PA Environment Digest An Update On Environmental Issues In PA Edited By: David E. Hess, Crisci Associates Winner 2009 PAEE Business Partner Of The Year Award Harrisburg, Pa May 18, 2015 PennAg Industries Corrects The Record: They Do Not Support Senate Bill 724 The PennAg Industries Association on Wednesday sent a letter to Sen. David Argall (R­Schuylkill) saying they “do not support [Senate Bill 724] as currently written due to our issues and concerns, contrary to a statement made by Ed Schafer, Bion Environmental Technologies, at a Senate Committee hearing May 6 where he said they did.

Attached to the letter was a list of nearly three dozen questions PennAg had about the bill. The text of the letter follows­­

Dear Chairman Argall: In light of the May 6, 2015 Senate Policy Committee Public Hearing on wastewater and

stormwater issues and legislation providing for the creation of a watershed improvement plan, the PennAg Board of Directors felt it was imperative that the record be clarified as to the position of PennAg Industries Association. Ed Schafer, Chairman of the Coalition for an Affordable Bay Solution testified that PennAg supports SB 724. That is not accurate. At the time of the hearing, the PennAg Board of Directors had yet to take a position on SB 724.

Since then, the PennAg Board of Directors have convened and discussed the merits of SB 724 as currently drafted and have a list of concerns regarding this bill. At this time and due to these concerns, the official position of PennAg is “Do not support the bill as currently written due to our issues and concerns”.

PennAg staff would like to meet with the applicable staff as well as other individuals or groups to discuss re­drafting this bill in a manner to satisfy our questions and concerns.

With that said, PennAg is supportive of innovative technologies and solutions as referenced in our official statement from 2011 (attached). Please note that we stipulate our support for technologies which advance Pennsylvania Agriculture. With that, Pennsylvania Agriculture is very diverse in size, scope, commodities raised in addition to a variety of topography challenges. Therefore an array of technologies and solutions must be available to truly meet the needs of our diverse agriculture community.

To further expand upon this issue, I can be reached at cherr@pennag.com or at (717) 651­5920. Sincerely, Christian R. Herr Executive Vice President PennAg

The text of the questions follows­­ Pennsylvania’s obligation in the Chesapeake Bay Restoration is to add Nitrogen,

Phosphorus and Sediment. At this time, the Commonwealth is making slow progress on Nitrogen and Phosphorus but little headway on the issue of Sediment Reductions. In regards to SB 724:

a. Will each technology be required to document reductions of Nitrogen, Phosphorus and Sediment before funding is committed?

b. Will each technology be required to be approved by EPA for credit in the Bay Model prior to receiving taxpayer dollars?

c. Will funding be allocated on a “sliding scale” based on the number of issues the technology will address? For example: an application will receive maximum funding if the technology addresses Nitrogen, Phosphorus and Sediment or partial funding if it only addresses one of those issues?

d. Will SB 724 fund “startup/experimental” technologies? What constitutes a “successful” technology – a system that works one week a quarter? A system that functions daily? How will the technologies be monitored to ensure performance at a level to ensure compliance and improvement to water quality therefore netting Pennsylvania improvements towards Bay obligations?

e. Where will the funds come from for this work? The bill references “State Treasury – Special Fund”. Is this a new funding stream? Is it possible that funds will be redirected from existing agriculture funding programs to fund the work of SB 724? Does SB 724 insinuate that it is the taxpayers’ responsibility to pay for a technology who defaults on a loan?

f. When considering “economies of scale”, what is the smallest size/volume of manure generated for these technologies to receive funding? Pennsylvania has in excess of 59,000 farms across the Commonwealth; will all 59,000 farms be eligible for funding under SB 724?

g. Will “smaller” farms have to compete in the RFP to receive funding? Operational reality is that the smaller farms may not have the time, resources or ability to complete a lengthy RFP.

h. Will SB 724 award projects on an individual watershed basis or will funds be targeted to specific animal dense locations? How will SB 724 ensure equitable distribution of funds to ensure environmental justice across Pennsylvania?

i. SB 724 addresses the topic of credit generation and necessary prices for credits – how will this compliment or differ from the existing nutrient credit trading program currently functioning in Pennsylvania? Within the intent of SB 724, where will authority for this credit trading reside? How will the price for credits be determined? The current structure of credits prices credits around $2. SB 724 references credits around $11 – why the difference and who is paying for the price difference? Will it be the responsibility of DEP (Department of Environmental Protection) to verify the credits? If so, have EPA endorsed this concept?

j. Within SB 724 and the focus on an RFP, credit generation and resale – how will this be applicable to all farms across the Commonwealth when under the current trading criteria, a farm must be a baseline before eligible to trade and then can only trade on the excess (above baseline). If SB 724 focus is on farms above baseline, how many farms are then eligible to submit an RFP and be a successful recipient of funding? EPA and DEP have already documented that smaller farms are the ones needing cost share, technical assistance and practices installed to improve water quality. That implies that these farms have not achieved baseline and therefore would be not eligible under the intent of SB 724.

k. If state funds are used to launch technologies under SB 724, what are the criteria for

repayment of the funds? What are the consequences if funds are not repaid? Must the technology companies provide documentation to ensure they are credible and stand behind their technology’s claims for reductions and overall environmental improvement?

l. What research has Pennsylvania conducted to show a demand for the structure outlined in SB 724? Does the research identify the number of the farms who would apply for the RFP and does the research anticipate the benefit to Pennsylvania in meeting the Bay obligations SB 724?

m. What is DEP’s role in SB 724? Will SB 724 necessitate a new regulatory program within the Department of Environmental Protection? Where will the funds come from to cover this expense? Could staffing and funds be redirected from existing DEP Bureaus to comply with SB 724?

As stated in our letter to Senator David Argall (dated May 13, 2015); PennAg supports the use of technologies as one of the approaches for the Commonwealth to utilize. However, there is not one, stand­alone solution which will generate the results for Pennsylvania to meet the Bay obligations. Instead, Pennsylvania will need to implement a suite of solutions across many urban and rural sectors to truly achieve the goals outlined for the State.

A copy of the letter and attachments is available online. The PennAg Industries Association represents agribusiness in Pennsylvania of all sizes

and types that support and serve the entire food chain and is based in Harrisburg. Action You Can Take: The Chesapeake Bay Foundation­PA has said Senate Bill 724

could derail clean water efforts in Pennsylvania. Click Here to learn more and to sign up to be alerted in the future if the Sen. Vogel threatens to take action on this bill. Related Articles: Analysis: Why Bion Is The Force Behind SB 724 Bion Says It Doesn’t Have To Pay Back $7.8 Million PennVEST Loan Senate Hearing Offers Incomplete, Misleading Picture Of Water Quality Cleanup Efforts Chesapeake Bay Foundation­PA: SB 724 Could Derail Clean Water Efforts In PA PA Environmental Council Cites Concerns, Opposes Senate Bill 724 NewsClips: Cancerous Fish Sparks Further Discussion Of Susquehanna Health IUP Students Test, Analyze Water Supply In Westmoreland Chest Creek Alliance Receives Funding, Training For Stream Monitoring Conservation District Starts Work On Penn Twp Stormwater Plan 1,700 Students Attend Great Lakes Children’s Water Festival Ohio Asks Neighboring States To Help Fight Lake Erie’s Algae U.S. House Passes Bill To Block Obama’s Clean Water Rule Starbucks Taps Pittston Company For Branded Water Latest From The Chesapeake Bay Journal Action You Can Take: Tell Sen. Vogel To Stop Trying To Derail Clean Water Efforts

What action can you take to express your opposition to Senate Bill 724 which the Chesapeake Bay Foundation­PA says could derail clean water efforts in Pennsylvania?

First, Click Here to learn more about the issue.

Second, Click Here to sign up for CBF’s Action Network so you can be alerted if the bill is moving.

Third, call or send email to Sen. Elder Vogel (R­Beaver), the prime sponsor of the bill, to tell him to stop his efforts to derail clean water in Pennsylvania. Sen. Vogel’s Harrisburg office telephone is: 717­787­3076. His district office is 724­774­0444. His email address is: evogel@pasen.gov. Related Articles: Analysis: Why Bion Is The Force Behind SB 724 Bion Says It Doesn’t Have To Pay Back $7.8 Million PennVEST Loan Senate Hearing Offers Incomplete, Misleading Picture Of Water Quality Cleanup Efforts PennAG Industries Corrects The Record, They Do Not Support SB 724 Chesapeake Bay Foundation­PA: SB 724 Could Derail Clean Water Efforts In PA PA Environmental Council Cites Concerns, Opposes Senate Bill 724 Analysis: A Battle Brewing On Eliminating Forested Stream Buffers, Again When House Bill 1565 (Hahn­R­Lehigh) was originally introduced at the request of the PA Builders Association in 2013 it said simply, “The use or installation of riparian buffers and riparian forest buffers shall not be required under this section.”

Now the Builders Association is unhappy again because DEP is implementing the final language they agreed to in the final version of the bill signed into law as Act 162.

House Bill 1565 was introduced in response to 2010 changes to Chapter 102 of DEP’s regulations that required 150 foot stream buffers in Exceptional Value and High Quality Watersheds, Pennsylvania’s highest quality streams.

The regulations included a whole series of exemptions and waivers from the requirement, including: a project site located greater than 150 feet from a named waterbody; activities involving less than one acres of earth disturbance; activities when a permit is not required under Chapter 102; activities where the permit was acquired before November 19, 2010; road maintenance activities; repair and maintenance of existing pipelines and utilities; oil, gas, timber harvesting or mining activities; single family homes not part of a larger common plan or development; and activities authorized by a Department permit under another Chapter or title.

By the time is was signed into law as Act 162 in late 2014, the bill was opposed by environmental groups, but still supported by the PA Builders Association.

The final language allowed DEP to impose the stream buffer or “another option or options” that were “substantially equivalent” to a riparian buffer in all watersheds.

For projects in Exceptional Value and High Quality Watersheds, Act 162 required that developers offset any reduction in total square footage of forest buffer proposed as an alternative to a buffer to be made up by a replacement stream buffer in another part of the watershed.

The PA Builders Association is now unhappy, again, with the way DEP is implementing the law the Association supported because they think it’s too complicated.

DEP announced a series of technical guidance documents beginning in December to

implement Act 162 and define very vague language in the act like “substantially equivalent,” how alternatives to a forested buffer would be evaluated by DEP and how the agency would judge proposals to offset the reduction of stream buffers in other parts of the watershed.

DEP also did away with the waivers to the Chapter 102 buffer requirements because Act 162 outlined new procedures for buffers in special protection watersheds.

DEP declined to require stream buffers in all watersheds, even though Act 162 specifically authorizes it.

Now the Builders Association is saying DEP’s process is too complicated, too costly and too slow. DEP, they say, missed the point of Act 162, which they said was to simplify the process.

DEP says they are just following the law and they are. It was unreasonable of the Builders to expect the permit process to be simpler when the

language they agreed to had undefined terms like “substantially equivalent,” allowed DEP to evaluate alternatives to buffers and very general language outlining an offset program which did not even define where replacements could be sited.

Although the final language of Act 162 was a significant improvement, from an environmental viewpoint, over the original prohibition, the fact is the Builders agreed to a more complex permit process. In fact, they and members of the Senate at the time were told that.

Now the Builders are complaining again. With those complaints they reveal, again, their real position­­ they don’t want to be

“burdened” by the buffer requirement, even though the developer behind the Builders Association initiative told the Chesapeake Bay Foundation they use buffers and recognize them as a selling point in their high end, lakefront developments.

Yes, there were legitimate, very narrow circumstances where DEP’s original Chapter 102 buffer requirement did cause problems. But the Builders Association tried to use a meataxe, rather than a scalpel to deal with the problem, frankly like they usually do.

With the Builders Association agitating again on stream buffers, the environmental community will have to once again gear up for battle.

This time the Builders might go for what they really want­­ to eliminate the buffer requirement entirely, even though it is one of the most cost­effective ways to reduce nutrient and sediment pollution going to streams.

Be watching. Common sense may not prevail. NewsClips: Cancerous Fish Sparks Further Discussion Of Susquehanna Health IUP Students Test, Analyze Water Supply In Westmoreland Chest Creek Alliance Receives Funding, Training For Stream Monitoring Conservation District Starts Work On Penn Twp Stormwater Plan 1,700 Students Attend Great Lakes Children’s Water Festival Ohio Asks Neighboring States To Help Fight Lake Erie’s Algae U.S. House Passes Bill To Block Obama’s Clean Water Rule Starbucks Taps Pittston Company For Branded Water Latest From The Chesapeake Bay Journal Senate Committee Recommends Confirmation Of Cindy Dunn For DCNR

The Senate Environmental Resources and Energy Committee Wednesday unanimously recommended Cindy Dunn be confirmed as Secretary of the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, but only after questions about her role as CEO of PennFuture.

