PA Environment Digest

An Update On Environmental Issues In PA

Edited By: David E. Hess, Crisci Associates

Winner 2009 PAEE Business Partner Of The Year Award

Harrisburg, Pa June 6, 2011

D-Day Arrives For State Budget, 15 Voting Days Left Until June 30

With only 15 voting days scheduled between now and the June 30 deadline for a new state
budget, the real work of getting agreement on budget items between the Senate, House and Gov.
Corbett begins in earnest.
The good news reported this week of higher than estimated May revenues is both an
opportunity to limit the impact of significant budget cuts proposed by Gov. Corbett and a
challenge for House Republicans and the Governor to keep spending at their magic number of
$27.3 billion.
Revenues were a scant $33.9 million, or 1.9 percent, more than anticipated bringing the
year-to-date "surplus" to $539.4 million, or 2.3 percent, above estimate.
The issue of whether to adopt a severance tax or impact fee on the Marcellus Shale
natural gas industry is also up in the air.
Sen. Joe Scarnati (R-Jefferson) is pushing hard for Committee consideration of his
impact fee proposal in the Senate. But this week his partner in Leadership, Sen. Dominic Pileggi
(R-Delaware), announced he will introduce legislation imposing a severance tax on the industry
with the proceeds going for senior citizen property tax relief. Sen. Pileggi said he did support
Sen. Scarnati's impact fee proposal, however. (see separate article)
The fate of the Growing Greener Program, which has all but run out of money, is also up
in the air.
“Funding for Growing Greener will run dry unless the state Legislature and Gov. Corbett
act now to renew it,” said Andrew Heath, Executive Director of the Renew Growing Greener
Coalition. “Even through these difficult economic times, Pennsylvanians from across the
Commonwealth understand the incredible importance of renewing funding for Growing Greener
in order to ensure families have access to clean drinking water, fresh air and green open spaces.”
Since its establishment, Growing Greener has created a legacy of success, preserving
more than 34,000 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.
The next few weeks are critical to these issues as well as funding level for Pennsylvania's
environmental agencies.
Over the last eight years, over $1.3 billion in environmental funding has been diverted to
balance the state budget or given to programs which could not get funding on their own. Gov.
Corbett's proposed budget isn't pretty, but the House Republican budget makes additional cuts to
environmental agencies.
Where will it all end up? Stay tuned!
NewsClips: Funding Cuts For Growing Greener To Be Discussed In Doylestown
Leadership Pittsburgh Grads Say Tax The Marcellus Gas
Pileggi Proposes Severance Tax To Help Seniors
Pilleggi Wants Severance Tax For Property Tax Freeze For Seniors
Two More Severance Tax Proposals In The Mix
Can Rep. Miccarelli Cut The Gordian Knot On A Severance Tax?
Rep. Miccarelli To Propose Gas Drilling Tax
Growing Greener Supporters Make The Case For More Funding
Rep. Kate Harper Holds Town Meeting On Value Of Open Space
Op-Ed: Marcellus Impact Fee Would Help Communities, Sen. Scarnati
Op-Ed: Cutting $$ For Growing Greener Hit
Capitol Matters: To Tax Or Not To Tax
Surplus Grows Amid Fight Over Cuts
Fuel Added To Budget Surplus Debate
House Democrats Want To Utilize State's Surplus
Wagner: Corbett Right Not To Spend The Surplus

Drilling Wastewater Has All But Stopped Going To Treatment Plants Not Meeting
Standards

The Associated Press reported Friday, drilling wastewater has all but stopped going to treatment
plants not equipped to properly treat the water, according to the Department of Environmental
Protection.
In April, DEP requested Marcellus Shale drilling companies to cease deliveries of drilling
wastewater by May 19 to treatment plants grandfathered under special provisions of Total
Dissolved Solids (TDS) standards adopted last year.
The grandfathered treatment plants could not properly treat the drilling wastewater to
meet the new TDS standard allowing only partially treated water to be discharged into rivers and
streams around the state.
“While the prior administration allowed certain facilities to continue to take this
wastewater, conditions have changed since the implementation of the TDS regulations,” DEP
Secretary Michael Krancer said. “We now have more definitive scientific data, improved
technology and increased voluntary wastewater recycling by industry. We used to have 27
grandfathered facilities; but over the last year, many have voluntarily decided to stop taking the
wastewater and we are now down to only 15. More than half of those facilities are now up for
permit renewal. Now is the time to take action to end this practice.”
A DEP spokesperson said Friday, agency staff have confirmed the flow of millions of
gallons of wastewater has been reduced to possibly just a handful of truck deliveries in the past
two weeks.
NewsClips: PA Says Flow Of Drilling Wastewater Almost Halted

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Senate/House Agenda/Session Schedule/Bills Introduced

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

Session Schedule

Here is the Senate and House schedule-- 15 voting days until budget deadline.

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

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

Bill Calendars

House (June 6): <> Click Here for full House Bill Calendar.

Senate (June 6): Senate Bill 263 (Erickson-R-Delaware) requiring the use of empirical,
replicable and testable supporting data in developing regulations; Senate Bill 341 (Greenleaf-R-
Montgomery) establishing a automotive fuel testing program; 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 995 (Baker-R-Luzerne)
requiring gas well operators to post certain 911 response information at the entrance to each well
site; Senate Bill 1054 (Corman-R-Centre) providing for a 2011-12 Capital Budget; 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. <> Click Here for full Senate Bill Calendar.

Committees

House: the Environmental Resources and Energy Committee meets to consider House Bill
1088 (Pickett-R-Tioga) amending the Alternative Fuels Incentive Act to provide for biomass-
based diesel production incentives, House Bill 1089 (Perry-R-Cumberland) amending the Air
Pollution Control Act to make natural gas fueled vehicles part of the Pennsylvania Clean
Vehicles Program, House Bill 1290 (George-D-Clearfield) providing for the testing of new,
environmentally beneficial and energy efficiency technologies; the Consumer Affairs
Committee meets to consider House Bill 1294 (Godshall-R-Montgomery) authorizing the PUC
to establish a distribution system improvement charge (DSIC) as an alternative to regular rate
cases to recover costs associated with replacing pipelines and other utility infrastructure. <>
Click Here for full House Committee Schedule.

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

Bills Introduced

The following bill of interest was introduced this week--

Whistleblower: House Bill 1605 (Frankel-D-Allegheny) amends the Oil and Gas Act to include
Whistleblower Act provisions for employees of natural gas well operators.

Farmland Plate: House Bill 1613 (Denlinger-R-Lancaster) authorizing a farmland preservation

vehicle license plate with proceeds used to support farmland preservation.

News From The Capitol

Rep. Harper Hosts Town Meeting On Value Of Open Space, Growing Greener
Rep. Kate Harper (R-Montgomery) this week brought together advocates
for Pennsylvania’s environment and open space initiatives for a town hall
meeting at Penllyn Woods to discuss the future of funding for the state’s
environmental programs.
“We have made a great deal of progress in restoring and protecting
the environment in our region and throughout Pennsylvania because of
funding provided through the Growing Greener program over the last
decade,” Rep. Harper said. “We cannot afford to let up on this effort. Our
natural resources are simply too valuable.”
Rep. Harper said funding available for Growing Greener initiatives,
such as the one that helped to preserve Penllyn Woods, is dwindling. She has introduced
legislation that would impose a severance tax on natural gas drilling in the Marcellus shale and
would direct a portion of that revenue to the Growing Greener program.
Presentations were made by:
-- Patty Ellis of the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission discussed a recently
released report from the Green Space Alliance entitled: “Return on Environment: The Economic
Value of Protected Open Space in Southeastern Pennsylvania.”
-- Andrew Heath, executive director of the Renew Growing Greener Coalition, gave an overview
of the Growing Greener program, its value and the state of the program today.
-- Rep. Harper and park officials talked about the history of Penllyn Woods and how it was saved
through the Growing Greener program.
NewsClips: Rep. Kate Harper Holds Town Meeting On Value Of Open Space
Growing Greener Supporters Make The Case For More Funding

Sen. Pileggi Proposes Marcellus Tax For Senior Property Tax Relief, Supports Impact Fee

Senate Majority Leader Dominic Pileggi (R-Delaware) this week

announced he would be introducing a "reasonable and competitive" tax on
Marcellus Shale natural gas production to fund a new program to give
property tax relief to senior citizens.
In a memo to his colleagues inviting them to co-sponsor the bill,
Sen. Pileggi said the proposal would be a fixed rate applied to both the
volume and price of natural gas and generate about $250 million per year
over the next five years to fund a school property tax freeze for senior
citizens.
"This proposal does not address the issue of the Marcellus Shale
industry's impact on the environment and local communities," said Sen. Pileggi. "I support Sen.
Scarnati's approach in that regard, implementing a fee to cover the cost of these impacts."
To qualify for a property tax freeze, an individual 65 or older must have qualified for a
homestead exemption at their current residence for no fewer than five years. If an individual is
also eligible for the Property Tax and Rent Rebate Program, they would be required to choose
between the two program.
A copies of the co-sponsor memos are available online.
NewsClips: Pileggi Proposes Severance Tax To Help Seniors
Pilleggi Wants Severance Tax For Property Tax Freeze For Seniors
 Bill Proposes Senior Property Tax Cuts With Shale Revenue
Two More Severance Tax Proposals In The Mix
Can Rep. Miccarelli Cut The Gordian Knot On A Severance Tax?

House Environmental Committee To Consider Natural Gas Vehicle Incentive Bills

The House Environmental Resources and Energy Committee has scheduled a meeting for June 8
to consider two bills creating incentives for natural gas-fueled vehicles as part of the Marcellus
Works initiative and legislation setting up a green technology testing program. The bills include:
-- House Bill 1088 (Pickett-R-Tioga) amending the Alternative Fuels Incentive Act to provide
for biomass-based diesel production incentives;
-- House Bill 1089 (Perry-R-Cumberland) amending the Air Pollution Control Act to make
natural gas fueled vehicles part of the Pennsylvania Clean Vehicles Program; and
-- House Bill 1290 (George-D-Clearfield) providing for the testing of new, environmentally
beneficial and energy efficiency technologies.
Rep. Scott Hutchinson (R-Venango) serves as Majority Chair of the Committee and Rep.
Camille George (D-Clearfield) serves as Minority Chair.

