Pa Environment Digest June 8, 2015

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PA Environment Digest

An Update On Environmental Issues In PAEdited By: David E. Hess, Crisci Associates

Winner 2009 PAEE Business Partner Of The Year Award

Harrisburg, Pa June 8, 2015

Delaware County High School Takes 2015 PA Envirothon Honors

Penncrest High School in Delaware County

placed first in 2015 Pennsylvania State

Envirothon competition, scoring 572 points out

possible 600, and earning the honor ofrepresenting Pennsylvania in upcoming North

American competition.

(Photo: Team Members: Abigail Pearse,

Lucy Hall, Vy-Linn Gale, Justin Rosenberg and

Dan Rosenberger. The Team Advisors were

Mark Samilenko & Chrissa Kuntz.)

The 32nd state competition was held

May 19-20 at the University of Pittsburgh

Johnstown and Windber Recreation Park. High

school students from 63 Pennsylvania counties

participated in this year’s event.The other nine winning schools, and scores were: second place – Palmyra Area High

School, Lebanon County, with a score of 527.33; third place – Central York High School, York

County, 522; fourth place – Carmichaels Area High School, Greene County, 509.33; fifth Place –

Downingtown East High School, Chester County, 472.33; sixth Place – Blue Mountain High

School, Schuylkill County, 470; seventh Place – Troy High School, Bradford County, 469.33;

eighth Place – Oley Valley High School, Berks County, 465.67; ninth Place – Pocono Mountain

East High School, Monroe County, 465.33; and tenth Place – Neshaminy High School, Bucks

County, 461.

Five-member teams participated in a series of field station tests focusing on five topic

areas: soils and land use, aquatic ecology, forestry, wildlife, and environmental issues. The 2015

current environmental issue focused on Urban and Community Forestry.The teams also prepared and delivered oral presentations to panels of judges who

evaluated each team on its problem-solving capabilities, oral presentation skills and

recommendations to help solve the specific environmental challenge, which relates to the current

environmental issue.

Teams participating represent the best and the brightest of the thousands of high school

teens who have competed in county Envirothon competitions sponsored by conservation districts

from across the state.

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At the state level, the Envirothon is sponsored by Pennsylvania’s 66 county conservation

districts, the State Conservation Commission, and the PA Association of Conservation Districts.

Technical expertise is provided by: DCNR, Department of Environmental Protection,

Game Commission, Fish and Boat Commission, U.S.D.A. Natural Resources Conservation

Service, and the Penn State Extension.

The 2015 champions will represent Pennsylvania at 27th North American competition planned for July 27 – August 1 at Missouri State University, Springfield.

Pennsylvania has won the North American event in 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1994, 1997,

2000, 2001, 2003, 2005, and 2009.

More than 46 states, eight Canadian provinces, and one Canadian territory have initiated

Envirothon contests based on the program that was originally developed by Pennsylvania’s

conservation districts.

The Pennsylvania Envirothon awarded scholarships to the first, second, and third place

teams. The scholarships were sponsored by Pennsylvania’s County Conservation Districts and

Shell Oil. Each of the top ten teams received a plaque and other prizes.

For more information on the Envirothon program, contact county conservation districts or

the Pennsylvania Envirothon: (814) 623-7900, ext. 111; email: [email protected]

.NewsClips:

Dauphin County Envirothon Winners

Outdoorsy Summer Offered To Students

Mobile Science Lab Part Of Kids Fest In Connellsville

(Reprinted from DCNR’s June 3 Resource newsletter. Click Here to sign up for your own copy.)

Hearing Yields Little New On Severance Tax, Except They Don’t Benefit The Environment

The Senate Environmental Resources and Energy and Finance Committees held a hearing

Monday on natural gas severance tax proposals and their impact on the gas industry and

Pennsylvania’s economy.

Most of the questions from Republican Senators raised fears about the negative impact of

a severance tax on continued drilling and production of natural gas in the state.

Eileen McNulty, Acting Secretary of Revenue, provided an overview of Gov. Wolf’s

severance tax proposal, which is designed primarily to fund a significant increase in funding for

basic education and not environmental programs.

However, she appeared to be unprepared to answer basic questions from Senators about

the impact of the proposal or other details about how it would work.

Republican Senators expressed concerns about the artificial natural gas price floor of

$2.97 in the Governor’s proposal used to calculate the tax, when the current price of gas was$1.10.

Republican Senators also suggested the effective tax rate of the Governor’s proposal was

20-21 percent making it one of the highest in the country. McNulty said Revenue had not

calculated the effective rate of the tax proposal or the severance taxes in other states. She said

the Governor’s severance tax rate would put Pennsylvania “somewhere in the middle” of other

states with severance taxes.

Sen. Gene Yaw (R-Lycoming), Majority Chair of the Senate Environmental Resources

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and Energy Committee, asked McNulty several times about the provisions in the Governor’s

proposal aimed at shielding landowners from paying the severance tax and overriding existing

contracts they have with landowners.

McNulty said the provisions were reviewed by Administration attorneys and were

thought to be adequate.

