PA Environment Digest May 14, 2018

Issue #724 Crisci Associates, Harrisburg, PA May 14, 2018
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DEP Begins Accepting Growing Greener Plus Watershed Restoration Grant Applications
May 14
The Department of Environmental Protection will

start accepting applications for its Growing Greener
Plus Grant Program on May 14. The deadline for
applications is July 13. (formal notice)
DEP will have more than $20 million available to
municipalities and nonprofit organizations for
projects to improve water quality in their community
or statewide.
“Growing Greener Plus has provided almost $300
million for more than 2,100 projects statewide since
its inception,” said Department of Environmental
Protection Secretary Patrick McDonnell. “With its
long history of supporting local partnerships and on-the-ground efforts, DEP’s Growing Greener
plays an essential role in restoring and protecting the health of streams and rivers in communities
across Pennsylvania.”
Grants are available for projects addressing nonpoint source pollution from farms, urban
stormwater runoff, and acid mine drainage (AMD) at abandoned coal mine sites. Projects may be
small or large, addressing an individual site or creating an initiative for an entire watershed, for
multiple counties, or statewide.
County and municipal governments, county conservation districts, watershed
organizations, and other organizations that work to protect and restore Pennsylvania’s
environment are eligible to apply.
For the second year, emphasis will be placed on projects in the 43 Pennsylvania counties
in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed that implement best management practices (BMPs) to reduce
nitrogen, phosphorus, and sediment runoff in streams and rivers.
Projects that are in designated environmental justice communities or Act 47 financially
distressed municipalities, projects that increase job opportunities and foster sustainable
businesses, and projects that help regulated stormwater communities meet their minimum control
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measures will also be prioritized.
Funds are available for BMPs, such as streambank fencing, streambank forest buffers,
animal heavy use area protection; wetland creation or enhancement; AMD treatment systems or
land reclamation at abandoned coal mine sites; projects included in a Clean Water Act Section
319 Watershed Implementation Plan; and AMD projects located in Qualified Hydrologic Units.
Applications will only be accepted electronically for Growing Greener Watershed
protection, Section 319, Surface Mining Conservation Set-Aside Grants.
Click Here for all the details.
NewsClips:
Sacred Heart Academy In Bryn Mawr Gets New Native Trees Planted
Crable: Dirt & Gravel Roads In Lancaster Focus Of Initiative To Protect Streams
Crable: Why Are There Still Dirt Roads In Lancaster County?
$41M Green Infrastructure Solution To Stormwater/Flooding In Pittsburgh
Westmoreland Conservation District Seeks Applicants For DEP Water Quality Grants
Centre County 7th Graders Learn About Water Quality In Their Own Backyards
11-Member Municipal Stormwater Committee Receives MS4 Permit In Blair
Mercer County Conservation District Series Offers Kayaking, Stream Monitoring, More
Lower Burrell Stormwater Committee Meetings Shift To Kinloch
Celebrating The Success And Future Of The Brandywine-Christina Watershed
Delaware RiverKeeper May 11 RiverWatch Video Report
Latest From The Chesapeake Bay Journal
Click Here to subscribe to the Chesapeake Bay Journal
Follow Chesapeake Bay Journal On Twitter
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Related Stories:
CFA Accepting Applications For Act 13 Water-Related, Recreation Grants Until May 31
Apply Now For $5,000 In Mine Reclamation Grants From Anthracite Power Producers
Senators Yaw, Yudichak, Rep. Everett To Introduce Bills Creating Keystone Tree Fund
Checkoff
New Statewide Partnership Launches Major Effort To Plant 10 Million Trees To Cleanup
Pennsylvania’s Streams, Rivers
[Posted: May 7, 2018]
DEP Announces $55.6 Million In Federal Funding To Support 150 Abandoned Mine
Reclamation Projects
The Department of Environmental Protection Tuesday

announced approval of $55.6 million in federal funding
to support at least 150 abandoned coal mine
reclamation projects that will create new jobs, reduce
health and safety risks, and improve the environment
and outdoor recreation opportunities throughout
Pennsylvania.
“Pennsylvania’s mining legacy necessitates continued
commitment to remediating and reclaiming former
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mine lands, eliminating hazards, improving the environment, and benefiting communities,” said
Department of Environmental Protection Secretary Patrick McDonnell.
The projects approved for funding will remove dangerous steep walls left by mining
operations; correct hazardous sinkholes and troughs caused by collapse of underground mines;
extinguish underground fires; reforest and revegetate some land; and remove acid mine drainage,
helping to restore the health of streams, some of which have been contaminated for decades, and
potentially enabling the return of fish populations.
Project funding comes from the U.S. Department of the Interior Office of Surface Mining
Reclamation and Enforcement 2018 Abandoned Mine Land Grant Fund, and is supported by the
active mining industry via a fee on coal mined across the country.
“One-third of the abandoned mine lands in the nation are located in Pennsylvania, largely
as a result of hundreds of years of coal mining prior to modern laws, regulations, and
safeguards,” said Eric Cavazza, director of the DEP Bureau of Abandoned Mine Reclamation.
“DEP receives around 800 requests annually for assistance from the public for AML problems
and constantly evaluates eligible sites, assigning a higher priority to sites that pose a public
health, safety, or property risk.”
Some of the larger projects to be funded include the following:
-- Allegheny County: To extinguish the Renton underground mine fire in Plum Borough;
-- Blair County: To reclaim the Glen White (North Site) abandoned surface mine in Logan
Township, eliminating a dangerous highwall and improving water quality in Altoona’s public
water supply area;
-- Cambria County: To reclaim the Stineman coal refuse pile in South Fork Borough, to
improve water quality in the South Fork of the Little Conemaugh River and facilitate
construction of a missing section of the Path of the Flood Trail;
-- Centre County: To reclaim the Shettleston abandoned surface mine in Snow Shoe Township,
eliminating a dangerous highwall, restoring forestland through tree planting, and improving
recreational opportunities;
-- Clearfield County: To reclaim the Weber Run West abandoned surface mine in Cooper
Township, eliminating a dangerous highwall;
-- Indiana County: To construct an AMD treatment plant in Buffington Township, to treat
water from three underground mine pools to improve water quality in Blacklick Creek and the
Kiski-Conemaugh Watershed;
-- Lackawanna County: To extinguish the Dolph underground mine fire in Olyphant Borough.
-- Lawrence County: To reclaim the Castlewood West abandoned surface mine in Shenango
-- Northumberland County: To eliminate a dangerous highwall at the Bear Valley Southwest
abandoned surface mine, allowing construction of an off-road vehicle/ATV park to improve
recreational opportunities in Coal and Zerbe Townships;
-- Schuylkill County: To reclaim the Oneida West abandoned surface mine in North Union
-- Westmoreland County: To reclaim the Banning coal refuse pile in Rostraver Township. A
solar farm is planned for the site; and
-- Westmoreland County: To control mine subsidence in the town of Bradenville to stabilize
and help prevent future subsidence for more than 100 homes.
The DEP Bureau of Abandoned Mine Reclamation is an award-winning national leader
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in mine land reclamation. The Bureau has completed projects at several thousand AML sites,
benefiting communities across Pennsylvania.
Visit DEP’s Bureau of Abandoned Mine Reclamation webpage to learn more.
(Photo: Ehrenfeld Mine Reclamation Project, Cambria County.)
NewsClips:
Frazier: Abandoned Mines Across PA To Get $55M In Federal Cleanup Money
Abandoned Mine Work Slated For Western PA
Dirty, Cloudy Creeks Causing Public To Worry About Water’s Safety
League Of Women Voters Presents Environmental Awards In Indiana County
Related Stories:
New DEP Initiative To Help Educate Homeowners About Mine Subsidence Damage Risks
DEP Begins Accepting Growing Greener Plus Watershed Restoration Grant Applications May
14
Register Now For 20th PA Abandoned Mine Reclamation Conference
Gov. Wolf Announces $25 Million In Funding For 12 Abandoned Mine Reclamation Projects
Op-Ed: Tap Federal AML Fund For Coal Country Land, Water Restoration There Is No Excuse
Driving PA Forward Grant/Rebate Program To Replace Older Diesel Engines, Cut

Nitrogen Oxide Emissions
Thursday the Wolf Administration

announced a new Driving PA Forward
Grant/Rebate Program to replace older,
polluting diesel engines with new
technologies DEP estimates will cut
nitrogen oxide emissions by up to 27,700
tons. (formal notice)
Eight new grant and rebate programs
will operate over the next 5 years with up
to $39 million available the first year--
-- Clean Diesel Grants: Competitive
grants for diesel emission reduction projects, including but not limited to exhaust controls,
engine upgrades, and engine and vehicle replacement. Eligible vehicles, engines, and equipment
under this program include many of those eligible under other programs listed here, but also
include those used in construction, agriculture, mining and other industries. Applications for
these grants will be available this month.
-- Electric Vehicle Fast Charging or Hydrogen Fuel Cell Equipment Grants: Competitive
grants for the acquisition, installation, operation, and maintenance of electric vehicle (EV) fast
charging equipment and hydrogen fuel cell vehicle supply equipment. Grant applications will
be accepted beginning later this summer.
-- Level 2 Light-Duty Vehicle Charging Equipment Rebates: Rebates for Level 2 Electric
Vehicle Charging equipment for both public and non-public use to charge electric vehicles.
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Rebates will be available beginning later this summer.
-- Heavy-Duty Truck and Transit Bus Grants: Competitive grants for Class 8 trucks and
transit buses. Model year 1992-2009 or older vehicles will be eligible for replacement or
repowering with new diesel, electric, or alternative fuel engines. Grant applications will be
accepted starting later this summer.
-- Medium-Duty Truck, School and Shuttle Bus, Port Drayage Truck Rebates: Rebates for
class 4-7 trucks and port drayage trucks model year 1992-2009 and for school and shuttle buses
older than model year 2009. Rebates will be available beginning later this summer.
-- Shore Power Systems for Ocean-Going Vessel Grants: Competitive grants for upgrades to
ports to enable compatible ocean-going vessels to plug in and rely on electric power while in
port, rather than running diesel engines. Grant applications will be accepted beginning later
this year.
-- Forklift, Airport Ground Support Equipment, and Port Cargo Handling Equipment
Grants: Competitive grants to repower or replace vehicles used in transit and transportation to
fully electric models to reduce air pollution at ports, airports, and factories. Grant applications
will be accepted beginning later this year.
-- Ferry, Tugboat, and Freight Switcher Grants: Competitive grants to repower or replace
eligible ferries, tugboats, and freight switcher locomotives. Grant applications will be accepted
beginning later this year.
“Clean air is the cornerstone of a clean, healthy environment,” said Gov. Wolf. “When
Volkswagen cheated on its emissions equipment, it undermined that cornerstone. Today, through
our new Driving PA Forward initiative, we will begin to remedy that by driving the transition
towards advanced zero-emission and low-emission vehicles and accelerating the build-out of
infrastructure necessary to support the next generation of transportation options.”
“We encourage businesses to switch to cleaner alternatives and be the driving force
behind cleaner air in the commonwealth,” said Department of Environmental Protection
Secretary Patrick McDonnell. “Driving PA Forward will provide grants and rebates to upgrade
and replace vehicles with cleaner alternatives, particularly in areas of the commonwealth with
the poorest air quality This isn’t just school buses and tractor-trailers; projects to replace or
upgrade tugboats, forklifts, delivery trucks, and many more vehicles and equipment will be
eligible for funding.”
“Reducing smog and particle pollution is essential to maintaining healthy communities,”
said Department of Health Secretary Rachel Levine. “More than 380,000 children in
Pennsylvania have asthma – something that is exacerbated by air pollution from diesel
emissions. These grants and rebates will cut down on those emissions and help everyone breathe
a little easier.”
Through a settlement between the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the U.S.
Department of Justice, and Volkswagen, roughly $118 million has been set aside for projects in
Pennsylvania that reduce vehicle emissions which contribute to the creation of smog, ground
level ozone, and acid rain.
In 2017, DEP solicited feedback from the public regarding the allocation of the uses of
the funds as proscribed by the settlement.
Last year, the Senate and House transferred $30.4 million from a separate settlement with
Volkswagen for the same violations by Attorney General Shapiro to the General Fund to help
balance the budget.
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Senate Bill 722 (Bartolotta-R-Washington) was also introduced last year to provide for
the distribution of the $118 million settlement funds DEP will be announcing.
Visit DEP’s Driving PA Forward Grant/Rebate Program webpage for available details.
Click Here for the full, written Driving PA Forward Plan.
NewsClips:
AP-Scolforo: PA Funds Clean Air Grant/Rebate Program With VW Settlement
Sisk: Volkswagen Settlement Money To Go To Cleaner Vehicles, Engines
VW Diesel Settlement To Fund Grant Program For School Bus, Truck Operators
Hopey: Shenango Coke (Coal) Works Smokestacks Coming Down
Residents Unhappy With Notice For Shenango Coke Works Smokestack Implosion
Frazier: Sierra Club To Sue Cheswick Coal Power Plant Over Air Pollution
EDF Blog: Why And How We’re Zeroing In On Methane In Pennsylvania
Late Spring, Rain Propel A Rise In Pollen, Allergies
Pollen Counts In Central PA Among Highest In The Nation
Vog Warning For Hawaii Reminiscent Of 1948 Donora Fog Disaster
Editorial: Take A Drag Of Western PA’s Outside Fresh Air
AP: U.S. Senators: Trump Wants Year-Round Sales Of High-Ethanol Gasoline
U.S. Refiners Reap Big Rewards From EPA Biofuel Waivers
Related Stories:
DEP Seeks Input On Use Of $118 Million Volkswagen Settlement Fund To Reduce Air
Pollution
Proposed Senate Bill Would Distribute Volkswagen Diesel Testing Settlement Funds
EPA Recognizes Children's Hospital Of Philadelphia With Asthma Management Award
Op-Ed: State Officials Need To Protect PA From Trump's EPA
PennDOT Announces Funding For Trail, Environmental Projects To Support

Transportation Alternatives
Gov. Tom Wolf and PennDOT Secretary Leslie

S. Richards Tuesday announced the approval of
funding for 82 projects to improve transportation
alternatives and enhance mobility and public
accessibility across the Commonwealth.
"Building for the future includes improving
access to a variety of transportation options and
these investments will promote safety and
mobility for communities across Pennsylvania,”
Gov. Wolf said.
The administration awarded $66.8 million
through the Surface Transportation Block Grant
program Set-Aside or Transportation Alternatives Set-Aside.
The Transportation Alternatives Set-Aside provides funding for projects and activities
defined as transportation alternatives, including on- and off-road pedestrian and bicycle facilities,
infrastructure projects for improving non-driver access to public transportation and enhanced
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mobility, community improvement activities, and environmental mitigation, trails that serve a
transportation purpose, and safe routes to school projects.
"Our citizens are taking advantage of an array of trails and improvements that enhance
the state’s quality of life, and these new investments will build on our successes in making
Pennsylvania an attractive place to live and work,” Richards added.
Among the trail and environmental improvement projects were--
-- Bedford: Broad Top Township - $246,152 for construction of a two-mile extension to the
existing H&BT Rail Trail from the Riddlesburg trailhead, north towards the Warriors Path State
Park in Saxton.
-- Blair: Antis Township - $875,780 for the construction of a hike/bike trail along the
right-of-way of the former Logan Valley Streetcar Line.
-- Bucks--
-- Solebury Township - $1,000,000 to build the next segment of the Route 202 Cross-County
Trail within the Aquetong Park boundaries.
-- Doylestown Township - $985,000 for construction of a 0.8-mile trail along Shady Retreat and
Burpee Roads that will connect several neighborhoods to the Doyle Elementary School, Lenape
Middle School and Central Bucks West High Schools.
-- Lower Makefield Township - $700,000 for 3,500 linear feet of 10’ multi-use trail that will
connect the existing trail to several township facilities, parks and schools.
-- Carbon: Carbon County - $403,986 to connect the Delaware & Lehigh Trail from the
northern trailhead to the new pedestrian bridge south of the Carbon County Parking Lot with a
safe delineated travel path along the Lehigh River.
-- Clinton: Clinton County - $1,087,197 to build a critical phase of the 11-mile Clinton County
Rail Trail that connects five Clinton County municipalities to the Lycoming County border, and
ultimately to the Jersey Shore trailhead of the Pine Creek Rail Trail.
-- Crawford: Pymatuning State Park - $958,461 to improve and extend the Pymatuning State
Park Spillway Rail Trail nearly four miles, resulting in safe visitor access to park visitor centers,
schools, and connection with the PA Route 6 and Bicycle PA Route Y near Linesville.
-- Delaware--
-- Media Borough - $400,000 for a stormwater parkette to reduce flooding in north Media
through collection and infiltration of stormwater, making streets and sidewalks safer and
improving the local water quality.
-- Concord Township - $1,163,000 for construction of Phase 1A of the multimodal Octoraro
Trail in Concord and Chadds Ford Townships from State Route 202 to Temple Road.
-- Chadds Ford Township - $1,000,000 for development of a multi-modal trail extending from
the Township Municipal Complex on the south side of U.S. Route 1 to the Village of Chadds
Ford at South Creek Road and Station Way Road/North Creek Road.
-- Erie: $250,000 to add bike lanes, crosswalks, and a way-finding signage system throughout
the city's trail network.
-- Forest: Jenks Township - $1,196,169 to construct a six-mile segment of trail and a trail hub
that will serve cyclists, snowmobiles and equestrians. The project will provide a link to several
trails, including the North Country Trail, Knox to Kane Trail, and the Allegheny National Forest
trail system.
-- Indiana: Indiana County - $310,495 for trail surface, base and drainage improvements to the
Hoodlebug Trail from Saylor Park to north of Homer City.
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-- Lackawanna--
-- Keystone College - $917,815 to provide pedestrians and bicyclists a safe route to travel along
College Road and a connection to the seven miles of public trails in the area of the college
campus.
-- Lackawanna Heritage Valley Authority - $200,000 to construct a 0.9-mile paved trail from
Parker Street in Scranton to Boulevard Avenue in Dickson City, closing a major gap of the
Lackawanna River Heritage Trail. This funding supplements a $800,000 TA Set-Aside award
from the Lackawanna and Luzerne Transportation Study MPO.
-- Scranton - $1,000,000 to connect the Lackawanna River Heritage Trail to the Steamtown
National Historic Site and the city of Scranton with a pedestrian bridge.
-- Dickson City - $991,110 for streetscaping, safety improvements, and a bike path connecting to
the Lackawanna River Heritage Trail.
-- Lancaster: Manor Township - $3,000,000 to rehabilitate the Safe Harbor Trestle Bridge, built
in 1905, to a functional state to accommodate bicycle and pedestrian traffic and connect two
currently separate sections of the Enola Low Grade Rail Trail.
-- Lawrence: Shenango Township - $920,000 to construct a dedicated trail lane for North
Country Trail users along Sankey Hill Road.
-- Lebanon--
-- Lebanon School District - $742,000 to construct new pedestrian/bicycle paths, sidewalks,
signage, ADA curb ramps, crosswalks, lighting and school crossing improvements near
Northwest Elementary School.
-- Lebanon County - $964,000 to construct a multi-use trail in the City of Lebanon from 16th
Street at the west end of the John E. Wengert Memorial Park to 22nd Street at the eastern end of
Gloninger Woods Park in North Cornwall Township.
-- Lehigh: Lehigh County - $838,188 for construction of a trail to close a 1.45-mile trail gap
along the Delaware & Lehigh Trail from the Lehigh and Northampton County line to Hanover
Township's Canal Park on the old canal towpath.
-- Lycoming--
-- Loyalsock Township - $682,000 to construct a paved greenway to connect Bruce Henry Park
and its surrounding residential areas in Loyalsock Township to the existing Susquehanna
Bikeway and Riverwalk.
-- River Valley Transit (Williamsport) - $1,000,000 to construct the Willow Street Green
Infrastructure Pathway Project in the city of Williamsport, providing an improved transportation
route for pedestrians and cyclists.
-- Montgomery: Whitpain Township - $641,552 for construction of a 0.7-mile key portion of the
Whitpain Trail network.
-- Montour: Borough of Danville - $620,629 for construction of one mile of paved pedestrian
and bicycle trail atop the Hospital Run and the Upper Susquehanna levees as part of the North
Branch Canal Trail system.
-- Philadelphia--
-- $300,000 for installation of a traffic signal, pedestrian countdown timers, line striping, and
sidewalks along a curb extension created by the Philadelphia Water Department's proposed rain
garden in an underutilized section of the cartway.
-- $1,000,000 to rehabilitate a severely deteriorated portion of the Manayunk Canal in
Philadelphia, preserving an important historic transportation structure and mitigating potential
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safety issues.
-- Somerset: Redevelopment Authority of Somerset County - $1,200,000 for Phase II-A of the
Berlin Revitalization Project, including sidewalks, curbs, streetscapes along a portion of the
September 11th National Memorial Trail.
-- Susquehanna: Lanesboro Borough - $1,358,920 for improvements, including drainage,
resurfacing, and access control, along a 5.5-mile section of the D&H Rail Trail from Brandt to
the New York border.
-- Tioga--
-- Tioga County - $1,500,000 to extend the Pine Creek Rail Trail three miles to the west of
Wellsboro, thereby closing a trail gap, promoting tourism, and increasing economic activity.
Union
-- Borough of Lewisburg - $1,000,000 to restore Bull Run's natural floodplain, daylight
stormwater and extend the Buffalo Valley Rail Trail to Bucknell University.
-- Westmoreland: Derry Township Municipal Authority - $1,000,000 to construct a trail that
will extend from Keystone State Park in Derry Township to the New Alexandria Borough
Municipal Park.
Click Here for the complete announcement.
For more information on trails in Pennsylvania, visit the Explore PA Trails website.
(Photo: Delaware & Lehigh Trail.)
NewsClips:
$1 Million Grant For Trail Project In Derry, Salem Townships
Trail Project Will Connect Somerset Borough To Major 9/11 Memorials
Missing Link In Great Allegheny Passage Trail Nearing Completion
Fayette County Gets $906K To Extend Trail Along Cheat River
Editorial: Community Can See The Future With Park Improvements
Related Stories:
DCED, PennDOT, DCNR, Local Partners Celebrate New Recreational Opportunities In
Carbondale Riverwalk Improvements
Sen. Yudichak Kicks Off Senator Takes A Hike On Delaware & Lehigh Trail In Bucks County
PA Parks & Forests Foundation Recognizes 2018 Award Winners
Cliff Jones, A Life Well Lived-- Remarks By DCNR Secretary Cindy Adams Dunn
PA Environmental Defense Foundation Files Motion To Protect $383 Million In State Forest
Drilling Payments
DCNR Secretary Highlights Solar Energy Installations At Mt. Pisgah, Fort Washington State
Parks
Bay Journal: Marcellus Drilling Producing More Than Natural Gas-- Free Ride For Invasive
Plants
Delaware Highlands Conservancy, Lacawac Sanctuary June 2 Money Grows On Trees
Workshop, Wayne County
PA Environmental Defense Foundation Files Motion To Protect $383 Million In State