“It makes a lot of folks uncomfortable that there's so many in pretty high­profile positions, some that are approved by the Senate and confirmed, others that are not [from PennFuture]. But it leads to some uneasiness, I guess,” said Sen. Scott Hutchinson (R­Venango), referring to Dunn, Acting DEP Secretary John Quigley and John Hanger, Secretary Of Policy in the Governor’s Office.

Sen. Yaw questioned Dunn about a report issued by PennFuture while she was there raising issues over surface and mineral rights in the Loyalsock State Forest recommending Gov. Wolf take steps to protect the Forest from drilling, including “exhaustion of all viable legal strategies.”

Sen. Yaw felt the recommendation was analogous to a SLAPP lawsuit designed to discourage certain activities. “Maybe you don’t like the rights, but they have them and we have to honor them”

Dunn, acknowledging the Loyalsock issue is fairly complex, any decision on legal action would be handled by the Governor’s Office of General Counsel. She noted she, personally, has not be able to delve into it.

Dunn defended PennFuture as a well­respected organization that is perhaps misunderstood at times.

Sen. Yaw then said he recognized, as CEO, she had an obligation to her organization and made the motion to support her nomination.

The nomination now goes to the full Senate which has until June 9 to act on her confirmation.

Click Here for a copy of Acting Secretary Dunn’s confirmation remarks. Sen. Gene Yaw (R­Lycoming) serves as Majority Chair of the Committee and Sen. John

Yudichak (D­Luzerne) serves as Minority Chair. NewsClip: Senate Committee Sends Dunn Nomination To Full Senate Confirmation Remarks By Cindy Dunn, Acting DCNR Secretary Here is the text of the introductory remarks by Acting DCNR Secretary Cindy Dunn at her confirmation hearing before the Senate Environmental Resources and Energy Committee Wednesday­­

Good Morning. Chairman Yaw, Chairman Yudichak, Senators and guests. It is a pleasure to appear before the committee regarding my nomination to become the sixth secretary of the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources.

I have appreciated the opportunity to meet individually with many Senate members. I am grateful for the time and courtesy extended to me, and I value our conversations and the opportunity to work with each of you in the months ahead.

I am honored to be nominated by Governor Wolf to lead DCNR. The agency’s programs and services are steeped in history, with parks and forests programs dating back more than 100 years. DCNR is built upon a solid foundation established by tremendous conservation leaders including former Governor Gifford Pinchot, Joseph Rothrock and Maurice Goddard.

In the lobby of our building that bears her name, my portrait hangs next to Rachel

Carson, providing me with a daily reminder of the footsteps that I follow in and our legacy of conservation.

DCNR’s mission is just as important now as it was 100 years ago — maybe even more — and will continue to play a vital role in the future of Pennsylvania: maintaining and improving state parks; managing state forest lands to assure their long­term health, sustainability and economic use; administering grant and technical assistance programs that promote land conservation and sustainable communities; and providing outdoor connections for our citizens and visitors.

I am very familiar with the department, having served in several leadership posts at DCNR, including as deputy secretary where I led the department’s conservation landscape program and oversaw the Community Conservation Partnerships grant program

Even more important to my passion for the environment, conservation and public service, however, was my Dad, who worked as a division chief in the former Department of Forests and Waters and often took our family to visit his projects in our state parks and forests for vacation. I also have worked in the private sector, leading environmental groups Audubon Pennsylvania, the Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay and Citizens for Pennsylvania’s Future.

My hobbies, including birding, fishing, canoeing and hiking, also make me a customer for our agency as well as an employee. On many weekends I can be found on a trail or the water in a local, or state park or forest.

And now, I find myself in a new way responsible for protecting and enhancing the very resources and outdoor opportunities I have enjoyed my entire life.

Many of you asked what I would like to focus on if confirmed as secretary of DCNR. During my time at the department, I intend to work with Governor Wolf to provide parks

that inspire; forests that support jobs and wildlife; and technical know­how that will create a greener Pennsylvania.

I also want to improve upon the three pillars of our agency’s mission – Stewardship, Partnership and Service.

I will expect DCNR staff to continue to look beyond the ordinary. We will look for new and imaginative solutions to move our work forward. I have no doubt DCNR employees will deliver what we ask of them.

Of course, I will look to forge strong relationships with you and your colleagues in the General Assembly. We both serve the same constituents, so a free and constant dialogue is necessary to satisfy their needs. I pledge to you DCNR will continue to be accessible and responsive.

I’d like to leave you with an underlying thought. Most people don’t think of DCNR as an economic development agency.

However, studies show that the visitors to state parks help local communities prosper, generating a billion dollars each year in economic activity and supporting 13,000 jobs. Our certified well­managed forest system supports the state’s multi­billion dollar timber and energy industries as well as providing clean water and air, hiking and other outdoor activities, scenic beauty and habitat.

Some of the country’s biggest cities, like Pittsburgh and Philadelphia, and Pennsylvania’s small towns like Confluence in southwestern Pennsylvania, Ridgway in the Pennsylvania Wilds and Jim Thorpe in the Poconos, have recognized the value of their rivers, trails and parks as amenities that spur business development and draw people to downtowns.

As Pennsylvania’s largest land manager, recreation provider and community recreation partner, DCNR is well positioned to lead outdoor recreation initiatives that will invigorate citizens and communities, encourage healthy lifestyles, create jobs that pay and promote environmental stewardship.

Strengthening and institutionalizing these and other efforts this year and next, and working to connect deeply to communities and partners will be our focus.

My vision for this department is to make it the best conservation agency in the country, because how we manage our lands; protect our open spaces; grow our communities; inspire our citizens; and protect precious habitat will shape our future as Pennsylvanians.

It would be an honor to follow in the footsteps of the great conservation leaders before me. I ask that you give me the opportunity to do so. Thank you for your consideration. NewsClip: Senate Committee Sends Dunn Nomination To Full Senate Senate, DEP Celebrates 20th Anniversary Of The Land Recycling Program With Video The Senate Wednesday adopted a resolution recognizing the 20th anniversary of Pennsylvania’s Land Recycling Program to coincide with the PA Brownfields Conference being held in Erie this week. The resolution was sponsored by Sen. Gene Yaw (R­Lycoming), Majority Chair of the Senate Environmental Resources and Energy Committee.

Hundreds of redevelopment and remediation experts from across the northeast gathered at the Erie Bayfront Convention Center May 13 for the 2015 Pennsylvania Brownfields Conference.

Acting DEP Secretary John Quigley delivered the keynote address, commemorating the 20th anniversary of the signing of Acts 2, 3, and 4, the cornerstone statutes of Pennsylvania’s Land Recycling Program.

Video Unveiled Quigley also unveiled a new video, The 20th Anniversary of Pennsylvania's Land

Recycling Program, which honors the legacy of land recycling in Pennsylvania. The text of the Senate resolution follows­­

A RESOLUTION Commemorating the 20th anniversary of the passage and signing into law of Acts 2, 3 and 4 creating Pennsylvania’s Land Recycling “Brownfields” Program on May 19, 1995.

WHEREAS, Pennsylvania had thousands of abandoned, neglected and unwanted industrial, manufacturing and commercial properties across the Commonwealth with real and unknown environmental and public health hazards which were not being cleaned up and made safe;

WHEREAS, Private individuals, local governments, economic development agencies and commercial landowners faced with the challenge of using these sites for valuable economic purposes, eliminating these hazards and promoting the productive reuse of these properties found existing state laws and regulations did not set consistent, uniform environmental cleanup standards, and did not offer a clear process for reviewing and approving cleanup plans;

WHEREAS, Banks, other financial institutions and economic development agencies were reluctant and often did not even consider providing funding for the voluntary environmental cleanup and reuse of industrial and manufacturing sites because of the lack of clear standards and environmental liability concerns;

WHEREAS, The lack of a voluntary cleanup and reuse program resulted in an eroding tax base and a loss of jobs and economic opportunity in cities and communities all over the Commonwealth;

WHEREAS, Farmland and open space was lost as development pushed into greenfield areas, rather than having growing businesses reuse existing commercial properties in already developed areas with the infrastructure needed to support commercial reuse;

WHEREAS, The Senate Environmental Resources and Energy Committee saw action was needed to attract private investment to voluntarily clean up these environmental hazards and initiated a consensus building process on May 22, 1992, with the introduction of Senate Bill 1734, Session of 1992, with eight sponsors;

WHEREAS, In the next session on April 22, 1993, an improved draft, Senate Bill 972, was introduced with 46 sponsors, and the consensus building continued utilizing both the Senate Environmental Resources and Energy and Community and Economic Development committees during a tumultuous period of time when the majority of the Senate moved from one party to the other and the committee responsibilities moved from one set of chairman to another;

WHEREAS, Despite the political changes in the Senate, the two committees worked in a bipartisan way holding eight public hearings, hearing from 84 witnesses, and solicited input by sending copies of five separate proposals to more than 2,000 interested citizens;

WHEREAS, Senate Bill 972 was passed by vote of 44 to 2 and sent to the House of Representatives and was considered in the House Conservation Committee and reported it out of committee on October 5, 1994, but went no further.

WHEREAS, Senate Bills 1, 11 and 12, were introduced in the next Session on January 17, 1995, and were passed by the Senate on March 1, 1995 by a vote of 46 to 0, and passed by the House of Representatives, after amendment, on May 2, 1995 by a vote of 163 to 35. The House amendments were concurred in by the Senate on May 3, 1995 by a vote of 50­0, after which the bills were presented to the newly­elected Governor, Tom Ridge, who signed them on May 19, 1995.

WHEREAS, The Land Recycling and Environmental Remediation Act (Senate Bill 1, Act 2) established uniform cleanup standards, standardized review procedures for cleanup plans, and released property owners from further cleanup liability once strict environmental standards were met;

WHEREAS, The Economic Development Agency, Fiduciary and Lender Environmental Liability Protection Act (Senate Bill 11, Act 3) provided protection from cleanup liability for banks, economic development and other agencies involved in promoting the reuse of industrial and commercial properties through financing;

WHEREAS, The Industrial Sites Environmental Assessment Act (Senate Bill 12, Act 4) provided funding to municipalities, economic development agencies and similar groups for environmental site assessments and performance­based remediation loans and grants for cleaning up environmental and public health hazards;

WHEREAS, Acts 2, 3 and 4 of 1995 created a model for promoting voluntary environmental cleanups used by more than 40 other states, the federal government and other countries and created a whole new “Brownfields Reuse” industry;

WHEREAS, By setting clear standards, a clear process for having cleanup plans reviewed and approved and releasing agencies and property owners of further liability when the cleanup standards are met prompted hundreds of millions of dollars in private investment to

remediate environmental hazards and put these sites back into productive use; WHEREAS, Since enactment of Pennsylvania’s Land Recycling Program, 5,466

commercial and industrial sites in every county in the Commonwealth have been cleaned up and made safe for reuse, with another 1,251 sites now moving through the Program;

WHEREAS, Sites reused under the Program have resulted in the creation or retention of tens of thousands of jobs that otherwise would have been lost or created somewhere else;

WHEREAS, Pennsylvania’s Land Recycling Program has been recognized for its innovation and accomplishment by its peers in state government, the federal government, by environmental professionals and academic institutions, including: the Ford Foundation and Harvard University with the Innovations in Government and the Best Innovations in American Government Award Over The Past 15 Years; the Council of State Governments Innovations Award; the National Governor’s Association Center for Best Practices; the National Association of Environmental Professionals National Environmental Excellence Award for Environmental Management; the American Legislative Exchange Council Model Legislation Program; and by President George W. Bush who signed the national brownfields into law in Pennsylvania;

RESOLVED, That the Senate recognize the contribution Pennsylvania’s Land Recycling Program has made over the past 20 years to protecting the environment, eliminating health hazards and to the building Pennsylvania’s economy by creating economic opportunity where there was none before;

RESOLVED, That the Senate extend its congratulations to the members of the Senate and House for their leadership in passing Acts 2, 3 and 4 in 1995, to Governor Tom Ridge for signing the bills into law and to the leadership and employees of the Department of Environmental Protection for making the program work;

RESOLVED, That when adopted, a copy of this resolution be provided to the sponsors and co­sponsors of bills which became Acts 2, 3 and 4, to Governor Tom Ridge and to the Department of Environmental Protection involved in implementing the Program. Sen. Brewster, Rep. Davidson Introduce Governor’s Natural Gas Severance Tax Proposal On Thursday, Sen. James Brewster (D­Allegheny) introduced Gov. Wolf’s natural gas severance tax proposal as Senate Bill 116 (sponsor summary). Rep. Margo Davidson (D­Delaware) introduced the Governor’s proposal in the House­­ House Bill 1142.