Sen. Yaw expressed his doubts about how the language could override existing contractswhen there were 1,000 or more kinds of contracts between landowners and drillers.

Matthew Knittel, Independent Fiscal Office, testified any severance tax adopted by

Pennsylvania was likely to be paid, for the most part, by natural gas consumers in other states

noting U.S. Energy Information Administration figures show about three-quarters of

Pennsylvania’s natural gas production was exported out of the state.

Knittel said if the Governor’s proposal is adopted it, “will likely move Pennsylvania from

one of the lowest severance tax states to the highest tax state(s).” The IFO did calculations of the

effective tax rates in other states.

The IFO said the current Act 13 impact fee has an effective tax rate of .8 percent and the

Governor’s proposed severance tax had an effective rate of 7.3 percent. The next highest state

was Oklahoma with an effective tax rate of 5 percent.Lou D’Amico , President of the PA Independent Oil and Gas Association, David

Spigelmyer , President of the Marcellus Shale Coalition, Bruce Grindle , Vice President of the PA

Grade Crude Oil Coalition, and Gene Barr , President of the PA Chamber of Business and

Industry all testified along the same theme-- a severance tax would be bad for the drilling

industry and bad for Pennsylvania’s economy.

Michael Wood , PA Budget and Policy Center, supported a severance tax saying oil and

gas development companies pay little or no corporate income tax due to federal energy

development tax incentives. Wood said there is “no factual basis that the industry would

somehow work differently in Pennsylvania and become unprofitable due to the tax.”

Nathan Benefield, Vice President of the Commonwealth Foundation, said it was a

misconception that gas drillers pay no or little taxes noting drillers paid more than $600 million

in Act 13 impact fees from 2011-2013. He noted that other states-- like Texas, Wyoming and

West Virginia-- with severance taxes had no corporate or personal income taxes.

Also providing written testimony to the Committees were: Associated Petroleum

Industries of PA , the Environmental Defense Fund and America’s Natural Gas Alliance .

Copies of testimony and a video of the hearing are available on the Senate Environmental

Resources and Energy Committee webpage.

Sen. Gene Yaw (R-Lycoming) serves as Majority Chair of the Senate Environmental

Committee and Sen. John Yudichak (D-Luzerne) serves as Minority Chair.

Sen. John Eichelberger (R-Blair) serves as Majority Chair of the Senate Finance

Committee and Sen. John Blake (D-Lackawanna) serves as Minority Chair.NewsClips:

Wolf’s Severance Tax Would Be Among Highest In Nation

Wolf’s Severance Tax Would Be Highest Among Natural Gas States

Wolf Severance Tax Would Be Paid By Out-Of-State Consumers

Senate Hearing Shows Divide On Severance Tax

Op-Ed: Drilling Industry Should Pay Fair Share In PA

Op-Ed: Another Level Could Undermine Profitable Drilling Industry

http://lancasteronline.com/opinion/columnists/another-levy-could-undermine-a-profitable-industry-for-pa/article_1d91b1f4-095b-11e5-a531-3f41dc12318c.htmlhttp://lancasteronline.com/opinion/columnists/gas-industry-should-pay-fair-share-in-pa/article_b6ff46b4-0959-11e5-aab0-3fe3d637aa0d.htmlhttp://citizensvoice.com/news/hearing-shows-divide-on-severance-tax-1.1891540http://powersource.post-gazette.com/powersource/policy-powersource/2015/06/01/Proposed-shale-severance-tax-likely-would-be-paid-by-out-of-state-consumers-agency-says/stories/201506010181http://www.pennlive.com/politics/index.ssf/2015/06/natural_gas_severance_tax.html#incart_riverhttp://stateimpact.npr.org/pennsylvania/2015/06/01/wolfs-gas-tax-would-be-among-highest-in-nation-says-independent-fiscal-office/http://environmental.pasenategop.com/2015/05/27/a-proposed-severance-tax-on-natural-gas/http://environmental.pasenategop.com/2015/05/27/a-proposed-severance-tax-on-natural-gas/http://environmental.pasenategop.com/files/2015/06/ANGA-testimony.pdfhttp://environmental.pasenategop.com/files/2015/06/EDF-Submitted-Testimony.pdfhttp://environmental.pasenategop.com/files/2015/06/API-Submitted-Testimony.pdfhttp://environmental.pasenategop.com/files/2015/06/API-Submitted-Testimony.pdfhttp://wallaby.telicon.com/pa/library/2015/20150601TP.pdfhttp://environmental.pasenategop.com/files/2015/05/Benefield-revised.pdfhttp://environmental.pasenategop.com/files/2015/06/Budget-Policy-Center-Testimony.pdfhttp://environmental.pasenategop.com/files/2015/06/Chamber-Testimony.pdfhttp://environmental.pasenategop.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/34/files/2015/05/grindle.pdfhttp://environmental.pasenategop.com/files/2015/06/Marcellus-Shale-Coalition.pdfhttp://environmental.pasenategop.com/files/2015/06/Marcellus-Shale-Coalition.pdfhttp://environmental.pasenategop.com/files/2015/06/PIOGA-Testimony.pdfhttp://environmental.pasenategop.com/files/2015/06/IFO-Testimony.pdf


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Fracking, Severance Tax Issues To Dominate Senate Hearings

2014 PA Drilling Impact Fee Revenue Down Slightly

Wolf, GOP Leaders Talk To Lay Budget Foundation

How Long Will Budget Deal Take?