Forest Drilling Payments
On May 4, the PA Environmental Defense Foundation
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filed a motion with Commonwealth Court asking that $383 million in bonus and lease payments
from natural gas drilling on state forest land be protected and spent only in accordance with the
public trustee requirements of the PA Supreme Court’s June 20 decision.
The motion seeks to clarify that bonus and lease payments from the sale of public natural
resources are part of the public trust protected by the state’s Environmental Rights Amendment,
rather than simple payments for the use of land like renting a cabin or picnic area in a state park.
This follows an action filed by PEDF in December asking Commonwealth Court to
declare unconstitutional the 2017 amendments to the Fiscal Code transferring money out of
DCNR’s Oil and Gas Lease Fund to balance the FY 2017-18 budget.
The language contained in the 2017 Fiscal Code amendments-- House Bill 674 (page
23)-- eliminated the current law on how the Oil and Gas Lease Fund monies could be used. The
new law simply says rents and royalties from oil and gas leases were to be used as appropriated
by the General Assembly.
And then in a nod to the June 20 PA Supreme Court decision, language was added to
say-- “the General Assembly shall consider the Commonwealth’s trustee duties under Section 27
of Article I of the Constitution of Pennsylvania.”
This latest action is part of a series of PEDF actions over the last several months to urge
the courts to determine which funds are to be held in the public trust as a result of the June
decision and what PEDF sees as a failure by Commonwealth Court to follow the direction of the
PA Supreme Court in the June 20 order.
The PA Supreme Court ruled last June that amendments to the 2009 and 2010 Fiscal
Code by the General Assembly using gas drilling revenues to balance the state budget were
unconstitutional because there was no evidence the General Assembly considered the use of the
funds in its role as a public trustee for natural resources under the Environmental Rights
Amendment.
The Court remanded the case to Commonwealth Court to determine which funds were
specifically used without considering the state’s role as public trustee.
In January, Commonwealth Court tried to narrow the focus of the case only to bonus and
lease payments to which the PEDF objected and filed the request for Extraordinary Jurisdiction
with the PA Supreme Court.
To date, more than $1.1 billion from the sale of public natural resources has been used to
fill gaps in the state budget, and were not appropriated without considering the state’s role as
public trustee, according to PEDF.
Click Here for a copy of the latest motion.
For more information, visit the PA Environmental Defense Foundation website.
Related Stories:
PA Environmental Defense Foundation Asks PA Supreme Court To Consider Unconstitutional
Oil & Gas Fund Spending Issues Commonwealth Court Won’t
PEDF Files Petition Requesting PA Supreme Court To Enforce Environmental Rights Budget
Decision
PEDF: Commonwealth Court Effort To Narrow Focus Of Review Of How State Spends DCNR
Oil & Gas Payments Without Factual, Legal Support
PEDF Files Petition Urging Court To Declare New Transfers of Monies From Oil & Gas Fund
Unconstitutional, $1.1 Billion At Stake
PA Supreme Court Declares Law Diverting Oil & Gas Lease Funds To General Fund
10
Unconstitutional
Checkoff
Parks
PennDOT Announces Funding For Trail, Environmental Projects To Support Transportation
Alternatives
Plants
The PA Parks and Forests Foundation

Wednesday recognized its 2018 Award
winners at a special dinner and reception at
the Susquehanna Club in New Cumberland,
near Harrisburg. The winners include--
-- Cliff Jones Keystone Legacy Award:
DCNR Secretary Cindy Adams Dunn
Secretary Dunn’s passion for the
environment is evident in her private life
and her long career in conservation. Her
career spans both nonprofit and government
work; from the Alliance for the Chesapeake
Bay, the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, Audubon Pennsylvania, to time with PennFuture, and
multiple titles at the Department of Environmental Resources and the Department of
Conservation and Natural Resources. (Click Here for her remarks.)
Award sponsor is Dominion Energy.
-- Joseph Ibberson Government Award: Rep. Kate Harper (R-Montgomery)
Rep. Harper has a lifelong commitment to Pennsylvania’s clean air and water, open
space, and people. Her dedication to our common wealth began long before her election to the
state legislature with service on the Montgomery County Open Space Planning Board, the
county’s Planning Commission, and as chair of the Montgomery County Lands Trust.
Rep. Harper has been committed to supporting the state’s Growing Greener and Growing
Greener II programs, open space and the environment, including such legislation that helps
businesses reduce their carbon footprint, address
Award sponsor is Chamber of Commerce for Greater Philadelphia.
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-- President’s Award: PA Wilds Conservation Landscape/The PA Wilds Center
This year’s award was presented in two parts. First to Department of Conservation and
Natural Resources Conservation Landscape leader, Meredith Hill Poole for being the
consummate advocate for the PA Wilds to empower the success of the local team.
Next to The Wilds Cooperative of PA, the Center’s core business development program.
The PA Wilds is creating an entrepreneurial ecosystem for more than 250 small businesses, local
producers and artisans critical to a tourism economy and vibrant communities.
Award sponsor is AFSCME Council 13.
-- Park of the Year: Cook Forest State Park (Clarion County)
Cook Forest State Park has over 2,300 acres of various types of old growth forest,
predominately hemlock and white pine.
To prevent the numerous old growth trees from falling to the Hemlock Woolly Adelgid,
park and forestry staff collaboratively work to treat the eastern hemlocks, while also partnering
with filmmakers and friends to build awareness about the trees plight.
2018 brought many improvement and rehabilitation projects, as well as events and annual
programs for Cook Forest State Park.
Award sponsor is Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney.
-- Forest of the Year: Rothrock State Forest (Centre, Huntingdon, Mifflin Counties)
The staff of Rothrock State Forest is dedicated to forest management and recreation. This
is evident by their long list of accomplishments including grading and maintenance of 180 miles
of state forest roads to increase forest access, the completion of a recent trail study, and
launching a new friends group.
The staff, with their many partners and volunteers improve access to recreation while
sustainably managing the forest ecosystem.
Award sponsor is Stahl Sheaffer Engineering.
-- Volunteers of the Year:
-- Education: Tom and Marilyn Fye, Clear Creek (Jefferson County) and Parker Dam
(Clearfield County) state parks
As campground hosts, Tom and Marilyn Fye took hosting to a whole new level with the
development of their popular campfire cooking programs, including utensil-less cooking,
cardboard box cooking, and tripod cooking.
The Fyes paired history with candle dipping at Clear Creek State Park’s annual Lumber
Heritage Day. In 2017, they completed their 60th Woodsy Owl event.
Today, Tom and Marilyn continue volunteering their time at Parker Dam State Park and
the Lou and Helen Adams Civilian Conservation Corps Museum.
Award sponsor is Straub Brewery.
-- Outstanding Stewardship: Gifford Pinchot Disc Golf Club (York County)
The Gifford Pinchot Disc Golf Club has been essential to promoting the sport of disc golf
at Gifford Pinchot State Park in York County, not only for experienced players, but making the
sport accessible for any park visitor.
Their dedication to the park goes beyond the regular maintenance to the two, 18-hole
courses found at the park, but to the needs of the park in general. In 2019, the group will host
hundreds of competitors from around the world for the PDGA Amateur Disc Golf World
Championships.
Award sponsor is Saul Ewing Arnstein & Lehr.
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-- Volunteers: The Over the Hill Gang at Oil Creek State Park (Venango County)
In 2017, the Over the Hill Gang at Oil Creek State Park logged over 2,900 volunteer
hours maintaining trails at the park, amassing more than 25,300 hours in 20 years.
Trail work includes hauling gear to and from the week’s worksite, hazardous tree
removal, drainage and bridge repairs, and splitting firewood. The “Gang” demonstrates that
retirement doesn’t mean leaving something; it’s about going towards something new.
-- Young Volunteer: Sarah Reeping, Laurel Hill State Park Complex (Somerset County)
Ms. Reeping’s commitment to Laurel Hill State Park benefits the children who visit to
attend programs and events. Using art and play, Sarah helps children to foster memorable
experiences of their time outdoors.
Sarah started volunteering as a means to earn church service hours and to spend quality
time with her grandmother. She now assists with the annual Blue Grass Festival, stewardship
days, campground activities, and movie nights.
Award sponsor is Recreational Equipment Inc. (REI)
For more information on programs, initiatives and special events, visit the PA Parks &
Forests Foundation website. Click Here to sign up for regular updates from the Foundation,
Like them on Facebook or Follow them on Twitter. Click Here to become a member of the
Foundation.
NewsClips:
Why This State Senator Is Tackling The 165-Mile D&L Trail (Hint: Eagles)
LHVA Opens 1.4 Miles Stretch Of Trail In Upvalley
Rachel Carson Challenge Hike Filled
Crable: Railroad Trestle Rehab Project Gets Funding To Link Low Grade Rail Trail In Lancaster
Editorial: Unlocking The Potential Of McKees Rocks, River Towns
Crable: Bungled Penn State Decision To Ground Outing Club After 98 Deserved Derision
Lyme Disease Sufferer, Advocate: You Have To Fight This
PA Leader In Lyme Disease: Expert Gives Tick Prevention Tips
Lawrence County Man Killed In ATV Crash
Schneck: Boating Safety Tips In PA: Use Life Jackets, What To Avoid
Fatal Boat Accident On The Susquehanna River: What We Know
Latest Boating Accident Raising Concerns About Harrisburg’s Dock Street Dam
Learn How To Lock Through The Allegheny River At Lockfest May 12
Related Stories:
Drilling Payments
Checkoff
13
Parks
Alternatives
Plants
On Wednesday, the PA Parks and Forests Foundation recognized

Department of Conservation and Natural Resources Secretary
Cindy Adams Dunn with the Cliff Jones Keystone Legacy Award.
In her remarks accepting the award, Dunn reflected on the
life of Cliff Jones, a mentor and a friend to her through most of
her professional life. Here is the text of her remarks--
I am extremely honored and humbled to receive the Cliff Jones

Keystone Legacy award. On behalf of the women and men of
DCNR, I thank you.
This award bearing his name is particularly meaningful to
me.
I am very fortunate to have had Cliff as a mentor and a
friend.
This past Monday, May 7, was the 10th anniversary of his death. To all of us here who
knew him, it felt way too soon.
In my office, there’s a framed photo of a Peregrine Falcon with an inscription that reads
“To Clifford L. Jones, in appreciation of his service to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania as
Secretary of the Department of Environmental Protection, PEC 1993.”
Cliff gave this to me just weeks before he died, and I hang it in a prominent place in
every office I work in.
Cliff gave so much to public service, to conservation and to so many aspects of civic life
that I feel it would be a shame if we lose sight of Cliff’s contributions, and the lessons we can
learn from his life.
There are some people you meet in life who leave a hole when they’re gone and whose
niche is really never filled. Cliff is one of those people.
I often run into his son Brad Jones in Harrisburg, and we talk about the news of the day
and often end the conversation with the thought. Wow – wish Cliff were here to help with that.
Or, wonder what Cliff would say about that.
Receiving this award tonight is very meaningful to me, and I want to use my time to talk
about some of the lessons we can all take from the life of Cliff Jones, lessons that collectively
14
taken in a large room of conservationists and civic leaders like we have here tonight, could move
us forward and inspire the type of action that Cliff would generate.
Just a little background. Cliff Jones served six governors and held cabinet secretary
positions in the departments of Commerce, Labor and Industry, and Environmental Resources.
He then chaired the Public Utility Commission and served as President of the Chamber of
Business and Industry.
Lesson #1: Be a person of action
A Patriot News editorial the day following his death was headlined “Cliff Jones was a
doer across Pennsylvania who could inspire others to action as well.”
As many will attest, action for good causes was what he was known best for.
Because he could so effectively get large things done, governors, civic leaders, and others
went to him for his assistance, which he generously gave. He made a profound difference, as
Ron Ramsey of The Nature Conservancy quoted.
Cliff was a DCNR Champion. While Secretary of DER, Cliff had a special place in his
heart for the mission of state parks.
He worked with the legislature to create a “Major Maintenance Fund” where by revenue
collected any given fiscal year would be available in a fund for improvements and repairs to state
park facilities.
This fund gave agency staff certainty that damages could be repaired and then small
projects could be funded, thus preventing the need for larger repairs.
Cliff was an important voice in the creation of DCNR. He served on the Ridge
Transition Team with two other retired DER secretaries – Maurice Goddard and Peter Duncan.
Like many who cared about conservation, state parks and forests, he saw that the focus
was subsumed by the regulatory demands of the Department of Environmental Resources.
Only a small portion of any Secretary of DER’s time could be given to the tremendous
asset of state parks and forests.
With Maurice Goddard, Bill Forrey and others, he gathered input from dozens of leaders
and helped create the impetus to form a separate cabinet-level agency.
Thus, on July 1, 1995, DCNR was created by Act 18.
Cliff had a particular interest in wildlife. Walt Pomeroy reminded me that he and Cliff
served together for 22 years on the original Advisory Board for the Wild Resource Conservation
Fund.
And he was a very strong supporter of the original “Owl Plate” for the Fund that raised
close to $3 million and started a “revolution” of new license plate designs for the
Commonwealth.
In fact, it was his connections and persuasive abilities with legislators and PennDOT
officials that finally convinced them to support the plate.
Lesson #2: People and details matter
While it’s not the role of an agency Secretary to get into the weeds of every issue, good
decision making requires knowing staff and the expertise they have.
I personally find this to be one of the most gratifying aspects of my job as Secretary, and
to serve the public, you need to know the people and skills they have to offer to public service.
My most significant mentor in life, my father Robert Adams, worked for Cliff at the
Department of Environmental Resources when Cliff was Secretary.
One thing that really impressed my father about Cliff was that he knew everyone’s name
15
and what they did, despite a large agency with many different functions.
Cliff took the time to talk to his staff, and ask them key questions. With his laser-sharp
memory, he’d retain important information to make decisions in DER.
Lesson #3: Government agencies need non-profit partners
Cliff Jones was instrumental in the formation and leadership of Pennsylvania Parks and
Forestry Foundation.
As DCNR’s first Secretary, John Oliver created the Foundation and recruited Cliff, who
was a major driver in getting it set up. Bill Forrey and Bob Griffith were among the initial board
that shaped and grew PPFF from concept to fruition.
He also led the hiring process that resulted in Marci Mowery being selected as PPFF’s
second President. She recalls a rather arduous four-interview process! And of course, the rest is
history.
Marci has taken PPFF from 8 Friends Groups to over 40 today.
Lesson #4: Take time to help others with good causes
As driven and busy as Cliff was, he was never too busy to assist others with their goals
and projects. Many of the times I needed to ask Cliff for assistance, it related to birds.
Birds were Cliff’s passion and over the course of his life, he traveled to 55 countries and
7 continents. His bird list totaled 700 North American birds and a whopping 3,800 global
species.
On a personal note, I tapped Cliff numerous times to lead birding trips and Birdathons for
me as an Audubon State Director and volunteer.
He ran a Birdathon much like a military operation. The day began at pre-dawn and
moved rapidly from place to place in search of birds we had not seen or checked off for that day.
As Cliff was approaching the end of his heroic battle with cancer, he called me to ask me
to come over. Having heard that Pintails were spotted at Wildwood, he asked for a ride over to
take a quick birding foray and survey the lake.
As we scanned the lake, there were none in sight among the various teal, buffleheads,
gadwall, wood ducks and mallards, but as we were getting ready to leave, a pair of Pintails
circled in and landed right in front of him.
Lesson #5: Be curious and follow your passions
Cliff was always interested in other cultures and often helped recent immigrants. He set
up a support network for Vietnamese refugees and assisted several families in getting settled into
the region.
I remember his presentation about Cuba upon his return from a science trip there, and his
open-minded curiosity about their government and culture was evident.
Before there was a lot of focus on Pennsylvania’s elk herd, Cliff would lead groups of
friends and allies for his various civic pursuits on elk watching trips to Benezette.
I was fortunate to be invited to join a trip, and his knowledge of local residents, Bureau of
Forestry and Game Commission staff and local residents added great depth to the trip.
He asked Benezette residents about a family members health status, and I remember
being astounded that a person who operated at such a high level of influence here in Harrisburg,
knew so much about people’s personal lives and interests.
He did so because he really cared, but the result was that Cliff had a huge cadre of people
who would assist him in good causes and endeavors.
So thank you Cliff for the life lessons you have taught me. I am in the position to receive
16
this award today thanks to Cliff and many of the mentors and colleagues with whom I have
worked over the years.
I have been privileged to have a varied career touching many aspects of conservation, but
nothing has been more rewarding than my time at DCNR.
I am very proud of what we have been able to accomplish over the last three years under
our strategic initiatives, from launching the PA Outdoor Corps and a new buffer program, to
developing a new climate adaptation strategy and implementing new green and sustainable
practices and technologies and so much more.
I ask that you all join me in helping to live by Cliff’s life lessons:
-- Be a person of action. Be an advocate for state parks and forests. Push for adequate funding
for infrastructure. Talk about climate change and how we need to address its impacts.
-- Pay attention to people and details. Appreciate public servants. Today, I stood with the
Governor to honor one of DCNR’s rangers, and on Friday, DCNR will be honoring teams and
individuals who have conducted outstanding public service over the past year. We are doing
great things.
-- Join together government agencies and nonprofits to accomplish great things. Just look at
what PPFF and DCNR have been able to do together over 20 years!!
-- Take time to help others. Connect the young people in your life to the outdoors.
-- Be curious and follow your passions!
Thank you to PPFF for recognizing me with Cliff Jones Keystone Award. I am truly
honored and humbled to be carrying on his legacy.
Thank you to PPFF for all of the great work that you and your friends groups do every
day to help protect and enhance our state parks and forests.
Cliff Jones’ Resume
Here are just a few of the positions held by Cliff Jones, but the man was much more than
his resume--
-- Whitaker Center for Arts, Science and Education, board and executive committee and
campaign steering committee.
-- Susquehanna Regional Airport Authority, founding member.
-- Capital Region Economic Development Corp., president and CEO, 1992-93.
-- Pennsylvania Chamber of Business and Industry, president, 1983-91.
-- Military Heritage Foundation, member of committee that raised funds for the $100 million
Army Museum in Middlesex Twp.
-- Public Utility Commission, commissioner and, later, chairman, 1981-83.
-- Department of Environmental Resources, secretary, 1979-81 (including the accident at TMI).
-- Pennsylvanians for Effective Government, president, 1975-79.
-- Republican State Committee, chairman, 1970-74.
-- Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry, secretary, 1968-70.
-- Pennsylvania Department of Commerce, secretary, 1967-1968; deputy secretary 1963-67.
-- Environmentalist, member or board member of Hawk Mountain Association, Nature
Conservancy, Wild Resources Conservation Fund, Pennsylvania Environmental Council,
Pennsylvania Wildlife Federation.
-- Honorary doctoral degrees, Westminster College, Thiel College, Moravian College,
Susquehanna University.
Click Here to watch a video on Cliff Jones when he received the PA Resources Council
17
Fox Calhoun Award in 2006, including comments by Cliff.
Ever the renaissance man, Cliff Jones regularly wrote and published poetry in
newspapers around the state. Here is a sample-- “Accents of Alaska” from 2004.
A 2006 article by Patriot-News columnist Nancy Eshelman "’Remarkable Man’ Roosts
On Legacy” captures Cliff Jones quite well. (Special thanks to Walt Pomeroy, who provided
leadership to PA Audubon and the PA Organizations or Watersheds and Rivers, for both these
pieces.)
2018 PPFF Award Winners
The other 2018 PA Parks and Forests Foundation award winners are--
-- Joseph Ibberson Government Award: Rep. Kate Harper (R-Montgomery)
-- President’s Award: PA Wilds Conservation Landscape/The PA Wilds Center
-- Park of the Year: Cook Forest State Park (Clarion County)
-- Forest of the Year: Rothrock State Forest (Centre, Huntingdon, Mifflin Counties)
-- Volunteers of the Year:
-- Education: Tom and Marilyn Fye, Clear Creek (Jefferson County) and Parker Dam
(Clearfield County) state parks
-- Outstanding Stewardship: Gifford Pinchot Disc Golf Club (York County)
-- Volunteers: The Over the Hill Gang at Oil Creek State Park (Venango County)
-- Young Volunteer: Sarah Reeping, Laurel Hill State Park Complex (Somerset County)
Click Here for more on the winners.
For more information on programs, initiatives and special events, visit the PA Parks &
Forests Foundation website. Click Here to sign up for regular updates from the Foundation,
Like them on Facebook or Follow them on Twitter. Click Here to become a member of the
Foundation.
Related Stories:
Dr. Cliff Jones, Former DER Secretary, Public Servant, Birdwatcher, Passes
Click Here to watch a video on Cliff Jones when he received the PA Resources Council Fox
Calhoun Award in 2006, including comments by Cliff.
Drilling Payments
Checkoff
Parks
Alternatives
Plants
18
Commonwealth Court To Hear Mariner East 2 Pipeline Case Challenging Eminent
Domain On Environmental Rights Amendment Grounds
On April 30, Commonwealth Court issued an opinion

in Clean Air Council v. Sunoco (Mariner East 2
Pipeline) agreeing to hear arguments on whether the
Environmental Rights Amendment and its public
trustee obligation as outlined by the PA Supreme Court
in PA Environmental Defense Foundation v.
Commonwealth applies to the pipeline project's
eminent domain actions and requires Sunoco to
consider the environmental impacts of the project.
The opinion sided with the Philadelphia trial court in throwing out other challenges to
Mariner East 2 Pipeline eminent domain actions.
While the Court noted the Environmental Rights Amendment does not impose duties or
obligations on private parties, they recognized the plaintiffs’ argument that Sunoco, in exercising
eminent domain powers, was not acting purely as a private party. Instead, plaintiffs said it was
exerting "governmental powers."
The plaintiffs contented Sunoco, acting under authority conferred by the Public Utility
Commission, was acting as the Commonwealth government in taking eminent domain actions
related to the Mariner East 2 Pipeline.
The Court noted, in the PEDF PA Supreme Court opinion, “In terms of the trustee’s
obligation, the Supreme Court offered the following relevant elaboration: ‘Trustee obligations
are not vested exclusively in any single branch of Pennsylvania’s government, and instead all
agencies and entities of the Commonwealth government, both statewide and local, have a
fiduciary duty to act toward the corpus with prudence, loyalty, and impartiality. Id. at 931 n.23.’
“Accordingly, in terms of actionable rights and Environmental Rights Amendment does
two things: (1) it limits the power of “the state” to act in derogation of protected environmental
interests; and (2) it obligates “the Commonwealth” to act as a trustee of Pennsylvania’s public
natural resources.”
"Accordingly, as Plaintiffs’ Environmental Rights Amendment claim hinges on the
theory that Sunoco is exercising the powers of the Commonwealth government as a public
utility, this Court, and not the trial court, has exclusive original jurisdiction over the claim, and
the trial court, on remand, should transfer this matter to this Court’s original jurisdiction pursuant
to Section 5103(a) of the Judicial Code, 42 Pa. C.S. § 5103(a) (relating to transfers of
erroneously filed matters)."
The Court was careful to say, "This is not to say that the Court has accepted Plaintiffs’
theory of liability. Rather, we reserve for subsequent proceedings the merits question of whether
a public utility, such as Sunoco, exercising the power of eminent domain, acts as the
Commonwealth government and thus has independent duties or obligations to the people of
Pennsylvania under the Environmental Rights Amendment."
Click Here for a copy of the opinion.
NewsClips:
Hurdle: Sunoco: No Alternative To Building Mariner East 2 In Chester County
19
Battle Against Mariner East 2 Pipeline Is David v. Goliath, Lawmaker Says
Related Stories:
Drilling Payments
Delaware RiverKeeper Files Multiple Legal Challenges With FERC Over PennEast Pipeline
Delaware RiverKeeper Files Multiple Legal Challenges With FERC Over PennEast
Pipeline
The Delaware Riverkeeper Network Wednesday announced

