Pa Environment Digest 050916

8/17/2019 Pa Environment Digest 050916

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PA Environment Digest An Update On Environmental Issues In Pennsylvania

Edited By: David E. Hess, Crisci Associates

Winner Of PA Association of Environmental Educators Business Partner Of The Year Award

PA Environment Digest Daily Blog Twitter Feed

Issue #619 Harrisburg, PA May 9, 2016

House Committee Takes First Step To Block DEP’s Entire Final Drilling Regulations

The House Environmental Resour ces and Energy Committee Tuesday voted 19 to 8 largely

along party lines (Republicans supporting) to report out a House/Senate concurrent resolutiondisapproving DEP’s entire final Chapter 78 (conventional) and 78a (unconventional, Marcellus

Shale) drilling regulations .

The resolution-- now known as House Concurrent Regulatory Review Resolution #1--

was of ficially reported across the Speaker’s desk during the token legislative session in the

House on Wednesday.

Interesting note, this is the only one of the 4,500 or so Senate and House bills and

resolutions that is not available online through the General Assembly’s website, at least so far.

There are no sponsors or cosponsors listed as a result.

House Republicans Tuesday temporarily delayed consideration of the House Resolution

to kill DEP’s final oil and gas drilling regulations to see if they could resolve some of the issues

involved with the Administration.The Administration responded with a statement saying, “Following the recent approval

by the Independent Regulatory Review commission of these new regulations, the Governor is

committed to working with the Legislature to further his Administration’s goal of improving the

protection of water and public resources, public health and safety, and addresses landowner

concerns, enhances transparency, and improves data management.”

As pointed out in another PA Environment Digest article , the Wolf Administration may

be trying to cut a deal with Republicans to save whatever pieces of the regulation they can.

The full House is expected to take final action on the resolution when it returns to session

on May 16, unless some sort of deal is reached.

A Senate vote on the disapproval resolution is virtually assured if the House takes action..

Sen. Gene Yaw (R-Lycoming), Majority Chair of the Senate Environmental Resourcesand Energy Committee, issued a statement April 22 (Earth Day) calling for action on a

House/Senate disapproval resolution on the drilling regulations.

The opponents of DEP’s drilling regulations argued the regulation did follow proper

procedures under the Regulatory Review Act and did not comply with Act 126 of 2014 requiring

separate regulations for conventional and unconventional drilling.

In response, proponents said the regulations are obviously divided into two chapters--

http://paenvironmentdaily.blogspot.com/2016/04/sen-yaw-calls-for-senatehouse.htmlhttp://paenvironmentdaily.blogspot.com/2016/05/analysis-will-confrontation-over.htmlhttp://www.legis.state.pa.us/http://www.dep.pa.gov/Business/Energy/OilandGasPrograms/OilandGasMgmt/Public-Resources/Pages/Oil-and-Gas-Surface-Regulations.aspx#.Vw0ZMGM4njAhttps://goo.gl/zUpHkLhttp://www.dep.pa.gov/Business/Energy/OilandGasPrograms/OilandGasMgmt/Public-Resources/Pages/Oil-and-Gas-Surface-Regulations.aspx#.Vw0ZMGM4njAhttp://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/CteeInfo/index.cfm?Code=8&CteeBody=Hhttp://paenvironmentdaily.blogspot.com/https://twitter.com/paenvirodigesthttps://twitter.com/paenvirodigesthttps://twitter.com/paenvirodigesthttp://www.paenvironmentdigest.com/newsletter/default.asp?NewsletterArticleID=11953http://www.paenvironmentdigest.com/newsletter/default.asp?NewsletterArticleID=29406http://paenvironmentdaily.blogspot.com/2016/04/sen-yaw-calls-for-senatehouse.htmlhttp://paenvironmentdaily.blogspot.com/2016/05/changing-deps-drilling-regs-may-be-at.htmlhttp://paenvironmentdaily.blogspot.com/2016/05/changing-deps-drilling-regs-may-be-at.htmlhttp://paenvironmentdaily.blogspot.com/2016/05/analysis-will-confrontation-over.htmlhttp://paenvironmentdaily.blogspot.com/2016/05/analysis-will-confrontation-over.htmlhttp://paenvironmentdaily.blogspot.com/2016/05/analysis-will-confrontation-over.htmlhttp://www.legis.state.pa.us/http://www.dep.pa.gov/Business/Energy/OilandGasPrograms/OilandGasMgmt/Public-Resources/Pages/Oil-and-Gas-Surface-Regulations.aspx#.Vw0ZMGM4njAhttp://www.dep.pa.gov/Business/Energy/OilandGasPrograms/OilandGasMgmt/Public-Resources/Pages/Oil-and-Gas-Surface-Regulations.aspx#.Vw0ZMGM4njAhttps://goo.gl/zUpHkLhttps://goo.gl/zUpHkLhttp://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/CteeInfo/index.cfm?Code=8&CteeBody=Hhttps://twitter.com/paenvirodigesthttp://paenvironmentdaily.blogspot.com/http://www.paenvironmentdigest.com/newsletter/default.asp?NewsletterArticleID=11953http://www.crisciassociates.com/


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regulations prior to the April 21 IRRC approval.

A copy of the resolution is available online. Click Here to watch a video of the

Committee meeting.

Rep. John Maher (R-Allegheny) serves as Majority Chair of the House Environmental

Committee and can be contacted by sending email to: [email protected] . Rep. Greg

Vitali (D-Delaware) serves as Minority Chair and can be contacted by sending email to:[email protected] .

Take Action Now

Click Here to urge your legislators to oppose efforts to block DEP’s drilling regulations.

NewsClips:

Drillers Growing Leery Of PA Rules Leaders Tell Legislators

Rep. Krueger-Braneky Rips Legislators For Blocking Drilling Regs

PA Trout: Tell Legislators Let Drilling Rules Move Forward

House Committee Votes To Block Updated Drilling Rules

House Panel Votes To Block Drilling Regulations

PLS Reporter: House Starts Process to Scuttle Drilling Regs

Quigley: Contentions Regulations For Gas Industry Sensible Alliance Of Moms Criticize Efforts To Block Drilling Regs

Murrysville Models Drilling Rules On State Proposal

Related Stories:

PA Trout Unlimited: Tell Your Legislators To Let DEP Drilling Regs Move Forward, Click

Here

PA Environmental Council Urges Committee Not To Oppose DEP Final Drilling Regs

Analysis: Will The Confrontation Over Drilling Regs Kill The Entire Package?

Changing DEP’s Drilling Regs May Be At Heart Of Budget Compromises In Harrisburg


The PA Environmental Council Monday wrote to members of the House Environmental

Resources and Energy Committee urging them to oppose efforts to disapprove DEP’s final

Chapter 78 (conventional) and 78a (unconventional, Marcellus Shale) drilling regulations .

The text of the PEC letter follows--

Tomorrow the Environmental Resources and Energy Committee will meet to consider its

response to the Independent Regulatory Review Commission’s April 21 approval of DEP’s final

Chapter 78 and 78a drilling regulations update. That consideration may include a concurrent

resolution to have the Senate and House disapprove these regulations.

We ask you to oppose any effort by the Committee to oppose finalization of DEP’s

much-needed update to Pennsylvania’s drilling regulations.Here are some key facts regarding this rulemaking and its value to the people of

Pennsylvania.

There are compelling reasons why the regulations are necessary. In 2012, the legislature

passed Act 13, which explicitly directed DEP to develop new oil and gas regulations—which

hadn’t been comprehensively revised in over 30 years.

-- Both DEP and the General Assembly have a constitutional duty to protect the people and

environment of the Commonwealth. Continued delays in implementing the rulemaking could