News From Around The State

DEP Recommends Higher Penalties, Better Buffers, Drilling Wastewater Manifests

The Department of Environmental Protection last week gave members of the Governor's
Marcellus Shale Advisory Commission a set of recommended changes to the Oil and Gas Act to
consider, including higher penalties, larger buffer areas and requiring cradle to grave drilling
wastewater manifests.
"The amendments embody Gov. Corbett's concepts to improve (the Oil and Gas Act), as
well as some improvements needed that have come to our attention as we regulate the natural gas
industry," said DEP Secretary Mike Krancer. "We believe the suggested amendments will
provide DEP with additional tools to ensure that natural gas is extracted in a safe and
environmentally protective manner in Pennsylvania."
The recommendations include:
-- Expending an operator's presumptive liability for pollution from 1,000 to 2,500 feet and from
six months to one year. The presumption would include pollution caused by drilling, altering or
fracking a well;
-- Require operators to provide a notice and copy of a well plat to property users and host
municipalities within 2,500 feet of a proposed well;
-- Increase the private well distance restriction from 200 to 500 feet, unless waived by owner;
-- Restrict well drilling from within at least 1,000 feet of a public water supply, unless waived by
owner;
-- Add a prohibition for locating a well site in floodplains;
-- Require cradle to grave manifesting of frack wastewater from high volume wells (more than
80,000 gallons used in the fracking process);
-- Increase the current well bonding amounts from the existing $2,500 per well with cap of
$25,000 to a minimum of $10,000 per well of over 6,000 feet in depth up to different caps based
on the number of wells owned by the operator as outlined in Senate Bill 602 (MJ White-R-
Venango) and providing an opportunity to revisit bonding levels in future years;
-- Authorize DEP to revoke an operator's well permit if the operator has failed to comply with
any provision of the Oil and Gas Act and is not correcting violations to the satisfaction of DEP or
has shown a lack of ability or intention to comply with any provision of the Act;
-- Authorize DEP to withhold new permits or permit renewals if the operator failed or continues
to fail to comply with any provision of the Oil and Gas Act and is not correcting violations to the
satisfaction of DEP or has shown a lack of ability or intention to comply with any provision of
the Act or if the applicant has a related entity (including subsidiary corporation, contractor or
subcontractor) engaged in unlawful conduct under the Act;
-- Authorize DEP to impose penalties, removing the requirement the Environmental Hearing
Board assess penalties, and provide for the right to appeal penalties to the EHB;
-- Increase civil penalties up to $50,000, plus $2,000 for each day of continued violation;
-- Increase criminal penalties consistent with other state environmental laws;
-- Add a provision requiring those charged with a violation to pay the penalty within 30 days or
put the amount in an escrow account or post an appeal bond;
-- Authorize DEP to develop a well operation permit so entities can adopt orphaned or
abandoned wells (the agency's previous authority was struck down in a court case);
-- Authorize DEP, by regulation, to condition a well permit based on its assessment of the impact
to public resources; and
-- Provide DEP with authority to enter into contracts with well control specialists in order to
provide adequate emergency response in the event of a well control emergency, add a provision
holding well control specialists free from all damages arising from their operations, and allow
DEP to seek cost recovery from operators where DEP is required to employ well control
specialists.
A copy of the DEP recommendations is available online.
The next meetings of the Governor's Commission work groups will happen the week of
June 6. The full Commission meets again on June 17. The Commission must complete its work
by July 22.
NewsClips: Tighter Well Regs Needed, DEP Says
DEP Suggests Stronger Drilling Rules Are Needed
DEP Recommends Gas Act Overhaul to Protect Water Sources From
Drilling
DEP Says Drilling Wastewater No Longer Being Discharged Into Streams

Health Dept. Recommends Assessment Of Environmental Data From Marcellus Shale

Drilling

The state Department of Health last week provided the Governor's Marcellus Shale Advisory
Commission with its recommendations on issues involved in Marcellus Shale drilling, including
a requirement the agency routinely evaluate and assess environmental data to determine if there
are any health impacts from drilling operations.
 "With the increased development of the Marcellus Shale play, the Department of Health
has witnessed growing concerns among the public, the media and researchers about
contamination of water and air from drilling operations and waste disposal," said Health
Secretary Dr. Eli Avila. "As the agency in charge of monitoring the health status of those
residing in the Commonwealth, the Department is expected to address these public health
concerns and to assure residents of impacted areas that their health is not being adversely
affected."
The Health Department's recommendations include:
-- Establishing a system to provide for a timely and thorough investigation of and response to
concerns/ complaints raised by citizens, health care providers or public officials;
-- The Department should be routinely evaluating and assessing environmental data collected
regarding Marcellus Shale-related activities. The data may involve air sampling, water testing
(public and private), solid waste testing, fish and other food testing and possibly other types of
sampling. The data must be properly evaluated based on levels and likely exposure pathways;
-- The Department should be collecting and evaluating clinical data provided by health care
providers;
-- The Department should be educating providers on the presentation and assessment of human
illness that may be caused by material in drilling constituents (both the acute and chronic
effects);
-- The Department should be educating the public on the constituents used in the drilling process
and whether or not they have the potential to cause human illness; and
-- The Department should either create or oversee the creation of a population-based health
registry with the purpose of characterizing and following over time individuals who live in close
proximity to a drilling site, e.g. within a one-mile radius, or are occupationally exposed.
A copy of the Health Department recommendations is available online.
The next meetings of the Governor's Commission work groups will happen the week of
June 6. The full Commission meets again on June 17. The Commission must complete its work
by July 22.

Lt. Governor Leads Marcellus Shale Commission Members On Tour

Lt. Gov. Jim Cawley this week led the Marcellus Shale Advisory Commission on a fact-finding
mission to see the impact the natural gas industry is having on communities throughout
Lycoming County.
"I want commission members to see for themselves how the growing natural gas industry
is affecting Pennsylvania and its communities," Lt. Gov. Cawley said. "This experience will be
helpful as we begin work to finalize our recommendations to the governor."
About two dozen members of the commission took part in the tour, which was arranged
by the Lycoming County Chamber of Commerce.
Lt. Gov. Cawley and commission members talked with local government leaders and met
with several residents who have wells on their properties. Other tour stops included well sites
operated by Anadarko as well as several local employers that are doing business with the natural
gas industry.
One such company, Ralph S. Alberts, in Montoursville, has for years made products used
in amusement parks but has adapted its techniques for natural gas drilling. It now makes durable
plastic well-pad liners used to contain spills at drilling sites. Like many other companies in this
region, it is growing.
"There is only so much we can accomplish working in a hearing room in Harrisburg.
That's why we needed to get out and see with our own eyes how this industry in impacting the
region, its residents and the economy," said Lt. Gov. Cawley.
The next meetings of the Governor's Commission work groups will happen the week of
June 6. The full Commission meets again on June 17. The Commission must complete its work
by July 22.

Delaware Riverkeeper Supports New York Lawsuit Calling For Drilling EIS

The Delaware and Hudson Riverkeepers this week applauded the announcement by New York
Attorney General, Eric T. Schneiderman, that his office has filed legal action to ensure a full
Environmental Impact Statement and review is completed before natural gas drilling regulations
for the Delaware River Basin are finalized.
The Riverkeepers, along with their supporting organizations, planned to intervene in the
litigation to ensure a full hearing in the courts.
“The Delaware River is the largest water supply in the Mid Atlantic region, and is the
foundation of our healthy environment and economy. Considering the catastrophes gas drilling is
inflicting on the waters, air, fish and wildlife, human communities and jobs across vast areas of
our country, it is shocking that the Delaware River Basin Commission and its federal
commissioner, the Army Corps of Engineers, would even consider evading and avoiding the
laws that mandate a full environmental impact analysis of drilling before drafting regulations that
would allow it to occur in our region,” says Maya van Rossum, the Delaware Riverkeeper.
“The Commission’s preparation of draft rules in the absence of critical information that
would have been provided by the required environmental impact assessment places at risk the
drinking water of nine million New York City and State residents. Preparation of a full
environmental impact statement, in compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act, is
essential to ensure effective regulations adequate to the task of meeting the DRBC’s mandates
and controlling a risky industrial activity that has already caused documented environmental
impacts in Pennsylvania and other states,” adds the Hudson Riverkeeper, Paul Gallay.
Thirty-six percent of the Delaware River basin is underlain by the Marcellus geological
layer, a shale formation that has become the most recent target for gas drilling using a new
process called hydrofracking. The Marcellus Shale underlies Pennsylvania and New York
portions of the watershed.
According to information on the Delaware Riverkeeper Network website: the Delaware
River watershed, which extends through New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware,
supplies drinking water to more than 15 million people – over 5 percent of the U.S. population –
provides recreational opportunities and pumps millions of dollars into the region’s economy each
year, and provides habitat for hundreds of critical wildlife species.
The DRBC is an interstate agency responsible for protecting the water resources of the
Delaware River Basin (NY, PA, NJ and DE) with a legal mandate, as per its Special Protection
Waters Designation, to protect the high existing water quality from degradation so that there is
“no measurable change” except towards natural conditions.
 The federal government is represented on the DRBC by the U.S. Army Corps of
Engineers; but all federal agencies including the Army Corps, the National Park Service, the U.S.
Fish and Wildlife Service and the Environmental Protection Agency are represented and
involved by this Commission seat.
According to van Rossum, “The Special Protection Waters designation, a protection
secured because of petitions filed by the Delaware Riverkeeper Network over the past two
decades, requires strict regulation of any activity that would degrade the River’s exceptional
quality, including natural gas development that threatens to pollute and diminish the water
resources of the Basin and the water supply for over 15 million people.”
Jane Davenport, Senior Attorney for the Delaware Riverkeeper Network, says “The
National Environmental Policy Act was enacted to ensure that our regulatory agencies and
decision makers would take careful stock of the harms they might cause by the decisions they
make. That the DRBC and Army Corps would not even be interested in undertaking a full
assessment of environmental effects from gas drilling, so much so that they are willing to violate
their legal duty to do so, is deeply disturbing considering their charge to protect and serve the
public.”
NewsClips: NY Orders Review Of Fracking
Suit Seeks Study Of Effects Of Gas Drilling On Delaware
NY Attorney General Suing Feds Over Gas Drilling
NY To Sue US. Over Delaware River Basin Gas Drilling

