Pa Environment Digest March 12, 2018

Issue #715 Crisci Associates, Harrisburg, PA March 12, 2018
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PUC Orders Shutdown Of Mariner East 1 Pipeline After Sinkholes Expose Bare Pipeline
In Chester County
The Public Utility Commission late Wednesday issued an

Emergency Order regarding Sunoco Pipeline L.P., also
known as Energy Transfer Partners, to suspend operations
of the Mariner East 1 Pipeline and require additional
testing and analysis on that line, in response to safety
concerns regarding the integrity of that pipeline.
According to a Petition for an Ex Parte Emergency Order
filed by the PUC’s independent Bureau of Investigation
and Enforcement, engineers from the PUC’s Pipeline
Safety Division investigated reports of the formation of
sinkholes near the ME1, located along Lisa Drive in West
Whiteland Township, Chester County.
ME1 is an eight-inch diameter Natural Gas Liquids (NGL) pipeline, used to transport
liquid propane, butane and ethane. A total of three sinkholes have been discovered near, or in the
path of, ME1.
The sinkholes are also near the area where construction, including Horizontal Directional
Drilling (HDD), is underway for a new pipeline, known as Mariner East 2.
The Emergency Order requires the following:
-- Within 24 hours of the entry of this Order, Sunoco shall run at least one in line inspection tool
through the Mariner East 1 Pipeline, inspecting the pipeline from a point at least 1 mile upstream
from the Lisa Drive location to a point at least 1 mile downstream from Lisa Drive.
-- Within 12 hours of completing the inspection tool run Sunoco will suspend hazardous liquids
transportation service on its Mariner East 1 pipeline for a period of time, presently estimated by
BIE and Sunoco to be of 10-14 days duration (the “Study Period”), in order for Sunoco to
perform the following:
-- Conduct geophysical testing and analyses (including at least the following: resistivity,
seismic and gravity) in the HDD area described in the BIE Petition; and
-- Share all findings of the inspection tool run and geophysical testing with BIE/Pipeline
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Safety staff; and,
-- Meet and discuss the findings with BIE/Pipeline Safety staff, such discussions shall
include, but not be limited to Sunoco’s addition of strain gauges to Mariner East 1 in the study
area.
-- During the Study Period, Sunoco shall maintain sufficient minimum pressure in Mariner
East 1 to avoid gasification of NGLs. However, the NGLs shall not be flowing during such
period.
-- Sunoco will not reinstate hazardous liquids transportation service on Mariner East 1 until the
earlier of the following:
-- Completion of the inspections and testing specified in the Commission’s Order, with any
corrective actions taken, or planned to be taken, to the satisfaction of BIE/Pipeline Safety
coupled with BIE/Pipeline Safety’s concurrence with reinstatement of transportation service on
Mariner East 1, subject to Commission review and approval.
-- If BIE/Pipeline Safety does not concur with Sunoco’s request to resume service on ME1,
Sunoco may file an Answer to the BIE Petition within 3 business days following notice of BIE’s
noncurrence.
-- The Petition and Answer will be assigned for expedited hearing(s) before the Office of
Administrative Law Judge;
-- Sunoco may not resume hazardous liquids transportation service on Mariner East 1 without
prior Commission approval.
Click Here for a copy of the Emergency Order. Click Here for a copy of the request for
an emergency order.
Reaction
“It appears that Sunoco was so rash in trying to rush through a second pipeline (Mariner
East II) that now operations have been halted on its original pipeline (Mariner East I),” said Sen.
Andy Dinniman (D-Chester). “Basically, they have two pipelines and right now that can’t use
either of them.”
“It’s a crying shame that a thorough geologic assessment related to the risk of putting
another pipeline in this area was not completed in the first place. Obviously, it should have
been,” said Sen. Dinniman. “Chairwoman Brown clearly wrote that without a clear analysis of
the geology in this area, which is along a fault line, we could be at risk of a catastrophic event.
We thank Chairwoman Brown and the PUC for doing this review and ordering the suspension.
“At the end of the day, after all we’ve been through on this project, how can anyone trust
Sunoco? I will continue to work with the citizens to remain vigilant. We certainly are prepared to
review, scrutinize, and question anything Sunoco says related to the required tests and analysis of
the site,” he added.
For more information on the pipeline safety program, visit the PUC’s Pipeline Safety
webpage.
NewsClips:
Maykuth: PUC Orders Shutdown Of Mariner East 1 Pipeline After Sinkholes Expose Bare
Pipeline Near Exton
Hurdle: PUC Shuts Down Mariner East 1 Pipeline Citing Public Safety Concerns Raised By
Sinkholes
AP: PA Shuts Down Mariner East 1 Pipeline Over Sinkhole
Hurdle: Sinkholes, Sunoco’s Pipeline Inspection Stir Safety Fears In Chester County
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Hurdle: Sinkholes In Chester County Prompt PUC To Ask For Mariner East 1 Pipeline
Shutdown
Sinkholes Prompt PUC To Move To Stop Gas Flow On Sunoco Pipeline
West Whiteland Twp Chester County Battles Sinkholes Related To Mariner East 2 Pipeline
Construction
Chester County Residents Blame Sinkholes On Mariner East 2 Pipeline
DEP Schedules Hearings For Shell’s Falcon Pipeline In Early April
Frazier: DEP Announces Public Hearings For Shell Ethane Pipeline
Related Stories:
Sinkholes In Chester County Blamed On Mariner East 2 Pipeline, Exposed Portion Of Operating
Mariner East 1 Pipeline
DEP Sets 3 Public Hearings On Proposed Shell Ethane Pipeline In Allegheny, Beaver,
Washington Counties
DEP Invites Comments On Proposed Water Quality Certification For Natural Gas Pipelines
Under I-79 In Allegheny County
[Posted: March 7, 2018]
Sinkholes In Chester County Blamed On Mariner East 2 Pipeline, Exposed Portion Of

Operating Mariner East 1 Pipeline
Sen. Andy Dinniman (D-Chester) Monday said officials and inspectors from the federal Pipeline
and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration visited Lisa Drive in West Whiteland Township,
Chester County where three sinkholes have opened up on a residential block apparently due to
construction of Sunoco’s Mariner East II Pipeline.
As a result of the development of the two latest sinkholes over the weekend, residents
have been evacuated and Sunoco apparently has attempted to treat the problem by filling them.
Sen. Dinniman said federal officials from PHMSA are now involved because the
sinkholes apparently exposed a portion of the Mariner East I pipeline, which carries highly
volatile natural gas liquids, including mainly ethane and propane.
“Officials from PHMSA, the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection and
the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission were on site to inspect the situation and determine a
course of action,” said Sen. Dinniman. “They are taking the situation very seriously and
considering their options.”
This latest development comes just one day after Dinniman organized a community
meeting in West Whiteland Township where he was joined by nearly 200 residents concerned
about the pipeline project’s impacts and potential threats to their safety, as well as property and
environmental rights.
At that meeting community groups announced that they are closing in on the remaining
funds needed to obtain an independent risk assessment of the project and officials from several
nearby municipalities pledged their support.
Sen. Dinniman, who serves on the Senate Environmental Resources and Energy
Committee, has also reemphasized concerns that the region’s underlying karst geologic
formation could make continued drilling risky.
So far, construction of the problematic Mariner II East pipeline has resulted in the
contamination of almost two-dozen wells, damage to aquifers, and the development of multiple
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sinkholes that threaten private homes. Two of the sinkholes are within close proximity of
Amtrak’s Keystone Line.
“We expect a decision in the next 24 to 48 hours from state and federal officials,” Sen.
Dinniman said. “That could include a suspension on drilling Mariner East II and/or a temporary
halt on the transmission of natural gas liquids in Mariner East I.”
Sen. Dinniman also said that he understands that Sunoco did not follow proper
notification protocols when the additional sinkholes appeared and exposed the Mariner East I
pipeline. He said Sunoco had an obligation to notify PHMSA and the PUC as well, but only
notified DEP.
“The Mariner East II project has been riddled with problems from the beginning. I’d call
it a ‘comedy of errors,’ but there’s nothing funny about it. In fact, it is deadly serious – the very
health, safety, and well-being of our communities are at stake,” Sen. Dinniman said. “We hope
that federal involvement will bring real oversight, thorough inspection, and much-needed
scrutiny to this project because time and time again, DEP and the current administration at the
state-level have shown that they are simply not up to the job.”
For information on DEP’s actions related to this pipeline, visit DEP’s Mariner East II
Pipeline webpage.
NewsClips:
Pipeline Near Exton
Sinkholes
Shutdown
Construction
Related Stories:
PUC Orders Shutdown Of Mariner East 1 Pipeline After Sinkholes Expose Bare Pipeline In
Chester County
Washington Counties
Washington Counties
The Department of Environmental Protection will hold three public hearings on the proposed
Shell Ethane Pipeline in Allegheny, Beaver and Washington counties.
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The project involves a total of 59.6 miles of 12 inch pipeline-- 11.6 miles in Allegheny
County, 30 miles in Beaver County and 18 miles in Washington County.
The complete ethane pipeline will connect the Shell ethane plant in Beaver County with
facilities in other parts of Pennsylvania and Ohio.
The hearings will be held from 6:30 to 8:30 on--
-- April 3: Central Valley High School Auditorium 160 Baker Road Extension, Monaca, Beaver
County;
-- April 4: Burgettstown Area School District Campus, LGI Room, 104 Bavington Road,
Burgettstown, Washington County; and
-- April 5: Quaker Valley Middle School Auditorium, 618 Harbaugh Street Sewickley,
Allegheny County.
Those who wish to present testimony during a scheduled hearing are asked to register in
advance by contacting the regional office. Registration for the hearing will be taken through to
the business day prior to the hearing.
If time permits at the hearing, those who did not register in advance will be given the
opportunity to testify.
To register contact Lauren Fraley, Southwest Regional Office, 412-442-4203 or send
email to: lfraley@pa.gov.
The Department will accept written comments on the Chapter 105 Water Obstruction and
Encroachment and Chapter 102 Erosion and Sediment Control permit applications through April
17, 2018. Comments on the applications can be e-mailed or sent via postal mail to the
Department of Environmental Protection, Southwest Regional Office, Waterways and Wetlands
Program, 400 Waterfront Drive, Pittsburgh, PA 15222 or by email to:
RA-EPWW-SWRO@pa.gov.
For more details, read the March 10 PA Bulletin notice on page 1476.
NewsClips:
Pipeline Near Exton
Sinkholes
Shutdown
Construction
Related Stories:
Chester County
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DEP Invites Comments On Proposed Water Quality Certification For Natural Gas
Pipelines Under I-79 In Allegheny County
The Department of Environmental Protection is inviting comments on the proposed Section 401
Water Quality Certification for an Equitrans natural gas pipeline project under I-79 in South
Fayette Township Allegheny County. (March 10 PA Bulletin page 1474)
The proposed project would involve construction and placement of 20-inch and 16-inch
pipelines under I-79.
Comments are due on the proposed certification by April 9.
NewsClips:
Pipeline Near Exton
Sinkholes
Shutdown
Construction
Related Stories:
Chester County
Washington Counties
2018 Appalachian Trail Hall Of Fame Inductees Announced
The eighth class of Appalachian Trail Hall of Fame

honorees recognized by the Appalachian Trail
Museum Society will be inducted on May 4 during
the annual Appalachian Trail Hall of Fame Banquet
at the Allenberry Resort in Boiling Springs,
Cumberland County.
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The 2018 Appalachian Trail Hall of Fame class honorees are William Kemsley, Jr. of
Taos, New Mexico; the late Elizabeth Levers of New York, New York; the late George Masa,
of Asheville, North Carolina; and Robert Peoples, of Hampton, Tennessee.
Bill Kemsley
There was no one publication that spoke to the needs of backpackers until Bill Kemsley
started Backpacker Magazine in 1973. At Backpacker, he published numerous articles and
editorials on the Appalachian Trail.
He lobbied, held meetings and testified before various hearings in Washington to pass
HR 8803 in 1978, providing $90 million for land acquisitions to permanently preserve the
Appalachian Trail.
He later co-founded the American Hiking Society. As the national voice for America’s
hikers, the American Hiking Society promotes and protects foot trails, their surrounding natural
areas, and the hiking experience.
Among Kemsley's publications are The Backpacker & Hikers Handbook, The Whole
Hikers Handbook, and Backpacking Equipment.
Over several decades, Bill has provided leadership, inspiration, service and achievement
to both the Appalachian Trail and the hiking community.
Elizabeth Levers
Elizabeth Levers was known as the "Mother of the Appalachian Trail" in New York
State. She was known for her key activity in the early land acquisition planning for the
Appalachian Trail in New York as well as setting the standard for Appalachian Trail
management for that region.
Liz was a no-nonsense woman who devoted her energies seven days a week to the
Appalachian Trail after her retirement from an administrative post at Columbia University.
Lever's disgust over the trashed conditions of Harriman Park shelters inspired the
creation of Litter Day in 1965.
Among her many trail-related roles, Liz served as President of the New York - New
Jersey Trail Conference, and director of the Appalachian Trail Conference (now Conservancy).
George Masa
George Masa was a photographer in Asheville, NC early in the 20th century, and his
nature scenes were instrumental in garnering support for the creation of the Great Smoky
Mountains National Park.
Masa was an immigrant from Japan who arrived in the U.S. in 1914. He also laid out
much of the route for the Appalachian Trail on the land that was eventually incorporated into the
park.
He was a founder and early leader of the Carolina Mountain Club and famously
responsible for the club's motto, "More walk, less talk."
Masa's photographs of Mount Oglethorpe contributed to its selection as the initial
southern terminus of the Appalachian Trail.
While Masa did not live to see the creation of the park and the completion of the
Appalachian Trail, he is remembered in the naming of Masa Knob, near Charlie's Bunion. He
worked tirelessly with his colleagues Horace Kephart and Paul Fink to preserve and protect the
lands and trails of the Smokies.
Bob Peoples
After retiring from the U.S. Air Force in 1988, Bob Peoples decided to devote his life to
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hiking trails. He initially helped to maintain the Long Trail in Vermont, a portion of which is
also the Appalachian Trail.
Then, in 1994, Bob and his late wife Pat purchased a cabin adjacent to the Appalachian
Trail near Hampton, TN and founded the legendary Kincora Hostel. Thousands of Appalachian
Trail section and thru-hikers have received Bob’s gracious hospitality there.
Each year, immediately after the Trail Days festival in Damascus, VA, Bob leads the
Hard Core crew, comprised of the current year’s class of thru-hikers. For a couple of weeks,
Bob and his crew take on the most difficult and challenging trail maintenance tasks on the
Appalachian Trail, before they resume their adventure on the trail.
Bob is perhaps the Appalachian Trail’s greatest living ambassador, inspiring young
people who have experienced the Trail to give back afterwards.
Previous Inductees
Seven classes have previously been elected to the Appalachian Trail Hall of Fame. The
Charter Class, elected in 2011, comprised Myron Avery, Gene Espy, Ed Garvey, Benton
MacKaye, Arthur Perkins and Earl Shaffer.
Members of the 2012 class were Emma Gatewood, David A. Richie, J. Frank Schairer,
Jean Stephenson and William Adams Welch.
The 2013 Class was Ruth Blackburn, David Field, David Sherman, David Startzell and
Everett Stone.
The 2014 Class was A. Rufus Morgan, Charles R. Rinaldi, Clarence S. Stein and Pamela
Underhill.
The 2015 Class was Nestell K. Anderson, Margaret C. Drummond, Stanley A. Murray
and Raymond H. Torrey.
In 2016, Maurice J. Forrester, Jr., Horace Kephart, Larry Luxenberg and Henry Arch
Nichols were inducted.
The 2017 Class was Harlean James, Charles Parry, Mildred Norman Ryder and Matilda
Wood.
Hall Of Fame Banquet
Jim Foster, chair of the Appalachian Trail Hall of Fame selection committee, said a 6:00
p.m. reception will precede the dinner, which begins at 7:00 p.m. The cost of the reception and
dinner is $40 for museum members and $50 for others.
Click Here for complete information on the Hall of Fame Banquet. Tickets may be
purchased either online, or directly from the Appalachian Trail Museum by sending a check to:
Appalachian Trail Museum, 1120 Pine Grove Road, Gardners, PA 17324 (Adams County).
Questions about the Appalachian Trail Hall of Fame Banquet may be sent to
atmbanquet@gmail.com.
The Hall of Fame Banquet will be the kickoff of the Museum’s Hall of Fame Weekend.
Questions about the Appalachian Trail Hall of Fame Banquet may be sent to
atmbanquet@gmail.com. Click Here for lodging options during the Hall of Fame Weekend.
(Photo: Bill Kemsley, Elizabeth Levers, George Masa, Bob Peoples.)
NewsClips:
Schneck: Appalachian Trail Museum Announces 2018 Inductees To Hall Of Fame
Sen. Yudichak To Make Good On Pledge To Walk All 165 Miles Of D&L Trail
Schuylkill River Trail Receives $12M In Federal Funding For Completion
Schuylkill River Tail Gets $12M Grant For New Section
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Schuylkill River Greenways Unveils Pedestrian Bridge Project In Berks County
Study Funded For New ATV Trail In Armstrong County
Philly: Too Soon To Say If Soda Tax Shortfall Will Hit Parks & Rec Makeover
Kummer: Wissahickon Park Trees, Trails Took Big Storm Hit, More On The Way
(Reprinted from the Appalachian Trail Museum website.)