The legislation as introduced clarifies provisions related to the existing Act 13 drilling impact fee saying it would expire on January 1, 2016, but would set specific caps on allocations for local governments, environmental and other programs from revenue generated by the severance tax thereafter.

The legislation also maintains the $2.97 base minimum price of natural gas used to calculate the severance tax and a provision which hopes to void existing contracts landowners have that would make them responsible for paying a portion of the severance tax.

The Senate Environmental Resources and Energy Committee and Finance Committees have a hearing set for June 1 on this and other natural gas severance tax proposals now pending in the Senate. Related Article: Analysis: Where Is The Environmental Funding In Gov. Wolf’s Severance Tax? NewsClips:

Changing Drilling Fee Structure Would Burden PA Counties Coalition Voices Opposition To PA Natural Gas Taxes Links In Natural Gas Supply Chain Worry About Severance Tax Hunting, Fishing Gear Taxes Boosting Wildlife Conservation Passage Of Pension, Property Tax Bills Sets Budget Table House To Consider Budget Amendment Week Of June 1 DEP: Pending Permit PNDI Reviews Will Need To Be Re­Run For Bat Impacts The Department of Environmental Protection published notice in the May 16 PA Bulletin saying permit reviews may now be impacted by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s listing of the Northern Long­eared Bat as a federally threatened species under the Endangered Species Act.

With the addition of this bat to the list of threatened species, all PA Natural Diversity Inventory searches in this Commonwealth now have the potential to identify this bat as potential concern in specific areas.

Therefore, DEP said, any search that was done before May 4, 2015, did not encompass the Federally­ listed bat and will need to be rerun for this threatened species.

Click Here for a DEP fact sheet on the issue. PA Environment Digest Google+ Circle, Blogs, Twitter Feeds PA Environment Digest now has a Google+ Circle called Green Works In PA. Let us join your Circle.

Google+ now combines all the news you now get through the PA Environment Digest, Weekly, Blog, Twitter and Video sites into one resource.

You’ll receive as­it­happens postings on Pennsylvania environmental news, daily NewsClips and links to the weekly Digest and videos. Also take advantage of these related services from Crisci Associates­­ PA Environment Digest Twitter Feed: On Twitter, sign up to receive instant updates from: PAEnviroDigest. PA Environment Daily Blog: provides daily environmental NewsClips and significant stories and announcements on environmental topics in Pennsylvania of immediate value. Sign up and receive as they are posted updates through your favorite RSS reader. You can also sign up for a once daily email alerting you to new items posted on this blog. NEW! Add your constructive comment to any blog posting. PA Capitol Digest Daily Blog to get updates every day on Pennsylvania State Government, including NewsClips, coverage of key press conferences and more. Sign up and receive as they are posted updates through your favorite RSS reader. You can also sign up for a once daily email alerting you to new items posted on this blog. PA Capitol Digest Twitter Feed: Don't forget to sign up to receive the PA Capitol Digest

Twitter feed to get instant updates on other news from in and around the Pennsylvania State Capitol. Senate/House Agenda/Session Schedule/Gov’s Schedule/Bills Introduced Here are the Senate and House Calendars and Committee meetings showing bills of interest as well as a list of new environmental bills introduced­­ Bill Calendars House (June 1): <> Click Here for full House Bill Calendar. Senate (June 1): Senate Bill 513 (McGarrigle­R­Delaware) providing for the truck transport of landfill leachate (sponsor summary); Senate Bill 556 (McIlhinney­R­Bucks) that would exempt from the realty transfer tax grants of conservation easements to municipalities (sponsor summary), House Bill 188 (Sonney­R­Erie) authorizes wind energy projects on preserved farmland (House summary and Fiscal Note). <> Click Here for full Senate Bill Calendar. Leachate Trucking: Committee Meeting Agendas This Week House: <> Click Here for full House Committee Schedule. Senate: <> Click Here for full Senate Committee Schedule. Bills Pending In Key Committees Here are links to key Standing Committees in the House and Senate and the bills pending in each­­ House Appropriations Education Environmental Resources and Energy Consumer Affairs Gaming Oversight Human Services Judiciary Liquor Control Transportation Links for all other Standing House Committees Senate Appropriations

Environmental Resources and Energy Consumer Protection and Professional Licensure Community, Economic and Recreational Development Education Judiciary Law and Justice Public Health and Welfare Transportation Links for all other Standing Senate Committees Bills Introduced The following bills of interest were introduced this week­­ Standby Water Service: House Bill 1040 (Harper­R­Montgomery) further providing for standby water service rates (sponsor summary). Severance Tax: House Bill 1142 (Davidson­D­Delaware) Gov. Wolf’s natural gas severance tax proposal. Governor’s Severance Tax: Senate Bill 116 (Brewster­D­Allegheny) Gov. Wolf’s natural gas severance tax proposal (sponsor summary). Public Notice, Replacement Acreage, Condemnation Approval For Pipeline Projects: Senate Bill 801 (Dinniman­D­ Chester) further providing for public notice of pipeline projects, Senate Bill 802 (Dinniman­D ­Chester) further providing for public notice of pipeline projects in environmental justice areas, Senate Bill 803 (Dinniman­D­Chester) require approval for the condemnation of farmland in counties of the First, Second and Third class, Senate Bill 804 (Dinniman­D­Chester) requiring replacement of preserved land crossed by pipeline projects. A sponsor summary is available. Commercial User Opt­Out Of Act 129: Senate Bill 805 (Boscola­D­Lehigh) providing an opt­out for large commercial and industrial electric users from Act 129 energy conservation requirements (sponsor summary). Session Schedule Here is the latest voting session schedule for the Senate and House­­ Senate June 1, 2, 3, 8, 9, 10, 15, 16, 17, 18, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 29, 30 House June 1, 2, 3, 8, 9, 10, 15, 16, 17, 18, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30

Governor’s Schedule Gov. Tom Wolf's work calendar will be posted each Friday and his public schedule for the day will be posted each morning. Click Here to view Gov. Wolf’s Weekly Calendar and Public Appearances. Senate/House Bills Moving The following bills of interest saw action this week in the House and Senate­­ House EQB Independent Counsel: House Bill 1099 (Maher­R­Allegheny) creating an independent counsel for the Environmental Quality Board (sponsor summary) was reported out of the House Environmental Resources and Energy Committee and is now on the House Calendar for action. Permit Extension: House Bill 1071 (Warner­R­Fayette) amends provisions extending existing approved environmental permits approved by July 2, 2013 to be extended without the need to reapply (sponsor summary) was reported out of the House Finance Committee and Tabled. Senate Nominations: Russell Redding was confirmed by the Senate as Secretary of Agriculture. The Senate Environmental Resources and Energy Committee voted to recommend the confirmation of Cindy Dunn as Secretary of Conservation and Natural Resources. The nomination now goes to the full Senate. Ag Security Law: House Bill 188 (Sonney­R­Erie) authorizes wind energy projects on preserved farmland (House summary and Fiscal Note) was amended and reported out of the Senate Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee and is now on the Senate Calendar for action. Leachate Trucking: Senate Bill 513 (McGarrigle­R­Delaware) providing for the truck transport of landfill leachate (sponsor summary) was reported out of the Senate Environmental Resources and Energy Committee and is now on the Senate Calendar for action. News From The Capitol Senate Confirms Russell Redding As Secretary Of Agriculture

The Senate Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee this week recommended the confirmation of Russell Redding as Secretary of Agriculture and who was confirmed unanimously by the full Senate the same day.

Asked by Sen. Gene Yaw (R­Lycoming), Majority Chair of the Senate Environmental Resources and Energy Committee, during his

Committee confirmation hearing what his plans were to help farmers meet the Chesapeake Bay nutrient and sediment reduction standards, Redding said the issue “looms large.” “We understand our obligations and we understand what we have to do to get there.”

He noted no other state in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed has been at these pollution reduction efforts longer than Pennsylvania. Pennsylvania was the first state to outline requirements for a nutrient management plan and a manure management plan.

He also said farmers had already done a lot of work, some of which is not counted now by the federal Chesapeake Bay Program and it should be. NewsClips: Works Starts On Controversial Lancaster Soybean Plant Why Some Farmers Avoid Community­Supported Agriculture PA Beekeepers Lose More Than Half Their Colonies House Committee Holds Hearing On Water Well Standards Bill The House Consumer Affairs Committee held a hearing Tuesday on House Bill 48 (Godshall­R­Montgomery) setting drinking water well construction standards (sponsor summary).

Kelly Heffner, DEP Deputy Secretary for Water Management, told the Committee Pennsylvania is one of two states which did not have statewide standards for private water wells, even though about 3 million Pennsylvanians depend on wells for their water. She noted about 15,000 new wells are drilled each year.

In the absence of a state standard, some local governments have taken the responsibility and adopt standards.

Heffner said House Bill 48 was a step in the right direction, but recommended the bill include licensing standards for well drillers.

William Reichart, PA Ground Water Association, testified in support of the bill, but advocated adding several provisions, including­­ — Creation of minimum state standards for location, inspection, construction, alteration, closure and decommissioning of water wells; — Establishment of criteria for proficiency­based licenser and certification of water well contractors and drillers; — Establishment of a State Board of Certification; — Submission of water quality and well yield reports; — Grandfathering of existing agencies and ordinances; — Establishment of a Water Well Conservation Fund that will assist landowners decommission old wells; — Protection of construction of wells prior to this act from decommission requirements; and — Establishment of a permanent technical advisory committee to DEP to assist in the development of rules and regulations.

Mark Ioos, PA Council of Professional Geologists, said his organization has long recognized the need for private water well construction standards to protect public health and Pennsylvania’s water resources. He described a 2009 study that found only 16 percent of wells had a sanitary cap, only 18 percent had cement or grout to prevent surface contamination, 54 percent had two or fewer of the five recommended well construction features and 41 percent

failed to meet at least one health­based drinking water standard Bryan Swistock, Water Resources Specialist, Penn State University, discussed the

University’s research into water resource issues. He too noted a high percentage of private water wells in Pennsylvania fail to meet drinking water standards and inadequate well construction is a contributing factor to these failures.

The PA Builders Association submitted comments opposed to the legislation. Rep. Robert Godshall (R­Montgomery) serves as Majority Chair of the Committee and

Rep. Peter Daley (D­Washington) serves as Minority Chair. News From Around The State Water Resources Education Network Awards Grants To 4 Water Education Partnerships The PA League of Women Voters’ Water Resources Education Network Friday announced the award of $19,000 in grants to four community partnerships across the Commonwealth.

“These coalitions are a good example of civic­minded neighbors coming together to protect the safety of their drinking water now and for future generations,” said WREN Project Director Julie Kollar, in announcing the grant awards. “As we have learned from recent water contamination events in our country, it is essential that we do more to be proactive about water supply protection. Everyone has a role to play. This funding will allow project teams in four counties to educate residents and businesses about where local drinking water comes from and important voluntary steps that can help keep dangerous chemicals away from sources of drinking water.”

The grant recipients will carry out drinking water education projects between July 1, 2015 and June 30, 2016.

Funding will support two County Source Water Protection collaboratives, in Venango and Berks Counties; the Capital Region Water collaborative for drinking water protection for the City of Harrisburg; and Creswell Heights Joint Water Authority, Beaver County, that serves the boroughs of South Heights and Ambridge, and Hopewell Township and Crescent Township.

Each partnership will work to educate community stakeholders about ways to protect public drinking water sources from pollution and address improved emergency response coordination to potential contamination events.

The coalitions will form or build upon existing Source Water Environmental Education Teams (SWEETs) that will conduct public education and outreach events and undertake action to enhance water supply protection.

The four partnerships given grants are­­ ­­ Berks County Water & Sewer Association/Center for Excellence in Local Government ­ Albright College for its project Expanding Source Water Protection for Berks County ­ $6,000.

Partners include the Berks County Planning Department; Muhlenberg Township Authority; Great Valley Consultants; Pennsylvania American Water Co.; Hamburg Authority; Western Berks Water Authority; Reading Area Water Authority; ARRO Consultants; Suburban Testing Lab; and McCarthy Engineering Assoc., Inc.

The goal of the Berks County Source Water Protection project is to educate the public, municipal officials and other key partners about the need to protect drinking water supplies, following the theme “Partnership: The Path to Clean Water.”