it has filed a Petition for a Writ of Mandamus against the
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission in the D.C. Circuit
Court of Appeals seeking a court order that FERC issue a
final response to the organization’s requests for rehearing on
the PennEast Pipeline.
The PennEast pipeline route runs through Luzerne, Carbon,
Northampton, and Bucks counties in Pennsylvania, and
through Mercer and Hunterdon Counties in New Jersey.
A final order on the merits of the PennEast Pipeline
rehearing requests is necessary to allow the organization to
affirmatively challenge FERC’s issuance of a Certificate of
Public Convenience and Necessity for the controversial pipeline project.
Rather than issue such final determinations, FERC issued “tolling orders,” which are
decisions that neither grant nor deny the rehearing requests, thereby placing challengers in what
the Delaware Riverkeeper Network refers to as legal limbo.
In addition to the Mandamus action, the organization also simultaneously filed a Petition
for Review with the D.C. Circuit Court of appeals also challenging the orders of the
Commission.
“Unfortunately, from the day the PennEast pipeline project was first announced in 2014,
we knew FERC would rubber stamp its approval, it was just a matter of when. We also
anticipated that FERC would use its tolling order strategy to try to hamstring our organization,
and other challengers to the project, preventing us from getting our day in court until it was too
late,” said Maya van Rossum, the Delaware Riverkeeper. “So, sadly, every step we have taken
from the day this project was announced, we have undertaken with an eye for finding a way to
get our day in court.
“Often we find the courts complicit in siding with FERC when it comes to these blatantly
unfair strategies. But we are hopeful that we are in a moment in time when the courts finally
realize that enough is enough and it is time to place a check on FERC,” said van Rossum. “Now,
more than ever in this age of Trump when agencies are being allowed to run roughshod over
communities, it is time for the courts to stand up for the rule of law and the rights of the people.”
“FERC’s continued use, and abuse, of tolling orders to obstruct or otherwise delay
aggrieved parties from obtaining their day in court is not only unfair, but reflects a blatant
violation of the public’s due process rights. We look forward to shining a light on these
underhanded tactics before the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals,” said Aaron Stemplewicz, Senior
20
Attorney at Delaware Riverkeeper Network.
At the same time the Delaware Riverkeeper Network submitted its first rehearing request
on January 24, 2018, it also submitted to FERC a Motion for Stay to halt construction and any
other land disturbance pending the rehearing request.
The motion states, “Unless a stay is issued by the Commission, construction of the
Project will go forward without the benefit of the meaningful environmental analysis that the
National Environmental Policy Act requires.”
FERC has yet to issue a decision with regard to the Motion for Stay as well.
The Delaware Riverkeeper Network also has an ongoing lawsuit first launched March 2,
2016, that is currently before the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals, asserting that FERC is infected
by structural bias and is violating the Delaware Riverkeeper Network’s Fifth Amendment Due
Process rights in violation of the Fifth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.
The PennEast pipeline is also the basis of this ongoing legal action.
FERC issued its Certificate approving the PennEast pipeline on January 19, 2018. The
Delaware Riverkeeper Network filed its rehearing request to the FERC Certificate on January 24,
2018. FERC responded with a tolling order issued on February 22, 2018.
DRN submitted a rehearing request on the tolling order immediately, on February 22,
2018. FERC issued a second tolling order on April 13, 2018. Other organizations have
challenged the project and find themselves similarly mired in the legal quagmire created by
FERC.
Pennsylvania has issued Clean Water Act 401 Certification for the project, but not the
underlying state permits necessary to support the Certification. The Delaware Riverkeeper
Network is actively engaged in a legal challenge against Pennsylvania’s Certification.
New Jersey has not taken steps to issue its approval for the project. Approvals are also
required from the Delaware River Basin Commission and the US Army Corps of Engineers.
The FERC Certificate was issued with a 4-1 vote. FERC Commissioner Glick, a recent
appointee to the Commission, dissented from the decision questioning the asserted need for the
project and the information provided by the company regarding its impacts:
“In today’s order, the Commission relies exclusively on the existence of precedent
agreements with shippers to conclude that the PennEast Project is needed. Pursuant to these
agreements, PennEast’s affiliates hold more than 75 percent of the pipeline’s subscribed
capacity. While I agree that precedent and service agreements are one of several measures for
assessing the market demand for a pipeline, contracts among affiliates may be less probative of
that need because they are not necessarily the result of an arm’s length negotiation.”
“PennEast’s certificate application lacks evidence that I believe is important to making
the public interest determination. The Commission addresses this lack of evidence by
conditionally granting the certificate, subject to PennEast’s compliance with the environmental
conditions. I recognize that the courts have upheld the Commission’s authority to issue
conditional certificates. Nevertheless, doing so comes with significant consequences for
landowners whose properties lie in the path of the proposed pipeline.”
Commissioners Chatterjee and Glick both questioned whether it was appropriate to issue
the Certificate as a means of allowing the company to gain access to properties for purposes of
collecting the remaining data it needs to support permit applications.
Click Here for Writ Of Mandamus. Click Here for the Petition Of Review. Click Here
for a list of FERC abuses compiled by the Delaware RiverKeeper.
21
For more information on programs, initiatives and other activities, visit the Delaware
Riverkeeper Network website.
NewsClips:
Related Story:
Commonwealth Court To Hear Mariner East 2 Pipeline Case Challenging Eminent Domain On
Environmental Rights Amendment Grounds
Environmental Coalition Backs Common PA Conservation Agenda Aimed At Candidates

For Governor
A coalition of environmental groups led by

PennFuture is launching the Green in ’18
campaign, a grassroots movement that aims
to spur the gubernatorial candidates to
prioritize environmental issues, while
simultaneously supporting the first-ever
Pennsylvania Common Conservation Agenda, developed by a coalition of 25 unified
environmental groups across the state.
The agenda is described this way--
“The Pennsylvania Constitution requires that our state government defend the right of the
citizens “to clean air, pure water, and to the preservation of the natural, scenic, historic and
esthetic values of the environment.”
“Despite this mandate, Pennsylvania has the third worst air quality in the United States.
In some of our cities, one in three children suffers from asthma. Pennsylvania ranks among the
states with the highest risks for lead-contaminated water. Nineteen thousand miles of our streams
and rivers are unsafe for drinking, recreation, aquatic life, agriculture, or industrial use.
“An impaired environment threatens our agriculture and tourism industries, while we
miss opportunities to take advantage of the world’s transition to clean renewable energy.
“These solutions not only promote a cleaner environment and a healthier economy, they
are publicly popular and can be enacted by our next governor using his or her executive
authority.
“While a handful of these solutions involve additional state spending, in virtually every
instance, the increase in spending will be offset through job growth, revenue growth, energy
savings, and/or lower healthcare costs.
“We also include proposals for increasing public investments in the private sector and
attracting more capital for Pennsylvania companies.
“There is one consistent theme throughout the Pennsylvania Common Conservation
Agenda: a healthy environment is best for everyone in Pennsylvania – children, families,
workers, retirees, businesses – now and in generations to come.
“We will bring this agenda to the people of Pennsylvania in order to spark productive
conversations about the future of the environment in our state. We hope you will join that
conversation.”
22
Among the recommendations are--
-- Issue strong rules limiting methane pollution from new and existing oil and gas sources.
-- Maintain a ban on new gas leasing in our state parks and forests.
-- Expand protections for Pennsylvania’s waters by proposing a legislative package to address
lead in drinking water that includes the establishment of dedicated state funds for lead service
line replacement.
-- Establish an interagency working group with a focus on environmental justice; this group
should promote integrated solutions for vulnerable communities through collaboration across
traditional boundaries.
-- Sign an executive order that requires high-performance green building standards for major
construction or reconstruction projects involving buildings owned or significantly leased by the
Commonwealth.
-- Invest in workforce training programs that provide displaced workers and new workforce
entrants with skills in clean technology areas like energy efficiency, renewable energy, and clean
transportation.
-- Oppose any effort, and veto any budget, that diverts money from the Environmental
Stewardship Fund or the Keystone Recreation, Park, and Conservation Fund.
“With a pivotal election for governor on the horizon, we worked with our many partners
to offer an array of policy solutions to the environmental threats looming in Pennsylvania –
solutions that can and should be enacted by the individual whom voters choose to lead the state,”
said PennFuture President and CEO Jacquelyn Bonomo. “The actions called for in the Common
Agenda can be implemented by the next governor using his or her executive authority and we
look forward to educating the public about this blueprint through PennFuture’s new Green in ’18
Campaign.”
During the 2018 election cycle, coalition members will take the agenda to the
gubernatorial candidates, urging each one to enact the recommended policy solutions if elected.
Leaders of the coalition recognized early on that it would take more than their efforts
alone to get the candidates to consider and ultimately implement the agenda. It requires a
groundswell of support from the people of Pennsylvania, which led to the creation of the Green
in ’18 campaign.
“We will engage with the gubernatorial candidates on the campaign trail, ask them to
explain their plans to safeguard the state’s environment, and make sure they’re well-informed
about the common sense recommendations in the Common Agenda,” said Saleem Chapman,
Campaign Manager of Green in ’18. “The Pennsylvania Constitution states that we, the people,
have a right to clean air, pure water, and the preservation of the environment. The actions taken
by the governor over the next four years will determine whether or not our citizens enjoy the
benefits of that Constitutional right.”
The 25 member organizations of the coalition represent nearly one million
Pennsylvanians from every corner of the state, every political party, and all walks of life.
“The Common Agenda represents the unprecedented coming together of environmental,
conservation, recreation, clean energy, environmental justice, and civic engagement
organizations from throughout Pennsylvania to help chart a brighter path, a more equitable and
prosperous future, for the people of this state,” said Joanne Kilgour, Director of the Sierra Club’s
Pennsylvania Chapter.
Among the 25 environment organizations responsible for the creation of the Pennsylvania
23
Common Conservation Agenda are the Audubon Society, Center for Coalfield Justice, Clean Air
Council, Clean Water Action, Conservation Voters of Pennsylvania, Environmental Defense
Fund, Foundation for Pennsylvania Watersheds, Green Building Alliance, Green Building
United, National Wildlife Federation, Natural Resources Defense Council, The Nature
Conservancy - Pennsylvania Chapter, PennEnvironment, PennFuture, Pennsylvania
Environmental Council, Pennsylvania Land Trust Association, Pennsylvania Parks and Forests
Foundation, Sierra Club Pennsylvania, Sustainable Pittsburgh, and The Trust for Public Land.
Click Here for a copy of the PA Common Conservation Agenda.
For more information on this initiative, visit the Green in ’18 campaign website.
Senate/House Agenda/Session Schedule [Updated]/Gov’s Schedule
Here are the Senate and House Calendars for the next voting session day and Committees
scheduling action on bills of interest as well as a list of new environmental bills introduced--
Bill Calendars
House (May 22): House Bill 1401 (DiGirolamo-R-Bucks) which amends Title 58 to impose a
sliding scale natural gas severance tax, in addition to the Act 13 drilling impact fee, on natural
gas production (NO money for environmental programs) and includes provisions related to
minimum landowner oil and gas royalties; House Bill 1446 (Quinn-R- Bucks) encouraging
infrastructure for electric and natural gas fueled vehicles; House Bill 1284 (Peifer-R-Pike)
directs DCED to develop a one-stop-shop online permitting portal for business (sponsor
summary); House Bill 2154 (Causer-R-Forest), the Conventional Oil and Gas Act to regulate
conventional drilling operations and weaken environmental protection standards on fracking
based on the original 1984 Oil and Gas Act; House Resolution 284 (Moul-R-Adams) urging
Congress to repeal the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s MS4 Stormwater Pollution
Prevention Program (sponsor summary); Senate Bill 234 (Blake-D-Lackawanna), Property
Assessed Clean Energy Financing Program, that authorizes local governments to create energy
improvement districts to help fund energy efficiency, renewable energy and water conservation
projects for commercial, agricultural and industrial buildings to reduce their operating costs
(Senate Fiscal Note and summary). <> Click Here for full House Bill Calendar.
Senate (May 21): Senate Bill 835 (Dinniman-D-Chester) requiring the registration of land
agents working for pipeline companies (sponsor summary); Senate Bill 930 (Dinniman-D-
Chester) sets notification requirements related to pipeline emergencies (sponsor summary);
Senate Bill 931 (Dinniman-D-Chester) requires the installation of automatic or remote controlled
safety values in natural gas pipelines in densely populated areas; Senate Resolution 104
(Bartolotta-R-Washington) resolution urging the Governor to end the moratorium on new
non-surface disturbance natural gas drilling on state forest land (sponsor summary); House Bill
544 (Moul-R-Adams) further providing for liability protection for landowners opening their land
for public recreation; House Bill 913 providing for the adoption of stormwater fees by
incorporated towns; House Bill 914 providing for the adoption of stormwater fees by boroughs;
House Bill 915 providing for the adoption of stormwater fees by first class townships; and
24
House Bill 916 providing for the adoption of stormwater fees by Cities of the Third Class.
<> Click Here for full Senate Bill Calendar.
Committee Meeting Agendas This Week
House: [ Not in voting session ] <> Click Here for full House Committee Schedule.
Senate: [ Not in voting session ] <> Click Here for full Senate Committee Schedule.
Bills Pending In Key Committees
Check the PA Environmental Council Bill Tracker for the status and updates on pending state
legislation and regulations that affect environmental and conservation efforts in Pennsylvania.
Session Schedule [Updated]
Here is the latest voting session schedule for the Senate and House--
Senate
May 21, 22, 23
June 4, 5, 6, 11, 12, 13, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29
House [Updated]
May 22, 23, 24
June 4, 5, 6, 11, 12, 13, 18, 19, 20, 21, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30
Governor’s Schedule
Gov. Tom Wolf's work calendar will be posted each Friday and his public schedule for the day
will be posted each morning. Click Here to view Gov. Wolf’s Weekly Calendar and Public
Appearances.
News From The Capitol
Checkoff
Legislators from both parties are circulating

co-sponsor memos urging their colleagues to
sponsor legislation creating the Keystone Tree
Fund checkoff.
Senators Gene Yaw (R-Lycoming) and John
Yudichak (D-Luzerne), Majority and Minority
Chairs of the Senate Environmental Resources
and Energy Committee, and Rep. Garth Everett
25
(R-Lycoming), one of Pennsylvania’s representatives on the interstate Chesapeake Bay
Commission, are asking for support for the proposal.
The legislation would add "Keystone Tree Fund" as a voluntary checkoff box to the
Department of Transportation's driver's license application (original and renewal) and the vehicle
registration renewal application. This checkoff box would allow applicants to voluntarily donate
$3 to the fund.
The Senators said in their invitation, “The water that every Pennsylvanian relies on for
daily living and recreational activities is in need of our attention. Despite its abundance, or
maybe because we have taken that abundance for granted, almost one-quarter of Pennsylvania's
86,000 miles of rivers and streams are classified as "impaired" under the Federal Clean Water
Act, meaning they are not safe for drinking, fishing, swimming or a combination of uses.
Pennsylvania's list of impaired waters is twice as long as the state in second place - Michigan.”
Rep. Everett said, “To repair the waters and meet our constitutional obligation as trustee
of the Pennsylvania’s natural resources we will need a comprehensive statewide strategy that
involves farms, towns and the general public, but one important step is to plant more trees.
Along streams, trees help to filter out pollutants running off the land. In urban areas, trees help to
soak up storm water, reducing flooding and erosion.”
Funding collected through the new checkoff would be earmarked for the Tree Vitalize
and Riparian Forest Buffer Grant Program.
NewsClips:
Penn State Forest Resources Alumni Group Names Outstanding Alumni For 2018
Schneck: Invasive Plants Are Swallowing Pennsylvania
West Penn Power Trimming Trees
Related Stories:
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PA Chesapeake Bay Commission Members Spotlight Need For Clean Water Fund In PA
14
Plants
Manada Conservancy, Brewery, Other Partners Plant 400 Trees In Lower Swatara Twp, Dauphin
County
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News From Around The State
Tookany/Tacony-Frankford Watershed Milestones Award Winners, May 23 Awards

Ceremony
The Tookany/Tacony-Frankford Watershed Partnership in

Philadelphia and Montgomery counties will host the 7th
Annual Watershed Milestones Ceremony on May 23 to
honor this year’s award winners.
The ceremony recognizes local individuals and
organizations who have supported clean water efforts in
the community.
These honorees include outstanding volunteers,
regional educators, and corporate and nonprofit stewards
who have made a difference in the watershed.
The 2018 categories and award recipients are:
-- Nonprofit Stewards: Click Here for photos of these winner.
Police Officer Lauretha Vaird Boys and Girls Club is located on Whitaker Avenue across
from one of Tacony Creek Park’s gateways.
Two years ago, 24 young campers came to travel along the Tacony Creek Trail to engage
in a green stormwater infrastructure program, taught in partnership with the Rails-to-Trails
Conservancy. They learned the importance of plants along stream banks and how it slows and
filters stormwater runoff, while also reducing pollution and erosion.
This past fall, children from the club participated in a Watershed STEM program that
included 8 lessons from the World of Water curriculum. These sessions engaged the kids with
hands-on activities to explore water and learn how they are connected to our watershed. They
also identified ways to better conserve the water and protect the environment.
The Lauretha Vaird Boys & Girls Club has been a wonderful TTF partner by providing
meeting space and sharing our events with their community. They are actively educating young
minds about environmental health and safety. The Boys & Girls Club is truly a watershed hero!
-- Corporate Stewards: Click Here for photos of these winners.
The AstraZeneca Philadelphia Community Impact Committee reaches out to us every
year to organize an event for Earth Day. Over the last several years, the team of volunteers has
cleaned up trash along Tacony Creek multiple times, planted shrubs to improve the park gateway
at Roosevelt Boulevard, erected fencing and cleared invasive plants along Rock Creek in
Cheltenham. AstraZeneca also purchases materials and donates supplies for these volunteer days.
The AstraZeneca team is incredibly hard-working and always has fun while volunteering.
We have grown to count on them and fondly look forward to working with them every year!
The Philadelphia Insurance Companies has been a long-time supporter of TTF work in a
hands-on way. Employees have joined in for work days at numerous locations across our
watershed over the past few years, enthusiastically cleaning up trash and removing invasive
plants.
The company also hosted us at a well-attended lunch and learn at their office in Bala
Cynwyd. Finally, their financial support has been critical in providing much needed unrestricted
income for our efforts.
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Astra Zeneca and Philadelphia Insurance Companies are inspiring models of corporate
environmental partnership and investment!
-- TTF Watershed Educators: Click Here for photos of these winners.
Dr. Wayne Morra, professor of economics in the Arcadia University School of Global
Business teaches Natural Resource Economics. Dr. Morra, Professor Emeritus, has served the
University community since 1982 and has taught each Master of Business Administration cohort
since the program’s inception.
In 2017, Dr. Morra and his students created short-term, mid-term, and long-term
restoration plans for a tributary of the Tookany/Tacony-Frankford Creek which runs through
their campus. This work was supported by the Honors Program’s Big Idea Competition.
TTF staff and volunteers were invited by Dr. Morra to discuss and demonstrate our work,
project opportunities, and water quality testing in his classroom and at the creek.
Student efforts focused on cleaning up trash along the creek while also planting native
trees and shrubs and protecting these from deer and other animals with plastic tubing and mesh
netting.
Dr. Morra is making a significant impact on the creek and is eager to move forward with
bigger goals. His commitment to education, ecological stewardship, and water quality makes him
a watershed hero-- he is growing a new generation of environmental leaders, literate in the need
for healthy waterway design and function.
TTF looks forward to working with he and his students, as well as Arcadia University, to
improve our shared watershed and build environmental leaders.
Susan Mburu is a chemistry teacher at the Philadelphia High School for Girls. She
eagerly took on the responsibilities as chaperone of a Women on the Water (WOW) program at
the Poconos Environmental Education Center.
She recruited 15 girls to participate, planned pre-trip meetings, and served as a wonderful
leader while on the river. Although it rained a lot, she found ways for the girls to test the water in
ponds at PEEC, which eventually drain into the Delaware River. She joined right in with all the
hikes and paddles and encouraged the girls at every step.
Susan hosted a TTF storm drain marking lesson and demonstration for her students, so
that they can enhance and share the lessons that were learned during WOW here in Philadelphia.
Susan is a conscientious, caring, dedicated and devoted teacher/scientist.
She truly is a watershed hero-- we need more teachers just like her.
-- TTF Watershed Youth Champions:
Emma Montroy, a student at Jenkintown High School, went around her neighborhood in
Jenkintown marking storm drains. She marked the storm drains with the new markers created by
the Philadelphia Water Department in an effort that aims to connect communities to their creeks
and create an awareness for their potential impact on local waterways.
Over an 8 hour period, Emma marked a total of 112 storm drains around Jenkintown
High School while informing neighbors of the storm drain connections to Tookany Creek and the
Delaware River, a drinking water source for over 15 million people.
Emma is a strong advocate for environmental sustainability and is a leader in her school.
-- TTF Municipal Leader: Click Here for photo of the winner.
Matthew Fritch is an Environmental Engineer at the Philadelphia Water Department
who runs an initiative called GreenSTEM that engages local students in using technology and
other STEM skills to better understand aquatic ecosystems.
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This year he taught students at the Mariana Bracetti Academy to build an underwater
drone that surveys the Frankford Creek. The drone captured streaming video footage of various
fish species and revealed one of the creek’s biggest challenges: trash that has accumulated in the
creek.
Matthew and his Watershed Stewards are now planning ways to to address the issues
facing the aquatic organisms. His work with children to educate them on environmental
engineering strategies has gone a long way in shaping their futures and is also benefiting the TTF
Creek.
-- Friends of the TTF Watershed: Click Here for photos of the winners.
Cathy Callan, Alcynthia Cowell, Janet Everly, Steve and Judy Heath, and Terri
Taylor.
TTF is so excited to recognize these five Cheltenham homeowners for their enthusiastic
participation in our creekside buffer planting project in 2014.
They each matched the investment of volunteer planting hours and donated plants,
purchased plants, and professional buffer design with a cash donation.
Since the planting, they have enthusiastically partnered with us to maintain these sites,
home to over 200 native trees and shrubs as well as 500 flowers and grasses.
They have shared our pride that their backyards have been recognized by Audubon
Pennsylvania as Bird Habitat.
In June 2016, they welcomed visitors as part of our successful Creekside Bird Garden
Tour, a fun way we spread the word about the clean water and habitat benefits of creekside and
native plants.
These watershed heroes have not only helped to restore our creeks, they serve as
important Ambassadors for clean water in their neighborhoods!
-- TTF Watershed Legacy Award: Click here for photos of the winners.
Ethel Jordan Family: Ethel Jordan Park was named after the late Ethel Jordan, a
beloved crossing guard who worked at the corner of Jenkintown Road and Osceola Avenue in
Abington’s McKinley neighborhood for 32 years.
Her extended family of has been incredibly involved and devoted to the clean water work
we’ve done in the park, (home to the Jenkintown Creek) from trees to the riparian buffer to the
newly installed rain garden.
Her children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren come to every planting event,
demonstrating great enthusiasm and energy. Their commitment to their mother’s legacy of caring
for the community is truly inspiring!
Leo Sheng is an avid fisherperson and environmentalist. His YouTube channel is a great
place to learn about different species of fish as well as about the health of our creeks and rivers.
Leo regularly visits our watershed, creating wonderful videos that educate and entertain
his 125,000 subscribers. He is inspiring people of all ages to get wet, and learn and care about
our local waterways and creatures that live in them.
Check out his videos at Extreme Philly Fishing.
Partner Alliance Sponsors
TTF will also honor over 40 Partner Alliance Sponsors including:
-- Penn Master of Science in Applied Geosciences, Liberty Tree & Landscape Management,
NV5, PECO, Philadelphia Insurance Companies, Primex Garden Centers, Cardone Industries,
Inc., Fine Garden Creations, J. Miller & Associates, Land Stewards;
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-- Partnership for the Delaware Estuary, Pennoni, PA Environmental Council, Portfolio
Associates, Roger Estes Design, Sustainable Business Network of Greater Philadelphia,
ThinkGreen, Abington Friends School, A.D. Marble, Apex Fence;
-- Archewild Native Nurseries, Bassman Laserow Adelman & Weiss PC, Cerulean, Gilmore &
Associates, Hangley Aronchick Segal Pudlin & Schiller, I.U.P.A.T. District Council 21, Metz
Engineers, North Creek Nurseries, Octoraro Native Plant Nursery, Philadelphia Federal Credit
Union;
-- Villanova Urban Stormwater Partnership, Weeds Inc., Advancement Company, Cedar Run
Landscapes, Collins Nursery, David Brothers Landscape Services, Heritage Business Systems,
NativeScapes, Paradigm Digital Color Graphics, Sustainable Choices, Teamsters Local Union
No. 169, and Wyncote Audubon Society.
May 23 Ceremony
The reception will feature remarks from Rosanne Mistretta, the Director of Experiential
Learning at Abington Friends School and the president of the TTF Board of Directors. Rosanne
was instrumental in working with TTF to establish a creek buffer planting and rain garden at
AFS as a part of TTF’s larger Jenkintown Creek Restoration Project.
The reception will also include an array of refreshments from Birchtree Catering, Good
Spoon Soupery, Philadelphia Distillery, Original XIII Ciderworks, Anita’s Guacamole,
Weckerly’s Ice Cream, High Point Cafe, Helen’s Pure Foods and Fill-a-Bagel in Jenkintown.
This year’s Watershed Milestones Award Ceremony and Reception will take place on
May 23 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the historic Globe Dye Works, , 4500 Worth Street,
Philadelphia. Tickets are available online.
For more information on programs, initiatives, other upcoming events and how you can
get involved, visit the Tookany/Tacony-Frankford Watershed Partnership website. Click Here to
support their work.
(Photo: TTF Municipal Leader: Matthew Fritch is an Environmental Engineer, Philadelphia
Water Department.)
NewsClips:
Related Stories:
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Feature: Thaddeus Stevens Students Build Rain Garden On Campus In Lancaster
The Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology’s Water &