Vote Now! Pittsburgh Landforce Restores Land, Builds Skills, Gets People Off Public
Assistance
You can make a real difference in people’s lives and

the environment. Vote Now! for Pittsburgh-based
non-profit Landforce that helps organizations restore
and maintain land and green assets by providing
professionally skilled people who can assist in those
projects.
Landforce is one of four groups out of 94
applications selected to compete in the Google Impact
Challenge Pittsburgh for $50,000. The deadline for
voting is March 14.
Crews from Landforce have built and maintained trails, restored habitats, stabilized
vacant land, protected green infrastructure and improved the health of waterways.
Profile: Terrence Montgomery
At 6’2” and 283 pounds, when Terrence Montgomery
walks into a room, it comes as no surprise that he once played
defensive tackle for the University of Oregon. What may come
as a surprise is how soft-spoken, earnest and kind he is.
When thinking back to the time right after he was
kicked off the team in 2010, Terrence doesn’t blame what
happened next in his life on “bad luck.” Rather, he owns the
“string of very bad decisions” that led to his incarceration,
protracted homelessness, and ultimate return to Pittsburgh.
Along the way he found resolve in his reignited faith to
overcome “myself, my past, a criminal record, laziness, lack of
motivation, unemployment, other people’s perception of me, my faith, and my skin color.”
Simultaneously he has also worked hard to overcome his perception of “other people,
their faith, and skin color.”
Terrance came to Landforce by way of the A. Philip Randolph Institute, and is now
working full-time with the Allegheny County road crew.
He credits his time working with Landforce with helping him learn what to expect in the
workplace, preparing him for the intensity of teamwork, and instructing him on managing
potential conflicts with his colleagues.
“Knowing that all people have their own history, backgrounds, and journeys, I am able
to deal with conflict better and manage difficult situations with people at work,” Terrance
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believes, “Landforce revitalized me and brought out my work ethic, discipline, integrity, and
focus and made it all second nature.”
Even more than enabling Terrance to start his job from a position of strength and
understanding, he credits Landforce with a pride in the work he does that goes beyond his
paycheck.
“Landforce taught and instilled in me the ability to look past myself, that while I get paid,
it’s not just about a paycheck, it’s about the impact that I can make daily in the life of my
coworkers or those out in the community. There is no feeling like someone you don’t know
coming to you and thanking you for doing your job because it makes where they live look better,
or it makes their lives a little easier. I’ll never ever take that for granted! I owe that to
Landforce!”
Terrence is just one of the lives changed by Landforce.
Click Here to vote for Landforce. Click Here to learn more about the program and
contact them about a project you think they could help with.
PA Chesapeake Bay Watershed Planning Committee Meets March 16 To Hear Draft

Pollution Reduction Targets, Ways To Achieve Reductions
The PA Chesapeake Bay Watershed Planning Steering

Committee is scheduled to meet March 16 to continue its
effort to develop Pennsylvania’s Phase 3 Watershed Plan for
meeting Chesapeake Bay cleanup obligations.
On the agenda is a presentation on the draft pollution
reduction planning targets approved by the Bay Partnership,
preliminary results from the workgroups on potential
reductions that can be achieved from various program
initiatives and the beginnings of the Committee’s outreach
and Communications Plan.
The Steering Committee meeting will be held in Room 105 of the Rachel Carson
Building in Harrisburg from 9:00 to Noon. Click Here to register to attend the meeting by
webinar. Participants will also need to call in 1-650-479-3208, PASSCODE 649 688 673 to hear
the audio of the webinar.
Future meetings are scheduled for May 17, July 10, September 10, October 24 and
December 17.
For more information, visit DEP’s PA Chesapeake Bay Watershed Planning Steering
Committee webpage.
NewsClips:
Bay Journal: Congress Faces Deadline For Chesapeake Bay Funding, EPA Authority Decisions
WITF Smart Talk: Invasive Insects Invade PA/Chesapeake Bay Update
Crable: 100,000 Gallon Manure Spill Causes Fish Kill In Lancaster County
Crable: 2nd Manure Spill, 2,000 Gallons, Kills Fish In Lancaster County
5 Remarkable Women With Ties To The Chesapeake Bay Region
Latest From The Chesapeake Bay Journal
Click Here to subscribe to the free Chesapeake Bay Journal
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Click Here to support the Chesapeake Bay Journal
Follow Chesapeake Bay Journal On Twitter
Like Chesapeake Bay Journal On Facebook
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
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: the Transportation Committee meets to consider House Bill 1446 (Quinn-R-Bucks)
encouraging infrastructure for electric and natural gas fueled vehicles (sponsor summary); the
Commerce Committee meets to consider House Bill 1284 (Peifer-R- Pike) directs DCED to
develop a one-stop-shop online permitting portal for business (sponsor summary); the Veterans
Affairs and Emergency Preparedness Committee meets to consider House Bill 1412
(Barrar-R-Delaware) proposing a regulatory framework to encourage energy storage and
microgrids to improve electric grid resiliency during disaster emergencies and other
circumstances (sponsor summary); the State Government Committee meets to consider House
Bill 1959 (Rothman-R-Cumberland) establishes the Pennsylvania Permit Act which requires
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agencies to create and develop a navigable online permit tracking system and takes authority to
issue certain permits away from state agencies like DEP and gives it to third-party reviewers,
House Bill 209 (Phillips-Hill-R-York) establishes the Independent Office of the Repealer to
undertake an ongoing review of existing regulations; receive and process recommendations; and
make recommendations to the General Assembly, the governor, and executive agencies for
repeal, House Bill 1792 (Benninghoff-R-Mifflin) Gives the General Assembly the ability to
initiate the repeal of any state regulation in effect by a concurrent resolution modeled after a
federal procedure used successfully by the Trump Administration to repeal regulations (sponsor
summary). <> Click Here for full House Committee Schedule.
Senate: <> Click Here for full Senate Committee Schedule.
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--
Native Vegetation: House Bill 2131 (Quigley-R-Montgomery) encouraging PennDOT to plan

native vegetation along Pennsylvania’s highways (sponsor summary).
Transition To 100% Renewable Energy: House Bill 2132 (Rabb-D-Philadelphia) providing

for a transition to 100 percent renewable energy by 2050 (sponsor summary).
Session Schedule
Here is the latest voting session schedule for the Senate and House--
Senate
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
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
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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.
The Feds
Op-Ed: Tap Federal AML Fund For Coal Country Land, Water Restoration, There Is No
Excuse
By Robert Hughes, Eastern PA Coalition For Abandoned Mine Reclamation
Pennsylvania Congressmen have the opportunity to bring

significant help to struggling coal communities by making
the passage of the RECLAIM Act a top priority.
The Revitalizing the Economy of Coal Communities
by Leveraging Local Activities and Investing More Act
would pump $300 million over five years into Pennsylvania
coal communities to restore the land and water and create
economic development opportunities.
This money sits in the Abandoned Mine Land Fund
that gets its revenue from fees paid by active coal mining.
The bill has the backing of Republicans and Democrats and was approved by the U.S.
House Natural Resources Committee last summer.
In February, U.S. Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke visited Washington County to announce
the availability of land reclamation grants to restore abandoned mine sites and clean up polluted
water. Pennsylvania will receive more than $55.6 million.
While that is welcome news for coal communities, it will not be enough to restore more
than 5,500 miles of polluted streams and 180,000 acres of abandoned mine land that remains in
Pennsylvania.
The economics of energy markets have created an urgent need to bring relief to coal
country. Communities have lived with the ugly legacy of unregulated coal mining for decades
and some brace for mine and coal-fired power plant shutdowns.
Accustomed to the boom-bust cycles of international energy markets, they find
themselves in what may be the ultimate bust for the coal industry even as the rest of the
Pennsylvania economy grows.
The scars left by coal mining-- the mountainous piles of waste coal, fires that have
burned for years, dead streams flowing with undrinkable water-- make their communities
unappealing to new businesses.
As mines and coal-fired power plants close down, many workers, often the primary
providers for their families, find themselves out of work in regions where other jobs paying
similar wages do not exist.
Overall, the Pennsylvania economy has been growing and creating jobs since the Great
Recession. Statewide unemployment stood at 4.7 percent in December and some counties have
rates as low as 3.2 percent, which is considered full employment.
But the unemployment rate in many coal counties remains above 5 percent.
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That number masks the economic hit many families have endured as they have had to
take part-time jobs or work that pays one-third or less of what they made in the coal industry.
‘Resource curse’
King Coal so dominated the economy in many counties that it prevented the development
of other industries-- a phenomenon economists call a “resource curse.”
Programs to retrain workers for jobs in other industries or to provide the skills and
knowledge needed to open their own businesses have had mixed success. Matching job training
with employment is often a challenge unless re-trained workers are willing to relocate or endure
long commutes.
Projects funded by RECLAIM dollars could create good-paying jobs in communities that
unemployed or underemployed coal industry workers already know how to do or could readily
learn. Many coal miners and power plant workers have transferable skills needed at project sites.
Abandoned mine land reclamation work takes diverse skills and expertise. Reclamation
projects need well-paid workers to operate heavy equipment, install and maintain water
treatment systems, build and maintain access roads, install electrical equipment, truck in supplies
and truck out waste, construct buildings and perform other tasks.
The economic benefits of reclamation also ripple into the local economy since the work
demands supplies like stone and gravel, trees and plants, signage, traffic control, diesel fuel,
mobile job trailers, steel and concrete.
Engineering firms, insurance agencies, landscaping companies and diesel repair shops
gain new business from reclamation projects.
Plenty Of Work Awaits
There is no shortage of reclamation work to be done. Pennsylvania has more abandoned
mine land and mine-polluted streams than any other state.
Cleaning up more than 180,000 acres of land and 5,500 miles of mine-polluted streams
would keep thousands of people busy for years.
All we need is access to the money that is available in the Abandoned Mine Land Fund.
The RECLAIM Act can get that money into communities eager to transform devastated
land and water into valuable community assets in which residents of coal country could take
pride. Coal country has waited long enough.
Congress can best fulfill the promise of new jobs for coal workers by passing RECLAIM.
There is no excuse.
Robert Hughes is the Executive Director of the Eastern Coalition for Abandoned Mine
Reclamation, a a coalition of watershed organizations and reclamation partners. Members range
from individuals, to the active anthracite mining industry and co-generation power plants, to
non-profit organizations, 16 county conservation districts and other organizations in the
anthracite and bituminous coal region of eastern Pennsylvania that are involved with abandoned
mine reclamation issues. Counties covered by EPCAMR in Northeastern and Northcentral
Pennsylvania include: Tioga, Bradford, Susquehanna, Lycoming, Sullivan, Wyoming,
Lackawanna, Luzerne, Northumberland, Carbon, Schuylkill, Columbia, Lebanon, Dauphin,
Montour, and Wayne.
NewsClips:
Op-Ed: Tap Fund For Coal Country Land, Water Restoration
DEP: Jeansville Mine Fire On Track To Being Fully Extinguished In Coming Months
14
PA Receives $55.6 Million From Feds For Abandoned Mine Reclamation
Frazier: Zinke Unveils $55 Million Toward State’s Abandoned Mine Cleanup
Related Stories:
EPCAMR Asking Enviro, Land Conservation, Watershed, Sportsmen’s Groups, Local Govts To
Adopt Resolution Urging Congress To Act NOW On Bill To Reclaim PA’s Abandoned Mines
Reminder: PA Abandoned Mine Reclamation Conference Request For Presentation Proposals
Eastern PA Coalition For Abandoned Mine Reclamation Paint Night! Fundraiser March 29
Using Pigments Made From Treated AML Drainage
News From The Capitol
House Committee To Consider Bills March 13 Taking Permit Reviews Away From DEP,
Waive Penalties, Create Office of The Repealer
The House State Government Committee is scheduled to meet on March 13 to consider bills
taking permit reviews from DEP and other state agencies, creating an Office of the Repealer and
authorizing the repeal any regulation by a House/Senate resolution.
The bills include--
-- Taking Permit Reviews Away From State Agencies Giving It To Third Parties: House
Bill 1959 (Rothman-R-Cumberland) Establishes the Pennsylvania Permit Act which requires
agencies to create and develop a navigable online permit tracking system and takes authority to
issue certain permits away from state agencies like DEP and gives it to third-party reviewers.
Click Here for more.
-- New Office of The Repealer: House Bill 209 (Phillips-Hill-R-York): Establishes the
Independent Office of the Repealer to undertake an ongoing review of existing regulations;
receive and process recommendations; and make recommendations to the General Assembly, the
governor, and executive agencies for repeal. Click Here for a similar bill introduced last
session-- House Bill 2408.
-- Repeal Any Regulation By Resolution: House Bill 1792 (Benninghoff-R-Mifflin) Gives the
General Assembly the ability to initiate the repeal of any state regulation in effect by a
concurrent resolution modeled after a federal procedure used successfully by the Trump
Administration to repeal regulations (sponsor summary).
This is a continuation of a January 31 meeting of the Committee which reported out two
other bills related to the Committee’s report on Regulatory Overreach--
-- Killing A Regulation By Doing Nothing: House Bill 1237 (Keefer-R-York) that would allow
the General Assembly to kill an economically significant final regulation from any agency by
doing nothing.
-- Regulatory Compliance Officers: House Bill 1960 (Ellis-R-Butler) which requires each
agency to appoint a Regulatory Compliance Officer with the authority to waive fines and
penalties if a permit holder attempts to comply.
The meeting will be held in Room G-50 of the Irvis Building starting at 9:00 a.m.
Committee meetings are usually webcast on the House Republican website.
Rep. Daryl Metcalfe (R-Butler) serves as Majority Chair of the Committee and can be
15
contacted by sending email to: dmetcalf@pahousegop.com. Rep. Matthew Bradford
(D-Montgomery) serves as Minority Chair and can be contacted by sending email to:
mbradford@pahouse.net.
Related Stories:
House Committee Republicans OK Bill To Kill Regulations By Doing Nothing
Analysis: How Do The Senate, House Use The Tools They Have Now To Review Agency
Regulations?
PA Environmental Council: General Assembly Already Has Ample Authority To Review
Regulations
22 Groups Express Opposition To So-Called Regulatory Reform Bills By House Republicans
House Committee Chair Releases Regulatory Overreach Report, Endorses Bill Authorizing
Repeal Of Regulations By Doing Nothing
PA Clean Transportation Infrastructure Bill To Be Considered By House Committee

March 12
The House Transportation Committee is scheduled to meet on March 12 to consider House Bill
1446 (Quinn-R-Bucks) encouraging infrastructure for electric and natural gas fueled vehicles
(sponsor summary).
Under House Bill 1446, Pennsylvania will:
-- Establish a state goal of expanding our electric transportation usage by at least 50 percent over
baseline forecasts by 2030;
-- Direct the development of regional transportation plans so that Pennsylvanians will be able to
live, work and play while going electric;
-- Require electric utilities to submit infrastructure investment proposals based on the regional
frameworks that help cost-effectively build out backbone charging infrastructure that meets their
local needs;
-- Complete statewide interstate and Turnpike fast electric and natural gas refueling networks;
and
-- Assess opportunities to increase the deployment of natural gas vehicles to support fleets and
other high-value uses.
The Committee held a hearing on the legislation on November 14. The PA
Environmental Council offered its support for the legislation in a letter to the prime sponsor last
July.
The meeting will be held in Room 205 Ryan Building starting at Noon. Committee
meetings are typically webcast through the House Republican website.
Rep. John Taylor (R-Philadelphia) serves as Majority Chair of the Committee and can be
contacted by sending email to: jtaylor@pahousegop.com. Rep. William Keller (D-Philadelphia)
serves as Minority Chair and can be contacted by sending email to: wkeller@pahouse.net.
Related Story:
House Committee Held Hearing On Clean Transportation Infrastructure Bill
House Committee To Consider Microgrids Proposal March 12
16
The House Veterans Affairs and Emergency Preparedness Committee is scheduled to meet on
March 12 to consider House Bill 1412 (Barrar-R-Delaware) proposing a regulatory framework to
encourage energy storage and microgrids to improve electric grid resiliency during disaster
emergencies and other circumstances (sponsor summary).
Microgrid systems offer many potential benefits to the electrical grid, including increased
resiliency during large scale electric disruption, increased integration of highly efficient
Distributed Energy Resources (like solar energy and combined heat and power systems) and
potential cost savings for consumers, ratepayers and utilities.
Microgrids serve a small number of electricity users with a local source of power that is
able to function independently from the larger electricity grid, but is still connected to it.
The Committee held two hearings on the bill on June 19 and November 15 and found
general support for the legislation, along with suggestions for improving the bill.
The meeting will be held in Room 205 of the Ryan Building starting at 11:00.
Committee meetings are typically webcast through the House Republican website.
Rep. Stephen Barrar (R-Delaware) serves as Majority Chair of the Committee, and can be
contacted by sending email to: sbarrar@pahousegop.com. Rep. Chris Sainato (D-Lawrence)
serves as Minority Chair and can be contacted by sending email to: csainato@pahouse.net.
Related Stories:
PUC Tells House Committee Microgrids Offer Many Benefits To Grid, Consumers
Electric Microgrids And Their Potential Benefits Topic Of House Hearing
News From Around The State
Gov. Wolf Requests Federal Disaster Declaration For Flood, Mudslide Damage In Fayette
County
Gov. Tom Wolf Thursday announced he has requested the U.S. Small Business Administration
(SBA) declare disasters in Fayette County and Uniontown for those businesses and homes that
suffered significant wind, flood, and in some cases, mudslide damage from a tornado and storms
that impacted the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania between February 15 and 17, 2018.
“Severe weather such as that sustained in Fayette County in February can quickly wreak
havoc on rivers, streams, and landscapes, causing damage that is beyond that covered by
insurance,” Gov. Wolf said. “The availability of low-interest loans will make it possible for
residents and businesses to get back to normal more quickly, and we are hopeful that the SBA
will make this assistance available.”
Based on the results of a Commonwealth Damage Survey, the damage in Fayette County
and the city of Uniontown meets the U.S. Small Business Administration criteria of at least 25
homes and/or businesses with uninsured losses of 40 percent or more of their estimated fair
market value.
Along with county officials, the Commonwealth conducted a detailed damage assessment
that appears to show that over 38 of the homes and businesses involved have uninsured losses
that meet or exceed the 40 percent of the pre-disaster fair market value.
“Based on the damage assessment results, I requested that Fayette County be declared a
17
disaster area by the SBA, so that low interest loans may be made available to the affected
property owners,” Gov. Wolf said.
After the SBA makes it decision, the Commonwealth will advise affected residents and
business owners.
NewsClips:
AP: 20,000 Still Without Power In Pennsylvania After Storms
Crews Making Headway With Power Outages
AP: More Than 110,000 Without Power In Pennsylvania After Storm
Gov. Wolf Announces Disaster Emergency, Turnpike Widens Its Ban
Storm Closes Capitol Complex, Other State Offices Wednesday
Maykuth: Would Underground Power Lines In Philly Prevent Storm Blackouts?
Maykuth: PECO Customers May Benefit From Back-To-Back Storms
Some Pittsburgh Floodgates Aren’t Working
Upper Burrell Using Various Funding Sources To Deal With Landslides
Lower Burrell Works To Fix Kinloch Flash Flooding, Stormwater Woes
AP: 113,000 Still Without Power In PA As Another Storm Looms
PPL, Met-Ed Hustle To Restore Power In PA Following Nor’easter
Reeling And In The Dark, Eastern PA Braces For More Snow
Maykuth: Why It Takes PECO So Long To Restore Your Power After A Storm
SEPTA, PECO Slowly Resolving Nor’easter Complications
Food Buried In Snow, Living With Inlaws, Philadelphia Area Residents Cope Without Power
Why Do Many Trees Came Down During Recent Storm
Mount Airy Casino Sheltered 150 Travelers Stranded By Nor’easter
AP: Storm Cuts Power To Almost 600,000, Kills 1 In PA
Schools Close, Storm Frustration Grows As 99,000 Still Without Power In Southeast
One Of The Worst Storms In PECO’s History Complicates Utility Reponse
Storm Triggers Scramble To Restore Power, Transit, Schools
2 Days And Counting For Nor’easter Power Victims
Mon Wharf In Pittsburgh To Remain Closed Monday For Cleanup
More Than 135,000 Electricity Customers Still Without Power In PA
PECO Brings In Out-Of-State Crews To Help Restore Power To 125,000
Nor’easter Could Leave Some In Northeast Without Power For Days
Nor’easter Tore Through PA Suburbs, Thousands Remain Without Power
Thousands Left Without Power As Damaging Winds Caused Chaos In Lancaster County
Why The Storm Stopped SEPTA In Its Tracks
Multiple State Agencies Offer Support In Response To Nor’easter
Bus Passenger Stranded In Storm On I-80 Describes Experience
I-80 Travelers Stranded Overnight As Gov. Wolf Sends National Guard Troops To Poconos
AP: Train Cars Carrying Pipe Blown Off Tracks In PA During Storm
Storm Causes Freight Train To Derail On Bridge, Plummets Into Susquehanna River
Landslide Cleared, Route 51 Ramps To West End Reopen
Trout Unlimited: Measuring Success In The West Branch Susquehanna Watershed
18
By Shawn Rummel, Trout Unlimited’s PA Coldwater Habitat Restoration Program
The West Branch Susquehanna drains an area of

