up a work camp during the height of the Great Depression.
The camp at Penn-Roosevelt was first known as Camp S-62, Stone Creek Kettle. The
camp at Stone Creek Kettle was one of the 12 black camps in Pennsylvania.
Corps members lived at the camp and constructed recreational facilities, including a
195-foot log-crib dam that has since been stone-faced. They also built many of the surrounding
forestry roads and trails. Two fireplaces, a unique stone bake oven, and other ruins of the camp
can still be found.
Other commendable efforts by Company 361 include:
In May 1934, the company was called to fight one of the largest forest fires in the history
of Mifflin County, Pa. The Forestry Service sent “Letters of Commendation” to the company for
their valiant services.
On May 3, 1935, the company was honored with a personal inspection by the Corps Area
Commander, who highly commended their accomplishments in development and beautification
of their camp site.
From March 18 to April 14, 1936, the company was called to assist in the rescue and
rehabilitation work during the time of and after the severe flood at Sunbury, Pa. Many
commendatory letters were received as a result of the valiant efforts during the grave crisis in
45
Pennsylvania’s history.
Company 2312 At Pymatuning State Park
Company 2312 located at Westford, Pa., was organized in 1935. During this time, the
CCC built Camp NP-11-PA at Pymatuning.
Major work projects included: The construction of a state garage; Building of numerous
parks; Fighting forest fires and being involved in fire prevention efforts; Moving and planting
trees and shrubs; Getting rid of undesirable structures; Engaging in emergency flood relief work;
Making topographic surveys; and Building roads, shelters, camp tables, benches, bridges,
culverts, sewers, wells, camp stoves, trails, and parking areas.
The company was called to fight three major fires and their efforts saved a great deal of
valuable property in local communities.
The communities welcomed the great work of these corps members. During major
flooding, the company was called to do rescue work in Pittsburgh and Johnstown. At one point
during winter, snowfall was so heavy in the area that people were unable to travel to and from
work, but the company members helped them.
Click Here to learn more about what these men accomplished.
More information about the CCC is available at DCNR’s Civilian Conservation Corps
webpage.
Related Story:
Celebrate Ralph Elwood Brock’s Birthday: PA’s First African-American State Forester
own copy.)
[Posted: Feb. 22, 2018]
Video: Pennsylvania’s Parks And Forests Are For Everyone!
Pennsylvania's parks and forests offer a myriad of

opportunities for engaging in outdoor recreation, quiet
contemplation, and learning. Research shows that time
spent outdoors improves human health.
With 121 state parks and 2.2 million acres of state forest,
all with free access, there is much to explore!
Watch this new video from the PA Parks and
Forests Foundation that shows you a side of Pennsylvania’s
parks and forests you may not have seen before.
For more information on programs, initiatives and special events, visit the PA Parks &
Forests Foundation website. Click Here to sign up for regular updates from the Foundation,
Like them on Facebook or Follow them on Twitter. Click Here to become a member of the
Foundation.
46
NewsClips:
[Posted: Feb. 23, 2018]
February 21 Resource Newsletter Now Available From DCNR
The February 21 Resource newsletter is now

available from the Department of Conservation
and Natural Resources featuring articles on--
-- A Role Model For Multiple Generations To
Gather And Play In Lycoming County
-- Fire Towers In Woodlands Across The State
To Be Replaced, Renovated
-- DCNR, Partners Celebrate Investment In
Snowmobile Trails In Lackawanna County
-- DCNR Names Philadelphia’s Forbidden Drive As 2018 Trail Of The Year
-- Good Natured Blog: Cross Country Skier Hopes To Inspire You To Try The Sport
-- Recognizing The Conservation Work Of Black CCC Companies In PA
-- Governor’s Budget Includes Funding To Combat Spotted Lanternfly, Lyme Disease
-- Learn About Backyard Forestry At Free Seminar In Dauphin County March 17
-- PennDOT Begins Update Of Statewide Bicycle, Pedestrian Plan, Seeks Public Feedback
-- Good Natured Blog: Pennsylvania’s Wild, Native Roses
-- Conservation Tip: Greening Your Exercise Routine
-- Click Here to sign up for your own copy
DCNR’s website, 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.
NewsClips:
47
[Posted: Feb. 22, 2018]
Manada Conservancy In Dauphin County Accepting Short Story Writing Contest Entries
The Manada Conservancy in Dauphin County is now

accepting entries to its Short Story Writing Contest.
The deadline for entries is May 15.
Aspiring writers, gardeners, naturalists, and
fellow nature lovers are invited to submit a short story
of 1,500 words or less, which expresses a personal or
fictional account of a “backyard habitat” scenario.
Perhaps a wildlife encounter or gardening
experience has inspired you. Use your stories to help
inspire others to choose native plants, support pollinators and other local wildlife, or spend more
time outdoors.
Submissions, either fiction or non-fiction, must be original and unpublished and will be
judged on style, content, and clarity. The winning entries, one from each category, will be
presented on the Conservancy’s website, included in their summer newsletter, and submitted to
local newspapers for possible publication.
Winners will be notified by July 5. No purchase or payment of any kind is necessary to
enter or win this contest.
Entries must include the writer’s name, Phone number, Email and Mailing address, Title,
Category: Fiction or Non-Fiction. Submit to: Manada Conservancy, P.O. Box 25,
Hummelstown, PA 17036 or send by email to: office@manada.org with “Backyard Habitat” in
the the subject line.
Reminder: 18th Annual Native Plant Sale April 28.
For more information on programs, initiatives and upcoming events, visit the Manada
Conservancy website.
NewsClip:
[Posted: Feb. 22, 2018]
Auditor General DePasquale To Audit Game Commission
Auditor General Eugene DePasquale Tuesday announced the start of a