Environmental Program received a grant from the
Department of Environmental Protection to design and
create a rain garden demonstration project.
The objective of the Water and Environmental
Technology (WET) Rain Garden Demonstration project
was to provide students enrolled in the Water &
Environmental Technology program at Thaddeus
Stevens College with a meaningful watershed
educational experience.
Students were able to identify an area on Campus where
stormwater management was a problem, propose a solution, complete a detailed design, and
follow through with construction.
The Stevensonians faced some challenges along the way.
Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology campus is located within the City of Lancaster.
Like many historic cities, areas of the City are serviced by a combined sewer system.
During heavy rainstorms, the system is unable to handle the flow volumes and the system
overflows, releasing untreated water directly to local waterways.
It is estimated that the City of Lancaster’s combined system releases about 1 billion
gallons of polluted water each year. Since the College has no stormwater management facility, it
is a contributor to the City’s combined sewer overflow problems.
The Water and Environmental Technology program at TSCT prepares students for work
as water quality professionals in drinking and wastewater facilities. An important part of this is
ensuring they have an understanding of the impacts of stormwater runoff, and stormwater
mitigation techniques.
TSCT’s WET students designed, constructed and will maintain a green infrastructure
project covering an estimated 395 sq. ft. in a high-visibility area.
The project will result in the infiltration of an estimated nearly 50,000 gallons of
stormwater runoff per year, and provide a hands-on watershed education experience for current
and future WET students.
As of Monday, April 30th, 2018, the WET students can take a breath of fresh air and a
step back to enjoy the fruition of their hard work.
“Constructing the rain garden has been an incredibly valuable and rewarding experience.
The students identified the problem, secured grant funding, and followed through construction,"
says Katie Surra, Water & Environmental Professor. "Through this process the students gained
practical knowledge and hands-on skills that they would not have been able to acquire in the
classroom.”
The rain garden was planted exclusively with native plant species and is designed to
manage runoff from approximately 1,750 square feet of roof area.
Students gained a deeper knowledge of green infrastructure practices through
involvement in every aspect of the design and construction process including drainage area
delineation, infiltration testing, soil testing, and construction.
Future classes of WET students will continue to benefit from the project through the
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development and implementation of a maintenance plan.
To date, more than 200 middle and high school age students have been exposed to the
project through Campus tours. This number will continue to grow as additional student groups
visit the site.
You can see the rain garden right in front of the Jones Dining Hall or on the side of the
Mellor Building.
Click Here to see photos as the rain garden was being built.
This project was supported by an Environmental Education Grant from the Department of
Environmental Protection and the Lancaster County Conservancy Water Week program.
The City of Lancaster was a key partner in completing this project, providing support and
guidance throughout design and construction.
Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology's Water & Environmental Technology Program
is Pennsylvania’s only accredited Associate's Degree program in this field.
Visit the Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology’s Water & Environmental
Technology Program webpage to learn more. Questions can be directed to:
Marketing@StevensCollege.edu.
Click Here to learn how you can create your own rain garden from the PA Environmental
Council.
NewsClips:
Related Stories:
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Checkoff
Organizations Partner for 2nd Annual Lancaster County Water Week June 1 to 9
Stream Stewardship Workshop Set In Mount Joy, Lancaster County June 13 & 20
Stomping In Chiques Creek With Manheim Central Students, Lancaster County
Reminder: Choose Clean Water Conference Comes To Lancaster May 22-23
(Reprinted from the Thaddeus Stevens website.)

PA American Water Announces Winners Of Protect Our Watersheds Student Art Contest
PA American Water Monday announced the winners of its 16th

Annual “Protect Our Watersheds” Art Contest, with a sixth-grade
student from Pittsburgh scoring top honors.
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The company received more than 800 entries from fourth-, fifth- and sixth-graders across
the commonwealth. PA American Water announced the contest winners as part of National
Drinking Water Week, which runs May 6-12.
Sixth grader Benjamin Bischoff of the Pittsburgh Creative and Performing Arts School
earned the grand prize for his artwork with the message: “Protect Our Watersheds, Protect the
Water We Share!”
His artwork will be featured on “bloomer cards” and distributed across the state by PA
American Water. Bloomers are seed-filled cards that, when planted and tended, produce a variety
of wildflowers.
"We are very impressed with the creativity shown in the children’s artwork and how well
they expressed the importance of protecting our water resources," said Pennsylvania American
Water President Jeffrey L. McIntyre. "With more than 800 entries this year, the contest has really
grown in popularity as more students, teachers and parents are incorporating it into their
environmental education.”
Bischoff’s artwork earned first prize among western Pennsylvania entries, followed by
fourth grader Beatrix Rummel, a homeschool student from Indiana County, in second place.
Fifth grader Cameron Dames of Joe Walker Elementary School in Washington County finished
third.
In eastern Pennsylvania, the first place winner is sixth grader Amanda Zygmunt of
Spring-Ford Intermediate School, Montgomery County. Second place goes to Yingqi Zeng from
Abington Heights Middle School, Lackawanna County, and in third place is sixth grader Sarah
Groff, also from Spring-Ford Intermediate School.
The winning students will receive Barnes & Noble gift cards.
PA American Water’s contest requires that the students accompany their artwork with a
short description of how watershed protection affects them personally. After reviewing the
entries, a panel of judges selected three top drawings from both eastern and western
Pennsylvania before naming Bischoff as the grand prize winner.
To see the winners, visit PA American Water’s Community Involvement webpage.
(Photo: Overall winning entry by Benjamin Bischoff, Pittsburgh Creative and Performing Arts
School.)
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New Public Garden Opens Sunday On Fmr Haas Estate In Villanova
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Honesdale, Wallenpaupack High School Students Win 2018 Wayne, Pike Counties Envirothon
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Honesdale, Wallenpaupack High School Students Win 2018 Wayne, Pike Counties
Envirothon
The Wayne Highlands School District team called

Spudsters from Honesdale High School are the
overall winners of the 2018 Pike/Wayne Envirothon.
Second place went to Enviro Freaks of
Wallenpaupack Area School District.
The 32nd Annual Pike/Wayne Envirothon was held
April 26 at the Wallenpaupack Environmental
Learning Center in Hawley with an exciting day of
competition.
The 1st place Wayne Highlands team will represent
Wayne County at the State Envirothon event at
Susquehanna University and Camp Mount Luther on
May 22 and 23.
The highest scoring team for Pike County, Enviro
Freaks from Wallenpaupack Area School District, will
represent Pike County at the State event.
Envirothon is a one-day educational competition
designed to test the knowledge, skills and problem
solving capabilities of high school students regarding
our earth’s natural resources.
This year’s event included teams from Canaan Christian
Academy, Honesdale, and Western Wayne high schools
in Wayne County; and Delaware Valley and
Wallenpaupack high schools, in Pike County.
Each five-member team competed by applying their
knowledge and problem-solving skills in subject areas that included: Aquatic Ecology, Forestry,
Soils/Land Use, Wildlife, and a Current Issue which was “Benefits of Grassland and Pastureland
Management.”
The Pike/Wayne Envirothon and Pennsylvania Envirothon partner with the U.S.D.A.
Natural Resources Conservation Service, Fish and Boat Commission, Game Commission,
Department of Conservation and Natural Resource Bureaus of Forestry and State Parks, the
Department of Environmental Protection, the Department of Agriculture, and the Department of
Education to bring this competition to students each year.
These committed partners provide educational reference materials for high school teams
as well as technical expertise, knowledge, and manpower at the event.
Each year both Pike and Wayne Conservation Districts seek financial contributions to
support this highly successful youth conservation program. Donations support the purchase of
Envirothon T-shirts, educational prizes and awards, lunch and an ice cream bar. Yatsonsky’s
Farm donated the ice cream.
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This year’s sponsors include Brookfield, Camp Umpy’s Bagels & Stuff and Wash &
Fold, Creamworks, Dirlum Bros. Lumber Company, Dutch's Market, The Dime Bank, Dyberry
Sand & Gravel Co., Fox Hill Farms, The Hideout Property Owner’s Association, Honesdale
Farm & Garden, Northern Tier Hardwood Association, PA Trappers Association District 9,
REMAX/Wayne, Wallenpaupack Veterinary Clinic, and Woodloch Pines Resort.
Additional funding for this year’s Pike/Wayne Envirothon was provided by the
Pennsylvania Envirothon Inc. through its education grant with the Department of Environmental
Protection Environmental Education Fund.
The Pike/Wayne Envirothon is coordinated by the Pike and Wayne County Conservation
Districts. For more information, contact the Pike County Conservation District office at
570-226-8220 or the Wayne Conservation District at 570-253-0930.
For more information on Envirothons statewide, visit the Pennsylvania Envirothon
website.
(First Photo: Wayne County Commissioner Joseph Adams; from left to right, the 2018
Pike/Wayne Envirothon overall winning team, the Wayne Highlands School District Spudsters
from Honesdale High School: Matthew Wherman, Emma Olver, Camille Stanton, Lora
Protzman, and Madison Palmer; and Wayne County Commissioner Wendell Kay, back right.)
(Second Photo: Pike County Commissioner Steve Guccini; from left to right, the 2018
Pike/Wayne Envirothon second place team, Enviro Freaks of Wallenpaupack Area High School:
George Carl, Tristan Galdys, Lily Winagle, Abby Soskil, Ella Clabaugh; and Pike County
Commissioner Richard Caridi.)
NewsClips:
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James Meyers dipped his hand into the water of Elk

Creek. With a roll of his wrist, fly line streamed from
the reel in Garrett Winger's hand.
Maggie Delaney made a slit in the soft earth
and Alexis Durn knelt to plant a dogwood tree into it.
For them and about 90 other seventh-graders
from Penns Valley High School, it was a wet and wild
day of outdoor learning at Fox Gap Rod & Gun Club
in Centre County, 30 miles east of State College.
The field day was a collaborative effort of the
Chesapeake Bay Foundation in Pennsylvania, along
with federal, state and local agencies and businesses offering financial and technical support.
35
About 30 volunteers, including club members, were there as the day unfolded.
"Our young people today have to take the lead for the future," club owner Chip Brown
said, explaining why he opened the club to the students. "What we hope to instill is a little
knowledge so they go back to their family and friends and discuss it and show that it doesn't take
much to make a major improvement in water quality."
Five stations provided hands-on lessons within walking distance of the three acres of
streamside buffer that parallel Elk Creek.
At one position students took samples and learned about watersheds and water chemistry
from the Penns Valley Conservation Association.
They found and inspected aquatic bugs and other critters that live in the creek and did
some fly-casting with members of the Trout Unlimited Spring Creek Chapter.
At another point along Elk Creek, electro-fishing by Dr. John Niles of Susquehanna
University gave students the opportunity to identify trout and other fish.
Among a grove of alders, retired Penn State professor Gary San Julian showed them how
upland habitat supports wildlife like the woodcock and his spaniel Hannah showed how a
bird-dog works to retrieve.
Back at the creek, CBF staffers Emily Thorpe and Frank Rohrer, along with Adam Smith
of the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, explained stream and buffer restorations, and demonstrated
how to plant trees.
"At our station, students saw how the sloping banks, cobble bottom habitat, riffles and
deep pools work hand-in-hand to reduce erosion and runoff, as well as provide the appropriate
habitat for trout and other aquatic species," Thorpe said. She is student leadership coordinator for
CBF in Pennsylvania.
"Kids from the Trout-in-the-Classroom (TIC) program at Penns Valley High School can
come out here and see what happens in the stream and what improvements bring to the stream,"
Brown added. TIC students raise trout from eggs to fingerlings and release them into local
waters.
"Using trout as the canary in the mines concept, if we have good water for trout here in
Elk Creek in Centre County, Pennsylvania, eventually when this water gets to the Chesapeake
Bay, it will be better water," Brown said. "We are already seeing that work put into these 1,800
feet of Elk Creek is beginning to pay dividends."
"Little things can add up and make a difference," Frank Rohrer added. He is the CBF
restoration specialist working with Brown at Fox Gap.
Penns Valley 7th grade Biology teacher Jessica Martin said Fox Gap Rod & Gun Club is
the perfect outdoor classroom.
"Coming out here gives the kids hands-on experience," she said. "They've been able to
watch electrofishing, get into the water and collect macro-invertebrates and then be able to assess
the stream. They can see the riparian buffer and gauge how the buffer is impacting the water, and
rate it whether it's good, fair or poor."
The visit to Fox Gap was the first leg of the Pennsylvania to the Bay experience for
Penns Valley students. They will make field trips to the Bay and CBF's Philip Merrill
Environmental Education Center in Annapolis, Md., in May.
"A lot of our students have never been out of the state before," Jessica Martin said. "I
hear a lot of them talking about wanting to get into the water. We are going on a boat and
dredging the Bay for oysters, using nets in the creek for aquatic species, and then getting into
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canoes and doing some water testing. I can't wait to see their faces when they find out that it's all
going to be in the water."
Financial and instructional support for the student experiences at Fox Gap and the Merrill
Center is being provided by the Trout Unlimited Spring Creek Chapter, Pheasants Forever, The
Chesapeake Bay Trust, Penns Valley School District, Penns Valley Conservation Association,
Chip and Diane Brown, Chesapeake Conservancy and Susquehanna University, Clearwater
Conservancy, and The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service.
Local businesses responded to letters written by students by offering financial support.
"The willingness of our partners was impressive," Thorpe added. "Chip Brown brought
everyone together and opened up his property."
Brown also shares Fox Gap Rod & Gun Club with wounded warriors for a hunt in the fall
of each year and was the first to receive a national volunteer award from the National Wildlife
Federation.
For more on Chesapeake Bay-related issues in Pennsylvania, visit the Chesapeake Bay
Foundation-PA webpage. Click Here to sign up for Pennsylvania updates (bottom of left
column). Click Here to support their work.
More information on Pennsylvania’s plan to meet its Chesapeake Bay cleanup
commitments is available on DEP’s Pennsylvania’s Chesapeake Bay Plan webpage.
NewsClips:
Avid Angler Reels In Hellbender In The Kiski River (Video)
Click Here to subscribe to the free Chesapeake Bay Journal
Click Here to support the Chesapeake Bay Journal
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(Reprinted from the Chesapeake Bay Foundation Blog.)

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Manada Conservancy, Brewery, Other Partners Plant 400 Trees In Lower Swatara Twp,
Dauphin County
What’s an essential ingredient in brewing beer? Hops,

yes. But so is clean water.
On April 20 the Penn State’s Agriculture and
Environment Center joined Troegs Brewing Company,
the Manada Conservancy, Lower Swatara Township,
Londonderry Township, Herbert, Rowland & Grubic,
Inc., Chesapeake Bay Foundation-PA, and Greening the
Lower Susquehanna volunteers to plant 400 trees along
the Swatara Creek.
The project was a continuation of a planting started in
2017 to convert a large, mowed field to a healthy, forest
ecosystem that will reduce stormwater runoff and help protect the Swatara.
The planting is part of the Keystone Ten Million Trees Partnership launched this spring
by the Chesapeake Bay Foundation-PA. CBF and a list of growing partners seek to plant 10
million trees in Pennsylvania by the year 2025.
CBF provided trees, tree tubes and stakes. Other partners contributed to make the
planting a success. The AEC mobilized and coordinated Greening the Lower Susquehanna
volunteers to help with the planting.
The Greening the Lower Susquehanna volunteer conservation corps is a group of over
500 citizens coordinated by the AEC and Penn State Extension who help participate in
conservation projects throughout the Lower Susquehanna region.
Following the planting, partners and volunteers enjoyed refreshments provided by Troegs
at Londonderry Township’s Sunset Golf Course.
Troegs, as a Manada Conservancy sponsor, has been a major supporter of this and other
tree plantings in the area-- providing both volunteer labor to plant trees and refreshments to
reward good work.
To participate in future tree plantings in the Lower Susquehanna, consider joining the
Greening the Lower Susquehanna volunteers by sending an email to: volunteergreen@psu.edu.
For more information on programs, initiatives and upcoming events, visit the Penn State
Agriculture and Environmental Center webpage.
NewsClips:
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Volunteers Needed: Clean Up Mother Earth For This Mother’s Day, Dauphin County May 12
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Checkoff
(Reprinted from the lastest Penn State Agriculture & Environment Center newsletter. Click Here
to sign up for your own copy.)
Volunteers Needed: Clean Up Mother Earth For This Mother’s Day, Dauphin County May
12
The Manada Conservancy, Keep PA Beautiful, the

Greening the Lower Susquehanna and other partners
will hold a Clean Up Mother Earth collection event on
May 12 from 9:00 a.m.
This Clean Stream Project will pick up trash
along Swatara Creek Road in Middletown.
To register, send Kristen Kyler email at:
klk343@psu.edu or call 717-948-6609. Event details
including specific meeting locations will be provided to
all registrants prior to the event.
For more information on programs, initiatives and other upcoming events, visit the
Manada Conservancy website. Click Here to support their work.
NewsClips:
Bill For Removing Tires, TVs From Monongahela Park Expected To Be $6,500
Erie Collects 1,857 Tons During Spring Cleanup
Related Stories:
Manada Conservancy, Brewery, Other Partners Plant 400 Trees In Lower Swatara Twp, Dauphin
County
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Manheim Central High School students and
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their agriculture education instructor explored the health of their local stream in Lancaster
County
On April 24 a group of Manheim Central High School students and their agriculture
education instructor explored the health of their local stream.
Penn State Agriculture and Environmental Center Watershed Technician Sarah
Xenophon and Program Coordinator Kristen Kyler led the experiential learning workshop
designed to teach students about water quality through hands on activities.
On the banks of the Chiques Creek, the students had the opportunity to learn about water
quality in the Chesapeake Bay watershed while studying their local ecosystem.
Students observed the stream’s physical characteristics including bank height, bank
steepness, water clarity, and bank vegetation as well as its biological health by collecting
organisms from the stream itself.
The students used First Investigation of Stream Health (FISH), a citizen science tool to
record and score observations related to stream and ecosystem health in order to track the
progress of restoration projects over time.
After learning the tool and putting it in practice, the student concluded the stream reach
they studied ranked around a 6 out of 10.
They found that the stream was not in the worst shape, but it could definitely use
improvement.
The workshop concluded with a discussion about human impacts to streams and how and
agricultural and conservation professionals can improve the health of streams across
Pennsylvania.
Students left with ideas for future career choices and things they can do right now at their
own homes to help improve water quality.
For more information on programs, initiatives and upcoming events, visit the Penn State
Agriculture and Environmental Center webpage.
(Photo: Manheim Central Agriculture Education Program.)
NewsClip:
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Organizations Partner For 2nd Annual Lancaster Water Week June 1 To 9
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Organizations Partner For 2nd Annual Lancaster County Water Week June 1 To 9
After a successful inaugural campaign, Lancaster