http://www.paenvironmentdigest.com/newsletter/default.asp?NewsletterArticleID=35624http://www.dep.pa.gov/Business/Energy/OilandGasPrograms/OilandGasMgmt/Public-Resources/Pages/Oil-and-Gas-Surface-Regulations.aspx#.Vw0ZMGM4njAhttp://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/CteeInfo/index.cfm?Code=8&CteeBody=Hhttp://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/CteeInfo/index.cfm?Code=8&CteeBody=Hhttp://pecpa.org/http://paenvironmentdaily.blogspot.com/2016/05/changing-deps-drilling-regs-may-be-at.htmlhttp://paenvironmentdaily.blogspot.com/2016/05/analysis-will-confrontation-over.htmlhttp://paenvironmentdaily.blogspot.com/2016/05/pa-environmental-council-urges-house.htmlhttp://paenvironmentdaily.blogspot.com/2016/05/pa-trout-unlimited-tell-your.htmlhttp://paenvironmentdaily.blogspot.com/2016/05/pa-trout-unlimited-tell-your.htmlhttp://triblive.com/news/westmoreland/10411586-74/drilling-state-chapterhttp://www.newsworks.org/index.php/health-science/item/93399-alliance-of-moms-religious-groups-criticize-efforts-to-block-new-oil-and-gas-rules-in-pa-?utm_source=dlvr&utm_medium=twitterauto&utm_campaign=social-inboundhttp://triblive.com/business/headlines/10373119-74/quigley-industry-gashttp://www.theplsreporter.com/Home/TabId/56/ArtMID/472/ArticleID/1275/House-starts-process-to-scuttle-new-oil-and-gas-regulations.aspxhttps://stateimpact.npr.org/pennsylvania/2016/05/03/house-panel-votes-to-block-drilling-regulations/http://powersource.post-gazette.com/powersource/policy-powersource/2016/05/03/Pennsylvania-House-committee-votes-to-block-updated-oil-and-gas-drilling-rules-shale/stories/201605030145https://www.votervoice.net/mobile/TU/campaigns/46283/respondhttp://www.delconewsnetwork.com/articles/2016/05/05/news_of_delaware_county/news/doc572b643dd7fe5244530874.txt#.VyyhgQGnHDA.twitterhttp://triblive.com/business/headlines/10418737-74/gas-business-permithttp://paenvironmentdaily.blogspot.com/2016/05/pa-trout-unlimited-tell-your.htmlmailto:[email protected]:[email protected]://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/CteeInfo/index.cfm?Code=8&CteeBody=Hhttp://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/CteeInfo/index.cfm?Code=8&CteeBody=Hhttp://media2.pahousegop.com/Generator.asp?videoname=137811771.wmvhttps://goo.gl/zUpHkL


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It’s worth noting that the legal definition of a “conventional operator” (contained in Act

13) is determined by the depth of drilling, and is unrelated to the number of employees or budget

of the company. Yet in its economic analysis, DEP assumed that all conventional operators

qualified as small businesses.

Conventional operators benefit from several differences between Chapter 78 and

78a. Both conventional and unconventional operations rely on hydraulic fracturing, use toxicchemicals and large volumes of water, disturb land, and generate waste. But under Chapter 78,

conventional drillers will still be allowed to use pits and open tanks to store waste; dispose of

drill cuttings through pit burial or land application without a permit; conduct operations without

a water management plan; use brine waste for dust suppression and de-icing; and report their gas,

condensate, and waste production volumes to DEP just once a year.

Any assertion that DEP did not accommodate the conventional industry are unfounded.

Thank you for your consideration.

John Walliser

Senior Vice President, Legal & Government Affairs

Pennsylvania Environmental Council

For more information on programs, initiatives and special events, visit the PAEnvironmental Council website, visit the PEC Blog , follow PEC on Twitter or Like PEC on

Facebook . Click Here to receive regular updates from PEC.

Take Action Now


NewsClips:







Quigley: Contentions Regulations For Gas Industry Sensible

Alliance Of Moms Criticize Efforts To Block Drilling Regs


Related Stories:


Here




PA Trout Unlimited: Tell Your Legislators To Let DEP Drilling Regs Move Forward

PA Council of Trout Unlimited is urging members of the public who care about clean water and

the environment to contact their state House and state Senate member to support DEP’s Chapter

78 and 78a drilling regulations and vote against efforts to kill them.

Click Here to send your message now.

Background From PA Trout

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“More than four years ago, Pennsylvania's General Assembly passed a comprehensive

bill that required the development of new regulations to provide long-overdue environmental

protections and performance standards at oil and gas well sites.

“Since then, the Department of Environmental Protection has worked diligently to engage

the public, industry and conservation organizations in developing new oil and gas rules, holding

two separate public comment periods, 12 public hearings, and dozens of meetings withstakeholders.

“The new regulations update Pennsylvania's oil and gas regulations for the first time in

many years and increase stream protections by: prohibiting the use of pits to store shale gas drill

cuttings and waste fluids and requiring secondary containment around all storage tanks and

trucks and drill rigs; requiring pipeline companies to employ pollution prevention plans when

performing horizontal directional drilling under streams; requiring shale gas operators to obtain a

water management plan before they withdraw water for hydraulic fracturing; prohibiting the use

of shale gas wastewater on roads for dust suppression and de-icing; and improving waste

tracking and reporting requirements.

“On April 21, the Independent Regulatory Review Commission approved the new oil and

gas regulations-one of the key final steps in Pennsylvania's complex regulatory process.“Now, the Pennsylvania General Assembly is trying to overturn the very rules they called

for more than four years ago.

“Soon, the Pennsylvania House of Representatives is likely to vote on a House/Senate

concurrent resolution disapproving DEP's final oil and gas regulations and barring

implementation of the rules.

“The Pennsylvania Senate is also expected to act on the Resolution or take up Senate Bill

1011, which would have the same effect.

“This misguided step would undermine Pennsylvania's regulatory review process, ignore

public input, and unnecessarily continue to put the Commonwealth's streams, fish and wildlife at

risk from potential harm.

“Tell your legislators today to protect Pennsylvania's streams and oppose any resolution

or bill that would overturn or delay implementation of the new oil and gas regulations.”

Click Here to send your message now. The PA Trout system will automatically find your

House and Senate member based on your address.

NewsClips:






PLS Reporter: House Starts Process to Scuttle Drilling Regs Quigley: Contentions Regulations For Gas Industry Sensible



Related Stories:




http://paenvironmentdaily.blogspot.com/2016/05/analysis-will-confrontation-over.htmlhttp://paenvironmentdaily.blogspot.com/2016/05/pa-environmental-council-urges-house.htmlhttp://paenvironmentdaily.blogspot.com/2016/05/house-committee-reports-out-resolution.htmlhttp://triblive.com/news/westmoreland/10411586-74/drilling-state-chapterhttp://www.newsworks.org/index.php/health-science/item/93399-alliance-of-moms-religious-groups-criticize-efforts-to-block-new-oil-and-gas-rules-in-pa-?utm_source=dlvr&utm_medium=twitterauto&utm_campaign=social-inboundhttp://triblive.com/business/headlines/10373119-74/quigley-industry-gashttp://www.theplsreporter.com/Home/TabId/56/ArtMID/472/ArticleID/1275/House-starts-process-to-scuttle-new-oil-and-gas-regulations.aspxhttps://stateimpact.npr.org/pennsylvania/2016/05/03/house-panel-votes-to-block-drilling-regulations/http://powersource.post-gazette.com/powersource/policy-powersource/2016/05/03/Pennsylvania-House-committee-votes-to-block-updated-oil-and-gas-drilling-rules-shale/stories/201605030145https://www.votervoice.net/mobile/TU/campaigns/46283/respondhttp://www.delconewsnetwork.com/articles/2016/05/05/news_of_delaware_county/news/doc572b643dd7fe5244530874.txt#.VyyhgQGnHDA.twitterhttp://triblive.com/business/headlines/10418737-74/gas-business-permithttps://www.votervoice.net/mobile/TU/campaigns/46283/respond


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It’s the political equivalent of the tail wagging the dog.

Will opposition to DEP’s final drilling rules byconventional oil and gas drillers sink the entire

comprehensive update to DEP’s drilling regulations in

Chapters 78 (conventional) & 78a (unconventional) ?

A vote in the House and Senate on House

Concurrent Regulatory Review Resolution #1 in the coming

weeks and Gov. Wolf’s action to sign or veto that resolution

will tell the tale.

In just over a decade, the unconventional (Marcellus Shale) gas drilling industry has

overtaken Pennsylvania’s conventional oil and gas drilling operations in production and

economic contributions to our economy by many orders of magnitude.

Yet, the current attempts to kill DEP’s drilling regulations are being driven, for the most part, by the conventional drillers that have consistently fought against any attempts by the state,

or anyone else, to regulate their activities since the original Oil and Gas Act was passed in 1984.

Legislators of both parties are falling in line behind the arguments of the conventional

industry in spite of the facts--

-- DEP didn’t listen to their concerns during the 4-year process of developing the regulations,

the 12 public hearings, the 20 meetings of DEP’s oil and gas advisory committees, the almost

28,000 comments submitted (an overwhelming number in support of the regulations) through the

Rendell, Corbett and Wolf Administrations. In fact, members of DEP’s Conventional Oil and

Gas Advisory Committee wrote to DEP in July of 2015 saying they opposed the regulations

“regardless of revisions that DEP may or may not make ;”

-- DEP doesn’t have separate regulations

covering conventional and unconventional wells as

required by law even though members of the General Assembly have in front of them a final

regulation with separate conventional (Chapter 78) and unconventional wells (78a) requirements;

and

-- DEP didn’t consider the impact of the regulations on small business (conventional drillers)

or submit a report on the economic impact of the regulations to the Independent Regulatory

Review Commission as required by law even though the IRRC concluded on April 21 DEP’s

regulations were based in law, were in the public interest and complied with the Regulatory

Review Act that includes an economic impact analysis.