approximately 7,000 squares miles in north-central
Pennsylvania, a watershed that’s double the size of
Yellowstone National Park.
Due to the large amount of public land in the basin —more
than one-third is state forest, state park, or state game lands
— it is a tremendous resource for outdoor recreation.
The basin also contains some of the best strongholds of
brook trout Pennsylvania. (For more information see the
Eastern Brook Trout Conservation Portfolio and
Range-wide Assessment.)
However, the full potential of the basin has not been
realized due to the pollution and suite of other issues from
historic poorly regulated coal mining activities.
Although coal mining from this region once played an
important role in supporting our nation’s westward
expansion and strength in fighting world wars, the legacy that remains today is primarily
polluted waters from abandoned mine drainage.
Trout Unlimited is among the many groups working to address AMD. Early surveys of
the health of streams in the watershed show that the work is paying dividends.
AMD is the cause for approximately 60 percent of the pollution to the West Branch
Susquehanna River and its tributaries. Over 1,100 miles of waterways within the basin are listed
as impaired due to AMD by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP),
making the West Branch Susquehanna River basin one of the most polluted basins in the nation.
Over the past two decades, reclamation and remediation of AMD in the West Branch
Susquehanna has become a priority for numerous conservation organizations and government
agencies, including Trout Unlimited. Subsequently, millions of state, federal and local dollars
have been utilized for AMD remediation.
As a result of these efforts, numerous AMD remediation projects have been implemented
throughout the watershed to improve water quality and biological conditions.
The realization of these projects has been a concerted effort among state and federal
agencies, non-governmental organizations, county conservation districts, private industry,
philanthropic foundations, local watershed groups, and concerned citizens.
However, despite the vast amount of resources spent by these entities, there had never
been a concerted effort to quantify and document the resulting improvements at the watershed
scale.
In recognition of this need, TU completed the initial West Branch Susquehanna Recovery
Benchmark Project with funding from a 2008 DEP Growing Greener grant. (For the full report,
Click Here.)
In brief, results from this initial study indicated significant improvements in both water
quality and biological conditions compared to historical conditions.
However, as described in the final report, the improvements observed during the 2009
19
sampling effort should be cautiously celebrated as the watershed ecosystem is only in the
beginning stages of recovery.
Since the completion of the Recovery Benchmark Project, the groups involved in AMD
restoration have continued, and in many cases enhanced, their diligent work, all with the goal of
restoring the West Branch Susquehanna River and its many tributaries to their full potential.
Since the sampling was conducted for the original project, at least $30 million has been
spent on remediation throughout the watershed, including several large-scale active treatment
systems, large abandoned mine land reclamation projects, and smaller scale active and passive
AMD treatment systems. 
This past summer, with funding from PA DEP’s Growing Greener Program, TU staff in
Pennsylvania, along with cooperation from state agencies, conservation districts, other nonprofit
organizations, and volunteers began an effort to replicate and expand upon the previous study of
the watershed. 
A total of seven field crews covered 110 sample sites in five days in both May and June
to collect water samples throughout the watershed. 
In addition, habitat evaluations and benthic macroinvertebrates were collected at the
sample sites and fishery communities are being assessed at selected sites by the Pennsylvania
Fish and Boat Commission.
We are still in the very early days of this project and the data from the labs is being
compiled and analyzed, but the goal is to understand how remediation efforts have positively
impacted the watershed and to assess where future efforts may be needed.
For example, surface reclamation of abandoned mine lands reduces significant amounts
of sediment runoff, can pay huge dividends toward the goal of eliminating sediment pollution
throughout the Chesapeake Bay watershed.
The project offers an exciting opportunity to determine how multiple small-scale
restoration efforts accumulate into large, watershed-scale changes in water quality and the
biological communities.
The project is slated to be completed in 2019, but there should be no shortage of
information to keep you updated on the “West Branch Susquehanna Recovery Benchmark II”
project between now and then. 
[Editor: For more information on restoration efforts, visit the West Branch Susquehanna
Restoration Coalition website.]
Shawn Rummel, Ph.D. is the field and research manager for Trout Unlimited’s Pennsylvania
Coldwater Habitat Restoration Program. He is based in Lock Haven, PA. He can be contacted
by sending email to: srummel@tu.org.
NewsClips:
Lawmakers Want To Oust Agency Head Over Dispute Over Stocking Trout Streams
Op-Ed: In Harrisburg Politics, Revenge Is Power And Sometimes Policy. This Hit Job Is About
More Than Fishing Fees
Fish Commission: Fishing License Fee Increase Needed
DEP Levies $25.000 Fine For Brunner Island Power Plant Discharge, Fish Kill
Crable: Brunner Island Power Plant Fined $25,000 For 2016 Fish Kill
Frye: Shenango River Pollution Investigation To Continue As Changes Occur
20
Northmoreland Park Lake Stocked With Truckload Of Trout, Other Stocking Dates
Frye: Upper Delaware River Wild Trout To Get A Closer Look
(Reprinted from the Trout Unlimited Blog.)

DEP: Jeansville Mine Fire On Track To Be Fully Extinguished In Carbon County
The Department of Environmental Protection

Thursday announced the Jeansville Mine Fire in
Banks Township, Carbon County, is close to being
fully extinguished.
DEP has determined that the fire has been
contained in the affected area and does not appear
to have spread beyond its original boundaries of
29 acres.
The fire is being addressed through active
mining operations and an isolation trench project.
Hazleton Shaft, Inc. is the contractor for the project, which began in 2015 and is overseen by
DEP.
The isolation trench project is designed to separate the mine fire from the rest of the site
and excavate material from the trench and douse that material with water. The isolation trench
has been constructed near the southern end of the mine fire site and should be completed later
this year.
“The work plan has proved successful in getting rid of this dangerous public nuisance,”
said John Stefanko, Deputy Secretary for Active and Abandoned Mining Operations. “With
tremendous cooperation from the township and nearby residents, DEP has been able to carry out
a work plan that has brought us closer to a fully extinguished fire and soon, reclaimed land for
future use.”
Approximately 3 million cubic yards of material have been excavated and about 44
million gallons of water were used to quench hot material. Additionally, approximately one
million cubic yards of material has been excavated within the active mining area for the mine fire
abatement.
In the Spring of 2016, at the request of residents, DEP Air Quality Program monitored
the air around the fire during the day and night. The monitoring showed no dangerous gases were
present in the air.
After the mine fire is fully extinguished, a project to mitigate for the loss of bat habitat on
the site will be initiated based on the guidance from the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Click Here for DEP presentations on the mine fire.
For more information on mine reclamation, visit DEP’s Abandoned Mine Land
Reclamation webpage.
NewsClips:
21
Philadelphia Cobbs Creek Watershed Stewardship Program Now Accepting Applications
The Philadelphia Water Department and Land

Health Institute are now accepting applications for
the Cobbs Creek Watershed Stewardship Program
from high school students interested in the
environment and to support them as they become
the change-makers, ecologists, scientists, urban
planners, and leaders of tomorrow.
Students in the program are educated through
experience and exploration, spending time in the
field and working hands-on to understand the plants, animals, soil, water, and air of our city.
They share their understanding with community groups and the public, putting their
learning into action and speaking up for green spaces and clean water, and for people’s access to
both.
The program places emphasis on Cobbs Creek and its surrounding areas, home to vibrant
communities in west Philadelphia.
The creation of Cobbs Creek Park and Morris Park in Philadelphia at the beginning of the
20th century preserved hundreds of acres of open space. However, even with the benefits of the
parks, the side-effects of industrialization and modernization have taken their toll.
Polluted stormwater runoff, inadequate drainage systems, leaking septic tanks, illegal
dumping, and an array of other ills have degraded the quality of human and natural life in and
around the watershed.
This is where the Watershed Stewards come in.
Click Here for all the details and to apply.
NewsClips:
Philadelphia Elementary School Wins National Recycling Competition
Keystone Oaks Junior Takes First Place In One Earth Film Festival
Teenagers Defeat Trump’s Move To Kill Climate Change Lawsuit
Water-Themed Philadelphia Flower Show Provides Escape From Winter
Phipps Conservatory Offers Tasty, Sustainable Waste Not Dinner
Frederick: Earth Matters: Late Geography Professor Made A Lasting Impact
Partnership For The Delaware Estuary 2017 Annual Report Now Available
The 2017 Annual Report from the

Partnership for the Delaware Estuary is
now available featuring articles on--
-- Pushing For Cleaner Water In The
Delaware
-- 15 Years Of The Schuylkill Action
22
Network
-- Clean Water, Healthy Habitats, Strong Communities
-- Cleanup and Other Activities
For more information on the programs, initiatives and upcoming events, visit the
Partnership for the Delaware Estuary. Click Here to sign up for regular updates from the
Partnership, Like the Partnership on Facebook, Follow them on Twitter, Join them on Instagram
or Subscribe to their YouTube Channel. Click Here to support the Partnership’s work.
NewsClips:
Areas Of Wissahickon Park Closing For Stormwater Project
Delaware RiverKeeper March 9 RiverWatch Video Report
Lehigh Valley Watershed Issues Listening Session To Convene March 12 In Bethlehem
PennFuture will host a listening session in the Lehigh Valley on March 12, gathering regional
watershed groups, volunteers, and organizations to discuss the critical environmental and water
quality issues in line with each organization’s mission.
The session will be held at Fegley's Brew Works, 559 Main Street #101 in Bethlehem,
Lehigh County from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m.
Together, we will discuss how we can successfully protect our natural resources by
addressing stream re-designations, acid mine drainage, pollution from sediment and erosion, land
conservation concerns, riparian buffers, and other water quality impacts.
After an initial group discussion, attendees can enjoy a happy hour while focusing on the
Delaware River Watershed, including the Lehigh River, Schuylkill River, and their tributaries.
PennFuture’s goal is to meet with local environmental organizations to better understand
priorities, struggles, and triumphs environmental groups face, and to explore possible
collaboration opportunities.
“Come, mingle, and tell us how we can help make the Lehigh Valley a success in the
environmental and clean water arena,” said PennFuture Northeast PA Outreach Coordinator
Emily Rinaldi.
Groups and volunteers interested in attending can RSVP by contacting Emily Rinaldi at
570-216-3344 or by sending email to: rinaldi@pennfuture.org.
Schuylkill River Recreation Summit March 16 In Valley Forge, Montgomery County
The Schuylkill Action Network will be hosting the

Schuylkill River Recreation Summit on March 16
to get feedback on recreation in the River.
The Schuylkill Action Network formed a
Recreation workgroup as a result of increased
recreation in and along the Schuylkill River and
its tributaries.
This workgroup wants public feedback on
potential projects connecting recreation and water
23
quality, and to better engage recreational users as environmental stewards.
Lunch will be provided.
The meeting will be held at the Valley Forge National Historical Park Visitor Center, 2nd
Floor Meeting Room, 1400 North Outer Line Drive in King of Prussia, Montgomery County,
from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
Click Here to register and for more information.
For more information on programs, initiatives and other upcoming events, visit the
Schuylkill Action Network website. Click Here to sign up for regular updates. Like them on
Facebook. Follow them on Twitter. Click Here to support their work.
Chesapeake Bay Foundation Save The Bay Photo Contest Entries Due April 6
The Chesapeake Bay Foundation will be

accepting entries for the 2018 Save The Bay
Photo Contest from March 12 to April 6.
There have been no winners from
Pennsylvania for the last two years even though
Pennsylvania is the biggest part of the
Chesapeake Bay Watershed. Let’s get out there
and get snapping!
Open to both amateur and professional
photographers, CBF's annual Photo Contest
highlights the beauty and character of the Chesapeake Bay and its watershed's rivers and streams
through the eyes of those who enjoy them and illustrate the positive aspects of the Bay and the
rivers and streams throughout the its watershed.
Images depicting people, wildlife, recreation, and farms within the watershed will all be
considered, however all photos must include water from the Chesapeake Bay or a river, stream,
creek, or other body of water inside the Chesapeake Bay watershed.
Official judging will be conducted by a panel of CBF employees who will judge entries
on subject matter, composition, focus, lighting, uniqueness, and impact. The public will also be
able to vote online for their favorite photo in the Viewers' Choice Gallery.
Prizes include: First Prize: $500; Second Prize: $250; Third Prize: $150; and Viewers'
Choice: $100.
In addition, the first-prize photograph will appear in CBF's 2019 calendar. And that's not
all: All winners will also receive a one-year membership to CBF and will have their photos
displayed on CBF's website, in a CBF e-newsletter, and in CBF's Save the Bay magazine.
All winners will be notified of the outcome, and their images will be posted on the CBF
website by June 29, 2018.
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.
(Photo: Kayaking Past The Capitol in Harrisburg by Tara Leo Auchey, 2016 entry.)
NewsClips:
24
DEP Blog: Sharing A Love For Engineering At Kinzua Bridge State Park Student
Program
By: Melanie Williams, Community Relations Coordinator, Northwest Regional Office
Even a late winter snowstorm and a 5-inch

snowfall didn’t stop the enthusiasm of the
presenters or five high schools that participated in
this year’s Engineering Day at Kinzua Bridge State
Park, hosted by the Department of Conservation
and Natural Resources.
Justin Dickey, P.E., an environmental
engineering manager in the Northwest Regional
Office at Department of Environmental Protection,
was excited to share his love of his chosen
profession with 15 students who are deciding if engineering might be the career path for them.
The small group of young women and men from different backgrounds and areas began
the meeting with a hands-on, team exercise-- build an approximately 2- to 3-foot-high structure
with index cards and one short piece of tape. The structure had to withstand the weight of a small
stuffed animal.
The ice-breaker activity brought out the competitive spirit of the participants, and got
them engaged in using basic engineering skills.
With the picturesque view of the Kinzua Sky Walk outside the classroom windows, the
activity also meshed well with the much-discussed history and engineering feats associated with
the Kinzua Viaduct, which was “once the world’s longest, highest railroad bridge.”
Following the team exercise, engineers from disciplines such as mechanical, electrical,
chemical, and civil/environmental engineering talked about the type of engineering they perform
and their career path.
Most of the presenters included personal information, such as the size of their high school
graduating class, where they went to college, and why they chose the school they did. And most
importantly, they talked about why they chose to become an engineer, and why they’re glad they
did.
Justin said many of the presenters were drawn to the engineering profession because of
25
their personal interests around water and wanting to protect it in a meaningful way.
While not every student there that day intends to further their education by entering an
engineering program, every student was given enough information to make a more informed
decision.
Justin looked at it this way: “If just one student left convinced about their career path and
wanted to become an engineer, the day was a success!"
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:
(Reprinted from DEP Blog.)