The clean drinking water message will be targeted to municipalities, schools and emergency responders in areas that do not already have a Source Water Protection plan.

Water suppliers from throughout Berks County will be recruited to participate in the collaborative program, to promote the idea of source water protection planning to neighboring municipalities and water providers.

The education and outreach program will begin with a kick­off event on July 29, 2015 at Albright College in Reading, followed by programs in schools in areas of the County that are under­represented by SWP plans.

Educational outreach will also include a Berks County Source Water Protection calendar and fact sheets distributed at municipal events and waste collections in the county.

Contact: Paul Janssen, Director, Center for Excellence in Local Government, Albright College, 610­921­7246 or send email to: pjanssen@alb.edu. ­­ Capital Region Water in the Harrisburg Region for its project Harrisburg’s Drinking Water from Raindrop to Tap ­ $3,000.

Partners include the Clarks Creek Watershed Preservation Association; Doc Fritchey Chapter of Trout Unlimited; Dauphin County Conservation District; and Penn State Cooperative Extension ­ Dauphin County.

Capital Region Water will work with its partners to form a Source Water Environmental Education Team (SWEET) that will educate local officials, residents and businesses about the sources of Harrisburg’s drinking water, and ways to protect it, while instilling a sense of civic pride and responsibility.

The partners will conduct outreach to municipal officials and emergency responders in Rush Township and residents who receive their drinking water from the DeHart Reservoir.

The public outreach campaign will feature a new educational video, social media, and a direct mail piece that will be distributed in water bills to help Harrisburg’s water customers better understand their source of drinking water and actions needed to safeguard its purity.

Project partners plan to invite both upstream and downstream communities to participate in a community cleanup event.

Contact: Andrew Bliss, Community Outreach Manager, Capital Region Water, 717­525­7677 or send email to: andrew.bliss@capitalregionwater.com. ­­ Creswell Heights Joint Authority in Beaver/Allegheny Counties for its project CHJA Source Water Protection Campaign ­ $3,000

Partners include South Heights Borough; Cub Scout Pack #405; and Hopewell Area School District.

The goal of the Creswell Heights Joint Authority’s campaign is to raise awareness of CHJA’S existing Source Water Protection program and ways community members can help. Project Partners will work to engage the community in drinking water protection efforts, focusing on specific everyday activities that can make a difference.

Project partners will conduct briefings for local public officials and emergency management personnel and create an educational display for community events.

A highlight of the project is a planned Storm Drain Stenciling Campaign, in partnership with Cub Scout Pack #405 in South Heights Borough, designed to draw attention to the dangers of dumping oil, pesticides and other toxic substances in stormwater drains that lead directly to waterways.

Door hangers will be distributed throughout the borough to help bring the clean drinking

water message to residents. A Trout in the Classroom Program, which is already in place in the Hopewell Area School District, will be supported through the purchase of supplies needed to continue the program to help students connect with their watershed.

Brochures will be mailed to customers as part of the project’s public education campaign to inspire community awareness of potential dangers to local water sources.

Contact: Denise Kraus, Controller, Creswell Heights Joint Authority, call 724­375­1303 or send email to: DKraus@creswellwater.net. ­­ Venango Conservation District for its project Source Water Protection for Venango County ­ $7,000

Partners include the Venango Conservation District; Venango County Planning Commission; Franklin Rotary Club; City of Oil City; UPMC Sugar Creek Station; Venango Water Company; Sugarcreek Water Company; and Cooperstown Water Company.

The Partners will form a Source Water Protection Collaborative to educate the residents of Venango County about source water protection and what residents can do to ensure clean water for future generations.

The Team will use a multi­faceted approach to reach out and educate county residents, with a focus on teaching students about source water protection through lessons developed for area middle­ and high­school students, and hosting field trips for local schools to visit a water treatment facility.

Project Partners will work to raise awareness among municipal officials and others through participation at selected local events to target residents who use freshwater resources and underscore its importance to the county. Event participation will include appearances at local fishing tournaments and festivals.

Contact: Devin Lineman, Watershed Specialist, Venango Conservation District, call 814­676­2832 or send email to: dlineman@cust.usachoice.net.

The source of funding for Source Water Protection Collaborative grants is the Department of Environmental Protection Source Water Protection Program through Section 1452 of the Safe Drinking Water Act Amendments of 1996, administered by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

WREN is a nonpartisan informal collaboration of organizations and public officials working for the protection and management of Pennsylvania’s water resources, through grass­roots education and informed policy­making.

WREN provides training and grants that support community coalitions raising public awareness of water resources. WREN projects empower communities to take action and implement public policies to protect Pennsylvania water resources.

The WREN Project supports two clean water initiatives: Watershed Education to prevent polluted runoff to waterways, and Source Water Protection Education to raise awareness about the importance of protecting public drinking water sources from contamination, including groundwater and surface water.

For more information, visit the Water Resources Education Network website and Click Here to sign up for their monthly newsletter Water Policy News. Chesapeake Bay Commission Report Says Livestock Do Not Belong In Streams The scene of cattle lounging in a stream on a hot summer day

may not be so idyllic after all. A new report from the Chesapeake Bay Commission finds that allowing livestock in streams harms both the animal and the water.

Unfortunately, Pennsylvania’s Clean Streams Law includes a provision providing a stream fencing requirement. Section 702 says, “No administrative agency of the Commonwealth or any political subdivision thereof shall require any person to erect a fence along a stream in a pasture or other field used for grazing of farm livestock for the purpose of keeping farm livestock out of the stream.”

In Healthy Livestock, Healthy Streams: Policy Actions to Promote Livestock Stream Exclusion, the tri­state legislative Commission examines stream fencing efforts across its member states of Maryland, Pennsylvania and Virginia.

These three states contain more than 3.5 million hoofed farm animals, including cows, horses, and sheep.

Livestock with unimpeded access to streams trample both the banks and bottoms, releasing sediment and associated nutrients to flow downstream. Livestock feces and urine are also a direct source of nutrients and bacteria contamination.

“Fencing livestock out of streams is one of those truly win­win practices,” said Commission Chairman and Virginia Delegate Scott Lingamfelter. “It’s good for the environment, it’s good for the farm and it works. We encourage farmers to adopt this essential practice so we can make real headway in cleaning up the Bay and its tributaries.”

In Virginia, 280 streams have bacteria levels high enough to be a human health concern, due primarily to livestock in streams.

The health risks to livestock that loiter in streams are well­known to both farmers and veterinarians. Infectious animal diseases are easily transmitted in a shared stream, but farmers often lack the resources or technical assistance to provide alternative sources of water and many are reluctant to change a practice “that has always been that way.”

With states facing requirements to reduce millions of pounds of nitrogen, phosphorus and sediment from the Chesapeake Bay to meet a regulatory Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) pollution limits plan, even the most traditional of agricultural practices is getting a second look.

“Our Bay restoration efforts should focus on those practices that don’t just improve water quality, but also make sense for the farm. Livestock stream exclusion is one of those practices,” says Russell Redding, Acting Secretary at the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture.

Virginia, Pennsylvania and Maryland all rely heavily on a Federal program known as the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP) to help finance stream exclusion efforts. But funding remains inadequate, and stringent requirements of Federal programs discourage many farmers from participating.

Other challenges to widespread implementation of stream fencing include the Plain Sect communities’ reluctance to accept government funding, tradition, confusing options and not enough flexibility.

Virginia saw stream exclusion skyrocket when it offered to cover 100 percent of the cost through a farmer­friendly state program. Under the program, farmers need to commit to ten years of maintenance and implementation of a grazing plan, but they say it is worth it.

“I don’t have many vet bills. I have very little scours (diarrhea) in the calves,” says Charlie Drumheller, a cattleman in Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley who fenced his 40 cow­calf pairs out of the stream a few years ago. Resistance to drought was also a factor. With off­stream watering “I know they’ve got water, and that they’ve got clean water.”

“Overall, our cows are cleaner, and it takes less work to prepare them for milking,” says dairy farmer Matt Espenshade who milks 80 cows in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. “My veterinarian has commented on how much better the farm just looks.”

In the report, the Commission announced five policy actions it will take to help producers reach a long­term goal of getting all livestock out of the Chesapeake Bay’s tributary streams: 1) Better address farmers’ concerns and win their trust. 2) A more thorough understanding of the gaps that currently exist in our regulatory and voluntary programs. 3) Better verification of installed practices and concurrent better accounting as we track state by state progress in achieving the Bay TMDL pollution reduction goals. 4) Providing BMP options that reduce unnecessary requirements and over­engineering concerns. 5) Increasing engagement of stakeholders to promote livestock stream exclusion and protect riparian buffers.

“Farmers live on the land. They are some of our best environmental stewards. As legislators, we need to make sure the public policies and programs are in place to help them in their efforts to reduce farm runoff to Chesapeake Bay,” says Commission member Thomas “Mac” Middleton, a Maryland state senator and farmer in Charles County.

A copy of the new report is available online. For more information on activities and other reports, visit the Chesapeake Bay

Commission website. NewsClips: Cancerous Fish Sparks Further Discussion Of Susquehanna Health IUP Students Test, Analyze Water Supply In Westmoreland Chest Creek Alliance Receives Funding, Training For Stream Monitoring Conservation District Starts Work On Penn Twp Stormwater Plan 1,700 Students Attend Great Lakes Children’s Water Festival Ohio Asks Neighboring States To Help Fight Lake Erie’s Algae U.S. House Passes Bill To Block Obama’s Clean Water Rule Starbucks Taps Pittston Company For Branded Water Latest From The Chesapeake Bay Journal Bill Chain Named Senior Agriculture Program Manager For CBF­PA The Chesapeake Bay Foundation­PA has named Bill Chain as its Pennsylvania Senior Agriculture Program Manager.

“This leadership position provides strategic vision and direction of the CBF Pennsylvania office in agricultural policy and watershed restoration initiatives,” CBF’s Pennsylvania Executive Director Harry Campbell said in announcing Chain’s arrival.

As Senior Agriculture Program Manager, Chain will collaborate with a diverse set of stakeholders including agricultural industry leaders, state and federal agencies, legislators, interest groups, and other stakeholders in order to expand and diversify CBF’s agricultural effort in the Commonwealth.

Agriculture is the largest source of pollution of Commonwealth waters and the Chesapeake Bay.

Pennsylvania is considerably off­track in its commitments to reduce nitrogen and

sediment pollution from agriculture and urban polluted runoff entering the Chesapeake Bay, but appears to be on track to meet its phosphorus reduction goal.

The Commonwealth will have to accelerate progress if it is to have 60 percent of the pollution reduction practices in place by 2017 and 100 percent by 2025, as it committed to do in the Chesapeake Clean Water Blueprint.

The Blueprint includes science­based limits on the pollution fouling the Chesapeake Bay and its rivers and streams as established by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Also for the Blueprint, states developed individual plans to achieve those limits and committed to two­year milestones that outline the actions they will take to achieve success.

“Bill Chain’s wealth of experience in working with agriculture throughout much of his life, including being a farmer himself, coupled with his experiences in education, brings a unique and comprehensive approach to addressing the water quality challenges facing Pennsylvania’s agricultural community,” Campbell added.

Chain owned and operated a 160­acre livestock and hay farm in Franklin County for 20 years, where he worked closely with the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the county conservation district.

Chain, who lives in Carlisle, Cumberland County, received a Bachelor of Science degree in Agriculture and a teaching certificate from Rutgers University. He earned a master’s degree in Education from Shippensburg University, and has done post­graduate/doctoral study in Educational Leadership at Duquesne University.

For the past seven years, Chain served as Superintendent of Schools for the Fairfield Area School District in Adams County.

Chain was an agricultural educator with Future Farmers of America for 14 years. He is a former board member and vice president of the Central Pennsylvania Conservancy, a PA Farmers Association committee member, and was a member of the Adams County Water Resource Advisory Committee.

Acting DEP Secretary Quigley Visits Great Lakes Children’s Water Festival In Erie

On May 14, Acting Secretary Quigley stopped by the 2015 Great Lakes Children’s Water Festival, hosted by the Water Systems Council at Penn State Behrend in Erie. This year’s festival was one of the largest ever, drawing thousands of fifth­grade students from Pennsylvania, New York, and Ohio. During the festival, students explored drinking water, groundwater, watersheds, surface water, well systems, and water quality and conservation through dynamic and interactive activities.

