pa environment digest may 23, 2011
TRANSCRIPT
8/6/2019 Pa Environment Digest May 23, 2011
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/pa-environment-digest-may-23-2011 1/47
PA Environment DigestAn Update On Environmental Issues In PAEdited By: David E. Hess, Crisci Associates
Winner 2009 PAEE Business Partner Of The Year Award
Harrisburg, Pa May 23, 2011
Sen. Scarnati Introduces Marcellus Shale Impact Fee Langauge
Senate President Pro Tempore Joe Scarnati (R-Jefferson) this week
introduced the language for a local impact fee on Marcellus Shale
companies as Senate Bill 1100 which he said will raise $121.2 million in
FY 2011-12."While I recognize that even though the language has been put into
legislative form, this issue is still a work in progress," Sen. Scarnati stated.
"My main objective with this bill is to ensure our local municipalities,
where drilling takes place, receive a fee to assist with road improvements,
water and sewage issues, as well as other community enhancements."
According to Sen. Scarnati, there has been significant progress made over the past couple
of weeks to improve the proposal.
"We have and will continue to work with the environmental community, the industry, and
local and state officials to make sure we get this bill right," Sen. Scarnati added. "I am hopeful
that we will arrive at a final product that will be in the best interest of the citizens of the
Commonwealth by summer recess.
"As I have said before, we have tremendous opportunity with the Marcellus Shale
industry, but we must be vigilant in ensuring our communities and our environment are taken
care of now and in the future," Scarnati concluded.
The proposal is retroactive to 2010 and would bring in about $45 million for last year and
$76.2 million this year for a combined income of $121.2 million in FY 2011-12.
The revenue would be distributed to county conservation districts, impacted local
governments and for statewide environmental and infrastructure impacts in these amounts--
-- Conservation Districts: 2010-- $2.5 million, 2011-- $5 million and thereafter $7.5 million
annually.
-- Impacted Local Governments: 60 percent of the revenue or about $42.7 million in 2011---- 36 percent to counties with producing wells;
-- 37 percent to municipalities with producing wells;
-- 27 percent to all municipalities within counties with producing wells;
The local impact fee revenue may be used for the following purposes: reconstruction,
maintenance and repair of municipal roadways and bridges; preservation and improvement
of
8/6/2019 Pa Environment Digest May 23, 2011
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/pa-environment-digest-may-23-2011 2/47
municipal water supplies; maintenance and capital improvements to municipal waste and
sewage
systems; preservation and reclamation of the surface waters of the municipality; other
lawful
purposes reasonably related to the health, welfare and safety consequences of severing
natural gasin the municipality.
-- Statewide Environmental and Infrastructure Impacts: 40 percent or about $38.2 million in
2011--
-- 80 percent ($30.8 million in 2011) would go through the Commonwealth Financing
Authority
for: Acid mine drainage abatement and cleanup; watershed protection; planning and
enforcement authorized under the Pennsylvania Sewage Facilities Act; water and sewer
infrastructure; greenways, recreational trails, open space, natural areas, heritage parks,
etc.;
flood control and dam safety projects.
-- 10 percent to the Motor License Fund for impacted state highway improvements.-- 10 percent to the Hazardous Sites Cleanup Fund.
A copy of the bill and supporting summary and other background are available on a
special Marcellus Shale Impact Fee webpage on Sen. Scarnati's website. Click Here for original
announcement and reaction.
NewsClips: Pileggi: Impact Fee Not Necessarily Connected To Budget Deal
High-Ranking Senator Introduces Bill To Impose Shale-Well Fee
Bill Would Assess Local Impact Fee On Shale Drilling
Senator Introduces Shale Drilling Fee Bill
Drilling Fee Comes Up In The Senate
More Details On Scarnati Drilling Impact Fee ProposalPennsylvania Weighs Levy On Natural Gas Wells
Politicians: Marcellus Shale Gas Tax Will Eventually Happen
York County Commissioners Support Marcellus Impact Fee
Drilling Impact Fee Won't Go To Those Who Ban It
Letter: Scarnati's Impact Fee Bill Deserves Consideration
Op-Ed: Corbett Must Choose Carefully In Taxing, Regulating Shale
Op-Ed: The Case Against Taxing Marcellus Shale Drillers
Editorial: Corbett Should Heed GOP Call For Natural Gas Tax
Editorial: Natural Gas Fee Legislation A Start
Editorial: Drilling Tax Could Be Less Costly
Editorial: Gas Tax Could Be Less CostlyEditorial: Paying Severance Tax, Not Politicians, Easier For Drillers
Penn State: Severance Tax, Impact Fee Proposals Will Have Little Impact On Industry
A new study by Penn State University professors has concluded the major Marcellus Shale
natural gas severance tax or impact fee proposals will have little impact on the economic growth
of the industry in Pennsylvania.
8/6/2019 Pa Environment Digest May 23, 2011
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/pa-environment-digest-may-23-2011 3/47
The study by Professors David Passmore and Rose Baker of the Institute for Research in
Training and Development at Penn State looked at Senate Bill 1100 (Scarnati-R-Jefferson),
Senate Bill 905 (Yudichak-D-Luzerne, Erickson-R-Delaware), House Bill 1406 (Harper-R-
Montgomery) and House Bill 33 (Vitali-D-Delaware).
The study, "Potential Pennsylvania Economic Impact of Four Natural Gas Severance
Tax/Fee Proposals, 2011-2015," was presented at a seminar, Evaluating Fiscal Impacts: TheExample of an Oil and Gas Severance Tax, sponsored by Regional Economic Models, Inc. in
Harrisburg on May 18. Slides from the presentation are also available.
American Rivers: Susquehanna Most Endangered River In U.S. Due To Drilling
For the second year in a row, the most endangered river in the
United States is a victim of natural gas drilling and the
environmental hazards associated with hydraulic fracturing, also
known as “fracking,” according to the non-profit group American
Rivers.
The report, which was released this week by AmericanRivers, is a wake-up call to policymakers as concerns mount that
the process used to extract natural gas is contaminating drinking water and potentially
threatening the health of millions.
American Rivers, which every year names the 10 most endangered rivers in the country,
put the Susquehanna at the top of this year’s list, citing the rush to develop the enormous natural
gas reserves in the region without considering the risk to clean water, rivers and human health.
The most endangered river of 2010 was the Upper Delaware, which is similarly threatened by
natural gas extraction.
The Susquehanna, one of the longest rivers in the nation, flows over the Marcellus Shale
region, a rock formation underlying large swaths of New York, Pennsylvania and Maryland, andcontaining vast reserves of natural gas. As part of the fracking process used to extract natural
gas, massive amounts of water are withdrawn from rivers and streams, mixed with sand and
toxic chemicals and pumped underground to fracture the shale under extreme pressure.
There are currently limited facilities for treating the highly toxic wastewater that results
from the extraction process and few government regulations to prevent it from seeping into rivers
like the Susquehanna, which provides drinking water for more than six million people.
“Natural gas drilling poses one of the greatest risks our nation’s rivers have faced in
decades,” says Andrew Fahlund, senior vice president for conservation at American Rivers.
“Without strong regulations, public health and drinking water will be threatened by the toxic,
cancer-causing pollution that results from hydraulic fracturing.”
“The Susquehanna is one of the most ancient rivers on Earth. In its current state, it is a far cry from the pristine and primeval watershed that existed only a few centuries ago. The threat
posed by the natural gas industry and horizontal hydrofracturing will eclipse the environmental
legacy of the lumber and coal-mining industries combined, and as a long-time advocate for the
protection of the Susquehanna, I believe we must call for an immediate moratorium on all water
withdrawals and all natural gas drilling until the technology and legislation catches up with the
desire and need to exploit these fossil-fuel resources,” said Don Williams, Susquehanna River
Sentinel.
8/6/2019 Pa Environment Digest May 23, 2011
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/pa-environment-digest-may-23-2011 4/47
"Recent problems caused by poorly-regulated gas drilling in Pennsylvania include:
ground water pollution in Susquehanna County resulting in loss of a community's drinking
water, a blowout in Bradford County that went uncontrolled, allowing toxic fracking chemicals
to flow into the Susquehanna, deadly accidents at a gas well site as well as chemical spills,
explosions and fires. We call on the Susquehanna River Basin Commission to immediately
impose a moratorium on any new drilling in the Susquehanna River Basin, as was done by theDelaware River Basin Commission,” said Jeff Schmidt, Director of the Sierra Club Pennsylvania
Chapter. "Until Pennsylvania, the SRBC and the federal government adopt new laws and
regulations to fully protect public health and the environment from the dangers of Marcellus
Shale gas drilling, no new drilling should be allowed,” Schmidt continued.
The number of natural gas wells in this country has nearly doubled in the past two
decades to approximately 500,000, and is expected to continue to grow in the coming years
posing an increasingly serious threat to the nation’s rivers. In the Marcellus Shale region in
Pennsylvania alone, drilling companies were issued approximately 3,300 gas-well permits in
2009 compared with 117 in 2007.
A recent report by U.S. House Democrats states that millions of gallons of potentially
hazardous chemicals and known carcinogens were injected into wells from 2005-2009.The America’s Most Endangered Rivers report recommends several steps to ensure
natural gas extraction doesn’t further harm our nation’s rivers and drinking water. These
include:
-- A moratorium on hydraulic fracturing along the Susquehanna until better protections are in
place;
-- Analysis by the Susquehanna River Basin Commission of impacts to clean water, and issuance
and enforcement of proper regulations;
-- Removal by Congress of loopholes that have helped the natural gas industry bypass major
environmental regulations; and
-- Passage by Congress of the FRAC Act of 2011, which calls for regulation of fracking by theEnvironmental Protection Agency and requires disclosure of the chemicals used in the
procedure. The legislation would also repeal a provision added to the Energy Policy Act of 2005
that exempts the natural gas industry from complying with the Safe Drinking Water Act.
Since last year’s designation of the Upper Delaware as the county’s most endangered
river, the Delaware River Basin Commission has begun developing regulations that are
comparatively stronger than others in the region, although those regulations have yet to be
completed.
While New York has issued a moratorium on natural gas drilling, and Pennsylvania, New
York and Maryland have been working to improve clean water safeguards for natural gas
development, those efforts fall short of adequately protecting the water supply for millions of
Americans.The American Rivers group declared the Susquehanna River endangered in 2005 as a
result of nutrient and sediment pollution.
NewsClips: Rivers In Gas Country Make Group's Imperiled List
Susquehanna Called Most-Endangered River In Nation
Susquehanna Is America's Most Endangered River Due To Drilling
Susquehanna: Nation's Most Endangered River
Group: Susquehanna Is Most Endangered
8/6/2019 Pa Environment Digest May 23, 2011
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/pa-environment-digest-may-23-2011 5/47
Drilling Puts Susquehanna Atop Group's At Risk Rivers List
Report: Susquehanna Most Endangered River In The Nation
PA American Water Does Not Find Pollution From Drilling
Editorial: Protecting The Susquehanna
Editorial: Save Our Water From Drilling
SRBC: Call To Cease Water Quantity Approvals For Drilling Misguided
Susquehanna River Basin Commission Executive Director Paul O. Swartz this week issued the
following commentary in response to American Rivers’ designation of the Susquehanna River as
the nation’s most endangered river in 2011.
Today’s announcement by the national organization American Rivers declaring the Susquehanna
River as the nation’s most endangered river in 2011 does not come as a surprise to the
Susquehanna River Basin Commission.
We are well aware that the development of natural gas is foremost on the minds of
citizens, policy makers, organizations and water management agencies.Why the Susquehanna River is the Focus in 2011
As in 2005, when American Rivers last gave the Susquehanna the dubious distinction of
being the most endangered due to concerns about combined sewer overflows, it is clear to us and
others that the designation does not really mean the Susquehanna is the most polluted river. It is
primarily meant to raise awareness of an issue with the underlying hope to effectuate policy
changes. The issue this time around is the practice of hydraulic fracturing (hydrofracing) to
capture natural gas from shales and whether the practice should be halted.
SRBC commends American Rivers for raising awareness on the importance of protecting
our nation’s rivers and streams. Undoubtedly, the Susquehanna River and its 49,000 miles of
tributaries that feed the river are vital for all life, healthy ecosystems and a vibrant economy.Why the Call for an SRBC Moratorium is Misguided and Legally Indefensible
SRBC wholeheartedly disagrees with American Rivers’ call for us to impose a
moratorium on water withdrawal and use approvals for hydrofracing. Many in the public who
oppose or are very wary of this practice believe the overriding concern relates to the potential
impacts to water quality, which falls outside of SRBC’s regulatory responsibilities.
We believe the decision whether to impose a moratorium falls squarely within the
discretion of SRBC’s member states.
It is SRBC’s job to wisely manage and conserve the water resources of the basin while
encouraging their sustainable use and development. That is SRBC’s prescribed mission.
We are aware of and sensitive to the public’s concern about water quality and drinking
water supplies, but the call for an SRBC moratorium is unfortunately misguided and would belegally indefensible on our part.
The Commission has a “limited” but very important role in the regulation of natural gas
development, namely the regulation of water withdrawals and consumptive water uses.
The Susquehanna River Basin Compact – that established SRBC 40 years ago – directs
SRBC to avoid regulatory duplication, particularly in the area of water quality.
In the Susquehanna basin, water quality regulations fall in the domain of our sovereign
member states, New York, Pennsylvania and Maryland, and the federal government. As such,
8/6/2019 Pa Environment Digest May 23, 2011
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/pa-environment-digest-may-23-2011 6/47
while our regulations are intended to be protective of aquatic resources, we do not regulate and
have never regulated water quality, nor are we contemplating doing so in the future.
When it comes to water quantity, the Commission solidly believes the largely water-rich
Susquehanna basin can accommodate the natural gas industry’s water needs, especially during
times when our waterways are flowing very high or at normal levels.
For times when water quantities are stressed such as during droughts, we impose many protective conditions on project sponsors to ensure the withdrawals cease until water supplies
naturally recover. Those very measures were imposed on withdrawals last summer even before
drought declarations were issued by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
Given the Commission’s limited regulatory role, there is no legal basis for us to impose a
moratorium. To do so would surely invite lawsuits that the Commission would expect to lose on
legal grounds.
Throughout the Commission’s 40 years, instead of looking to costly and lengthy legal
avenues, we have placed significant attention to instituting strong, science-based regulations and
practicing governmental coordination and cooperation to effectively and efficiently manage
water resources.
Our regulations are comprehensive and designed to protect the environment and other water users. Those same regulations and our Compact require us to review and act on reasonable
and sustainable requests for water, without regard to sectors. We treat all sectors equally and
uniformly.
In areas where a member state has determined that hydrofracing can occur, we legally
can not deny a reasonable and sustainable request for water by a natural gas driller that conforms
to our regulatory requirements and standards.