performance audit of the Game Commission.
“I look forward to working with Game Commission leadership in
this audit, which will be an independent assessment of the Commission’s
revenue and expenditures,” DePasquale said. “Through my review, I will
evaluate the Commission to ensure its resources are being used to benefit the
millions of Pennsylvanians who enjoy hunting, trapping and other outdoor
recreational activities.
“This is the first performance audit of the Game Commission in
nearly a decade,” DePasquale said. “My team will conduct a thorough audit
48
that I anticipate will be completed late this year.”
The audit will cover July 1, 2014, through June 30, 2017, focusing on these objectives:
-- Identify and analyze all sources of Commission revenue;
-- Identify and analyze all commission expenditures; and
-- Determine each fund’s year-end balance, including any and all money held in escrow or
restricted accounts.
-- Determine if expenditures, including the acquisition of property, were in compliance with
applicable laws, including but not limited to the fiscal affairs and property and building aspects
of the Game and Wildlife Code and any associated regulations.
In addition to licensing hunters and trappers, the Game Commission owns almost 1.5
million acres of state game lands in 65 counties. The Commission also manages wild birds and
mammals, develops wildlife habitats, and works with private landowners to provide free access
to their land for hunting and trapping.
The Commission is almost entirely supported by hunters and trappers, or assets procured
with license dollars.
NewsClips:
Schneck: Game Commission Target Of Audit By Auditor General
Hayes: Auditor General Announces Audit Of Game Commission
AP: Auditor General Taking Closer Look At Game Commission
Auditor General Targets Game Commission For Mismanagement, Hunting Drop
Auditor General Will Review Game Commission
Schneck: Peregrine Falcons Competing For Prime Nest Site In Harrisburg
Schneck: Pennsylvanians Reported 2,233 Times In Continuing Great Backyard Bird Count
Schneck: 200,000 Snow Geese Settle At Middle Creek, Smashing Record
Schneck: 15 Things You May Not Know About Middle Creek Snow Geese
360-Degree Video: Watch Thousands Of Snow Geese At Middle Creek
3rd Egg Spotted In Bald Eagle Nest In Hays Pittsburgh
Schneck: Bald Eagle Lays First Egg In Hanover Nest, Watch Online
Rescued Bald Eagle, Struck By Train Near Ohiopyle, Dies
Delaware Bay Changes Contributing To Dip In Threatened Red Knot Bird Population
Schneck: Black Panthers In PA? Reports Continue To Surface
AP: Hunters Split On Use Of Semi-Automatic Rifles
Hayes: Chronic Wasting Disease Growing Among Deer, Elk In PA
Crable: What The Discovery Of Chronic Wasting Disease Means For Lancaster County
USDA To Cull 150 Saw Creek Deer
Nolan: Despite Sightings, Feds Declare Eastern Cougar Extinct In PA
Schneck: Coyote Of 53 Pounds Tops PA’s Biggest Hunt Weekend
Gifts Made To Delaware Highlands Conservancy For Environment, Animal Care
[Posted: Feb. 20, 2018]
Game Commission Asks Public For Information On Bald Eagle Harassment By A Drone
In Mercer County
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The Game Commission is asking the public for any information they have on bald eagle
harassment by a drone at Goddard State Park in Mercer County. Please report tips on this
incident to the NW Region Office: 814-432-3187 or to 1-888-PGC-8001.
NewsClips:
[Posted: Feb. 21, 2018]
Help Wanted: PA Assn. Of Conservation Districts Conservation Engineer
The PA Association of Conservation Districts is seeking qualified candidates to fill a

Conservation Engineer position in the Southwest Region based in Somerset providing
engineering assistance to the Growing Greener Program and the Natural Resource Conservation
Service.
From field survey data and other field information, this position will design and prepare
engineering plans and specifications for engineering projects or structures, including the
drawings, specifications, bills of materials and cost estimates.
In addition, the Conservation Engineer will review engineering structure design plans and
specifications submitted from the field offices and engineering technicians for adherence to
design criteria and applicable technical standards.
Click Here for all the details. The deadline for applications is March 7.
[Posted: Feb. 20, 2018]
The Lehigh Valley-based Wildlands Conservancy is seeking qualified

candidates to fill seasonal naturalist positions to assist with
environmental education programs.
Gain leadership and practical skills, inspire a love of nature in
others and have fun, all the while spending time in the outdoors!
Click Here for all the details and other employment and internship
opportunities with the Wildlands Conservancy.
For more information on programs, initiatives and special events,
visit the Wildlands Conservancy website. Like on Facebook, Follow on
Twitter and Join on Instagram. Click Here to support the Conservancy.
Related Stories:
April 28
Science Workshop
Fund
50
[Posted: Feb. 21, 2018]
Help Wanted: Chesapeake Bay Foundation-PA Director Of Major Giving In PA
The Chesapeake Bay Foundation-PA is seeking qualified candidates for the position of Director
of Major Giving in Pennsylvania. The deadline to apply is March 2. Click Here for all the
details.
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.
[Posted: Feb. 21, 2018]
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. [Agenda Not Posted] means not posted within 2 weeks
of the advisory committee meeting. Go to the online Calendar webpage for updates.
Note: DEP published the 2018 meeting schedules for its advisory committees and boards. Click
Here for DEP Aggregate Advisory Board 2018 meeting schedule.
February 24-- Fish & Boat Commission. Sportsmen’s Forum On Conserving Aquatic
Resources, Creating Fishing, Boating Opportunities. Fly-Fishing & Wing Shooting Expo, Split
Rock Resort, Lake Harmony, Carbon County Striped Bass Room. 4:00.
February 24-- Dauphin County Master Gardeners. Landscape For Life Workshop. Dauphin
County Agriculture & Natural Resources Center, 1451 Peters Mountain Road, Dauphin. 9:00 to
11:00.
February 24-- Brodhead Watershed Association. Water Wiser Kids Program. Who Goes There?
Tracking Pocono Wildlife Program. Kettle Creek Environmental Education Center, 8050
Running Valley Road in Bartonsville, Monroe County. 10:30 to Noon.
February 26-- Senate Appropriations Committee budget hearings: 3:00- Department of

Transportation. Hearing Room 1, North Office Building. Hearings are typically webcast on the
Senate Republican website.
February 26-- House Appropriations Committee budget hearings: 10:00- Department of

Environmental Protection; 3:00- Department of Agriculture. Room 140 Main Capitol. Click
Here to watch the hearing online.
51
February 27-- Joint Legislative Budget and Finance Committee meeting to release reports on
Update of Cost Estimates For An Alternative Approach to Meeting PA’s Chesapeake Bay
Nutrient Reduction Targets. Room 14 East Wing. 11:00.
February 27-- NEW. Water Insights Seminar. Climate Change Impacts On Wetland Hydrology.
Room 102 of the Forest Resources Building at Penn State University, State College. Click Here
to attend the Seminar by webinar (sign in with your name and email). Noon to 1:00.
February 28-- Senate Appropriations Committee budget hearings: 1:00- Department of

Agriculture; 3:00- Department of Conservation & Natural Resources. Hearing Room 1, North
Office Building. Hearings are typically webcast on the Senate Republican website.
February 28-- DEP Hearing [If requested] On RACT II Air Quality Plan for Montour Power
Plant, Montour County. DEP’s Northcentral Regional Office 208 Third Street, Williamsport.
10:00.
February 28-March 1-- Western PA Conservancy, DCNR. 2018 Riparian Forest Buffer
Summit. Ramada Conference Center, State College.
March 1-- Senate Appropriations Committee budget hearings: 3:00- Department of