Water Week presented by the Lancaster County
Conservancy is back for year two.
Click Here to watch a video on Lancaster Water
Week.
This year’s Water Week will take place June 1-9 with
events all week long all around the county.
The week will kick off during First Friday in
downtown Lancaster, 6:00 to 10:00 p.m. on June 1.
Water Week activities and celebrations will occur at various downtown locations, including Mio
Studio, Foxduck, Carr’s Restaurant, and the Science Café at the Lancaster Science Factory.
The Penn State Agriculture and Environment Center will be an active participant in
several Water Week events.
On June 4 from 1:00 to 5:00 p.m., the AEC will help at the 4th Annual Clean Waters
Golf Tournament, sponsored by the Lancaster County Clean Water Consortium. The AEC is a
member of the Consortium. All proceeds will benefit clean water projects in the county.
On Wednesday evening June 6, 6:00 to 8:00 p.m., AEC be at the Chiques Watershed
Expo at the Manheim Farm Show, an annual family-friendly educational event organized by the
Chiques Creek Watershed Alliance.
And to round out the week, on Saturday June 9 from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., many
partners including the AEC will be participating in the Conestoga Clean Up, where volunteers
will be cleaning up trash at seven different locations along the Conestoga River.
There are many more Water Week activities of all kinds.
For a calendar of events and how you can get involved, visit the Lancaster Water Week
website.
Related Stories:
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The Penn State Agriculture and Environment Center

is partnering with Mount Joy Borough in Lancaster
county to offer Stream Stewardship Workshop June
13 at the Milanof-Schock Library and June 20 at
Little Chiques Park in Mount Joy.
The two-part workshop begins June 13 at 6:30 p.m.,
at the Milanof-Schock Library, 1184 Anderson Ferry
Road, Mount Joy. Click Here to register.
Landowners with streamside property and other
interested adults will hear a presentation by the AEC
on streams, wildlife habitat, and pollution issues,
along with simple actions we can all take to improve our local water quality.
On June 20 at 6:30 p.m. the workshop moves outside to Little Chiques Park, 229 Park
Ave., Mount Joy where participants can get their feet wet while exploring the aquatic
environment. Click Here to register.
This event is family friendly and attendees are encouraged to bring kids and grandkids for
this evening of discovery.
The workshop will feature an easy to use, science-in-your-yard tool called First
Investigation of Stream Health (FISH).
This tool, originally developed by the AEC and its Conewago Creek Initiative partners,
allows citizen scientists to record observations of their streams to help judge its health and to
show signs of improvement once a restoration project has been completed.
It is available in paper copy or as a smartphone app. Click Here to learn more.
To register, visit the Milanof-Schock Library’s Events webpage.
For more information on water stewardship programs in other counties, visit Penn State’s
Master Watershed Steward webpage.
Related Stories:
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The 9th Annual Choose Clean Water Conference

will be held May 22-23 at the Marriott on
Lancaster’s Penn Square.
The Choose Clean Water Coalition’s annual
conference brings together a comprehensive and
diverse group of more than 300 people from
throughout the Chesapeake Bay region.
The conference provides a forum for participants
to learn about the most important and up-to-date
Chesapeake restoration issues, network with
fellow Chesapeake Bay supporters and activists,
develop strategies to advance federal, regional and local restoration goals, and learn from
successes.
On the second day of the conference, the Penn State Agriculture and Environment Center
will be presenting on methodologies for combining accessible technology tools with “boots on
the ground” assessment to create effective watershed plans for a range of watersheds across the
rural-urban spectrum that defines Pennsylvania’s Chesapeake Bay watershed.
To register or more more information, visit the Choose Clean Water Conference
webpage. Register today, prices increase May 11.
Related Stories:
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Dominion Energy Awards $22,500 Environment, Stewardship Grants In PA
Dominion Energy’s Environmental Education and Stewardship Grants Program awarded
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$22,500 to four projects in Pennsylvania as part of a $1 million initiative announced Thursday.
The grants awarded in Pennsylvania include--
-- Bucks County: Snipes Farm & Education Center, Kids To Farm Camp, $5,000
-- Clinton County: Western Clinton Sportsmen's Assn, Upgrades To Nursery, $7,000
-- Tioga County: Mill Cove, Inc., 7th Annual Earth Day Event, $8,000
-- Tioga County: Endless Mountain Music Festival, Concert, Star Gazing and Environmental
Discussion in partnership with DCNR, $2,500
"Each year I am impressed by the diverse and meaningful efforts being made in our
communities to improve and sustain the environment," said Hunter A. Applewhite, president of
the Dominion Energy Charitable Foundation. "These grants support programs and people
dedicated to making our world a better, more livable place – one that can be treasured today and
passed down to future generations."
Projects in the counties of Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Blair, Bucks, Butler, Cambria,
Cameron, Centre, Clarion, Clearfield, Clinton, Crawford, Dauphin, Elk, Fayette, Franklin,
Greene, Indiana, Jefferson, Juniata, Lawrence, Mercer, McKean, Potter, Tioga, Venango,
Washington and Westmoreland were eligible.
For more information on this program, visit Dominion Energy’s Environmental
Education and Stewardship Grants webpage.
Related Stories:
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The Anthracite Region Independent Power Producers’

Association is again partnering with the Eastern and
Western PA Coalitions for Abandoned Mine
Reclamation to offer grants totaling $5,000 for local
watershed reclamation projects.
The deadline for applications is June 29.
Grants of a maximum of $2,500 will be awarded to at
least one eligible environmental organization or
Conservation District in the Anthracite Region and one
eligible environmental organization or Conservation
District in the Bituminous Region.
Smaller grants are encouraged. Grant proposals should be for on-the-ground mine
reclamation or mine drainage treatment projects with a completion date between August 2017
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and August 2019.
Click Here for more information and the application.
The 14 power plants that make up Pennsylvania’s coal refuse to energy industry have
removed and burned as fuel more than 200 million tons of refuse, improved or restored more
than 1,200 miles of stream and reclaimed more than 7,000 acres of abandoned mine lands
(AML) through the use of beneficial ash.
(Photo: Earth Conservancy 2015 ARIPPA Mini-Grant for the Askam Borehole AMD Treatment
System in Luzerne County.)
Related Stories:
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Dominion Energy Awards $22,500 Environment, Stewardship Grants In PA
Keep PA Beautiful Distributes Recycled Content Benches In 11 Counties Donated By

GIANT, MARTIN's Foods
In recognition of Earth Day, GIANT Food

Stores donated 24 benches made from
recycled plastic bags to Keep Pennsylvania
Beautiful's Litter Free School Zone Program
as part of GIANT’S ongoing Bags to Benches
initiative.
The 24 benches were placed on school
grounds across the state as part of campus
restorations and playground enhancements.
Participating schools within the GIANT Food
Stores and MARTIN’S Food Markets region
were eligible to receive a bench.
The following Litter Free School Zone schools
received a recycled content bench--
-- Berks County: Muhlenberg Elementary Center, Laureldale, Berks County
-- Blair County: Pleasant Valley Elementary, Altoona;
-- Cambria County: Blacklick Valley Jr/Sr High School, Nanty Glo;
-- Chester County: Avon Grove Charter School, West Grove;
-- Cumberland County: Trinity High School, Camp Hill;
-- Dauphin County: Lancaster Mennonite School - Hershey Campus, Hummelstown
-- Delaware County: Tinicum School, Essington;
-- Lancaster County: Conestoga Valley High School, Lancaster;
-- Monroe County: Tobyhanna Elementary School, Pocono Pines (photo)
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-- Philadelphia: Wissahickon Charter School, Philadelphia
-- York County: Dillsburg Elementary School, Dillsburg and Wellsville Elementary School,
Wellsville
“GIANT/MARTIN’S is committed to being a responsible retailer and currently 77% of
all company waste is kept out of landfills,” said Chris Brand, external communications and
community relations director, GIANT Food Stores. “Our ongoing efforts include recycling
plastic bags through our Bags to Benches program, reducing food waste by donating more than
one million meals through our Meat the Needs program and saving more than 930,000 trees by
recycling cardboard.”
Customers can recycle plastic bags at any GIANT Food Stores or MARTIN’S Food
Markets. It takes about 10,000 plastic bags to make one park bench.
Since 1997, more than 1,500 benches have been donated to local fire departments,
churches, schools, townships, parks and playgrounds. Click Here for more information on
GIANT’S responsible retailing efforts and commitment to the environment.
“The Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful Litter Free School Zone program encourages
community leadership, responsibility and a respect for the environment and the world around
them,” said Shannon Reiter, president of Keep PA Beautiful. “The recycled content benches
from GIANT Food Stores and MARTIN’S Food Markets is an appropriate way to bring Litter
Free School Zone cleanups, recycling and educational activities full circle. We are very grateful
for the continuing support and generosity of GIANT and MARTIN’S.”
To learn more about school-based anti-litter programs, visit KPB’s Litter Free School
Zone webpage or contact Stephanie Larson by sending email to: slarson@keeppabeautiful.org or
call 724-836-4121 x104.
For more information on programs, initiatives and special events, visit the Keep
Pennsylvania Beautiful website. Click Here to become a member. Click Here to sign up for
regular updates from KPB, Like them on Facebook, Follow on Twitter, Discover them on
Pinterest and visit their YouTube Channel.
Also visit the Illegal Dump Free PA website for more ideas on how to clean up
communities and keep them clean and KPB’s Electronics Waste website.
Sign up now for the 2018 Great American Cleanup of PA and set up your own cleanup
and beautification event through May 31.
NewsClips:
Penn State Behrend Students Hope To Turn Trash To Treasure
Watch 10th Annual Give & Take Event Video In Monroe County
Television Recycling Hits A Wall In Franklin County
Long-Forgotten Tullytown Landfill In Bucks County Eyed For Homes
Appeals Court Reinstates Lawsuit Challenging Keystone Landfill Expansion
Editorial: Citizens To Get Day In Court On Keystone Landfill
New DEP Initiative To Help Educate Homeowners About Mine Subsidence Damage Risks
The Department of Environmental Protection

Friday announced the award of three grants to
convert old paper maps of underground coal mines
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into electronic formats for use by the public, DEP and state and local governments.
This updated information will also be used to help homeowners identify areas where
mine subsidence could occur and damage homes in Eastern and Western Pennsylvania coal
fields.
DEP administers a Mine Subsidence Insurance Program that helps homeowners pay for
repairs from damage caused by mine subsidence.
“Pennsylvania’s mining heritage is a proud one, but it’s also one that didn’t come with
electronic GIS maps. By digitizing the maps that DEP has, and continues to find, we can get a
better, more complete view of where mines are under Pennsylvania.,” said DEP Secretary Patrick
McDonnell. “I encourage all Pennsylvania residents to check to see their own risk for
subsidence.”
Grants were awarded to Eastern PA Coalition for Abandoned Mine Reclamation, Indiana
University of Pennsylvania, and the Harrisburg University of Science and Technology (HU).
Three grants totaling $2.25 million were awarded to scan, georeferenced, and vectorize
maps of closed and abandoned underground coal mines in Pennsylvania.
The grant-funded projects will georeference 21,200 maps, vectorize 2,176 square miles of
mined areas including 132 coal seams, and scan 10,500 maps.
The projects funded by the Mine Map Grant Program will enhance the quality, quantity
and delivery of mining information to the millions of residents living in northeastern and western
Pennsylvania, where mining is most common.
Updated mine maps can provide better information for homeowners who may be at risk
for mine subsidence, something not covered by regular homeowners’ insurance policies.
Up-to-date mine maps can also be important to businesses interesting in building in
historic mining areas of Pennsylvania or companies developing oil and gas resources in those
areas of the state.
The Mine Map Grant Program provides funding to learning institutions and incorporated
nonprofit organizations to process mine maps and mine data into electronic formats that can be
used in Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and other computer applications.
The information is available free to anyone interested in viewing or downloading the GIS
files of historic mines through the Pennsylvania Mine Map Atlas.
Click Here to learn more about your risk of mine subsidence damage.
For more information on property insurance, visit DEP’s Mine Subsidence Insurance
Program webpage.
(Map: Gray areas have known mine subsidence risks.)
NewsClips:
Related Story:
DEP Announces $55.6M In Federal Funding To Support 150 Abandoned Mine Reclamation
Projects
DEP Northwest Regional Roundtable Meets May 15 In Warren On Filing Complaints,
47
Emergency Protocols
The Northwest Regional Roundtable for DEP's Northwest Regional Office will meet on May 15
to discuss procedures for filing an environmental complaint and after-hours emergency response
protocols.
The meeting will be held at the Jefferson DeFrees Family Center, 207 Second Avenue in
Warren from 10:00 to 11:30.
Due to capacity limitations, registrations are necessary. Seating can be reserved by email
Melanie Williams at: melanwilli@pa.gov or by calling 814-332-6615 no later than May 14, 2018
or until the capacity of the room has been met.
Questions should be directed to Melanie Williams, DEP Northwest Regional Office,
814-332-6615 or send email to: melanwilli@pa.gov.
For more information on the regional office, visit DEP’s Northwest Regional Office
webpage.
Visit DEP’s Report An Incident webpage for emergency numbers and related
information.
Chester Environmental Partnership Honors 5 With 2018 CEP Awards
The Chester Environmental Partnership in Delaware County announced Friday it has recognized
five individuals with its 2018 CEP Annual Award. They include--
-- Alex Piscitelli, Covanta Operations Area Manager
-- Robert Jondreau, the late Executive Director, Pennsylvania Resources Council
-- Robert A. Judge, Sr., Executive Director, Chester Water Authority
-- Dr. Marilyn Howarth, Director Community Outreach & Engagement Core, Center of
Excellence in Environmental Toxicology
-- Dr. Kathleen Hornberger, Associate Professor of Science, Director Environmental
Community Outreach, Widener University
"I'm honored to receive this recognition from the Chester Environmental Partnership and
congratulate the other honorees for their important work and dedication to environmental
protection and community support. The diverse makeup of the honorees is testament to the CEP's
mission of harnessing the power of collaboration--working together for the same cause, sitting at
the same table and accomplishing great things together," said Piscitelli. "Covanta is committed to
engaging with and supporting the communities in which we operate. It's rewarding when it all
comes together."
"Alex has helped Covanta to continue its exceptional record of compliance with minimal
issues during his tenure as facility manager of Covanta Delaware Valley. With Covanta's support
and commitment to the CEP, we have been able to improve the lives of Chester residents and
reduce environmental impacts to the city," said CEP Founder and Chairman Reverend Dr.
Horace W. Strand.
As a result of Covanta's involvement and collaboration with members of the CEP over
the years, the company developed a Community Outreach and Environmental Justice Policy in
response to the need to ensure all communities, especially communities which are disadvantaged,
have a fair and just opportunity to participate in the decision-making process in matters
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impacting their local environment.
The policy serves as a tangible commitment by Covanta to engage fully with the
communities in which it has or will have facilities, to reduce discharges and minimize emissions,
and to do this in a manner which ensures meaningful involvement by those communities.
Founded to improve health and environment through cooperative action, the Chester
Environmental Partnership is an environmental partnership among the community, federal, state,
and local governments, businesses, local churches and non-profit organizations that identifies
community issues affecting Chester residents and collaborates in developing solutions.
Chester Environmental Partnership website. Click Here to support their work.
Related Story:
In Memoriam: Robert F. Jondreau, Executive Director, PA Resources Council
DEP Keystone Energy Education Workshop For Teachers May 17 In Cumberland County
Department of Environmental Protection will host a Keystone Energy Education Program

(KEEP) workshop on May 17 at King’s Gap Environmental Education Center In Cumberland
County for middle school teachers, administrators, and building managers to teach and track
energy efficiency in school buildings and homes.
This free workshop will provide teachers with tools, tips, and techniques to assist
students in understanding energy efficiency, alternative energy and fuels, and how to work with
students to do an energy audit at school.
Workshop participants will explore energy conservation, efficiency, energy basics,
student energy teams, and benchmarking the school building using the free Energy Star Portfolio
Manager program through presentations, tours and hands-on activities.
“Over the past few months, DEP has offered free workshops for teachers across the
commonwealth so that our children can learn the right way to manage their energy,” says
Department of Environmental Protection Secretary Patrick McDonnell. “By increasing students’
energy literacy, we create smarter energy users for the future.”
The workshop is based on Pennsylvania’s Academic Standards and Assessment Anchors
for Environment and Ecology, Science and Technology and Engineering Education.
Participating teachers will receive background information, standards-based curricular
materials and energy conservation kits that contain a Kill-a-Watt meter, light meter, multimeters,
a solar demonstration kit, and thermometers (each kit valued over $75).
Participating teachers will also be eligible for 6.5 Act 48 credit hours.
The workshop is free of charge and held from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.. Pre-registration is
required. Please bring a brown bag lunch. Space is limited, so registrations will be accepted on a
first-come, first-serve basis.
Click Here to register online.
For more information on education activities, visit DEP’s Environmental Education
webpage, call 717-772-1828 or send email to: ra-eplearningcenter@pa.gov. Click Here to sign
up for DEP’s Teaching Green newsletter.
Related Stories:
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DCNR Secretary Highlights Solar Energy Installations At Mt. Pisgah, Fort Washington
State Parks
Department of Conservation and Natural

Resources Secretary Cindy Adams Dunn
joined Bureau of State Park officials
Tuesday in the dedication of a solar panel at
Fort Washington State Park in Montgomery
County.
The dedication is a part of a series of events
marking installations at state parks that are
designed to make them energy-independent.
“The Wolf Administration is committed to reducing energy consumption and increasing
our sustainability efforts statewide,” Dunn said. “We began our ‘Driving Toward Sustainability
Tour’ yesterday at Mt. Pisgah State Park [in Bradford County], where a solar-shingle roof was
installed at that Bradford County facility.
“It was there that the late environmental leader, Clifford L. Jones, first introduced solar
power to a state park, and his vision is celebrated here today at Fort Washington, where this new
solar unit eventually will make the park energy-independent,” she said.
The secretary noted DCNR manages more than 4,700 buildings within its complex and
geographically diverse state park and forest systems, and it is committed to deployment of
energy efficient systems and materials.
“By using clean energy from the sun, DCNR is deploying small-scale solar arrays to take
certain buildings and facilities off the grid, saving money and reducing DCNR’s carbon
footprint,” Dunn said. “Here at Fort Washington, this ground-mounted solar array system has
been sized to achieve not only ‘net zero’ electricity usage at the park manager’s residence, but
for the remaining four other electric accounts for the park. This ‘net zeroing’ of an entire state
park will be the first of its kind at DCNR.”
At Mt. Pisgah, a roof-mounted, solar shingle array is the first of its kind among DCNR
buildings. It uses technology integrated into to the roof that provides functional roof protection
while generating power. The improvements will significantly reduce electricity consumption at
the state park.
Dunn dedicated the Mt. Pisgah project on the tenth anniversary of Jones’ death. The late
Mechanicsburg resident headed the former Department of Environmental Resources (DER) from
1979 to 1981.
In addition to Mt. Pisgah and Fort Washington state parks, solar installations have been
completed or are planned at: Presque Isle, Erie County; Moraine, Butler County; Laurel Hill,
Somerset County; and Caledonia, Franklin County.
As the state’s leading conservation agency, DCNR strives to follow practices that
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conserve and sustain natural resources.
Through its Green and Sustainable Initiative, DCNR exemplifies best practices through
its buildings, vehicle fleet, purchases, land management and business operations.
For more information on state parks and forests and recreation in Pennsylvania, visit
DCNR’s website, Click Here to sign up for the Resource newsletter, Visit the Good Natured
DCNR Blog, Click Here for upcoming events, Click Here to hook up with DCNR on other
social media-- Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Flickr.
(Photos: Fort Washington State Park, Mt. Pisgah State Park solar projects.)
NewsClips:
Pennsylvania PUC Opens Future Of Utility Rates Proceeding
Solar Panels To Power 85% Of Mennonite Central Committee Facility In Ephrata
Once In Shadows, Solar Energy Has Sunnier Outlook
Community Solar Conquers Pittsburgh Shade
California Becomes First State To Mandate Solar Panels On All New Homes
Connecticut Lawmakers Pass Sweeping Energy Bill
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Drilling Payments
Alternatives
Plants
PJM Regional Electric Grid Operator Reports Ready To Meet Expected Hot Summer
Demand
With a hotter-than-normal summer forecast, the

PJM Interconnection Monday reported it has the
resources available to meet the electricity demand
and keep power flowing to the 65 million people it
serves.
PJM’s planners anticipate electricity use to peak at
more than 150,000 megawatts during the summer
months, when the National Weather Service is
predicting above-average temperatures for almost
all of the 13 states and District of Columbia served by PJM and its members.
"PJM continues to ensure that the power supply is secure and reliable while maintaining
efficient and transparent markets that save billions of dollars for our customers," said Andrew L.
Ott, PJM president and CEO. "We have planned and prepared for summer operations and we
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have plenty of reserves to meet the demand."
The demand last summer peaked at 145,331 MW on July 19. PJM's all-time highest
power use was 165,492 MW in summer 2006.
PJM meets electricity needs by procuring enough resources to satisfy peak demand plus
required reserves at the lowest reasonable cost through its competitive markets.
PJM works with its members to ensure that power flows where it is needed, now and in
the future, and holds resources, such as generating plants, to strict standards to deliver electricity
as promised.
PJM also has resources on reserve to cover generation that is unexpectedly unavailable or
demand that is higher than forecasted.
PJM's required reserve is 16.1 percent of the forecasted demand level, and this summer
PJM's expected reserve margin is more than 28 percent, or nearly 41,000 MW. PJM has 184,010
MW of installed generating capacity available. One megawatt can power about 800 homes.
At PJM control centers, experts monitor, control and direct the power grid 24/7 with
sophisticated technology to balance supply and demand. They adjust the production of
generating plants to changes in demand, and make sure that no transmission lines or facilities are
overloaded.
The system operators also watch for unusual conditions and react to them to protect the
electricity supply.
In protecting the reliability of the electric system, PJM experts study thousands of
scenarios, assisted by computer simulations to prepare for almost any event. Each variable that
conceivably could affect supply and demand for electricity is carefully assessed-- from extreme
weather, emergency conditions and multiple equipment failures to the more easily anticipated
impact of daily, weekly and seasonal cycles in electricity demand.
PJM exercises a broader reliability role than that of a local electric utility. System
operators monitor the status of the PJM grid and neighboring systems which gives these experts
a big-picture view of regional conditions and situations that could affect reliability.
For more information on regional electrical grid operations, visit the PJM Interconnection
website.
NewsClips:
AP-Scolforo: DEP Setting Up Driving PA Forward With $118M Volkswagen Settlement
Closing TMI Nuclear Plant Won’t Eliminate Hazards
Lamb Joins Effort To Keep Beaver Valley Nuclear Plant Open
Court: PPL Can Prevent Some Low-Income Customers From Shopping For Electricity
Hearing: Transource Power Line Would Mar York County Landscape
Judge: No Extensive Studies By Transource For Power Line Route Allowed On Properties
Seeking To Raise Capital, PPL Offers 55 Million Shares Of Stock
PJM Stakeholders Pan Capacity Market Reforms In FERC Comments
Natural Gas, Renewables Groups Urge DOE To Reject FirstEnergy Emergency Request
FERC Chair Links Fuel Security Questions With Resilience Proceeding
Environmental Group: Nuclear Power Key To Cutting Carbon Emissions
DOE Looking Very Closely At Cold War-Era Law To Boost Coal, Nuclear Production
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Opponents Of Nuclear Industry Subsidy Urge NJ Governor To Veto Bill
Editorial: Blow To Nuclear Power Plants
U.S.EIA: Natural Gas Contributing More To U.S. Electrical Power
Related Story:
U.S. EIA: Pennsylvania To Add 5.2 Gigawatts Of Natural Gas-Fired Electric Generating
Capacity In 2018
U.S. EIA: Pennsylvania To Add 5.2 Gigawatts Of Natural Gas-Fired Electric Generating
Capacity In 2018
The U.S. Energy Information