Legislators are listening to the conventional drillers in spite of the compliance record of

the industry versus unconventional drillers---- Conventional oil and gas wells have three times the violations of DEP’s existing

environmental regulations over unconventional wells resulting from about the same number of

inspections for each;

-- DEP takes nearly three times the number of enforcement actions against conventional

wells over unconventional wells;

-- Half the cases of water supply damage come from conventional wells and half from

unconventional wells; and

http://www.paenvironmentdigest.com/newsletter/default.asp?NewsletterArticleID=29748http://www.paenvironmentdigest.com/newsletter/default.asp?NewsletterArticleID=32700http://www.paenvironmentdigest.com/newsletter/default.asp?NewsletterArticleID=32700http://www.irrc.state.pa.us/docs/3042/IRRC/3042%2004-21-16%20APPROVAL.pdfhttp://www.dep.pa.gov/Business/Energy/OilandGasPrograms/OilandGasMgmt/Public-Resources/Pages/Oil-and-Gas-Surface-Regulations.aspx#.Vw0ZMGM4njAhttp://www.irrc.state.pa.us/docs/3042/RELATED/3042%2007-07-15%20COGAC.pdfhttp://www.paenvironmentdigest.com/newsletter/default.asp?NewsletterArticleID=34459http://paenvironmentdaily.blogspot.com/2016/05/house-committee-reports-out-resolution.htmlhttp://paenvironmentdaily.blogspot.com/2016/05/house-committee-reports-out-resolution.htmlhttp://www.dep.pa.gov/Business/Energy/OilandGasPrograms/OilandGasMgmt/Public-Resources/Pages/Oil-and-Gas-Surface-Regulations.aspx#.Vw0ZMGM4njAhttp://paenvironmentdaily.blogspot.com/2016/05/changing-deps-drilling-regs-may-be-at.html


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-- 14 of the 19 “ special caution areas” identified by DEP as having deadly hydrogen sulfide

dangers dealt with by the agency are from conventional wells.

Attempts started in the General Assembly in 2014 to kill the conventional drilling

regulations DEP developed during the Corbett Administration, but neither Senate Bill 1378 nor

House Bill 2350 saw a vote by either the full House or Senate. These bills even had a provision

calling conventional drilling “benign.”Instead, conventional drillers snuck a provision in the “Christmas Tree” that was the 2014

Fiscal Code bill to require DEP to have separate conventional and unconventional requirements.

Gov. Corbett signed the bill into law because it implemented the budget, but then-DEP

Secretary Chris Abruzzo said the law would not stop the development of the drilling regulations

which were split into the two chapters-- one covering conventional (Chapter 78) and the other

covering unconventional drilling (Chapter 78a)-- now in the final package.

Conventional drillers again had another provision snuck into the Fiscal Code bills in

2015-- Senate Bill 655 and this year-- House Bill 1327, but this time the language would have

killed the conventional regulations altogether and forced DEP to start the process over.

Gov. Wolf vetoed both bills as part of the overall, ongoing budget conflict.

In April, the Senate Environmental Resources and Energy Committee reported out SenateBill 1011 (Hutchinson-R-Venango) that has the same language to kill the conventional

regulations and force DEP to start over. The bill is now in position for a final Senate vote when

it returns to session May 9.

And now, of course, there is House Concurrent Regulatory Review Resolution #1 , but

this time, if the resolution is passed by both the Senate and House (a certainty) and is not vetoed

by Gov. Wolf, it would kill the ENTIRE regulation covering both the conventional and

unconventional drilling industries.

Will House and Senate members continue to support the conventional drilling industry by

killing DEP’s ENTIRE drilling regulation?

The Wolf Administration has several options at this point.

Will Gov. Wolf follow the Corbett Administration and stand up for both the conventional

and unconventional drilling regulations by vetoing the House resolution?

Can that veto be sustained in the Senate and House?

Will the Wolf Administration cut a deal to support Senate Bill 1011 covering only the

conventional regulations in exchange for no action on the House Resolution and save at least the

regulations covering unconventional (Marcellus Shale) drilling?

The showdown over whether to kill DEP’s final drilling regulations is coming to a head.

Who’s side will House and Senate members and Gov. Wolf be on?

Who will hold them accountable for their decisions either way?

Stay tuned……

Take Action NowClick Here to urge your legislators to oppose efforts to block DEP’s drilling regulations.

NewsClips:






https://stateimpact.npr.org/pennsylvania/2016/05/03/house-panel-votes-to-block-drilling-regulations/http://powersource.post-gazette.com/powersource/policy-powersource/2016/05/03/Pennsylvania-House-committee-votes-to-block-updated-oil-and-gas-drilling-rules-shale/stories/201605030145https://www.votervoice.net/mobile/TU/campaigns/46283/respondhttp://www.delconewsnetwork.com/articles/2016/05/05/news_of_delaware_county/news/doc572b643dd7fe5244530874.txt#.VyyhgQGnHDA.twitterhttp://triblive.com/business/headlines/10418737-74/gas-business-permithttp://paenvironmentdaily.blogspot.com/2016/05/pa-trout-unlimited-tell-your.htmlhttp://www.paenvironmentdigest.com/newsletter/default.asp?NewsletterArticleID=35559http://paenvironmentdaily.blogspot.com/2016/05/house-committee-reports-out-resolution.htmlhttp://www.paenvironmentdigest.com/newsletter/default.asp?NewsletterArticleID=35559&SubjectID=&SearchWord=1327http://www.paenvironmentdigest.com/newsletter/default.asp?NewsletterArticleID=35559&SubjectID=&SearchWord=1327http://www.paenvironmentdigest.com/newsletter/default.asp?NewsletterArticleID=35333http://www.paenvironmentdigest.com/newsletter/default.asp?NewsletterArticleID=32654http://www.paenvironmentdigest.com/newsletter/default.asp?NewsletterArticleID=29406http://www.paenvironmentdigest.com/newsletter/default.asp?NewsletterArticleID=29406http://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/billInfo/billInfo.cfm?sYear=2013&sInd=0&body=H&type=B&bn=2350http://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/billInfo/billInfo.cfm?sYear=2013&sInd=0&body=S&type=B&bn=1378http://www.paenvironmentdigest.com/newsletter/default.asp?NewsletterArticleID=29748


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Related Stories:

PA Trout Unlimited: Tell Your Legislators To Let DEP Drilling Regs Move Forward, ClickHere





The Wolf Administration this week let it be known the Governor’s Chief Of Staff Mary Isenhour

would be the one negotiating the budget this year to avoid last year’s problem of “too many

cooks in the kitchen,” according to Capitolwire.com .

The other visible change, so far, is the lack of weekly (or daily) budget salvoes back andforth between Republicans and Gov. Wolf. But, then again, it’s early.

On KDKA radio in Pittsburgh, Gov. Wolf said the budget impasse was necessary in order

to bring all players to the reality of the budget situation.

“We couldn’t keep going down that same road where the state was not coming up with

the funding that we should at the state level,” Gov. Wolf said. “We needed to have that impasse,

which was a catharsis, to try to shake ourselves into some sense or reality in terms of what the

state should be doing.”

“It was painful for me to go through the period we went through last year where those

were the institutions that were hurt the most because the impasse meant the state funding,

however inadequate, wasn’t coming to them and they couldn’t plan because they didn’t know

when it was coming through,” Gov. Wolf said.

“That was absolutely appropriate, that was something that I did, that we did in Harrisburg

and it did cause a lot of problems for schools.”

In another hint, perhaps, House Republicans Tuesday temporarily delayed consideration

of a House Resolution to kill DEP’s final oil and gas drilling regulations, a Wolf Administration

priority, to see if they could resolve some of the issues involved with the Administration.

The Administration responded with a statement saying, “Following the recent approval

by the Independent Regulatory Review commission of these new regulations, the Governor is

committed to working with the Legislature to further his Administration’s goal of improving the

protection of water and public resources, public health and safety, and addresses landowner

concerns, enhances transparency, and improves data management.”The keywords being, for the short term at least, “committed to working with the

Legislature.”

Ultimately, if the House and Senate go ahead and pass the resolution killing the drilling

regulations, Gov. Wolf will have to decide whether he will use his veto again or work out some

other deal to save whatever pieces of the regulation he can.

Take Action Now


http://paenvironmentdaily.blogspot.com/2016/05/pa-trout-unlimited-tell-your.htmlhttp://paenvironmentdaily.blogspot.com/2016/05/analysis-will-confrontation-over.htmlhttp://capitolwire.com/http://paenvironmentdaily.blogspot.com/2016/05/changing-deps-drilling-regs-may-be-at.htmlhttp://paenvironmentdaily.blogspot.com/2016/05/pa-environmental-council-urges-house.htmlhttp://paenvironmentdaily.blogspot.com/2016/05/house-committee-reports-out-resolution.htmlhttp://paenvironmentdaily.blogspot.com/2016/05/pa-trout-unlimited-tell-your.htmlhttp://paenvironmentdaily.blogspot.com/2016/05/pa-trout-unlimited-tell-your.htmlhttp://triblive.com/news/westmoreland/10411586-74/drilling-state-chapterhttp://www.newsworks.org/index.php/health-science/item/93399-alliance-of-moms-religious-groups-criticize-efforts-to-block-new-oil-and-gas-rules-in-pa-?utm_source=dlvr&utm_medium=twitterauto&utm_campaign=social-inboundhttp://triblive.com/business/headlines/10373119-74/quigley-industry-gashttp://www.theplsreporter.com/Home/TabId/56/ArtMID/472/ArticleID/1275/House-starts-process-to-scuttle-new-oil-and-gas-regulations.aspx


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Budget Numbers

In spite of advanced billing the House would take its first votes on a budget this week--

House Bill 1999 (Adolph-R-Delaware)-- was only moved around a little and put back into House

Appropriations Committee. Any amendments proposed to the bill were withdrawn.