Environmental Protection. Hearing Room 1, North Office Building. Hearings are typically
webcast on the Senate Republican website.
March 1-- Capital Region Water. Public Meeting On Draft City Beautiful H20 Program Plan.
YMCA Camp Curtin, 2135 North 6th Street, Harrisburg. 6:00 to 8:00. Click Here to RSVP.
March 2-- DEP Hearing [If Requested] On Proposed RACT II Air Quality Plan for
Texas-Eastern Compressor station in Shermans Dale, Perry County. DEP Southcentral Regional
Office, 909 Elmerton Avenue, Harrisburg. 10:00
March 2-- Harrisburg University Center for Environment, Energy and Economy. Hosts The
Fracking Debate Author Daniel Raimi In Discussion Program. Harrisburg University, 326
Market St, Harrisburg. 11:30 to 1:00.
March 3-- Fish & Boat Commission. Sportsmen’s Forum On Conserving Aquatic Resources,
Creating Fishing, Boating Opportunities. Erie Sport & Travel Expo, Bayfront Convention
Center, Erie, Room 140 ABC. 10:00
March 3-- Dauphin County Master Gardeners. Stormwater Management & Native Plants.
Dauphin County Agriculture & Natural Resources Center, 1451 Peters Mountain Road, Dauphin.
9:00 to 11:00.
March 3-- DCNR Bureau Of Forestry Make The Most Of Your Piece Of Nature: A Sustainable
Backyard Workshop. Butler County Community College, Butler. 8:00 to 12:30.
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March 3-- PA Wilds Buyer’s Market. Clarion University, Clarion.
March 6-- CANCELED. DEP Storage Tank Advisory Committee meeting. Next scheduled
meeting June 5. DEP Contact: Dawn Heimbach, 717-772-5556, daheimbach@pa.gov. (formal
notice)
March 6-- DEP Board of Coal Mine Safety meeting. DEP Cambria Office, 286 Industrial Park
Road, Ebensburg. 10:00. DEP Contact: Peggy Scheloske, 724-404-3143, mscheloske@pa.gov
March 6-- NEW. DEP Webinar On New Chapter 105 General Permit-5 Water Obstruction,
Encroachment Form, Instructions. 1:30.
March 6-- Dept. of Labor & Industry Uniform Construction Code Review and Advisory Council
meeting. Room E-100, First Floor, Department of Labor of Industry Building, 651 Boas Street
in Harrisburg. 10:00. Contact: Cindy Holtry, Department of Labor and Industry, 717-783-4560.
(formal notice)
March 6-- Delaware River Basin Commission Moderated Hearing on Proposed Fracking Ban
By Telephone. 1:30 to 3:30. Members of the public are encouraged to listen by calling
1-866-831-8713 and asking the operator to connect them to the DRBC call. Click Here to
register to speak.
March 7-- NEW. PA Horticultural Society. The William Penn Foundation. Philadelphia Water
Summit. Philadelphia Flower Show, PA Convention Center, 12th and Arch Streets. 8:30 to 5:30.
March 8-- Senate Appropriations Committee budget hearings: 1:00- Governor’s Budget
Secretary; 3:00- Governor’s Budget Secretary Continued. Hearing Room 1, North Office
Building. Click Here: Hearings are typically webcast on the Committee webpage.
March 8-- House Appropriations Committee budget hearings: 10:00- Governor’s Budget
Secretary. Room 140 Main Capitol. Click Here to watch the hearing online.
March 8-- Agenda Posted. DEP Solid Waste Advisory Committee & Recycling Fund Advisory
Committee meeting. Room 105 Rachel Carson Building. 10:00. DEP Contact: Laura Henry,
717-772-5713, lahenry@pa.gov.
-- Revisions To DEP Management of Fill Policy
-- Responsibilities of County Recycling Coordinators
-- Continued Discussion Of Act 101 Recycling Grant Programs
-- Clarification Of Priorities For Proposed Changes To Act 101 Recycling Law
March 8-- Susquehanna River Basin Commission holds a business meeting on proposed water
withdrawals and other issues. Penn Stater Conference Center, State College. 9:00. (formal
notice) (formal notice - Agenda) Click Here for more.
53
March 8-- PA Resources Council. Allegheny CleanWays. 2018 Wild & Scenic Film Festival.
Chatham University’s Eddy Theatre, Woodland Road, Pittsburgh. 6:00 p.m.
March 8-- NEW. Standup Sisters: Green Habits Program. St. Thomas More Church, 126 Fort
Couch Road, Bethel Park, near Pittsburgh. 7:00 to 9:00 p.m.
Creating Fishing, Boating Opportunities. Greater Philadelphia Boat Show, Greater Philadelphia
Expo Center, Oaks. 10:00.
March 10-- York County Penn State Master Gardeners GardenWise Workshop. Central York
Middle School, 1950 N. Hills Road, York. 7:30 to 4:00.
March 10-- Dauphin County Master Gardeners. Container Gardens. Dauphin County
Agriculture & Natural Resources Center, 1451 Peters Mountain Road, Dauphin. 9:00 to 11:00.
March 10-- 2018 Schuylkill River Watershed Congress. Montgomery County Community
College West Campus, Pottstown.
March 12-13-- Registration Open. PA Association of Environmental Educators. 2018 Annual
Conference. State College, Centre County.
March 14-- NEW. DEP Water Resources Advisory Committee meeting. Room 105 Rachel
Carson Building. 9:30. DEP Contact: Diane Wilson, 717-787-3730, diawilson@pa.gov.
March 14-- Delaware River Basin Commission business meeting. Washington Crossing Historic
Park Visitor Center, 1112 River Road, Washington Crossing in Bucks County starting at 1:30.
Click Here for updates on the agenda. (formal notice)
March 15-- Bowman’s Hill Wildflower Preserve. 18th Annual Land Ethics Symposium.
Delaware Valley University, Doylestown, Bucks County.
March 16-- DEP PA Chesapeake Bay Watershed Plan Steering Committee meeting. Room 105
Rachel Carson Building. 9:00 to Noon. Click Here to attend by WebEx. Participants will also
need to call in 1-650-479-3208, PASSCODE 649 688 673.
Creating Fishing, Boating Opportunities. Lycoming College, Williamsport, Heim Building,
Room G-11., 10:00.
March 17-- NEW. Dauphin County Woodland Owners Association. Backyard Forestry Seminar.
Dauphin County Agricultural & Natural Resources Center, 1451 Peters Mountain Road,
Dauphin. 8:30.
March 17-- Dauphin County Master Gardeners. Turf Management. Dauphin County Agriculture
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& Natural Resources Center, 1451 Peters Mountain Road, Dauphin. 9:00 to 11:00.
March 17-- NEW. Brodhead Watershed Association. Get Outdoors Poconos. Cherry Valley
Ridge Trail Hike. Monroe County. 10:00.
March 18-- NEW. Butler County Household Hazardous Waste & Electronics Waste Collection
Event. 129 Ash Stop Road, Evans City, Butler County.
March 20-- Environmental Quality Board meeting. Room 105 Rachel Carson Building. 9:00.
DEP Contact: Laura Edinger, Environmental Quality Board, 400 Market Street, Harrisburg, PA
17101, 717-772-3277, ledinger@pa.gov.
March 20-- DEP Citizens Advisory Council meeting. Room 105 Rachel Carson Building.
10:00. Contact: Executive Director Lee Ann Murray, 717-787-8171, leemurray@pa.gov.
March 20-- Dept. of Labor & Industry Uniform Construction Code Review and Advisory
Council meeting. Room E-100, First Floor, Department of Labor of Industry Building, 651 Boas
Street in Harrisburg. 10:00. Contact: Cindy Holtry, Department of Labor and Industry,
717-783-4560. (formal notice)
March 20-- DEP Keystone Energy Education Workshop For Teachers. Tyler State Park,
Newtown, Bucks County. 8:30 to 3:00. Click To Register.
March 21-- DEP Keystone Energy Education Workshop For Teachers. Ridley Creek State Park,