Administration Monday reported it
expects 32 gigawatts of new electric
generating capacity to come online in the
U.S. in 2018-- 21 gigawatts of natural
gas-fired generation (5.2 GW in
Pennsylvania alone), 5 gigawatts of wind
and 4 gigawatts of solar.
In 2017, renewables accounted for 55
percent of the 21 GW of U.S. capacity
additions, the fourth consecutive year in
which renewables made up more than half.
As of February 2018, renewables accounted for 22 percent of total currently operating
U.S. electricity generating capacity. Generators’ planned online dates for the remainder of 2018
are based on data reported to EIA in the Preliminary Monthly Electric Generator Inventory.
A few more specifics--
-- Natural gas: About half of the 21 GW of natural gas-fired generation capacity EIA expects to
come online by the end of 2018 are combined-cycle units to be added to the PJM Regional
Transmission Organization, which spans parts of several Mid-Atlantic and Midwestern states.
In the PJM region, Pennsylvania plans to add 5.2 GW; Maryland will add 1.9 GW, and
Virginia will add 1.9 GW. Most of the new capacity is being added on the eastern side of the
PJM region along the Transcontinental, the Dominion Transmission, and the Eastern Texas
Transmission Pipelines.
If these numbers hold, it will mean for the first time in history there will be more installed
natural gas-fired electric generating capacity in Pennsylvania than coal-fired.
The PA Public Utility Commission 2017 Electric Power Outlook Report (the latest
available) said there was 12,686 MW of installed coal-fired generation in 2016 and 11,991 MW
of natural gas generation. The addition of 5.2 gigawatts of natural gas capacity in 2018 brings the
total natural gas up to 17,191 MW-- not counting the capacity added in 2017.
The PUC reported in terms of actual generation in 2016-- 38 percent was nuclear, 30
percent was coal, 27 percent natural gas, 2 percent wind, hydro and miscellaneous.
-- Wind: Most of the 1,196 MW of new wind capacity that came online in January and February
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2018 was added in states that already have significant wind capacity such as Texas, Oklahoma,
and Iowa. In Texas, two utility-scale batteries totaling 20 MW were co-located at wind facilities.
EIA expects five gigawatts of capacity to come online by the end of 2018. Of those 5
GW, 2 GW are in Texas, the state with the most wind capacity currently.
-- Solar: About 90 percent of Florida’s solar capacity has come online since 2016. In January
2018, Florida Power & Light completed four solar photovoltaic projects totaling 300 MW.
FPL plans for another four projects totaling 300 MW to have come online by March
2018. Upon completion, these eight projects will account for 54 percent of Florida’s utility-scale
solar capacity.
By the end of 2018, 4 GW of solar PV are expected to come online in the United States.
More than half of the 2018 solar PV additions will be added in California, North Carolina, and
Texas.
Click Here to read the full report.
NewsClips:
Related Story:
PJM Regional Electric Grid Operator Reports Ready To Meet Expected Hot Summer Demand
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

marked Asthma Awareness Month by honoring
leading asthma programs from across the country
for their efforts to improve the lives of people with
asthma in underserved communities.
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The agency announced that the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia’s Community Asthma
Prevention Program (CAPP) is this year’s recipient of EPA’s National Environmental
Leadership Award for Communities in Action in Asthma Management, which is the highest
recognition EPA bestows on a program and its leaders for delivering excellent environmental
asthma management.
“Asthma prevalence and hospitalization rates are alarmingly high among Philadelphia’s
children who live in low income and under-resourced communities,” said EPA Regional
Administrator Cosmo Servidio. “For two decades, CAPP has focused on fighting these
disparities and providing asthma management in all aspects of children’s lives.”
Pennsylvania has the second highest percentage of Children suffering from asthma in the
United States.
“We are honored to receive this award recognizing the sustained efforts of the CAPP
team in Philadelphia,” said Dr. Tyra Bryant-Stephens, Medical Director of CAPP. “We hope to
continue to expand our reach to close all gaps that create asthma disparities in Philadelphia by
working with our partners in every sector that impacts asthma control in children.”
CAPP provides services at no cost to Philadelphia’s neediest families. The program
equips families with asthma self-management education, in-home assessments for asthma
triggers, remediation supplies and connections to community-based resources, which has led to
reductions in asthma-related hospitalizations and emergency room visits.
There are great geographic and racial disparities in childhood outcomes across
Philadelphia.
African-Americans and Hispanics visit emergency rooms and hospitals more frequently
and have higher rates of asthma-related morbidity, compared to other populations.
For twenty years CAPP has made home visits throughout the city with a special emphasis
on West Philadelphia. The program has reached about thirty percent of the West Philadelphia
community’s asthma population, and helped place community health workers in ten West
Philadelphia schools.
May 1st, is World Asthma Day and May is Asthma Awareness Month throughout the
World. EPA is committed to educating the public about asthma awareness and environmental
factors that trigger asthma attacks.
Asthma is a serious, sometimes life-threatening respiratory disease that affects the quality
of life for millions of Americans. Although there is no cure for asthma yet, asthma can be
controlled through medical treatment and management of environmental triggers.
In 1998, the first World Asthma Day was held by the Global Initiative for Asthma, a
medical organization that works with public health and health care professionals globally to
reduce asthma prevalence, morbidity, and mortality, and improve asthma awareness and care
around the world.
World Asthma Day takes place every year on the first Tuesday of May.
For more information, visit EPA’s Asthma webpage or the Pennsylvania Department of
Health’s Asthma webpage.
NewsClips:
55
Related Stories:
Driving PA Forward Grant/Rebate Program To Replace Older Diesel Engines, Cut Nitrogen
Oxide Emissions
By Joe Minott, Clean Air Council
Pennsylvanians know from experience that air

pollution kills.
Seventy years ago, a weather inversion
in Donora trapped a poisonous mixture of air
pollution that killed 20 people and sickened
half the town. The disaster helped pave the
way for national laws that protect Americans
from dangerous air pollution.
Today, our right to breathe clean air is
once again being threatened -- this time,
believe it or not, by the Environmental
Protection Agency -- the very agency mandated to protect human health and the environment.
Environmental Protection Administrator Scott Pruitt has recently announced plans to roll
back rules designed to control pollution from automobiles. And now he's talking about restricting
the rights of Pennsylvania and other states to offer their residents access to cleaner cars and
trucks.
According to the American Lung Association's just-released annual State of the Air
report, Pennsylvania is home to some of the nation's worst air quality and is not showing
adequate improvement.
Allegheny County receives straight F grades in the 2018 assessment, the only county
outside of California to earn this dubious honor. With respect to high ozone days, Allegheny
County and Philadelphia received an F. With respect to high particle pollution days, Allegheny
County and Dauphin County received an F.
And many areas across the state - including the Philadelphia area - are suffering from an
increase in high ozone days. Ozone (smog) forms when emissions from automobiles and other
sources of pollution react chemically with sunlight. It can cause asthma attacks and exacerbates
56
other medical problems, leading to emergency-room visits, hospitalizations, and premature
deaths.
Federal clean-car rules, which cover emissions and fuel efficiency, play a critical role in
keeping smog in check.
The most recent agreement, reached with the federal government in 2012, saw
automakers agreeing to reasonable emissions and fuel-economy targets through model year
2025.
But now, instead of honoring and enforcing this historic agreement, EPA chief Pruitt is
claiming it is "not appropriate and should be revised."
It's astonishing that the top environmental-protection official in the country objects to
flexible, reasonable, life-saving standards the automakers have already agreed to -- especially
considering that car makers have been complying with interim targets and at lower costs than
originally projected.
Going even further, Pruitt is now taking aim at leaders in Pennsylvania and other states,
challenging their right and responsibility to protect their own citizens when the federal
government refuses to do so.
States have an established legal right to protect the health and welfare of their citizens by
imposing more stringent vehicle emissions standards under the Clean Air Act.
For twenty years, Pennsylvania and 11 other states have exercised this right, following
California's stronger standards rather than the weaker national standards, in order to better
address dangerous air pollution within their states.
This makes it especially alarming that Pruitt is not only attempting to roll back federal
clean car standards, but also threatening to repeal state authority on the issue.
Pruitt seems to want to frame this as a battle between the Trump administration and blue
states -- between right and left.
But the truth is that the 13 "clean car" states that have protected their people by adopting
stronger vehicle standards include states -- such as Pennsylvania -- that voted for Donald Trump
in 2016.
This coalition represents more than 113 million Americans and over one-third of the new
car marketplace. And just this week, Pennsylvania joined an even broader coalition of 18 states,
representing close to 50 percent of the nation's auto market, in suing the EPA over this issue.
Pennsylvania leaders understand that our air quality is not a political issue -- it's about
protecting public health and the environment. People across our state have worked for decades to
improve air quality.
They understand that Pennsylvania is still home to some of the smoggiest cities in the
nation, and that cleaner air means healthier Pennsylvanians who spend less on medical care.
The Clean Air Council also applauds leaders like Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney and
State College Mayor Don Hahn, who signed onto a statement from over 50 mayors and a dozen
state attorneys general from across the country, vowing to fight for states' rights to insist on
cleaner cars.
Every Pennsylvanian who breathes should cheer them on, and every American who cares
about a healthier future should join them.
For more information on programs, initiatives and upcoming events, visit the Clean Air
Council website. 50th Anniversary. Click Here to support their work.
(Photo: Clean Air Council Run For Clean Air.)
57
Joseph Minott is Executive Director and Chief Counsel of the Clean Air Council.
NewsClips:
Related Story:
DEP Announces Driving PA Forward Grant/Rebate Program To Replace Older Diesel Engines,
Cut Nitrogen Oxide Emissions By 27,700 tons
Bay Journal: Marcellus Drilling Producing More Than Natural Gas-- Free Ride For
Invasive Plants
By Donna Morelli, Chesapeake Bay Journal
When Marcellus Shale drilling came to Pennsylvania

state forests, it brought a few hitchhikers along--
invasive plants. They got a free ride into remote
northcentral interior forests that previously had been
spared the influence of heavy truck traffic.
Yes, truck traffic. One does not generally associate
deep forest interiors with lumbering construction
vehicles, but with about 700,000 acres of
state-owned forest land open to gas and oil
exploration (about half of the total that is underlaid
by shale deposits), a lot of ad hoc roads have been
cut through those woods.
It’s the only way drilling companies can get to well sites and lay concrete gas-drilling
pads, which often sprawl over several acres. In the process, the trucks bring in the seeds of
nonnative plants-- in their tire treads, on their undercarriages or in loads of gravel and other
materials.
The cleared land around the pad is exactly what nonnative plants need to get a firm
foothold — soft, recently disturbed soil with lots of sunlight and drastically fewer native plants
58
to compete with.
Invasions of nonnative plants can be as destructive to a northeastern forest as a wildfire is
to those in the West. Invasives love edge habitat, including the sides of roads through forests and
mown grass in recreational areas.
With no natural disease or predators to slow them down, the foreigners can quickly
colonize land where dispersed, crowding out native species.
Studies have shown that invasives can even halt forest regeneration.
For example, if only a handful of oak or maple seedlings manage to break through thick
mats of Japanese stilt grass or mile-a-minute weed, the deer that feed on such saplings may eat
the scant new growth and wipe out a new generation of trees.
But no one really knew how gas development would impact the core forest when it began
in 2008. The Pennsylvania Bureau of Forestry, a division of the Department of Conservation and
Natural Resources, assembled a 15-member team of experts in 2010 to monitor-- and mitigate--
impacts on the forest’s ecology.
Bureau staff worked closely with Penn State researchers to survey invasive plants on
roadsides, well pads and pipelines. That first two years of data were recently published.
“We knew it would be a problem, but this was the first opportunity to track how gas
development across a large portion of interior forest land would impact plant communities,” said
Kelly Sitch, the plant specialist on the bureau’s Marcellus Monitoring Team. “We needed these
studies to inform us how they spread. As land managers, we wanted to know the how, the what
and the where.”
What is clear from Penn State’s research is that invasive plants are making “significant
inroads” in state forests.
In less than a decade’s time, 60 percent of the drill pads had at least one invasive plant
species and 19 percent had three or more species present. Well pads with extensive road access
tended to have more robust invasions.
Scientists not only surveyed which plants were present on 127 well pads but also did
some census work-- “stem counts,” they’re called-- to measure the abundance of each species
and indicate how fast or slow a particular species might be multiplying.
The longer a well pad has been in place and the more wells drilled per pad, the studies
showed, the more abundant and diverse the invasive species.
“Given the fact that, on average, 1,235 one-way truck trips…are required to complete an
unconventional well, the potential to transport invasive plant seed is significant,” said Kathryn
Barlow, lead researcher on the team.
For the most part, those trucks are delivering fracturing fluid and “proppant,” which is
essentially sand, natural or man-made, that is injected to keep a hydraulic fracture open.
The research team found that invasive plants were virtually nonexistent in the forested
sites away from well pads, indicating that the pads are likely the open door for invading species.
They have created an estimated 4,300 acres of forest-edge habitat: prime territory for
nonnative species.
The Penn State research is one of many studies conducted in partnership with bureau,
Sitch said. The data were collected as well pads were being developed and, he said, are crucial to
efforts aimed at preventing large, destructive infestations in core interior forest.
“DCNR spends a significant amount of time and manpower on restoring disturbed forest
areas, whether it’s [logging], recreational activity or gas development activity,” he said. “[Our]
59
job is to find how we are increasing the pressure or how we can prevent new and more species
from coming into forests.”
Not every invasive plant is created equal, and land managers tasked with the
sustainability of the state forest system for the future, need a triage system, similar to that of a
hospital emergency room.
The plant species with the potential to cause the most damage in the least amount of time
is often the top priority.
But Sitch said that the response sometimes focuses on newly discovered species that can
be eradicated with little effort before they take hold. Priorities change from one region to the
next, as do the species threatening each ecosystem.
One approach might be to focus greater effort on multiple-well pads, sites that research
indicates are the most accommodating to invasive plants. Research also points to the potential
benefit of controlling the nonnatives that crop up along the access roads, reducing the invasion
pressure on the well pads.
As part of the DCNR strategy of carefully researched forest management plans and
extensive monitoring in and around gas sites, some gas operators are also being trained to
monitor for rare plants and to eradicate invasives around the well pads.
Some of the newer gas leases, Sitch said, make it a written requirement.
“Our native ecosystems haven’t evolved with these species and we often don’t know
which one of them will take over natives,” he said. “We continue to try to prevent the loss of
biodiversity of native plants but it is impossible to fight on a large scale. You have to take it
down to the forest-stand level.”
Click Here to see photos of invasive plants.
To learn more about how DCNR monitors natural gas drilling in state forests, visit
DCNR’s Natural Gas Management webpage.
(Photo: Japanese barberry has to be removed mechanically, DCNR.)
NewsClips:
Bay Journal-Morelli: Ground Around Natural Gas Drilling Producing More Than Gas
Related Stories:
PSU: Shale Gas Development Spurring Spread Of Invasive Plants In PA Forests
Drilling Payments
Parks
Alternatives
60
Checkoff

Join the Delaware Highlands Conservancy and

Lacawac Sanctuary for a free walk and
workshop, “Money Grows On Trees,” on June
2 from 10:00 a.m. to Noon at the Lacawac
Sanctuary in Lake Ariel, Wayne County.
Attendees will walk with consulting forester
Josh Flad and the Conservancy's Stewardship
Associate, Cindy Taylor, to visit a recent timber
harvest and learn how to manage your woodlot
for ecological and financial benefits.
After the hike, enjoy light refreshments and
learn about funding opportunities for land management and conservation.
This walk is free and open to the public, but space is limited and prior registration with
Lacawac Sanctuary is requested.
To reserve your space and receive directions, call 570-689-9494 or Click Here to register
online.
For more information on programs, initiatives and special events, visit the Delaware
Highlands Conservancy website or call 570-226-3164 or 845-583-1010. Click Here to sign up
for regular updates from the Conservancy, Like on Facebook and Follow on Twitter. Learn about
the Green Lodging Partnership initiative. Click Here to support their work.
Lacawac Sanctuary website. Click Here to sign up for regular updates (right panel). Follow on
Twitter. Like on Facebook. Click Here to support their work.
NewsClips:
Related Stories:
Drilling Payments
61
Parks
Alternatives
Plants
Checkoff
Sen. Yudichak Kicks Off Senator Takes A Hike On Delaware & Lehigh Trail In Bucks
County
Sen. John Yudichak (D-Luzerne) Tuesday kicked off

his Senator Takes a Hike initiative to hike the entire
165-mile length of the Delaware & Lehigh Trail from
Bucks to Luzerne County.
He announced the kick off in Bucks County with
Department of Conservation and Natural Resources
Secretary Cindy Adams Dunn, Delaware & Lehigh
National Heritage Corridor Executive Director Elissa
Garofalo, and Bristol Borough Council officials.
Secretary Dunn and Sen. Yudichak spoke at the
Delaware River Waterfront in Bucks County to
highlight the 30th Anniversary of the Delaware & Lehigh National Heritage Corridor that runs
165 miles from Bristol Borough in Bucks County to Wilkes-Barre in Luzerne County.
Sen. Yudichak pledged to walk the D&L Trail, the longest in Pennsylvania, if the
Philadelphia Eagles won the Super Bowl. The Eagles won, and now Sen. Yudichak is going to
take that hike!
“What started as a fun idea to help urge the Eagles on to victory has turned into a great
opportunity to raise awareness for the beautiful D&L Trail,” Sen. Yudichak said. “With every
step in the hike, I will be walking in the footsteps of the men and women who mined the coal,
who built the canals and railroads, and who worked in the mills. These working families were
the underdogs of the American Industrial Revolution and as we celebrate the D&L Trail, we
honor the men and women who built America on the strength of Pennsylvania Industrial might.”
“I congratulate the Senator for taking on this formidable task while drawing attention to a
project that has been many years in the making and is a demonstrated economic stimulus to the
area,” Secretary Dunn said. “Like Sen. Yudichak, DCNR has been a longtime supporter of this
trail, which is steeped in history and winds through two state parks and three state forest
districts.”
Under the guidance of the D&L trail team, Sen. Yudichak began his hike Tuesday in
62
Bristol and will finish up at the River Commons Park later this summer in Wilkes-Barre. He
plans to alternate between hiking and biking until he completes all 165 miles.
“Sen. Yudichak’s journey illustrates the good that can happen when over 140 of
Pennsylvania’s 2,562 municipalities work toward a common goal: ninety-two percent of the
165-mile D&L Trail is now connected and it is becoming an economic driver fueling heritage
tourism, small businesses and a key element for accessible wellness activities,” said Elissa
Garofalo, Delaware and Lehigh National Heritage Corridor Executive Director. “This trail
follows the historic route of anthracite from the mines of northeastern Pennsylvania to markets in
the Lehigh Valley and Philadelphia. As it heads north along the Delaware Canal Towpath
section, it’s value continues.”
“Bristol Borough’s motto is Welcome Friend, and we are pleased to welcome Sen.
Yudichak, DCNR Secretary Cindy Adams Dunn, D&L National Heritage Corridor Executive
Director Elissa Garofalo and everyone here today participating in the first leg of the Senator’s
journey. On behalf of Borough Council, Mayor and residents we wish Sen. Yudichak luck as he
begins his hike,” said Ralph DiGuiseppe, Bristol Borough Council President said.
Sen. Yudichak serves as Minority Chair of the Senate Environmental Resources and
Energy Committee.
For more information on Sen. Yudichak’s journey, including a schedule, visit the Senator
Takes a Hike webpage.
For more information on trails in Pennsylvania, visit the Explore PA Trails website.
NewsClip:
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Drilling Payments
Parks
Alternatives
Plants
Checkoff

Department of Community and Economic Development
63
Executive Deputy Secretary Scott Dunkelberger, Department of Conservation of Natural
Resources Deputy Secretary for Conservation and Technical Services Lauren S. Imgrund, and
Department of Transportation project manager April Hannon Thursday joined the Lackawanna
Heritage Valley and local leaders for the ribbon cutting ceremony of the Carbondale Riverwalk,
a new 1.5-mile trail that closes a critical gap in the 70-mile Lackawanna River Heritage Trail
system.
The new trail, which was supported by funding through DCED, DCNR, and PennDOT,
will provide new recreational opportunities for visitors and residents.
“Recreational assets like the Carbondale Riverwalk and Lackawanna River Heritage Trail
can be economic engines for communities and drive small business development, as visitors
come to the community for the trail and patronize local shops and restaurants,” Dunkelberger
said. “Any time you can mix true economic development with exciting new recreational
opportunities for the community, it’s a big win for the region. That’s why Gov. Wolf is so
committed to supporting community projects like this.”
The Carbondale Riverwalk runs parallel to the abandoned O&W Railroad, and on the
opposite side of the Lackawanna River. The trail will link the LRHT to the D&H Rail-Trail at
the Morse Avenue Trailhead in Simpson.
Proceeding south, the trail travels along the industrial park in Carbondale, crossing the
Lackawanna River on a rehabilitated railroad trestle, continuing to the John Street trailhead, and
then connecting to the Main Street Carbondale business district.
This section creates a vital connection between the on-street portions of the Lackawanna
River Heritage Trail in Carbondale, to the D&H Rail-Trail extension in Simpson.
“We’re ecstatic to see the completion of this section of the Lackawanna River Heritage
Trail, which is part of the 70-mile Lackawanna Greenway,” said Imgrund. “DCNR’s trail priority
is a trail within 15 minutes of every Pennsylvanian and the completion of our major greenways
serves as the foundation for achieving this goal. Close-to-home trails lead to more outdoor
recreation and the related benefits of improved physical and mental health.”
The Lackawanna Heritage Valley is developing this trail not only for recreation and
transportation, but also to highlight the historic and cultural significance of the region.
The project received $214,500 in funding through DCED’s Greenways, Trails and
Recreation program; $467,500 through DCNR’s Community Conservation Partnerships
Program; and $611,075 in federal Transportation Alternatives Program awards from PennDOT
and the Lackawanna-Luzerne Transportation Metropolitan Planning Organization.
“Lackawanna Heritage Valley is grateful for our continued partnership with DCED,
DCNR, and PennDOT in constructing the Carbondale Riverwalk,” said Joseph J. Corcoran,
executive director of Lackawanna Heritage Valley. “The project closes a significant 1.5 mile gap
in the Lackawanna River Heritage Trail, and the state provided the much-needed matching funds
for building this wonderful community asset.”
To learn more about trails in Pennsylvania, visit the Explore PA Trails website.
NewsClips:
64
Related Stories:
Drilling Payments
Parks
Alternatives
Checkoff
Plants
Watch Harrisburg Peregrine Falcon Banding Live May 14
The Game Commission and the Department of

Environmental Protection will webcast the banding of
the Peregrine Falcon nestlings on the 15th Floor of the
Rachel Carson Building in Harrisburg on May 14
starting at 11:00 a.m.
The event will be webcast live via DEP’s Facebook
page.
Have a question about Peregrine Falcons? Submit
your questions using #HbgFalconsBanding and some
of them will be answered during the live event.
Deadline for submissions is May 11.
Meanwhile, watch the nestlings and their parents live now online at DEP’s Falconcam
webpage.
NewsClips:
Game Commission Turns Of Hanover Eagle Cam After Tumultuous Season
Schneck: Rare Birds Return To Presque Isle Beach For Nesting Season In Erie
Peregrine Falcon Chicks Removed From Pittsburgh Building
Murrysville Firm’s Wildlife Cams Expand To Fox Den, Osprey
Prescribed Burning Of The Forest To Protect Golden-Winged Warblers
DEP Attorney Mike Heilman Recognized With Governor's Award For Employee
65
Excellence
Gov. Tom Wolf Wednesday has honored Department of Environmental Protection Southwest
regional counsel Mike Heilman with a Governor’s Award for Excellence for his efforts to protect
clean air in Pennsylvania.
“Mike’s strengths are found outside of the courtroom as well, where he combines his
background as a licensed engineer with his legal counsel to provide sophisticated technical
judgment,” said DEP Secretary Patrick McDonnell. “His mentorship for younger attorneys will
pay dividends for DEP’s Office of Chief Counsel for years to come.”
When a number of Greene County residents faced a dangerous situation of methane
bubbling up in their neighborhood, Heilman worked with the DEP office of Active and
Abandoned Mining Operations to show that the source of the gas was an underground coal mine.
Heilman then took the lead in the courtroom, fighting back against the responsible mining
company’s appeal of the order issued by DEP to correct the problem.
Heilman also took part in the response to a coke plant in Monessen, Westmoreland
County, that was the source of odors, fugitive emissions, and community tensions. He led DEP’s
efforts with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to reach a precedent-setting settlement to
institute sulfur controls at this class of coke plant. The new agreement will provide a major
benefit to local residents’ air and quality of life.
Gov. Wolf presented Governor’s Awards for Excellence to 47 employees representing 10
Commonwealth agencies. The awards recognize Commonwealth employees for exemplary job
performance or service that reflects initiative, leadership, innovation and increased efficiency.
NewsClip:
EPA, DEP $1.5 Million Penalty Settlement With ArcelorMittal Monessen Coke Coal Plant
Related Story:
DCNR Ranger Jared Pierce Recognized With Governor's Award For Employee Excellence
DCNR Ranger Jared Pierce Recognized With Governor's Award For Employee Excellence
Gov. Tom Wolf Wednesday presented a Governor’s