NRCS-PA Offers Renewal Options For Expiring Farm Conservation Stewardship

Contracts
Agricultural producers wanting to enhance

current conservation efforts are encouraged
to renew their NRCS-PA Conservation
Stewardship Program contract.
Through CSP, USDA’s Natural Resources
Conservation Service helps private
landowners build their business while
implementing conservation practices that
help ensure the sustainability of their entire
operation.
Participants with existing CSP contracts
expiring on Dec. 31, 2018 can access the benefits of the recent program changes through an
option to renew their contracts for an additional five years if they agree to adopt additional
activities to achieve higher levels of conservation on their lands.
NRCS will mail contract renewal notification letters to all participants whose contracts
expire in 2018, which will contain instructions on how to apply for renewal.
Applications to renew expiring contracts are due by April 13.
Through CSP, agricultural producers and forest landowners earn payments for actively
managing, maintaining, and expanding conservation activities like cover crops,
ecologically-based pest management, riparian buffers, and pollinator and beneficial insect habitat
– all while maintaining active agriculture production on their land.
CSP also encourages the adoption of cutting-edge technologies and new management
26
techniques such as precision agriculture applications, and on-site carbon storage and planting for
high carbon sequestration rate.
Some of these benefits of CSP include: Improved cattle gains per acre; Increased crop
yields; Decreased inputs; Wildlife population improvements; and Better resilience to weather
extremes.
NRCS recently made several updates to the program to help producers better evaluate
their conservation options and the benefits to their operations and natural resources.
New methods and software for evaluating applications help producers see up front why
they are or are not meeting stewardship thresholds, and allow them to pick practices and
enhancements that work for their conservation objectives.
These tools also enable producers to see potential payment scenarios for conservation
early in the process.
Producers interested in CSP are recommended to contact their local USDA service center
or get started online.
For more information on technical and financial assistance, visit the NRCS-PA webpage.
NewsClips:
Thompson: Cumberland County School District Seeks To Develop Farmland Protected By
Conservation Easement
School Board Urged Not To Break Trust By Taking Preserved Farmland
DEP Blog: Franklin County Farm Adopts Unique Tech To More Precisely Apply Manure
Nutrients
Crable: 2nd Manure Spill, 2,000 Gallons, Kill Fish In Lancaster County
Crable: Lancaster Dairy Farmers Told Their Milk No Longer Wanted
Washington County Agribusiness Wants To Sell Fruits, Vegetables, Moonshine
Central PA Dairy Families Fear Losing Farms As Milk Demand Drops
Kummer: PA Farmers Worried Trump Tariff Could Hurt Business
DEP Invites Comments On Guidance To Implement Act 26 On Alternative Onlot Septic

Systems
The Department of Environmental Protection invites comments on two proposed technical

guidance documents to implement Act 26 related to considering alternative onlot septic systems
in Act 537 sewage planning. (formal notice)
Act 26 amended Act 537 to allow alternate onlot systems to satisfy sewage planning
requirements in the establishment of new lots. It also required the Department to evaluate the
latest scientific, technical and field-testing information concerning alternate systems and to
evaluate the existing alternate systems based on that information. Act 26 became effective on
September 18, 2017.
The proposed technical guidance includes--
-- DEP ID: 385-2207-001. Act 537 Program Guidance; Site Suitability and Alternatives
Analysis Guidelines for New Land Development Proposing Onlot Sewage Disposal. The
Department considers a wide range of available onlot sewage system technologies, including
emerging technologies, in the Act 537 new land development planning process.
27
This authorization is contingent upon the applicability of given technology to site
conditions and assurance and availability of adequate operation and maintenance support
mechanisms.
The existing regulations do not allow for the consideration of alternate system to
establish general site suitability.
The purpose of this guidance is to provide a systematic approach to site suitability
determinations and sewage facilities alternatives analysis when encountering marginal conditions
for the long-term use of onlot sewage systems or when incorporating alternate onlot sewage
disposal technologies into the Act 537 new land development planning process described in 25
Pa. Code Chapter 71 (relating to administration of Sewage Facilities Planning Program).
This guidance covers the onlot sewage planning process in general and not just alternate
system planning.
-- DEP ID: 385-2208-003. Draft Onlot Wastewater Technology Verification Protocol. The
revised guidance establishes the scientific, technical and field-testing standards for alternate
onlot systems. Much of the existing guidance has been completely changed or removed.
Interested persons may submit written comments on this Draft Technical Guidance
Document through April 9.
Commentators are encouraged to submit comments using the Department's online
eComment website or by email to: ecomment@pa.gov. Written comments may be mailed to the
Technical Guidance Coordinator, Department of Environmental Protection, Policy Office,
Rachel Carson State Office Building, P.O. Box 2063, Harrisburg, PA 17105-2063.
Questions should be directed to Brian Schlauderaff, 717-772-5620 or send email to:
bschlauder@pa.gov.
Click Here for copies of the draft guidance.
For more information on sewage facilities planning, visit the DEP Act 537 Sewage
Facilities Program webpage.
DEP, Local Officials Tour Upgraded Water Treatment Plan In Dauphin County
Department of Environmental Protection Secretary Patrick

McDonnell Friday commended Steelton officials in Dauphin
County for recently completed upgrades and improvements
at the borough Water Authority’s filtration plant. The
changes are helping meet safe drinking water standards.
“This is a prime example of how local and state agencies can
work together to identify problems, develop solutions, find
funding, and improve the system,” McDonnell said while
touring the facility with other state and local officials.
In 2013, a filter plant performance evaluation identified major violations of Safe
Drinking Water regulations that resulted in increased public health risk.
The Steelton authority recognized its operations had deteriorated, and entered with DEP
into a Consent Order and Agreement (COA) requiring improvements to its public water system.
Steelton also paid a civil penalty of $55,200. Steelton implemented the COA plan, and DEP
provided oversight and assistance to achieve compliance, improve water quality, and reduce any
28
risk to public health.
The final major step of the plan was construction of a new 260,000-gallon post-filtration
chlorine contact tank. This tank allows the authority to add chlorine as a disinfectant after
filtering out organics from raw water drawn from the Susquehanna River. This results in lower
levels of disinfection byproducts.
Disinfection byproducts are chemical, organic, and inorganic substances that can form
during a reaction of a disinfectant with naturally present organic matter in the water.
The tank was permitted for operation in August 2017, and disinfection byproduct
concentrations are falling because of the added treatment capabilities.
The tank construction was made possible with a $2.6 million low interest loan from the
Pennsylvania Infrastructure Investment Authority.
The Steelton authority has been issuing quarterly public notices to its customers until the
running annual averages of sample results fall below accepted levels.
“Steelton has demonstrated a remarkable turnaround in ability and attitude about plant
operations,” said McDonnell. “With the highly visible construction of the tank, Steelton has
completed many system improvements and is producing reduced disinfection byproducts to the
point that the authority soon hopes to issue the “all clear” to its customers.”
DEP continues to provide oversight and assistance to Steelton operators.
For more information on drinking water regulation, visit DEP’s Bureau of Safe Drinking
Water webpage.
NewsClips:
McKelvey: Steelton Water Plant Completes Upgrades, Mulls Privatization
New Map Shows Lead’s Poisonous Path In Philadelphia
Editorial: To Falsified Water-Meter Readings
Pittsburgh Student Alexander Grattan Wins High School Category Of One Earth Film
Festival
Alexander Grattan, a student at Keystone Oaks

High School in Pittsburgh, won the High School
category of the One Earth Film Festival in Chicago
with his film, “Lead In Water,” about lead
contaminated water in Pittsburgh.
An article in the school newspaper covered
the story--
Alex’s six-minute film focused mainly on
the 17,750 residential water connections throughout
the Pittsburgh Water & Sewer Authority’s service
territory that contain lead, the health issues associated with lead poisoning, and how Pittsburgh
can learn from other cities to remove all of its lead water pipes.
“I decided to focus on water because it is an important part of Pittsburgh’s identity and
because the issue of lead contamination has gotten a lot of media attention,” Alex said. “I didn’t
realize the true scope of the problem until I started to research the topic for this video contest.”
Alex’s film was chosen from more than 100 entries submitted by students throughout the
29
country. He will receive a $350 scholarship and Pittsburgh United’s Our Water Campaign will
receive a $350 matching donation.
The goal of the One Earth Film Festival is to engage students in a discussion about
sustainability and to challenge them to think about solutions.
Click Here to watch the film.
For more information on the lead problem in Pittsburgh, visit DEP's Pittsburgh Water &
Sewer Authority and Lead in Drinking Water webpages.
NewsClips:
PRC: 2018 Schedule Of Drug Take-Back, Hard-To-Recycle, Household Chemical, Reuse

Fest Events In Western PA
The PA Resources Council Tuesday released its 2018 schedule of Drug Take-Back, Hard-To-
Recycle, Household Chemicals and Reuse Fest Events In Allegheny and other counties in
Western Pennsylvania.
“The Pennsylvania Resources Council provides residents of the commonwealth with
numerous options to conveniently and cost-effectively dispose of a wide variety of materials,”
according to PRC Regional Director Justin Stockdale. “Since details vary for each of these
opportunities, we encourage individuals to visit our website at www.prc.org or call PRC at
412-488-7452 for complete details.”
Reuse Fest April 21
The 2018 Reuse Fest will take place April 21 on Earth Day weekend from 10 a.m. – 2
p.m. in Children’s Hospital employee parking lot, 55th and Harrison Streets, Lawrenceville in
Pittsburgh.
Individuals can drop off items for reuse including medical equipment, usable building
materials, clothing, furniture and more. The 7th annual ReuseFest supports local non-profits
including Brother’s Brother, Catholic Charities, Construction Junction, Dress for Success, Free
Ride, Free Store Wilkinsburg, Global Links, Goodwill, Humane Animal Rescue, Off the Floor
and Pittsburgh Center for Creative Reuse.
Drug Take-Back Day Events April 28
30
The federal Drug Enforcement Agency Natural Drug Take-Back Day will be held on
April 28 from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. at numerous locations throughout region (including many
municipal buildings and police departments)
Individuals can drop off unwanted and expired prescription and over-the-counter
medications at no cost.
PRC and Pennsylvania American Water will sponsor three collection events in western
Pennsylvania-- Green Tree, Mt. Lebanon and Robinson Township. Visit www.prc.org for
details.
Nationwide on Drug Take-Back Day, more than 5,000 collection sites will enable
patients, caregivers and pet owners to properly dispose of unwanted prescription drugs and
over-the-counter medications at no cost. Visit www.dea.gov after April 1 for a complete list of
drop-off locations.
Household Chemical Collection Events In 5 Counties
There will be 7 Household Chemical Collection Events in Allegheny County where
individuals can drop off automotive fluids, household cleaners, pesticides, paints and other
household chemicals for a cost of $3/gallon (a few exceptions apply), cash only. New this year:
collections will accept smoke detectors for a fee of $3/each.
The collection events will be held--
-- May 5: from 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. at North Park Swimming Pool parking lot
-- May 19: Concurrent Technologies Corporation ETF Facility, Johnstown, Cambria County
-- June 23: Fairgrounds, Fayette County
-- July 21: Wild Things Park, Washington County
-- August 18: Boyce Park, Allegheny County
-- September 22: South Park, Allegheny County
-- October 13: Bradys Run Park, Beaver County
Hard-To-Recycle Collection Events In 5 Counties
There will be 5 Hard-To-Recycle Collection Events in Western PA where individuals can
drop off “e-waste” such as computer towers and peripheral equipment, cell phones, printer/toner
cartridges, CFLs and expandable polystyrene packaging material at no cost.
For a fee, individuals can drop off televisions and computer monitors, alkaline batteries,
fluorescent tubes, printers, small Freon appliances and tires.
These collection events will be held--
-- May 12: Galleria at Pittsburgh Mills, Frazer Township, Allegheny County
-- June 16: Bethel Park High School, Allegheny County
-- June 30: Quaker Valley High School, Leetsdale, Allegheny County
-- August 25: Century III Mall, West Mifflin, Allegheny County
-- October 6: Settlers Cabin Park, Allegheny County
Click Here for more on PRC’s Collection Events.
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.
NewsClips:
Unity Supervisors Consider Day To Collect TVs, Household Hazardous Waste
Blair Municipalities Try Food Waste Project
31
Editorial: Keystone Landfill Gas Project Hits Sweet Spot
DEP, Local Officials Celebrate Arrival Of Pollution-Reducing CNG Buses At River Valley
Transit In Lycoming County
The Department of Environmental Protection and local

officials Tuesday celebrated the arrival of ten buses
fueled by compressed natural gas (CNG) at River Valley
Transit, which purchased the buses in part using funding
from DEP’s Alternative Fuels Incentive Grant Program.
Attendees were also given a tour of RVT’s CNG
fueling station, also partially funded through AFIG.
DEP Northcentral Regional Director Marcus
Kohl and staff joined representatives from RVT, the
fixed-route public transit provider in Lycoming County,
and Gillig, the manufacturer of the CNG buses, to
discuss the project and its environmental benefits.
Color-coded balloons were used at the event to represent the net reduction of air
pollutants that will be achieved by using the cleaner-burning fuel.
“The deployment of these ten CNG buses into the RVT fleet is estimated to result in a net
reduction of eight pounds per minute of carbon dioxide, five pounds per hour of nitrogen oxides
(NOx), four pounds per day of particulate matter, and two pounds per day of sulphur oxides
(SOx),” said Kohl. “The CNG buses will also reduce liquid fuel costs, support jobs in the
community, and increase the use of fuels generated domestically.”
“Exhaust emissions from vehicles are one of the single greatest sources of air pollution,”
said Michelle Ferguson, Regional Energy Manager in DEP’s North-central Regional Office.
“Alternative fuels improve air quality by reducing tailpipe emissions. Maintaining our good air
quality by reducing vehicle emissions benefits public health and the cost of living, too.”
Ferguson explained that Lycoming County is an air quality attainment area. Under
federal rules, vehicle owners are only required to have a gas cap check for emissions testing
annually, saving residents the expense of paying for additional emissions testing on their
vehicles.
RVT was awarded an AFIG grant of $200,000 in 2017 toward the purchase of the
vehicles. DEP also provided RVT with an AFIG grant of $400,000 in 2011 to assist with the
construction of their CNG fueling station, which is open to the public.
AFIG supports the development of infrastructure necessary for the expanded use of
alternative fuel vehicles in the commonwealth.
The AFIG Program, established in 1992 under Act 166, helps to create new markets for
alternative fuels in Pennsylvania by investing in the deployment of alternative fuel vehicles,
fleets, and technologies.
It provides an average of $5-6 million annually to support alternative fuels fleet vehicle
purchases and conversions and the development of alternative fuel refueling stations.
[Note: DEP is expected to open the application period for another round of AFIG grants
later in 2018.]
32
For more information on the grant program, visit DEP’s Alternative Fuels Incentive
Grant Program webpage.
NewsClips:
Breath of Fresh Air: Compressed Natural Gas Fleet Grows In Williamsport
GE In Erie Works On Hybrid Locomotive
U.S. Refinery Workers Head To D.C. To Urge Biofuels Reform
Refinery Workers Push To Fix Broken Ethanol Mandate
PA Chapter Of The Assn Of Royalty Owners Meets March 21-23 In State College
The Association for Royalty Owners Pennsylvania Chapter will

be holding their annual conference March 21-23 at the Ramada
Conference Center in State College.
This year’s conference, ‘Drilling Deeper,’ will include a
great mix of sessions to provide the necessary knowledge to
understand and plan for you and your family.
Presentation topics include mineral management; The
Myth of Held by Production; How and Why Leases can be
Extended Without a Producing Well; What’s Your Burden,
Fractional Interest Calculation; PA regulatory updates, and more. Special presentations on shale
plays and Oil and Gas Law updates will also be provided.
On March 21, there will be a review for the certified Mineral Manager (CMM) test,
which will be held Friday morning. Round table discussions and networking receptions are
planned to talk to presenters and other royalty owners.
Owning mineral properties in Pennsylvania is more than a deed in the courthouse. It is a
personal involvement in the domestic energy production like the world has never seen. A mineral
owner’s most valuable asset is knowledge, and this conference will provide the opportunity to
find that knowledge.
For additional information on the conference and for registration, visit the NARO event
webpage.
NewsClip:
Cusick/Sisk: Why Some Striking It Rich In The Gas Patch, Others Strike Out
Finding PA's Solar Future Stakeholder Group Offers Comments On Draft Plan
DEP's Finding PA's Solar Future Stakeholder Group

Thursday offered comments on a draft plan they help
developed over the past year to increase in-state
solar-generated electricity to 10 percent by 2030.
The planning process is looking at several
potential tools for achieving that goal--
-- Regulation: How can Pennsylvania’s Alternative
Energy Portfolio Standards (based on Act 213 of
33
2004) be modified to support more forward-looking objectives than the current requirement that
solar photovoltaic energy provide .5 percent of Pennsylvania’s net electricity generation by
2021?
-- Operations and systems: How to integrate solar into the current grid cost-effectively.
-- Market transformation via incentives and business models: This will include provisions to
ensure that low-income consumers and other traditionally underrepresented groups aren’t
excluded from the benefits of solar.
The next step in the process is to incorporate the feedback from the stakeholder group
and others and produce another draft of the plan in early April and then get expert review of that
draft.
The goal is to release a revised draft plan for public comment in June.
Finding Pennsylvania’s Solar Future is funded by the U.S. Department of Energy Solar
Energy Technologies Office.
For more information on this initiative, visit DEP’s Finding PA's Solar Future
Stakeholder Group webpage. Questions should be directed to David Althoff, DEP Pollution
Prevention and Energy Assistance Office, 717-783-0542 or send email to:
RA-EPPASOLARFUTURE@pa.gov.
NewsClips:
Sisk: PA Tackles Problem Of How To Get More Electricity From The Sun
Powelson: States Enacting Energy Policies Without Enough Regard For Grid Reliability
DEP Sets April 9 Hearing On Amending PA’s Air Quality Plan To Eliminate The
Low-RVP Gasoline Requirement In The Pittsburgh Region
The Department of Environmental Protection is scheduled to hold a hearing April 9 on a

proposed amendment to the state’s Air Quality Plan to eliminate the low-RVP summer gasoline
requirement in the Pittsburgh Region. (formal notice)
The low-RVP requirement affects Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Butler, Fayette,
Washington and Westmoreland counties.
The regulation routinely caused gasoline to be at least 10 to 15 cents per gallon more
expensive in the Pittsburgh region than in nearby states and counties.
The regulation making the change has already gone through public review and was
approved as final by the Environmental Quality on December 12 after three public hearings. It
was also been approved by the Independent Regulatory Review Commission on February 22,
after a review by the House and Senate Environmental Committees, without any public
comments.
DEP conducted a technical analysis to determine the contribution the low-RVP gasoline
requirement makes to reducing volatile organic compound emissions. DEP found the emissions
benefit difference between low-RVP 7.8 gasoline and the 8.7 RVP gasoline required in other
parts of the state was only 0.126 tons per day in 2017 (25.2 pounds).
DEP’s Bureau of Air Quality concluded the low-RVP gasoline requirement in the
Pittsburgh Region contributed minimally to improved air quality and was trending toward no air
quality benefits for the region.
The hearing will be held at DEP’s Southwest Regional Office, 400 Waterfront Drive in
34
Pittsburgh starting at 1:00.
Persons wishing to present testimony should contact Amanda Rodriguez, P.O. Box 8468,
Harrisburg, PA 17105, 717-787-9702 or send email to: amarodrigu@pa.gov to reserve a time.
Speakers will be limited to 10 minutes and should provide two written copies of their comments.
The hearing will be canceled if no person has requested to testify at the hearing by 12
p.m. on April 4, 2018. The Department will provide public notice if the hearing is cancelled on
the Bureau of Air Quality webpage. Persons may also contact Amanda Rodriguez at
717-787-9702 or send email to: amarodrigu@pa.gov to find out if the hearing is canceled.
Public comments are due April 9.
Click Here for additional information from the March 10 PA Bulletin notice.
NewsClips:
Hopey: Environmental Group Will Sue Over Inactivity On Allegheny County Air Pollution
Permits
Cusick: Yellow Smoke, Health Complaints Prompt DEP Investigation Into Jessup Natural Gas
Power Plant
Related Stories:
Clean Air Council Gives EPA Notice Of Intent To Sue For Failure To Hold Allegheny County
Accountable For Air Permit Program Deficiencies
Clean Air: Managing Contaminants In Indoor Spaces, Mitigating Impacts Of Air Pollution
Workshop In Pittsburgh March 15
DEP Notifies Homeowners In Targeted High Radon Areas In 5 Counties, Offers Free Tests
Sustainable Pittsburgh: Building (Or Rebuilding) Communities And Including Every Generation
Webinar March 14
EPA Acts To Reduce Manganese Emissions From S.H. Bell Plant On PA-Ohio Border
Clean Air Council Gives EPA Notice Of Intent To Sue For Failure To Hold Allegheny
County Accountable For Air Permit Program Deficiencies
The Clean Air Council Monday sent U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott
Pruitt a notice of the Council’s intent to sue the EPA for its unreasonable delay in responding to
a petition by the Council on deficiencies in the Allegheny County Health Department’s Title V
operating permit program.
The Council intends to file a lawsuit against the EPA if it does not respond to the petition
within 180 days. The notice is a requirement for filing a lawsuit in federal court.
The petition filed by the Council on October 20, 2016 was based on the Department’s
longstanding backlog in processing Title V permit applications.
There are approximately 32 major sources within Allegheny County, which encompasses
Pittsburgh and surrounding areas. For the majority of these facilities, the Department has failed
to comply with a statutory requirement to process applications within 18 months, either currently
or in the past.
The purpose of a Title V permit is to memorialize all the legal and technical requirements
that apply to a major source under the Clean Air Act. The permit allows all interested parties--
federal and state agencies, business and industry, environmental groups, and affected
35
communities-- to know the requirements that apply or do not apply to a major source.
In addition, the Title V program requires that a permit be renewed every five years,
which requires a period for public comment and a public hearing.
“The county’s longstanding backlog has the result of either undermining or eviscerating
the public participation requirements of the Clean Air Act,” said Christopher Ahlers, a Staff
Attorney with Clean Air Council.
“The Department’s systemic delays indicate that it is failing to ensure that the public is
sufficiently involved in protecting themselves and their communities from air pollution, and
failing to ensure that some of the largest and most dangerous sources of air pollution in
Pennsylvania are operating in compliance with air quality laws and regulations,” said Joseph Otis
Minott, Executive Director and Chief Counsel, Clean Air Council.
For more information on programs, initiatives and upcoming events, visit the Clean Air
Council website.
NewsClips:
Permits
Power Plant
Related Stories:
DEP Sets April 9 Hearing On Amending PA’s Air Quality Plan To Eliminate The Low-RVP
Gasoline Requirement In The Pittsburgh Region
Webinar March 14
The Sustainable Pittsburgh Challenge team will