Nor would we deny a legitimate request for water by a hospital, a school, a municipality,
a water bottler, a public water supplier, a food processer, a pharmaceutical manufacturer, a
farmer, a power plant or others that meet the requirements of our regulations. Those are just a
sample of the types of water users that have a legitimate right to the basin’s water supplies.In the Pennsylvania portion of the basin, where no direct or de-facto moratorium on
hydrofracing is in place by the state, the Commission continues to review and act on withdrawal
and use requests. SRBC believes the Commonwealth’s regulatory improvements, including well
casing, impoundments and TDS standards, are significant and will help protect water quality.
Conversely, we have not been acting on any new applications for water use related to this
activity in the New York portion while the state undergoes its comprehensive environmental
assessment.
SRBC recognizes the sovereign authority of our member jurisdictions. As an extension
of the members, it is our job and mission to support them, not to duplicate or hinder them. And
the decision whether to continue or discontinue hydrofracing practices is squarely the
responsibility of SRBC’s members, not SRBC. As evidenced by our divergent actions onapplications in the Pennsylvania and New York portions of our basin, we clearly walk that walk.
How SRBC’s Regulations Protect Streams
When we became aware that hydrofracing was taking place in the Susquehanna basin,
SRBC was out of the gates early imposing penalties on violators and strengthening and
streamlining our regulations to protect the environment while meeting our mission to support the
sustainable use and development of water resources.
8/6/2019 Pa Environment Digest May 23, 2011
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/pa-environment-digest-may-23-2011 7/47
We believe our actions and our regulations can be held up as models of good
government. We rigorously protect the environment and other water users with passby flow
requirements, incentives for the use of lesser quality waters and recycling and encouragement of
water sharing that reduces potential impacts on streams and truck traffic.
The Commission has also been investigating and plans to move aggressively forward to
implement revised passby flow requirements that dictate when water withdrawals must cease dueto low streamflow conditions. We have been working with our member jurisdictions, resource
agencies and The Nature Conservancy to establish new passby flow thresholds that more
accurately reflect seasonal variability with respect to streamflow and associated ecosystem flow
needs.
SRBC Does Monitor Water Quality to Protect Streams
While we do not regulate water quality, SRBC has been a leader in water quality
monitoring for more than 25 years. Good monitoring consists of using approved methodologies,
collecting and carefully recording and analyzing data, following protocols for quality assurance
and quality control, coming to proper conclusions based on sound science and then releasing the
findings to agencies, policy makers and the public.
As a federal-interstate watershed agency, we are uniquely qualified to conductmonitoring programs without regard to political boundaries. While we are routinely involved in
a variety of monitoring programs, I draw your attention to our newest monitoring program, the
Remote Water Quality Monitoring Network that continuously records and feeds water quality
data to SRBC.
To date, SRBC has installed nearly 40 monitoring stations in northern tier Pennsylvania
where natural gas drilling is most active and southern tier New York to collect pre-drilling
baseline data. SRBC makes the data readily available to other resource agencies and the public
via its website.
The data help environmental protection officials track existing water quality conditions
and any changes in them on an ongoing, real-time basis. The data also help local public water suppliers, watershed groups and communities stay informed.
The Commission clearly understands that citizens are concerned about natural gas
drilling activities occurring in the Susquehanna basin. Data collection efforts such as this
monitoring network are critically important to establish existing background conditions and
monitor changes in water quality.
Inaccuracies in American Rivers’ Statements
Among the statements and assertions made by American Rivers, there are several
technical and misleading inaccuracies that must be corrected.
First, American Rivers indicates that about 1.5 times the annual flow of the Susquehanna
River will be used to sustain natural gas drilling. This is misleading because it implies an
ongoing extreme demand for water that in reality will be drawn out over the course of 2 to 3decades. Further, the estimate includes water needs for wells drilled outside the basin that will
not rely on basin water.
The Susquehanna River supplies the Chesapeake Bay on average 18 million gallons of
freshwater inflows every minute of the day. The effects of withdrawals from the northern
reaches of the Susquehanna River and its tributaries will not diminish this quantity going to the
bay.
8/6/2019 Pa Environment Digest May 23, 2011
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/pa-environment-digest-may-23-2011 8/47
SRBC staff estimates that the maximum need for water at the height of drilling will be 30
million gallons per day, or less than two minutes worth of the average flow of the river.
Further, considering the lowest flows ever recorded in the lower Susquehanna River, the
maximum use for drilling is expected to consume less than 3 percent of the flow to the bay
during an extreme drought.
Second, in that related sentence about the Susquehanna River, American Rivers points tothe potential for 400,000 wells across the Marcellus Shale. This could lead readers to believe the
400,000 wells relates to the Susquehanna basin only, which is clearly not the case.
No industry or governmental estimate comes close to indicating that many wells for the
Susquehanna basin. American Rivers should have indicated it meant the entire Marcellus Shale
region, which includes portions of West Virginia, Ohio, and portions of Pennsylvania, Maryland
and New York not located within the Susquehanna basin.
For more information, visit the SRBC's Marcellus Shale webpage.
NewsClips: Rivers In Gas Country Make Group's Imperiled List
Susquehanna Called Most-Endangered River In Nation
Susquehanna Is America's Most Endangered River Due To Drilling
Susquehanna: Nation's Most Endangered River Group: Susquehanna Is Most Endangered
Drilling Puts Susquehanna Atop Group's At Risk Rivers List
Report: Susquehanna Most Endangered River In The Nation
PA American Water Does Not Find Pollution From Drilling
Editorial: Protecting The Susquehanna
Editorial: Save Our Water From Drilling
DEP Fines Chesapeake Energy Over $1 Million For Washington, Bradford Well Violations
The Department of Environmental Protection this week fined Chesapeake Energy $1,088,000 for violations related to natural gas drilling activities in Bradford and Washington counties.
Under a Consent Order and Agreement, or COA, Chesapeake will pay DEP $900,000 for
contaminating private water supplies in Bradford County, of which $200,000 must be dedicated
to DEP’s well-plugging fund. Under a second COA, Chesapeake will pay $188,000 for a
February 23 tank fire at its drilling site in Avella, Washington County.
“It is important to me and to this administration that natural gas drillers are stewards of
the environment, take very seriously their responsibilities to comply with our regulations, and
that their actions do not risk public health and safety or the environment,” DEP Secretary Mike
Krancer said. “The water well contamination fine is the largest single penalty DEP has ever
assessed against an oil and gas operator, and the Avella tank fire penalty is the highest we could
assess under the Oil and Gas Act. Our message to drillers and to the public is clear.”At various times throughout 2010, DEP investigated private water well complaints from
residents of Bradford County’s Tuscarora, Terry, Monroe, Towanda and Wilmot townships near
Chesapeake’s shale drilling operations.
DEP determined that because of improper well casing and cementing in shallow zones,
natural gas from non-shale shallow gas formations had experienced localized migration into
groundwater and contaminated 16 families’ drinking water supplies.
8/6/2019 Pa Environment Digest May 23, 2011
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/pa-environment-digest-may-23-2011 9/47
As part of the Bradford County COA, Chesapeake agrees to take multiple measures to
prevent future shallow formation gas migration, including creating a plan to be approved by DEP
that outlines corrective actions for the wells in question; remediating the contaminated water
supplies; installing necessary equipment; and reporting water supply complaints to DEP.
The well plugging fund supports DEP’s Oil and Gas program operations and can be used
to mitigate historic and recent gas migration problems in cases where the source of the gascannot be identified.
The Avella action was taken because on February 23, while testing and collecting fluid
from wells on a drill site in Avella, Washington County, three condensate separator tanks caught
fire, injuring three subcontractors working on-site.
DEP conducted an investigation and determined the cause was improper handling and
management of condensate, a wet gas only found in certain geologic areas. Under the COA,
Chesapeake must submit for approval to the department a Condensate Management Plan for each
well site that may produce condensate.
“Natural gas drilling presents a valuable opportunity for Pennsylvania and the nation,”
Krancer said. “But, with this opportunity comes responsibilities that we in Pennsylvania expect
and insist are met; we have an obligation to enforce our regulations and protect our environment.”
NewsClips: PA Fines Driller $1.1 Million Over Contamination, Fire
Marcellus Shale Driller Hit With Record $1 Million Fine
DEP Fines Chesapeake More Than $1 Million
Marcellus Driller Fined Record $1.1 Million
Corbett's DEP Slaps Chesapeake Energy With Biggest Drilling Fine Ever
DEP Hits Chesapeake With Million In Fines
PA Officials Issue Largest Fine Ever To Gas Driller
Chesapeake Energy: 10,000 Gallons Of Water Spilled In Blowout
Follow Environmental issues With These Other Crisci Associates' Services
Also take advantage of these related services from Crisci Associates--
Twitter Instant Updates: On Twitter, sign up to receive instant updates from : PAEnviroDigest.
PA Environment Daily: 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.
PA Environment Digest Video Blog: showcases original and published videos from
environmental groups and agencies around the state. Sign up to receive as they are posted
updates through your favorite RSS read. You can also sign up for a once daily email alerting
you to new items posted on this blog.
PA Capitol Digest 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
8/6/2019 Pa Environment Digest May 23, 2011
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/pa-environment-digest-may-23-2011 10/47
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.
Senate/House Agenda/Session Schedule/Bills Introduced
Here are the Senate and House Calendars and Committee meetings showing bills of interest aswell as a list of new environmental bills introduced--
Session Schedule
Here is the Senate and House schedule-- 18 voting days until budget deadline.
Senate
May 23, 24
June 6, 7, 8, 13, 14, 15, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 27, 28, 29, 30
House
May 23, 24, and 25
June 6, 7, 8, 13, 14, 15, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 27, 28, 29, and 30
Bill Calendars
House (May 23): <> Click Here for full House Bill Calendar.
Senate (May 23): Senate Bill 151 (Pileggi-R-Delaware) providing for sharing Air Pollution
Control Act penalties with municipalities; Senate Bill 292 (Eichelberger-R-Blair) Amends the
Flood Control Law by increasing the minimum amount which must be bid through a publicadvertising process from $4,000 to $25,000 for flood control projects performed by the Water
and Power Resources Board; Senate Bill 308 (Pippy-R-Allegheny) further providing for the
eligibility of sewer laterals for funding; Senate Bill 367 (D.White-R-Indiana) authorizing the
leasing of mineral rights on other state lands and depositing the proceeds in the Environmental
Stewardship Fund; Senate Bill 460 (Yaw-R-Bradford) requiring when payment is made for oil or
gas production to an interest owner, itemized deduction information will be included on the
check stub or an attachment to the form payment; Senate Bill 469 (Argall-R-Schuylkill) Allows
walking, jogging, bicycling, exercising and horseback riding on nature trails as a recreational
purpose by limiting liability and was changed by a technical amendment; Senate Bill
618 (Yudichak-D-Luzerne) providing independent counsel for Environmental Quality
Board; Senate Bill 898 (Tomlinson-R-Bucks) Amend the Noncoal Surface Mining Conservationand Reclamation Act to provide that all municipal subdivision and land development ordinances
are pre-empted by the Noncoal Act. <> Click Here for full Senate Bill Calendar.
Committees
House: the Environmental Resources and Energy Committee meets to consider House Bill
1416 (Evankovich-R-Armstrong) requiring publication of reports on expenditures from the Sold
8/6/2019 Pa Environment Digest May 23, 2011
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/pa-environment-digest-may-23-2011 11/47
Waste Abatement Fund and the Clean Water Fund, Senate Bill 302 (MJ White-R-Venango)
requiring additional reporting on expenditures from the Keystone Recreation, Park and
Conservation Fund. <> Click Here for full House Committee Schedule.
Senate: the Appropriations Committee meets to consider Senate Bill 263 (Erickson-R-
Delaware) requiring the use of empirical, replicable and testable supporting data in developingregulations, Senate Bill 1054 (Corman-R-Centre) providing for a 2011-12 Capital Budget;
the Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee meets to consider Senate Bill 301 (Yaw-R-
Bradford) amending Act 319 to authorize the splitting off of land for noncoal mining, House Bill
143 (Major-R-Susquehanna) amending Act 319 to authorize the splitting off of land for noncoal
mining, House Bill 144 (Pickett-R-Bradford) amending Act 319 to authorize taxation of oil and
gas well production; the Consumer Protection and Professional Licensure Committee meets
to consider Senate Bill 341 (Greenleaf-R-Montgomery) establishing an automotive fuel testing
program; the Veterans Affairs and Emergency Preparedness Committee meets to
consider Senate Bill 995 (Baker-R-Luzerne) requiring gas well operators to post certain 911
response information at the entrance to each well site. <> Click Here for full Senate Committee
Schedule.
Bills Introduced
The following bills of interest were introduced this week--
Great American Cleanup Of PA: House Resolution 294 (Miccarelli-R-Delaware) recognizing
the volunteers and organizations making the Great American Cleanup of PA a success.
Funding Sewer Laterals: House Bill 1556 and House Bill 1557 (Readshaw-R-Allegheny)
authorize PennVEST to fund sewer laterals.
Agriculture Easements: Senate Bill 1033 (Alloway-R-Franklin) authorizing the underground
removal of noncoal minerals on a farm in the agricultural conservation easement program.
Marcellus Shale Impact Fee: Senate Bill 1100 (Scarnati-R-Jefferson) imposing a fee on
Marcellus Shale development and providing for a model drilling ordinance.
News From The Capitol
House Environmental Committee Meets On Fund Reporting Bills
On May 25 the House Environmental Resources and Energy Committee meets to consider two
bills requiring additional reporting from special funds administered by the departments of
Environmental Protection and Conservation and Natural Resources. The bills include--
-- House Bill 1416 (Evankovich-R-Armstrong) requiring publication of reports on expenditures
from the Sold Waste Abatement Fund and the Clean Water Fund; and
8/6/2019 Pa Environment Digest May 23, 2011
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/pa-environment-digest-may-23-2011 12/47
-- Senate Bill 302 (MJ White-R-Venango) requiring additional reporting on expenditures from
the Keystone Recreation, Park and Conservation Fund.
Rep. Scott Hutchinson (R-Venango) serves as Majority Chair and Rep. Camille George
(D-Clearfield) serves as Minority Chair.
News From Around The State
Howard Neurug, Philadelphia Water Dept., To Receive PEC's Lifetime Achievement
Award
The Pennsylvania Environmental Council this week announced it will
award the prestigious Curtin Winsor Award to Philadelphia Water
Department Commissioner Howard Neukrug.
The award will be presented at PEC’s 41st Annual Philadelphia
Dinner on June 8 at the Crystal Tea Room in Center City Philadelphia.
Named for the PEC’s founder and longtime President, the Winsor
Award honors distinguished environmental leaders for their lifetime
achievement. Past recipients include Dr. Ruth Patrick, former
Congressman Bob Borski, Joseph Manko, Joanne Denworth, Eleanor
Morris, Jane Pepper and Blaine Bonham.
Neukrug is receiving the honor for his visionary determination to protect Philadelphia’s
watersheds and for advancing an innovative green infrastructure plan, Green City Clean Waters,
to address the City’s combined sewer overflow problem.