Award for Excellence to DCNR Ranger Jared
Pierce from Nockamixon State Park who defused a
dangerous situation threatening himself, lifeguards,
and others in Bucks County.
DCNR Ranger Jared Pierce, assigned to
Nockamixon State Park, was honored for his actions
last summer when an unruly crowd grew violent,
attacking him and threatening others. Though armed
and trained as a police officer, Pierce never drew his
weapon, instead relying on a cool head and training
to meet the threat of a dozen assailants surrounding
and punching him.
“The conduct of Ranger Pierce was exemplary, and the actions he chose to take that day
66
will be used to help train other officers in handling hostile or violent group encounters,” said
DCNR Secretary Cindy Adams Dunn. “It is a textbook lesson in how to keep themselves and
others safe.
Order was restored at the park area as state and local police responded, eventually
arresting some of the accused assailants.
“Our rangers tread a thin line between law officer and conservation official,” Dunn said.
“They are professional, well-trained and committed to protecting both the public and our state
park and state forest resources. Ranger Pierce is a true credit to the men and women who patrol
our parks and forests.”
DCNR Rangers patrol 121 state parks across the state, and state forestlands that total
more than 2.2 million acres. They undergo the same training as that required of municipal police
officers.
Praising all state employees for their dedication at Wednesday’s ceremony, Gov. Wolf
presented awards to recognize Commonwealth employees for exemplary job performance or
service that reflects initiative, leadership, innovation and/or increased efficiency.
A total of 47 employees from 10 agencies received awards for 2017.
For more information on state parks and forests and recreation in Pennsylvania, visit
DCNR’s website, Click Here to sign up for the Resource newsletter, Visit the Good Natured
DCNR Blog, Click Here for upcoming events, Click Here to hook up with DCNR on other
social media-- Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Flickr.
(Photo: Gov. Wolf, DCNR Ranger Jared Pierce, Secretary Dunn.)
NewsClip:
2 Philly Men Charged With Aggravated Assault Of A Nockamixon State Park Ranger [August,
2017]
On May 2 Robert F. Jondreau, Executive Director of the PA

Resources Council, passed away suddenly. He was 72.
Bob served as Executive Director of PRC since February 1,
2010, succeeding Larry Myers and continuing the
entrepreneurial spirit Larry brought to PRC.
Bob served on PRC's Board for 13 years prior, spending the 3
years before becoming Executive Director as Board President.
The Board and staff at the PA Resources Council issued this
statement on Bob’s passing--
“It is with great sadness that the Pennsylvania Resources
Council announces the sudden passing of our Executive Director
Bob Jondreau.
“Bob has been an integral part of PRC for more than two decades, originally serving as a
Board Member (including holding the office of President) before becoming Executive Director
in 2010.
“Bob has led PRC through a decade that has seen both many opportunities and challenges
for environmental organizations, and has worked diligently to build on PRC’s long tradition of
67
leadership through innovative programs and partnerships.
“We offer our deepest sympathies to Bob’s wife Joanne and the Jondreau Family. The
Board and Staff of PRC will carry on the important conservation work to which Bob had a
lifetime dedication.”
PRC will carry on the important conservation work to which Bob had a lifetime
dedication.”
On taking the job in 2010, Bob said, "I hope to finish many of the projects that were
started at this great facility [PRC's Environmental Living Center at Ridley Creek State Park] in
2009. It has been a long term goal of the Board to get the facility in top physical shape, and I
hope to play a major role in this effort, along with the staff of the eastern office. I look forward to
the many challenges and opportunities that face PRC in the shaping of its future."
And he succeeded in these and many other projects working with PRC's staff, Board and
many partners.
Just Friday, the Chester Environmental Partnership in Delaware County posthumously
honored Bob with a 2018 CEP Award for his work.
Among the accomplishments of PRC since Bob became Executive Director are--
-- 2010
-- PRC launched the “Let’s Tackle Recycling Program,” a tailgate recycling effort at Heinz Field
in Pittsburgh. This highly successful program continued in 2011 at Philadelphia Eagles home
games.
-- Scenic Pittsburgh, a project of PRC West, was launched in October with the mission to
preserve, protect and enhance the scenic beauty of the Pittsburgh region.
-- In an effort to be more environmentally friendly, 2010 marked the first year that PRC
distributed its Annual Report and newsletters via email instead of “snail mail,” which saved
trees, time and money.
-- PRC West participated in the Pittsburgh Public Schools inaugural Summer Dreamers
Academy a five-week summer “camp” by offering an Eco-Warrior camp that featured a
sampling of environmental themes and activities that promoted environmental stewardship.
-- PRC partnered with the Southwestern PA Air Quality Partnership to kick off the “Let’s Clear
the Air” poster challenge. Teachers and students in seven counties in SW PA participated.
-- PRC contracted with PECO Energy to help the utility meet the requirements of Pennsylvania’s
Act 129 energy conservation initiative. To accomplish these goals PECO developed a suite of
energy reduction programs called “Smart Ideas.”
-- 2011
-- Tailgate recycling included the NHL’s 2011 Winter Classic in Pittsburgh.
-- PRC introduced its “Don’t Be a Litterbug” specialty license plate.
-- The eastern office launched its first Farmers’ Market in July at PRC’s Environmental Living
Center in Ridley Creek State Park.
-- After extraordinary participation in waste reduction certification from special events, Zero
Waste Pittsburgh turned its focus toward businesses, institutions and other large waste
generators.
-- 2012
-- ReuseFest, a one-day collection event for materials destined for reuse, made its debut in
Pittsburgh.
-- In partnership with the Office of Mayor Luke Ravenstahl, PRC West launched a new
68
anti–litter campaign called “Don’t Trash My Turf!” in the City of Pittsburgh in 2012.
-- PRC rolled out “Cans for Pets,” a two-year initiative to increase the number of aluminum pet
food cans recycled and provide much needed aid to a Pittsburgh-based animal shelter.
-- With funding from the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture (Rural Business Enterprise), PRC West
successfully recruited three farmers in Northern Lawrence and Southern Mercer counties to
participate in the program and plan for effective composting.
-- 2013
-- PRC adapted its hard-to-recycle programs in response to the implementation of Pennsylvania's
Covered Device Recycling Act, which prohibits TVs, computers and other “e-waste” from going
into the state's landfills.
-- PRC hired Justin Stockdale, possessing two decades of experience in the solid waste and
recycling fields, as director of its Western Regional Office in Pittsburgh.
-- In partnership with NOVA Chemicals, PRC launched a campaign to collect polystyrene
packaging material for recycling.
-- The Pittsburgh Bureau of Police worked with PRC to establish a litter hotline to enable
residents to report incidences of trash being tossed from moving vehicles.
-- 2014
-- PRC celebrated its 75th anniversary at a dinner held at the Simeone Foundation Automotive
Museum in Philadelphia.
-- PRC received the PA Governor’s Award for Environmental Excellence for tailgate recycling
initiatives in Philadelphia and Pittsburgh.
-- PRC created a unique new anti-litter campaign, entitled the “Crying Steelers Fan,” that shared
an anti-litter PSA with more than 200 thousand residents in southwestern Pennsylvania.
-- The Cans for Pets program expanded to benefit shelters in five states.
-- PRC’s Regional Composting Initiatives expanded to include six new farmers located in four
western Pennsylvania counties.
-- 2015
-- PRC hosted its inaugural “Wild & Scenic Film Festival” in partnership with Allegheny
CleanWays to showcase environmental films that inspire action.
-- The organization launched groundbreaking and innovative watershed stewardship and
stormwater initiatives with the Delaware County Stormwater Collaborative.
-- The Northside Bin Initiative educated and encouraged residents to become more active
recyclers via a door-to-door education campaign and distribution of recycling containers to
individual households.
-- PRC’s expansion of the Darby Cobbs Stormwater Initiative included the installation of rain
gardens, the incorporation of other green stormwater infrastructure, such as green roof
technology, and the expansion of the Stormwater Resource Team, creating a network of trained
Green Stormwater Volunteers.
-- 2016
-- The “Not In Philly” project became the first online “adopt-a-block” volunteer-driven,
neighborhood litter clean-up initiative in Pennsylvania.
-- PRC expanded its outreach via social media and email to enhance two-way communication
with members.
-- Zero Waste Pennsylvania presented its inaugural awards to eight organizations.
-- The “Recycle Right” anti-litter public art piece, a seven-foot recycling symbol made of iron
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rebar, chicken wire and recyclable litter, generated awareness in communities and encouraged
individuals to prevent and fight litter.
-- PRC assumed operation of the Department of Environmental Protection’s Recycling Hotline,
which provides community members with resources to locate responsible and local recycling
options.
-- 2017
-- PRC celebrated the 15th anniversary of its hard-to-recycle and household chemical events,
which collected 700,000+ pounds of electronic waste, tires, household chemicals and more in
2017 – solidifying PRC’s position as the leader in this important area.
-- PRC hosted successful Act 101 recycling roundtables at both ends of the Commonwealth that
engaged recycling industry stakeholders and local citizens in discussions about the future of
funding recycling in Pennsylvania.
-- The organization reached 785,000 citizens via Zero Waste Pennsylvania at community events,
institutions and more.
-- The “Not in Philly” project – which engaged 1,000+ citizens from 87 neighborhoods regarding
litter prevention and community cleanups through – was nominated for a Sustain PHL Award.
-- PRC initiated the Stream Smart Stormwater House Call Audit Program and conducted 45
audits in the Darby/Cobbs watershed to educate property owners on best practices to manage
stormwater and protect local water quality.
Bob held a a BS degree from Rutgers University. He began his career in the rubber
manufacturing industry. While there, and subsequently in the aerospace and electronics
industries, most of his professional career focused on environmental and safety issues, including
27 years at UNISYS.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations in honor of Mr. Jondreau may be made to the PA
Resources Council, 3606 Providence Rd., Newtown Square, PA 19073.
For more, visit PRC’s Robert F. Jondreau webpage.
Related Story:
Chester Environmental Partnership Honors 5 With 2018 CEP Awards
Help Wanted: Berks County Conservation District Urban Resource Conservationist
The Berks County Conservation District is seeking qualified candidates for a full-time Urban
Resource Conservationist. The deadline for applications is May 25.
A Bachelor’s Degree in one of the following areas of study is required: Environmental
Sciences, Planning, Resource Management or other related subjects.
Submit resumes to Tammy Bartsch by sending email to: tammy.bartsch@berkscd.com.
Public Participation Opportunities/Calendar Of Events
This section lists House and Senate Committee meetings, DEP and other public hearings and
meetings and other interesting environmental events.
NEW means new from last week. [Agenda Not Posted] means not posted within 2 weeks
of the advisory committee meeting. Go to the online Calendar webpage for updates.
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Note: DEP published the 2018 meeting schedules for its advisory committees and boards.
May 12-- NEW. Manada Conservancy. Cleanup Mother Earth For This Mother’s Day. Dauphin
County. 9:00.
May 14-- PUC Hearing On Transource Power Line Project. Airville Volunteer Fire Department,
3576 Delta Road, Airville, York County. Hearings at 1:00 and 6:00. Click Here for more.
May 14-- NEW. Game Commission, DEP. Watch Harrisburg Peregrine Falcon Banding Live.
11:00.
May 15-- CANCELED. PUC Hearing On Transource Power Line Project. Airville Volunteer
Fire Department, 3576 Delta Road, Airville, York County. Hearings at 1:00 and 6:00. Click
Here for more.
May 15-- Pike County Conservation District. Stormwater Management Field Tour. Pike County
Training Center, 135 Pike County Boulevard,Lords Valley. 10:00 to 3:00.
May 16-- Agenda Posted. Environmental Quality Board meeting. Room 105 Rachel Carson
Building. 9:00. DEP Contact: Laura Edinger, 717-772-3277, ledinger@pa.gov.
-- Proposed Unconventional Well Permit Review Fee Increase
-- Proposed Changes to Surface Mining Regulations
May 16-- Agenda Posted. DEP Citizens Advisory Council meeting. Room 105 Rachel Carson
Building. 10:00. Contact: Executive Director Lee Ann Murray, 717-787-8171,
leemurray@pa.gov. Meeting available by conference call: 717-612-4788 or 855-734-4390, PIN:
083399
-- Presentations On Water Programs, Bureau of Safe Drinking Water
-- DEP May Report To Council
May 16-- Delaware River Basin Commission hearing on a variety of policies and water
withdrawal requests. West Trenton Volunteer Fire Company, 40 West Upper Ferry Road, West
Trenton, NJ. 1:30. (formal notice) Click Here for more details.
May 17-- Agenda Posted. DEP Storage Tank Advisory Committee meeting. Room 105 Rachel
Carson Building. 10:00. DEP Contact: Kris Shiffer 717-772-5809 or send email to:
kshiffer@pa.gov. (formal notice)
May 17-- Agenda Posted. DEP Chesapeake Bay Watershed Planning Steering Committee.
Room 105 Rachel Carson Building. 9:00 to Noon. Click Here to join the meeting by WebEx,
pre-registration required. Click Here for more.
May 17-- DEP Keystone Energy Education Workshop For Teachers. King’s Gap Environmental
Center, Carlisle, Cumberland County. 8:30 to 3:00. Click To Register.
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May 19-- Foundation for Sustainable Forests. Loving The Land Through Working Forests Field
Conference. Floraroze Forest near 9201 South Creek Road, Girard, Erie County. 7:30 to 4:00.
May 19-- Delaware Highlands Conservancy. Milford Experimental Forest Native Plants Walk.
Milford, Pike County. 9:00 to Noon.
May 19-- Capital Region Water. DeHart Dam Reservoir Public Tour. Dauphin County.
May 19-- NEW. Schuylkill Action Network. Schuylkill Scrub Watershed Cleanup. Upper
Merion Boathouse Park, Water Street, Bridgeport, Montgomery County. 10:00 to 12:30.
May 19-20-- Hawk Mountain Sanctuary. Spring Native Plant Sale. Visitor Center Parking Lot at
the Sanctuary, Berks County.
May 22-- PUC Hearing On Transource Power Line Project. New Franklin Fire Department
Social Hall, 3444 Wayne Road, Chambersburg. Franklin County. Hearings at 1:00 and 6:00.
May 22-- CANCELED. DEP Environmental Justice Advisory Board meeting. Rescheduled for
May 29. DEP Contact: John Brakeall, 717-783-9731 or send email to: jbrakeall@pa.gov.
(formal notice)
May 22-- DEP Hearing On Sunoco Marcus Hook Terminal Air Permit. Marcus Hook
Community, 7 W. Delaware Avenue, Marcus Hook, Delaware County. 6:00 to 8:00.
May 22-23-- Choose Clean Water Coalition. 9th Annual Clean Water Conference. Lancaster
Marriott.
May 23-- Time Changed. House Consumer Affairs Committee holds a hearing on House Bill
2075 (Charlton-R- Delaware) replacement of lead water and damaged sewer laterals (sponsor
summary). Room B-31 Main Capitol. 9:45. Committee meetings are typically webcast through
the PA House Republican website.
May 23-- PUC Hearing On Transource Power Line Project. New Franklin Fire Department
Social Hall, 3444 Wayne Road, Chambersburg. Franklin County. Hearings at 1:00 and 6:00.
May 23-- NEW. Tookany/Tacony-Frankford Watershed Partnership. Milestone Awards

Celebration. Globe Dye Works, 4500 Worth Street, Philadelphia. 5:30 to 7:30.
May 23-24-- Penn State Extension Healthy Trees, Healthy People Program. Frick Environmental
Center, 2005 Beechwood Boulevard, Pittsburgh.
May 24-- DEP Small Water Systems Technical Assistance Center Board meeting. Room 105
Rachel Carson Building. 9:00. DEP Contact: Dawn Hissner 717-772-2189 or send email to:
dhissner@pa.gov.
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May 26-- Audubon Society of Western PA. Backyard Habitat Organic Garden Solution
Workshop. Beechwood Farms Nature Reserve, 614 Dorseyville Road, Pittsburgh. 10:00.
May 29-- DEP Environmental Justice Advisory Board meeting. Room 105 Rachel Carson
Building. 9:00. DEP Contact: John Brakeall, 717-783-9731 or send email to: jbrakeall@pa.gov.
(formal notice)
May 30-- DEP State Board for Certification of Sewage Enforcement Officers meeting. Room
105 Rachel Carson Building. 10:00. DEP Contact: Kristen Szwajkowski 717-772-2186 or send
email to: kszwajkows@pa.gov.
May 30-- Public Utility Commission. Combined Heat and Power Working Group meeting.
Forest Room, Keystone Building, 400 North Street, Harrisburg. 1:00. A call-in number will be
published, Click Here. Contact: Joe Sherrick 717-787-5369 or send email to:
josherrick@pa.gov. (formal notice)
May 30-- Pike County Conservation District. Northern Tier Hardwood Association. Spotted
Lanternfly Program. Grey Towers National Historic Site, Milford, Pike County. 2:00 to 5:00.
Click Here for more.
May 30-31-- Penn State Energy Days. Penn Stater Conference Center, State College, Centre
County.
May 31-- Philadelphia Air Management Services Public Hearing [If Requested] On Proposed
State Air Quality Implementation Plan Revisions RACT Controls For VOCs, NOx. Spelman
Building, 321 University Avenue, 1st Floor Conference Room, Philadelphia. 6:00.
May 31-- Keep PA Beautiful. Elk County Solid Waste Authority. Municipal Waste, Recycling &
Enforcement Forum. Fox Township Volunteer Fire Department, Fire Hall, 381 Main Street,
Kersey, Elk County. 10:00 to 3:00
June 1-2-- Brodhead Watershed Association. Native Plant Sale. Pocono Township Fire
Company's Carnival Building, Route 611, Tannersville, Monroe County.
June 1-9-- NEW. Lancaster County Water Week.
June 2-- NEW. Delaware Highlands Conservancy. Lacawac Sanctuary. Money Grows On Trees
Workshop. Lacawac Sanctuary, Lake Ariel, Wayne County. 10:00 to Noon.
June 5-- House Agriculture and Rural Development Committee holds a hearing on Senate Bill
792 (Alloway-R-Adams) regulating the application of lawn fertilizer. Room 205 Ryan Building.
9:00. Committee meetings are typically webcast through the House Republican Caucus website.
Click Here for more.
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June 5-- DEP Board Of Coal Mine Safety meeting. DEP Cambria Office, 286 Industrial Park
Road, Ebensburg. 10:00. DEP Contact: Peggy Scheloske 724-404-3143 or send email to:
mscheloske@pa.gov.
June 5-- CANCELED. DEP Storage Tank Advisory Committee meeting. Room 105 Rachel
Carson Building. 10:00. DEP Contact: Kris Shiffer 717-772-5809 or send email to:
kshiffer@pa.gov. (formal notice)
June 6-- DEP Coastal Zone Advisory Committee meeting. 10th Floor Conference Room,
Rachel Carson Building. 9:30. DEP Contact: Stacey Box 717-772-5622 or send email to:
sbox@pa.gov.
June 7-- CANCELED. House Game and Fisheries Committee holds a hearing on Chronic
Wasting Disease. Room 60 East Wing. 10:00. Committee meetings are typically webcast at the
House Republican Caucus website.
June 7-- DEP Solid Waste Advisory Committee meeting. Room 105 Rachel Carson Building.
10:00. DEP Contact: Laura Henry 717-772-5713 or send email to: lahenry@pa.gov.
June 10-14-- Rails-To-Trails Conservancy. Delaware & Lehigh Trail Sojourn. Eastern
Pennsylvania.
June 12-- DEP Weathering The Storm Stormwater Education Workshop. Alumni Room of the
Waldron Campus Center, Gannon University, 109 University Square, Erie. 8:30 to 3:30.
June 13-- DEP State Board For Certification of Water and Wastewater Systems Operators. 10th
Floor Conference Room, Rachel Carson Building. 10:00. DEP Contact: Edgar Chescattie,
717-772-2814 or eschescattie@pa.gov.
June 13-- DEP Weathering The Storm Stormwater Education Workshop. Winnie Palmer Nature
Reserve, Saint Vincent College, 744 Walzer Way, Latrobe, Westmoreland County. 8:30 to 3:30.
June 13-- Delaware River Basin Commission business meeting on a variety of policies and
water withdrawal requests. West Trenton Volunteer Fire Company, 40 West Upper Ferry Road,
West Trenton, NJ. 10:30. (formal notice) Click Here for more details.
June 13-- NEW. Penn State Agriculture & Environment Center. Stream Stewardship Workshop
Part 1. Milanof-Schock Library, 1184 Anderson Ferry Road, Mount Joy, Lancaster County.
6:30. Part 2 is June 20.
June 14-- House Game and Fisheries Committee holds a hearing on Chronic Wasting Disease.
Room 60 East Wing. 10:00. Committee meetings are typically webcast at the House Republican
Caucus website.
June 14-- DEP Air Quality Technical Advisory Committee meeting. Room 105 Rachel Carson
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Building. 9:15. DEP Contact: Kirit Dalal, 717-772-3436, kdalal@pa.gov. (formal notice)
June 14-- PUC En Banc Hearing On Supplier Consolidated Billing By Electricity Suppliers.
Hearing Room 1, Keystone Building, 400 North Street, Harrisburg. 1:00.
June 15-- Susquehanna River Basin Committee business meeting. Radisson Hotel Baltimore.
9:00.
June 16-- PA Resources Council. Hard-To-Recycle Collection Event. Bethel Park High School,
Allegheny County. 9:00 to 1:00.
June 19-- NEW. Environmental Quality Board meeting. Room 105 Rachel Carson Building.
9:00. DEP Contact: Laura Edinger, 717-772-3277, ledinger@pa.gov.
June 19-- NEW. DEP Citizens Advisory Council meeting. Room 105 Rachel Carson Building.
10:00. Contact: Executive Director Lee Ann Murray, 717-787-8171, leemurray@pa.gov.
June 20-- NEW. Penn State Agriculture & Environment Center. Stream Stewardship Workshop
Part 2. Little Chiques Park, 229 Park Ave., Mount Joy, Lancaster County. 6:30. Part 1 is June
13.
June 20-21-- Registration Open. 20th Anniversary PA Abandoned Mine Reclamation