Pennsylvania collected $3.7 billion in General Fund revenue in April, which was $24.8

million, or 0.7 percent, less than anticipated, Secretary of Revenue Eileen McNulty reportedMonday.

Fiscal year-to-date General Fund collections total $25.9 billion, which is $122.6 million,

or 0.5 percent, above estimate.

The Independent Fiscal Office Tuesday released its revised revenue estimates which

projects $31.586 billion in state revenue to be available in FY 2016-17, a 1.8 percent increase

over FY 2015-16, with a structural deficit of $1.86 billion.

Coming Next

The Senate returns to voting session the weeks of May 9 and 16 before taking off until

June 6.

The House comes back the weeks of May 16 and 23 before also taking off until June 6.

Both the Senate and House will then be in session of the budget run up through June 30.NewsClips:

Wolf’s Chief Of Staff To Head Administration Budget Talks










Related Stories:


Here




IFO: Wolf’s Severance Tax Has Highest Rate In Nation, Nothing For The Environment

An Independent Fiscal Office evaluation

of Gov. Wolf’s proposed natural gas severance tax found it to have the highest effective lifetime tax rate of any severance tax in the country-- 7.4

percent at the wellhead, after the deduction of the existing Act 13 impact fees.

IFO said the existing Act 13 impact had a much lower effective tax rate of 1.1 percent at

the wellhead.

The proposed severance tax would generate about $217.8 million in FY 2016-17, but

none of the money is proposed by Gov. Wolf to go toward environmental programs.

The existing Act 13 impact fee is projected to generate $127.6 million in FY 2016-17,

http://www.paenvironmentdigest.com/newsletter/default.asp?NewsletterArticleID=34846http://www.ifo.state.pa.us/download.cfm?file=/Resources/PDF/Revenue_Proposal_Analysis_April2016.pdfhttp://paenvironmentdaily.blogspot.com/2016/05/analysis-will-confrontation-over.htmlhttp://paenvironmentdaily.blogspot.com/2016/05/pa-environmental-council-urges-house.htmlhttp://paenvironmentdaily.blogspot.com/2016/05/house-committee-reports-out-resolution.htmlhttp://paenvironmentdaily.blogspot.com/2016/05/pa-trout-unlimited-tell-your.htmlhttp://paenvironmentdaily.blogspot.com/2016/05/pa-trout-unlimited-tell-your.htmlhttp://triblive.com/news/westmoreland/10411586-74/drilling-state-chapterhttp://www.newsworks.org/index.php/health-science/item/93399-alliance-of-moms-religious-groups-criticize-efforts-to-block-new-oil-and-gas-rules-in-pa-?utm_source=dlvr&utm_medium=twitterauto&utm_campaign=social-inboundhttp://triblive.com/business/headlines/10373119-74/quigley-industry-gashttp://www.theplsreporter.com/Home/TabId/56/ArtMID/472/ArticleID/1275/House-starts-process-to-scuttle-new-oil-and-gas-regulations.aspxhttps://stateimpact.npr.org/pennsylvania/2016/05/03/house-panel-votes-to-block-drilling-regulations/http://powersource.post-gazette.com/powersource/policy-powersource/2016/05/03/Pennsylvania-House-committee-votes-to-block-updated-oil-and-gas-drilling-rules-shale/stories/201605030145https://www.votervoice.net/mobile/TU/campaigns/46283/respondhttp://www.delconewsnetwork.com/articles/2016/05/05/news_of_delaware_county/news/doc572b643dd7fe5244530874.txt#.VyyhgQGnHDA.twitterhttp://triblive.com/business/headlines/10418737-74/gas-business-permithttp://www.politicspa.com/pa-bgt-isenhour-to-head-administration-negotiations/75206/http://www.ifo.state.pa.us/download.cfm?file=/Resources/PDF/Revenue_Estimate_2016-05-03.pdfhttp://www.ifo.state.pa.us/download.cfm?file=/Resources/PDF/Revenue_Estimate_2016-05-03.pdfhttp://www.ifo.state.pa.us/http://www.ifo.state.pa.us/http://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/billInfo/billInfo.cfm?sYear=2015&sInd=0&body=H&type=B&bn=1999


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down from $185.5 million in FY 2015-16 and $223.5 million in FY 2014-15 as significant

percentage of which goes to state environmental restoration programs and some local

environmental work.

A copy of the IFO report is available online .

NewsClip:

Wolf’s Proposed Severance Tax Among Nation’s Highest

PA Environment Digest Google+ Circle, Blogs, Twitter Feeds

PA Environment Digest now has a Google+ Circle called Green Works In PA . Let us join your

Circle.

Google+ now combines all the news you now get through the PA Environment Digest,

Weekly, Blog, Twitter and Video sites into one resource.

You’ll receive as-it-happens postings on Pennsylvania environmental news, daily

NewsClips and links to the weekly Digest and videos.

Also take advantage of these related services from Crisci Associates

--

PA Environment Digest Twitter Feed: On Twitter, sign up to receive instant news updates.

PA Environment Daily Blog: provides daily environmental NewsClips and significant stories

and announcements on environmental topics in Pennsylvania of immediate value. Sign up and

receive as they are posted updates through your favorite RSS reader. You can also sign up for a

once daily email alerting you to new items posted on this blog. NEW! Add your constructive

comment to any blog posting.

PA Capitol Digest Daily Blog to get updates every day on Pennsylvania State Government,

including NewsClips, coverage of key press conferences and more. Sign up and receive as they

are posted updates through your favorite RSS reader. You can also sign up for a once daily

email alerting you to new items posted on this blog.

PA Capitol Digest Twitter Feed : Don't forget to sign up to receive the PA Capitol Digest

Twitter feed to get instant updates on other news from in and around the Pennsylvania State

Capitol.

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

Here are the Senate and House Calendars and Committee meetings showing bills of interest aswell as a list of new environmental bills introduced--

Bill Calendars

House (May 16): ; House Resolution 60 (Emrick-R-Northampton) directing the Legislative

Budget and Finance Committee to conduct a comprehensive review of the state’s program to

regulate the beneficial use of sewage sludge; Senate Bill 307 (Yudichak-D-Luzerne) providing

http://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/billInfo/billInfo.cfm?sYear=2015&sInd=0&body=S&type=B&bn=0307http://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/billInfo/billInfo.cfm?sYear=2015&sInd=0&body=H&type=R&bn=0060http://www.twitter.com/PaCapitolDigesthttp://pacapitoldigestcrisci.blogspot.com/http://paenvironmentdaily.blogspot.com/https://twitter.com/paenvirodigesthttp://www.crisciassociates.com/https://plus.google.com/+DavidHessGreenWorksInPA/postshttp://powersource.post-gazette.com/powersource/policy-powersource/2016/05/03/Analysis-puts-Wolf-proposed-Marcellus-shale-severance-tax-rate-among-nation-s-highest-Pennsylvania/stories/201605030007http://www.ifo.state.pa.us/download.cfm?file=/Resources/PDF/Revenue_Proposal_Analysis_April2016.pdf


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for an independent counsel for the Environmental Quality Board; Senate Bill 811 (Hughes-D-

Philadelphia) FY 2015-16 Capital Budget bill; Senate Bill 1071 (Browne-R-Lehigh), the

“agreed-to” pension reform bill; Senate Bill 1073 (Browne-R-Lehigh) “agreed-to” $30.8 billion

General Fund budget bill. Click Here for full House Bill Calendar.