Indiana County, 4 More Groups Join Renew Growing Greener Coalition

The Renew Growing Greener Coalition applauded the

Indiana County Board of Commissioners this week for
passing a resolution calling for the renewal of Growing
Greener, the state’s primary source of funding to help local
communities preserve open space and farmland, protect water quality, provide parks and
recreation, and clean up abandoned mines.
The Renew Growing Greener Coalition also announced four more organizations have
joined in supporting the effort to restore state funding for Growing Greener.
They include: the Delaware Valley Green Building Council (Philadelphia), Delaware
Valley Ornithological Club (Havertown), Friends Center (Philadelphia), and Schuylkill River
Development Corporation (Philadelphia) have signed theCoalition’s Statement of Support, which
calls for the establishment of a dedicated and sustainable source of revenue to support the
renewal of Growing Greener.
They join more than 280 other organizations and municipalities that have also announced
their support for renewing Growing Greener.
“Funding for Growing Greener will run dry unless the state Legislature and Gov. Corbett
act now to renew it,” said Heath. “Even through these difficult economic times, County
Commissioners and Pennsylvanians from across the Commonwealth understand the incredible
importance of renewing funding for Growing Greener in order to ensure families have access to
clean drinking water, fresh air and green open spaces.”
“Each week support for the renewal of Growing Greener keeps building. It is more and
more apparent that Growing Greener is important to the people of Pennsylvania and must not be
ignored, said Health. “I am encouraged to see Pennsylvanians continue to urge the state
legislature andGovernor to take action to ensure that tomorrow’s Pennsylvania is even stronger
than today’s.”
Growing Greener is a bipartisan program established in 1999 under Governor Tom Ridge
and later expanded by Governors Schweiker and Rendell. Since its establishment, Growing
Greener has created a legacy of success, preserving more than 34,000 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.
In 2002, a dedicated source of revenue for Growing Greener was identified in an increase
in the state’s “tipping fee,” the fee charged for dumping trash in Pennsylvania’s landfills. Those
funds were supplemented by a $625 million bond approved by voters in 2005, called Growing
Greener II. Unless action is taken, those funds will be largely exhausted as of June 30th, with
most of the Growing Greener I tipping fees going to the debt service on the Growing Greener II
bonds.
“Our state is losing three times more forest, wildlife habitat, farmland and other open
spaces to development than it is able to preserve,” said David Frick, vice-chairman of the Indiana
County Board of Commissioners. “The Commissioners encourage and support the renewal of
Growing Greener by the General Assembly and new Governor with a dedicated and long-term
funding source.”
Indiana County joins more than 80 other Pennsylvania municipalities and counties in
passing a resolution urging the Governor and legislature to renew Growing Greener funding.
Counties passing resolutions include: Blair, Cambria, Erie, Fayette, Greene, Lackawanna,
Lawrence, Lehigh, Luzerne, Lycoming, Monroe, Philadelphia, Pike, Somerset, Sullivan,
Susquehanna, Washington, Westmoreland, Wyoming and York.
The Renew Growing Greener Coalition is the Commonwealth’s largest coalition of
conservation, recreation and environmental organizations representing over 280 organizations
and government entities.

Philadelphia Water Department, DEP OK Green City, Clean Waters Initiative

The Philadelphia Water Department and the Department of Environmental Protection signed a
groundbreaking Green City, Clean Waters Program to allow the PWD to officially embark on the
implementation of its innovative strategy that uses green stormwater infrastructure to
substantially reduce Combined Sewer Overflows to its waterways.
Online Video: GreenTreks' Green City, Clean Waters Promo
PWD submitted the plan to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and DEP in
September, 2009, after vetting the plan with an enthusiastic public.
Green City, Clean Waters lays the groundwork for the PWD to spend approximately $2
billion over the next 25 years to use primarily green infrastructure, such as - stormwater tree
trenches, vegetated bumpouts, porous asphalt, rain gardens, sidewalk planters – as a means to
transform manmade surfaces that repel the rain to Greened Acres which capture rainwater runoff,
which then infiltrates, stores and manage the rain as a precious resource - just like Mother
Nature.
 The plan also includes wastewater treatment facility enhancements and pipe renewal and
replacement. Green City, Clean Waters works in tandem with the Mayor’s Greenworks
Philadelphia vision in order to reinvent Philadelphia as a green, sustainable city of the future.
“We are thrilled and grateful that the DEP has recognized the incredible environmental
and public value of this plan and has worked with the City to embrace its vision,” said Mayor
Michael Nutter. “As a sustainable approach to stormwater issues, Green City, Clean Waters
upholds the tenets of GreenWorks Philadelphia and makes significant progress towards
Philadelphia becoming the greenest city in the country.”
“Through the Green City, Clean Waters plan, we seek to achieve a host of tangible
environmental, social and economic benefits for Philadelphians while improving the health of
the City’s creeks, rivers and urban landscape,” added Water Commissioner Howard Neukrug.
“That means not only cleaner water for our citizens, but cleaner air, a higher quality of life and
meaningful jobs for future generations.”
PWD has softly launched the plan over the last few years to develop green infrastructure
designs that work best in the Philadelphia landscape. These early projects serve as public
demonstrations for citizens and provide the PWD and its many partners with early opportunities
to monitor and improve the efficiencies of these practices.
A list of featured projects and more information can be found at the Green City, Clean
Waters webpage.

PA American Water Announces 2011 Environmental Grant Awards

Pennsylvania American Water announced this week seven watershed initiatives across the state
have earned financial support through the company’s 2011 Environmental Grant Program,
including a rainwater harvesting project at the Spring-Ford Intermediate School in Royersford,
Montgomery County.
Pennsylvania American Water awarded the approximately $3,600 grant to the
Southeastern Pennsylvania Resource Conservation and Development Council. With the funding,
the organization will establish a rainwater harvesting system at the Spring-Ford Intermediate
School to provide students with hands-on environmental lessons in water conservation. The
proposed system will capture rainwater to operate the schoolyard pond and stream, as well as
irrigate the plants in the school’s garden.
The Spring-Ford project will also serve as a focal point for fifth- and sixth-grade lessons
on watersheds, wetlands, sustainability, conservation and water management.
“In our seventh year of the Environmental Grant Program, I’m very proud of how we
have partnered with so many community groups that share our dedication to the stewardship of
Pennsylvania’s water resources,” said Pennsylvania American Water President Kathy L. Pape.
“The local grant recipients deserve our support for their innovative project to raise awareness
about protecting our watersheds.”
In Pennsylvania, a panel of judges selected this year’s winners from approximately 50
grant applications, which were evaluated on such criteria as environmental need, innovation,
community engagement and sustainability.
In addition to the local grant, Pennsylvania American Water awarded its
2011Environmental Grants to Marywood University (Lackawanna County), Pittsburgh Botanic
Garden (Allegheny County), Dauphin County Conservation District, Brandywine Valley
Association (Chester County), Clarks Summit Shade Tree Commission (Lackawanna County),
and Buffalo Creek Watershed Association (Washington County).

Discovery Watersheds

Are All Places Ready For A Watershed Management Approach?

Watershed-level management efforts are growing and supported by federal, state, and local
policy. The intent of these efforts is to create partnerships among local officials, state and county
agencies, community groups, and residents that will address environmental concerns.
In Pennsylvania, most of these efforts are targeted at improving or protecting water
quality in streams, rivers, and lakes. But are all watersheds ready for these kinds of efforts?
Research over the last decade has identified the need to conduct assessments of the
conditions within watersheds that can affect the partnerships’ likelihood of success. Assessments
help to identify strengths and challenges, and help the watershed partnerships to focus their
efforts and maximize their resources. Assessments should cover three main areas:

-- Scientific understanding: Is the issue one for which there is sufficient scientific knowledge
about the problem, how to monitor it and track changes in the conditions? Is the problem one for
which research has identified the most likely causes and consequences? Most importantly, are
there tools, technologies, or policies that have been tested for their ability to solve the problem?
Complex environmental problems without a clear understanding of the problem and identified
and accepted ways to address the problem can pose challenges for participants in watershed
management efforts to identify clear paths of action and allocate of resources effectively.

-- Community capacity: Does the watershed have a history of effectively addressing

environmental or other issues? Have previous attempts to deal with major local issues, such as
the closure of major employers or local planning efforts, created a track record of working
together or created (or exposed) community divisions? Are there individuals and organizations
that can provide leadership and technical knowledge to watershed efforts? Which organizations
need to be part of a watershed effort, and are they willing and able to do so? Are there existing
networks of individuals and organizations with collaborative histories that can be drawn in to the
effort? Preliminary assessment of the social context and history of the area, along with a scan of
the stakeholders involved, will provide important information to guide initial discussions. Early
efforts toward engagement of all stakeholders can enhance the transparency and legitimacy of
watershed partnership activities – two factors that are critical to acceptance and community
support.

-- Existing behaviors and motivations: Whose behavior (e.g., riparian landowners, farmers,
non-farm urban or rural residents, organizations or businesses, etc.) needs to change to improve
the water resource? What is the level of understanding of, concern for, and attitudes toward the
environmental problem among this target audience? What existing management practices are
they already using? What are the barriers this audience faces when trying to change their
behavior? Which individuals, organizations, or informal networks are particularly influential
among the target audience, and what are they currently saying about the problem? Watershed
partnerships that have this information can more effectively identify action steps and allocate
their resources.