hold a Clean Air: Managing Contaminants In
Indoor Spaces, Mitigating Impacts Of Air
Pollution Workshop on March 15.
The Pittsburgh region, and its residents,
have long battled against the memorable 1868
characterization of Pittsburgh as “hell with the lid
taken off.” Indeed, the region’s air quality has
improved since that time.
Yet the region is still challenged, 150 years later, to reduce the negative health impacts of
air pollution.
In a study released in February-- Saving Energy, Saving Lives-- the American Council
36
for an Energy Efficient Economy, in conjunction with Physicians for Social Responsibility,
characterized the Pittsburgh region as having some of the worst outdoor air in the nation. This
assessment is consistent with other findings.
Pittsburgh was ranked #8 worst for year-round particle pollution and #17 worst for
short-term particle pollution by the American Lung Association in 2017.
Efforts are underway by several organizations to tackle the air pollution problem in the
Pittsburgh region.
Join the Sustainable Pittsburgh Challenge team for this workshop to explore the current
state of the region’s air quality, and learn how you and your organization can contribute to
regional efforts to study, characterize and reduce the health impacts of air pollution.
Cleaner air means healthier residents, a more productive workforce, and cost savings.
Workshop participants will learn how to gain access to free air quality monitoring tools,
and will hear how others have reduced air contaminants in indoor spaces using a variety of
interventions.
The Workshop will be held at New Sun Rising, Millvale Moose, 112 Sherman Street in
Millville, Allegheny County from 8:30 to 11:30.
Click Here to register or more information.
For more information on programs, initiatives and upcoming events, visit the Sustainable
Pittsburgh website. Click Here to sign up for regular updates. Like them on Facebook, Follow
them on Twitter. Click Here to support their work.
To learn more about green innovation in the Pittsburgh Region, visit the Pittsburgh Green
Story website.
NewsClips:
Permits
Power Plant
Related Stories:
Webinar March 14
Homeowners in eight townships in central Pennsylvania will

receive letters in March from the Department of
Environmental Protection and American Lung
Association-PA, notifying them of high radon levels in their
37
vicinity and providing a coupon for a free radon test.
Almost 10,000 homeowners will receive the letters with coupons this month, beginning
the week of March 5:
-- Centre County: 1,930 homeowners in Haines, Penn, and Potter Townships
-- Lancaster County: 2,471 homeowners in Colerain and Little Britain Townships
-- Lycoming County: 949 homeowners in Hepburn Township
-- Mifflin County: 2,999 homeowners in Derry Township
-- York County: 1,526 homeowners in Peach Bottom Township
“Pennsylvania is prone to high radon levels. From years of data we know that some parts
of the state have higher radon levels than others, and we want to get test kits into the hands of
homeowners in these areas,” said DEP Secretary Patrick McDonnell. “We certainly continue to
encourage all Pennsylvania homeowners to test as well.”
Radon is an invisible, odorless, radioactive gas that can enter homes through the soil and
is a known human carcinogen. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recommended
guideline for radon levels is 4 picocuries per liter (pCi/L).
DEP uses data since 1985 that show radon levels at 100 pCi/L or higher to identify areas
for targeted outreach and then invites municipalities to provide addresses, if they choose to
participate.
This is the fourth year that DEP and ALA have teamed up on direct outreach to
homeowners. About 30 municipalities have agreed to partner. The program receives funding
from EPA.
The DEP Radon Division has also worked with laboratories for decades to be alerted to
high radon levels and, as resources allow, make offers to homeowners in those areas.
DEP provides ongoing public information at the Radon in the Home webpage, and people
can also contact the division at 800-237-2366; 717-783-3594; or send email to:
ra-epbrpenvprt@pa.gov.
Related Stories:
Webinar March 14
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Justice Wednesday
announced a final consent decree with S.H. Bell Co. requiring the business to monitor and take
measures to reduce manganese emissions from its 92-acre raw products storage and material
handling facility that spans the Pennsylvania-Ohio border in Ohioville, Beaver County, PA and
East Liverpool, Ohio.
38
Under the consent decree, S.H. Bell is required to take measures to provide both
immediate and long-term reductions in fugitive manganese emissions. S.H. Bell has been
performing these measures since January 2017 when the consent decree was lodged in federal
court.
These safeguards include:
-- Fugitive dust control measures (such as rolling doors, and a baghouse with
monitoring/recording systems);
-- A tracking system for manganese materials;
-- Video recordings of certain facility operations to help the company and regulators determine
the source of manganese emissions detected in the future;
-- Fence line monitoring with EPA-approved monitors; and
-- Required steps to investigate and, if needed, take corrective action if emissions exceed
specified trigger levels.
The consent decree requires S.H. Bell to collect air monitoring data from three fence line
locations surrounding the facility and take specific actions if its monthly or annual ambient air
manganese concentrations exceed certain action levels.
The EPA website contains the air monitoring data collected at S.H. Bell’s fence line from
Aug. 20, 2017, onwards, as well as reports relating to any exceedances of the action levels.
The consent decree is based on the government’s authority under the Clean Air Act and
the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (or CERCLA
also known as the Superfund law).
This federal action builds upon steps previously taken by the Ohio Environmental
Protection Agency and the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection.
Manganese is a naturally occurring element found in many soils, rocks and foods and is
used in the production of steel and other industrial processes. Manganese can be toxic when
inhaled by humans at elevated exposure levels leading to neurological and neuropsychological
damage.
For more information, visit the EPA S.H. Bell webpage.
NewsClips:
Permits
Power Plant
Related Stories:
Webinar March 14
39
DEP Imposes $600,000 Penalty On Eurofins QC Lab For Water Testing Violations
The Department of Environmental Protection Monday announced it will collect a $600,000

penalty from Eurofins, QC, for violations related to falsified and mishandled discharge water
tests and results at their lab in Southampton, Bucks County.
“DEP relies on accredited, third-party laboratories to conduct testing and ensure that
regulated entities are complying with state laws and regulations,” said DEP Secretary Patrick
McDonnell. “Falsifying records and mishandling samples undermines the trust that DEP places
in labs like EQC, and we will not hesitate to penalize labs that do not meet our expectations.”
DEP first discovered possible violations in December 2016 while conducting an audit of
EQC’s whole effluent toxicity testing (WETT) results, which are used to determine compliance
with National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) regulations.
Testing results reviewed in the audit found sample results that appeared to be photocopies
of previous data sheets, with minor edits made. The lab’s accreditation expired in February 2017
and was not renewed.
After being alerted to the questionable results, EQC hired a third-party auditor to review
records from the facility. That audit found hundreds of cases of manipulated or falsified data, as
well as hundreds of missing records, and cases where samples were mishandled.
For more information on the regulation of laboratories, visit DEP’s Laboratory
Accreditation Program webpage. Questions should be directed to Neil Shader, DEP Press
Secretary, 717-787-1323 or send email to: nshader@pa.gov.
NewsClip:
DEP Fines Eurofins Lab In Montgomery County $600,000 For Falsifying Test Results
Sustainable Pittsburgh: Building (Or Rebuilding) Communities And Including Every

Generation Webinar March 14
Sustainable Pittsburgh will host a webinar on March 14

on Building (Or Rebuilding) Communities And Including
Every Generation from 1:00 to 2:15 p.m.
Join Laura Poskin, the Project Manager for
Age-Friendly Greater Pittsburgh, an initiative of
Southwestern Pennsylvania Partnership for Aging, for a
Sustainable Community Development Network webinar
to learn about the recently released a 30-step Action Plan
to make the area’s neighborhoods more inclusive and
respectful of every generation.
In the next two decades, the number of residents
ages 65 and older will increase by 40 percent in Southwestern Pennsylvania. Hear what steps
your community can take to be welcoming to persons of all ages.
Meeting the needs of an older population comes with challenges, but as more residents
live longer lives, it means our region has a new, growing resource: people with buying power,
career expertise, and lived experience.
40
Those challenges range from simple communication issues to systemic transportation
barriers.
For more information read the Age-Friendly Greater Pittsburgh Action Plan, and this
overview in Smart Cities Dive that features initiatives in Pittsburgh and Columbus.
This SCDN webinar is brought to you by Sustainable Pittsburgh and Local Government
Academy.
Click Here for all the details and to register.
For more information on programs, initiatives and upcoming events, visit the Sustainable
Pittsburgh website. Click Here to sign up for regular updates. Like them on Facebook, Follow
them on Twitter. Click Here to support their work.
To learn more about green innovation in the Pittsburgh Region, visit the Pittsburgh Green
Story website.
Related Stories:
DCNR Announces Award Of $425,700 In ATV Trail, Facility Grants
The Department of Conservation and Natural Resources

Thursday announced grants totaling $425,700 to three
recipients in Pennsylvania for all-terrain vehicle (ATV)
trails, equipment and related facilities.
The grants are administered through the Department of
Conservation and Natural Resources with funding
provided from ATV registrations as outlined in Act 97 of
2016.
“Using funds from ATV riders when they register their
vehicles, these grants will help improve riding
opportunities,” DCNR Secretary Cindy Adams Dunn said. “ATV trails draw visitors and can
have a positive economic impact on nearby communities.”
The grants by county are:
-- Armstrong and Lawrence -- Mines and Meadows LLC, $154,600, to prepare a plan to
further develop the campground facility at the 870 acre Mines and Meadows ATV Park in New
Beaver Township, Lawrence County, and a trail study for the development of a 1,700 acre site in
Brady’s Bend Township, Armstrong County.
-- Bradford -- Athens Township, $185,100, for development of Round Top Park in Athens
Township, including rehabilitation of approximately 4 miles of ATV trails and a trailhead,
construction of a pavilion and comfort station, landscaping, and other related site improvements.
-- Cambria, Indiana -- Rock Run Recreation, Inc., $86,000, to purchase equipment to construct
and maintain approximately 140 miles of off-highway vehicle trails at Rock Run Recreation
41
Area in Cambria and Indiana counties.
DCNR’s grant program can help to buy land; develop plans and surveys; construct and
maintain ATV trails; buy equipment; and conduct educational programs relating to ATV use.
Grants can fund up to 80 percent of a project.
DCNR can award grants two times each year to federal and state agencies, municipalities
and profit and nonprofit organizations for trail development on county, municipal, non-profit and
private lands.
With a few limited exceptions, all ATVs in Pennsylvania must have a title issued by
DCNR. Pennsylvania has around 279,000 registered ATVs.
Click Here for more information on ATV and other DCNR grant opportunities.
Visit DCNR's ATV Riding In State Forests webpage and ExplorePAtrails.com for ATV
recreational opportunities in Pennsylvania.
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.
NewsClips:
Flight 93 Memorial Seeks 400 Volunteers To Plant Trees
South Greensburg Raising Money For Playground Upgrade
Gun Club Is Fighting Eviction From Black Moshannon State Park
Erie’s Presque Isle Featured In National Geographic Guide
Crable: How Lancaster County’s Natural Landmarks Are Managed For Safety
Editorial: Wind Cave Needs To Remain Open In Lancaster County
Land Donation Brings Historic Trail Closer To Downtown Wilkes-Barre
Allentown To Consider Banning Swimming In Creeks Due To Near Drownings
AP: Jury Awards Bicyclists $3.2 Million In Philadelphia Sinkhole Lawsuit
Related Story:
Reminder: Deadline For DCNR Community Conservation Partnership Grants April 11
DCNR Plans White-Water Release Into Tohickon Creek For Boating Event In Bucks
County
White-water boating enthusiasts once again will

converge on Bucks County’s Tohickon Creek
March 17-18, when the Department of
Conservation and Natural Resources releases water
42
from Lake Nockamixon in Nockamixon State Park into Tohickon Creek.
Releases are historically scheduled on a semi-annual basis, usually occurring on the third
weekend in March and the first weekend in November.
The white-water releases from the Nockamixon State Park dam provide suitable
whitewater boating conditions downstream through Ralph Stover State Park from 9:00 a.m. to
4:00 p.m. each day.
Water releases begin at 4:00 a.m. Several hours later, the release consisting of millions of
gallons of water moving down the waterway will create whitewater conditions at Ralph Stover
State Park, according to park officials. Suggested hours for viewing the release and boating
activity are from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. at Ralph Stover.
Water releases are eagerly awaited by whitewater paddling enthusiasts, drawing skilled
kayakers, canoeists and occasional rafters from throughout the Northeastern United States.
Most launch their craft at Ralph Stover State Park, near Pipersville, Bucks County, and
travel some four miles along the Tohickon Creek to its junction with the Delaware River at Point
Pleasant.
DCNR officials remind boaters that this is technical whitewater with Class 3 and 4 rapids
that require boating skills. Boaters should be aware of and abide by the safety code of the
American Whitewater Affiliation.
Boaters must wear appropriate personal flotation devices, take appropriate precautions to
prevent hypothermia, and use only craft designed for this type of water.
For more information, contact Nockamixon State Park at 215-529-7300, or Delaware
Canal State Park at 610-982-5560.
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.
NewsClips:
43
Reminder: Deadline For DCNR Community Conservation Partnership Grants April 11
Department of Conservation and Natural Resources

Secretary Cindy Adams Dunn Monday reminded local
governments and recreation and conservation
organizations that grant applications now are being
accepted through DCNR’s Community Conservation
Partnerships Program.
The 2018 grant application round will close April 11.
Grants benefit planning, acquisition, and development of
public parks; recreation areas; motorized and
non-motorized trails; river conservation and access;
stream buffers; conservation of open space; and regional
and statewide partnerships to better develop and manage
resources.
“Many of the projects that will be funded, including improvements to local parks, trails
and river access, bring outdoor recreation and healthier living close to home,” said Dunn. “This
local focus improves the quality of life for many, while requiring less driving and expense to
experience. Also, we know every grant dollar, generally leverages an additional $3 in local,
county and private investments, giving every state dollar more power for the public good.”
The grants are administered across the state by DCNR through the Community
Conservation Partnerships Program.
Funding comes from the Keystone Fund, which is generated from a portion of the realty
transfer tax; the Environmental Stewardship Fund; the ATV/Snowmobile Fund generated
through fees for licenses; and federal monies.
Funds will be awarded for applications that meet priorities established in the Statewide
Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan.
Primary source of grant funding is the Keystone Fund, which is celebrating its 25th
anniversary this year. Since 1993, more than 300 trail projects have been built and improved;
more than 2,400 community park development projects completed; and 117,400 acres conserved
through the Keystone Fund.
Last year was an investment of $44 million for 266 projects across Pennsylvania that
create new recreational opportunities, conserve natural resources and help revitalize local
communities.
Those 2017 investments are benefitting a variety of proposals, including: 49 trail
projects; protection almost 8,000 acres of open space; nine projects for planting riparian buffers
along streams; 14 projects for rivers conservation; and over 100 projects to develop or
rehabilitate recreation, park and conservation areas and facilities.
For all the details, visit DCNR’s Community Conservation Partnerships Program
webpage.
NewsClips:
44
Good Natured Blog: DCNR To Release Climate Mitigation, Adaptation Plan This Spring
By: Greg Czarnecki, Climate Change & Research Coordinator, DCNR
When the temperature drops and the snow