For more information, visit the Great Lakes Children’s Water Festival website. (Reprinted from the May 14 edition of the DEP News newsletter. Click Here to sign up for your own copy.) Susquehanna River Basin Commission Meets On Proposed Regulatory Fees June 4

The Susquehanna River Basin Commission is scheduled to hold a meeting on June 4 to consider FY 2016 Regulatory Program Fees and other issues. (formal notice)

Also on the agenda are: Presentation on the Lower Susquehanna Subbasin Area; Proposed Water Resources Program For FYs 2016, 2017, Regulatory Program Updates and Other Matters.

The meeting will be held at the City of Crescent Building, 4th Floor, EEOC Conference Room, 10 S. Howard St., Baltimore starting at 9:00 a.m.

For more information, visit the SRBC Public Participation Center webpage.

May 11 Watershed Winds Newsletter Now Available From Penn State Extension The May 11 edition of the Watershed Winds newsletter is now available from Penn State Extension featuring articles on­­ ­­ New Stream Monitoring Elevated Groundwater Methane In Shale Gas Areas ­­ Groundwater Professionals Gather For 2015 PA Groundwater Symposium ­­ EPA Issues Health Advisories On Algal Toxins In Drinking Water ­­ Diabetes Drug Found In Freshwater May Harm Fish ­­ Biodiversity Promotes Multitasking In Ecosystems ­­ GreenWorks! Project Learning Tree Grants Available ­­ Click Here to sign up for your own copy. Spring River Alert Information Network Newsletter Now Available The Spring edition of Rain Matters the River Alert Information Network newsletter is now available featuring articles on­­ ­­ River Alert Information Network Flourishes Thru Collaboration, Local Leadership ­­ Member Spotlight: Brackenridge Borough Water Authority ­­ News Notes, Upcoming Events ­­ Grant Opportunities ­­ Video: What Is The River Alert Information Network? ­­ For more information visit the River Alert Information Network website. PAWWA Hosts Small Water, Wastewater System Asset Management Workshop June 23 The PA Chapter of the American WaterWorks Association will sponsor a free Small Water, Wastewater System Asset Management Workshop on June 23 in State College. Click Here for all the details. Go to the PAWWA website for a list of other training opportunities. Reminder: Keep PA Beautiful: Enter Great American Cleanup of PA Video Contest Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful is still accepting 2­minute videos of people making their communities clean and beautiful for the Great American Cleanup of PA Video Contest. Entries are due May 22.

“This is a great opportunity to showcase your local programs and partnerships and

illustrate just how much fun it can be to join together to improve your community,” said Shannon Reiter, President of Keep PA Beautiful.

Cash prizes, sponsored by the PA Waste Industries Association, are $200 for the winning entry and $100 each for two runners up. Additional sponsors for the video contest are Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful and the Department of Environmental Protection.

Help choose the winners by liking your favorite video on the Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful Facebook page. Voting begins on June 1st and concludes on June 12th at 3:00 PM. Winners will be announced the week of June 15th.

The 2015 Great American Cleanup of PA began on March 1st and ends on May 31st. During this period, registered events can receive free trash bags, gloves, and safety vests from PennDOT district offices as supplies last.

To register and report your events go to the Great American Cleanup of PA. For contest details visit the Video Contest webpage. Be sure to mention the 2015 Great

American Cleanup of PA in your video. NewsClips: Glass Recycling Takes Hit, Still Collecting In Erie Landfill Welcomes Challenges Before State Board Editorial: No Obstacle To Opposing Keystone Landfill Growth DEP To Consider FirstEnergy’s Coal Ash Disposal Plan FirstEnergy Eyes Landfill At Shuttered Coal Plant WV Hazardous Waste Incinerator Releases Toxins Near PA Border Clinton County CleanScapes Future Rail Trail Cleanup Day May 20 Join Clinton County CleanScapes, PPL employees and the County Commissioners in removing litter and tires from Keller Street hillside and PPL access road in Castanea Township on May 20 from 11:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

After the site is cleaned up the trail development partners; Castanea Township, County government, Wayne Township Landfill, and PPL, will begin the trail development process.

Registration is requested by 12 noon, May 18. Registration & questions, contact CCC Project Director Elisabeth Lynch McCoy by sending email to: clintoncountycleanscapes@yahoo.com or call 570­726­3511.

Upcoming July river cleanup will be announced on Clinton County CleanScapes Facebook site. DEP Announces $20,750 Settlement Against Casella Waste Management The Department of Environmental Protection Thursday announced a settlement of $20,750 with Casella Waste Management of Pennsylvania, Inc. (Casella) for multiple violations of the Solid Waste Management Act at the McKean County Landfill in Kane from May to August 2014.

In lieu of a $15,750 portion of the monetary civil penalty payment to the Department, Casella and DEP agreed to a Community Environmental Project in which 315 tons of landfill disposal capacity will be provided by Casella for the disposal of solid waste generated by the demolition and removal of building structures located on blighted properties throughout McKean County.

Casella Waste Management incurred the penalty for failing to maintain the land area intended to prevent leachate from leaving the lined disposal area. The failure resulted in the release of leachate.

Other violations included an excessive volume of exposed waste on the landfill, inadequate intermediate cover placed over waste, and leaking containers of residual waste stored outside of the lined disposal area.

In May 2014, DEP inspected the McKean County Landfill three times. During the inspections, DEP observed the waste slope as too steep, exceeding the 50 percent grade limit. The slope was poorly maintained, with little space in the perimeter berm to collect stormwater.

As a result, heavy rains caused solid waste, cover soil, and leachate to flow over the lined perimeter berm. Two Notices of Violation were issued for the violations identified during DEP’s inspections.

On August 1, DEP again inspected the landfill and observed eight leaking containers filled with residual waste that were stored outside of the lined disposal area. Inspectors also found a high volume of exposed waste with inadequate cover throughout the site. It was also determined that one slope still exceeded the grade limit and, as a result, several erosion gullies had formed on some slopes.

An additional NOV was issued on August 5 for these violations. Casella has paid the $5,000 penalty balance to DEP. Blighted properties are a growing problem in McKean County. In 2013, the county

commissioners created a Blight Property Task Force to address the problem. DEP believes that providing the task force with 315 tons of landfill disposal will play a big role in addressing this issue. By providing free disposal, the county will be able to address more blighted properties in an economic way.

According to the agreement, only waste generated from the demolition of structures on blighted properties in McKean County and approved in writing by both the task force and the McKean County Commissioners will be eligible for free disposal under the settlement.

For more information, call 814­332­6848. NewsClips: Glass Recycling Takes Hit, Still Collecting In Erie Landfill Welcomes Challenges Before State Board Editorial: No Obstacle To Opposing Keystone Landfill Growth DEP To Consider FirstEnergy’s Coal Ash Disposal Plan FirstEnergy Eyes Landfill At Shuttered Coal Plant WV Hazardous Waste Incinerator Releases Toxins Near PA Border Meeting On Jeanesville Mine Fire In Carbon County May 20 The Department of Environmental Protection will hold a public information session to update the public about the Jeanesville Mine Fire, which is located in Banks Township, Carbon County. The session will be held on May 20, at 6 p.m. at the Tresckow Volunteer Fire Company, 26 East Oak St., Tresckow.

“The fire has generated public attention, and we want to provide citizens with details about the current status of the fire, plans for addressing it and the impacts it might have on the public,” DEP Deputy Secretary for Active and Abandoned Mine Operations John Stefanko said.

The fire is currently burning on both abandoned mine land and on an actively mined site off of Route 93, on the border of Luzerne and Carbon counties.

The property is owned by Pagnotti Enterprises of Wilkes­Barre. Hazleton Shaft Corporation, currently leasing the portion of the property that is actively being mined, has been extinguishing the fire within the permitted area as the mining progresses.

DEP intends to hire a contractor to begin drilling boreholes to define the limits of the fire. Individuals in need of an accommodation as provided for in the Americans with

Disabilities Act of 1990 should contact Colleen Connolly or make accommodations through the Pennsylvania AT&T Relay Service at 800­654­5984 (TDD). May 21 Meeting On Proposal To Modify Greene County Coal Waste Landfill Permit The Department of Environmental Protection will be holding a public meeting on May 21 to take questions from residents about a proposal from FirstEnergy Generation LLC to modify the permit for the Coal Combustion Landfill located at the company’s Hatfield’s Ferry Power Station in Monongahela Township, Greene County.

The meeting will be held from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at the Carmichaels Junior­Senior High School Auditorium, 300 West Greene Street, Carmichaels, PA.

This will be an open question and answer format with representatives from DEP and FirstEnergy taking questions on the proposal and the process for permit modification being requested by the company.

FirstEnergy is proposing a modification to its solid waste permit for the Hatfield’s Ferry Coal Combustion Byproduct landfill, to allow the landfill to dispose of CCB from the company’s Bruce Mansfield Power Station in Beaver County.

The Hatfield’s Ferry Landfill has not been used since the Hatfield’s Ferry Power Station was shut down last year.

In addition to the public meeting, DEP’s Southwest Region Waste Management Program will be taking written comments and questions until June 2. Those may be addressed to Waste Management Program Manager, 400 Waterfront Drive, Pittsburgh, PA 15222. NewsClips: Glass Recycling Takes Hit, Still Collecting In Erie Landfill Welcomes Challenges Before State Board Editorial: No Obstacle To Opposing Keystone Landfill Growth DEP To Consider FirstEnergy’s Coal Ash Disposal Plan FirstEnergy Eyes Landfill At Shuttered Coal Plant WV Hazardous Waste Incinerator Releases Toxins Near PA Border

May 14 DEP News Now Available The May 14 edition of the DEP News newsletter is now available from the Department of Environmental Protection featuring stories on­­ ­­ DEP, Engineers Society Host 10th PA Brownfields Conference In Erie ­­ Acting Secretary Quigley Visits Great Lakes Children’s Water Festival In Erie ­­ DEP To Host May 20 Public Meeting On Jeanesville Mine Fire In Carbon County ­­ DEP Continues Alternative Fuel Vehicle Rebate Program

­­ DEP Begins Helicopter Spraying To Control Black Flies ­­ DEP Awards $2.05M In West Nile Virus Grants To 25 Counties ­­ Regional Keystone Energy Education Program Workshops May 28, June 17 ­­ Chesapeake Bay Commission Releases Report On Livestock In Streams ­­ DEP Hosts April 27 Open House On Keystone Landfill ­­ DEP Deputy Secretary Scott Perry Speaks At Chatham University ­­ DEP To Hold May 21 Meeting On Coal Waste Landfill Permit In Greene County ­­ DEP Hosts Public Hearing On Proposed Ethane Cracker Plant Air Permit ­­ Capitol Police To Host Bike Rodeo May 16 ­­ Click Here to sign up for your own copy. CFA Funds $9.8M In New Alternative, Clean Energy Projects Gov. Wolf Thursday announced the Commonwealth Financing Authority approved funding to support seven new Alternative and Clean Energy projects with the investment of more than $8.12 million in grants and $1.74 million in loans.

“The projects approved today by the Commonwealth Financing Authority will help to improve the environment and safeguard the state’s future,” Governor Wolf said. “Investing in alternative and clean energy technologies helps to reinvigorate Pennsylvania’s path to success as an energy leader.”

The Commonwealth Financing Authority approved three Alternative Energy Production projects, two High Performance Building projects and two Compressed Natural Gas projects through the state’s Alternative and Clean Energy program.

The CFA investments are projected to result in nearly $93 million in additional economic investments.

The projects funded include­­ ­­ Allegheny County: Duquesne University of the Holy Spirit will receive a $2 million grant for the installation of a combined heat and power system for the University’s Energy Center, which generates electricity and uses waste heat for heating buildings on campus. The existing gas­fired boilers will be replaced with lower­emission, higher­efficiency boilers, increasing capacity.

The project is anticipated to save 18,256 million cubic feet of natural gas annually and provide $82,154 in annual cost savings. The total project cost is estimated at $11,320,000. ­­ Centre County: State College Area School District will receive a $1,935,393 grant for the renovation of the State College Area North High School into a high performance building for their Delta Program School, which is currently located off site. The school is being designed to serve 300 students, grades 5 through 12. The new, renovated 161,275­square­foot facility will include a high efficiency HVAC system, energy efficient windows, improved roof and wall insulation, LED lighting and a 83 kW solar photovoltaic system.

The project is anticipated to reduce energy consumption by 4,928 MMBtu annually. In addition, new low­flow water fixtures will save the district over 649,604 gallons of water annually, a savings of 41 percent. The project will also achieve USGBC LEED Gold. The total project cost is estimated at $19,353,928. ­­ Dauphin County: Pennsylvania State University will receive a $940,000 grant for the purchase and installation of a 6 MW combined heat and power plant at the Penn State Milton S.