Media, Delaware County. 8:30 to 3:00. Click To Register.
March 22-- DEP Keystone Energy Education Workshop For Teachers. Jacobsburg
Environmental Ed Center, Nazareth, Northampton County. 8:30 to 3:00. Click To Register.
March 22-- DEP Radiation Protection Advisory Committee meeting. Room 105 Rachel Carson
Building. 9:00. DEP Contact: Joseph Melnic, 717-783-9730, jmelnic@pa.gov.
March 24-- Dauphin County Master Gardeners. Attracting Bluebirds. Dauphin County
Agriculture & Natural Resources Center, 1451 Peters Mountain Road, Dauphin. 9:00 to 11:00.
March 26-- NEW. DEP Public Meeting, Hearing On Rose Valley Lake TCE Contamination Site
In Lycoming County. Gamble Township Community Hall, 17 Beech Valley Road, in Trout Run.
Meeting- 6:00, Hearing- 7:00.
March 27-- DCNR, Penn State Extension Forest Health & Disease Briefing. Penn Stater Hotel
and Conference Center in State College, Centre County. 8:30 to 3:30.
March 27-30-- NEW. PA Recreation & Park Society Annual Conference. Pocono Manor,
Monroe County.
55
March 29-- DEP Small Water Systems Technical Assistance Center Board meeting. Room 105
Rachel Carson Building. 9:00. DEP Contact: Dawn Hissner, 717-772-2189, dhissner@pa.gov.
April 3-- Dept. of Labor & Industry Uniform Construction Code Review and Advisory Council
(formal notice)
April 3-6-- Carnegie Mellon University Wilton E. Scott Institute for Energy Innovation. 2018
Energy Week Program. Carnegie Mellon University.
April 3-- Northeast Recycling Council. Spring Workshop Markets Or Bust. Sheraton Baltimore
Washington Airport Hotel in Maryland.
April 4-- DEP Cleanup Standards Scientific Advisory Board meeting. Room 105 Rachel Carson
Building. 9:00. DEP Contact: Mike Maddigan, 717-772-3609, mmaddigan@pa.gov.
April 5-- PA Camber of Business & Industry Environmental Conference & Trade Show. Eden
Resort Inn & Suites, Lancaster. 8:00 a.m. to 3:15.
April 7-- Penn State Extension, DCNR Woods In Your Backyard Workshop For Small
Woodland Owners. Union County Government Center, 155 N. 15th Street, Lewisburg. 9:00 to
4:15.
April 10-- DEP Mine Families First Response & Communications Advisory Council meeting.
DEP New Stanton Office, 131 Broadview Road, New Stanton. 10:00. DEP Contact: Peggy
Scheloske, 724-404-3143, mscheloske@pa.gov.
April 10-- Center for Watershed Protection. 2018 National Watershed & Stormwater
Conference. Maryland and Virginia In-person and online.
April 11-- NEW. DEP Technical Advisory Committee On Diesel Powered (Mining) Equipment.
DEP New Stanton Office, 131 Broadview Road, New Stanton. 10:00. DEP Contact: Peggy
Scheloski, 724-404-3143 or mscheloske@pa.gov.
April 11-- NEW. DEP State Board For Certification of Water and Wastewater Systems
Operators. 10th Floor Conference Room, Rachel Carson Building. 10:00. DEP Contact: Edgar
Chescattie, 717-772-2814 or eschescattie@pa.gov.
April 12-- DEP Laboratory Accreditation Advisory Committee meeting. DEP Bureau of
Laboratories building, 2575 Interstate Drive, Harrisburg. 9:00. DEP Contact: Aaren Alger,
717-346-7200, aaalger@pa.gov.
April 14-- PA Land Trust Association. 2018 Environmental Advisory Council Network
Conference. In Conjunction with the PA Land Conservation Conference, Malvern, Chester
56
County.
April 14-- Master Gardeners Of Lancaster County. 26th Annual Shirley R. Wagner Garden
Symposium. Lancaster Farm and Home Center, 1383 Arcadia Road, Lancaster. 7:30 - 2:45.
April 17-- NEW. Environmental Quality Board meeting. Room 105 Rachel Carson Building.
9:00. DEP Contact: Laura Edinger, Environmental Quality Board, 400 Market Street, Harrisburg,
PA 17101, 717-772-3277, ledinger@pa.gov.
April 17-- NEW. DEP Citizens Advisory Council meeting. Room 105 Rachel Carson Building.
10:00. Contact: Executive Director Lee Ann Murray, 717-787-8171, leemurray@pa.gov.
April 17-- Dept. of Labor & Industry Uniform Construction Code Review and Advisory Council
(formal notice)
April 17-19-- National Forum On Low-Zero Energy Buildings. Wyndam Grand Hotel,
Pittsburgh.
April 20-- Berks County Conservation District. Tree Seedling Sale & Education Programs
Event. Berks County Agricultural Center, 1238 County Welfare Road, Leesport. 11:00 to 7:00.
April 22-- NEW. Earth Day. What Are You Doing?
April 22-- NEW. Butler County Household Hazardous Waste & Electronics Waste Collection
Event. 129 Ash Stop Road, Evans City, Butler County.
April 24-- NEW. DEP Climate Change Advisory Committee meeting. Room 105 Rachel Carson
Building. 10:00. DEP Contact: John Krueger, 717-783-9264 or jkrueger@pa.gov.
April 24-- DEP Sewage Advisory Committee meeting. DEP Southcentral Regional Office, 909
Elmerton Ave., Harrisburg. 10:30. DEP Contact: Janice Vollero, 717-772-5157,
jvollero@pa.gov.
April 24-- Susquehanna River Basin Commission. Public Water Supply Assistance Program.
Technical and Regulatory Considerations For Public Water Supply Managers and Consultants
Workshop. SRBC Offices, 4423 North Front Street, Harrisburg. 8:00 to 3:00.
April 25-- NEW. DEP Small Business Compliance Advisory Committee meeting. 12th Floor
Conference Room, Rachel Carson Building. 10:00. DEP Contact: Nancy Herb, 717-783-9269 or
nherb@pa.gov.
April 26-- DEP Agricultural Advisory Board meeting. DEP Southcentral Regional Office, 909
Elmerton Ave., Harrisburg. 9:00. DEP Contact: Jay Braund, 717-772-5636, jbraund@pa.gov.
57
(formal notice)
April 28-- NEW. Stroud Water Research Center. Wildlands Conservancy. Citizen Science
Volunteer Training. Emmaus, Lehigh County. 9:00 to 3:00.
April 28-- Manada Conservancy Native Plant Sale. Hummelstown Borough Park, Dauphin
County. 10:00 to 3:00
May 2-4-- PA Association Of Environmental Professional. Annual Conference. State College.
May 8-- Registration Open. 2018 PA Groundwater Symposium. Ramada Inn in State College,
Centre County.
May 8-- DEP Keystone Energy Education Workshop For Teachers. DEP Northwest Regional
Office, Meadville, Crawford County. 8:30 to 3:00. Click To Register.
May 8-10-- NEW. PA Section American Water Works Association. 70th Annual Conference.
Kalahari Resort and Convention Center at Pocono Manor, Monroe County.
May 9-- DEP Keystone Energy Education Workshop For Teachers. Westmoreland County
Conservation District Office, Greensburg, Westmoreland County. 8:30 to 3:00. Click To
Register.
May 17-- DEP Keystone Energy Education Workshop For Teachers. King’s Gap Environmental
Center, Carlisle, Cumberland County. 8:30 to 3:00. Click To Register.
May 22-23-- Choose Clean Water Coalition. 9th Annual Clean Water Conference. Lancaster
Marriott.
June 6-- DEP Storage Tank Advisory Committee meeting. Room 105 Rachel Carson Building.
10:00. DEP Contact: Dawn Heimbach, 717-772-5556, daheimbach@pa.gov. (formal notice)
June 12-- NEW. DEP Weathering The Storm Stormwater Education Workshop. Alumni Room
of the Waldron Campus Center, Gannon University, 109 University Square, Erie. 8:30 to 3:30.
June 13-- NEW. DEP Weathering The Storm Stormwater Education Workshop. Winnie Palmer
Nature Reserve, Saint Vincent College, 744 Walzer Way, Latrobe, Westmoreland County. 8:30
to 3:30.
June 20-21-- 20th Anniversary PA Abandoned Mine Reclamation Conference. Ramada