falls, it’s not uncommon to hear people
question, "How is climate change real if the
winter is cold?"
Trends show winters have warmed over
the past few decades, so this year’s cold spells
in Pennsylvania, much like the one that’s
gripping Europe now, makes one wonder
what’s happening.
Are we returning to the cold, snowy
winters that some Pennsylvanians remember from their youth? Probably not.
While we were shivering through the cold, most of the planet was much warmer than
normal.
Central Alaska was 18 degrees Fahrenheit above average, and even though we set some
record low temperatures here in Pennsylvania this winter, the number of record high
temperatures in the U.S. outnumbered record lows by 9:1 over the past year.
The cold snap may just have been normal weather variability, but ironically, climate
change could increase the likelihood that we’ll see occasional brief, but intense, bouts of cold.
The Polar Vortex
Lying over the Arctic is a permanent low-pressure system called the polar vortex, which
generates winds that circulate around the pole, helping to isolate the coldest air. The colder the
arctic, the stronger the winds, and the more contained the cold.
Decreased ice cover in the arctic and warmer ocean temperatures, however, have resulted
in the Arctic warming twice as fast as the rest of the planet, weakening the winds. Add to this
changes in the jet stream due to climate change, and the vortex is now more likely to meander, or
45
form bulges that allow pockets of cold air to temporarily descend south.
That’s likely why snow was falling in Rome and record lows were being set across
Europe at the end of February, while it was nearly 50 degrees F above average near the North
Pole, and ice cover in the Arctic was the lowest ever recorded for this time of year.
A Really White Christmas In Erie
One area of the Commonwealth got more than just cold air during January. When the
cold Arctic air began spreading south on Christmas day 2017, it picked up copious amounts of
moisture from the relatively warm water of Lake Erie, blanketing Erie with seven feet of snow in
six days.
While snowfall has decreased significantly across much of the country due to climate
change, it’s also likely to contribute to increased lake-effect snow downwind of the Great Lakes
because ice is forming later in the season, melting sooner, and covering less of the lake’s surface.
The Great Lakes have seen below average ice cover for 15 of the past 23 years, and when
the cold air invaded in late December, Lake Erie was ice free.
By the time the cold spell ended, Lake Erie was 90 percent ice covered, and the lake
effect-machine turned off.
A very warm February has reduced ice cover to only 15 percent, and with several weeks
of winter left, could more lake-effect snow be in Erie’s future?
Learn More About Climate Change
As the caretaker of 2.2 million acres of state forest and 121 state parks, and the state’s
primary conservation agency, DCNR has a unique role and responsibility in helping the
Commonwealth reduce and adapt to climate change.
While climate change presents significant challenges, there is much we can do including:
-- Managing our forests to sequester an increasing amount of carbon;
-- Ensuring that our public lands remain resilient;
-- Helping private landowners and communities reduce their carbon footprint and adapt; and
-- When natural areas are healthier, they are more resilient and can better withstand the stresses
placed on them by climate change.
For the past year, a team of more than 80 DCNR staff have worked with the Northern
Institute of Applied Climate Science to evaluate data on current and projected impacts to identify
the department’s top climate change vulnerabilities. They were ranked on the likelihood they
would occur and how severe they would be.
The team also developed adaptation strategies and general recommendations to address
those vulnerabilities.
DCNR will be releasing its climate change mitigation and adaptation plan this spring.
To learn more about climate change and what DCNR’s plan will include, visit the
agency’s Addressing Climate Change on Public Lands webpage.
Questions should be directed to Greg Czarnecki by calling 717-783-1337 or send email
to: gczarnecki@pa.gov.
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.
(Photo: A frozen Lake Erie off Presque Isle State Park.)
NewsClips:
46
U.S. Utilities Want Carbon Pricing, Stable Policy, That’s Bad News For Trump’s Agenda
(Reprinted from the March 7 DCNR Resource newsletter. Click Here to sign up for your own
copy.)
March 7 DCNR Resource Newsletter Now Available
The March 7 edition of the Resource newsletter is now available from the Department of
Conservation and Natural Resources featuring articles on--
-- What Does A Cold Winter Mean For Climate Change?
-- DCNR Grants Available To Benefit Parks, Recreation And Conservation
-- DCNR Urges Caution To Prevent Wildfires
-- DCNR, PennVEST Announce Investment In Income-Producing Stream Buffer Projects
-- Good Natured Pennsylvanians: David Crowl
-- March Begins Wildfire Season - Here’s How You Can Prevent Forest Fires
-- Interns Wanted: DCNR Looking For Summer Interns
-- DEP Releases Information On Maintaining Streams To Assist Flood Recovery Efforts
-- Conservation Tip: Spring Forward!
-- 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:
Central PA Conservancy Acquires Watercress Farm At Letort Spring Run Headwaters In

Cumberland County
47
The Central Pennsylvania Conservancy Friday announced
it has purchased the historic watercress farm at the bend on
South Spring Garden Street just before its intersection with
Bonnybrook Road in South Middleton Township,
Cumberland County.
Bisected by the Letort Nature Trail and serving as its
southern trailhead, the former farm will be CPC’s core
preserve and the setting for ecological restoration, passive
recreation, historic interpretation, and conservation
education.
“CPC is proud to announce our acquisition of the Letort’s Spring Garden headwaters.
The history, the landscape, and the extraordinary conservation value of this property will now be
preserved in perpetuity for the benefit of the citizens of our community,” said CPC president,
Ken Waidelich, “We heartily thank our county, state and local leaders for helping to make this a
reality that all may enjoy.”
The property was first settled around 1720 by James Le Tort, a French-Swiss fur trader,
near a Shawnee village and the intersection of major Native American trading routes.
“Last week, we closed on the first 30 acres, and we'll close on the last 4 acres in
May/June of this year. This was a major fundraising effort that took nearly 3 years to
complete—it’s a special property that the organization sought to protect since 2007. Now that
deeds commit the property to permanent protection and the public trust, we’re excited to
welcome public access and work toward restoration,” reported Anna Yelk, CPC’s executive
director. “The total project cost was $415,000, raised through county and state grants and
generous contributions from the Township, organizations, families, and businesses.”
Over a century ago, this east branch of the Letort was venerated as ‘Bonny Brook’ for its
natural beauty.
Ben Mummert, CPC’s director of land protection and stewardship explained, “how we
value spring-fed systems like these has been ever-evolving. In 1891, entrepreneurs saw that
watercress, a leafy mustard green, thrived in settings flooded with cold, mineral-rich, spring
water. The farm carved 10 acres of wetland into watercress beds and moved the stream into an
unstable ditch. Alteration, silt, fertilizer, and pesticide reshaped the Letort here and
downstream.”
CPC and partners are working on testing and research for a restoration design.
“This project marks a new chapter. The preserve will ameliorate stormwater, provide
aesthetic and recreational amenities to benefit property values and public health, and strengthen a
renowned trout fishery and associated angling and tourism industries,” said Mummert.
“The land acquisition is a major achievement for the Central Pennsylvania Conservancy
and the County was pleased to support this effort,” said the Cumberland County Board of
Commissioners in a joint statement. “Through the work of the Conservancy and many partners,
including a more than $116,000 grant from the County’s Land Partnerships Program, this land
along the Letort Spring Run will be preserved for many future generations.”
Tom Faley, a supervisor of 22 years in South Middleton Township, described the project
as, “a wonderful initiative to help preserve critical wetlands adjacent to the Letort” and noted that
the board budgeted $28,000 “to assist in that most noteworthy effort."
48
Major grants were awarded by Cumberland County's Land Partnerships Program
($116,000) and the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources' Community
Conservation Partnerships Program ($207,000).
Closing on the acquisition was made possible by South Middleton Township, the
Coldwater Heritage Partnership, Cumberland Valley Trout Unlimited, LeTort Trust, the David
Masland Memorial Fund, Drew and Kathy Stoken, The Stabler Foundation, Blue Mountain
Chapter of Safari Club International, Doc Fritchey Chapter of Trout Unlimited, Molly Pitcher
Brewing Company, Union Quarries, and countless other community members.
CPC is grateful for such broad-based community support.
"CPC worked closely with the local community in preserving a very important piece of
land that will go a long way in maintaining the water quality in the Letort Spring Run for future
generations.” remarks Carl Goshorn, manager of the Cumberland County Conservation District.
To celebrate this acquisition, CPC intends to hold a public dedication ceremony in early
fall.
The organization has established the Letort Working Group consisting of experts and
partners to help guide the restoration process, including wetland scientists, engineers,
hydrologists, biologists, state agency officials, attorneys, and representatives of partner
organizations.
Key partners with overlapping interests in the protection and restoration of the site
include South Middleton Township, Letort Regional Authority, Cumberland Valley Trout
Unlimited, The Nature Conservancy-PA, Fish and Boat Commission, and Cumberland County
Historical Society.”
CPC must continue raising funds required to steward the property and realize restoration
goals.
It has published a book entitled, The Letort: A Limestone Legacy, a compilation of
personal essays by renowned fly fishermen and local residents who have a shared appreciation
for this beloved stream.
The book covers efforts to restore the watershed as well as a timeline of events on the
Letort Spring Run. Interested individuals are invited to purchase this $30 publication to support
the project, by visiting our website.
For more information or to support the project with a charitable donation, please contact
the office at 717-241-4360 or its executive director, Anna Yelk, by sending email to:
ayelk@centralpaconservancy.org.
For more on their programs, initiatives and upcoming events, visit the Central
Pennsylvania Conservancy website.
NewsClip:
PennFuture Opposes General Assembly's Attempt To Oust Fish & Boat Commission
Executive Director
PennFuture said Thursday it strongly opposes the General

Assembly’s attempt to remove Fish and Boat Commission
49
Executive Director John Arway over the agency’s efforts to cut costs after elected officials failed
to pass a reasonable process in how fishing-license fees are set, disregarding that the commission
operates without any financial support from the general fund.
“For 13 years, the legislature has refused to consider and approve license fee increases so
the commission can do the work of scientifically managing our fisheries, providing excellent
recreation experiences and protecting rare and endangered species,” said PennFuture President
and CEO Jacquelyn Bonomo. “A growing and diverse number of Pennsylvanians from our cities
to rural areas love fishing. For the sake of these folks and clean water, it’s time for the
legislature’s attacks on Director Arway to be set aside and for elected officials to get back to
doing the work of the people.”
The Fish and Boat Commission is almost entirely funded by revenue from fishing and
boating licenses, but those fees must be set by the state legislature, which has not been willing to
increase them since 2005.
As a result, the Commission is increasingly unable to fulfill its core programs, including
stocking streams and lakes, managing dam safety, and supporting our anglers.
Arway warned last fall that without legislative action, the Commission would need to
consider closing state hatcheries, resulting in fewer state-stocked fish.
“This is an embarrassing power play by vindictive legislators who have made it clear they
want Director’s Arway’s head,” Bonomo said. “If they succeed in their ploy to withhold the
needed funds for the agency to do its work until Arway is gone, it will be an affront to
Pennsylvania anglers who have always valued the independence of the commission as essential
to science-based management of our fisheries, free of dangerous political games like the ones we
see playing out here.”
“PennFuture stands with Arway and his counterparts in resource agencies across the state
who are struggling to adequately accomplish their goals and fulfill their missions with
insufficient funds,” Bonomo said. “The Commission has survived for more than a decade despite
soaring costs, personnel cutbacks, and no license fee increases. The legislature seemed fine with
this situation. Now that tough decisions must be made, and pain felt in home districts, Arway is
personally blamed. The legislature needs to stop the personal attacks and provide the agency the
funds it needs, or share the pain, and the blame, of options like closing hatcheries.”
The legislative vehicle under consideration is Senate Bill 935, which passed the Senate in
October and is currently under consideration in the House Game and Fisheries Committee.
Rep. Keith Gillespie (R-York) serves as Majority Chair of the House Game and Fisheries
Committee and can be contacted by calling 717-705-7167 or by sending email to:
kgillesp@pahousegop.com. Rep. Bryan Barbin (D-Cambria) serves as Minority Chair and can be
contacted by calling 717-783-1491 or by sending email to: bbarbin@pahouse.net.
(Photo: PennFuture President and CEO Jacquelyn Bonomo.)
NewsClips:
Related Story:
Brodhead Chapter Trout Unlimited To Honor John Arway With Lifetime Achievement Award
March 23 In Monroe County
50
Brodhead Chapter Trout Unlimited To Honor John Arway With Lifetime Achievement
Award March 23 In Monroe County
The Brodhead Chapter of Trout Unlimited will honor John

Arway, Executive Director of the Fish and Boat
Commission, with a Lifetime Achievement Award at its
Annual Banquet on March 23 at Ridgecrest at the
Stroudsmoor Country Inn in Stroudsburg, Monroe County.
Since taking the helm of the Fish and Boat
Commission in March 2010, John Arway has worked
tirelessly to raise public awareness of the plight of the
Susquehanna River and to seek remedies for fixing it.
Once considered one of the country’s top smallmouth bass fisheries, the mighty
Susquehanna River has struggled since 2005 to produce viable young of year smallmouth
classes. In fall 2011, this troubling trend took on an added dimension, with adult smallmouth
bass displaying unhealthy lesions.
With support from various organizations, including the Susquehanna River School,
PennFuture, the National Wildlife Federation, the PA Federation of Sportsmen’s Clubs, the
Chesapeake Bay Foundation-PA, American Rivers and PA Trout Unlimited, Arway has
repeatedly petitioned the Department of Environmental Protection to place the river on the list of
“impaired” waters and start the process of cleaning up the river.
Arway has experienced the decline of the fishery firsthand. A scientist by training, he has
spent more than 36 years working for the Commission in various roles.
As a lifelong angler, he has fished the Susquehanna since the early 1980’s. At that time, it
was common for anglers to catch 50-100 smallmouth bass in an evening. Sadly, many anglers
now report catching only a handful on a good day.
Since others have chosen not to act on behalf of the Susquehanna’s smallmouth bass,
Arway created the Save Our Susquehanna fundraising campaign to raise funds for PFBC staff to
work with cooperative farmers on habitat improvement projects one farm at a time to improve
the water quality of the river.
Throughout the country, fish and wildlife agencies face a similar challenge of retaining
participants in their sport and attracting new ones. Arway has met this challenge by initiating a
marketing program to highlight the sport to enthusiasts and novices, to men and to women, to
adults and to children, to families and friends.
The first initiative was launched Dec. 1, 2012, when the Commission began to offer 3-
and 5-year fishing licenses. As an added incentive, anglers who purchase a multi-year license
also receive an online, digital subscription to the Commission’s flagship publication, Angler &
Boater magazine. A separate website – www.GoneFishingPa.com – offers additional benefits.
Anglers can enter a sweepstakes to win guided fishing trips and get access to numerous
coupons for free goods, cost savings and discounts.
Arway achieved one of his ultimate goals of reducing the price of a fishing license in the
2015 license year. The intent was to attract lapsed anglers to return to the sport and encourage
others who don’t fish to try the sport of fishing.
51
Arway has tirelessly advocated multiple efforts to create alternative funding sources for
the agency. These include a fee on the consumptive use of water and a portion of the state sales
tax generated from fishing and boating.
Under his direction, the Commission launched a Natural Gas and Water Access Program,
which secures revenues from selling natural gas from under Commission property and from
leasing rights to withdraw water from Commission Property.
As the PFBC’s Chief Executive Officer, he manages and operates the agency like a
business and uses business principles and government rules to manage and allocate funds to our
Commonwealth’s aquatic resources and provide recreational fishing and boating opportunities.
Because many Commonwealth issues – such as the health of the Susquehanna River and
the restoration of American shad – have impacts beyond state borders, the Commission benefits
from participation on boards and committees at the national level.
Arway keeps Commonwealth issues at the forefront of national discussions by
representing the inland states on the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Sport Fishing and Boating
Partnership Council; by serving on the Executive Committee of the Association of Fish and
Wildlife Agencies; chairing the AFWA Angling/Boating Participation Committee; chairing
AFWA’s Technical Workgroup for the National Survey of Fishing, Hunting and Wildlife-
Associated Recreation; and serving as Past President of the Northeast Fish and Wildlife
Agencies and the Northeast Division.
He is also a member of the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission and the
Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council.
A native of North Huntingdon, Arway holds a bachelor’s degree in biology from the
University of Pittsburgh and a master’s degree in aquatic biology from Tennessee Technological
University.
He holds memberships in numerous organizations, including the American Association
for the Advancement of Science; American Fisheries Society (Past President of the Northeastern
Division and Pennsylvania Chapter); North American Benthological Society; Ducks Unlimited;
Pheasants Forever; BASS; the SONS of Lake Erie; National Wildlife Federation and life
member of the Pennsylvania Federation of Sportsmen’s Clubs, National Trout Unlimited (Lloyd
Wilson Chapter) and the Conservation Officers of Pennsylvania.
Click Here for information on tickets for the Annual Banquet.
For more information on programs, initiatives and other upcoming events, visit the
Brodhead Chapter of Trout Unlimited website. Brodhead Chapter members contributed over
2,100 hours over volunteer on conservation and education projects.
NewsClips:
Related Story:
PennFuture Opposes General Assembly's Attempt To Oust Fish & Boat Commission Executive
Director
Delaware Highlands Conservancy: Vote For Your Favorite Bald Eagle Photo
52
Voting is now open for the People’s Choice Award in
the Delaware Highlands Conservancy Photo Contest.
Vote for your favorite before March 15.
Visit the Conservancy’s Facebook page to vote.
For more information on programs, initiatives
and special events, visit the Delaware Highlands
Conservancy website or call 570-226-3164 or
845-583-1010. Click Here to sign up for regular
updates from the Conservancy, Like on Facebook and
Follow on Twitter. Click Here to support their work.
NewsClips:
Abnormal Shell Shapes In Northern Map Turtles Of The Juniata River
By Roy D. Nagle, Director Of Environmental Health & Safety, Juniata College
Northern Map Turtles are a long-lived

riverine species of conservation concern
with a limited distribution in
Pennsylvania.
In a recent issue of the Journal of
Herpetology, my colleagues and I from
Juniata College, Huntingdon, and the
University of Maryland’s Chesapeake
Biological Laboratory report a high incidence of abnormal shell shapes in Northern Map Turtles
of the Juniata River.
Turtles with morphological abnormalities may be living environmental indicators and
serve as historical records of developmental threats and injuries to other animals.
Our research examined the morphology of turtles at Mount Union, a former industrial site
and the largest known turtle nesting area in central Pennsylvania.
Among 535 adult female turtles, 29 percent exhibited abnormal shell shape, often in the
form of an indentation in one or both sides of the carapace. Older females had a higher incidence
of abnormalities than younger females.
No shell shape abnormalities were observed among 703 hatchlings collected from nests,
and no shell shape abnormalities were observed among seven of those marked hatchlings that
returned to Mount Union as 11–18 year old adult females to nest.
Historically, most of the nesting substrate at Mount Union consisted of black coal
tailings, which exposed developing embryos to high temperatures and potential chemical insults.
In addition, a large area contaminated with creosote is present near the turtle nesting area
and the Juniata River. A variety of developmental deformities in turtles have been associated
with creosote contamination of wetlands in other locations.
53
The high incidence of abnormal carapace shapes of adult female Northern Map Turtles at
Mount Union may reflect a delayed response to chemical or thermal conditions encountered in
the nesting substrate, direct exposure to contaminants in the Juniata River as sub-adults, or
factors that affected turtles a generation ago but have since abated.
Click Here for a copy of the research paper.
To learn more about amphibians and reptiles in Pennsylvania, visit the PA Amphibian
and Reptile Survey website.
(Photo: Carapaces of adult female Northern Map Turtles (Graptemys geographica) from Mount
Union, Pennsylvania. Shell shape abnormalities include: (A) both sides, (B) flared posterior
marginal scutes, and (C) both sides as well as flared posterior marginal scutes. Blue paint codes
on turtles allow identification of individual nesting females from a distance. The turtle in (D)
with normal carapace shape was marked as a hatchling, released into the Juniata River, and
recaptured during 2017 as an 11-year old reproductive adult female. )
Editor: Roy Nagle, is Director of Environmental Health and Safety in the Department of
Environmental Science at Juniata College. He is an environmental scientist specializing in
herpetology and has studied the long lives of turtles for more than 30 years. He can be contacted
by sending email to: nagle@juniata.edu or call 814-641-3555.
His research includes one of the longest continuous studies of freshwater turtles at the
University of Michigan’s E.S. George Reserve, and studies of Box Turtles, Map Turtles, and
Wood Turtles in central Pennsylvania.
He has worked with the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, the Department of
Conservation of Natural Resources, the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission, and the U.S.
Army Corps of Engineers to protect critical habitats and promote the conservation of freshwater
and terrestrial turtles.
Nagle and his colleagues seek additional support to continue their research at Mount
Union and help conserve Northern Map Turtles in Pennsylvania.
Related Story:
Senate Passes Bill To Designate hellbenders As PA’s State Amphibian And Symbol Of The
Importance Of Clean Water
Opportunity To Bid On DEP Abandoned Mine Projects in Carbon/Luzerne, Cambria