“Cities across the nation are now looking at Philadelphia as the preeminent model for
managing stormwater through green infrastructure,” said Paul King, President and CEO of PEC.
“This approach will benefit Philadelphians by protecting their drinking water, making rivers and
streams more attractive recreation amenities, and supporting economic growth.”As the Water Commissioner, Neukrug is responsible for providing integrated drinking
water, wastewater, and stormwater services to the City of Philadelphia.
He was the founder of the Philadelphia Office of Watersheds in 1999 and the creator of
its Green City, Clean Waters Program, a $2 billion, 25-year plan that aims to utilize rainwater as
a resource by recycling, re-using, and recharging long neglected groundwater supplies rather
than piping it away from our communities into the city’s over-burdened sewers and distressed
rivers and streams.
“PEC has had the pleasure of working with Howard for more than a decade through
PWD’s Watershed Partnership programs,” said Patrick Starr, Senior Vice President of PEC. “I’m
so pleased to recognize his leadership in an effort that will transform our City in to the ‘Green
Countrie Town’ that William Penn envisioned.”Tickets for the Philadelphia Dinner are available online.
Water Resources Education Network Announces Project Grant Awards
8/6/2019 Pa Environment Digest May 23, 2011
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/pa-environment-digest-may-23-2011 13/47
The Water Resources Education Network Project, a program of the League of Women Voters of
Pennsylvania Citizen Education Fund, has awarded $71,723 in funding to 15 community
partnerships across the state on non-point source and source water protection projects.
Non-Point Source Projects
Eleven non-point source projects totaling $47,723 were awarded for activities focusing
on improving watersheds by reducing nonpoint source water pollution. Funding for NPSeducation projects is made available by the Department of Environmental Protection’s Nonpoint
Source Management Program through Section 319 of the Federal Clean Water Act, administered
by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
The projects funded are:
-- Bellwood-Antis School District, $5,000: Bellwood-Antis students will become
Environmental Ambassadors of the district’s Outdoor Classroom that will feature stormwater
best management practice demonstration areas including streamside buffers, rain gardens, rain
barrels, pollinator gardens, and cover crops for gardens.
-- Cambria County Conservation District, $4,250: This project will expand the district’s
Marcellus Shale Education Series program with programs for municipal officials involved in
Marcellus shale development issues, engaging over 15 primary water suppliers in source water monitoring programs.
-- Chester Ridley Crum Watersheds Association, $5,000: Partners will work with four
communities to modify stormwater basins using native plantings to improve water infiltration
and reduce sediment pollution.
-- Crawford County Conservation District, $5,000: This stormwater education project creates
a Rain Barrel rebate program of $30 for up to 100 eligible participants who attend one of the four
district hosted Rain Barrel workshops.
-- Dauphin County Conservation District, $2,970: This project will improve water quality by
reducing stream bank erosion and improving stormwater management.
-- Lawrence County Conservation District, $4,200: The partners will conduct two stormwater management workshops and conduct walking tours for municipal officials and engineers that
highlight examples of stormwater best management practices.
-- Queen Village Neighbors Association, $4,828: The partners will implement EPA’s guidance
for Pet Waste Collection (National Memo of Best Management Practices for Stormwater) and
enhance the City of Philadelphia’s Green City-Clean Water vision by designing, fabricating, and
installing disposal stations with biodegradable bags at dog run areas in numerous pocket parks.
-- Schuylkill Headwaters Association, $5,000: The “Art of Rain” project will help educate
Schuylkill County residents and businesses about stormwater runoff impacts through a rain
barrel art contest and a how-to rain barrel workshop.
-- Shade Creek Watershed Association, $1,475: The partners will build an interpretive trail
equipped with five kiosks housing informative signs and pamphlets designed to educate visitorsabout stream ecosystems, wetlands, and acid mine remediation activities.
-- Partnership for the Delaware Estuary, $5,000: This project will adapt the Philadelphia
Water Department’s existing Green Guide for Property Management for use throughout the
Delaware Valley Watershed.
-- Green Treks Network, Inc., $5,000: This project will create a video about students learning,
implementing, maintaining, and transferring their knowledge to local residents about a variety of
8/6/2019 Pa Environment Digest May 23, 2011
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/pa-environment-digest-may-23-2011 14/47
stormwater best management practices in an “ultra-urban” environmental outreach center in a
combined sewer overflow neighborhood in West Philadelphia.
Source Water Protection
Four SWP projects totaling $24,000 were awarded for activities focusing on Source
Water Protection. Funding for SWP education projects is provided by the Department of
Environmental Protection Source Water Protection Program through Section 1452 of the SafeDrinking Water Act of 1996, administered by U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
The projects funded are:
-- River Alert Information Network (RAIN), $5,000: Project partners will form a Source
Water Environmental Education Team (SWEET) to conduct community source water protection
public education workshops for municipal officials, residents and children.
-- Potter County Conservation District, $8,000: Potter County is forming a county-wide
coalition with participation of all nine Public Water Suppliers that will educate citizens and
school children about ways to protect drinking water source areas from pollution and address the
increasing level of gas well drilling in the county.
-- Susquehanna Greenway Partnership/ SEDA COG Community Resource Center, $5,000:
Project partners will form a Source Water Environmental Education Team (SWEET) to conductcommunity source water protection public education workshops, develop a Source Water
Protection Fact Sheet and promote redevelopment activities to reduce pollution risks where
junkyards and railroad transportation corridors are located in close proximity to the public water
supply source.
-- Tioga County Conservation District, $6,000: Project partners will form a county-wide
Source Water Environmental Education Team (SWEET) to conduct source water protection
public education workshops.
A more complete description of each project, project partners and contacts is available
online.
Projects will carry out community water resource education projects between July 1,2011 and June 30, 2012.
The WREN Program focuses on two initiatives: Watershed Education to prevent
Nonpoint Source pollution, and Source Water Protection Promotion to help protect public
drinking water sources.
Learn more about how to be funded or view the listings by county to see projects from
previous years as well. For more information, contact Julie Kollar, WREN Program Director,
267-468-0555 or send email to: [email protected].
$6,000 Helps Complete Assessment, Implement Restoration Of Solomon Creek In Luzerne
The Coldwater Heritage Partnership recently awarded the Eastern Coalition for Abandoned MineReclamation a $6,000 grant to complete an assessment of Solomon Creek in Luzerne County and
begin implementation of restoration projects.
"This type of grassroots conservation work is vital for the future of the state's coldwater
streams and wild trout fisheries,” said PFBC Executive Director John Arway. “Coldwater
conservation plans help to build local awareness and support for the long-term stewardship of
coldwater streams and their surrounding watersheds.”
8/6/2019 Pa Environment Digest May 23, 2011
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/pa-environment-digest-may-23-2011 15/47
For more than a decade, EPCAMR, a non-profit organization organized in 1996 to
promote and facilitate the reclamation and remediation of the land and water adversely affected
by past mining practices in the Eastern Pennsylvania, has been a partner with the PA Council of
Trout Unlimited, the Fish & Boat Commission, the Department of Conservation and Natural
Resources, and the Foundation for PA Watersheds.
One of EPCAMR’s strengths is its ability to work with community groups to assess their watersheds, conduct field monitoring, biological monitoring, perform habitat assessments, water
quality monitoring, and coordinate environmental action and improvement projects on a local
level in watersheds impacted by Abandoned Mine Drainage.
EPCAMR was awarded 1 of 10 grants this round, just as the 2011 Trout Season was
about to open to conduct a preliminary assessment of the 18.1 sq. mile watershed of Solomon
Creek with a focus on its tributaries, in the Wyoming Valley, Luzerne County.
It is an AMD impacted stream on the Federal 303 (d) List of Impaired Waters at several
segments along its length before entering the Susquehanna River, however there are also
tributaries that are holding native trout species that are isolated in between AMD discharges to
the Creek and some of its upper tributaries.
In fact, there is a 2.6 mile stretch that is a Class A Brook Trout Fishery within thewatershed upstream of several of the AMD impacts. EPCAMR would like to assess the
tributaries and come up with some recommendations for future implementation plans.
The Solomon Creek Watershed contains many high quality and cold water trout assets,
despite the presence of AMD impacts that lower portions of the watershed.
The general water quality downstream of the Solomon Creek AMD Boreholes until it
combines with the Buttonwood AMD Tunnel is alkaline, high pH, high Dissolved Oxygen, very
cold, and high in iron loading.
In most of the headwater sections of the watershed, water quality and stream habitat are
generally in excellent condition until flow is lost to the underground mines. These areas
sometimes go unnoticed due to the chronic impacts, publicity, and overall perception that thedownstream AMD impacts have on the watershed.
The Solomon Creek watershed is in an area where EPCAMR has strong local
partnerships with several of the municipalities within the area and a number of other partners and
civic groups.
There are multiple users in the watershed, both for recreational value, economic
redevelopment of abandoned mine lands, fishing, trout stocking trail hiking development,
recreational athletic field usage, and some mine drainage remediation efforts by EPCAMR.
Initially developed around the extraction of anthracite coal, this watershed has an
abundance of other natural resources, contributing to its picturesque landscapes and great
recreational use.
EPCAMR Staff are very capable of doing a preliminary watershed assessment and havethe expertise and background necessary to provide a professional, high quality assessment and
recommendation report to the Coldwater Heritage Partnership.
Conservation Groups Optimistic As Expiration Nears for Delaware Flow Plan
8/6/2019 Pa Environment Digest May 23, 2011
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/pa-environment-digest-may-23-2011 16/47
Delaware River conservationists say they are optimist the government agencies responsible will
take appropriate action as the expiration date draws near for the flawed plan that governs releases
from the New York City-owned reservoirs.
The Flexible Flow Management Program —regarded as a disappointment by scientists,
river residents and recreational users alike-- is due to expire on June 1.
Government officials are now well-aware that the Delaware Watershed ConservationCoalition is supporting an alternative known as the Joint Fishery White Paper, produced last year
by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation and Pennsylvania Fish and
Boat Commission.
The White Paper proposal would bring more consistent flows from the reservoirs,
protecting the river’s habitat against the yo-yo releases common under the expiring flow plan.
The White Paper plan would keep more life-sustaining cold water in the rivers during the hot
summer months, when it is needed most.
The wet spring this year has provided a lesson in water management, said Dan Plummer,
a member of the coalition and board chairman of Friends of the Upper Delaware River.
“We have shown repeatedly there is plenty of water to go around if the resource is
managed properly, and this idea is supported by many highly respected conservation groups,” hesaid. “Members of the watershed coalition have pleaded our case over and over again, and now
it’s in the hands of the powers that be.”
Decisions about the expiring water-release plan will be made by the Delaware River
Basin Commission, whose members include representatives from New York, New Jersey,
Pennsylvania, Delaware and New York City.
Plummer and other environmentalists have had a series of meetings in the past month
with principals involved in the upcoming water-flow decision, including John Plonski, assistant
commissioner of the New Jersey Department of Environmental Conservation; John Hines,
deputy secretary for water management with the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental
Protection, and Paul Rush, deputy commissioner for the New York City Department of Environmental Protection.
“We have had constructive conversations with a number of people, and a group of us are
heading to Washington, D.C., this week to meet on the Hill with many of our senators and
representatives to gauge our support for issues connected to the health and safety of the
Delaware River and it's tributaries,” said Plummer.
He noted that some river advocates have charged that a secret deal has been struck to
extend the flawed FFMP for yet another year
“We have been assured that this is not the case,” said Plummer. “We are optimistic that
all possibilities are still in play, but all we can do is count on the honesty of our government
officials.”
Plummer noted that various conservation groups have invested heavily in the river’s well- being, including vocal opposition to hydrofracking of gas in the Delaware watershed.
Friends of the Upper Delaware River, for example, has been key in helping to protect the
river against many environmental threats to the area. The group has dedicated thousands of hours
and vast sums of its own money on restoring streams in our area, often in partnership with
government agencies that may not have the funds or manpower to get the job done on their own.
Plummer said the coalition groups were allied with the New York City DEP in the effort
to prevent unsafe drilling practices in the Delaware watershed.
8/6/2019 Pa Environment Digest May 23, 2011
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/pa-environment-digest-may-23-2011 17/47
“I believe that we all want the same thing, from New York City to the Catskills and
downstream all the way to Delaware Bay and estuary,” Plummer said. “We all want a healthy
Delaware River. It is in the best interest of everyone involved, whether you are river resident, a
Manhattan resident, a water bureaucrat or a flyfisherman.”
In April, the Delaware was designated a “Great Water,” joining 18 other waterways
nationwide selected for that honor by a national coalition formed to protect waterways of higheconomic, social and environmental importance.
The America’s Great Waters Coalition, based in Washington, was formed in 2009 to
advocate for the restoration and protection of lakes, bays, rivers and marshes that are rich in
natural resources and have a significant impact on their surrounding regions.
The Delaware River is the longest un-dammed river east of the Mississippi, flowing for
330 miles from Hancock, N.Y., to the Delaware Bay, where it empties into the Atlantic Ocean.
More than 15 million people in four states depend on the river’s water for drinking, agricultural
and industrial use.
The Delaware includes natural wonders -- three stretches along its course are included in
the National Wild and Scenic Rivers program – and important commercial assets.
Spotlight
Penn State Extension: Wet Spring Magnifies Benefits Of No-Till Farming
It is not unusual for Pennsylvania to experience plenty of April
showers but this year was exceptionally wet. Some areas of
Pennsylvania set new records for April rainfall.
All of this moisture made it very difficult for farmers to
keep their spring work on schedule. However producers who have
adopted No-Till production practices had an advantage over farmers using conventional tillage.
With long term No-Till practices water infiltration and
drainage improves. The soil develops a structure that is filled with
macro-pores allowing for quicker water absorption and rapid drainage through the soil profile.
This allows for the soil to dry out more quickly and enables planting or other tasks such as
manure or commercial fertilizer application to resume sooner after the rain stops.
The improved soil structure with the No-Till system also will reduce the risk of soil
compaction which can cause major damage to crop potential especially in a wet year as this one.
Yield losses in seriously compacted soils can range from 15-50 percent. So any reduction in
compaction will be a major improvement.
Several factors in No-Till circumstances contribute to the lower risk for soil compaction.There is a buildup of soil organic matter both on the surface and in the soil profile which
provides better soil structure.
If the No-Till practice is combined with cover crops the plant roots from the cover crops
contribute to organic matter build up substantially. The living roots of the cover crops also act as
a glue holding soil particles together in a stronger soil structure.
8/6/2019 Pa Environment Digest May 23, 2011
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/pa-environment-digest-may-23-2011 18/47
If compaction does occur cover crops with large tap roots can essentially act as a drill
boring hoes through compacted layers. This allows for better water infiltration and enables crop
roots to penetrate the compacted layer.