Senate (May 9): Senate Bill 289 (Fontana-D-Allegheny) funding to assist homeowners withdeteriorating private sewer laterals ( sponsor summary ); Senate Bill 1041 (Schwank-D-Berks)

amending Act 101 to authorize all local governments to charge a recycling service fee ( sponsor

summary ); Senate Bill 1011 (Hutchinson-R-Venango) killing DEP’s final drilling regulations

covering conventional oil and gas wells and starting the rulemaking process over; Senate Bill

1168 (Eichelberger-R-Blair) authorizing the Fish and Boat Commission to adopt fees charged by

the agency rather than have them set by the General Assembly ( sponsor summary ); Senate Bill

1166 (Stefano-R-Fayette) authorizing the Game Commission to adopt fees charged by the

agency rather than have them set by the General Assembly (sponsor summary ); Senate Bill 1195

(White-R-Indiana) to further delay a Pennsylvania plan for meeting EPA’s Clean Power Climate

Plan rule by changing the General Assembly’s review dates under Act 175 of 2014 ; House Bill

1325

(Mustio-R-Allegheny) allowing townships of the second class to charge stormwatermanagement fees, House Bill 1394 (Mustio-R-Allegheny) authorizing boroughs to charge

stormwater management fees, House Bill 1661 (Mustio-R-Allegheny) authorizing first class

townships to charge a stormwater management fee; House Bill 1712 (R.Brown-R-Monroe)

establishing a Private Dam Financial Assurance Program ( House Fiscal Note and summary).

Click Here for full Senate Bill Calendar.

Committee Meeting Agendas This Week

House: Click Here for full House Committee Schedule.

Senate: the Local Government Committee

meets to consider House Bill 1394 (Mustio-R-

Allegheny) authorizing boroughs to enact stormwater fees. Click Here for full Senate

Committee Schedule.

Bills Pending In Key Committees

Here are links to key Standing Committees in the House and Senate and the bills pending in

each--

House

Appropriations Education

Environmental Resources and Energy

Consumer Affairs

Gaming Oversight

Human Services

Judiciary

Liquor Control

http://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/CteeInfo/index.cfm?Code=28&CteeBody=Hhttp://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/CteeInfo/index.cfm?Code=24&CteeBody=Hhttp://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/CteeInfo/index.cfm?Code=56&CteeBody=Hhttp://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/CteeInfo/index.cfm?Code=54&CteeBody=Hhttp://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/CteeInfo/index.cfm?Code=10&CteeBody=Hhttp://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/CteeInfo/index.cfm?Code=8&CteeBody=Hhttp://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/CteeInfo/index.cfm?Code=12&CteeBody=Hhttp://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/CteeInfo/index.cfm?Code=4&CteeBody=Hhttp://www.legis.state.pa.us/WU01/LI/CO/SM/COSM.HTMhttp://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/billInfo/billInfo.cfm?sYear=2015&sInd=0&body=H&type=B&bn=1394http://www.legis.state.pa.us/WU01/LI/CO/HM/COHM.HTMhttp://www.legis.state.pa.us/WU01/LI/SC/SC/0/RC/CAL.HTMhttp://www.legis.state.pa.us/WU01/LI/BI/FN/2015/0/HB1712P2772.pdfhttp://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/billInfo/billInfo.cfm?sYear=2015&sInd=0&body=H&type=B&bn=1712http://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/billInfo/billInfo.cfm?sYear=2015&sInd=0&body=H&type=B&bn=1661http://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/billInfo/billInfo.cfm?sYear=2015&sInd=0&body=H&type=B&bn=1394http://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/billInfo/billInfo.cfm?sYear=2015&sInd=0&body=H&type=B&bn=1325http://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/billInfo/billInfo.cfm?sYear=2015&sInd=0&body=H&type=B&bn=1325http://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/legis/li/uconsCheck.cfm?yr=2014&sessInd=0&act=175&mobile_choice=suppresshttp://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/billInfo/billInfo.cfm?sYear=2015&sInd=0&body=S&type=B&bn=1195http://www.legis.state.pa.us//cfdocs/Legis/CSM/showMemoPublic.cfm?chamber=S&SPick=20150&cosponId=19679http://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/billInfo/billInfo.cfm?sYear=2015&sInd=0&body=S&type=B&bn=1166http://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/billInfo/billInfo.cfm?sYear=2015&sInd=0&body=S&type=B&bn=1166http://www.legis.state.pa.us//cfdocs/Legis/CSM/showMemoPublic.cfm?chamber=S&SPick=20150&cosponId=19508http://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/billinfo/billinfo.cfm?syear=2015&sind=0&body=S&type=B&bn=1168http://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/billinfo/billinfo.cfm?syear=2015&sind=0&body=S&type=B&bn=1168http://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/billInfo/billInfo.cfm?sYear=2015&sInd=0&body=S&type=B&bn=1011http://www.legis.state.pa.us//cfdocs/Legis/CSM/showMemoPublic.cfm?chamber=S&SPick=20150&cosponId=18547http://www.legis.state.pa.us//cfdocs/Legis/CSM/showMemoPublic.cfm?chamber=S&SPick=20150&cosponId=18547http://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/billInfo/billInfo.cfm?sYear=2015&sInd=0&body=S&type=B&bn=1041http://www.legis.state.pa.us//cfdocs/Legis/CSM/showMemoPublic.cfm?chamber=S&SPick=20150&cosponId=15457http://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/billInfo/billInfo.cfm?sYear=2015&sInd=0&body=S&type=B&bn=0289http://www.legis.state.pa.us/WU01/LI/SC/HC/0/RC/SCHC.HTMhttp://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/billInfo/billInfo.cfm?sYear=2015&sInd=0&body=S&type=B&bn=1073http://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/billInfo/billInfo.cfm?sYear=2015&sInd=0&body=S&type=B&bn=1071http://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/billInfo/billInfo.cfm?sYear=2015&sInd=0&body=S&type=B&bn=0811


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Transportation

Links for all other Standing House Committees

Senate

Appropriations

Environmental Resources and EnergyConsumer Protection and Professional Licensure

Community, Economic and Recreational Development

Education

Judiciary

Law and Justice

Public Health and Welfare

Transportation

Links for all other Standing Senate Committees

Bills Introduced

The following bills of interest were introduced this week--

Solar Credits: House Bill 2040 (F.Keller-R-Snyder) would amend the Alternative Energy

Portfolio Standards Act to “close the border” for solar energy credits ( sponsor summary ).

Session Schedule

Here is the latest voting session schedule for the Senate and House--

Senate

May 9, 10, 11, 16, 17, 18

June 6, 7, 8, 13, 14, 15, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30

House

May 16, 17, 18, 23, 24, 25

June 6, 7, 8, 13, 14, 15, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30

Governor’s Schedule

Gov. Tom Wolf's work calendar will be posted each Friday and his public schedule for the day

will be posted each morning. Click Here to view Gov. Wolf’s Weekly Calendar and PublicAppearances.

Senate/House Bills Moving

The following bills of interest saw action this week in the House and Senate--

House

https://governor.pa.gov/schedule/http://www.legis.state.pa.us//cfdocs/Legis/CSM/showMemoPublic.cfm?chamber=H&SPick=20150&cosponId=19943http://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/billInfo/billInfo.cfm?sYear=2015&sInd=0&body=H&type=B&bn=2040http://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/CteeInfo/StandingCommittees.cfm?CteeBody=Shttp://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/CteeInfo/index.cfm?Code=19&CteeBody=Shttp://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/CteeInfo/index.cfm?Code=33&CteeBody=Shttp://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/CteeInfo/index.cfm?Code=29&CteeBody=Shttp://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/CteeInfo/index.cfm?Code=39&CteeBody=Shttp://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/CteeInfo/index.cfm?Code=23&CteeBody=Shttp://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/CteeInfo/index.cfm?Code=31&CteeBody=Shttp://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/CteeInfo/index.cfm?Code=7&CteeBody=Shttp://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/CteeInfo/index.cfm?Code=9&CteeBody=Shttp://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/CteeInfo/index.cfm?Code=3&CteeBody=Shttp://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/CteeInfo/StandingCommittees.cfm?CteeBody=Hhttp://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/CteeInfo/StandingCommittees.cfm?CteeBody=Hhttp://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/CteeInfo/index.cfm?Code=38&CteeBody=H


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General Fund Budget: House Bill 1999 (Adolph-R-Delaware) FY 2016-17 General Fund

budget was given second consideration after all amendments to the bill were withdrawn and

referred to the House Appropriations Committee.

Prescription Drug Destruction Bill:

House Bill 1737 (Maher-R-Allegheny) further providingfor the collection of unused and unwanted prescription and over the counter drugs was amended

on the House Floor and referred to the House Appropriations Committee.

Land Transfer: House Bill 1934 (Truitt-R- Chester) authorizing DGS to convey to Aqua

Pennsylvania an existing water tower and utility easement at West Chester University was

reported from the House State Government Committee and is now on the House Calendar for

action.

Clean Water Counts: House Resolution 825 (Saylor-R-York) designating the month of May as

Clean Water Counts Month in Pennsylvania (sponsor summary ) was adopted unanimously by the

House.

Arbor Day: House Resolution 799 (Marsico-R-Dauphin) designating April 29 as Arbor Day in

Pennsylvania ( sponsor summary ) was adopted unanimously by the House.

Lyme Disease Awareness: House Resolution 866 (Hennessey-R-Chester) designating May as

Lyme Disease Awareness Month

News From The Capitol

Rep. Ross Introduces Potential Fixes To Electronics Waste Recycling Law

Rep. Chris Ross (R-Chester) Wednesday announced the

introduction of his suggestions for fixing Pennsylvania

electronics waste recycling law in House Bill 1900 ( text

available here ).