Hershey Medical Center located in Derry Township. The combined heat and power plant will generate 38,858,291 kWh onsite, offsetting 29

percent of the electricity purchased from electric providers. In addition, the CHP plant will offset 228,485 MMBTu of thermal output from the existing steam boiler, a 44 percent savings. The total project cost is estimated at $18,991,278. ­­ Lancaster County: The Borough of Columbia will receive a $1,449,952 loan and a $300,000 grant for the installation of an anaerobic digester for use at its wastewater treatment plant. Using hauled septage and food wastes, the system provides a beneficial reuse and will generate biogas. The biogas generated will be used to fire a combined heat and power unit, which is used to operate the facility and generate electricity to power the equipment within the treatment plant.

The new system will reduce the facility’s current electrical usage by 3,983 kWh. The total project cost is estimated at $3,499,942. ­­ Lycoming County: Montoursville Area School District will receive a $2 million grant for the renovation of the Montoursville Area High School into a high performance building. The renovated 205,000­square­foot high school will include a high efficiency HVAC system, energy efficient windows, improved roof and wall insulation, LED lighting and a 83 kW solar photovoltaic system.

The project is anticipated to reduce energy consumption by 14,408 MMBtu annually. In addition, new low­flow water fixtures will save the district over 425,000 gallons of water annually, a savings of 40 percent. The project will also achieve USGBC LEED Gold. The total project cost is estimated at $36,463,952. ­­ Philadelphia County: Clean Energy will receive a $519,280 grant for the construction of a public access CNG fueling station located off Highway­1 in Philadelphia. The CNG fueling station will have a capacity to dispense 3,331,463 GCE of natural gas per year to both light and heavy duty vehicles from distribution centers and the port. The total project cost is estimated at $1,298,201. ­­ Wyoming County: Southwestern Energy NGV Services, LLC will receive a $725,503 grant for the construction of a CNG filling station to be located in Tunkhannock Township. The public access CNG filling station will include two fast fill dual hose pumps with a total of four dispensers located on Highway 6 and adjacent to Mountain Energy’s water pumping stations. In addition to 24/7 access, Mountain Energy’s fleet will be Southwestern Energy’s anchor vendor. The total project cost is estimated at $1,813,759.

The ACE Program provides financial assistance in the form of grants and loan funds used by eligible applicants for the utilization, development and construction of alternative and clean energy projects in Pennsylvania.

For more information, visit the Commonwealth Financing Authority website or call 1­866­466­3972. NewsClips: Big Changes To Jessup Power Plant Plans Tentative Settlement In Bruce Mansfield Lawsuits PPL Flips Switch On Susquehanna­Roseland Power Line Challenge To Demand Response Programs On Electric Grids Energy Conservation Saves $393K At Lancaster Facilities

PA Energy Development Authority To Meet May 18 The PA Energy Development Authority is scheduled to meet on May 18 to hear presentations on future funding opportunities, grantee project presentations and a status report on 2014 funding agreements. (formal notice)

The meeting will be held in Room 105 Rachel Carson Building in Harrisburg starting at 1:00 p.m. Click Here for available handouts. UGI To Build LNG Plant In Wyoming County UGI Energy Services, LLC Thursday announced plans to build a liquefied natural gas (LNG) production facility in northern Pennsylvania that will utilize Marcellus Shale gas.

The proposed facility will be adjacent to UGI Energy Services’ Manning natural gas compression station located in Wyoming County, Pennsylvania.

Natural gas will be supplied by its Auburn gathering system, which transports Marcellus Shale gas produced from local wells to major interstate pipelines serving markets in the Mid­Atlantic region.

The LNG plant, which will include both liquefaction and local storage, is expected to be in full commercial operation by early 2017 and have the capability of producing 120,000 gallons (or 10,000 Dekatherms) of LNG per day. The total capital investment will be approximately $60 million.

UGI Energy Services, through its wholly owned subsidiary UGI LNG, Inc., currently owns and operates the Temple LNG facility located near Reading, Pennsylvania. This facility includes 15 million gallons of LNG storage capacity and a liquefaction plant that has been recently expanded to produce up to 120,000 gallons of LNG per day.

The proposed new facility in Wyoming County will effectively double UGI’s liquefaction capability and increase its LNG supply diversity.

“Our existing LNG plant at Temple has been a highly reliable and valuable asset enabling us to provide critical natural gas supply during periods of extreme natural gas demand, as well as provide firm LNG supply to large truck fleets, such as UPS,” said John Walsh, President and CEO of UGI. “The new plant will allow us to expand the availability of LNG to serve growing natural gas utility peak shaving demands and emerging LNG markets.”

Brad Hall, President of UGI Energy Services, commented, “The market for liquefied natural gas continues to grow thanks to its affordable cost and environmental benefits when compared to other petroleum products. As a result, truck fleets, oil and gas drilling rigs and remote industrial users not tied to the natural gas grid continue to switch to LNG. In the coming years, we also expect the use of LNG to increase in marine, rail, and mining applications.”

Mr. Hall added, “We have managed our investment risk by expanding LNG capacity in stages in order to keep pace with the growing LNG market. Each stage is backed by a significant level of long­term commitments from current and new customers, while still allowing for future growth. In addition to its long history of operating LNG assets, UGI Energy Services has one of the largest fleets of peak shaving assets in the region and one of the largest retail natural gas marketing businesses, providing it with a uniquely strong position to serve the market.” NewsClips: UGI To Build LNG Plant In Wyoming County

UGI Natural Gas Customers To See Bills Drop Rising Tide Of Opposition To Pipelines, Other Gas Projects West Goshen OKs Pipeline Settlement DEP June 1 Hearing On Reclassifying Production Well To Disposal Well In Indiana The Department of Environmental Protection published notice of a June 1 public meeting and hearing on a proposal to reclassify the PA General Energy Company Marjorie C. Yanity #1025 well from a production well to a disposal well in Grant Township, Indiana County. (PA Bulletin, page 2426)

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has already issued an underground injection control permit for the well. DEP does not have authorization from EPA to issue permits for injection wells.

The hearing will be held at the East Run Sportsman’s Association, 1668 Sebring Rd., Marion Center, PA starting at 6:00 p.m.

Those wishing to present testimony during the hearing should contact DEP Community Relations Coordinator, John Poister, at 412­442­4203, by noon on June 1.

DEP will accept comments on the proposal until June 6. PUC Launches Online Smart Hearing To Expand Public Comment Opportunities The Public Utility Commission Thursday announced the launch of its online “Smart Hearing” pilot project, in an effort to make it easier for utility customers to comment on proposed rate increase requests.

The first test for live­streamed online hearings will involve the proposed distribution rate changes by PPL Electric Utilities Corporation (PPL).

“It is vital to gather as much public input as possible to help the Commission determine what, if any, of each requested increase is justified,” said PUC Chairman Gladys M. Brown. “In situations such as this, where a utility serves consumers across a wide geographic area, we hope this Smart Hearing concept will increase the number of people who are able to view and offer comment during these important public input hearings.”

PPL provides service to more than 1.4 million consumers in 29 counties – a region spanning approximately 10,000 square miles. On April 23, 2015, the Commission voted unanimously to investigate the company’s request for a $167.5 million (18.5 percent) increase in annual electric distribution rates.

The new Smart Hearings will enable residents throughout Pennsylvania to see and hear the testimony being offered without the need to travel in order to attend the hearings in person.

During the Smart Hearings, concerned individuals will be able to offer their comments by telephone, from the convenience of their homes or other locations, to be included in the live Internet stream. In­person testimony at the Harrisburg hearing site also will be included, for those who prefer to comment in that manner.

During the last PPL base rate case, in 2012, the PUC held five public input hearings at locations in the PPL service territory, including Scranton, Wilkes­Barre, Bethlehem, Allentown and Harrisburg, but despite that wide outreach effort only 13 total witnesses appeared to offer their testimony.

“We hope that by making these new Smart Hearings available online, allowing consumers across the state to watch and participate, we will be able to gather more valuable input to help guide the Commission,” Brown noted.

Click Here for more information on the PPL rate case. NewsClips: Big Changes To Jessup Power Plant Plans Tentative Settlement In Bruce Mansfield Lawsuits PPL Flips Switch On Susquehanna­Roseland Power Line Challenge To Demand Response Programs On Electric Grids Energy Conservation Saves $393K At Lancaster Facilities PA Green & Healthy Schools Schoolyard Habitats Webinar May 19 The PA Green and Healthy Schools Partnership will host a May 19 webinar by Audubon Pennsylvania on Schoolyard Habitats.

Join presenter Amy Weidensaul, Director of Community Conservation and Education for Audubon Pennsylvania, as she shares some of the work the agency is doing to create habitat, especially for birds, with students on school grounds and in nearby parks.

Weidensaul will discuss the design and planning considerations for installing a habitat at school and how to use it as an outdoor classroom, the importance of school grounds for wildlife and for people, and will share some tips for finding funding for these projects.

She will share also lessons on the school grounds and ways to incorporate citizen science into classroom teaching.

During this webinar, you will: — Learn about Audubon’s habitat program that helps students and teachers create wildlife habitat at their schools and in nearby parks — Get ideas on how to use your school grounds as an outdoor classroom — See examples of schoolyard habitat projects that have been installed in schools in Pennsylvania and learn some easy ways to work with students to create habitat — Get ideas on where to find some funding and other resources for these projects — Get ideas on how to incorporate citizen science and the scientific method into outdoor schoolyard programs

Ms. Weidensaul holds a BS in Biology with a concentration in Ecology from the University of New Hampshire and a M.Ed. from Lehigh University in educational leadership focusing on non­profit administration. She is currently working on a doctorate in environmental studies at Antioch University.

The webinar will be held from 3:00 to 4:00 p.m. and qualifies for Act 48 credit. Click Here for more information and to register through the Green Schools ­ Blue Waters

website or contact Estelle Ruppert, Coordinator, Green Schools­Blue Waters Center for Schools and Communities, 717­576­9366 or send email to: eruppert@comcast.net. NewsClips: 1,700 Students Attend Great Lakes Children’s Water Festival Students Use NASA Drone To Research Centralia Coal Fire Family Nature Fest Slated At Lacawac Sanctuary June 13 In Wayne County

Lacawac Sanctuary recently announced plans to once again host Nature Fest at Lacawac’s 550 acre property on June 13 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

The public is cordially invited to join Lacawac staff and volunteers for this family oriented nature friendly event which includes guided hikes, children's activities, presentations, live animals, and more.

Nature Fest showcases Lacawac’s natural and historic features! Enjoy a live animals presentation, paddle on the lake, tour the Historic 1903 Watres Lodge, play carnival games, go on a wildflower walk with Dr. Ann Rhoades or study woodland fungi with the Mushroom Man, Nathaniel Whitmore, and learn about the history of the Town Beneath the Lake.

The family day is open to both residents and visitors to the area. $10 suggested donation per car load. Car­pooling is encouraged.

This year’s Nature Fest sponsors include: Claws N Paws­Wild Animal Park, Wallenpaupack Lake Estates, Weichert Realty Paupack Group, Delaware Highlands Conservancy, Lake Region IGA, Turkey Hill, and Wayne Pike Workforce Alliance.

Lacawac’s Nature Fest schedule of events include: — 10 a.m. Pocono Wildlife's live animal presentation — 11 a.m. The Mushroom Man, Nathaniel Whitmore will lead a 1 hour mushroom and wild edibles walk on the property — 11 a.m. Paddle on Lake Lacawac in our row boats and canoes! Pre­register: 570­689­9494 or info@lacawac.org — 12 p.m. Dr. Ann Rhoads will lead a 2 hour wildflower walk on the property — 1 p.m. Paddle on Lake Lacawac in our row boats and canoes! Pre­register: 570­689­9494 or info@lacawac.org — 2 p.m. Jon Tandy will present The Town Beneath the Lake within a 2 hour time slot, depicting the town and people of Wilsonville which includes historical references to the Watres family

Additional activities include a lake ecology station with Lacawac’s Dr. Lesley Knoll where you can get an up close look at what lives in Lake Lacawac; eco­friendly carnival­style games and an obstacle course; skins and skulls learning station and an edible educational activity­ aquifer sundaes made possible through generosity of Turkey Hill and Lake Region IGA.

For more information about Lacawac’s Nature Fest, call 570­689­9494 or email educator@lacawac.org.

Learn about Lacawac, get directions to the Sanctuary and find all of this summer’s educational and nature programs, visit the Lacawac Sanctuary website. Volunteers Needed To Plant Flowers Around Westmoreland Courthouse May 18 Volunteers are getting their gardening tools ready to help plant some 1,500 flowers around the Westmoreland County Courthouse at the annual Courthouse Planting Day May 18.