In addition the better soil structure and quicker drainage will enable No-Till producers to
begin planting earlier. With the many rain delays this year this is a very crucial advantage. Corn
yields start to drop in most places in Pennsylvania if the planting date is later than May 15-20.With the high price of corn in the current markets losing yield to planting delays is very
expensive and very hard on a farms bottom line.
Of course No-Till practices provide soil conservation benefits which are especially
evident during high rainfall periods. With faster infiltration of rainfall, greater soil cover and soil
particles bound tightly by greater organic matter the soil loss is greatly reduced. Saving the
topsoil has great environmental benefits downstream but also improves current and future
productivity on the farm. No-Till production is truly a win-win for all.
For more information on No-Till see: Steps to a Successful Transition to No-Till.
(By: Leon Ressler, Lancaster County Extension Director, Penn State Cooperative Extension.
Reprinted from the Watershed Winds Newsletter .)
Villanova Hosts Ask The Researcher Stormwater Summit June 20-21
The three national stormwater experts will discuss many of the most pressing design issues at a
two-day Bioretention/Biofiltration Summit to be held June 20-21 at Villanova University.
Bioretention design, construction, and maintenance continue to evolve as the practice has
become the most popular small-site stormwater control measure in the Mid-Atlantic states.
However, design standards, construction specifications, and maintenance plans for bioretention
often lag behind what recent applied and lab research has discovered.
The purpose of this training is to deliver the most up-to-date research-based informationthat will lead to perhaps dramatic improvements in how bioretention cells are credited by
regulators, designed by engineers and landscape architects, and built and maintained by
contractors and maintenance personnel.
The course will focus on volume reduction, modeling, and the reduction of nutrients that
are required to be part of the future Chesapeake TMDL. This course was previously delivered in
2010 in North Carolina and Maryland, but has been revised for Pennsylvania requirements.
Course Instructors are Dr. Robert G. Traver, Professor, Villanova University; Dr.
William F. Hunt, Associate Professor and Extension Specialist, North Carolina State University;
and Dr. Allen P. Davis, Professor, University of Maryland – College Park
A certificate for Continuing Education Units (CEUs) for professional engineers will be
provided for attendance at the symposium.For more information and to register online, visit the short-course website. For questions
regarding content, e-mail Dr. Robert Traver by sending email to: [email protected].
For registration questions contact Ms. Linda DeAngelis by sending email to:
Join Walks Lead By Wissahickon Trail Ambassadors In Late May, June
8/6/2019 Pa Environment Digest May 23, 2011
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/pa-environment-digest-may-23-2011 19/47
The Friends of the Wissahickon are sponsoring a variety of educational and fun walks lead by
FOW Trail Ambassadors in June. Click here for the FOW calendar of events.
DEP Transfers Lehigh Coal & Navigation Permit To New Operator
The Department of Environmental Protection has transferred a 7,500-acre surface mining permitto BET Associates to mine, re-mine and reclaim numerous abandoned mine land features in
Schuylkill and Carbon counties.
The site spans Tamaqua and Coaldale boroughs in Schuylkill County; and Lansford,
Summit Hill and Nesquehoning boroughs in Carbon County.
The former permit holder, Lehigh Coal & Navigation, filed for bankruptcy in 2008. In
addition to mining the site, BET Associates will commit $24.5 million in reclamation bonds and
funds to establish a trust to treat the site's acid mine drainage in perpetuity.
"Coal mining remains an active industry in Pennsylvania, but it is vital that the industry
take the appropriate steps to minimize its footprint on the environment," DEP Secretary Mike
Krancer said. "This particular site has been mined nearly continuously since the 1800s. The
private sector has demonstrated leadership with this site, which will now be mined and reclaimedand have its water treated at no cost to taxpayers."
An average of 7,000 gallons-per-minute of water contaminated by acid mine drainage
flows through the site, which includes more than 800 acres of surface mine pits. BET Associates
purchased it in a bankruptcy sale in May 2010, shortly after DEP suspended LCN's mining
operations. DEP issued 24 compliance orders to LCN between 2008 and 2010 for numerous
water quality violations and for failing to properly reclaim the site.
As a condition of the permit, BET Associates will post bonds to cover the full cost of
reclaiming the site and to treat the acid mine drainage. The previous bonds LCN posted would
have been insufficient to reclaim the site and the state would have been responsible for millions
of dollars in remediation projects. The permit transfer relieves the state of the potentialresponsibility of reclaiming the site.
Spotlight
EPCAMR Coordinates Borehole Monitoring, Mine Pool Awareness Campaign
The Eastern PA Coalition for Abandoned Mine Reclamation and several other partners recently
started a long-term monthly water monitoring program of dozens of abandoned mine drainage
discharges and borehole elevation monitoring throughout the Wyoming and Lackawanna Valley
at 37 locations within the Northeast region. Here's a recent description of the project prepared
by EPCAMR.
Along with EPCAMR, the Susquehanna River Basin Commission, Lackawanna River
Corridor Association, DEP Bureau of Water Quality Management-Section 319 Program, and
the DEP Bureau of Abandoned Mine Reclamation began monitoring fourteen of the boreholes in
the Lackawanna Valley and 23 in the Wyoming Valley.
8/6/2019 Pa Environment Digest May 23, 2011
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/pa-environment-digest-may-23-2011 20/47
For the last 6 months, EPCAMR has been monitoring the elevations of water levels in the
boreholes around both of the Valleys that have seen dramatic fluctuations in their levels on a
monthly basis over time.
EPCAMR has compiled the historical water levels from these boreholes from the DEP
BAMR and have graphed the data to show temporal changes in the underground mine pool
levels. EPCAMR has also compiled historic and available water quality data from the SRBC,LRCA, and the DEP to monitor the flows of the abandoned mine discharges and the chemical
loadings to the rivers and streams.
EPCAMR has the ability to graph this data to show the changes in the elevations of the
mine pool complexes to make a scientific-based inference on the differences, separation, or
combination of the mine pools that we have termed multi-colliery hydrogeologic units.
EPCAMR has also digitized historic mine pool reports from Stephen H. Ash and others
from the Federal Bureau of Mines (1949-1953) that helped us show the levels of the mine pools
and the estimated volumes of water that was pumped down by the Anthracite Mining industry
prior to its collapse around the 1970s.
Currently, EPCAMR is in the process of developing an Anthracite AMD Remediation
Strategy in partnership with SRBC and other regional partners to prioritize and determine whichabandoned mine discharges could potentially be treated, eliminated by mine pool elevation
manipulation for storage, utilized for low flow augmentation water, and/or the combination of
discharges for treatment.
EPCAMR has also digitized underground Anthracite abandoned mine barrier pillars for
the Wyoming Valley and is working on digitizing the barrier pillars for the Lackawanna Valley.
Archived Federal Office of Surface Mining Folio Maps has been used to accurately develop
these data layers.
From the collection and detailed research of this data, EPCAMR is making
determinations on the integrity of the barrier pillars to analyze if solid, breached, partially
breached, submerged, or entirely removed by the coal companies as they retreated from themines as they began to develop other sections.
It’s our understanding that the Wilkes-Barre Regional District Office of Surface Mining
Staff are being reduced because of Federal Budget cuts and/or retirement and the historic mine
map collection future that is housed at the Stegmaier Federal Building is undetermined and very
valuable to our work.
There are 4 or 5 boreholes in the Wyoming Valley and 9 in the Lackawanna Valley that
have been paved over by municipal road departments. EPCAMR has geographical positions of
these boreholes that are very accurate and we are in need of assistance in reaching their
respective municipalities.
In Pennsylvania between the late 1970’s drilled most of the boreholes and began early in
the 1980’s to monitor the underground mine pools when funding was available.EPCAMR is trying to secure additional funding for the installation, repair, and day
lighting of these boreholes throughout the Wyoming and Lackawanna Valley to obtain additional
crucial data to help us make better determinations on the flows, height of the water elevations,
and future advanced warning development for flooding potential throughout our communities.
Most municipalities are not aware of these boreholes, what they look like, who owns
them, and what their value is. EPCAMR would like to change that through our awareness
campaign.
8/6/2019 Pa Environment Digest May 23, 2011
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/pa-environment-digest-may-23-2011 21/47
If continued road milling and paving projects continue throughout the area, there is the
potential for these boreholes to get paved over and we would like to prevent that and take a
proactive approach to making the municipalities and road departments aware of their locations.
EPCAMR does not have the funding or equipment to reach the depths of the boreholes
with water quality/elevation monitoring devices such as data loggers and/or pressure transducer
that can monitor continuously over long periods. EPCAMR will make the data publicly availableupon completion of our work.
Visit EPCAMR's website for more information on their activities.
SRBC, EPCAMR To Map Mine Pools In Anthracite Coal Fields
The Eastern Pennsylvania Coalition for Abandoned Mine Reclamation and the Susquehanna
River Basin Commission recently announced a cooperative project to map underground mine
pools in the Northern and Southern Anthracite Coal Fields.
The maps will help SRBC and EPCAMR to identify and select mine pools that could be
potential sources of water to compensate for consumptive water uses as required by SRBC
regulations and toward improving water quality in the Susquehanna basin.SRBC contracted EPCAMR for $75,000 to apply its expertise in producing innovative,
three dimensional geographic information system (GIS) digital maps that can be used to estimate
the amount of water being held in underground mine pools.
The Northern Anthracite Coal Field stretches from Forest City, Lackawanna County to
Shickshinny, Luzerne County. The Southern Anthracite Coal Field runs from Jim Thorpe,
Carbon County in the Lehigh Valley west to the Susquehanna River community of Dauphin,
Dauphin County.
“EPCAMR pioneered this underground mapping method and has already applied it for
SRBC in the Western-Middle Anthracite Coal Field,” said EPCAMR Executive Director Robert
Hughes. Through that initial effort, EPCAMR estimates the Western-Middle Coal Field to hold60 to 220 billion gallons of untapped, stored water. The Coalition is extremely pleased to
continue its partnership with SRBC to now map the network of isolated and interconnected
underground mine pools in the Northern and Southern Coal Fields.”
Prior to EPCAMR’s mapping technology, only paper maps were available, making it
impossible to assess the potential volumes of water in the underground mine pools.
SRBC’s consumptive water use regulations require project sponsors to mitigate for their
use during times of low flow. While several mitigation options are available to project sponsors,
the vast majority choose to pay SRBC a fee so the commission can in turn locate and secure
mitigation waters.
“The network of underground mine pools in the geographically expansive Anthracite
Region in the Susquehanna River Basin is believed to hold large volumes of water,” said SRBCExecutive Director Paul Swartz. “If EPCAMR’s mapping work proves this to be the case in the
Northern and Southern Coal Fields, these mine pools could provide SRBC a truly viable source
for consumptive use mitigation waters.”
Swartz said, “That would be a win-win. SRBC would secure the large volume of
mitigation water we need to protect streams during times of low flows, and the region’s water
quality would be improved by reducing the overall amount of untreated mine drainage entering
tributaries and ultimately the Susquehanna River.”
8/6/2019 Pa Environment Digest May 23, 2011
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/pa-environment-digest-may-23-2011 22/47
Under the scope of work for the mapping project, EPCAMR’s tasks will include:
-- Coordinating and compiling readily available background data and information;
-- Creating the data tables/layers needed for the analyses;
-- Performing the 3-D Modeling exercises to determine potential volumes of water in the mine
pools;
-- Adding all the data that had been converted from the paper mine pool maps to an electronicdigital format; that data will eventually become part of EPCAMR’s Reclaimed Abandoned Mine
Land Inventory System GIS database; and
-- Generating a final report for SRBC, including the maps for the Northern and Southern Coal
Fields.
Hughes said, “EPCAMR has more than 15 years experience working across the entire
Anthracite Region with community groups and our regional Coalition partners that have been
addressing abandoned mine drainage discharges from discharge points to treatment. Now, it is
time to dig deeper into the underground realm of anthracite mining to determine how much water
is flowing beneath our feet.”
In addition to the scientific and technical significance of this mapping project, there is
also an important historical component.Hughes said, “Many of the mining maps are very old and on paper that is deteriorating.
By converting them into the digital format, we are not only modernizing the products, we are
preserving history. These maps often represent the only source of information that lets us know
how, when and where coal was extracted in this region.”
This mine pool mapping effort is part of an overall project being led by SRBC and
partners, most notably EPCAMR.
SRBC is in the process of developing an abandoned mine drainage remediation strategy
for the anthracite region, similar to what the agency did in 2008 for the West Branch
Susquehanna River. The Anthracite Region remediation strategy will focus on the most severe
AMD discharges and outfalls for treatment and potential redevelopment opportunities to reusethe mine water.
Eleven More Groups, Municipalities Join Renew Growing Greener Coalition
The Renew Growing Greener Coalition this week
announced eleven more organizations and municipalities
have joined in supporting the effort to restore state funding
for Growing Greener.
Penn’s Corner RC&D Council (Beaver), Friends of McConnell’s Mills State Park (New
Wilmington), Friends of Wissahickon (Philadelphia), and Philadelphia Council AFL-CIO
(Philadelphia) have signed the Coalition’s Statement of Support, which calls for theestablishment of a dedicated and sustainable source of revenue to support the renewal of
Growing Greener.
They join more than 200 other organizations and groups that have also announced their
support for renewing Growing Greener.
In addition, the following municipalities join at least 60 other Pennsylvania
municipalities and counties that have passed resolutions urging the Governor and legislature to
renew Growing Greener funding: Chester County Planning Commission, Chester County, East
8/6/2019 Pa Environment Digest May 23, 2011
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/pa-environment-digest-may-23-2011 23/47
Brandywine Township, Chester County, East Nantmeal Township, Chester County, East
Whiteland Township, Chester County, Honey Brook Township, Chester County, Millbourne
Borough, Delaware County, and West Sadsbury Township, Chester County
“There is tremendous support statewide for the renewal of Growing Greener,” said
Andrew Heath, executive director of the Renew Growing Greener Coalition. “This should send a
clear signal to the Governor and the legislature that they need to act now to restore funding for the program and ensure families have access to clean drinking water, fresh air and green open
spaces.”
Growing Greener is a bipartisan program established in 1999 under Gov. Tom Ridge and
later expanded by Governors Schweiker and Rendell.
Since its establishment, Growing Greener has created a legacy of success, preserving
more than 33,700 acres of Pennsylvania’s family farmland, conserving more than 42,300 acres of
threatened open space, adding 26,000 acres to state parks and forests, and restoring over 16,000
acres of abandoned mine lands.
For more information, visit the Renew Growing Greener website.
Dinner/Fundraiser For Eastern Coalition For Abandoned Mine Reclamation Aug. 4
The Eastern Coalition For Abandoned Mine Reclamation will hold a special 15th anniversary
dinner and fundraiser on August 4 at the Best Western Genetti Inn & Suites in Hazleton, Pa.
For information on tickets, sponsorships and more, contact Robert Hughes at
570-371-3523 or send email to: [email protected]. Download the dinner brochure for more
details.