Counties
The Department of Environmental Protection published notice in the March 10 PA Bulletin of an

opportunity to bid on abandoned mine reclamation projects in Carbon and Luzerne counties and
Cambria 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.
54
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.
Namsoo S. Suk, Ph.D. To Lead DRBC Science And Water Quality Management
The Delaware River Basin Commission Tuesday announced

Namsoo S. Suk, Ph.D. has been named as Director of Science
and Water Quality Management.
In his new position, Suk’s responsibilities include leading
DRBC science and technical teams to: develop and apply
hydrodynamic and water-quality models; conduct and coordinate
monitoring and assessment activities; develop and update the
Commission's water-quality standards; and collaborate with the
regulatory, stakeholder, and other scientific communities to meet
the Commission’s clean and sustainable water goals.
“Dr. Suk brings to his new position a wealth of extensive experience that will support the
Commission’s water resource management and science programs,” said DRBC Executive
Director Steve Tambini.
Suk joined the DRBC in 1998 as a water resource engineer/modeler and has held various
positions of increasing responsibility with the Commission.
He earned his Ph.D. in Civil and Environmental Engineering at Rutgers University, New
Brunswick, N.J., where he completed his dissertation on “Suspended Solids Flux Between Salt
Marsh and Adjacent Bay: A Methodology for Long-Term Continuous Measurements.”
Additionally, he earned his M.S. in Civil Engineering from Rutgers and a B.S. in Civil
Engineering from Yonsei University, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
Since he has been with the DRBC, Suk has worked with Commission staff and external
experts on: numerous water resource models; pollution waste load allocations; implementation of
DRBC’s Water Quality and Special Protection Waters regulations; and collaborative
implementation of the basin states’ and federal water quality regulations.
With more than a dozen publications to his credit, Suk regularly delivers technical
presentations to academic and professional organizations in the region.
Suk is replacing Thomas J. Fikslin, Ph.D., who has worked with DRBC since 1989,
initially on assignment from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and as a member of the
Commission’s staff since April 1993.
Fikslin is retiring at the end of the month after 43 years of environmental contributions to
the country and region through his work at the Commission and the U.S. EPA.
For more information on programs, initiatives and upcoming events, visit the Delaware
River Basin Commission website. Click Here to sign up for regulator updates. Follow DRBC
on Twitter. Visit them on YouTube.
NewsClips:
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Help Wanted: Lacawac Sanctuary Summer Camp Counselors
The Lacawac Sanctuary Environmental Education Center in Wayne County is seeking qualified
candidates to fill multiple summer camp counselor positions for this year. The deadline for
applications is March 15. Click Here for all the details.
NewsClips:
Help Wanted: PA Conservation District Assn Program Manager, Leadership Development

Program Coordinator
The PA Association Of Conservation Districts is seeking qualified candidates to fill two
positions: Program Manager and Leadership Development Program Coordinator.
-- Program Manager: The Program Manager will be responsible for planning, coordinating and
administering special programs, meetings, and trainings. The Program Manager will also
represent PACD on assigned committees, assist with grant writing, and assist with PACD
building issues. Click Here for all the details.
-- Leadership Development Program Coordinator: PACD is hiring a full-time Leadership
Development Program Coordinator. The coordinator will facilitate the development and the
implementation of Pennsylvania’s “Building for Tomorrow” Leadership Development Program
to meet the evolving needs and growth in professional development for Pennsylvania’s
conservation districts, developing the appropriate and comprehensive programs and materials to
support professional development for directors and staff. Click Here for all the details.
Candidates must submit a resume and cover letter to PACD. Please apply by email with
subject heading “LD Coordinator” to jobs@pacd.org.
All application materials must be received by 4:30 p.m. on March 21.
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.
March 12-- NEW. House Transportation Committee meets to consider House Bill 1446
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(Quinn-R-Bucks) encouraging infrastructure for electric and natural gas fueled vehicles (sponsor
summary). Room 205 Ryan Building. Noon. Committee meetings are usually webcast on the
House Republican website. Click Here for more.
March 12-- NEW. House Commerce Committee meets to consider House Bill 1284 (Peifer-R-
Pike) directs DCED to develop a one-stop-shop online permitting portal for business (sponsor
summary). Room G-50 Irvis Building. Noon. Committee meetings are usually webcast on the
House Republican website.
March 12-- NEW. House Veterans Affairs and Emergency Preparedness Committee meets to
consider House Bill 1412 (Barrar-R-Delaware) proposing a regulatory framework to encourage
energy storage and microgrids to improve electric grid resiliency during disaster emergencies
and other circumstances (sponsor summary). Room 205 Ryan Building. 11:00. Committee
meetings are usually webcast on the House Republican website. Click Here for more.
March 12-- NEW. PennFuture. Lehigh Valley Watershed Issues Listening Session. Fegley's
Brew Works, 559 Main Street #101, Bethlehem, Lehigh County. 5:00 to 7:00
March 12-13-- Registration Open. PA Association of Environmental Educators. 2018 Annual
Conference. State College, Centre County.
March 13-- NEW. House State Government Committee meets to consider House Bill 1959
(Rothman-R-Cumberland) establishes the Pennsylvania Permit Act which requires agencies to
create and develop a navigable online permit tracking system and takes authority to issue certain
permits away from state agencies like DEP and gives it to third-party reviewers, House Bill 209
(Phillips-Hill-R-York) establishes the Independent Office of the Repealer to undertake an
ongoing review of existing regulations; receive and process recommendations; and make
recommendations to the General Assembly, the governor, and executive agencies for repeal,
House Bill 1792 (Benninghoff-R-Mifflin) Gives the General Assembly the ability to initiate the
repeal of any state regulation in effect by a concurrent resolution modeled after a federal
procedure used successfully by the Trump Administration to repeal regulations (sponsor
summary). Room G-50 Irvis Building. 9:00. Committee meetings are usually webcast on the
House Republican website. Click Here for more.
March 13-- Public Utility Commission Prehearing Conference On Proposed Transource Power
Line Projects In Franklin, York Counties. Hearing Room 1, Keystone Building, 400 North Street,
Harrisburg. 10:00.
March 13-- NRCS-PA: Connecting Soils And Profits: Tools For Improving Soil Health. Muncy
United Methodist Church, 602 South Market Street, Muncy, Lycoming County. 8:30 - 4:00.
March 14-- CANCELED. DEP Water Resources Advisory Committee meeting. Room 105
Rachel Carson Building. 9:30. DEP Contact: Diane Wilson, 717-787-3730, diawilson@pa.gov.
(formal notice)
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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 14-- NRCS-PA: Connecting Soils And Profits: No-Till, Cover Crops, Soil Health
Grazing & Healthy Streams. Wysox Fire Hall, 111 Lake Road, Towanda, Bradford County. 9:00
- 3:15.
March 14-- NEW. Sustainable Pittsburgh. Building (Or Rebuilding) Communities And
Including Every Generation Webinar. 1:00 to 2:15.
March 15-- NRCS-PA: Connecting Soils And Profits: No-Till, Cover Crops, Soil Health
Grazing. Pine Barn Inn, 1 Pine Barn Place, Danville, Montour County. 8:30 - 4:00.
March 15-- Bowman’s Hill Wildflower Preserve. 18th Annual Land Ethics Symposium.
Delaware Valley University, Doylestown, Bucks County.
March 15-- NEW. Sustainable Pittsburgh Challenge. Clean Air: Managing Contaminants In
Indoor Spaces, Mitigating Impacts Of Air Pollution Workshop. New Sun Rising, Millvale
Moose, 112 Sherman Street in Millville, Allegheny County. 8:30 to 11:30
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. Click Here for more.
March 16-- NEW. Schuylkill Action Network. Schuylkill River Recreation Summit. Valley
Forge National Historical Park Visitor Center, 2nd Floor Meeting Room, 1400 North Outer Line
Drive in King of Prussia, Montgomery County. 10:00 to 1:00.
March 17-- Fish & Boat Commission. Sportsmen’s Forum On Conserving Aquatic Resources,
Creating Fishing, Boating Opportunities. Lycoming College, Williamsport, Heim Building,
Room G-11., 10:00.
March 17-- 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
& Natural Resources Center, 1451 Peters Mountain Road, Dauphin. 9:00 to 11:00.
March 17-- Brodhead Watershed Association. Get Outdoors Poconos. Cherry Valley Ridge
Trail Hike. Monroe County. 10:00.
March 18-- Butler County Household Hazardous Waste & Electronics Waste Collection Event.
129 Ash Stop Road, Evans City, Butler County.
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March 20-- CANCELED. Environmental Quality Board meeting. The next scheduled meeting is
april 17. . DEP Contact: Laura Edinger, Environmental Quality Board, 400 Market Street,
Harrisburg, PA 17101, 717-772-3277, ledinger@pa.gov. (formal notice)
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 20-- Penn State Extension Community Forestry Management Program. PA TreeVitalize
Program Update Webinar. Noon to 1:00.
March 21-- NEW. Senate Game and Fisheries Committee holds a hearing on annual reports of
Game Commission and Fish and Boat Commission. Room 8E-B East Wing. 9:30.
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 21-- Pike County Workshop For Contractors: Plan Your Project Proactively. Pike
County Training Center, 135 Pike County Blvd, Lords Valley. 8:00 to 1:00.
March 21-- NEW. PA Chapter Of The Association Of Royalty Owners Annual Conference.
Ramada Conference Center, State College.
March 21-22-- NRCS-PA: 2018 Western PA Annual Spring Grazing Conference. 180 W.
Trinity Drive, Clarion. 8:40 - 3:30.
March 21-23-- NEW. PA Chapter Of The Association Of Royalty Owners. Ramada Conference
Center, State College.
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 23-- NEW. Brodhead Chapter Trout Unlimited. Annual Banquet - Honoring John Arway,
Fish & Boat Commission. Ridgecrest at the Stroudsmoor Country Inn in Stroudsburg, Monroe
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County.
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-- 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 26-- Pike County Conservation District. Discovering Your Drinking Water Program.
District Office, 556 Route 402, Hawley. 7:00 p.m.
March 27-- House Game and Fisheries Committee informational meeting on Fish and Boat
Commission annual report. Room 60 East Wing. 10:00. Click Here for more.
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- PA Recreation & Park Society Annual Conference. Pocono Manor, Monroe
County.
March 28-- House Game and Fisheries Committee informational meeting on Game Commission
annual report. Room 60 East Wing. 10:00. Click Here for more.
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-- NEW. DEP Environmental Justice Advisory Board conference call. 2:00. DEP
Contact: John Brakeall, 717-783-9731 or send email to: jbrakeall@pa.gov. (formal notice)
April 3-- NEW. DEP Hearing On Proposed Shell Ethane Pipeline. Central Valley High School
Auditorium 160 Baker Road Extension, Monaca, Beaver County. 6:30 to 8:30.
April 3-- 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)
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
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Building. 9:00. DEP Contact: Mike Maddigan, 717-772-3609, mmaddigan@pa.gov.
April 4-- NEW. DEP Hearing On Proposed Shell Ethane Pipeline. Burgettstown Area School
District Campus, LGI Room, 104 Bavington Road, Burgettstown, Washington County. 6:30 to
8:30.
April 5-- NEW. DEP Hearing On Proposed Shell Ethane Pipeline. Quaker Valley Middle School
Auditorium, 618 Harbaugh Street Sewickley, Allegheny County. 6:30 to 8:30.
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 9-- NEW. DEP Hearing Amending PA’s Air Quality Plan To Repeal Low-RVP Gasoline
Requirement In Pittsburgh Region. DEP’s Southwest Regional Office, 400 Waterfront Drive,
Pittsburgh. 1:00.
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-- CANCELED. DEP Environmental Justice Advisory Board conference call
rescheduled for April 3. DEP Contact: John Brakeall, 717-783-9731 or send email to:
jbrakeall@pa.gov. (formal notice)
April 10-- Center for Watershed Protection. 2018 National Watershed & Stormwater
Conference. Maryland and Virginia In-person and online.
April 11-- 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-- 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
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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-- 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-- 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
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)
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 21-- NEW. PA Resources Council. 2018 Reuse Fest. Children’s Hospital Employee
Parking Lot, 55th & Harrison Streets, Lawrenceville, Allegheny County. 10:00 to 2:00.
April 22-- Earth Day. What Are You Doing?
April 22-- Butler County Household Hazardous Waste & Electronics Waste Collection Event.
129 Ash Stop Road, Evans City, Butler County.
April 24-- 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-- 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.
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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.
(formal notice)
April 26-27-- PA Wilds Center Awards Dinner and Entrepreneur’s Conference. Pajama Factory,
Williamsport, Lycoming County.
April 28-- 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
April 28-- Delaware Highlands Conservancy. Foods Of The Delaware. Silver Birches
Waterfront, 205 PA 507, Hawley, Wayne County.
April 28-- Audubon Society of Western PA. Backyard Habitat Biodiversity Workshop.
Beechwood Farms Nature Reserve, 614 Dorseyville Road, Pittsburgh. 10:00.
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-- 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.
May 26-- Audubon Society of Western PA. Backyard Habitat Organic Garden Solution
Workshop. Beechwood Farms Nature Reserve, 614 Dorseyville Road, Pittsburgh. 10:00.
June 6-- DEP Storage Tank Advisory Committee meeting. Room 105 Rachel Carson Building.
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10:00. DEP Contact: Dawn Heimbach, 717-772-5556, daheimbach@pa.gov. (formal notice)
June 12-- 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-- 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.
June 23-- Audubon Society of Western PA. Backyard Habitat Flowers And Feathers, The
Connection Between Plants and Birds Workshop. Beechwood Farms Nature Reserve, 614
Dorseyville Road, Pittsburgh. 10:00.
July 25-27-- Registration Open. Professional Recyclers of PA. 28th Annual Recycling &
Organics Conference. Best Western Premier Hotel, Harrisburg.
July 28-- Audubon Society of Western PA. Backyard Habitat Gardening for Pollinators and
Butterflies Workshop. Beechwood Farms Nature Reserve, 614 Dorseyville Road, Pittsburgh.
10:00.
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 23-- Audubon Society of Western PA. Backyard Habitat Trees and Shrubs,
Supporting Wildlife In Winter Workshop. Beechwood Farms Nature Reserve, 614 Dorseyville
Road, Pittsburgh. 10:00.
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.
November 1-2-- PA Water And Wastewater Technology Summit. Penn Stater Conference
Center Hotel, State College.
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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
March 3, 2018 DEP Regulatory Agenda - PA Bulletin, Page 1374
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
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.
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Grants & Awards
This section gives you a heads up on upcoming deadlines for awards and grants and other
recognition programs. NEW means new from last week.
March 14-- NEW. Vote Now! Google Impact Challenge: Pittsburgh Landforce
March 15-- Northeast PA Audubon Society Hog Island Family Camp, Maine Scholarship
March 15-- EPA Environmental Education Grants
March 15-- NEW. Delaware Highlands Conservancy Voting For Favorite Bald Eagle Photo
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 23-- PA Wilds Champion Of PA Wilds Awards
March 23-- CFA Alternative & Clean Energy Funding
March 23-- CFA Renewable Energy-Geothermal & Wind Funding
March 23-- CFA Solar Energy Funding
March 23-- CFA High Performance Building Funding
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 1-- Grow Pittsburgh Community Garden Sustainability Grants
April 6-- Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program
April 6-- NEW. Chesapeake Bay Foundation Save The Bay Photo Contest
April 7-- DEP Local Recycling Implementation Grants
April 11-- DCNR Community Conservation Partnership Grants
April 12-- NFWF Delaware River Restoration Fund Grants
April 13-- NEW. NRCS-PA Farm Conservation Stewardship Contract Renewals
April 13-- PA American Water Protect Our Watersheds Student Art Contest
April 15-- DCNR Environmental Careers Camp
April 27-- NRCS-PA Conservation Innovation Grants
April 30-- Northeast PA Audubon Society College Scholarship
May 1-- Delaware River Basin Commission Spring Photo Contest
May 15-- Manada Conservancy Short Story Writing Contest
May 18-- CFA Alternative & Clean Energy Funding
May 18-- CFA Renewable Energy-Geothermal & Wind Funding
May 18-- CFA Solar Energy Funding
May 18-- CFA High Performance Building Funding
May 23-- SBA Flood Assistance Clearfield, Washington, 8 Other Counties
May 31-- CFA Act 13 Watershed Restoration Grants
May 31-- CFA Act 13 Abandoned Mine Drainage Abatement, Treatment Grants
May 31-- CFA Act 13 Orphaned Or Abandoned Well Plugging Grants
May 31-- CFA Act 13 Baseline Water Quality Data Grants
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May 31-- CFA Act 13 Sewage Facilities Program Grants
May 31-- CFA Act 13 Flood Mitigation Grants
May 31-- CFA Act 13 Greenways, Trails & Recreation Grants
June 30-- DEP Alternative Fuel Vehicle Rebates (first come, first serve)
July 20-- CFA Alternative & Clean Energy Funding
July 20-- CFA Renewable Energy-Geothermal & Wind Funding
July 20-- CFA Solar Energy Funding
July 20-- CFA High Performance Building Funding
September 15-- CFA Alternative & Clean Energy Funding
September 15-- CFA Renewable Energy-Geothermal & Wind Funding
September 15-- CFA Solar Energy Funding
September 15-- CFA High Performance Building Funding
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.
Air
Permits
Power Plant
Alternative Fuels
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Awards & Recognition
Biodiversity/Invasive Species
Spotted Lanternfly Spreads Beyond PA Farms, Orchids Into Backyards
Budget
Can PA’s Environmental Rights Amendment Protect Pennsylvanians From EPA Cuts?
Chesapeake Bay
Climate
Coal Mining
Sauro: DEP Outlines Appeal Process For Rosebud Mining Permits
OSHA Fines FirstEnergy, Enerfab For Deadly Accident
Frazier: Fatal Gas Leak At FirstEnergy Power Plant Draws OSHA Fines
Frazier: At Greene Coal County Mine, Dwindling Production Means 370 Lost Jobs
Pennsylvania Coal Production Holds Steady
Coal Emissions Legislation Ignites Debate Between 2 Pittsburgh Congressmen
House Republicans Say Weakening Coal Regulations Good For The Environment
Coal Industry Mired In Decline Despite Trump Pledges
Trump’s Steel Tariff Unlikely To Boost Coal Sector
DOE Pushing Small Modular Coal Power Plant Development
PJM: New Coal, Nuclear Generation Would Have Lost Money Last Year
Compliance Action
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Delaware River
Drinking Water
McKelvey: Steelton Water Plant Completes Upgrades, Mulls Privatization
New Map Shows Lead’s Poisonous Path In Philadelphia
Editorial: To Falsified Water-Meter Readings
Economic Development
Crable: Why Asian Visitors Flock To Middle Creek To See Snow Geese Spectacle
Pittsburgh Commission Acts On Riverfront Plans That Impact Development For Years
Philadelphia Sustainable Business Network Advances Holistic Approach To Business
Elliott Company Plans To Build Facility At Old Jeannette Glass Site
Education
Emergency Response
Low-Interest Loans Being Sought By Governor For Uniontown Tornado Victims
Energy
Power Plant
Power Line Company Takes 24 Franklin County Property Owners To Court
Frazier: Fatal Gas Leak At FirstEnergy Power Plant Draws OSHA Fines
Forgotten Hydropower Plots A Comeback In Trump Era
Coal Industry Mired In Decline Despite Trump Pledges
Saving FirstEnergy Power Plants Before Trump, FERC Again
PSEG Canceling Nuclear Plant Spending Due To Stalled Bailout Bill
Environmental Heritage
Farming
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School Board Urged Not To Break Trust By Taking Preserved Farmland
Nutrients
Crable: 2nd Manure Spill, 2,000 Gallons, Kill Fish In Lancaster County
Crable: Lancaster Dairy Farmers Told Their Milk No Longer Wanted
Washington County Agribusiness Wants To Sell Fruits, Vegetables, Moonshine
Central PA Dairy Families Fear Losing Farms As Milk Demand Drops
Flooding
AP: 20,000 Still Without Power In Pennsylvania After Storms
Crews Making Headway With Power Outages
Gov. Wolf Announces Disaster Emergency, Turnpike Widens Its Ban
Storm Closes Capitol Complex, Other State Offices Wednesday
Maykuth: PECO Customers May Benefit From Back-To-Back Storms
Some Pittsburgh Floodgates Aren’t Working
Upper Burrell Using Various Funding Sources To Deal With Landslides
Lower Burrell Works To Fix Kinloch Flash Flooding, Stormwater Woes
AP: 113,000 Still Without Power In PA As Another Storm Looms
PPL, Met-Ed Hustle To Restore Power In PA Following Nor’easter
Reeling And In The Dark, Eastern PA Braces For More Snow
SEPTA, PECO Slowly Resolving Nor’easter Complications
Food Buried In Snow, Living With Inlaws, Philadelphia Area Residents Cope Without Power
Why Do Many Trees Came Down During Recent Storm
Mount Airy Casino Sheltered 150 Travelers Stranded By Nor’easter
AP: Storm Cuts Power To Almost 600,000, Kills 1 In PA
Schools Close, Storm Frustration Grows As 99,000 Still Without Power In Southeast
One Of The Worst Storms In PECO’s History Complicates Utility Reponse
Storm Triggers Scramble To Restore Power, Transit, Schools
2 Days And Counting For Nor’easter Power Victims
Mon Wharf In Pittsburgh To Remain Closed Monday For Cleanup
More Than 135,000 Electricity Customers Still Without Power In PA
PECO Brings In Out-Of-State Crews To Help Restore Power To 125,000
Nor’easter Could Leave Some In Northeast Without Power For Days
Nor’easter Tore Through PA Suburbs, Thousands Remain Without Power
Thousands Left Without Power As Damaging Winds Caused Chaos In Lancaster County
Why The Storm Stopped SEPTA In Its Tracks
Multiple State Agencies Offer Support In Response To Nor’easter
Bus Passenger Stranded In Storm On I-80 Describes Experience
70
I-80 Travelers Stranded Overnight As Gov. Wolf Sends National Guard Troops To Poconos
AP: Train Cars Carrying Pipe Blown Off Tracks In PA During Storm
Storm Causes Freight Train To Derail On Bridge, Plummets Into Susquehanna River
Landslide Cleared, Route 51 Ramps To West End Reopen
Forests
Flight 93 Memorial Seeks 400 Volunteers To Plant Trees In Somerset
Spotted Lanternfly Spreads Beyond PA Farms, Orchids Into Backyards
Plans Debated For Forest Along The Susquehanna River
Schneck: Maple Sugaring Events, Science, Recipes And More
Geological Hazards/Resources
Green Buildings
Green Building Standards Gaining Ground
Hazardous Materials
Train Collides With Tanker Carrying Hydrochloric Acid In Washington County
AP: People Evacuated After Train Hits Truck Carrying Acid
Governor Responds To Acid Spill After Train Strikes Truck In Washington County
Federal Investigation Launched Into Train, Truck Crash In Washington County
AP: Road Reopens After Train-Truck Crash, Acid Spill
Laboratories
Lake Erie
AP: EPA Plan Seeks Cuts In Pollution That Causes Lake Erie Algae
2 Years Later, Erie County Still Waiting For Marine Sanctuary Designation
Great Lakes Advocates To Ask Congress For Water Protections
Land Conservation
Land Recycling
Elliott Company Plans To Build Facility At Old Jeannette Glass Site
Littering/Illegal Dumping
Western PA Communities Prepare To Combat Litter In Great American Cleanup
Philly Region’s Trashy Highways Have PennDOT Spending Half Its Cleanup Budget In 5
Counties
PRC, Allegheny CleanWays Film Festival Aims To Boost Environmental Activism
Mine Reclamation
Oil & Gas
Power Plant
Some In Jessup Worried About Natural Gas Power Plant Emissions Impacts
71
Legere: Feds OK Drilling Wastewater Disposal Well In Plum
Plum Drilling Wastewater Injection Well Will Get EPA Permit
Cusick/Sisk: Why Some Striking It Rich In The Gas Patch, Others Strike Out
Conventional Oil & Gas Drillers Meet March 21 On Abandoned Wells, Other Issues
Quarterly Report Shows Increase Of 9+ Percent In Natural Gas Production
Washington, Greene Counties Among Natural Gas Production Leaders In State
Trump Rattles Pipeline Industry By Going Rogue With Steel Imports Tariff
WV Advances Bill Allowing Gas Drilling Where 75% Of Landowners Agree
Pipelines
Pipeline Near Exton
Sinkholes
Shutdown
Construction
Radiation Protection
Crable: Three Mile Island, Peach Bottom Plants Get Good Grades For 2017
PSEG Canceling Nuclear Plant Spending Due To Stalled Bailout Bill
Radon
Crable: High Radon Levels Prompt State To Offer Free Tests In 2 Lancaster Townships
DEP Offers Free Radon Tests To 10,000 Central PA Residents In High Radon Areas
Recreation
72
Recycling/Waste
Unity Supervisors Consider Day To Collect TVs, Household Hazardous Waste
Blair Municipalities Try Food Waste Project
Renewable Energy
Sisk: PA Tackles Problem Of How To Get More Electricity From The Sun
Stormwater
ALCOSAN Getting $65 Million Sewage Fix Project In Cheswick, Harmar, Springdale
Lower Burrell Residents Urged To Attend Thursday Session On Stormwater
Susquehanna River
Deal Struck To End Fight Between Township, Susquehanna River Islander
Sustainability
Philadelphia Sustainable Business Network Advances Holistic Approach To Business
Wastewater Facilities
Watershed Protection
Nutrients
Op-Ed: Why We Need To Do More To Protect Water Quality In The Philadelphia Region
Lower Burrell Residents Urged To Attend Thursday Session On Stormwater
Governor Releases Funds For Children’s Lake Repairs In Boiling Springs
2 Years Later, Erie County Still Waiting For Marine Sanctuary Designation
Salt Boosts Safety During Storms, But Poses A Threat To Fresh Water
Pittsburgh Commission Acts On Riverfront Plans That Impact Development For Years
73
Click Here to subscribe to the Chesapeake Bay Journal
Wildlife
Frye: Shenango River Pollution Investigation To Continue As Changes Occur
Northmoreland Park Lake Stocked With Truckload Of Trout, Other Stocking Dates
Frye: Upper Delaware River Wild Trout To Get A Closer Look
Crable: Why Asian Visitors Flock To Middle Creek To See Snow Geese Spectacle
Record Snow Geese Flocking To Middle Creek
Snowy Owls Calling Philadelphia Airport Their Winter Home
Audubon PA: Birding In Philadelphia’s Forgotten Habitats
Harrisburg Falcons Are On Egg Watch!
2nd Pair Of Peregrine Falcons Making Themselves At Home In Delaware Water Gap
Schneck: Golden Eagles Migrating North Thru Skies Over PA, Here’s Where To See Them
Webcam Helps Expose Secret Lives Of Harmar Eagles
Frye: Massasauga Rattlesnake Responds To Habitat Work
Schneck: Hunters Prepare For New Attempt To Expand Sunday Hunting
Crable: Lancaster County Leads State With 19 Rabies Cases In 2017
Frye: Hunters Ignore Warnings, Eat Deer With Chronic Wasting Disease
Schneck: First Pennsylvania Wildflowers You’re About To See
Other
PRC, Allegheny CleanWays Film Festival Aims To Boost Environmental Activism
Editorial: A Clean Start On Pittsburgh Transit
Federal Policy
EDF: Trump’s Budget Office Reports Regulations Brought Billions In Benefits
Op-Ed: Scott Pruitt Is Leading EPA Toward Greatness
AP: EPA Plan Seeks Cuts In Pollution That Causes Lake Erie Algae
Great Lakes Advocates To Ask Congress For Water Protections
Forgotten Hydropower Plots A Comeback In Trump Era
Trump Rattles Pipeline Industry By Going Rogue With Steel Imports Tariff
74
AP: Trump EPA Appointee Gets OK To Consult For Outside Clients
Click Here For This Week's Allegheny Front Radio Program
Regulations, Technical Guidance & Permits
The Environmental Quality Board published notice in the March 10 PA Bulletin of a correction
to proposed amendments to Storage Tank and Spill Prevention Program regulations.
The Governor’s Executive Board published notice in the March 10 PA Bulletin of a