Each May for the past 15 years, volunteers from the Botanical Society of Westmoreland County, the Penn State Westmoreland County Master Gardeners, and the Westmoreland Conservation District spend an afternoon planting flowers in beds and planters around the county courthouse.

The plants and flowers, which will add beauty and color all summer long, include coleus,

wave petunias, sweet potato vines, polka dot plants, purple coneflowers, scaevolia, purple fountain grass, prairie sun coneflowers, and rex begonias. Hanging baskets will decorate the courtyard, too.

About 40 volunteers are expected to help with Monday’s planting day, from 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.

During the summer months, volunteers from the Penn State Westmoreland County Master Gardeners will continue to make sure that the gardens are looking their best by watering and weeding the flower beds, planters, and baskets. Wildlands Conservancy Seeks Volunteers To Restore Habitat May 30 In Monroe County The Wildlands Conservancy is seeking volunteers to restore Golden­Winged Warbler habitat at the Thomas Darling Preserve in Blakeslee, Monroe County on May 30.

With each passing day, the golden­winged warbler's native habitat is disappearing. As a result, it is currently being reviewed for addition to the endangered species list.

But in 2014, the Wildlands Conservancy started a five­year habitat restoration effort to reverse this for the golden­winged warbler, a neotropical migratory songbird, and other species, within a 70­acre area of the Conservancy’s 1,500­acre, Pocono­based, Thomas Darling Preserve.

Volunteers will be involved in deconstructing and relocating several thousand feet of deer fencing to be installed at the 70­acre habitat restoration site. This is the first of many opportunities to volunteer for this project.

To learn more and register to volunteer, contact Carl Martin, director of property stewardship, at 610­965­4397, ext 121 or send email to: cmartin@wildlandspa.org. RSVP by May 28. PA Master Naturalist Program Offers Training In Berks, Bucks, Chester Counties The PA Master Naturalist Program has scheduled training sessions to help local community leaders promote natural resource conservation education, citizen science and stewardship in Berks, Bucks and Chester counties.

Pennsylvania Master Naturalist is a citizen volunteer initiative with three key components: an initial 55­hour volunteer training, annual volunteer service, and continuing education in the natural sciences.

The new training sessions will start August 18 in Chester County, August 25 in Berks County and September 15 in Bucks County.

Master Naturalist volunteers design and pursue a wide variety of service projects from habitat restoration and native plantings, to nature walks and interpretive displays or publications on natural history, to water quality monitoring and supporting the natural resource conservation efforts of partnering organizations.

Since 2010, Pennsylvania Master Naturalist volunteers in Southeastern Pennsylvania have: ­­ engaged in more than 6,300 hours of conservation service;

­­ contributed $140,700 in conservation value and impact to numerous regional partners; ­­ reached over 9,000 people through education and outreach initiatives; ­­ improved 330 acres of habitat through stewardship service; and ­­ dedicated themselves to 2,300 hours of continuing education in the natural sciences.

For an application and more information, visit the PA Master Naturalist Program website. PEC Accepting Applications For Pocono Forest & Waters Conservation Mini­Grants The PA Environmental Council is now accepting applications for Pocono Forest and Waters Conservation Landscape Mini­Grants through June 15.

A total of $60,000 in grant funding is available. All mini­grants require a 50/50 match. PEC and DCNR encourage any municipality, council of governments, registered Pennsylvania nonprofits, county conservation districts, or learning institutions to consider projects that may fit the grant criteria.

Grants can be for projects which­ ­­ Identify important natural landscape areas for acquisition, easements; ­­ Engage communities to protect, enhance and conserve natural, outdoor recreational resources; and ­­ Create trail connections.

Funding is provided through the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. For mini­grant guidelines and applications, visit PEC’s Pocono Forest and Waters

Conservation Landscape Mini­Grants webpage. Northeast PA Trail Symposium A Success In Year Two Regional trail representatives and organizations alike descended upon the Lackawanna Heritage Valley offices in Scranton May 5 for the second annual Northeast PA Trail Symposium.

As a part of the Northeast Pennsylvania Trails Forum, the quarterly meeting provided a venue for trail organizations, managers, and supporters alike to network and share resources and best management practices.

The PA Environmental Council, along with the Lackawanna Heritage Valley National and State Heritage Area and the Anthracite Scenic Trails Association hosted the event.

Amy Camp, Owner of Cycle Forward, began the day with a presentation on the economic impact of trail tourism and the revenue that trails such as the Great Allegheny Passage (GAP) bring in each year.

She cited that it took an estimated public/private investment of $80 million to build the GAP, while the trail generates $50 million in direct spending each year.

“That lifetime investment is returned to the regional economy through trail user spending every two seasons,” Camp said. “There’s no doubt that trails are a part of the solution for communities that are looking for opportunity.”

After Lackawanna Heritage Valley’s Director of Engagement Owen Worozbyt presented the launch of the Bike Scranton Program, representatives of local, state, and federal agencies presented their trail funding updates and information.

Organizations such as the Department of Conservation & Natural Resources and the Department of Transportation took the podium before PEC Vice President Janet Sweeney

discussed the Pocono Forest & Waters Conservation Landscape’s Mini­Grant Program. “The vision is to protect and sustain the natural resources of the Pocono Forest & Waters

Conservation Landscape,” Sweeney said. “Our goals: conservation, community, and connections.

“Through this program over the last three years we’ve been able to give out $260,000 for 42 different projects and our mini­grantees have leveraged this funding with $577,000 in cash and in­kind,” she added.

After an hour for lunch and additional networking, Bill Leonard, Deputy Superintendent of the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area provided an update on trail projects at the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area before a panel of regional visitor bureaus delivered presentations on marketing trails and the power of social media.

The day concluded with a walk on the Scranton Riverwalk and a bike ride on the Central New Jersey Rail­Trail, located directly behind the LHVA offices.

“There’s nothing that is more visible and more used by the community than our trail, and we’re always happy to have you here to share ideas and information,” said the LHVA’s Executive Director Natalie Gelb.

The next quarterly meeting is scheduled to take place on August 14 at Camp Lackawanna.

PA Parks & Forests Foundation Looking For 100 Parks & Forest Icons The PA Parks and Forests Foundation is looking for 100 icons that best represent Pennsylvania’s State Parks and Forest system.

Imagine it. A summer breeze begins to blow. You close your eyes and picture your visit to a State Park or Forest. What do you see? For you, that vision is an icon­­ a widely known symbol of our public lands.

Throughout the summer PPFF will be looking for 100 State Park and Forest icons. Nominate your icon by June 30 and then a select committee at PPFF will review the

nominations and pick the winners. Starting on June 21, PPFF will name the first icon and name them periodically through

September 28. Shared images of these icons will be compiled into an album on the PPFF website.

Submit your nominations by email to: 100icons@paparksandforests.org. 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. May 18­­ Agenda Posted. DEP Small Water Systems Technical Assistance Center Board meeting. Southcentral Regional DEP Office, 909 Elmerton Ave., Harrisburg. 9:00. (formal notice) ­­ Revised Disinfectant Residual Requirements

­­ Proposed Changes In Chlorine Residuals Regulations, PA American Water ­­ Proposed Changes To DEP Regulations, North Penn Water Authority ­­ Legionella, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ­­ Disinfection Requirements, Chester Water Authority <> Click Here for available handouts. May 18­­ Location/Time Added. Agenda Posted. PA Energy Development Authority meeting. Room 105 Rachel Carson Building. 1:00. (formal notice) ­­ Status of 2014 Awards and Grant Agreements ­­ Financial Report ­­ Grantee Project Presentations ­­ Future Funding Opportunities <> Click Here for available handouts. May 19­­ Agenda Posted. DEP Environmental Justice Advisory Board meeting. Delaware Room, 16th Floor, Rachel Carson Building. 8:30. ­­ Environmental Advocate Update ­­ Appendix A Trigger Permit List, DEP EJ Public Participation Policy ­­ EJAB Recommendations For director Position ­­ EPA Clean Power Rule <> Click Here for available handouts. May 19­20­­ Choose Clean Water Coalition 6th Annual Choose Clean Water Conference. Harrisburg Hilton. May 20­­ Agenda Posted. Environmental Quality Board meeting. Room 105 Rachel Carson Building. 9:00. ­­ Final regulations covering fiberglass boat manufacturing ­­ Final regulations making changes to the Land Recycling Program ­­ Proposed regulation making changes to the Remining Program. ­­ Presentations on the three year fee and cost analysis reports for the Noncoal Mining and Coal Mining Program fees. ­­ DEP staff update on the rulemaking petition process and active stream redesignation petitions. <> Click Here for available handouts. May 20­­ New Meeting Time. Agenda Posted. DEP Citizens Advisory Council meeting. Room 105 Rachel Carson Building. 11:00. (formal notice) ­­ The Case For An Unconventional Natural Gas Development Health Registry, Raina Rippel, Director, Southwest PA Environmental Health Project; ­­ Economic Diversity, Workforce Development and Job Creation, Joi Spraggins, Council Member; ­­ Act 54 Report Review Committee report; ­­ Legislative Committee report; ­­ Policy & regulatory Oversight Committee report; ­­ DEP regular monthly report

<> Click Here for available handouts. May 21­­ DEP public meeting on an application to modify the Hatfield Ferry Power Station coal combustion byproduct landfill in Greene County. Carmichaels Junior/Senior High School, 300 W. Greene St., Carmichaels. 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. (PA Bulletin page 2107) May 26­­ Agenda Posted. DEP Small Water Systems Technical Assistance Center Board meeting.Room 105 Rachel Carson Building. 9:00. (formal notice) ­­ Distribution System Optimization Program Presentation ­­ Chlorine Residual Standard Impacts/Compliance Issues ­­ Disinfectant Residual Requirements Impacts ­­ Presentation On Legionella <> Click Here for available handouts May 27­­ Women In Science Symposium, Lacawac Sanctuary. Ehrhardt’s Waterfront Resort in Hawley, Pike County May 28­­ [Agenda Not Posted] DEP Certification Program Advisory Committee meeting. Room 105 Rachel Carson Building. 9:00. May 28­­ DEP Regional Keystone Energy Education Program Workshop. Springside Chestnut Hill Academy, 500 West Willow Grove Ave., Philadelphia. 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. May 30­­ Backyard Composting Workshop, PA Resources Council. Connellsville Canteen, Fayette County. 10:00. June 1­­ Senate Environmental Resources and Energy and Finance Committees hold joint hearing on natural gas severance tax proposals. Hearing Room 1 North Office Building. 10:30. June 1­­ NEW. House Democratic Policy Committee holds a hearing on Gov. Wolf’s proposed Energy Investment Initiative. Room 418 Main Capitol. 10:00. June 1­­ NEW. DEP public meeting and hearing on a proposal to reclassify a well from a production well to a disposal well in Grant Township, Indiana County. East Run Sportsman’s Association, 1668 Sebring Rd., Marion Center, PA. 6:00. (PA Bulletin, page 2426) June 2­­ Senate Environmental Resources and Energy Committee will consider the nomination of John Quigley for Secretary of Environmental Protection. Hearing Room 1 North Office Building. 9:30 a.m. June 2­­ DEP Storage Tank Advisory Committee meeting. 14th Floor Conference Room, Rachel Carson Building. 10:00. June 3­­ DEP Coastal Zone Advisory Committee meeting. 10th Floor Conference, Rachel Carson Building. 9:30.