History Of EPCAMR
EPCAMR was initially chartered at the 1st Regional Abandoned Mine Reclamation
Conference in June 1996 and continues it work today under the theme, "Reclaim abandoned
mine lands through partnerships today, for a cleaner environment tomorrow."With facilitation from community watershed organization volunteers, County
Conservation Districts, Resource Conservation & Development Councils, and financial support
from the Department of Environmental Protection's Section 319 Clean Water Act Program and
the U.S. Environmental Protection Agencyu Region III, EPCAMR was on its way to future
success.
To help build the Coalition during its infancy, Robert E. Hughes volunteered as
Recording Secretary while working at the Pennsylvania Environmental Council, NE Office. He
was hired as Executive Director in May 1997 through two sponsorship agreements, the former
with the Schuylkill County Conservation District, and the latter with the Luzerne Conservation
District in January 2000, and has become the face of EPCAMR.
Today, he continues to work in the most vulnerable and underserved coal fieldcommunities impacted by abandoned mine lands in Northeastern and Northcentral PA, with the
help of many active board members and volunteers who operate quietly behind the scenes.
Michael A. Hewitt began his career with EPCAMR as a Summer intern in May 2001,
funded by the Federal Office of Surface Mining. He was hired as full time Watershed
Development Coordinator in July 2002, and promoted to Program Manager in June 2009. His
technical expertise in Geographical Information Systems (GIS) has allowed our capacity to
steadily flourish.
8/6/2019 Pa Environment Digest May 23, 2011
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/pa-environment-digest-may-23-2011 24/47
Staff positions now include an AmeriCorps OSM/VISTA Community Development
Coordinator, a part-time Clerical Assistant, and seasonal collegiate volunteers and interns.
EPCAMR provides hundreds of community groups assistance in grant administration,
pass-throughs, resources, sponsorship, coordination, project management, and direct financing to
fund abandoned mine reclamation and AMD remediation projects regionally.
1000+ partnerships have been fostered over our history to build an extensive network of coalitions throughout PA.
The sustainability of EPCAMR will depend on increasing public-private partnerships to
secure the funds necessary to advance our mission and goals. These relationships are vital to our
continued success in providing quality professional services, education, technical assistance,
training, and networking for all of our partners.
EPCAMR is ever grateful for the bounty of volunteers who are the true core of our
organization. Your involvement is the necessary dedication that provides the ideas, hands-on
help, and funding to implement our projects. Your financial commitment serves as the key to the
future of EPCAMR.
A similar group-- the Western Coalition for Abandoned Mine Reclamation-- operates in
bituminous coal country.
PA American Water Releases Test Results For Drilling Wastewater
Following a full battery of tests at Pennsylvania American Water’s raw water intakes along the
Allegheny, Clarion and Monongahela Rivers and Two Lick Creek, in Indiana, Pa, the company
found no elevated or harmful levels of radiological contaminants, volatile organic compounds
(VOCs) or inorganic compounds (IOCs).
The results confirmed that the quality of the water supplied by PA American Water's
treatment plants has not been impacted by radioactive materials, VOCs or IOCs from Marcellus
Shale drilling wastewater.Analysis of the water at all sites tested determined that no detectable levels of the
following radiological contaminants were found: Gross Alpha Radiation, Gross Beta Radiation,
Radium-226, Radium-228, Strontium-90 and Tritium.
The results also revealed no detectable levels of the following VOCs: Benzene; Carbon
Tetrachloride; Chlorobenzene (mono); cis-1,2-Dichloroethylene; 1,2-Dichloroethane;
1,2-Dichlorobenzene (Ortho); 1,4-Dichlorobenzene(Para); 1,2-Dichloroethane;
1,1-Dichloroethylene; 1,2-Dichloropropane; Ethylbenzene; Dichloromethane; Styrene;
Tetrachloroethylene; Toluene; trans-1,2-Dichloroethylene; 1,2,4-Trichlorobenzene;
1,1,1-Trichloroethane; 1,1,2-Trichloroethane; Trichloroethylene (TCE); Vinyl Chloride and
Xylenes (total).
The test results showed levels well within compliance standards for 32 IOCs,including chromium, mercury, arsenic, barium, copper, lead, cyanide and boron, uranium and
cadmium. In addition Pennsylvania American Water, at the request of the Department of
Environmental Protection, sampled our finished drinking water at three sites (Pittsburgh Aldrich,
Pittsburgh Hays Mine and Clarion) in late March 2011, for total alkalinity, bromide, chloride,
pH, total dissolved solids, uranium, gross alpha radiation, radium 226, and radium 228.
All of the data received show that all results are within all acceptable water quality
standards set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the DEP.
8/6/2019 Pa Environment Digest May 23, 2011
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/pa-environment-digest-may-23-2011 25/47
The company performed the additional testing over and above its routine sampling and
monitoring for more than 90 contaminants to ensure compliance with all water quality
standards.
PA American Water is dedicated to providing our customers with high-quality water
service. The company will continue to work closely with the U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency and DEP to ensure that the water we provide customers meets federal and stateregulatory standards.
The complete report is available online.
NewsClip: PA American Water Does Not Find Pollution From Drilling
Aqua America: Marcellus Shale Can Be An Economic Benefit, If Done Right
Speaking before the Governor's Marcellus Shale Advisory Commission this week, Aqua
America, Inc. Chairman and CEO Nicholas DeBenedictis said "Marcellus Shale has the potential
to provide Pennsylvania with an economic boost well into the future if it's done right
environmentally."
DeBenedictis was invited to testify before the Pennsylvania Marcellus Shale Commissionat its regularly scheduled meeting today in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania to give a water suppliers'
perspective on the Marcellus Shale industry.
DeBenedictis said that energy resource development has always been important to
Pennsylvania's economy, first with timber, oil, then coal, and now natural gas.
"Coincidentally, the Commonwealth's plentiful water resources have always been a
significant part of, or impacted by energy resource development. The Susquehanna River
provided transport for timbering in the 19th Century. In the 20th Century, streams were
contaminated by acid mine drainage from the coal industry in the Southwest and Northeast," said
DeBenedictis. "It appears Marcellus Shale will be as water dependent as timber, oil and coal
were in the past, and has to be done correctly in the 21st Century to avoid a legacy of pollutionand despoiled land. As a major water supplier for the state, Aqua Pennsylvania has a vested
interest in ensuring that our water supplies are protected. We also can play a role in providing
water resources for energy development responsibly. "
With respect to protecting the water supply, DeBenedictis said that he agrees with the
Department of Environmental Protection's ban on the treatment of flowback water by municipal
wastewater plants.
Aqua Pennsylvania has and continues to conduct baseline testing of its water supply in
areas where drilling is taking place. DeBenedictis said to date, the company has not found any
adverse impact to its water supplies. He advocates that drillers build on the current baseline
testing by conducting additional water testing at their expense.
DeBenedictis said that Aqua Pennsylvania has a 125-year history of building water infrastructure to deliver water to customers. Today, customers might include participants in the
Shale gas business. "We are providing water filling stations in suitable locations to help move
truck traffic out of towns and neighborhoods."
The company has two stations currently in operation in the western part of the state and
another scheduled to be open in that area in early summer. An additional station is open in the
northeastern part of Pennsylvania, with two additional stations scheduled to open there this
summer.
8/6/2019 Pa Environment Digest May 23, 2011
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/pa-environment-digest-may-23-2011 26/47
The presentation by Aqua America and others at the May 20 Marcellus Shale Advisory
Commission will be posted online.
NewsClips: Chemical Industry Looking To Expand In PA Due To Marcellus Shale
Governor's Marcellus Shale Panel Hears Industry Requests
Activity Starting In Utica Natural Gas Shale In Pennsylvania
If recently announced drilling programs are any indication, 2011 could be the biggest year to
date for Utica Shale exploration, according to NGI's Shale Daily.
Quietly sitting underneath the Marcellus Shale gas play, the Utica formation that covers a
larger area -- from Tennessee into Canada -- is attracting attention from some of the largest shale
gas players. And it's not just the Utica. The Marcellus is pancaked in between the topmost Upper
Devonian and the Utica, and each has its champions.
To date the Marcellus has garnered most of the attention, but some drilling has begun in
the Utica, particularly in Ohio and western Pennsylvania, where the Marcellus thins, making the
Utica shallower than it is in eastern Pennsylvania and New York.
That shallower section of the formation is not only cheaper and easier to drill into, butalso more prospective, geologists believe. The gas in the deepest portions of the Utica, such as in
northeast Pennsylvania, could be "overcooked," (i.e., because of the depth, pressure and heat the
gas has been "cooked" out of it), but that threat isn't a certainty, according to Kristin Carter, a
petroleum geologist for the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources
(DCNR).
"Years ago, we were saying such things about the Marcellus and now they're looking at
it," Carter told NGI's Shale Daily.
There are only two Utica well completion reports in the DCNR files, a 14,464-foot well
that EQT Corp. drilled in Greene County in June 2008 and a 12,700-foot well that Range
Resources Corp. drilled in Beaver County in January 2010, both located in southwestPennsylvania.
That should increase this year, although if permitting is any indication, companies are
walking, not running, to explore the Utica. In Ohio, where the Utica is shallowest, companies
have permitted 28 Utica wells -- 19 vertical and nine horizontal -- and drilled just 14 -- nine
vertical and five horizontal -- since the end of 2009. By comparison, companies have permitted
77 Marcellus wells, drilling 49.
Pennsylvania does not track Utica Shale permitting specifically, but the Pennsylvania
Department of Environmental Protection said 18 wells have been permitted to date to a depth
and in regions where the Utica Shale lies, out of nearly 2,000 total well permits issued this year.
Chesapeake Energy holds leases and is working on an agreement with Dominion East
Ohio to build gathering systems in the Utica. Other companies testing the Utica include EVEnergy Partners, Consol Energy, Seneca Resources and Rex Energy.
Range Resources has done some drilling and sees potential in both the Upper Devonian
and the Utica. The company, however, is focusing on the former because it is easier to drill and it
collected considerable information on the play when it drilled through the Upper Devonian to
reach the Marcellus.
To read the full report on the Utica and Upper Devonian go to NGI's Shale Daily.
8/6/2019 Pa Environment Digest May 23, 2011
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/pa-environment-digest-may-23-2011 27/47
Report: Marcellus Operations Have No Impact On Short-Term Air Quality In
Northcentral PA
An air quality study near Marcellus Shale natural gas operations in Bradford, Lycoming,
Sullivan and Tioga counties found no emission levels that would pose a public health concern,
according to a report released this week by the Department of Environmental Protection.“The results show there are no emission levels that would be of concern to the health of
residents living and working near these operations,” DEP Secretary Mike Krancer said. “They
are consistent with the results of our air monitoring in southwest and northeast Pennsylvania, the
other two areas of the state with the most Marcellus drilling.”
The report notes that the sampling effort, conducted between August and December
2010, was not meant to address potential cumulative impacts.
DEP’s assessment focused on concentrations of volatile organic compounds, including
benzene, toluene and xylene, which are typically found in petroleum products. The department
also sampled for other pollutants, such as carbon monoxide and nitrogen dioxide, near natural
gas extraction and processing sites.
DEP first conducted background sampling in early August 2010 at the Sones Pond parking lot in Loyalsock State Forest, Sullivan County.
The air quality sampling was conducted the weeks of August 30, November 15 and
December 6. An evening sampling event was held November 17. DEP used its mobile
laboratories and the equipment was set up downwind of the target sources during early morning
and late evening hours.
“This study provides us with additional valuable information as part of our ongoing effort
to determine the impact of these operations on air quality, public health and the environment,”
Krancer said.
The air monitoring surveys were located next to Talisman Energy’s Thomas Compressor
Station in Troy Township, Bradford County; East Energy’s Shaw Compressor Station inMainesburg Township, Tioga County; East Energy’s Chicken Hawk well south of Mainesburg;
and Anadarko Petroleum’s Hagemeyer well in Gamble Township, Lycoming County.
Those surveys detected the main constituents of natural gas—including methane, ethane,
propane and butane—as well as low levels of other compounds, such as MtBE, carbon monoxide
and methyl mercaptan, the odor-producing compound.
DEP’s sampling did not find concentrations of any compound that is likely to trigger air-
related health issues associated with Marcellus Shale drilling activities in the northcentral region.
Results from DEP’s previous air monitoring studies near Marcellus facilities in southwest
and northeast Pennsylvania were announced in November 2010 and January 2011, respectively.
A copy of the report is available online.
NewsClip: Study Shows No Hazard In Shale Well Air Emissions
PUC Continues Evaluation Of Gas Pipeline Company As Public Utility
The Public Utility Commission this week took action on the Laser Northeast Gathering Co.
(Laser Northeast) application to receive a certificate of public convenience as a public utility.
The Commission voted 3-2 to approve a motion by Commissioner Wayne E. Gardner to
remand the case of Laser Northeast to the Commission’s Office of Administrative Law Judge for
8/6/2019 Pa Environment Digest May 23, 2011
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/pa-environment-digest-may-23-2011 28/47
the purpose of determining whether the granting of a certificate of public convenience is
necessary or proper for the service, accommodation, convenience or safety of the public.
Laser Northeast is seeking authorization to offer natural gas gathering and transporting or
conveying service by pipeline to various townships in Susquehanna County. Vice Chairman John
F. Coleman, Jr. offered a statement on the case, with Commissioner James H. Cawley offering a
dissenting statement.“I believe that the acceptance of these settlement terms would not be an unlawful
expansion of the Commission jurisdiction,” said Commissioner Gardner in his motion.
Commissioner Gardner went on to state that, “I believe that the settlement terms should be
remanded to the OALJ for further development of the record regarding whether they are in the
public interest.”
“I agree with the decision to remand this case to the Office of Administrative Law Judge
for the reasons expressed in the motion,” said Vice Chairman John F. Coleman, Jr. “On the
threshold issue of whether Laser is a public utility, I agree that the proposed service clearly
meets the statutory definition of public utility.”
“Whether to grant or deny a certificate of public convenience, conferring public utility
status, is within the sound discretion of the Commission, with the public interest being paramount, not that of the corporate applicant, and “public utility” status only a secondary
consideration, said Commissioner James H. Cawley his statement. “The Public Utility Code
must be strictly construed when pipelines are involved, because a certificate also confers the
power of eminent domain, which upsets the negotiating balance between landowners and
pipeline operators over rights-of-way or easements, with grave implications for the individual
Pennsylvanians and their communities given the enormity of shale gas extraction underway in
the state. The upset of this balance is not in the public interest and is sufficient reason to deny
Laser’s application.”
In response to the action, Thomas F. Karam, Chairman and CEO of Laser Northeast said,
"We are gratified by and agree with the decision made today by the commission. Laser hasoperated and will continue to operate in a manner consistent with the duties and responsibilities
of a public utility company, the settlement we achieved among diverse stakeholders including
landowners and landowner groups is in the public interest as it strikes a balance by voluntarily
restricting eminent domain, agreeing to best operating and safety practices that exceed regulatory
minimums, and establishes landowner protections and benefits that are comprehensive and aimed
at addressing the comments and concerns raised at public hearings. Laser has also worked
diligently with landowners to reach mutually acceptable terms and will continue to follow that
operating philosophy."