The legislation would keep the complicated system now

in place for electronics recycling that resulted in the collapse of

the e-waste program and graft on top of it new “Supplementary

Program” designed to collect the “surplus” waste not collected

by the original program.

The Supplementary Program requires the Department of Environmental Protection toestimate the number of pounds of e-waste not otherwise collected by the regular program. For

the 2017 collection year that amount is set at 30 million pounds.

Any county wishing to participate in the supplementary program is required to identify

three e-waste collection sites.

DEP would then put out an invitation to bid for recycling the “surplus” e-waste in the

Supplementary Program covering multiple counties or regions. The bids require electronics

manufacturers to pay the entire cost of transportation and recycling by a successful bidder,

https://goo.gl/VqGcpVhttps://goo.gl/VqGcpVhttp://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/billInfo/billInfo.cfm?sYear=2015&sInd=0&body=H&type=B&bn=1900http://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/billInfo/billInfo.cfm?sYear=2015&sInd=0&body=H&type=R&bn=0866http://www.legis.state.pa.us//cfdocs/Legis/CSM/showMemoPublic.cfm?chamber=H&SPick=20150&cosponId=19695http://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/billInfo/billInfo.cfm?sYear=2015&sInd=0&body=H&type=R&bn=0799http://www.legis.state.pa.us//cfdocs/Legis/CSM/showMemoPublic.cfm?chamber=H&SPick=20150&cosponId=20038http://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/billinfo/billinfo.cfm?syear=2015&sind=0&body=H&type=R&bn=825http://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/billInfo/billInfo.cfm?sYear=2015&sInd=0&body=H&type=B&bn=1934http://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/billInfo/billInfo.cfm?sYear=2015&sInd=0&body=H&type=B&bn=1737http://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/billInfo/billInfo.cfm?sYear=2015&sInd=0&body=H&type=B&bn=1999


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something the regular program does not require and would not be required to do under the

regular e-waste recycling program.

The cost of the Supplementary Program would be apportioned to the manufacturers on

the same market share basis currently being used in the original program.

The bill would also increase electronics manufacturers registration fees from $5,000 to

$10,000 under the original program.The legislation would also allow recyclers to operate e-waste recycling programs outside

the original and supplementary programs as long as the amount of material collected to reported

separately and not counted toward a manufacturers’ responsibility. These programs could collect

additional fees on consumers for recycling.

Electronics manufacturers would also have to submit a plan, under the original program,

to collect e-waste in each of DEP’s six regions along with a specific plans to manage CRT

televisions and monitors which providers for their recycling or smelting within one year of

collection.

DEP said at a March hearing , there are 17 million pounds of CRTs warehoused in Erie

alone awaiting recycling.

Rep. Ross said the add-on program would provide an “opportunity for private contractorsto bid on collecting, transporting and recycling the amount of electronic waste in each county

that is not currently being accounted for by the existing system.”

At a Joint Legislative Air and Water Pollution Control and Conservation Committee

hearing in March on the collapse of the e-waste recycling program, advocates for changing the

electronics waste recycling laws advocated a simple system of putting all e-waste recycling out

for bid and requiring manufacturers to pay their share of the costs of recycling of any material

collected.

Nearly everyone at the hearing said the current e-waste program just doesn’t work.

Two-thirds of Pennsylvania is now without free and convenient recycling options for TVs

and electronics waste.

Keep PA Beautiful

has reported a significant increase in the illegal dumping of TVs and

electronics over the last year.

A copy of Rep. Ross’ bill is available online

A new Electronics Waste website hosted by Keep PA Beautiful provides consumers with

information on where they can recycle e-waste now and why it is harmful to illegally dump

electronics waste.

NewsClips:

Disposing Of Old Electronics Tough Under PA Law

Get Rid Of Hazardous Household Waste Saturday In York

Erie Electronics, Tire Collection Set For Saturday

Talen Energy Pays Nearly $1M For 2005 Martins Creek Ash Spill Groups Sue EPA On Handling, Disposal Of Drilling Waste

Trash Talking: The Life Of A Garbageman

Related Story:

Hearing: Electronics Manufacturers Need To Pay For E-Waste Actually Collected

Growing Greener Coalition Thanks House For Making May Clean Water Counts Month

http://www.paenvironmentdigest.com/newsletter/default.asp?NewsletterArticleID=35330http://www.observer-reporter.com/20160430/trash_talking_the_life_of_a_garbagemanhttp://powersource.post-gazette.com/powersource/policy-powersource/2016/05/04/EMBARGOED-UNTIL-NOON-TODAY/stories/201605040156?utm_campaign=echobox&utm_medium=social&utm_source=Twitter#link_time=1462378799http://www.mcall.com/business/mc-talen-settlement-martins-creek-plant-20160504-story.html#nt=oft01a-1gp3http://www.goerie.com/city-of-erie-electronics-tire-collection-set-for-saturdayhttp://www.yorkdispatch.com/story/news/local/2016/05/03/get-rid-hazardous-household-waste-saturday/83816524/http://www.bradfordera.com/news/disposing-old-electronics-tough-under-pa-law/article_cd027514-0e74-11e6-93d8-074ddb271845.htmlhttp://ewastepa.org/https://goo.gl/VqGcpVhttp://www.keeppabeautiful.org/http://www.paenvironmentdigest.com/newsletter/default.asp?NewsletterArticleID=35330http://www.paenvironmentdigest.com/newsletter/default.asp?NewsletterArticleID=35330


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The PA Growing Greener Coalition Monday thanked members of the House for designating the

month of May as Clean Water Counts Month by unanimously passing House Resolution 825

(Saylor-R-York).

“We are grateful to House members for highlighting the importance of clean water and

the need to protect water quality,” said Andrew Health, executive director of the Pennsylvania

Growing Greener Coalition. “The state’s Growing Greener program funds important investmentsin keeping our drinking water clean, and we look forward to working with lawmakers to renew

funding for Growing Greener to ensure these investments continue for future generations.”

Heath thanked Rep. Stan Saylor (R-York) for sponsoring the Clean Water Counts Month

resolution along with 40 other bipartisan sponsors.

“As stated in the Pennsylvania Constitution, the people have a basic right to clean water,”

Rep. Saylor said. “I am happy to support the Clean Water Counts campaign to raise awareness

about improving water quality in the Commonwealth.”

The Chesapeake Bay Foundation launched the statewide Clean Water Counts campaign

in 2014 calling on the Commonwealth to prioritize funding and increase investments for clean

water.

"Healthy families, strong communities, and a thriving Pennsylvania economy depend onclean water," said Harry Campbell, PA Executive Director for the Chesapeake Bay Foundation , a

member of the Growing Greener Coalition. "We applaud and thank the House for publicly

voicing their support for clean water in the Keystone State."

Pennsylvania has over 19,000 miles of rivers and streams that do not meet basic water

quality standards. In other words, nearly one quarter of the creeks, rivers, and lakes that

Pennsylvanians rely on for recreation, and for drinking and household uses, are polluted.

Sixteen Pennsylvania counties have adopted resolutions supporting the Clean Water

Counts Campaign and calling on state officials to make clean water a priority for the

Commonwealth.

Those 16 counties are: Berks, Cumberland, Erie, Fayette, Greene, Jefferson, Luzerne,

Northumberland, Philadelphia, Schuylkill, Somerset, Venango, Washington, Westmoreland,

Wyoming, and York.

The PA Growing Greener Coalition has also urged the General Assembly and the Wolf

Administration to pass legislation to fund a Growing Greener III program to keep drinking water

clean, protect parks and open spaces, and preserve family farms.

The PA Growing Greener Coalition is the largest coalition of conservation, recreation

and preservation organizations in the Commonwealth. Click Here to sign up for regular updates

from the Coalition.

For more on Chesapeake Bay-related issues in Pennsylvania, visit the CBF-PA webpage.

Click Here

to sign up for Pennsylvania updates (bottom of left column).

Senate Democratic Policy Committee Hearing On Gas Drilling In Lake Erie Watershed

The Senate Democratic Policy Committee Thursday held a hearing in Erie on environmental and

recreational impacts related to developing gas drilling, with a focus on concerns in the Lake Erie

watershed and Northwestern region of Pennsylvania.

The hearing, chaired by Sen. Lisa Boscola (D-Lehigh) and requested by Sen. Sean Wiley

(D-Erie), focused on gas drilling threats to the watershed ranging from clean water withdrawal to

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wastewater issues.

“We need to make responsible and measured decisions about where we can expand – as

well as where we should limit – the presence, growth and impact of gas drilling,” said Sen.

Boscola. “Land owners, local communities and critical watershed regions like Lake Erie cannot

take a back seat to company profits.”