Conference Center, State College.
July 25-27-- Registration Open. Professional Recyclers of PA. 28th Annual Recycling &
Organics Conference. Best Western Premier Hotel, Harrisburg.
58
August 20-23-- U.S. Biochar Initiatives Conference. Chase Center on the Riverfront,
Wilmington, Delaware.
September 6-9-- Delaware Highlands Conservancy. Educational Retreat For Women Forest
Landowners. Highlights Workshop Facility in Boyd’s Mill, Milanville, Wayne County.
September 22-- Joint meeting of DEP Recycling Fund Advisory Committee and Solid Waste
Advisory Committee. Room 105 Rachel Carson Building. 10:00. DEP Contact: Laura Henry,
717-772-5713, lahenry@pa.gov.
September 28-- DEP Low-Level Waste Advisory Committee meeting Room 105 Rachel Carson
Building. 10:00. DEP Contact: Rich Janati, 717-787-2147, rjanati@pa.gov.
October 17-21-- Passive House Western PA. North American Passive House Network 2018
Conference. David L. Lawrence Convention Center, Pittsburgh.
Visit DEP’s Public Participation Center for public participation opportunities. Click Here to sign
up for DEP News a biweekly newsletter from the Department.
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.
DEP Regulations In Process

Proposed Regulations Open For Comment - DEP webpage
Submit Comments on Proposals Through DEP’s eComment System
Proposed Regulations With Closed Comment Periods - DEP webpage
Recently Finalized Regulations - DEP webpage
DEP Regulatory Update - DEP webpage
August 2017 DEP Regulatory Agenda - PA Bulletin, Page 4922
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 (February 2018) - DEP webpage
Other DEP Proposals For Public Review

Other Proposals Open For Public Comment - DEP webpage
59
Recently Closed Comment Periods For Other Proposals - DEP webpage
Other Proposals Recently Finalized - DEP webpage
DEP Facebook Page DEP Twitter Feed DEP YouTube Channel
Click Here for links to DEP’s Advisory Committee webpages.
DEP Calendar of Events DCNR Calendar of Events
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.
February 26-- POWR Pennsylvania Sojourn Grants