On January 19, 2010, Laser Northeast filed an application for a certificate of public
convenience authorizing it to offer natural gas gathering and transporting service by pipeline in
certain townships in Susquehanna County.The company proposed to build a natural-gas gathering and transportation pipeline in
Susquehanna County that would extend into Broome County, New York, to a tie-in with an
interstate pipeline called the Millennium Pipeline.
The Commission issued an administrative law judge’s recommended decision on
December 1, 2010, in which the ALJ disapproved the settlement and denied the application
because she found that the service in question was not public utility service and that the applicant
did not satisfy its burden of proving entitlement to a certificate of public convenience.
8/6/2019 Pa Environment Digest May 23, 2011
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/pa-environment-digest-may-23-2011 29/47
The ALJ also ruled that the pipeline was being designed to serve only a specific group
and not the entire public. Exceptions and reply exceptions have been filed.
Two public input hearings were held in Susquehanna County on July 7, 2010.
Evidentiary hearings were held on August 23 and 24, 2010. On September 10, 2010, Laser
Northeast , the Commission’s Office of Trial Staff, Silver Lake Association, Vera Scroggins and
William C. Fischer filed a non-unanimous Joint Petition for Settlement.NewsClips: PUC Votes To Continue Evaluating Whether Gas Pipeline Firm A Utility
Pipeline's Status Returned To PUC
First Responders Participate In Safety Training Sponsored By Chief Oil & Gas
In early May, Chief Oil & Gas sponsored a safety training program for first responders in
Northeast Pennsylvania at the Wyoming County Emergency Management Agency facility in
Tuckhannock, Pa.
Attended by fire officers from Lake Carey, Franklin, Sweet Valley, Meshhoppen, and the
Wyoming County EMA, the training focused on using actual well data to recreate different types
of operational difficulties and to teach prevention and control of safety issues at Marcellus wells."We look forward to developing a good working relationship and information sharing
system with Chief Oil & Gas to better educate our emergency responders in community safety
practices," said David Carichner, Wyoming County EMA Operations & Training Officer. "We
appreciate that Chief is helping to protect our communities by hosting training sessions such this
one."
The training program was administered by Wild Well Control, a company that provides
firefighting, well control, engineering and training services to oil and gas operators around the
world. Wild Well Control has a local Pennsylvania facility in Clearfield County, Pa.
"Safety is our utmost concern, and we are always looking for opportunities to work with
local communities to improve and promote safety initiatives in our operations," said DavidPatterson, Chief's Vice President of Operations.
For more information, visit the Chief Oil & Gas website or follow Chief on Twitter feed.
Cabot Oil and Gas Challenges Community To Support Animal Welfare Center
Cabot Oil & Gas Corporation this week announced a major effort to bolster the support of True
Friends Animal Welfare Center, a non-profit community-based organization dedicated to
operating the former Pennsylvania Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals in Montrose,
Pa.
Through June 22, Cabot will match all new donations from the community up to $10,000
to assist True Friends in keeping high-quality animal welfare services in Susquehanna andWyoming Counties. The challenge grant is in collaboration with The Community Foundation of
Susquehanna & Wyoming Counties.
The Susquehanna County Humane Society was founded in the 1930's and became part of
the PSPCA in the 1990's. During its 80 years of existence, the organization of dedicated staff
and volunteers has saved the lives of thousands of animals and brought tremendous happiness to
the many citizens who have adopted them. Throughout the years the center has been a key asset
to the community.
8/6/2019 Pa Environment Digest May 23, 2011
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/pa-environment-digest-may-23-2011 30/47
True Friends provides three essential benefits to the region, they are: minimizing public
health hazards by assisting in the control of stray animals, rescue innocent animals from a
lifetime of neglect and suffering and they match animals with loving families.
True Friends remains committed to the tradition of excellence in the humane treatment of
animals. During 2010 alone, over 1,000 animals were adopted from the animal welfare center.
"True Friends is extremely grateful for the generosity and support of Cabot Oil & Gas.We are thrilled to have them leading the way in energizing the community with this significant
challenge grant," stated Dory Browning, President of the True Friends Board of Directors, "Our
team recognizes that Cabot is a good corporate citizen for our community. We are thrilled to
have them as our partner."
"Cabot is very pleased to be able to help in this way," said George Stark, Director
External Affairs for Cabot Oil & Gas Corporation, "but truly it is the work of the dedicated staff,
volunteers and generous neighbors that makes all the difference in the creating and sustaining
this successful, thriving animal shelter. We are happy to be a part of it all and look forward to a
great response from the community."
All donations are tax-deductible and can be sent to: The Community Foundation of
Susquehanna & Wyoming Counties, 270 Lake Avenue, Montrose PA 18801Anyone interested in volunteering at True friends or in need of additional details on the
community challenge grant is urged to contact: Dory Browning at 570-396-6011 or Julia Fagan
at 570-280-6639.
DEP, Game Commission Host Peregrine Falcon Hatchling Banding
The Department of Environmental Protection and Game
Commission this week hosted a Peregrine falcon banding event to
help students learn about efforts to restore the species.
"Public interest in the resurgence of Peregrine falconscontinues to grow," DEP Secretary Mike Krancer said. "With a
coded identification band, wildlife officials and enthusiasts
everywhere will be able to use our website to monitor the falcon's
activities and development."
From the 1940s to the early 1970s, widespread use of pesticides such as the now-banned
DDT caused a steep decline in Peregrine falcon populations. Although the predatory bird is no
longer a federally designated endangered species, it remains on the state wildlife commission's
endangered species list.
Since 1997, various Peregrine falcons have nested at the Rachel Carson State Office
Building in Harrisburg, where DEP is headquartered. A younger female came to roost in 2010
and laid her first clutch of eggs earlier this year.Today, biologists retrieved the hatchling, the only one to hatch from this year's clutch of
eggs, from a nest on a ledge outside the 15th floor. More than 150 students and teachers from
Harrisburg-area schools watched the placement of the identification bands on the young falcon's
legs.
Following the banding, a representative from the ZOOAMERICA: North
American Wildlife Park discussed falcons' adaptive abilities.
8/6/2019 Pa Environment Digest May 23, 2011
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/pa-environment-digest-may-23-2011 31/47
A replay of the event can be viewed online at the PA Falcon Cam webpage. The video
shows the banding of the fledgling and demonstrates how biologists use alphanumeric bands to
study Peregrine falcons as they migrate, pair with other Peregrines and set up breeding
territories.
Fans are also encouraged to follow the Peregrines this year through Twitter . For more
information, contact DEP's Environmental Education center at 717-772-1644.
Game Commission Offers Project WILD Programs For Educators
The Game Commission this week announced a series of upcoming professional development
opportunities offered as part of the agency's Project WILD program in June, July and August.
Classroom teachers, early childhood teachers, informal educators, homeschool leaders
and Scout and youth group leaders are welcome to participate in these workshops.
"Workshop offerings range from endangered species and wildlife forensics to
orienteering and habitat-specific programs, such as 'Wild about Wetlands' and 'Watershed
Education,'" said Theresa Alberici, who coordinates the program through the Game
Commission's Bureau of Information and Education. "In addition to our species-focusedworkshops on bear, owls and waterfowl, we've added a 'Wild about Turkey' workshop."
A complete schedule of courses is available online. The listing includes a two-page
summary of the courses being offered from June through August in various parts of the state,
followed by information on how to register for each of the courses.
Project WILD is an award-winning, international, hands-on conservation education
program. It focuses on wildlife and the environment and how humans interrelate with both.
WILD provides educators, primarily kindergarten through 12th grade, with interdisciplinary
activities that help address state and national education standards and help educators comply
with mandates of the No Child Left Behind Act. WILD's materials are scientifically sound and
use educational practices proven to be effective.WILD's mission is to provide wildlife-based conservation education that fosters
responsible action. WILD's goal is to develop the awareness, skills, knowledge and commitment
that are necessary for people to make informed decisions and act constructively and responsibly
toward wildlife and the environment.
“Educators leave Project WILD workshops with a renewed appreciation of wildlife and
are excited about how they’re going to share what they’ve learned with their students,” Alberici
said. “This year, wildlife agencies nationwide celebrated one million educators ‘Gone WILD.’
More than one million educators have been trained in the program since Project WILD
originated in 1983.
"Project WILD isn't about teaching kids what to think about wildlife; it's about teaching
kids how to think about wildlife and giving them the skills they need to become responsiblyactive citizens who recognize the importance of wildlife and the environment. The milestone of
training one million educators means that, through Project WILD, more than 53 million people
worldwide have experience in thinking responsibly about natural resources. Last year alone, state
wildlife agencies ordered more than 65,000 guides for distribution to educators across the
country, reaching 1.8 million students with information on wildlife conservation."
Alberici works closely with Game Commission Southeast Region Wildlife Education
Specialist Dan Lynch and Southwest Region Wildlife Education Supervisor Joe Stefko, as well
8/6/2019 Pa Environment Digest May 23, 2011
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/pa-environment-digest-may-23-2011 32/47
as the Department of Education and prominent conservation and environmental education
organizations throughout the state and the country.
PA Center For Environmental Education, PAEE Sponsor EE Certification Discussion
Groups
The PA Center for Environmental Education and the PA Association of Environmental
Educators are excited to announce six regional discussion groups to talk about non-formal EE
certification.
These regional discussion groups are part of the next steps in developing a state-wide
non-formal EE certification program following the publication of results from our recent online
survey.
Please join us at the following locations and dates to learn more about non-formal EE
certification in PA and contribute your ideas during this important stage of our program
development:
Northwestern Region: June 6th, 6:30 pm - 8:30 p.m., Asbury Woods Nature Center, 4105Asbury Road, Erie. Contact: Steve Wasiesky, [email protected]
Southwestern Region: June 9th, 6:30 pm - 8:30 p.m., Beechwood Farms Nature Reserve, 714
Dorseyville Road, Pittsburgh. Contact: Trish O’Neill, [email protected] or 412-963-6100 ext. 24
Northeastern Region: June 14th, 6:30 pm - 8:30 p.m. Eastern PA Coalition for Abandoned
Mine Reclamation Office, 101 S. Main Street, Ashley. Contact: Jeremy Scheivert,
Southeastern Region: June 15th, 6:30 pm - 8:30 p.m. Peace Valley Nature Center, 170Chapman Road, Doylestown. Contact: Gail Hill,[email protected] or 215-345-7860
Southcentral Region: June 16th, 6:30 pm - 8:30 p.m. Milton Hershey School Environmental
Center, 518 Crest Lane, Hershey. Contact: Amy Weidensaul, [email protected] or
570-617-9748
Northcentral Region: June 27th, 6:30 pm - 8:30 p.m. Shaver’s Creek Environmental Center,
3400 Discovery Road, Petersburg. Contact: Deb Buckman, [email protected] or Rob
Andrejewski, [email protected]
Certification, a process that has been pioneered in several states, is designed for naturalists andeducators working at non-formal nature and environmental education facilities at parks, arboreta,
private preserves, and more.
It gives educators in this arena access to a formal credential that standardizes and
upgrades professional training, allowing educators to become better trained and perhaps even
more marketable.
8/6/2019 Pa Environment Digest May 23, 2011
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/pa-environment-digest-may-23-2011 33/47
To download a copy of the Executive Summary of our final survey report, please visit the
PA Non-Formal EE Certification webpage. The Executive Summary and full report,
Pennsylvania Non-formal Environmental Educator Certification, will both be available soon.
Sign up for a regional discussion group by contacting: Project Coordinator - Chris Tittle
at [email protected] or PAEE President - Ruth Roperti at [email protected].
TKF Foundation Open Space Sacred Places Grant Program
The TKF Foundation announced this week it will begin the Open Spaces Sacred Places National
Awards Initiative. The deadline for applications is September 1.
This new award program will fund the creation of significant Open Spaces Sacred Places
that are designed specifically with the intent to study and communicate the impact of a specific
type of urban public greenspace on users.
Grants will be awarded from a total funding pool of $5 million. Funding will be provided
to cross-disciplinary teams that conceptualize, plan, design and implement a physical space,
conduct associated research study(s) and disseminate findings.
This Request for Proposal launches the first phase of the national awards program andwill provide funding for planning grants.
For more information, visit the Open Spaces Sacred Places webpage.
Game Commission Habitat Work Underway On Game Lands
The Game Commission’s teams of land managers, foresters and Food and Cover Corps crews are
focusing their efforts – and the agency’s resources – on a massive amount of habitat
improvement projects on the more than 1.4 million acres of State Game Lands this spring.
“Wildlife habitats are changing across the landscape as farming practices evolve and
urban/suburban expansion convert former wildlife habitats into various types of developments,from homes to shopping malls,” said Carl G. Roe, Game Commission executive director.
“According to Pennsylvania’s Wildlife Action Plan, 300 acres of wildlife habitat are being lost
every day, primarily to sprawl.
“For this reason, the Game Commission’s network of State Game Lands is critical to
ensuring that wildlife will always have access to the three habitat components it needs to survive:
food, shelter and water. And, through our habitat improvement efforts, we strive to ensure habitat
diversity for all wildlife.”
The Game Commission gave an overview of habitat work in areas all over the state.
PA Healthy, Active Communities Summit In Hershey May 24
Community leaders from across Pennsylvania will convene in Hershey on May 24 to discuss
ways to expand opportunities for children to get outdoors for some much-needed exercise.
The inaugural PA Healthy and Active Communities Summit will bring together
professionals from parks and recreation, health care, local government, community health,
academia and other arenas to showcase strategies and resources for developing partnerships to
improve community livability and encourage close-to-home recreation.
8/6/2019 Pa Environment Digest May 23, 2011
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/pa-environment-digest-may-23-2011 34/47
"Recent surveys show that people are looking for outdoor recreation opportunities close
to home," said Lt. Gov. Jim Cawley, who will provide opening remarks at the summit. "Our
communities can help reverse the alarming trend away from outdoor activities by providing and
promoting the chance to exercise and have fun outdoors locally."
Strengthening connections between outdoor recreation and healthy lifestyles is a
recommendation in the state's five-year comprehensive outdoor recreation plan, which the National Association of Recreational Planners has hailed as the nation's best plan.
"We're dealing with the first generation of children that does not spend most of its
playtime outdoors, leading to very real concerns about their fitness and becoming disconnected
from our natural world," Department of Conservation and Natural Resources Secretary Richard
J. Allan said. "Encouraging preventive approaches will not only lower health care costs, they will
bring economic benefits to our towns and cities by making them places where people want to
live and work."
"The state Department of Health is pleased to partner with DCNR to implement their
five-year State Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan to demonstrate the benefits of outdoor
physical activity," Department of Health Secretary Dr. Eli Avila said. "Increased physical
activity and overall healthier lifestyles can reduce our risks for chronic diseases such as heartdisease, asthma and diabetes."