June 4­­ DEP Radiation Protection Advisory Committee meeting. 14th Floor Conference Room, Rachel Carson Building. 9:00. June 4­­ CANCELED. DEP Solid Waste Advisory Committee meeting. Room 105 Rachel Carson Building. 10:00. June 4­­ NEW. Susquehanna River Basin Commission meeting. City of Crescent Building, 4th Floor, EEOC Conference Room, 10 S. Howard St., Baltimore. 9:00. (formal notice) ­­ Presentation on the Lower Susquehanna Subbasin Area ­­ Proposed Water Resources Program For FYs 2016, 2017 ­­ FY 2016 Regulatory Program Fee Schedule ­­ Regulatory Program Updates and Other Matters <> Click Here for available handouts June 5­­ Appalachian Trail Hall of Fame Banquet. Allenberry Resort, Boiling Springs. Click Here for banquet information. June 9­­ NEW. DEP Climate Change Advisory Committee meeting. Room 105 Rachel Carson Building. 10:00. June 9­­ Rescheduled For June 23. DEP Board of Coal Mine Safety meeting. DEP Cambria Office, 286 Industrial Park Rd., Ebensburg. 10:00. (formal notice) June 11­­ Forestry Task Force, Joint Conservation Committee meeting. Conference Center, Celebration Hall,2280 Commercial Blvd, State College. 10:00. June 11­­ NEW. DEP Air Quality Technical Advisory Committee meeting. Room 105 Rachel Carson Building. 9:15. June 11­­ Backyard Composting Workshop, PA Resources Council. Phipps Garden Center, Pittsburgh. 7:00 p.m. June 11­12­­ Penn State PA Natural Resources Leadership Institute Workshop. State College. June 16­­ NEW. Environmental Quality Board meeting. Room 105 Rachel Carson Building. 9:00. June 16­­ NEW. DEP Citizens Advisory Council meeting. Room 105 Rachel Carson Building. 10:00. June 17­­ NEW. DEP State Board For Certification Of Water And Wastewater System Operators meeting. 10th Floor Conference Room, Rachel Carson Building. 10:00. June 17­­ DEP Regional Keystone Energy Education Program Workshop. Ferguson Township

Elementary School, 215 W Pine St., Pine Grove Mills, Centre County. 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. June 23­­ DEP Board of Coal Mine Safety meeting. DEP Cambria Office, 286 Industrial Park Rd., Ebensburg. 10:00. (formal notice) June 24­­ DEP Laboratory Accreditation Advisory Committee. Bureau of Laboratories Building, 2575 Interstate Dr., Harrisburg. 9:30. June 24­­ DEP State Board for Certification of Sewage Enforcement Officers meeting. Conference Room 11B, Rachel Carson Building. 10:00. June 30­­ DEP Small Water Systems Technical Assistance Center Board meeting. Room 105 Rachel Carson Building. 9:00. July 8­­ NEW. DEP Technical Advisory Committee on Diesel­Powered Equipment meeting. DEP New Stanton Office, 131 Broadview Rd., New Stanton. 10:00. July 9­­ NEW. DEP Mining and Reclamation Advisory Board meeting. Pottsville District Mining Office, 5 West Laurel Blvd, Pottsville. 9:00. MRAB members will be taking a field trip to several acid mine drainage treatment facilities in Schuylkill County on July 8 from 10 to 4 starting from the Pottsville Office. July 20­­ Backyard Composting Workshop, PA Resources Council. Cooper­Siegal Library, Fox Chapel, Allegheny County. 10:30. July 22­­ DEP Certification Program Advisory Committee for Water and Wastewater Systems Operators meeting. 14th Floor, Rachel Carson Building. 9:00. (formal notice) July 22­­ NEW. DEP Small Business Compliance Advisory Committee meeting. 12th Floor Conference Room, Rachel Carson Building. 10:00. August 4­­ NEW. DEP Environmental Justice Advisory Board meeting. Delaware Room, 16th Floor, Rachel Carson Building. 8:30. August 12­­ DEP Water Resources Advisory Committee meeting. Room 105 Rachel Carson Building. 9:30. August 25­­ DEP Oil and Gas Technical Advisory Committee meeting. Room 105 Rachel Carson Building. 10:00. (formal notice) August 26­­ NEW. DEP Cleanup Standards Scientific Advisory Board meeting. Room 105 Rachel Carson Building. 9:00. August 27­­ NEW. DEP Conventional Oil and Gas Advisory Committee meeting. Room 105 Rachel Carson Building. 10:00.

September 16­20­­ National Trout Unlimited Meeting. Center City Hilton Hotel and Convention Center, Scranton. Click Here for more information. September 20­22­­ 2015 Greenways and Trails Summit. Holiday Inn and Allegheny Community Center, Warren. September 22­­ DEP Sewage Advisory Committee meeting. Room 105 Rachel Carson Building. 10:30. September 24­­ DEP Recycling Fund Advisory Committee & Solid Waste Advisory Committee meeting. Room 105 Rachel Carson Building. 10:00. October 2­­ DEP Low­Level Waste Advisory Committee. Room 105 Rachel Carson Building. 10:00. October 27­­ DEP Oil and Gas Technical Advisory Committee meeting. Room 105 Rachel Carson Building. 10:00. (formal notice) October 28­30­­ 2015 Partnership for Safe Water 2015 Water System Optimization Conference hosted by the PA Section American Water Works Association. Hershey. October 29­­ NEW. DEP Conventional Oil and Gas Advisory Committee meeting. Room 105 Rachel Carson Building. 10:00. Visit DEP’s Public Participation Center for information on how you can Be Informed! and Get Involved! in DEP regulation and guidance development process. 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 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 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

Click Here for links to DEP’s Advisory Committee webpages. DEP Calendar of Events DCNR Calendar of Events Note: The Environmental Education Workshop Calendar is no longer available from the PA Center for Environmental Education because funding for the Center was eliminated in the FY 2011­12 state budget. The PCEE website was also shutdown, but some content was moved to the PA Association of Environmental Educators' website. Senate Committee Schedule House Committee Schedule You can watch the Senate Floor Session and House Floor Session live online. Add Green Works In PA To Your Google+ Circle 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. May 18­­ Deadline For Capital Budget Project Applications May 21­­ DCNR Volunteer Firefighting Grants May 22­­ Keep PA Beautiful Cleanup, Beautification Grants June 15­­ NEW. PEC Pocono Forest and Waters Conservation Landscape Mini­Grants June 30­­ NEW. PA State Parks & Forests Foundation 100 Icons Nominations June 30­­ CFA Watershed Restoration Protection Grants June 30­­ CFA Abandoned Mine Drainage Abatement and Treatment Grants June 30­­ CFA Baseline Water Quality Data Grants June 30­­ CFA Orphan or Abandoned Well Plugging Grants June 30­­ CFA Sewage Facilities Grants June 30­­ CFA Flood Mitigation Grants June 30­­ CFA Greenways, Trails and Recreation Grants June 30­­ DEP Alternative Fuel Vehicle Rebates (or until rebates run out) July 3­­ PA Resources Council Anti­Litter Video Contest For Pittsburgh July 10­­ DEP Growing Greener Watershed Restoration Grants July 10­­ PROP Recycling Film Festival July 10­­ ARIPPA Abandoned Mine Reclamation Grants July 30­­ TreeVitalize Inventory, Planting Grants July 31­­ CFA Business In Our Sites, Brownfields September 12­­ PPFF State Parks and Forests Through The Season Photo Contest September 30­­ DEP Recycling Performance Grants September 30­­ Project Learning Tree GreenWorks! Grants

October 31­­ PA Resources Council Lens On Litter Photo Contest December 31­­ DEP Alternative Fuels Incentive Vehicle Rebates ­­ Visit the DEP Grants and Loan Programs webpage for more ideas on how to get financial assistance for environmental projects. Add Green Works In PA To Your Google+ Circle 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 Senate Committee Sends Dunn Nomination To Full Senate Air How Should Sources Of Air Pollution Be Evaluated? Tentative Settlement In Bruce Mansfield Lawsuits Works Starts On Controversial Lancaster Soybean Plant Awards Exelon Project Receives Governor’s Environmental Award Sinnemahoning Stakeholder Group Honored By State Budget Changing Drilling Fee Structure Would Burden PA Counties Coalition Voices Opposition To PA Natural Gas Taxes Links In Natural Gas Supply Chain Worry About Severance Tax Hunting, Fishing Gear Taxes Boosting Wildlife Conservation Passage Of Pension, Property Tax Bills Sets Budget Table House To Consider Budget Amendment Week Of June 1 Climate Editorial: Climate Cluckers Awaiting Doomsday Education 1,700 Students Attend Great Lakes Children’s Water Festival Students Use NASA Drone To Research Centralia Coal Fire Energy Big Changes To Jessup Power Plant Plans Tentative Settlement In Bruce Mansfield Lawsuits PPL Flips Switch On Susquehanna­Roseland Power Line Challenge To Demand Response Programs On Electric Grids Energy Conservation Saves $393K At Lancaster Facilities Environmental Education Fayette Envirothon Participants Get Down To Earth IUP Students Test, Analyze Water Supply In Westmoreland Farm Activities Works Starts On Controversial Lancaster Soybean Plant Why Some Farmers Avoid Community­Supported Agriculture

PA Beekeepers Lose More Than Half Their Colonies Oil & Gas Changing Drilling Fee Structure Would Burden PA Counties Coalition Voices Opposition To PA Natural Gas Taxes Links In Natural Gas Supply Chain Worry About Severance Tax Scientists Study How To Put Forest Back Together After Drilling Rising Tide Of Opposition To Pipelines, Other Gas Projects West Goshen OKs Pipeline Settlement New Rules To Protect Bats Could Affect Drilling Pad Construction Drilling Issues Bring Back Book On Middlesex’s Past NE Lawmakers Hear Gas Industry Needs Consol Natural Gas Training Academy Draws 100 Students Fracktivist Faces 6 Felony Charges For Recording Lawyer UGI To Build LNG Plant In Wyoming County Shale Oil Drillers Ready To Ramp Up Oil Drilling Boom Is Sputtering Back To Life Bloomberg: Oil Is Not Coming Back Oil Tank Cars Close To Crash Site What’s In Tank Cars Near Amtrak Derailment? Trail Derailments: Looking At Track Defects Oil Industry Challenges Rules Meant To Stop Train Explosions Gasoline Prices Accelerate UGI Natural Gas Customers To See Bills Drop Energy Industry Invests In Philly Mayor’s Race Recreation Could Spring Garden St. Become Philly’s Iconic Greenway? Bicyclists To Rule The Roads Today Editorial: Bikes Make A City Better Recycling/Waste Glass Recycling Takes Hit, Still Collecting In Erie Landfill Welcomes Challenges Before State Board Editorial: No Obstacle To Opposing Keystone Landfill Growth DEP To Consider FirstEnergy’s Coal Ash Disposal Plan FirstEnergy Eyes Landfill At Shuttered Coal Plant WV Hazardous Waste Incinerator Releases Toxins Near PA Border Watershed Protection Cancerous Fish Sparks Further Discussion Of Susquehanna Health IUP Students Test, Analyze Water Supply In Westmoreland Chest Creek Alliance Receives Funding, Training For Stream Monitoring Conservation District Starts Work On Penn Twp Stormwater Plan 1,700 Students Attend Great Lakes Children’s Water Festival Ohio Asks Neighboring States To Help Fight Lake Erie’s Algae U.S. House Passes Bill To Block Obama’s Clean Water Rule Starbucks Taps Pittston Company For Branded Water Latest From The Chesapeake Bay Journal

Wildlife Cancerous Fish Sparks Further Discussion Of Susquehanna Health Hunting, Fishing Gear Taxes Boosting Wildlife Conservation DEP’s NewsClips webpage ­ Click Here The latest environmental NewsClips and news is available at the PA Environment Digest Daily Blog, Twitter Feed and add us to your Google+ Circle. Regulations, Technical Guidance & Permits No new regulations were published this week. Pennsylvania Bulletin ­ May 16, 2015 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 Technical Guidance & Permits The Department of Environmental Protection published notice in the May 16 PA Bulletin saying permit reviews may now be impacted by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s listing of the Northern Long­eared Bat as a federally threatened species under the Endangered Species Act. DEP published notice inviting comments on the 2015­16 Ambient Air Monitoring Network Plan. DEP published notice of changes to the list of those certified to perform radon­related activities (PA Bulletin, page 2425). The State Registration Board for Professional Engineers, Land Surveyors and Geologists published notice of a proposed increase in license renewal fees for comment. 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 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 new Public Participation Center for information on how you can Be Informed! and Get Involved! in DEP regulation and guidance development process. Click Here for links to DEP’s Advisory Committee webpages. DEP Calendar of Events Add Green Works In PA To Your Google+ Circle CLICK HERE To Print Entire PA Environment Digest CLICK HERE to Print The Entire PA Environment Digest. 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: DHess@CrisciAssociates.com. PA Environment Digest is edited by David E. Hess, former Secretary Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, and is published as a service of Crisci Associates, a Harrisburg­based government and public affairs firm whose clients include Fortune 500 companies and non­profit organizations. Did you know you can search 10 years of back issues of the PA Environment Digest on dozens of topics, by county and on any keyword you choose? Just click on the search page. PA Environment Digest weekly was the winner of the PA Association of Environmental Educators' 2009 Business Partner of the Year Award. Supporting Member PA Outdoor Writers Assn./PA Trout Unlimited PA Environment Digest is a supporting member of the Pennsylvania Outdoor Writers Association, Pennsylvania Council Trout Unlimited and the Doc Fritchey Chapter Trout Unlimited.