February 26-- NRCS Conservation Innovation Grants
February 27-- West Penn Power Sustainable Energy Fund Clean Energy Projects RFP
February 27-- Governor’s Office Redevelopment Assistance Capital Grants
February 28-- Philadelphia Green City, Clean Waters Student Art Contest
February 28-- Schuylkill Action Network Student Street Art Contest
March 1-- National Recreation & Park Assn/Disney Meet Me At The Park Grants
March 1-- PA Historical & Museum Commission Keystone Historic Preservation Grants
March 2-- NRCS-PA Farm Conservation Stewardship Program Assistance
March 7-- PA Lake Management Society Photo Contest
March 9-- PennFuture Celebrating Women In Conservation Awards
March 9-- NOAA Chesapeake Bay Watershed Education Grants
March 15-- Northeast PA Audubon Society Hog Island Family Camp, Maine Scholarship
March 15-- EPA Environmental Education Grants
March 16-- TreeVitalize Pittsburgh Free Trees For Fall Planting
March 22-- CFA Solar Energy Program Grants/Loans
March 23-- PA American Water Stream Of Learning College Scholarships
March 30-- President’s Environmental Youth Award
March 30-- Game Commission Seedlings For Schools, Pre-K To 12
March 30-- PA Environmental Professionals Karl Mason, Walter Lyon Awards
March 30-- Delaware Highlands Conservancy College Scholarships
March 31-- DEP Municipal, Hazardous Waste Municipal Inspector Grants
April 1-- DEP Farm Conservation Plan Grant Chesapeake Bay Watershed
April 6-- Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program
60
April 7-- DEP Local Recycling Implementation Grants
April 11-- DCNR Community Conservation Partnership Grants
April 12-- NEW. NFWF Delaware River Restoration Fund Grants
April 13-- PA American Water Protect Our Watersheds Student Art Contest
April 15-- DCNR Environmental Careers Camp
April 27-- NEW. NRCS-PA Conservation Innovation Grants
April 30-- Northeast PA Audubon Society College Scholarship
May 15-- NEW. Manada Conservancy Short Story Writing Contest
May 18-- CFA Solar Energy Program Grants/Loans
May 23-- SBA Flood Assistance Clearfield, Washington, 8 Other Counties
June 30-- DEP Alternative Fuel Vehicle Rebates (first come, first serve)
July 20-- CFA Solar Energy Program Grants/Loans
December 31-- DEP County Act 101 Waste Planning, HHW, Education Grants
-- Visit the DEP Grant, Loan and Rebate Programs webpage for more ideas on how to get
financial assistance for environmental projects.
-- Visit the DCNR Apply for Grants webpage for a listing of financial assistance available from
DCNR.
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, Twitter Feed and add PaEnviroDigest Google+ to your Circle.
Politics
AP-Scolforo: Federal Judges To Hear Challenge To District Map From Congressmen
AP-Scolforo: PA Congressional Map Battle Lands In U.S. Supreme Court
Thompson: PA’s Republican Leaders Seek To Block New Congressional Map
Republicans Talk About Impeaching PA Supreme Court Justices, Do They Have A Case?
Thompson: Who’s Still Standing After PA’s Political Earthquake?
AP: New Congressional Map Spurs More Would-Be Candidates
Jeopardy! Alex Trebek To Moderate PA Gubernatorial Debate
Senate Committee Sets March 27 Hearing On Redistricting Reform Bills
Air
EPA Rejects Connecticut Petition On PA’s Brunner Island Power Plant
Federal Register Notice Rejecting Connecticut Petition To EPA On Brunner Island
PennEnvironment Urges Pittsburgh To Become More Electric Vehicle Friendly
Letter: Allegheny County Must Crack Down On Odor Emissions Violations
61
Alternative Fuels
Electric Vehicle Charging Stations Get Scant Use In Western PA
Report: Electric Cars Help Cities Address Infrastructure, Parking Challenges
Crawford/Venango Counties Get New Natural Gas Buses
Ted Cruz Calls For Ethanol Overhaul At Philly Refinery Rally
Ted Cruz Pits Refinery Workers Against Wall Street To Fix Broken Ethanol Mandate:
Phillips: Ted Cruz Blasts Renewable Fuel Standards At Philadelphia Refinery
Biodiversity/Invasive Species
Master Gardening: What’s Up With Plant Invaders?
Budget
Chesapeake Bay
Bay Journal: DiPasquale’s Legacy Is Leaving Chesapeake Better Than He Inherited
Click Here to subscribe to the free Chesapeake Bay Journal
Click Here to support the free Chesapeake Bay Journal
Citizen Action
Master Watershed Steward Volunteers Having Big Impact In Lehigh Valley
Climate
How Some Towns Are Working Together To Save The Planet, And Their Budgets
EDF’s Misleading Oil & Gas Methane Report Based On Outdated Study
Op-Ed: Federal Leadership Lacking On Reducing Oil & Gas Industry Emissions
Op-Ed: Let Market Forces Reduce Oil & Gas Industry Emissions
Methane Leak Continues A Week After An Explosion At Ohio Utica Shale Drilling Well Pad
Work Continues After XTO Energy Gas Well Fire In Ohio
Penn Law Students Urge Trump Not To Repeal Clean Power Plan
Coal Mining
FirstEnergy’s Bruce Mansfield, Beaver Valley Power Plants Likely Headed For Bankruptcy
Op-Ed: To Rebuild Our Infrastructure, Congress Should Speed Up Mining Permits
FERC Commissioner Warns Against PJM Plan Altering Fundamental Energy Market Mechanics
Delaware River
More Weigh In On Proposed Fracking Ban In Delaware Watershed
Feb. 23 Delaware RiverKeeper RiverWatch Video Report
Drinking Water
Peoples Natural Gas Sought $1 Billion+ Plus Agreement With Pittsburgh Water Authority
Why Troubled Pittsburgh Water Authority Could Mean Good Business For Peoples Gas
Turzai: Pittsburgh Water Authority Should Take Peoples Gas Offer To Partner
62
Pittsburgh Water Authority Can Share Concerns With PUC At 2 Meetings This Week
Krauss: Why Has Pittsburgh Had So Many Boil Water Advisories?
Springdale Accepts $5.5M Loan To Upgrade Water System
Education
Energy
FirstEnergy CEO: Generation Subsidiary Headed For Bankruptcy Protection
Deadline Set For Montour Power Plant To Comply With Water Permit Limits
Pittsburgh Plan To Address High Energy Bills Makes It To Innovation Competition Finals
PJM Board Sends Competing Capacity Market Reform To FERC
Nuclear Reactors Could Run For 80 Years Under Trump Plan
DOE Would Never Use Emergency Order For Uneconomic Power Plants
FERC Order Opens Floodgates For Energy Storage In Wholesale Markets
Public Citizen Says PJM Violated FPA With Political Contributions
Energy Conservation
Farming
Flooding
Flood Watch In Effect This Weekend For Most Of Midstate
Flooding In Pittsburgh Set To Worsen With Weekend Storms
Noon Friday NWS Middle Atlantic River Forecasting Center Flood Event Briefing: Click Here
to download
Landslide Reduces Traffic Lanes In Ross, McCandless
Flooding Causes Road Closings In Westmoreland, Fayette, Washington Counties
Susquehanna River On The Rise As Weekend Rainfall Approaches, Will It Flood?
Police Officer Rescued From Rising Water In Washington County, Flood Warning Issued In
Western PA
Crews Clear Major Roads, But Landslides Close 2 More In Pittsburgh Area
Pittsburghers Use Parkway East Bathtub Flooding For Epic Photo Op
Carr: Ohio River In Pittsburgh Still Under Flood Advisory, Region Recovers From Deluge
Yough River Towns Quite Wet As River Crests At Nearly 23 Feet
Editorial: Rising To Meet Rising Waters’ Challenges
Forests
63
Geology
Teen Boy Rescued From Lancaster County Cave
Crable: Cave Rescue In Lancaster County Was 5th Since 1993
Unstable Ground Forces Washington County Residents To Move
Johnstown Couple Loses Home In Mudslide, Not Covered By Insurance
AP: Landslide Prompts Evacuation Of 4 Homes In Pittsburgh
Landslide Closes Road In Mount Washington
Grants/Funding
Green Infrastructure
Going Green For The Harrisburg Region’s Waterways
Hazardous Sites Cleanup
Kummer: Would You Buy A Poisoned Superfund Site? He Just Did
Land Conservation
Littering/Illegal Dumping
Mine Reclamation
Oil & Gas
More Weigh In On Proposed Fracking Ban In Delaware Watershed
EDF’s Misleading Oil & Gas Methane Report Based On Outdated Study
McKees Rocks Fracking Sand Barge Facility Receives State Grant
Shell Donates $1 Million To Community College Of Beaver County Process Tech Program
Cracker Plants Boost Demand For Ethane
EQT To Split Natural Gas, Oil Production & Processing Into 2 Companies
Crawford/Venango Counties Get New Natural Gas Buses
Interior To Hold Largest Oil And Gas Lease Sale In U.S. History
Methane Leak Continues A Week After An Explosion At Ohio Utica Shale Drilling Well Pad
Work Continues After XTO Energy Gas Well Fire In Ohio
Philadelphia Refinery Looms Over The Lives, Health Of Its Neighbors
Reuters: Philly Refinery Goes Belly-Up After Big Payouts To Carlyle Group
Trump Calls Meeting On Biofuels After Refiner Bankruptcy
Op-Ed: Unburden Refiners From Job-Killing Regulation
Ted Cruz Calls For Ethanol Overhaul At Philly Refinery Rally
Ted Cruz Pits Refinery Workers Against Wall Street To Fix Broken Ethanol Mandate:
Phillips: Ted Cruz Blasts Renewable Fuel Standards At Philadelphia Refinery
Pipelines
64
Hurdle: Landowners Brace For Eminent Domain Loss For PennEast Pipeline
Bethlehem Twp Wants PennEast Pipeline Moved
Hurdle: FERC Order Effectively Denies Appeals Of PennEast Pipeline Approval
Hurdle: Mariner East II Pipeline Expected To Be In Service By End Of June
Commonwealth Court Sinks Delaware RiverKeeper’s Bid To Stop Mariner East II Pipeline
Court: Hurdle: Mariner East II Public Utility Status Trumps Local Regulation
Maykuth: Commonwealth Court Rejects Zoning Challenge To Mariner East II Pipeline
Hurdle: Chester County Twp Adds To Local Challenges To Mariner East II Pipeline
Mariner East II Pipeline Resumes Construction In Lebanon County
StateImpact PA: Quick Turnaround Or Dig Deeper On Texts Related To Mariner East II Pipeline
Crable: Atlantic Sunrise Pipeline Activist Guilty Of Trespass, Sang Christmas Carols
Hopey: DEP Extends Public Comment Period On Shell Ethane Pipeline
Shell Donates $1 Million To Community College Of Beaver County Process Tech Program
Letter: Laurel Pipeline Reversal Good For PA Consumers
Radiation Protection
Parks Township Nuclear Dump Cleanup Delayed Again
Editorial: Parks Twp Nuclear Waste Site Safe With Years Of Cleanup To Go?
Recreation
Recycling/Waste
Sustainability
Sustainability Specialist Leads Host Of Efforts At Eurofins Lancaster Labs
Wastewater Facilities
Lower Burrell Work Will Upgrade Sewers In The City
West Deer Hires Firm To Line Aging Storm Sewers
Watershed Protection
Master Watershed Steward Volunteers Having Big Impact In Lehigh Valley
65
At Philadelphia Flower Show, Water Is The Name Of The Game March 3-11
Feb. 23 Delaware RiverKeeper RiverWatch Video Report
Bay Journal: DiPasquale’s Legacy Is Leaving Chesapeake Better Than He Inherited
Click Here to subscribe to the Chesapeake Bay Journal
Wildlife
Schneck: Peregrine Falcons Competing For Prime Nest Site In Harrisburg
Schneck: Pennsylvanians Reported 2,233 Times In Continuing Great Backyard Bird Count
Schneck: 200,000 Snow Geese Settle At Middle Creek, Smashing Record
Schneck: 15 Things You May Not Know About Middle Creek Snow Geese
360-Degree Video: Watch Thousands Of Snow Geese At Middle Creek
Schneck: Black Panthers In PA? Reports Continue To Surface
AP: Hunters Split On Use Of Semi-Automatic Rifles
Hayes: Chronic Wasting Disease Growing Among Deer, Elk In PA
Crable: What The Discovery Of Chronic Wasting Disease Means For Lancaster County
USDA To Cull 150 Saw Creek Deer
Nolan: Despite Sightings, Feds Declare Eastern Cougar Extinct In PA
Schneck: Coyote Of 53 Pounds Tops PA’s Biggest Hunt Weekend
Gifts Made To Delaware Highlands Conservancy For Environment, Animal Care
Schneck: Game Commission Target Of Audit By Auditor General
Hayes: Auditor General Announces Audit Of Game Commission
AP: Auditor General Taking Closer Look At Game Commission
Auditor General Targets Game Commission For Mismanagement, Hunting Drop
Auditor General Will Review Game Commission
Other
Master Gardening: What’s Up With Plant Invaders?
Wildfires
Californians Can Go Home But Told To Keep An Eye On Wildfire
Hurricanes
Wolf Administration Helps 2,000 Hurricane Evacuees, Families In PA
Fixing A Forest For Puerto Rico’s Recovery
Op-Ed: Puerto Rico Recovery: Sink The Jones Act
Federal Policy
EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt: Bible Says Harvest The Natural Resources
66
EPA Rejects Connecticut Petition On PA’s Brunner Island Power Plant
Federal Register Notice Rejecting Connecticut Petition To EPA On Brunner Island
PJM Board Sends Competing Capacity Market Reform To FERC
FERC Order Opens Floodgates For Energy Storage In Wholesale Markets
Op-Ed: Unburden Refiners From Job-Killing Regulation
Interior To Hold Largest Oil And Gas Lease Sale In U.S. History
Click Here For This Week's Allegheny Front Radio Program
Regulations, Technical Guidance & Permits
The Environmental Quality Board published notice in the February 24 PA Bulletin of the
opportunity to comment on proposed changes to regulations in Chapter 245 dealing with the
Storage Tank and Spill Prevention Program. (PA Bulletin page 1101) Click Here for more.
The Environmental Quality Board Tuesday adopted final regulations making changes to
Chapters 210 and 211 relating to the handling and use of explosives. Click Here for more
information.
Pennsylvania Bulletin - February 24, 2018
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.
DEP Regulations In Process