Department of Health statistics show nearly one-third of Pennsylvania students in grades
K-6 are classified as overweight or obese.
"While we can lead the charge, we need communities across Pennsylvania to get
involved to make 'the healthy choice an easy choice' for their residents," Avila said.
The Center for Nutrition and Activity Promotion at Penn State Hershey Children's
Hospital, through a multi-year partnership with DCNR, is hosting the day-long summit at the
Hershey Country Club.
Center Executive Director Donna Kephart recognized the need to improve active lifestyle
opportunities locally."Our communities play a significant role in our health; and today, many communities do
not provide opportunities for active living," Kephart said.
Highlights of the summit include an opening keynote presentation by Dr. Sandra Hassink,
chair of the American Academy of Pediatrics' Childhood Obesity Taskforce; and luncheon
keynote by Todd Christopher, author and co-founder of the National Wildlife Federation's Green
Hour campaign.
Throughout the afternoon, participants will hear from individuals and community
partnerships that have been successful in organizing and implementing active community efforts.
Speakers will represent programs and projects in Allentown, Carlisle, Columbia, Harrisburg,
Lancaster, Mercersburg and York.
Through sponsorships from Capital BlueCross, DCNR, Highmark Inc., the departmentsof Education and Health and other supporting organizations, more than 125 attendees will
participate in this invite-only event.
For more information and the complete agenda, visit the Summit website.
PA Hiking Week To Showcase State's Trails, Walkways: May 28 To June 5
8/6/2019 Pa Environment Digest May 23, 2011
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/pa-environment-digest-may-23-2011 35/47
Hiking Week 2011 will step off on May 28, offering participants more than 100 organized hikes
statewide.
"A wealth of healthy hiking activities is again being offered to all ages and abilities
thanks to the cooperative efforts of the co-sponsoring Keystone Trails Association and our
bureaus of state parks and forestry," said acting Department of Conservation and Natural
Resources Secretary Richard J. Allan."This is the 10th year of this increasingly popular event, which has grown by reaching
out to the uninitiated and offering a wide variety of highly organized hikes," said Allan. "We
hope to draw both novices and trail-hardened veterans into our state parks, forests and municipal
greenways during this annual effort."
DCNR and co-sponsor Keystone Trails Association, or KTA, have been asking the public
to suggest new hikes that could be added to this year's schedule, found online.
"We invite everyone who lacks knowledge of trail locations or fears hiking alone to join
us for a hike. Just a few hours of hiking will do wonders for your physical and mental well-
being," said Curt Ashenfelter, executive director of the KTA, who noted that a wide range of
hikes for individuals of varying fitness levels are offered.
The week will feature special events across the state. All scheduled hikes have leadersand include a variety of lengths and terrain -- from easy strolls along urban greenways to
strenuous treks in some of Pennsylvania's rugged mountain areas. Special hikes will include
night hikes; wildflower walks; hikes for people with disabilities; and pet and geology walks.
For more information, including hikes already planned, dates and locations, visit Explore
PA Trails online.
For details on hiking clubs across the state, visit the Keystone Trails Association.
KTA was organized in 1956, and is a 1,172-member umbrella organization made up of 52 hiking
and outdoors organizations in and around Pennsylvania.
PA Waters Announced For Cabela's Wanna Go Fishing For Millions Promotion
Anglers registered with Cabela’s “Wanna Go Fishing for Millions?” promotion will have an
opportunity to land prize-winning fish in eight Pennsylvania waterways announced this week by
the Fish and Boat Commission and Cabela’s.
In conjunction with the contest, the PFBC will offer fishing instruction and a variety of
other activities at six of the eight waters on May 30 as part of its annual Fish-for-Free day. The
selected waters where Fish-for-Free activities will be held include:
-- Lake Wallenpaupack, a 5,700-acre lake located in Pike and Wayne counties;
-- Raystown Lake, an 8,000-acre lake in Huntingdon County;
-- The Emsworth Pool of the Three Rivers in Pittsburgh;
-- Presque Isle Bay, a 3,300-acre body of water which is part of Presque Isle State Park in ErieCounty;
-- Foster Joseph Sayers Lake, a 1,730-acre reservoir located in Bald Eagle Creek State Park in
Centre County.
-- Lake Nockamixon, a 1,450-acre lake located within Nockamixon State Park in Bucks County.
The remaining two waters include: Penns Creek, which begins from a spring in Penns
Cave, Centre County, and flows eastward to its confluence with the Susquehanna River near
8/6/2019 Pa Environment Digest May 23, 2011
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/pa-environment-digest-may-23-2011 36/47
Selinsgrove in Snyder County; and Lake Arthur, a 3,200-acre lake located within Moraine State
Park in Butler County.
The contest officially starts today and runs through July 14. Anglers can register through
the PFBC website for a chance at landing the $2.2 million prize.
“We’re excited that the Cabela’s contest coincides with our first Fish-for-Free day on
Memorial Day,” said PFBC Executive Director John Arway. “Memorial Day marks the beginning of summer and it’s a day when many families and friends get together at lakes and
parks throughout the state. It is the first of two Fishing Holidays this year.”
“First-time anglers can learn how to fish from our instructors and, in the process, maybe
land a prize-winning fish,” he added. “It’s a great way to get introduced to the sport of fishing.”
In addition to providing free fishing tips, PFBC outreach and education staff will have
exhibits, free publications and more at the six selected sites. Fish-for-Free Days allow anyone
(resident or non-resident) to legally fish. No fishing license is required to fish on these days. All
other fishing regulations apply.
The second Fish-for-Free Day is Labor Day, September 5.
Six Fish-For-Free Events On Memorial Day Weekend
Vacationers visiting six popular waters on Memorial Day can learn to fish and enjoy other
outdoor activities during the Fish-for-Free Day sponsored by the Fish and Boat Commission. At
the same time, anglers may land a prize-winning fish.
The PFBC is hosting the special events on May 30, in conjunction with Cabela’s national
“Wanna Go Fishing for Millions?” contest. As part of the contest, fish were tagged in eight
waters. Every tag carries a prize.
Fish-for-Free events will be held at six locations. The waters and species of tagged fish
include:
-- NE Region: Lake Wallenpaupack (Pike and Wayne counties) — PFBC Access (Access #750on PFBC maps). The tagged fish include walleye and smallmouth bass.
-- SE Region: Lake Nockamixon in Nockamixon State Park (Bucks County) — Tohickon Access
(Access #981 on PFBC maps). Tagged fish include largemouth bass.
-- NC Region: Foster Joseph Sayers Lake in Bald Eagle Creek State Park (Centre County) —
Pavilion 7 at the day-use area. Tagged fish include largemouth and smallmouth bass.
-- SC Region: Raystown Lake (Huntingdon County) — Visitor center at Seven Points Marina.
Tagged fish include largemouth bass and walleye.
-- NW Region: Presque Isle Bay (Erie County) — Perry Monument. Tagged fish include
largemouth bass.
-- SW Region: Emsworth Pool, Three Rivers, Pittsburgh — Braddock public ramp (Access #328
on PFBC maps). Tagged fish include smallmouth bass.“Fish-for-Free days are a convenient way to introduce friends and family to the sport of
fishing,” said PFBC Executive Director John Arway. “Many families spend the day at lakes and
parks throughout the state. Now they can try fishing at no cost. We know that once people try it,
particularly kids, they will see that fishing is a great recreational activity and they will want to do
it more.”
In addition to providing free fishing tips, PFBC outreach and education staff will have
exhibits, free publications and more at the six selected sites.Fish-for-Free Days allow anyone
8/6/2019 Pa Environment Digest May 23, 2011
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/pa-environment-digest-may-23-2011 37/47
8/6/2019 Pa Environment Digest May 23, 2011
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/pa-environment-digest-may-23-2011 38/47
museum, from teaching opportunities for our scientists to tapping into Drexel's technology and
media arts programs for our exhibitions. It's a very exciting announcement for us that secures
and expands on the Academy's future as we embark on our third century."
The result will be a nationally recognized powerhouse for discovery in the natural and
environmental sciences that fully leverages the vast intellectual and physical capital of each
institution, creating value for them and for Philadelphia."The Academy and Drexel are complementary learning institutions with a combined 300
years of contributions to our understanding of the world around us," Fry said. "Today we build
on that history for the benefit of our community and the world.
"This affiliation will move Drexel into a national leadership position in environmental
science and environmental policy. It will provide our faculty with opportunities to make even
greater contributions to discovery and innovation in the natural and environmental sciences,
propelling the University and our College of Arts and Sciences to the next level in research and
teaching in these fields," said Fry. "We are also excited to give our students access to Academy
scientists and the Academy's invaluable collections, and new opportunities to learn while
working through our co-op program."
To immediately jump-start the affiliation, The Pew Charitable Trusts also announced a $1million grant. The grant will help to cover transition costs and allow the Academy and Drexel to
explore how to best leverage the assets of both organizations.
In announcing the grant, The Pew Charitable Trusts President and CEO Rebecca W.
Rimel said, "The Pew Charitable Trusts is proud to partner with the leadership of the Academy
of Natural Sciences and Drexel University in supporting such a bold and visionary plan. By
putting the advancement of mission and programmatic excellence above institutional structure,
they have ensured that the Academy's unparalleled collections will be preserved and enhanced
and Drexel's ambitious research and educational priorities will be expanded and advanced.
Others in the nonprofit sector should look to this merger as a model of sound and creative
decision making, which will provide for a secure and successful future for these greatinstitutions."
The new relationship also positions the two institutions to work together on research into
natural and environmental science issues such as environmental degradation, biodiversity, global
ecosystem interactions, and sustainability.
It also allows both institutions to compete aggressively for investment from government
agencies such as the National Science Foundation, the Environmental Protection Agency and the
National Institutes of Health, as well as private foundations and other philanthropists interested
in discovery in these areas.
According to Gephart and Fry, in addition to creating a center for discovery in the natural
and environmental sciences, the alliance will seek to share its great body of knowledge with
individuals of all ages and from all walks of life through innovative formal and informal learningmechanisms. It will also inform the development of public policy with state-of-the-art
knowledge in the natural and environmental sciences.
Philadelphia Mayor Michael A. Nutter praised the affiliation as creative and innovative.
"The idea of two of our prominent organizations in science and education coming together to
advance Philadelphia's reputation as a scientific leader is one that I support fully," Mayor Nutter
said. "The advantages are clear, and the city, our citizens, and the natural and environmental
sciences communities will be the beneficiaries."
8/6/2019 Pa Environment Digest May 23, 2011
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/pa-environment-digest-may-23-2011 39/47
Drexel University and the Academy of Natural Sciences have a long-standing
relationship, having worked together on projects such as a recent dinosaur excavation in
Argentina, exploration of the fragile Pine Barrens ecosystem, and examination of environmental
degradation in the Delaware Estuary.
The next step in the process is the finalization of the affiliation agreement, which is
expected in the next 45-60 days. When the final agreement is executed, the Academy of NaturalSciences will become a subsidiary of Drexel and be known as the Academy of Natural Sciences
of Drexel University, though its legal name will remain the same.
The operations of the Academy will continue to be overseen by its own board as a non-
profit affiliate of Drexel and the Academy will remain a separate 501(c)(3) organization. The
Academy's current $51 million endowment will be managed by Drexel in a segregated fashion
and continue to be wholly dedicated to the Academy.
Green America Announces Green Sustainability Grants Contest
Green America announced it will award four Green Grants to local projects in the United States
that support its mission of creating a socially just and environmentally sustainable economy.Green America will provide one Grand Prize of $2,500 and three First Prizes of $1,000.
Projects do not need to be run by nonprofits. Nominations will be accepted through May 31.
Green America’s members and the public will then be invited to vote on the top ten
nominees (as chosen by Green America staff), and the winners will be selected in July.
“Green America is looking forward to providing Green Grants for a second year to
innovative green projects around the country,” says Green America Director of Corporate
Responsibility, Todd Larsen. “Last year’s winners used the funds to help a community bike
shop, build energy efficient homes for people in need, and start a campus recycling program.
We’re looking forward to nominations from local schools, civic associations, religious groups,
business owners, and anyone else who has a great green project that could use a small financial boost.”
Projects can use the Green Grant awards to support their work in any way, and will just
need to report back to Green America how the grant made a difference in their work.
For more information, visit the Green Grants webpage.
Fight For Clean Air In Pittsburgh May 21 At Venture Outdoors Festival
The Southwest Pennsylvania Air Quality Partnership will host free kite flying and an information
booth as part of the Venture Outdoors Festival in Point State Park , May 21 from 11 a.m. to 6
p.m. in downtown Pittsburgh..
The Flight for Clean Air kicks off the ground-level ozone season and helps to bringawareness of air quality issues. The Partnership, made up of business, government and
environmental groups, works to educate residents about air quality and calls for Air Quality
Action Days when air pollutant levels are elevated.
“We believe that working to protect air quality is good citizenship,” said Partnership
Chair Harilal Patel. “We encourage residents to learn about and take simple actions on Air
Quality Action Days to improve our area’s air quality.”
8/6/2019 Pa Environment Digest May 23, 2011
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/pa-environment-digest-may-23-2011 40/47
The Partnership relies on air quality forecasting performed by the Department of
Environmental Protection which uses the national Air Quality Index. The Index uses color codes
to designate the level of pollutant for the day.
Red on the Air Quality Index means an unhealthy day when everyone should limit
outdoor activities. Orange indicates the air is unhealthy for outdoor activities. Yellow means
sensitive people should limit outdoor activities. Green indicates good air quality with no healthimpacts expected.
The Partnership asks residents to take voluntary actions on Air Quality Action Days.
These voluntary actions include:
-- Postpone mowing your lawn with gas-powered mowers until evening;
-- Refuel your car after dark and keep your car tuned-up;
-- Skip the charcoal lighter fluid when grilling. Use a charcoal chimney or propane; and
-- Conserve energy by turning thermostats up a notch or two and turn off unnecessary lights.
More Air Quality Action tips are available on the Partnership website. Information about
the Venture Outdoors Festival is available online.
Grants & Awards
This section gives you a heads up on upcoming deadlines for awards and grants and other
recognition programs. NEW means new from last week.
May 26-- EPA i6 Green Challenge Grants
May 31-- Fish & Boat Commission Boating Facility Grants
May 31-- NEW. Green American Green Grants Contest
Unknown-- EPA Be An Energy Star Video Contest
June 1-- NE Environmental Partnership Awards
June 17-- DEP Alternative Fuels Incentive GrantsJune 30-- NEW. Wild Resource Conservation Program Grants
June 30-- DEP Nitrogen Tire Inflation System Grants
June 30-- ARIPPA, WPCAMR, EPCAMR Reclamation/AMD Grants
July 11-- PROP Annual Recycling FilmFest Competition
July 31-- DCNR South Mountain Mini-Grants
No Deadline-- DEP County Waste Planning Grants
August-- EPA/American Rivers Potomac Highlands Restoration Grants
August 26-- Foundation for PA Watersheds Grants
September 1-- NEW. TKF Foundation Open Space Sacred Places Grants
September 4-- Chester County Green Business Awards
November 30-- iConservePA CSI Pennsylvania Super Sleuth Sweepstakes!December 31-- President's Environmental Youth Awards
-- Visit the DEP Grants and Loan Programs webpage for more ideas on how to get financial
assistance for environmental projects.