Assessment efforts can help partnerships strategically identify directions for action, especially in
the early stages. Partnerships that invest the time and resources in assessment are likely to be
more effective and efficient, and are more likely to build support, visibility, and legitimacy in the
community. Regularly re-visiting the assessment information and gathering new information
as needed can assist groups to adapt to changes over time.

(Written By: Kathryn J. Brasier, PhD, Assistant Professor of Rural Sociology, Department of
Agricultural Economics & Rural Sociology, Penn State University for Penn State Extension
Watershed Winds Newsletter.)

DEP Challenges EPA's Approach To Chesapeake Bay Stormwater Regulation

In a letter to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency May 26, the Department of
Environmental Protection expressed concerns about EPA's approach to requiring stormwater
controls in the Chesapeake Bay watershed saying the $5.3 billion estimated cost is
"extraordinary" given stormwater's contribution of only 6 percent of the nutrient load to the Bay.
"The urban stormwater sector is identified as contributing only approximately 6 percent
of the problematic load. EPA contractors have estimated that it will cost municipalities $5.3
billion to address the problem," said DEP Secretary Michael Krancer. "This extraordinary cost is
simply not reasonable, not cost effective and not likely to result in significant needed
environmental gains and comes at a time when local governments are in significant economic
distress."
DEP said the problem is based, in part, on assumptions made by EPA in the Chesapeake
Bay Watershed TMDL.
"Put simply, we do not think the application of the model to Pennsylvania MS4
(Municipal Separate Storm Sewer Systems) permits is scientifically or technically appropriate,"
said Secretary Krancer. "The model projects loads based upon very gross inputs. The model
does not reflect conditions at the local level for purposes of predicting specific local load
reductions to be included in individual permits, and was not developed for such a use."
DEP further explained the model inputs can have as much as a 15 percent error rate and
includes mining impacts in the urban stormwater section of the model.
"DEP is in the process of collecting the information we believe to be critical to making
the model results more reflective of on-the-ground construction, post construction and MS4
BMP (best management practice) implementation in Pennsylvania, and is also working with the
National Association of Conservation Districts, other states and NRCS to determine how to
better capture the full spectrum of agriculture BMPs for credit in the model," said Secretary
Krancer.
DEP also expressed a concern that EPA is using counties as a basis for calculating runoff
volumes and loads in the model, rather than Pennsylvania's traditional local governments--
townships and boroughs-- unnecessarily bringing a broader area under regulation.
 "DEP and our municipality stakeholders have been frustrated with EPA's continued
failure to acknowledge the challenge of Pennsylvania's unique municipal structure-- which
results in Pennsylvania having more regulated Municipal Separate Storm Sewer Systems (MS4s)
than any other state and one sixth of the nation's total with nearly 1,000 as of the 2000 Census,"
explained Secretary Krancer.
"An important consideration we believe EPA needs to recognize is Pennsylvania's
recently finalized stormwater regulations which require post construction stormwater best
management practices be implemented and maintained when a land development project disturbs
one or more acres of land-- regardless of whether the project is located in a regulated MS4 area,"
said Secretary Krancer. "Implementation of these regulations on average results in significantly
less pollutants being discharged to Pennsylvania's waters and ultimately the Bay than is
contemplated int he Chesapeake Bay model.
"Pennsylvania has articulated these reservations to EPA for quite some time, and has
been frustrated with the lack of collaborative dialogue on these issues," said Secretary Krancer.
"DEP has also been further disheartened and frustrated by the lack of support and
acknowledgement by EPA of Pennsylvania's strong stormwater management program.
"We will continue to lead, as we have, not only to restore and reclaim the Chesapeake
By, but to protect and maintain Pennsylvania's water resources which are among the most
significant assets of the Commonwealth."
A copy of the letter is available online.

Watershed Webinars

Lessons From The Land Webinar Hits The Road For Summer Features

With three exciting programs featuring Pennsylvania’s watershed successes under its belt, the
Lessons from the Land webinar takes to the road for its June and July featured programs.
June 29, Lessons from the Land broadcasts live from the Penn State Center at
Pittsburgh’s Stormwater Management Workshop and will feature Department of Environmental
Protection’s Chief of the Watershed Support Section, Diane Wilson, speaking about “Success at
the Streamside – Pennsylvania Riparian Buffers that Work.”
The noon webinar will highlight the benefit of riparian buffers for stream protection and
the state’s requirements and guidance for riparian buffers in different landscapes. Following the
live broadcast, Pittsburgh based engineers, landscape architects, planners, and other practitioners
will participate in an extended technical session on riparian buffer development, restoration,
regulations and guidance, and hands-on design activities.
Joining Wilson for the technical session are David Wise, Chesapeake Bay Foundation,
Lyle Sherwin (Penn State Center for Watershed Stewardship), Kristen Saacke Blunk (Penn State
Agriculture and Environment Center) and Diane Oleson (York County Extension).
For more information on the technical session and how to register, visit the Penn State
Center at Pittsburgh’s website.
The July 18 Lessons from the Land program will broadcast live from the 66th Annual
International Conference of the Soil and Water Conservation Society in Washington, DC,
beginning at 10:30 a.m. where the Conewago Creek Watershed Initiative will be highlighted in a
symposium titled “Anatomy of a Conservation Partnership for Integrated Watershed
Restoration.”
Lessons from the Land will broadcast the entire 90 minute symposium which will feature
partner representatives from the conservation districts, the Natural Resources Conservation
Service, United States Geologic Service, and Penn State Extension.
The Conewago Creek Collaborative Initiative is one of the three USDA designated
“Showcase Watersheds” and was selected because of the high level of coordination and
collaboration underway between the community, agencies and organizations that seek to improve
local water quality and decrease the loads of nitrogen, phosphorus, and sediment stemming from
cumulative land practices.
To participate in one of the upcoming sessions broadcast from the road – simply sign in
at the webinar start time. To access this site, webinar participants will need a free “Friends of
Penn State” digital identity – which is essentially a user ID and password which can be obtained
online.
Recordings of all Lessons from the Land programs can be viewed online following the
live broadcast.

(Written by: Kristen Saacke Blunk, Senior Extension Associate and Director, Agriculture &
Environment Center, Penn State Extension Watershed Winds Newsletter.)

Report Shows Delaware Estuary Is Economic Engine For Tri-state Region

The nonprofit Partnership for the Delaware Estuary announced this week waterways like the
Delaware and Schuylkill rivers contribute over $10 billion to the region’s economy every year;
this, according to a new study released by the University of Delaware.
Researchers assessed the economic value of the tidal Delaware River, Delaware Bay, and
land downstream of Trenton, New Jersey. They compiled data on both the economic activity
and the jobs associated with waters in this region to arrive at an estimate of over $10 billion in
economic activity supporting jobs for more than half a million people.
The results of this study were made public during a press conference at the Bridesburg
Outboard Club, a private boat launch on the Delaware River in Philadelphia. Organizers chose
this venue because it neighbors the former Philadelphia Coke Works, a site many would like to
see restored as a park along the 2,500-mile East Coast Greenway. They also chose it because
recreational boaters spend about $47 million every year according to UD experts.
The new study, entitled “Economic Value of the Delaware Estuary Watershed,” is the
first of its kind in more than two decades. It follows similar reports which catalog the value of
other coastal regions, like the Chesapeake Bay, Florida Everglades, and Great Lakes. Those who
will use it include economists, environmentalists, legislators, researchers and key decision
makers.
“You cannot put a price tag on the value of the Delaware River and Bay to peoples’ lives
— it’s much more than an economic resource. However, we live in a time when major decisions
about activities like drilling, dredging and development are made based in part on economics,”
said Jennifer Adkins, executive director of the Partnership for the Delaware Estuary. “This study
will help people to consider the economic contributions of our estuary in those types of
decisions.”
 Gerald J. Kauffman, director of UD’s Water Resources Agency, is the lead author of the
study. In addition to using traditional economics, he and his colleagues used a modern technique
called “natural capital valuation.” This allowed them to estimate the value of natural goods and
services provided by local land and water at over $12 million annually.
“We found that drinking water alone provides $1.3 billion in value to the region,” said
Kauffman. “If you combine that with the value of drinking water taken from the Delaware River
before it reaches Trenton, that value skyrockets to $3.1 billion.”
To foster good investments in environmental improvements, public and private-sector
environmental leaders have joined forces to advance the restoration of key sites, like the adjacent
Philadelphia Coke Works. Other projects they are promoting include:
-- Using “living shorelines” to prevent marshes from washing into Delaware Bay;
-- Restoring freshwater mussels in local waterways to purify water;
-- Evaluating the health of underwater plants;
-- Restoring oyster reefs in Delaware Bay; and
-- Teaching school children about maritime culture by restoring oysters.
Patrick Starr, senior vice president of the Pennsylvania Environmental Council, believes
that restoring the riverfront in Bridesburg should be a top priority. He values it for its proximity
to urban residents, scale, shoreline contours, and landowner cooperation, all of which combine to
make it a rare site in Philadelphia.
“Philadelphia is the most populous community in the estuary, yet its residents are sorely
deprived of access and enjoyment of the estuary’s rich natural resources,” said Starr. “Our
proposed ecological restoration is intended to provide recreational use as public open space in
tandem with new wildlife habitat and environmental quality.”
This is the second time Bridesburg’s riverfront has been selected as a high-priority
restoration project. Each year the PDE Alliance (Alliance for Comprehensive Ecosystem
Solutions) selects five or six projects its members will support.
Members of the PDE Alliance include more than a dozen member-organizations located
in Delaware, southern New Jersey, and southeastern Pennsylvania. Working together, they
identify and promote the best investments for restoring and protecting the Delaware Estuary.
The Delaware Estuary Watershed is the tidal portion, or the lower half, of the Delaware
River Basin. It includes all of the land and waterways draining into the tidal Delaware River and
Bay. This watershed stretches as far west as the Schuylkill River’s headwaters near Pottsville,
Pennsylvania, and as far east as the Rancocas River’s headwaters near Fort Dix, New Jersey. Its
6,800 square miles make the Delaware Estuary’s watershed one of the largest in the country.
Within these boundaries are over 200 species of fish, the continent’s second-highest
concentration of shorebirds, and over 400,000 acres of wetlands.
To learn more, visit the Partnership for the Delaware Estuary website.
NewsClip: Delaware Estuary Is $10 Billion Asset