At the end of the hearing, Sen. Wiley said he plans to introduce legislation putting amoratorium on natural gas development in Lake Erie until as study is completed on its potential

impacts.

“The Lake Erie watershed is a prime destination for anglers and hunters,” Sen. Wiley

said. “It is imperative that we take the necessary steps to protect and preserve this pristine

resource that has been so important to our region for so long.”

He added hundreds of thousands of people fish the Ohio and Pennsylvania portions of

Lake Erie, which overlie much of the Utica shale gas formation.

While agreeing that the economic and job benefits of gas drilling are significant, Sen.

Wiley cautioned that huge water withdrawals from the watershed, threats of wastewater pollution

and well integrity issues could alter stream flows, threaten steelhead fishing and encourage the

introduction of invasive species in the region.John Walliser, Senior Vice President for Legal & Government Affairs for the PA

Environmental Council , will present testimony at the hearing outlining several key concerns.

“Pennsylvania already bears a tremendous pollution legacy from past resource extraction,

and the burden of that legacy falls on all citizens and communities of the Commonwealth,” said

Walliser. “Other states have already demonstrated that robust protections and industry vitality

can go hand in hand – there is no reason why Pennsylvania can’t achieve both of those goals.

“We believe there is a clear path forward with proposed rulemaking by the Department

and other efforts underway in the Commonwealth, but those efforts require support by the

General Assembly. As a trustee of our public resources on behalf of all Pennsylvanians, we urge

you to help meet that opportunity,” Walliser said.

He specifically mentioned these issues in his testimony--

-- Urging support for DEP’s final Chapter 78 and 78a drilling regulations;

-- The need to regulate water withdrawals used by the drilling industry, pointing out the Ohio

River basin does not have the kind of controls on withdrawals as does Lake Erie and the

Susquehanna and Delaware rivers basins;

-- The need to identify abandoned and orphaned wells and properly plug them as new wells are

drilled;

-- Proper management of drilling wastes, both liquid and solids, to protect the environment;

-- The need to avoid habitat fragmentation in the build out of the infrastructure and pipelines

needed to produce the wells;

-- Ensure the proper regulation of methane emissions from natural gas production facilities; and-- Redefine conventional oil and gas well drilling not based on the technologies used not what

geologic formations are being drilled into.

A copy of Walliser’s testimony is available online .

Also presenting testimony were--

-- Erie County Executive Kathy Dahlkemper;

-- Marsha Haley, medical doctor (radiation oncology);

-- Sister Pat Lupo , Benedictine Sisters, Environmental Education and Advocacy of Erie County;

http://www.goerie.com/article/20160324/NEWS02/303239825/erie-benedictine-pat-lupo-honored-with-women-in-conservation-awardhttps://goo.gl/cQSCgahttps://goo.gl/cQSCgahttp://pecpa.org/http://pecpa.org/


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-- Ryan Grode, SWPA Environmental Health Project; and

-- John Rossi, PA State Chapter of the Sierra Club.

Erie County Executive Kathy Dahlkemper said she cannot support gas drilling in the Erie

watershed because there are too many risks to “our health, public safety and to the beautiful

resource that is Lake Erie.

Pointing to devastating natural gas explosions around the state, Dahlkemper asked, “Howmuch risk is too much risk? We have a duty to protect the Lake Erie watershed and a

responsibility to protect this freshwater resource that provides drinking water for tens of

thousands of people, has generated $980 million in tourism and provides some of the best fishing

in the nation.”

Dr. Marsha Haley, who serves as an assistant professor of radiation oncology at the

University of Pittsburgh, pointed to studies indicating that leaching of drilling wastewater can

affect the chemical composition of streams and adversely impact water ecosystems and

watershed wildlife.

She also pointed to separate studies in Washington County, Southwestern Pennsylvania

and Northeastern Pennsylvania indicating that people who live closer to well sites experience a

greater incidence of health problems ranging from respiratory and heart symptoms to lower birthweight.

Representatives from the oil and gas drilling industry were invited to testify, but declined

to attend.

“This hearing shouldn’t be an argument that pits drillers against preservationists, job

creators against environmentalists, and the state’s energy sector against health and community

interests,” Sen. Boscola said. “To me, our task isn’t about taking sides. It’s about finding a

balance.”

Senators Boscola and Wiley were joined on the Senate panel by Senate Democratic

Leader Jay Costa (D-Allegheny) and Sen. Jim Brewster (D-Allegheny).

For more information, visit the Senate Democratic Policy Committee webpage.

NewsClip:

Erie Senator Calls For Fracking Ban

House Bill Would Change Make-Up Of Environmental Quality Board

Rep. Cris Dush (R-Indiana) circulated a co-sponsor memo to his colleagues this week asking

them to co-sponsor his bill to expand the Environmental Quality Board to 23 members, remove

the DEP Secretary as Chair of the Board and double the number of members from or appointed

by the House and Senate.

The Environmental Quality Board adopts all regulations for the Department of

Environmental Protection like DEP’s final drilling regulations now before the GeneralAssembly..

Rep. Dush would add the Majority and Minority Chairs of the House and Senate

Environmental Resources and Energy Committees, change the existing four appointments made

by House and Senate leadership from being legislators to any member of the public they appoint

and remove the Secretary of DEP as Chair and instead select a Chair from members of the

Board.

The Board would retain the 5 members from DEP’s Citizens Advisory Council and

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representatives of the departments of Health, Community & Economic Development,

Transportation, Agriculture and Labor & Industry, the Fish & Boat and Game Commissions,

Public Utility Commission, Director of the PA Historical & Museum Commission and the

Executive Director of the State Planning Board.

There is no doubt this legislation was prompted by Rep. Dush’s opposition to DEP’s final

drilling regulations.Last week a budget amendment filed by Rep. Cris Dush (R-Indiana) would have

allocated $600,000 in taxpayer money to DEP’s Marcellus Shale oil and gas advisory committee

to pay for legal and consulting experts to review drilling regulation changes proposed by the

Department of Environmental Protection.

May 16 Environmental Issues Forum: Chronic Wasting Disease In PA Deer

The May 16 Environmental Issues Forum hosted by the Joint Legislative Air and Water

Pollution Control and Conservation Committee will feature a presentation on chronic waste

disease in Pennsylvania deer.

Wayne Laroche, Director of the Game Commission’s Bureau of Wildlife Managementand Greg Hostetter, Deputy Secretary for Animal Health and Food Safety at the Department of

Agriculture will discuss CWD trends in Pennsylvania’s deer population and interagency

initiatives aimed at controlling this incurable disease.

The Forum will be held in Room 8E-A East Wing of the Capitol starting at noon.

Sen. Scott Hutchinson (R-Venango) serves as Chair of the Joint Conservation

Committee.

For more information, visit the Joint Conservation Committee website, Like them on

Facebook or Follow them on Twitter . Click Here to sign up for regular updates from the

Committee.

News From Around The State

Registration Open For 2016 PA Abandoned Mine Reclamation Conference

The 2016 PA Abandoned Mine Reclamation Conference will

be held June 22-23 at the Indiana University of

Pennsylvania’s Kovalchick Convention and Athletic Complex

in Indiana, PA.

With a theme of “Economics and Environment,” the 2016 PA

AMR Conference aims to tell the whole story of

Pennsylvania’s past, present, and future as a coal mining stateand our efforts to reclaim our land and water.

But we won’t stop there because it is no longer good enough

to quantify our reclamation success in number of trees planted, tons of coal remined, miles of

stream revived, and acres reclaimed. We need to be able to show our progress in dollars.

The conference will explore how the reclamation of abandoned mines can and has lead to

economic stimulation which can be measured in jobs created through design, construction,

operations and maintenance, dollars generated in communities through recreation, increased

http://www.kovalchickcomplex.com/conference-center/http://2016.treatminewater.com/http://jcc.legis.state.pa.us/subscribe.cfmhttps://twitter.com/PA_JLCChttps://www.facebook.com/jointconservationcommittee/https://www.facebook.com/jointconservationcommittee/http://jcc.legis.state.pa.us/http://jcc.legis.state.pa.us/http://jcc.legis.state.pa.us/https://goo.gl/PPhpCT


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property values, improved infrastructure, and returning scarred lands to productive use.

A partial list of presentations is already published and a schedule will be up soon on the

Conference website .

In addition to the exemplary list of presenters, we listened to your feedback and

scheduled a fantastic tour of AMD and AML sites. Northern Indiana County, Pennsylvania has

some of the most AMD-impacted streams in the entire nation.We will stop at a few of the most notable AMD treatment systems and AML projects

including Bear Run, Tanoma Wetlands, Ernest PA, and others. This full day tour is sure to

impress and stimulate.

Registration is open and can be viewed at the Conference website . Please take note of

the registration and scholarship deadlines and the lodging information and procedure, as these

are all new and unique to this year’s conference.

(Written By Anne Daymut, Watershed Coordinator, Western PA Coalition for Abandoned Mine

Reclamation and reprinted from Abandoned Mine Posts. Click Here to subscribe to AM Posts.)