Quick Clips
8/6/2019 Pa Environment Digest May 23, 2011
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/pa-environment-digest-may-23-2011 41/47
Here's a selection of NewClips on environmental topics from around the state--
Budget
Pileggi: Impact Fee Not Necessarily Connected To Budget Deal
High-Ranking Senator Introduces Bill To Impose Shale-Well FeeBill Would Assess Local Impact Fee On Shale Drilling
Senator Introduces Shale Drilling Fee Bill
Drilling Fee Comes Up In The Senate
More Details On Scarnati Drilling Impact Fee Proposal
Pennsylvania Weighs Levy On Natural Gas Wells
Politicians: Marcellus Shale Gas Tax Will Eventually Happen
York County Commissioners Support Marcellus Impact Fee
Drilling Impact Fee Won't Go To Those Who Ban It
Letter: Scarnati's Impact Fee Bill Deserves Consideration
Op-Ed: Corbett Must Choose Carefully In Taxing, Regulating Shale
Op-Ed: The Case Against Taxing Marcellus Shale DrillersEditorial: Corbett Should Heed GOP Call For Natural Gas Tax
Editorial: Natural Gas Fee Legislation A Start
Editorial: Drilling Tax Could Be Less Costly
Editorial: Gas Tax Could Be Less Costly
Editorial: Paying Severance Tax, Not Politicians, Easier For Drillers
Other
Lackawanna Schools Compete In Environmental Challenge
Litterbugs Fly Under the Radar Of The Law
Donora Seeks Volunteers For Spring Cleanup
Editorial: By Recycling, Students Adopt Another Set Of Rs Northeast Environmental Partners Seek Award Nominations
Alcoa Develops Smog-Busting Panel
Western PA Gasoline Supply Remains Shaky
EPA Denies State Waiver To Sell Winter Gasoline
Fire Destroys Biodiesel Plant In Erie
Eco-Friendly Homeless Housing Opens In Philadelphia
PPL Unveils Rebate Program To Reduce Peak Demand
Duquesne Light: Buy One, Get One CFL Light Bulb Free
LED Light Bulbs Gaining Traction
Brighter LED Bulbs Can Replace Incandescents
Switching Electric Companies? Hidden Surprises NRC Sees Beaver Valley Safety Flaws
Berwick Nuclear Plant Shuts Down Second Reactor
NRC Officials To Discuss Berwick Nuke Shutdown
PPL Officials Learning From Japan Nuclear Crisis
NRC Gives York Nuclear Plants Good Grades
Lehigh Valley Residents Want Old Gas Pipelines Out
Op-Ed: Sustainability A La Seuss
8/6/2019 Pa Environment Digest May 23, 2011
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/pa-environment-digest-may-23-2011 42/47
GreenFest A Success In Johnstown
Presque Isle Officials Seek Public Input On Park
A Big Step For The Heritage Trail
Trails Link Pittsburgh Region To Better Future
Ohiopyle Fitness Trail Open To Public
Three Rivers Water Trail Map, Guide Now AvailableCar-Deer Collisions Can Rise In Spring
$1 Million Fish Could Be Hiding In NE Waters
Flight 93 Parks Eye Partnerships To Draw More Tourists
Marcellus Shale NewsClips
Here are NewsClips on topics related to Marcellus Shale natural gas drilling---
Pileggi: Impact Fee Not Necessarily Connected To Budget Deal
High-Ranking Senator Introduces Bill To Impose Shale-Well Fee
Bill Would Assess Local Impact Fee On Shale Drilling
Senator Introduces Shale Drilling Fee Bill
Drilling Fee Comes Up In The Senate
More Details On Scarnati Drilling Impact Fee Proposal
Politicians: Marcellus Shale Gas Tax Will Eventually Happen
Pennsylvania Weighs Levy On Natural Gas Wells
Drilling Impact Fee Won't Go To Those Who Ban It
Letter: Scarnati's Impact Fee Bill Deserves Consideration
Op-Ed: Corbett Must Choose Carefully In Taxing, Regulating Shale
Op-Ed: The Case Against Taxing Marcellus Shale Drillers
Editorial: Corbett Should Heed GOP Call For Natural Gas TaxEditorial: Natural Gas Fee Legislation A Start
Editorial: Drilling Tax Could Be Less Costly
Editorial: Gas Tax Could Be Less Costly
Editorial: Paying Severance Tax, Not Politicians, Easier For Drillers
PA American Water Does Not Find Pollution From Drilling
Marcellus Wastewater Recycled Mostly In-House
Chesapeake Energy Resumes Drilling
Driller Resumes Work 3 Weeks After Accident
Three Weeks Later, Chesapeake Energy Resumes Fracking
PA Fines Driller $1.1 Million Over Contamination, Fire
Marcellus Shale Driller Hit With Record $1 Million FineDEP Fines Chesapeake More Than $1 Million
Marcellus Driller Fined Record $1.1 Million
Corbett's DEP Slaps Chesapeake Energy With Biggest Drilling Fine Ever
DEP Hits Chesapeake With Million In Fines
PA Officials Issue Largest Fine Ever To Gas Driller
Chesapeake Energy: 10,000 Gallons Of Water Spilled In Blowout
8/6/2019 Pa Environment Digest May 23, 2011
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/pa-environment-digest-may-23-2011 43/47
PA's Drilling Wastewater Deadline Nears
Drilling Companies Hold Data On Risk To Water Quality
Rivers In Gas Country Make Group's Imperiled List
Susquehanna Called Most-Endangered River In Nation
Susquehanna Is America's Most Endangered River Due To Drilling
Susquehanna: Nation's Most Endangered River Group: Susquehanna Is Most Endangered
Drilling Puts Susquehanna Atop Group's At Risk Rivers List
Report: Susquehanna Most Endangered River In The Nation
Editorial: Protecting The Susquehanna
Editorial: Save Our Water From Drilling
Stricter Regulations On Treating Drilling Wastewater
Column: Marcellus Shale: Repeating Mistakes Of King Coal
Clamor Increasing To Regulate Marcellus Shale Gas Drilling
Lawmakers, Drilling Companies Weigh In On Marcellus Shale
Drilling Fines Decline Under Corbett
Study Shows No Hazard In Shale Well Air EmissionsWITF Radio Smart Talk: Penn State, Chesapeake Bay Foundation On Marcellus
WVIA Panel: Drilling Transforming Williamsport
Editorial: Historic Sites Deserve Protection From Drilling
DEP Cites Persistent Flaws In Cabot Wells, Keeps Drilling On Hold
EPA Asks State To Improve Gas Well Water Checks
Gas Executive Makes The Case For Marcellus Drilling
Farmers Highlight Gas Industry's Positive Impact
PUC Votes To Continue Evaluating Whether Gas Pipeline Firm A Utility
Pipeline's Status Returned To PUC
Gas Drilling's Haves, Have-Nots Emerge In PAPenn State Plans Marcellus Energy Institute
Penn State Weighing New Center For Natural Gas Engineering
API Industry Standards Provide Blueprint For Hydraulic Fracturing
Drilling Wastewater Treatment Plant In Cross Hairs
Chemical Industry Looking To Expand In PA Because Of Marcellus Shale
Governor's Marcellus Shale Panel Hears Industry Requests
Two New Publications Address Marcellus Shale Water Issues
Gas Drilling Turning Quiet Tourist Destination Into Industrial Town
2 Farmers Assail Gas Drilling At Lancaster Forum
Luzerne County Has Little Control Over Drilling
Benton Twp Holds 2nd Hearing On Proposed Gas WellDallas Official: Zoning Inadequate For Gas Activities
Drilling Wastewater Facility Plans Officially Kaput
Harveys Lake Citizens Press Drilling Oversight
Schuylkill Commissioners Name Marcellus Shale Task Force
Financial
Shale-Related Deals $9.7 Billion In First Quarter
8/6/2019 Pa Environment Digest May 23, 2011
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/pa-environment-digest-may-23-2011 44/47
Shareholders Voice Concerns On Fracking
Watershed NewsClips
Here are NewsClips on watershed topics from around the state--
PA American Water Does Not Find Pollution From Drilling
Marcellus Wastewater Recycled Mostly In-House
Volunteer Spirit, New Technology Watching Streams
Precision Feeds Now Extends To Beef Cattle In PA
Editorial: Watershed Report, Our Newest Feature
Wayne County Orchard Takes Bite At Organic
Survey Says Big, Healthy Fish In Somerset County
Academy Of Natural Sciences To Partner With Drexel
Regulations, Technical Guidance & Permits
No new regulations were published this week. Pennsylvania Bulletin - May 21, 2011
Proposed Regulations Open For Comment - DEP webpage
Proposed Regulations With Closed Comment Periods - DEP webpage
Rolling Regulatory Agenda - DEP webpage
Technical Guidance & Permits
The Department of Environmental Protection published notice of proposed 2011 allocation of
remaining 2010 NOx allowances and offsets for S02 emissions.
The Governor's Office published notice of the Executive Order creating the Governor's
Transportation Funding Commission.
Technical Guidance Comment Deadlines - DEP webpage
Copies Of Draft Technical Guidance - DEP webpage
Copies of Final Technical Guidance - DEP webpage
Calendar Of Events
Upcoming legislative meetings, conferences, workshops, plus links to other online calendars.
Meetings are in Harrisburg unless otherwise noted. NEW means new from last week. Go to the
online Calendar webpage.
8/6/2019 Pa Environment Digest May 23, 2011
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/pa-environment-digest-may-23-2011 45/47
Click on Agenda Released on calendar entries to see the NEW meeting agendas published this
week.
May 23-- NEW. Senate Appropriations Committee meets to consider Senate Bill 263 (Erickson-
R-Delaware) requiring the use of empirical, replicable and testable supporting data in developingregulations, Senate Bill 1054 (Corman-R-Centre) providing for a 2011-12 Capital Budget.
Room 461. 12:30.
May 24-- NEW. Senate Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee meets to consider Senate Bill
301 (Yaw-R-Bradford) amending Act 319 to authorize the splitting off of land for noncoal
mining, House Bill 143 (Major-R-Susquehanna) amending Act 319 to authorize the splitting off
of land for noncoal mining, House Bill 144 (Pickett-R-Bradford) amending Act 319 to authorize
taxation of oil and gas well production. Room 8E-B East Wing. 10:00.
May 24-- NEW. Senate Consumer Protection and Professional Licensure Committee meets to
consider Senate Bill 341 (Greenleaf-R-Montgomery) establishing an automotive fuel testing program. Senate Majority Caucus Room. 10:30.
May 24-- NEW. Senate Veterans Affairs and Emergency Preparedness Committee meets to
consider Senate Bill 995 (Baker-R-Luzerne) requiring gas well operators to post certain 911
response information at the entrance to each well site. Room 8E-A East Wing. 10:30.
May 25-- NEW. House Environmental Resources and Energy Committee meets to consider
House Bill 1416 (Evankovich-R-Armstrong) requiring publication of reports on expenditures
from the Sold Waste Abatement Fund and the Clean Water Fund, Senate Bill 302 (MJ White-R-
Venango) requiring additional reporting on expenditures from the Keystone Recreation, Park andConservation Fund. Room B-31 Main Capitol. 10:00.
May 25-- Agenda Released. DCNR Conservation and Natural Resources Advisory Council.
Room 105 Rachel Carson Building. 10:00. ( formal notice )
June 2-- Joint Legislative Air and Water Pollution Control and Conservation Committee holds a
hearing on the Marcellus Shale Industry. South Park Twp., South Park, Pa. 10:00.
June 6-- Governor's Marcellus Shale Commission Local Impact and Emergency Response
Work Group meeting. 2nd Floor Training Room, Rachel Carson Building. 10:00.
June 7-- Governor's Marcellus Shale Commission Public Health, Safety and Environmental
Protection Work Group meeting. Room 105 Rachel Carson Building. 10:00.
June 8-- Governor's Marcellus Shale Commission Infrastructure Work Group meeting. Room
105 Rachel Carson Building. 10:00.
8/6/2019 Pa Environment Digest May 23, 2011
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/pa-environment-digest-may-23-2011 46/47
June 9-- Governor's Marcellus Shale Commission Economic and Workforce Development Work
Group meeting. Room 105 Rachel Carson Building. 10:00.
June 10-- CANCELED. DEP Oil and Gas Technical Advisory Board meeting. Room 105
Rachel Carson Building. 10:00. ( formal notice )
June 15-- DEP Water Resources Advisory Committee meeting. Room 105 Rachel Carson
Building. 9:30. ( formal notice )
June 27-- Governor's Marcellus Shale Commission Local Impact and Emergency Response
Work Group meeting. 2nd Floor Training Room, Rachel Carson Building. 10:00.
June 28-- Governor's Marcellus Shale Commission Public Health, Safety and Environmental
Protection Work Group meeting. Room 105 Rachel Carson Building. 10:00.
June 29-- Governor's Marcellus Shale Commission Infrastructure Work Group meeting. Room105 Rachel Carson Building. 10:00.
June 30-- Governor's Marcellus Shale Commission Economic and Workforce Development
Work Group meeting. Room 105 Rachel Carson Building. 10:00.
August 23-- DEP Oil and Gas Technical Advisory Board meeting. Room 105 Rachel Carson
Building. 10:00. ( formal notice )
August 25-- DEP Water Resources Advisory Committee meeting. Room 105 Rachel Carson
Building. 9:30. ( formal notice )
September 16-- CANCELED. DEP Oil and Gas Technical Advisory Board meeting. Room 105
Rachel Carson Building. 10:00. ( formal notice)
December 6-- DEP Oil and Gas Technical Advisory Board meeting. Room 105 Rachel Carson
Building. 10:00. (formal notice)
DEP Calendar of Events
Environmental Education Workshop/Training Calendar (PA Center for Environmental
Education)
Senate Committee Schedule House Committee Schedule
You can watch the Senate Floor Session and House Floor Session live online.
Stories Invited
8/6/2019 Pa Environment Digest May 23, 2011
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/pa-environment-digest-may-23-2011 47/47
Send your stories, photos and videos about your project, environmental issues or programs for
publication in the PA Environment Digest to: [email protected].
PA Environment Digest is edited by David E. Hess, former Secretary Pennsylvania Department
of Environmental Protection and is published as a service to the clients of Crisci Associates, aHarrisburg-based government and public affairs firm whose clients include Fortune 500
companies and non-profit organizations. For more information on Crisci Associates, call
717-234-1716.
PA Environment Digest 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.