DEP Announces $2.5 Million Penalty In Ivy Industrial Park Water Contamination Case

The Department of Environmental Protection this week announced agreements with Bostik Inc.
and Sandvik Inc., two companies determined to be responsible for contaminating groundwater in
four Lackawanna County municipalities.
 The settlement includes agreements to construct a water line to serve affected residents,
civil penalties totaling $2.5 million and recovery of past and future DEP costs.
DEP is making the settlement documents available for public review; the 60-day
comment period begins June 4.
A public meeting where department staff will discuss the case and the settlement will be
held at the Lakeland High School auditorium on July 13, at 6:30 p.m.
The consent order and agreement with Bostik and Sandvik requires the companies to
construct a replacement water supply for the more than 200 residents affected by groundwater
contaminated by the volatile organic chemicals, TCE and PCE. The chemicals were traced back
to the companies’ facilities in the Ivy Industrial Park in Scott and South Abington townships.
DEP staff started investigating groundwater contamination at the industrial park in
August 2005. The department required three companies there to conduct expanded sampling
outside the park borders and to provide and maintain carbon treatment units to private well
owners with elevated levels of TCE or PCE.
DEP, along with the Environmental Protection Agency, conducted extensive sampling
and monitoring of soils, surface water and groundwater in and around the industrial park and in
areas up to two miles away from the park in each direction.
That investigation, which included sampling more than 500 private wells, determined that
levels of TCE and PCE from Bostik and Sandvik had impacted groundwater in parts of Scott,
Abington, North Abington and South Abington townships.
DEP hosted a series of public meetings in the affected area and has routinely updated
federal, state and local elected officials on the investigation’s progress as well as the status of
ongoing settlement discussions.
“Residents will be best served by connecting to a new public water source as a permanent
remedy rather than depending on maintaining in-house carbon treatment units.” DEP Northeast
Regional Director Michael Bedrin said.
DEP has worked closely with Pennsylvania American Water Co. to develop the initial
design of a large-scale waterline project in the investigated area. There are approximately 500
homes in that area, including 218 homes with carbon treatment units. All 500 of these homes are
eligible to connect to the new water supply.
Home owners who connect to the system would need to abandon their existing wells to
eliminate the effects of the contamination continuing to migrate in the geology of the area.
The project includes a new groundwater source, located outside the affected area, and
more than 21 miles of water mains and infrastructure at an estimated cost of $20 million, which
Bostik and Sandvik will pay.
The companies will continue to conduct quarterly sampling of another 300 wells in the
four-township affected area and will reimburse DEP $1.7 million for its investigatory costs
through June 2010, along with all future costs related to the site.
The consent order and agreement and the consent assessment of civil penalty are
available for review at DEP’s Northeast Regional Office in Wilkes-Barre by calling
570-826-5472 to make an appointment.
The documents are also available at the municipal buildings in Scott, Abington, North
Abington and South Abington townships.
Copies of the Bostick and Sandvik Consent Agreement, the Bostick Penalty
Assessment and the Sandvik Penalty Assessment are available online.
 Comments on the documents may be submitted in writing to Jeremy Miller, DEP
Hazardous Sites Cleanup Program, 2 Public Square, Wilkes-Barre, PA 18701.
NewsClip: DEP Announces $2.5 Million Settlement In Ivy Industrial Park Case

PEC Seeks Design Firm For Shaler Rain Garden Demonstration Project

The PA Environmental Council is seeking a firm to design and construct a Shaler Rain Garden
Demonstration project in Glenshaw, Allegheny County. Click Here for a copy of the RFP.
Proposals are due July 7.

WPC Seeks Public Input On Draft Watershed Plan For Lower Mahoning Creek

The Western Pennsylvania Conservancy held a public meeting in

May to present their draft watershed conservation plan for the
Lower Mahoning Creek in Armstrong, Indiana and Jefferson
County communities.
Individuals may now review the draft Lower Mahoning
Creek Regional Watershed Conservation Plan and provide
comments through June 21.
The Conservancy staff encourages individuals who live or work in the area, own a
business or land in the region, enjoy outdoor recreation, or are interested in natural resources,
historic preservation, tourism or community enhancement to attend this meeting.
This project is funded, in part, by a grant from the Community Conservation Partnerships
Program, Environmental Stewardship Fund, under the administration of the Department of
Conservation and Natural Resources, Bureau of Recreation and Conservation.
For more information, please contact Kylie Maland at the Western Pennsylvania
Conservancy Allegheny Regional Office at 814-776-1114 or send email to:
kmaland@paconserve.org.

Volunteer Work Days Set In June By Friends Of The Wissahickon

The Friends of the Wissahickon are organizing Volunteer Work Days in Wissahickon Valley
Park on June 11 and 18 on the white trail near Kitchen’s Lane. This is a trail re-route project,
part of the Sustainable Trails Initiative.
The White Trail gully just south of the parking lot has already been filled and closed.
Filling the gully reduces stormwater runoff, sedimentation in Wissahickon Creek, and erosion.
The new trail will be a sustainable trail that sheds stormwater much more effectively and helps to
reduce erosion.
Volunteer work days will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Meet at the Kitchen's Lane
Parking lot (P-11 on the FOW Map) in Mt. Airy. Volunteers are encouraged to bike or carpool to
the event.
To register, contact FOW Volunteer Coordinator Kevin Groves by sending email to:
groves@fow.org or 215-247-0417 ext. 105.

DEP: NPDES Mining Permit Reviews By EPA Provide No Environmental Benefit

On May 27 the Department of Environmental Protection wrote a letter to the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency expressing concerns about NPDES mining permit reviews EPA was doing
saying they only serve to increase permit review times and have "no environmental benefit."
DEP Secretary Mike Krancer said Pennsylvania's mining permit program has been held
in high regard since 1984 and recognized for its excellence many times. But, it has only been
recently that EPA made a change in policy.
"This significant shift in EPA behavior and policy toward NPDES permits in this
particular area is disconcerting since this elevated scrutiny by EPA has little or no environmental
or scientific basis and is contrary to almost three decades of past relationship between EPA and
DEP," Secretary Krancer wrote.
EPA is requiring DEP to send copies of pending NPDES permit applications associated
with mining in the Monongahela River watershed. Since last August, the request resulted in 80
submission of draft NPDES permits to EPA Region III for review.
"This additional review by EPA seems to be beyond EPA's Administrative staffing
capabilities to review such permit applications in a timely manner," said Secretary Krancer.
DEP also questioned an April 1, 2010 EPA policy which requires the review saying the
scientific basis for the policy does not apply in Pennsylvania.
"These objections, particularly those regarding conductivity thresholds, do not reflect an
appropriate level of scientific basis concerning the water quality (ionic signature) and aquatic
communities of the receiving streams in Pennsylvania," Secretary Krancer explained. "The
current data set represents portions of two eco-regions in West Virginia and Kentucky; not
Pennsylvania."
DEP asked EPA to respond to these concerns to help resolve this issue.
DEP also noted the General Assembly expressed concern about EPA mining permit
reviews by passing House Resolution 87 (Pyle-R-Armstrong) on May 3.
Secretary Krancer did note some issues raised by EPA during the permit review process
were useful.
A copy of the letter is available online.

Household Hazardous Waste Collection Event June 18 In Armstrong County

The Pennsylvania Resources Council and Zero Waste Pittsburgh will hold a household
hazardous waste collection event on June 18 in Kittanning, Armstrong County from 9 a.m. to
1:00 p.m. at the Walmart in the Hilltop Plaza.
Household cleaners, paint products, automotive fluids and other products will be
accepted. The cost for disposal is $2.
For information – and a list of items accepted – visit the Zero Waste Pittsburgh website
or call PRC at 412-488-7452.

Outdoor Classroom Workshop For Educators June 29 In Blair County

Join Natural Biodiversity and the Bellwood-Antis Middle School for an informative and
interactive workshop and open house on June 29 from 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. at the Bellwood-Antis
Middle/High School in Blair County.
 Are you an educator that is interested in outdoor environmental education? Would you
like to learn ways to include experiential education into your school’s curriculum?
The outdoor classroom workshop will cover steps for creating and financing an outdoor
classroom and include an exercise in brainstorming new outdoor classroom lessons. The
workshop will also tour the Bellwood-Antis outdoor classroom, which is in the first phase of
construction. Resource materials will be provided as well.
This workshop is FREE and will be Act 48 certified for 4 hours.
Natural Biodiversity’s assistance is made possible by a grant from the Department of
Environmental Protection’s Environmental Education program and the U.S. Department of
Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
Space is limited. Please RSVP by June 27 by contacting Matt Truesdale by calling
814-534-0204 or by sending email to: mtruesdale@naturalbiodiversity.org.