Conference. Ramada Conference Center, State College.
June 23-- Audubon Society of Western PA. Backyard Habitat Flowers And Feathers, The
Connection Between Plants and Birds Workshop. Beechwood Farms Nature Reserve, 614
Dorseyville Road, Pittsburgh. 10:00.
June 30-- PA Resources Council. Hard-To-Recycle Collection Event. Quaker Valley High
School, Leetsdale, Allegheny County. 9:00 to 1:00.
July 11-- DEP Technical Advisory Committee On Diesel Powered (Mining) Equipment. DEP
New Stanton Office, 131 Broadview Road, New Stanton. 10:00. DEP Contact: Peggy Scheloski,
724-404-3143 or mscheloske@pa.gov.
July 25-- DEP Small Business Compliance Advisory Committee meeting. 12th Floor
Conference Room, Rachel Carson Building. 10:00. DEP Contact: Nancy Herb, 717-783-9269 or
nherb@pa.gov. (formal notice)
July 25-27-- Registration Open. Professional Recyclers of PA. 28th Annual Recycling &
Organics Conference. Best Western Premier Hotel, Harrisburg.
July 28-- PA Resources Council. Recycling Bin Distribution Event In Pittsburgh. Point Breeze
Distribution Event, URA’s Parking Lot on Meade Street. 8:00 to 2:00. Click Here to register.
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July 28-- Audubon Society of Western PA. Backyard Habitat Gardening for Pollinators and
Butterflies Workshop. Beechwood Farms Nature Reserve, 614 Dorseyville Road, Pittsburgh.
10:00.
August 11-- PA Resources Council. Recycling Bin Distribution Event In Pittsburgh. Fairywood
Distribution Event, B Keppel Trucking, 100 Beechnut Drive, Pittsburgh. 8:00 to 2:00. Click Here
to register.
August 20-23-- U.S. Biochar Initiatives Conference. Chase Center on the Riverfront,
Wilmington, Delaware.
August 25-- PA Resources Council. Hard-To-Recycle Collection Event. Century III Mall, West
Mifflin, Allegheny County. 9:00 to 1:00.
September 6-9-- Delaware Highlands Conservancy. Educational Retreat For Women Forest
Landowners. Highlights Workshop Facility in Boyd’s Mill, Milanville, Wayne County.
September 20-- DEP Solid Waste Advisory Committee & Recycling Funding Advisory
Committee meeting. Room 105 Rachel Carson Building. 10:00. DEP Contact: Laura Henry
717-772-5713 or send email to: lahenry@pa.gov.
September 22-- Joint meeting of DEP Recycling Fund Advisory Committee and Solid Waste
Advisory Committee. Room 105 Rachel Carson Building. 10:00. DEP Contact: Laura Henry,
717-772-5713, lahenry@pa.gov.
September 23-- Audubon Society of Western PA. Backyard Habitat Trees and Shrubs,
Supporting Wildlife In Winter Workshop. Beechwood Farms Nature Reserve, 614 Dorseyville
Road, Pittsburgh. 10:00.
September 28-- DEP Low-Level Waste Advisory Committee meeting Room 105 Rachel Carson
Building. 10:00. DEP Contact: Rich Janati, 717-787-2147, rjanati@pa.gov.
October 1-3-- Engineers’ Society of Western PA. PA Brownfield Conference. Sands Bethlehem
Casino, Bethlehem.
October 6-- PA Resources Council. Hard-To-Recycle Collection Event. Settlers Cabin Park,
Robinson Township, Allegheny County. 9:00 to 1:00.
October 17-21-- Passive House Western PA. North American Passive House Network 2018
Conference. David L. Lawrence Convention Center, Pittsburgh.
October 18-- DEP Radiation Protection Advisory Committee meeting. Room 105 Rachel
Carson. 9:00. DEP Contact: Joseph Melnic 717-783-9730 or send email to: jmelnic@pa.gov.
November 1-2-- PA Water And Wastewater Technology Summit. Penn Stater Conference
76
Center Hotel, State College.
Visit DEP’s Public Participation Center for public participation opportunities. Click Here to sign
up for DEP News a biweekly newsletter from the Department.
Sign Up For DEP’s eNotice: Did you know DEP can send you email notices of permit
applications submitted in your community? Notice of new technical guidance documents and
regulations? All through its eNotice system. Click Here to sign up.
DEP Regulations In Process

Proposed Regulations Open For Comment - DEP webpage
Submit Comments on Proposals Through DEP’s eComment System
Proposed Regulations With Closed Comment Periods - DEP webpage
Recently Finalized Regulations - DEP webpage
DEP Regulatory Update - DEP webpage
March 3, 2018 DEP Regulatory Agenda - PA Bulletin, Page 1374
DEP Technical Guidance In Process

Draft Technical Guidance Documents - DEP webpage
Technical Guidance Comment Deadlines - DEP webpage
Recently Closed Comment Periods For Technical Guidance - DEP webpage
Technical Guidance Recently Finalized - DEP webpage
Copies of Final Technical Guidance - DEP webpage
DEP Non-Regulatory/Technical Guidance Documents Agenda (February 2018) - DEP webpage
Other DEP Proposals For Public Review

Other Proposals Open For Public Comment - DEP webpage
Recently Closed Comment Periods For Other Proposals - DEP webpage
Other Proposals Recently Finalized - DEP webpage
DEP Facebook Page DEP Twitter Feed DEP YouTube Channel
Click Here for links to DEP’s Advisory Committee webpages.
DEP Calendar of Events DCNR Calendar of Events
Senate Committee Schedule House Committee Schedule
You can watch the Senate Floor Session and House Floor Session live online.
77
Grants & Awards
This section gives you a heads up on upcoming deadlines for awards and grants and other
recognition programs. NEW means new from last week.
May 15-- Manada Conservancy Short Story Writing Contest

May 15-- PA Anthracite Section SME Student Scholarships
May 18-- CFA Alternative & Clean Energy Funding
May 18-- CFA Renewable Energy-Geothermal & Wind Funding
May 18-- CFA Solar Energy Funding
May 18-- CFA High Performance Building Funding
May 23-- SBA Flood Assistance Clearfield, Washington, 8 Other Counties
May 31-- CFA Act 13 Watershed Restoration Grants
May 31-- CFA Act 13 Abandoned Mine Drainage Abatement, Treatment Grants
May 31-- CFA Act 13 Orphaned Or Abandoned Well Plugging Grants
May 31-- CFA Act 13 Baseline Water Quality Data Grants
May 31-- CFA Act 13 Sewage Facilities Program Grants
May 31-- CFA Act 13 Flood Mitigation Grants
May 31-- CFA Act 13 Greenways, Trails & Recreation Grants
June 1-- DCNR Youth Ambassador Program At State Parks, Forests
June 1-- REAP Farm Conservation Tax Credits
June 1-- South Mountain Partnership Land Conservation, Recreation Mini-Grants
June 3-- Goddard Student Leadership Legacy Institute Camp Program
June 8-- Keep PA Beautiful Great American Cleanup Of PA Video Contest
June 8-- Keep America Beautiful National Youth Advisory Council
June 8-- PA Horticultural Society Gardening & Greening Contest
June 15-- Southern Alleghenies Regional Greenways, Recreation Mini-Grants
June 21-- DEP Mariner East II Pipeline Water Quality Project Grants
June 29-- NEW. Anthracite Power Producers’ Mine Reclamation Grants
June 30-- DEP Alternative Fuel Vehicle Rebates (first come, first serve)
June 30-- FirstEnergy Utilities All-Electric Vehicle Rebate From Nissan
July 13-- NEW. DEP Growing Greener Plus Watershed Grants
July 13-- DEP Alternative Fuels Incentive Grants
July 20-- CFA Alternative & Clean Energy Funding
July 20-- CFA Renewable Energy-Geothermal & Wind Funding
July 20-- CFA Solar Energy Funding
July 20-- CFA High Performance Building Funding
September 5-- PA Parks & Forests Foundation Photo Contest
September 15-- CFA Alternative & Clean Energy Funding
September 15-- CFA Renewable Energy-Geothermal & Wind Funding
September 15-- CFA Solar Energy Funding
September 15-- CFA High Performance Building Funding
September 28-- DEP Calendar 2017 Recycling Performance Grants
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October 31-- PA Resources Council Gene Capaldi Lens On Litter Photo Contest
December 14-- DEP Alternative Fuels Incentive Grants
December 31-- DEP County Act 101 Waste Planning, HHW, Education Grants
-- Visit the DEP Grant, Loan and Rebate Programs webpage for more ideas on how to get
financial assistance for environmental projects.
-- Visit the DCNR Apply for Grants webpage for a listing of financial assistance available from
DCNR.
Environmental NewsClips - All Topics
Here are NewsClips from around the state on all environmental topics, including General
Environment, Budget, Marcellus Shale, Watershed Protection and much more.
The latest environmental NewsClips and news is available at the PA Environment Digest Daily
Blog, Twitter Feed and add PaEnviroDigest Google+ to your Circle.
Bagenstose: DEP Secretary Talks Water Contamination, Fracking, Funding

Transition
Air
Alternative Fuels
More Than Half Of Williamsport Transit’s 33 Buses Run On CNG
Awards & Recognition
79
Biodiversity/Invasive Species
Budget
Drilling Payments
Chesapeake Bay
Click Here to subscribe to the free Chesapeake Bay Journal
Click Here to support the Chesapeake Bay Journal
Citizen Action
Climate
Coal Mining
Coal Demand Abroad Pulls Consol’s Coal Across 5 Continents
Trump Officials Seek Ideas On Coal Power Plants Of The Future
Delaware River
Drinking Water
Pittsburgh Water Authority Touts Cheaper Lead Line Replacements
Pittsburgh Council Plans Changes To Pittsburgh Water Authority Restructuring
Pittsburgh Council Member Thinks North Side Landslide Caused By Water Leak
Water Service Restored To Most Of Evans City, Boil Water Advisory In Effect
Water Lines To Be Placed Under Kiski River Using Gas Drilling Technology
Fmr Maintenance Director Charged In Elementary School Lead In Water Scandal
Economic Development
Education
Emergency Response
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PA Suburbs Desperately Need More Volunteer Firefighters, But Lack Incentives
Energy
Flooding
Forests
Geologic Hazards
Historic Rains Drown Western PA In Landslides
Pittsburgh Council Member Thinks North Side Landslide Caused By Water Leak
Green Infrastructure
Land Conservation
Cumberland Valley School District Responds to Efforts To Block Farm Condemnation
Restrictions Will Keep Barnes Foundation Chester County Estate Free From Development
Nature Conservancy Buys Key Piece Of Land For Thomas Darling Preserve In Monroe
Concerns About Preserving Lands In Monroe County
Finding Natural Lands In The Suburbs With Opening Of Main Line Garden
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Lower Merion’s New Public Garden Threatened By Middle School Plan
Lehigh Valley Candidates Sling Mud At Clean & Green Law’s Tax Breaks
Goats Pare Back Poison Ivy At Winnie Palmer Nature Reserve
Land Recycling
Environmental Assessment To Clear Fmr Glass Plant Site For Redevelopment
Littering/Illegal Dumping
Bill For Removing Tires, TVs From Monongahela Park Expected To Be $6,500
Erie Collects 1,857 Tons During Spring Cleanup
Mine Reclamation
Oil & Gas
Drilling Payments
AP: Laurence County Classes Build, Demonstrate Natural Gas, Oil Rig
Fracking Riles Residents In Pittsburgh’s Northeastern Suburbs
Water Lines To Be Placed Under Kiski River Using Gas Drilling Technology
More Than Half Of Williamsport Transit’s 33 Buses Run On CNG
National Fuel Plans To Step Up Its Drilling In PA
Rule Of Capture PA Court Decision To Be Appealed
Cusick: PA Wants To Audit Drilling Companies’ Hiring Of Women, Minorities
Thompson: Wolf Deputy Chief Of Staff Being Investigated For Possible Ethics Violation
Cusick: Ethics Investigation Of Wolf Aide Advances Alleging Gas Industry Conflict
BNA-Pappas: Frackers Feeling Shaken Up By PA Court Decision
Pipelines
Commonwealth Court To Hear Mariner East 2 Pipeline Case Challenging Eminent Domain On
Environmental Rights Amendment Grounds
Radiation Protection
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C2ES Report: Solutions For Maintaining The Existing Nuclear Generating Fleet
Recreation
Officials Bet Big On Elevated Park In Pittsburgh
Rachel Carson Challenge Hike Filled
Crable: Railroad Trestle Rehab Project Gets Funding To Link Low Grade Rail Trail In Lancaster
Crable: Bungled Penn State Decision To Ground Outing Club After 98 Deserved Derision
Lawrence County Man Killed In ATV Crash
Schneck: Boating Safety Tips In PA: Use Life Jackets, What To Avoid
Fatal Boat Accident On The Susquehanna River: What We Know
Latest Boating Accident Raising Concerns About Harrisburg’s Dock Street Dam
Learn How To Lock Through The Allegheny River At Lockfest May 12
Recycling/Waste
Penn State Behrend Students Hope To Turn Trash To Treasure
Watch 10th Annual Give & Take Event Video In Monroe County
Television Recycling Hits A Wall In Franklin County
Appeals Court Reinstates Lawsuit Challenging Keystone Landfill Expansion
Editorial: Citizens To Get Day In Court On Keystone Landfill
Renewable Energy
Solar Panels To Power 85% Of Mennonite Central Committee Facility In Ephrata
Once In Shadows, Solar Energy Has Sunnier Outlook
Community Solar Conquers Pittsburgh Shade
Stormwater
Susquehanna River
83
Schneck: Night Fishing On The Susquehanna? More Than You Imagine
Watershed Protection
Click Here to subscribe to the Chesapeake Bay Journal
Wildlife
Frye: How Best To Manage Penns Creek’s Wild Brown Trout Under Discussion
Schneck: Night Fishing On The Susquehanna? More Than You Imagine
Fresh Supply Of Trout Being Released In Western PA
Work Continues On Tamarack Lake’s Dams In Crawford
AP: Illinois Seeks Talks On Keeping Asian Carp From Great Lakes
Game Commission Turns Of Hanover Eagle Cam After Tumultuous Season
Schneck: Rare Birds Return To Presque Isle Beach For Nesting Season In Erie
Peregrine Falcon Chicks Removed From Pittsburgh Building
Murrysville Firm’s Wildlife Cams Expand To Fox Den, Osprey
Prescribed Burning Of The Forest To Protect Golden-Winged Warblers
What To Do If You See A Coyote
Schneck: Infectious Agents Causing Chronic Wasting Disease Found In Soil, Water
Demko: Volunteer Group Pushing For Sunday Hunting In PA
Auditor General Auditing Game Commission
Venesky: PA’s Wildlife Loses An Ally: PGC Biologist Tom Hardisky
West Nile/Zika Virus
Hurricanes
Op-Ed: Hurricane Maria Evacuees In PA Need More Than Agencies Are Giving
Op-Ed: We Remain Frustrated By Federal Response For Puerto Rican Evacuees
Federal Policy
Concerns About Preserving Lands In Monroe County
Click Here For This Week's Allegheny Front Radio Program
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Regulations, Technical Guidance & Permits
No new regulations were published this week. Pennsylvania Bulletin - May 12, 2018
Sign Up For DEP’s eNotice: Did you know DEP can send you email notices of permit
applications submitted in your community? Notice of new technical guidance documents and
regulations? All through its eNotice system. Click Here to sign up.
DEP Regulations In Process

Proposed Regulations Open For Comment - DEP webpage
Proposed Regulations With Closed Comment Periods - DEP webpage
Recently Finalized Regulations - DEP webpage
DEP Regulatory Update - DEP webpage
March 3, 2018 DEP Regulatory Agenda - PA Bulletin, Page 1374
Technical Guidance & Permits
Note: The Department of Environmental Protection published 62 pages of public notices related
to proposed and final permit and approval/ disapproval actions in the May 12 PA Bulletin - pages
2830 to 2892.
The Department of Environmental Protection published notice in the May 12 PA Bulletin of

actions taken under the Nutrient Credit Trading Program.
DEP published notice in the May 12 PA Bulletin of changes to the list of companies certified to
perform of radon-related activities (PA Bulletin, page 2891).
The Department of Conservation and Natural Resources published notice in the May 12 PA
Bulletin of a land exchange with the PA Turnpike in Chester County.
The Fish and Boat Commission published notices in the May 12 PA Bulletin of additions to the
list of Class A Wild Trout Waters and additions and revisions to the classification of Wild Trout
Streams.
DEP Technical Guidance In Process

Draft Technical Guidance Documents - DEP webpage
Technical Guidance Comment Deadlines - DEP webpage
Recently Closed Comment Periods For Technical Guidance - DEP webpage
Technical Guidance Recently Finalized - DEP webpage
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Copies of Final Technical Guidance - DEP webpage
DEP Non-Regulatory/Technical Guidance Documents Agenda (February 2018) - DEP webpage
Other DEP Proposals For Public Review

Other Proposals Open For Public Comment - DEP webpage
Recently Closed Comment Periods For Other Proposals - DEP webpage
Other Proposals Recently Finalized - DEP webpage
Visit DEP’s Public Participation Center for public participation opportunities. Click Here to sign
up for DEP News a biweekly newsletter from the Department.
DEP Facebook Page DEP Twitter Feed DEP YouTube Channel
Click Here for links to DEP’s Advisory Committee webpages.
DEP Calendar of Events DCNR Calendar of Events
CLICK HERE To View Or Print Entire PA Environment Digest
CLICK HERE to Print The Entire PA Environment Digest. This Digest is 87 pages long.
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PA Environment Digest May 14, 2018

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Issue #724 ​Crisci Associates​, Harrisburg, PA May 14, 2018

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

The Department of Environmental Protection will

The Department of Environmental Protection Tuesday

Driving PA Forward Grant/Rebate Program To Replace Older Diesel Engines, Cut

Thursday the Wolf Administration

PennDOT Announces Funding For Trail, Environmental Projects To Support

Gov. Tom Wolf and PennDOT Secretary Leslie

PA Environmental Defense Foundation Files Motion To Protect $383 Million In State

On May 4, the ​PA Environmental Defense Foundation

PA Parks & Forests Foundation Recognizes 2018 Award Winners

The ​PA Parks and Forests Foundation

On Wednesday, the ​PA Parks and Forests Foundation​ recognized

I am extremely honored and humbled to receive the Cliff Jones

On April 30, Commonwealth Court ​issued an opinion

The ​Delaware Riverkeeper Network​ Wednesday announced

Environmental Coalition Backs Common PA Conservation Agenda Aimed At Candidates

A coalition of environmental groups led by

Senate/House Agenda/Session Schedule [Updated]/Gov’s Schedule

Committee Meeting Agendas This Week

Bills Pending In Key Committees

Session Schedule ​[​Updated​]

News From The Capitol

Legislators from both parties are circulating

Tookany/Tacony-Frankford Watershed Milestones Award Winners, May 23 Awards

The ​Tookany/Tacony-Frankford Watershed Partnership​ in

The ​Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology’s Water &

(Reprinted from the ​Thaddeus Stevens​ website.)

PA American Water​ Monday announced the winners of its 16th

The Wayne Highlands School District team called

James Meyers dipped his hand into the water of Elk

(Reprinted from the ​Chesapeake Bay Foundation Blog​.)

What’s an essential ingredient in brewing beer? Hops,

The ​Manada Conservancy​, ​Keep PA Beautiful​, the

Stomping In Chiques Creek With Manheim Central Students, Lancaster County

Manheim Central High School​ students and

After a successful inaugural campaign, ​Lancaster

The ​Penn State Agriculture and Environment Center

Reminder: Choose Clean Water Conference Comes To Lancaster May 22-23

The ​9th Annual Choose Clean Water Conference

Dominion Energy Awards $22,500 Environment, Stewardship Grants In PA

Dominion Energy’s ​Environmental Education and Stewardship Grants​ Program awarded

The ​Anthracite Region Independent Power Producers’

Keep PA Beautiful Distributes Recycled Content Benches In 11 Counties Donated By

In recognition of Earth Day, GIANT Food

The Department of Environmental Protection

DEP Northwest Regional Roundtable Meets May 15 In Warren On Filing Complaints,

Chester Environmental Partnership Honors 5 With 2018 CEP Awards

Department of Environmental Protection will host a ​Keystone Energy Education Program

Department of Conservation and Natural

With a hotter-than-normal summer forecast, the

The U.S. Energy Information

EPA Recognizes Children's Hospital Of Philadelphia With Asthma Management Award

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

Op-Ed: State Officials Need To Protect PA From Trump's EPA

By Joe Minott, ​Clean Air Council

Pennsylvanians know from experience that air

By Donna Morelli, ​Chesapeake Bay Journal

When Marcellus Shale drilling came to Pennsylvania

Delaware Highlands Conservancy, Lacawac Sanctuary June 2 Money Grows On Trees

Join the ​Delaware Highlands Conservancy​ and

Sen. John Yudichak (D-Luzerne) Tuesday kicked off

DCED, PennDOT, DCNR, Local Partners Celebrate New Recreational Opportunities In

Department of Community and Economic Development

Issue #724 Crisci Associates, Harrisburg, PA May 14, 2018

PA Environment Digest Blog Twitter Feed PaEnviroDigest Google+

On May 4, the PA Environmental Defense Foundation

The PA Parks and Forests Foundation

On Wednesday, the PA Parks and Forests Foundation recognized

On April 30, Commonwealth Court issued an opinion

The Delaware Riverkeeper Network Wednesday announced

Session Schedule [Updated]

The Tookany/Tacony-Frankford Watershed Partnership in

The Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology’s Water &

(Reprinted from the Thaddeus Stevens website.)

PA American Water Monday announced the winners of its 16th

(Reprinted from the Chesapeake Bay Foundation Blog.)

The Manada Conservancy, Keep PA Beautiful, the

Manheim Central High School students and

After a successful inaugural campaign, Lancaster

The Penn State Agriculture and Environment Center

The 9th Annual Choose Clean Water Conference

Dominion Energy’s Environmental Education and Stewardship Grants Program awarded

The Anthracite Region Independent Power Producers’

Department of Environmental Protection will host a Keystone Energy Education Program

By Joe Minott, Clean Air Council

By Donna Morelli, Chesapeake Bay Journal

Join the Delaware Highlands Conservancy and

On May 2 Robert F. Jondreau, Executive Director of the PA

May 23-- NEW. Tookany/Tacony-Frankford Watershed Partnership. Milestone Awards

June 1-9-- NEW. Lancaster County Water Week.

June 20-21-- Registration Open. 20th Anniversary PA Abandoned Mine Reclamation

DEP Facebook Page DEP Twitter Feed DEP YouTube Channel

Click Here for links to DEP’s Advisory Committee webpages.

DEP Calendar of Events DCNR Calendar of Events

Senate Committee Schedule House Committee Schedule

May 15-- Manada Conservancy Short Story Writing Contest

PA Environment Digest Blog Twitter Feed PaEnviroDigest Google+

The Department of Environmental Protection published notice in the May 12 PA Bulletin of

DEP Facebook Page DEP Twitter Feed DEP YouTube Channel

Click Here for links to DEP’s Advisory Committee webpages.

DEP Calendar of Events DCNR Calendar of Events

PA Environment Digest Blog Twitter Feed PaEnviroDigest Google+

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

PA Environment Digest weekly was the winner of the PA Association of Environmental

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

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