DEP Hosting MS4 Stormwater Workshops Across The State In June, July

The Department of Environmental Protection is hosting a series of more than a dozen Municipal

Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) 1-day workshops for communities required to submit

stormwater water quality plans .

The goal of the workshops is to help prepare current and future permittees for their next

permit application or NOI (Notice of Intent).

The workshops will be held at 6 locations across the state from 8:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m--

-- June 14 or 15: Park Inn By Radisson, Uniontown, 700 Main St., Uniontown, Fayette County;

-- June 21 or 22: Hilton Scranton & Conference Center, 100 Adams Ave., Scranton;

-- June 28 or 29: Crowne Plaza Reading Hotel, 1741 Paper Mill Rd., Wyomissing, Berks

County:

-- Week of July 11: York Area, to be announced

-- July 19 or 20: Best Western Plus Country Cupboard Inn, 7701 West Branch Highway,

Lewisburg, Union County; and

-- Week of July 25: Cranberry Township Area, Butler County, to be announced.

Before attending, participants are encouraged to review the draft MS4 permit available

through DEP’s Municipal Stormwater webpage.

Click Here

to register and select the workshop and day you will be attending.

Registration cost is $50 per participant and includes lunch.

Award Winner: Crawford County Riparian Restoration Program

The Crawford County Riparian Restoration Program in

Meadville is one of 5 winners of the 2016 Dominion, PA

Environmental Council Western PA Environmental

Awards .

Award winners will be honored at a special

awards ceremony on May 26 at the Westin Convention

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Center in downtown Pittsburgh.

The Crawford County Riparian Restoration Program addressed the need for forested

riparian plantings along 30 different streams that have been identified as impaired waterways.

This includes nearly 20 miles of streams in the Ohio and the Lake Erie/Great Lakes river basins.

This program has also addressed the need for environmental education for students and

members of the community. Participants are moved from environmental awareness to action,through education on the importance of riparian buffers and their impact on water quality.

They plant the riparian buffers, taking action on an environmental issue in their own

community and becoming effective environmental stewards.

These riparian stream planting projects were performed on properties that required

additional measures to reduce erosion and sedimentation to local streams. They also served as a

wildlife habitat enhancement and an environmental education opportunity, while natural snow

fences addressed an environmental hazard.

A typical riparian buffer project includes identifying landowners with a need and desire

to improve a riparian buffer on their properties. A plan is created and mapped out to determine

how many trees, tree shelters, and species are needed.

While this is happening, local teachers educate their students about the importance ofriparian buffers and why riparian buffers are needed in the local watersheds.

On planting day, the students gather at the site to discuss the importance of riparian

buffers, why each species has been selected for each site, and how to plant the seedlings.

The landowner is also present to engage with the students, lend a hand to the project, and

provide a connection to the community.

Over the past 16 years, it is estimated that over 75,000 trees and shrubs have been planted

with the help of 4,500 students from 12 local middle and high schools completing more than 100

different conservation projects.

Every high school in Crawford County has been involved in this project as well as over

550 private citizens and members of local organizations.

All told, more than 110 acres of streamside buffers have been enhanced through this

program, impacting the plants, animals, and citizens within the Ohio and Lake Erie watersheds

and beyond.

But the impact of this program also extends to the connections that the students make

with this local natural resource. Engaging students in a community effort, connecting to the

environment in their own community, and serving as a pathway to employment are also

measures of success.

One student participant became the Erosion and Sedimentation Specialist in the local

county conservation district and another student is now a local forester.

This program is improving water quality in Western Pennsylvania, one student at a time,

and creating lifelong stewards and informed decision-makers of our natural resources.Contact Mark Lewis, Service Forester, DCNR Bureau of Forestry, at 814-763-2545 or

send email to: [email protected] for more information on this program.

For more information on programs, initiatives and special events, visit the PA

Environmental Council website, visit the PEC Blog , follow PEC on Twitter or Like PEC on


NewsClips:

Perkiomen, Phoenixville Students Awarded For Schuylkill Protection Efforts

http://www.timesherald.com/general-news/20160505/perkiomen-valley-phoenixville-students-awarded-for-schuylkill-river-protection-effortshttp://pecpa.org/email-signup/https://www.facebook.com/PennsylvaniaEnvironmentalCouncilhttps://www.facebook.com/PennsylvaniaEnvironmentalCouncilhttps://twitter.com/pecpahttp://pecpa.org/pec-blog/http://pecpa.org/http://pecpa.org/mailto:[email protected]


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Tree Plantings At Root Of Chesapeake Bay Foundation’s Award

Google Doodle Celebrates Scranton Native Jane Jacobs

More Than 60 Watershed Groups Attend PEC Watershed Workshops

Through a series of regional watershed workshopsacross the state, the PA Environmental Council has

had the opportunity to meet representatives from

more than 60 Pennsylvania watershed organizations

in March and April.

This effort — funded through a Department

of Environmental Protection Growing Greener

Grant — is intended to identify local watershed

groups’ organizational capacity needs and provide

opportunities for shared learning and networking, as well as targeted technical assistance.

At the regional gatherings PEC heard from a wide range of participants, including staff

and board members of watershed and conservation groups, county conservation districtwatershed specialists, DEP and Department of Conservation and Natural Resources specialists,

and regional and national non-profit environmental organizations.

Participants learned about member and volunteer recruitment opportunities from leaders

such as Mary-Ellen Olcese and Paco Ollervides from the River Network , Melinda Hughes from

Nature Abounds , PEC’s Marla Papernick, along with Erin Frederick and Rebecca Kennedy

representing the Pennsylvania Master Watershed Steward Program .

New water resource monitoring and modeling tools were summarized by experts from the

Stroud Water Research Center including John Jackson and Matt Ehrhart. Debra Frawley and

PEC staff members Frank Maguire and Paul Racette introduced participants to the Water

Resource PA online mapping tool that PEC is currently developing.

An update on the resources available via the PA Organization of Watersheds and Rivers

was provided by PEC Vice President Janet Sweeney. DEP’s Diane Wilson and DCNR’s Kelly

Rossiter shared watershed program funding opportunities with the groups as well.

PEC’s workshops were held in a variety of venues including the J. Roy Houston

Conservation Center of the Westmoreland County Conservation District in Greensburg, the

Trails and Trees Environmental Education Center in Mechanicsburg, the Lackawanna Heritage

Valley Authority Office in Scranton, Freedom Hall in the Upper Merion Township Municipal

Building, and the Schlow Centre Region Library in State College.

PEC Executive Vice President Patrick Starr opened several of the workshops and

summarized PEC’s statewide program initiatives.

PEC received additional support from staff members Lizzie Hessek, Angela Vitkoski,Paul Racette, Sweeney, Papernick, and Maguire who all participated in the workshops and

provided planning and logistic support along the way.

Traveling around the state and hearing from the many watershed organizations about

their unique challenges and concerns was valuable in numerous ways. PEC was able to gain a

better understanding of shared concerns about organizational sustainability, member recruitment,

and fundraising.

PEC also heard firsthand about the need for training in using online GIS tools and stream

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quality monitoring program development.

Next steps include scheduling the Northwest Regional Watershed Workshop and

planning a statewide watershed conference for the spring of 2017.

PEC’s goal is to increase the ability of the hundreds of watershed organizations in

Pennsylvania to continue their great work well into the future.

For more information on this project, contact Susan Myerov by calling 215-545-4570 orsend email to: [email protected].

For more information on programs, initiatives and special events, visit the PA

Environmental Council website, visit the PEC Blog , follow PEC on Twitter or Like PEC on


NewsClips:

Lake Erie Funding Distributed To Track Invaders, Fight Algae

Latest From The Chesapeake Bay Journal

Click Here to subscribe to the Chesapeake Bay Journal

Vote Now In Chesapeake Bay Foundation Photo Contest

Voting is now open for the Chesapeake Bay Foundation Photo

Contest and one entry from Pennsylvania— Kayaking Past The

Capitol— is in the competition with 9 others for the Viewers’

Choice Winner.

Voting will close on May 13 at 5:00 p.m. and the winner

will be announced May 23.

Click Here to cast your vote today!

For more on Chesapeake Bay-related issues in

Pennsylvania, visit the CBF-PA webpage. Click Here to sign up for Pennsylvania updates

(bottom of left column).

NewsClips:

Lake Erie Funding Distributed To Track Invaders, Fight Algae

Latest From The Chesapeake Bay Journal

Click Here to subscribe to the Chesapeake Bay Journal

Call For Presentations: 2016 Chesapeake Watershed Forum Sept. 30-Oct. 2

The Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay

is now accepting

presentation proposals for the 2016 Chesapeake Watershed

Forum

to be held September 30-October 2 at the U.S. Fish

& Wildlife Service National Conservation Training Centerin Shepherdstown, WV.

Proposals are due May 15.

Pa Environment Digest 050916

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