Proposed Regulations Open For Comment - DEP webpage
67
Proposed Regulations With Closed Comment Periods - DEP webpage
Recently Finalized Regulations - DEP webpage
DEP Regulatory Update - DEP webpage
August 2017 DEP Regulatory Agenda - PA Bulletin, Page 4922
Technical Guidance & Permits
Note: The Department of Environmental Protection published 47 pages of public notices related
to proposed and final permit and approval/ disapproval actions in the February 24 PA Bulletin -
pages 1187 to 1234.
The Department of Environmental Protection published notice in the February 24 PA Bulletin

announced revised instructions and form are available for Chapter 105 Water Obstruction and
Encroachment General Permit Registrations for State Programmatic General Permit-5. Click
Here for more.
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 (February 2018) - DEP webpage
Other DEP Proposals For Public Review

Other Proposals Open For Public Comment - DEP webpage
Recently Closed Comment Periods For Other Proposals - DEP webpage
Other Proposals Recently Finalized - DEP webpage
Visit DEP’s Public Participation Center for public participation opportunities. Click Here to sign
up for DEP News a biweekly newsletter from the Department.
DEP Facebook Page DEP Twitter Feed DEP YouTube Channel
Click Here for links to DEP’s Advisory Committee webpages.
DEP Calendar of Events DCNR Calendar of Events
CLICK HERE To View Or Print Entire PA Environment Digest
CLICK HERE to Print The Entire PA Environment Digest. This Digest is 70 pages long.
68
Stories Invited
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programs for publication in the PA Environment Digest to: PaEnviroDigest@gmail.com.
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Issue #713 ​Crisci Associates​, Harrisburg, PA Feb.