June Issue Of PCEE Environmental Ed Connections Newsletter Now Available

The June EE Connections newsletter is now available from the PA Center for Environmental
Education. Here are just some of topics covered in this month's newsletter--

General News: Hotline Established to Report Suspected Pollution Incidents, Recycling/Waste

Reduction Entries Wanted for PROP 'FilmFest' Website, Documentary Highlight Religious-
Environmental Action

K-12 News: Jennings Experience will go to Winning Survey Respondent, Natural Biodiversity
Seeks Teacher Input for Media Series, OSU's Online Climate Magazine Offers Lesson Plans and
More

Higher Education News: Chatham University Recognized in 'RecycleMania' Competition,

Dickinson College Receives an 'A' for Sustainability, USDA Honors Four Penn State Water
Quality Projects, AASHE Conference Hosted in Pittsburgh

Professional Development for Educators: Penn State FRIT Offers Nature Course for
Educators, Connect 'Kids to Nature' with LCEI's Journaling Workshop, Explore Natural
Habitats, Identify Species in Audubon Workshop, Online Workshop Uses Chesapeake Bay
FieldScope Program

Other Professional Development: PRC East Announces Energy Workshops for Delaware
County, DCNR Sponsors Sustainable Landscapes Bus Tour

Grants and Awards: Wild Resource Conservation Grant Applications due June 30, PA
Organizations Receive $60,000 for Stream Conservation

Contributions welcome! The Center receives news and information from a variety of
sources across Pennsylvania and beyond. We appreciate all of the organizations, agencies and
individuals who provide EE services and share their relevant information.
 If you would like to contribute to future issues of EE Connections, please submit your
article before the 15th of the month. Articles should be of statewide interest and are subject to
space availability.
Share EE Connections! If you know of others who would appreciate receiving EE
Connections, please complete the online form or call 724-738-9020. To see all of the resources
available on the PCEE website.

PRC, SW Air Quality Partnership Announce Let's Clear The Air Poster Contest Winners

Hundreds of creative, colorful posters were received from

school students throughout southwestern PA for "Let's
Clear the Air," a poster contest with an emphasis on public
awareness and education about air quality and alternative
transportation.
Four winners were chosen in three categories. First
place winners received a bicycle donated by Trek
Pittsburgh and a $100 gift card for their teacher! All
winners received a magic show for their school. The
winners include:
-- Alivia Aciero, Grade 5, Tenth Street Elementary, Allegheny County;
-- Melanie Long, Grade 7, St. Sylvester, Allegheny County;
-- Jacob Kopko, Grade 4, Avella Elementary School, Washington County;
-- Kerrigan Sebastian, Grade 6, Tenth Street Elementary, Allegheny;
-- Christopher Mannella, Grade 5, Immaculate Conception, Allegheny;
-- Gretchen Stough, His Kids Christian Middle School, Butler County;
-- Madison Claypool, Grade 4, Trinity Christian School, Allegheny County; and
-- Rosemary Nagy, Grade 7, Geibel Cathollic Middle School, Fayette County.
The contest was a collaboration between the Southwest PA Air Quality Partnership and
Pennsylvania Resources Council. It encouraged students to learn about the effects of air
pollution, how to avoid exposure and what actions they can take to help improve air quality.
Congratulations to all of the students for their terrific posters and commitment to making
the air healthier to breathe for everyone! Click Here to view the winning posters.

PPL Completes 2011 Solicitation For Solar Renewable Energy Credits

PPL Electric Utilities this week announced it will purchase 25,500 solar renewable energy
credits with supply beginning December 2011 for a period of 8 and a half years. The price will
be $149 per solar renewable credit. The company received 20 bids from qualified suppliers.
"PPL Electric Utilities is strictly a delivery company, so we don't produce power or own
power plants. Instead we purchase power from many different suppliers for customers who don't
choose an alternative supplier, and we pass along the costs without profit," said Dennis Urban,
senior director of Rates and Regulatory Affairs for PPL Electric Utilities. "This year,
approximately 10 percent of the electricity PPL Electric Utilities buys for customers will come
from renewable sources. That number will grow in the coming years under the requirements of
the state's Alternative Energy Portfolio Standards Act."
 Solar renewable energy credits, or SRECs, represent the environmental attributes from a
solar power generating facility. When a solar facility generates one megawatt-hour of power it
equates to one solar renewable energy credit. The additional income received from selling solar
renewable energy credits increases the economic value of a solar investment and assists with
financing solar technology.
In conjunction with state and federal incentives, owners of solar power generating
systems can recover their investment in solar by selling their credits through spot market sales or
long-term sales.
PPL Electric Utilities' next solicitation for solar renewable energy credits will occur in July to
purchase 24,000 solar renewable energy credits for an 8-year term beginning in June 2012.
Additionally, PPL Electric Utilities will launch a solicitation to procure SRECs from
renewable energy credit aggregators with small scale solar facilities that are 15 kilowatts or less
in size. The Small-Scale Solar Set-Aside Program anticipates acquiring 1,000 SRECs over a
9-year period.
The offer day for this program is scheduled for June 22. The price PPL Electric Utilities
will pay aggregators for each SREC will be $149, based on the price set with the completing of
the Long-Term SREC Request for Proposals.
PPL Electric Utilities encourages owners of small-scale solar facilities, typically installed
on residential or small businesses, to contact renewable energy credit aggregators who may wish
to purchase their credits for this or other SREC RFPs.
A list of certified aggregators is found on the Public Utility Commission website.

iConservePA.org

Check Out The New See The Light Energy Saving Video From The Coolidges

iConservePA.org's new episode in the Coolidge Family low carbon

lifestyle series features Sam Coolidges doing what he does best,
being passionate about saving energy, planting smartly and living
locally. Click Here for the latest video.
Are you a Super Sleuth?
Like rain barrels, composters, native plants, new garden
tools? These and other great green prizes are up for grabs in the CSI Super Sleuth Sweepstakes!
Fifteen secret codes are hidden throughout the iConservePA website as part of the
Science at Home and Meet the Coolidges Educational Series and four codes are available by
attending special programs at Pennsylvania State Parks or visiting the iConservePA GreenHouse.
Enter the codes here by November 30 for up to 19 chances to win BIG!

Carnegie Mellon Launches Greenlighting Business Startup Assistance Initiative

Carnegie Mellon University this week introduced "Greenlighting Startups," a new initiative
aimed at accelerating CMU's record of turning campus innovations into sustainable new
businesses.
 Since 2004, CMU has doubled the number of start-up companies created by its faculty
and students and now stands as one of the fastest growing entrepreneurial institutions in the
United States.
Greenlighting Startups, a portfolio of five new and existing campus incubators, is
uniquely designed to further speed the organic growth of company creation at CMU.
This initiative creates multiple portals through which the university can help turn research
from award-winning professors and world-class students into thriving companies that provide
new jobs and solve real-world problems.
With Greenlighting Startups, CMU will be in a stronger position to serve as an engine for
commercializing innovation, job growth and new business creation.
"Carnegie Mellon has always attracted faculty and students with the best ideas and
innovations," said Rick McCullough, vice president of research at Carnegie Mellon. "The
Greenlighting Startups initiative is part of the entrepreneurial culture at CMU that helps to take
those innovations and make them a reality in the marketplace, creating companies and jobs in the
process."
The five Greenlighting Startups groups include the Center for Technology Transfer and
Enterprise Creation; the Donald H. Jones Center for Entrepreneurship; Project Olympus; Quality
of Life Technology Foundry; and the Open Field Entrepreneurs Fund.
In the past 15 years, CMU has helped to create more than 200 new companies, adding
approximately 9,000 new jobs to the U.S. economy. In Pennsylvania alone, CMU spin-offs
represent 34 percent of the total companies created in the past five years.
Through Greenlighting Startups, the university is now poised to leverage its track record
and experience to exponentially grow those numbers.
While some CMU incubators like CTTEC have been around for more than a decade,
others like OFEF, which launched in May 2011, are more recent. OFEF is a key component of
the Greenlighting Startups initiative, as it will serve as the backbone to making CMU a
destination of choice for young entrepreneurs.
The fund will provide early-stage business financing to alumni who have graduated from
CMU within the past five years, and may also serve to attract prospective students who are
interested in starting their own businesses to CMU.
Each incubator group has a distinct value proposition to support budding entrepreneurs,
and together they provide a campus-wide infrastructure of resources for transforming ideas into
marketable products and services.
Companies such as Google, Apple, Disney and Intel have taken notice of CMU's
entrepreneurial success and have opened labs and/or offices on campus in the past few years.
By and large, what attracts entrepreneurial professors and students to CMU is a liberating
technology commercialization philosophy. This underlying philosophy, dubbed "Five Percent,
Go in Peace" serves as CMU's technology transfer model and is the driving force behind
Greenlighting Startups.
Developed on the Carnegie Mellon campus, "Five Percent, Go in Peace" is a first-of-its-
kind spinoff-model for academia that has, itself, become one of the university's great inventions.
"The goal of Five Percent, Go In Peace, was to create a transparent, expedient and easy to
understand process that minimizes extensive negotiations," said Carnegie Mellon Provost and
Executive Vice President Mark S. Kamlet. "Through this unique model, we have simplified our
approach to free entrepreneurs so they can do what they do best."
 The "Five Percent, Go in Peace" model not only attracts top talent globally, but also helps
solidify CMU's position as the U.S. leader in turning federal and state funding into sustainable
economic growth.
CMU ranks first among all American universities without a medical school in the number
of startup companies created per research dollar spent since 2007, according to the Association
of University Technology Managers.
CMU start-up success stories include companies such as reCAPTCHA, inventors of the
swirling letters computer users retype to validate websites, which was acquired by Google in
2009; Plextronics, the world leader in active layer technology for printed electronic devices; and
First Person Vision, which develops wearable visual devices to help the elderly and those with
disabilities maintain independence.
To herald this exciting collaborative of business incubators, CMU has designed and
unveiled a new graphic and wordmark for its Greenlighting Startups initiative.
For more information, visit the Greenlighting Startups webpage.