reorganization of the Department of Environmental Protection.
Pennsylvania Bulletin - March 10, 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
Proposed Regulations With Closed Comment Periods - DEP webpage
Recently Finalized Regulations - DEP webpage
DEP Regulatory Update - DEP webpage
March 3, 2018 DEP Regulatory Agenda - PA Bulletin, Page 1374
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 March 10 PA Bulletin -
pages 1429 to 1476.
The Department of Environmental Protection invites comments on two proposed technical

guidance documents to implement Act 26 related to considering alternative onlot septic systems
in Act 537 sewage planning. (formal notice)
DEP published notice in the March 10 PA Bulletin of the schedule for calculating bond amounts
on noncoal mining operations.
DEP published notice in the March 10 PA Bulletin it has awarded Household Hazardous Waste
Education Grants to local governments in Bucks, Centre, Crawford, Venango and Warren
75
counties.
PennVEST, DEP published notice in the March 10 PA Bulletin of environmental assessments

approved for project receiving PennVEST funding.
DEP published notice in the March 10 PA Bulletin of a federal consistency finding under the
Coastal Zone Management Act for the construction of a stormwater outfall at Presque Isle Bay in
Erie.
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 78 pages long.
Stories Invited
Send your stories, photos and links to videos about your project, environmental issues or
programs for publication in the PA Environment Digest to: PaEnviroDigest@gmail.com.
PA Environment Digest is edited by David E. Hess, former Secretary Pennsylvania Department

76
of Environmental Protection, and is published as a service of Crisci Associates, a
Harrisburg-based government and public affairs firm whose clients include Fortune 500
companies and nonprofit organizations.
Did you know you can search back issues since May 28, 2004 of the PA Environment Digest on
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Issue #715 ​Crisci Associates​, Harrisburg, PA March 12, 2018

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

The Public Utility Commission late Wednesday issued an

Sinkholes In Chester County Blamed On Mariner East 2 Pipeline, Exposed Portion Of

2018 Appalachian Trail Hall Of Fame Inductees Announced

The eighth class of ​Appalachian Trail Hall of Fame

(Reprinted from the ​Appalachian Trail Museum​ website.)

You can make a real difference in people’s lives and

PA Chesapeake Bay Watershed Planning Committee Meets March 16 To Hear Draft

The ​PA Chesapeake Bay Watershed Planning Steering

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

Committee Meeting Agendas This Week

Senate:​ <> ​Click Here​ for full Senate Committee Schedule.

Bills Pending In Key Committees

The following bills of interest were introduced last week--

Native Vegetation:​ ​House Bill 2131​ (Quigley-R-Montgomery) encouraging PennDOT to plan

Transition To 100% Renewable Energy:​ ​House Bill 2132​ (Rabb-D-Philadelphia) providing

By Robert Hughes, ​Eastern PA Coalition For Abandoned Mine Reclamation

Pennsylvania Congressmen have the opportunity to bring

News From The Capitol

PA Clean Transportation Infrastructure Bill To Be Considered By House Committee

House Committee To Consider Microgrids Proposal March 12

News From Around The State

Trout Unlimited: Measuring Success In The West Branch Susquehanna Watershed

The West Branch Susquehanna drains an area of

(Reprinted from the ​Trout Unlimited Blog​.)

DEP: Jeansville Mine Fire On Track To Be Fully Extinguished In Carbon County

The Department of Environmental Protection

Philadelphia Cobbs Creek Watershed Stewardship Program Now Accepting Applications

The ​Philadelphia Water Department​ and ​Land

The ​2017 Annual Report​ from the

Lehigh Valley Watershed Issues Listening Session To Convene March 12 In Bethlehem

Schuylkill River Recreation Summit March 16 In Valley Forge, Montgomery County

The ​Schuylkill Action Network​ will be hosting the

The ​Chesapeake Bay Foundation​ will be

By: Melanie Williams, Community Relations Coordinator, Northwest Regional Office

​Even a late winter snowstorm and a 5-inch

(Reprinted from ​DEP Blog​.)

NRCS-PA Offers Renewal Options For Expiring Farm Conservation Stewardship

Agricultural producers wanting to enhance

DEP Invites Comments On Guidance To Implement Act 26 On Alternative Onlot Septic

The Department of Environmental Protection invites comments on two proposed technical

Department of Environmental Protection Secretary Patrick

Alexander Grattan, a student at ​Keystone Oaks

PRC: 2018 Schedule Of Drug Take-Back, Hard-To-Recycle, Household Chemical, Reuse

The Department of Environmental Protection and local

The ​Association for Royalty Owners Pennsylvania Chapter​ will

DEP's ​Finding PA's Solar Future Stakeholder Group

The Department of Environmental Protection is scheduled to hold a hearing April 9 on a

The ​Sustainable Pittsburgh Challenge​ team will

Homeowners in eight townships in central Pennsylvania will

The Department of Environmental Protection Monday announced it will collect a $600,000

Sustainable Pittsburgh: Building (Or Rebuilding) Communities And Including Every

Sustainable Pittsburgh​ will host a webinar on March 14

DCNR Announces Award Of $425,700 In ATV Trail, Facility Grants

The Department of Conservation and Natural Resources

White-water boating enthusiasts once again will

Department of Conservation and Natural Resources

By: Greg Czarnecki, Climate Change & Research Coordinator, DCNR

When the temperature drops and the snow

March 7 DCNR Resource Newsletter Now Available

Central PA Conservancy Acquires Watercress Farm At Letort Spring Run Headwaters In

PennFuture​ said Thursday it strongly opposes the General

The ​Brodhead Chapter of Trout Unlimited​ will honor ​John

Issue #715 Crisci Associates, Harrisburg, PA March 12, 2018

PA Environment Digest Blog Twitter Feed PaEnviroDigest Google+

The eighth class of Appalachian Trail Hall of Fame

(Reprinted from the Appalachian Trail Museum website.)

The PA Chesapeake Bay Watershed Planning Steering

Senate: <> Click Here for full Senate Committee Schedule.

Native Vegetation: House Bill 2131 (Quigley-R-Montgomery) encouraging PennDOT to plan

Transition To 100% Renewable Energy: House Bill 2132 (Rabb-D-Philadelphia) providing

By Robert Hughes, Eastern PA Coalition For Abandoned Mine Reclamation

(Reprinted from the Trout Unlimited Blog.)

The Philadelphia Water Department and Land

The 2017 Annual Report from the

The Schuylkill Action Network will be hosting the

The Chesapeake Bay Foundation will be

Even a late winter snowstorm and a 5-inch

(Reprinted from DEP Blog.)

Alexander Grattan, a student at Keystone Oaks

The Association for Royalty Owners Pennsylvania Chapter will

DEP's Finding PA's Solar Future Stakeholder Group

The Sustainable Pittsburgh Challenge team will

Sustainable Pittsburgh will host a webinar on March 14

PennFuture said Thursday it strongly opposes the General

The Brodhead Chapter of Trout Unlimited will honor John

By Roy D. Nagle, Director Of Environmental Health & Safety, Juniata College

Northern Map Turtles are a long-lived

The Delaware River Basin Commission Tuesday announced

April 22-- 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+

PA Environment Digest Blog Twitter Feed PaEnviroDigest Google+

The Governor’s Executive Board published notice in the March 10 PA Bulletin of a

PennVEST, DEP published notice in the March 10 PA Bulletin of environmental assessments

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

Also take advantage of these related services from Crisci Associates--

PA Environment Digest is a supporting member of the Pennsylvania Outdoor Writers