PA Environment Digest Blog​ ​Twitter Feed​ ​PaEnviroDigest Google+

DCNR Secretary Cindy Adams Dunn Thursday told the House

Below is the budget testimony submitted by

Next Week’s Budget Hearings: DEP, Agriculture, DCNR

PA Resources Council Honors 18 Western PA Organizations With Zero Waste Awards

The ​PA Resources Council​ Thursday presented its

Bay Journal: PA's Environmental Rights Amendment Grows Some Teeth

By Donna Morelli, ​Chesapeake Bay Journal

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

Committee Meeting Agendas This Week

House:​ ​Budget Hearings:​ Department of Environmental Protection; Department of Agriculture.

Senate:​ ​Budget Hearings:​ Department of Transportation; Department of Agriculture;

Bills Pending In Key Committees

The following bills of interest were introduced last week--

Water/Wastewater Bill Assistance:​ ​House Bill 2099​ (Davis-D-Allegheny) establishing a

News From Around The State

DEP Releases Information On Maintaining Streams To Assist Flood Recovery Efforts

The Department of Environmental Protection Friday

NFWF Delaware River Restoration Fund Grant Applications Due April 12

The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation ​Delaware River

NRCS-PA Seeks Proposals For Farm Conservation Innovation Grants

USDA's ​Natural Resources Conservation

By Will Parson, ​Chesapeake Bay Program Blog

Harvest season last fall was almost two months of

The ​Slippery Rock Watershed Coalition​ in Butler County is

The ​February edition of the Catalyst​ newsletter is

By David Kubarek, ​Penn State News

DEP Opportunity To Bid On Mine Reclamation, Gas Well Plugging Projects

The Department of Environmental Protection published notices in the February 24 PA Bulletin

The ​Stroud Water Research Center​ and the

The Department of Environmental Protection will

The Department of Environmental Thursday

Wildlands Conservancy Highlights March Education Programs, Hiring Naturalists,

The Lehigh Valley-based ​Wildlands Conservancy

Stroud Water Research Center Announces Bernard W. Sweeney, Ph.D. Executive

The Chester County-based ​Stroud Water Research

Philadelphia Water Summit March 7, Part Of Philadelphia Flower Show

Join the ​PA Horticultural Society​ and ​The William Penn

Registration Now Open For PA Groundwater Symposium May 8 In State College

In celebration of ​National Drinking Water Week​,

PA Section American Water Works Assn Annual Conference May 8-10

The February 27 ​Water Insights Seminar​ will feature a presentation by ​Mike

Green Sisters To Talk On Faith, The Environment March 8 In Pittsburgh

EQB Invites Comments On Proposed Changes To Storage Tank Regulations

Lancaster County Solid Waste Authority CEO Jim Warner To Retire

BioHiTech Supports Keep PA Beautiful's 2018 Great American Cleanup Of PA

Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful​ Thursday

DEP To Hold March 26 Meeting/Hearing On TCE Contamination Site In Lycoming

Department of Environmental Protection Secretary Patrick McDonnell Thursday officially

Tucked in among farm fields and wooded areas in

DCNR Initiative To Replace, Renovate Fire Towers Across The State

Department of Conservation and Natural Resources

Learn About Backyard Forestry At Free Seminar In Dauphin County March 17

The ​Dauphin County Woodland Owners Association​ will

Recognizing The Conservation Work Of Black CCC Companies In PA

From 1933 to 1942, hundreds of thousands of

Video: Pennsylvania’s Parks And Forests Are For Everyone!

Pennsylvania's parks and forests offer a myriad of

February 21 Resource Newsletter Now Available From DCNR

The ​February 21 Resource​ newsletter is now

The ​Manada Conservancy​ in Dauphin County is now

Auditor General DePasquale To Audit Game Commission

Auditor General Eugene DePasquale​ Tuesday announced the start of a

Issue #713 Crisci Associates, Harrisburg, PA Feb.

PA Environment Digest Blog Twitter Feed PaEnviroDigest Google+

The PA Resources Council Thursday presented its

By Donna Morelli, Chesapeake Bay Journal

House: Budget Hearings: Department of Environmental Protection; Department of Agriculture.

Senate: Budget Hearings: Department of Transportation; Department of Agriculture;

Water/Wastewater Bill Assistance: House Bill 2099 (Davis-D-Allegheny) establishing a

The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation Delaware River

USDA's Natural Resources Conservation

By Will Parson, Chesapeake Bay Program Blog

The Slippery Rock Watershed Coalition in Butler County is

The February edition of the Catalyst newsletter is

By David Kubarek, Penn State News

The Stroud Water Research Center and the

The Lehigh Valley-based Wildlands Conservancy

The Chester County-based Stroud Water Research

Join the PA Horticultural Society and The William Penn

In celebration of National Drinking Water Week,

The February 27 Water Insights Seminar will feature a presentation by Mike

Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful Thursday

The Dauphin County Woodland Owners Association will

The February 21 Resource newsletter is now

The Manada Conservancy in Dauphin County is now

Auditor General Eugene DePasquale Tuesday announced the start of a

The PA Association of Conservation Districts is seeking qualified candidates to fill a

The Lehigh Valley-based Wildlands Conservancy is seeking qualified

February 26-- Senate Appropriations Committee budget hearings: 3:00- Department of

February 26-- House Appropriations Committee budget hearings: 10:00- Department of

February 28-- Senate Appropriations Committee budget hearings: 1:00- Department of

March 1-- Senate Appropriations Committee budget hearings: 3:00- Department of

April 22-- NEW. Earth Day. What Are You Doing?

June 20-21-- 20th Anniversary PA Abandoned Mine Reclamation Conference. Ramada

DEP Facebook Page DEP Twitter Feed DEP YouTube Channel

Click Here for links to DEP’s Advisory Committee webpages.

DEP Calendar of Events DCNR Calendar of Events

Senate Committee Schedule House Committee Schedule

PA Environment Digest Blog Twitter Feed PaEnviroDigest Google+

February 26-- POWR Pennsylvania Sojourn Grants

PA Environment Digest Blog Twitter Feed PaEnviroDigest Google+

The Department of Environmental Protection published notice in the February 24 PA Bulletin

DEP Facebook Page DEP Twitter Feed DEP YouTube Channel

Click Here for links to DEP’s Advisory Committee webpages.

DEP Calendar of Events DCNR Calendar of Events

PA Environment Digest Blog Twitter Feed PaEnviroDigest Google+

PA Environment Digest is edited by David E. Hess, former Secretary Pennsylvania Department

PA Environment Digest weekly was the winner of the PA Association of Environmental

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