Pennsylvania Outdoor Recreation Plan Recognized As Nation's Best

Pennsylvania has earned top national honors for its work to transform outdoor recreation
planning and get residents to spend more time outdoors, according to the Department of
Conservation and Natural Resources.
The state's five-year Statewide Outdoor Recreation Plan was honored as the best in the
nation by to the National Park Service and the National Association for Recreation Resource
Planners at a recent conference.
"We are very proud to receive this award recognizing our work," Department of
Conservation and Natural Resources acting Secretary Richard J. Allan said. "Our plan is both
unique and useful for DCNR and its partners as we work to encourage citizens to be active
outside, develop a love and appreciation for nature, improve physical and mental health, and
instill a conservation ethic."
Pennsylvania's five-year plan was released in November 2009 to help policy-makers and
communities deal with a changing population that is increasingly more urban, and whose
children have been spending less time outdoors.
Four surveys supporting the plan showed that families are spending less time outdoors;
children are more obese than ever before; and residents are calling for access to close-to-home
recreation, walkable and bikable communities, protected lands and waters, and well-maintained
park facilities.
The plan identified walking for pleasure or fitness as the most popular outdoor recreation
activity in Pennsylvania. Other popular activities include sightseeing and driving for pleasure,
nature watching, swimming, picnicking and bicycling.
The plan outlines 28 program-oriented and five funding recommendations as action steps.
"Congratulations to the authors of Pennsylvania's outdoor recreation plan, which closely
aligns with the federal America's Great Outdoors Initiative and its focus on conservation,
recreation and connecting people to the great outdoors," said U.S. Department of the Interior
acting Assistant Secretary Will Shafroth.
Representatives from the U.S. Department of the Interior and the National Park Service
met with DCNR and outdoor recreation stakeholders in Harrisburg this week to identify top
project-specific ideas where the state and federal governments might work together on
conservation, recreation and historic preservation efforts.
States must update outdoor recreation plans every five years in order to continue to be
eligible for related federal dollars.
A one-year implementation report outlining a number of success stories related to the
plan's four goals can be viewed online. A copy of the 2009-13 Outdoor Plan is also available
online.
NewsClip: State Saluted For Getting People Outdoors

Your Vote Needed To Plant Trees In PA, Odwalla's Plant-A-Tree Is Back

Odwalla’s Plant a Tree campaign is back, and Pennsylvania needs

your help to get free trees for Pennsylvania's State Parks.
This year, Odwalla is dedicating $100,000 for trees and
Pennsylvania State Parks are competing with the other 49 states to
get the most number of votes. Each vote will count as one dollar,
and once all $100,000 are allotted, the campaign will end.
Your votes earned Pennsylvania state parks $30,000 worth
of free trees last year! Help Pennsylvania become the top vote-
getter this year. Log on early as votes will go fast.
It costs nothing to participate and takes only a few seconds to vote for Pennsylvania. You
can vote once per email address, so be sure to vote under each address you have.
Vote today at Odwalla Plant a Tree Campaign webpage. Our parks thank you!

Statewide Giant Hogweed Eradication Program To Continue This Summer

Pennsylvania is winning its battle against Giant Hogweed, a noxious, invasive weed that can
cause blistering and scarring on the skin of susceptible people, but more work remains.
"Nearly 80 percent of the known Giant Hogweed sites have been eradicated, thanks to the
effective teamwork between the U.S. Department of Agriculture, our state agriculture
department, and property owners statewide," said state Agriculture Secretary George Greig.
"While we must remain vigilant, the goal of completely eradicating the invasive weed is
achievable."
Since 1985, more than 500 Giant Hogweed sites have been confirmed in Pennsylvania,
with more than half located in Erie County. Through August, field staff will address 133 active
sites in Blair, Butler, Carbon, Crawford, Erie, Huntingdon, Lebanon, McKean, Potter,
Susquehanna, Venango, Warren and Wayne counties.
Giant Hogweed is spread naturally by seeds from a flowering plant, which can be
windblown and scattered or carried by water. The ability of the seeds to remain alive in soil for
many years makes prevention of seed production critical.
Total eradication requires three years of repeated mechanical and chemical treatments to
exhaust the seed bank at each location.
Residents with suspected sightings of a new plant population or an active pre-existing site
are asked to call the Giant Hogweed Hotline at 1-877-464-9333. Agriculture department field
staff will schedule a site inspection.
 For more information, contact the department's Noxious Weed Program Manager Melissa
Bravo at 717-787-7204 and visit the DCNR Giant Hogweed webpage.

Game Commission Seeks Comments On Public-Private Landowner Habitat Incentive

Program

With recent approval from the federal government, the Game Commission has released for
public comment its final Voluntary Public Access and Habitat Incentive Program Programmatic
Environmental Assessment document, including the Findings of No Significant Impact.
This is the final step toward implementing an enhanced Hunter Access Program with the
goals of improving wildlife habitat on private land and increasing the number of acres of private
land open to hunting and trapping over the next three years.
Click Here for full announcement. Click Here for copy of Final Environmental
Assessment.

Volunteers Needed To Remove Invasive Species At Presque Isle

Presque Isle Audubon and Audubon Pennsylvania need volunteers to help remove invasive
bittersweet and honeysuckle shrubs in areas of Presque Isle State Park in Erie County where bird
banding takes places.
The invasive plant removal will be done June 11 near Niagara Boat Launch and July 16
at Fry's Landing from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. both days, organizers said. Thirty volunteers are needed
each day.
To register, call 814-520-9456 or send email to: info@presqueisleaudubon.org and
specify the day you want to volunteer.

DVRPC, PEC Hold Regional Trail Network Summit June 23 In Philadelphia

The Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission and the Pennsylvania Environmental
Council are hosting a Regional Trail Network - Active Transportation Summit on June 23 at The
HUB at the Cira Center, 2929 Arch Street in Philadelphia starting at 8:00 a.m.
The Active Transportation Summit will highlight and enhance the growing excitement
around the region's expanding trail network. The Summit will feature national leaders in the
Health and Economic Development fields, talking about the public health benefits of active
transportation and the keys to growing our economy by growing our trails.
Local visionaries will provide updates on some of the most exciting trails, parks and
bikeways in the nation, being built right here in our region; and about the region's growing
Active Transportation movement. The Summit will conclude with an exclusive tour of the
Manayunk Bridge, future site of a breathtaking multi-use trail segment ten stories over the
Schuylkill River.
The goal of the Summit is to raise awareness about current trail projects, build excitement
for future trail projects, and highlight how the entire community benefits from the creation of a
regional trail system. Beyond that, the Summit will also provide a charrette-like format where
you will be able to ADD your voice and your suggestions to the mix.
 As many around the region already know, the establishment of the active transportation
trail system is paramount in moving the Philadelphia region into the national spotlight for
sustainable planning and promotion of healthy lifestyles.
Click Here for a more detailed agenda.

DCNR: Two Caves In Forbes State Forest Reopen To Exploring

Two popular caves within the Forbes State Forest, Coon Cave in Westmoreland County and
Barton Cave in Fayette County, will soon be reopened to the public for recreational caving,
according to the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources.
A third cave, Lemon Hole in Westmoreland County, will remain closed.
Beginning in the summer of 2006, the caves were gated from the beginning of October
until the end of May due to concerns about a bat disease known as White-Nose Syndrome
(WNS). The caves remained closed during the last two seasons.
“As a precaution and because little was known about WNS at the time, the gates on the
caves in the Forbes State Forest were kept closed to possibly prevent the spread of WNS and to
allow for research and monitoring,” said Bureau of Forestry Director Daniel Devlin. “Because
WNS was confirmed in both Barton and Coon caves earlier this year, there is no longer reason to
keep them closed. The Lemon Hole Cave was not monitored this year and will remain closed in
2011.”
Coon Cave, southeast of Blairsville, is now open, Devlin said, but Barton Cave
experienced a collapse of one of its chambers and will require further geologic assessment by
members of the Mid-Atlantic Karst Conservancy. Based on the results of the assessment, the
opening of Barton Cave, near Uniontown, Fayette County, will be announced at a later date.
The white substance on bats with WNS has been identified as a fungus that irritates the
skin of bats during hibernation, causing them to awaken and prematurely emerge. Affected bats
flew out of caves during the cold winter months to search for food and later froze to death or
died in large numbers from starvation and dehydration.
WNS is not known to pose a threat to humans but it can be spread by people to bats in
other caves because the fungus can remain on clothes and caving gear. For this reason, it is
important that anyone who visits Barton or Coon Caves takes time to properly decontaminate
their clothing and caving gear using protocols developed by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service.
These tips are found online.
The three caves within the Forbes State Forest serve as the winter home for bat species
including the big brown, little brown and Eastern pipistrelle. Hibernating numbers have been
estimated at more than 1,000 at Lemon Hole and Coon caves, and several hundred at the Barton
site.
Known and valued for their enormous appetite for mosquitoes and other flying insect
pests, bats have benefited from past visitation controls at other major hibernating sites in state
parks, state game lands, and privately owned mines, buildings and other properties.
For more information, contact DCNR Wildlife Biologist Aura Stauffer, 717-579-0297,
Forbes State Forest District Forester Ed Callahan, 724 238-1200, or the Mid-Atlantic Karst
Conservancy’s Kim Metzger, 724 433-0854.
For details on Pennsylvania’s bats, visit the Game Commission's white-nose syndrome
webpage.
 NewsClip: With Caution, Coon Cave Reopens

Edward Yim Joins Babst Calland

Babst Calland recently announced the addition of Edward P. Yim as an associate in its
Environmental Health and Safety and Natural Resources Development Groups.
Edward Yim’s practice emphasizes counseling clients on a broad range of federal and
state environmental compliance issues related to water and waste management as well as
development of natural resources. He also participates in litigation matters involving
environmental liability. Mr. Yim was formerly with Stevens & Lee, where he handled matters
related to energy and utilities.
He has also served as legal counsel for the Energy and Environmental Resources
committee of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, drafting legislation and briefing
lawmakers on significant energy and environmental policy issues. On behalf of the committee’s
then-majority chair, he served as a voting member of the Environmental Quality Board, an
independent state agency that promulgates rules and regulations of the Department of
Environmental Protection.
Mr. Yim is a 2007 graduate of Villanova Law.

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.

June 17-- Revised. DEP Alternative Fuels Incentive Grants (Revisions)

June 30-- 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-- 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

Here's a selection of NewClips on environmental topics from around the state--

Budget
Funding Cuts For Growing Greener To Be Discussed In Doylestown
Leadership Pittsburgh Grads Say Tax The Marcellus Gas
Pileggi Proposes Severance Tax To Help Seniors
Pilleggi Wants Severance Tax For Property Tax Freeze For Seniors
Bill Proposes Senior Property Tax Cuts With Shale Revenue
Two More Severance Tax Proposals In The Mix
Can Rep. Miccarelli Cut The Gordian Knot On A Severance Tax?
Rep. Miccarelli To Propose Gas Drilling Tax
Growing Greener Supporters Make The Case For More Funding
Rep. Kate Harper Holds Town Meeting On Value Of Open Space
Op-Ed: Marcellus Impact Fee Would Help Communities, Sen. Scarnati
Op-Ed: Cutting $$ For Growing Greener Hit
Capitol Matters: To Tax Or Not To Tax
Surplus Grows Amid Fight Over Cuts
Fuel Added To Budget Surplus Debate
House Democrats Want To Utilize State's Surplus
Wagner: Corbett Right Not To Spend The Surplus
Other
Bill Could Curb PA Garbage Problems
Lawmakers Consider Mandatory Trash Pickup
Adopt A Highway Program Proposed In Allegheny County
West Philadelphia School Wins Honors For Fuel Efficient Car
Garden Serves As Outdoor Classroom At Shaler School
School Districts Look To Save Energy Facing Funding Cuts
Green Energy Choices Widen In PA
Schuylkill County Plants Turning To Solar Power
Moore Solar Farm Gets Zoning OK
Op-Ed: Cloudy Day For Solar Homes
Editorial: Solar Makes Sense
Editorial: Energy Idiocy, Corny Fuel
Editorial: And Dangerous CFLs
Delaware County Gets $274,255 Rebate Check From PECO
PA To Electricity Suppliers: Fix Billing Problems
Peach Bottom To Get Nuclear Waste From Another PA Plant
Somerset Campus To Offer Program To Train Miners
The Greening Of Business
What Makes A Sustainable Company?
State Funds Help Hill District Go Green
Forum To Help Companies Create Earth-Friendly Products
Portion Of Air Pollution Fines Could Go To Affected Communities
DEP Announces $2.5 Million Settlement In Ivy Industrial Park Case
June 23 Philadelphia Rail Network Summit
Hit The Trails This Week
State Saluted For Getting People Outdoors
No Lifeguards At PA State Parks Again This Summer
Tour De Belt Shows Off Green Gems In Harrisburg Area
PA Leads Country In Lyme Disease Cases
Bedford Offers Dunnings Creek Wetlands, Allegheny Hawk Watch
With Caution, Coon Cave Reopens
Audubon Nature Park Planned In Buffalo Township
York County Park Expansion To Help Environment
Boiling Springs Is State's First Appalachian Trail Community
Creekside Property Owners Asked to Watch For Invasive Water Plant
Voracious Emerald Ash Borer, Coming To A Forest Near You?
Anthracite History Comes Alive At Museum
Op-Ed: Gov. Leader Served PA Well
Op-Ed: Radicalization Of An Eco-Terrorist

Marcellus Shale NewsClips

Here are NewsClips on topics related to Marcellus Shale natural gas drilling---

Op-Ed: Marcellus Impact Fee Would Help Communities, Sen. Scarnati

Leadership Pittsburgh Grads Say Tax The Marcellus Gas
Pileggi Proposes Severance Tax To Help Seniors
Two More Severance Tax Proposals In The Mix
Can Rep. Miccarelli Cut The Gordian Knot On A Severance Tax?
Rep. Miccarelli To Propose Gas Drilling Tax
Rep. Kate Harper Holds Town Meeting On Value Of Open Space
DEP Says Drilling Wastewater No Longer Being Discharged Into Streams
Tighter Well Regs Needed, DEP Says
DEP Suggests Stronger Drilling Rules Are Needed
DEP Recommends Gas Act Overhaul to Protect Water Sources From Drilling
Environmentalists Push Stricter Regulation For Gas Drillers
Environmental Groups Submit Proposals To Marcellus Shale Commission
Drilling Poses New Challenge For First Responders
Editorial: Natural Gas Safety Bills Should Be Law
Report: Marcellus Shale Creates 48,000 Jobs
Report: Drilling Brings Modest Job Gains
EPA Chief: No Proven Cases That Fracking Harmed Water
Expanded Protection Given To 99 Wild Trout Streams
IUP Students To Test Beaver Run Reservoir For Drilling Problems
PA Gas Lust: Species Decline, Forest Fragmentation
Could Smog Shroud The Marcellus Shale's Natural Gas Boom?
Court Weighs Dispute Over Gas Drilling Wastewater Odor
Cautionary Tales From Marcellus Shale Windfalls
Gas Drilling Can Spark Neighbor Disputes
Locals Object To Gas Well Near Former Hazardous Waste Site
Allegheny County Considering New Shale Drilling Regulations
Not So Fast On Gas Drilling, Teens Advise
Observatory Warily Watches Gas Drilling Activity
Sportsmen Form Alliance In Marcellus Shale Region
Letter: Sensible Regulation Needed For Fracking
DEP Official: PA Might Have World's Largest Gas Reserves
Op-Ed: PA's Answer To Mounting Fuel Costs- Natural Gas
Other States
Maryland To Sue PA Gas Driller After Spill Into Susquehanna Tributary
WV Adds Conditions To Gas Well Permits
NY Orders Review Of Fracking
Suit Seeks Study Of Effects Of Gas Drilling On Delaware
NY Attorney General Suing Feds Over Gas Drilling
NY To Sue US. Over Delaware River Basin Gas Drilling

Watershed NewsClips

Here are NewsClips on watershed topics from around the state--

Berks Cows Find Grass Really Is Greener

Expanded Protection Given To 99 Wild Trout Streams
Report Says Tracking Chesapeake Bay Cleanup Efforts Must Improve
Lancaster Park Goes Green To Help Chesapeake Bay
Bion Receives Initial Nutrient Credit Certification For Kreider Farm Project
Chesapeake Bay Health Took Turn For Worse In 2010
Chesapeake Bay TMDL Guide Available
RFP: Shaler Rain Garden Demonstration Project
Heavy Rain Can Reroute Streams, Harm Ecosystems
Upper Makefield Environmentalists Want To Assess Streams
Delaware Estuary Is $10 Billion Asset
Riverfront Boosters Group To Celebrate 20th Anniversary
Lack Of Funding For Locks Promises More River Traffic Snarls
Dragons Will Race At Wyoming Valley Riverfest
Learn About Testing Drinking Water June 29 In Pike County

Regulations, Technical Guidance & Permits

The Fish and Boat Commission published notice of a proposed addition of a Cumberland County
stream to the list of Class A Wild Trout Waters.

Pennsylvania Bulletin - June 4, 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 Public Welfare published notice of the availability of the 2011-12 Low-
Income Energy Assistance Program State Plan for public comment.

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.

Click on Agenda Released on calendar entries to see the NEW meeting agendas published this
week.

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 7-- Agenda Released. DEP Storage Tank Advisory Committee meeting. 14th Floor
Conference Room, Rachel Carson Building 10:00.

June 8-- NEW. House Environmental Resources and Energy Committee meets to consider
House Bill 1088 (Pickett-R-Tioga) amending the Alternative Fuels Incentive Act to provide for
biomass-based diesel production incentives, House Bill 1089 (Perry-R-Cumberland) amending
the Air Pollution Control Act to make natural gas fueled vehicles part of the Pennsylvania Clean
Vehicles Program, House Bill 1290 (George-D-Clearfield) providing for the testing of new,
environmentally beneficial and energy efficiency technologies. Room B-31. 10:00.

June 8-- House Consumer Affairs Committee meets to consider House Bill 1294 (Godshall-R-
Montgomery) authorizing the PUC to establish a distribution system improvement charge
(DSIC) as an alternative to regular rate cases to recover costs associated with replacing pipelines
and other utility infrastructure. Room B-31. 9:00.

June 8-- Governor's Marcellus Shale Commission Infrastructure Work Group meeting. Room
105 Rachel Carson Building. 10:00.

June 8-- Agenda Released. DEP Coastal Zone Advisory Committee meeting. 10th Floor
Conference Room, Rachel Carson Building. 9:30.

June 9-- House Democratic Policy Committee holds a hearing on Marcellus Shale. National
Constitution Center, Philadelphia. 1:00.

June 9-- Governor's Marcellus Shale Commission Economic and Workforce Development Work
Group meeting. Room 105 Rachel Carson Building. 10:00.

June 10-- House Democratic Policy Committee holds a hearing on Growing Greener. PA
Convention Center, Philadelphia. 9:00.

June 10-- CANCELED. DEP Oil and Gas Technical Advisory Board&nbsp;meeting. Room 105
Rachel Carson Building. 10:00. (formal notice)

June 13-- Environmental Forum. Joint Legislative Conservation Committee hears a presentation
on establishing a network of public charging stations for electric vehicles. Room G-50 Irvis
Building. 12:00.

June 14-- Agenda Released. DEP Board of Coal Mine Safety meeting. Fayette County Health
Center, Uniontown. (No start time published. Other meetings started at 10:00 a.m.)

June 15-- DEP Water Resources Advisory Committee meeting. Room 105 Rachel Carson
Building. 9:30. (formal notice)

June 22-- NEW. Board for Certification of Water and Wastewater Systems Operators meeting.
11th Floor Conference Room, Rachel Carson Building. 10:00. (formal notice)

June 23-- NEW. Susquehanna River Basin Commission meeting/hearing. Cecil College
Conference Center, North East, MD. 8:30. (formal notice)

June 24-- NEW. PA Energy Development Authority meeting. Room 105 Rachel Carson
Building. 10:00. (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. Room
105 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

Send your stories, photos and videos about your project, environmental issues or programs for
publication in the PA Environment Digest to: DHess@CrisciAssociates.com.

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

of Environmental Protection and is published as a service to the clients of Crisci Associates, a
Harrisburg-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.