House Votes Unanimously Against Wolf Budget Plan

Stunts, Accusations Mark Beginning Of State Budget Drama Wolf, GOP Ramp Up Budget Rhetoric

Senate Democratic Leaders Provide June Budget Forecast

Poll: Wolf’s Budget Proposals Have Solid Support

Twelve Severance Tax Proposals Pending In Senate, House, So Far

There are now an even dozen natural gas severance tax proposals pending in the Senate and

House, most of which fund everything but environmental programs. Three more have been

announced in the House, but have yet to be introduced. Here’s a rundown.

There are six severance tax bills pending in the Senate-- two Republican and four

Democrat--Senate Bills

-- Senate Bill 116 (Brewster-D-Allegheny) represented as the Governor’s proposal, however it

eliminates the Act 13 impact fee starting on January 1, 2016, and has lower, capped amounts for

local governments and environmental programs than the Governor’s proposal (sponsor

summary ).

-- Senate Bill 395 (Brewster-D-Allegheny) adopting a 5 percent severance tax all devoted to

education funding, while keeping the impact fee, but crediting what producers pay to the

severance tax (sponsor summary ).

-- Senate Bill 415 (Haywood-D-Montgomery) providing for an 8 percent natural gas severance

tax with the proceeds dedicated to these uses: $100 million dollars off the top would go to the

Growing Greener Program; 60 percent of the money would go to fund Public Schools; and 40

percent would go towards reducing the unfunded pension liability (sponsor summary ).

-- Senate Bill 519 (McGarrigle-R-Delaware) which would impose a 4 percent tax on the value of

natural gas at the wellhead. All the revenue from the tax would be devoted to fund basic

education and nothing for any environmental restoration program (sponsor summary ).

-- Senate Bill 719 (Tomlinson-R-Bucks) providing for a 5 percent natural gas severance tax with

proceeds dedicated to state employee and school employee pension funds ( sponsor summary ).

-- Senate Bill 741

(Leach-D-Montgomery) imposing a 5 percent natural gas severance tax to

create the Pay It Forward, Pay It Back Pennsylvania college scholarship fund (

sponsor

summary

).

House BillsThere are six severance tax bills pending in the House and one announced proposal-- one

Republican and five Democrat--

-- House Bill 1142 (Davidson-D-Delaware) represented as the Governor’s proposal, however it

eliminates the Act 13 impact fee starting on January 1, 2016, and has lower, capped amounts for

local governments and environmental programs than the Governor’s proposal (sponsor

summary ).

-- House Bill 82 (Harper-R-Montgomery) calls for a 3.5 percent severance tax and keeping the

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Act 13 impact fee with proceeds from the new tax going to fund pension liabilities ( sponsor

summary ).

-- House Bill 500 (Dean-D-Montgomery) would impose a 4 percent “hybrid” severance tax

calculated by volume and value of natural gas. The proceeds would be deposited in the General

Fund ( sponsor summary ).

-- House Bill 526

(Conklin-D-Centre) would impose a 5 cents per volume severance taxdedicated solely to facilitate the growth of natural gas transportation systems (sponsor summary )

and

-- House Bill 528 (Conklin-D-Centre) would impose a 10 cents per volume severance tax and

dedicate up to $300 million in revenue to the Low-Income Energy Assistance Program and any

remaining revenue would be dedicated to the Property Tax/Rent Rebate Program (sponsor

summary ).

-- House Bill 716 (Carroll-D-Monroe) would create an exemption from any severance tax for

natural gas produced and delivered within 5 miles of the production site ( sponsor summary ).

These House members circulated co-sponsor memos proposing a natural gas severance

tax, but have not yet introduced the bills--

-- Rep. Gene DiGirolamo (R-Bucks): In February proposed

a 3.2 percent severance tax andkeeps the Act 13 impact fee with proceeds going to: basic education-- 40 percent; pension

obligations-- 35 percent; human services-- 15 percent; and environmental programs-- 10 percent

-- Rep. James Santora (R-Delaware): In February proposed a 4 percent severance tax with the

proceeds going to support basic education.

-- Rep. Tina Davis (D-Bucks): In February proposed an 8 percent severance tax in addition to

the Act 13 impact fees with the proceeds evenly split between the General Fund and 9 education

programs.

Act 13 Drilling Impact Fee Down Slightly For 2014

The Pittsburgh Business Times reported Tuesday the Public Utility Commission will distribute

$223.5 million in Act 13 drilling impact fee revenue from 2014, down about 1 percent from 2013

revenue. For 2013, revenue was $225.7 million. The PUC had no specific reason for the

revenue decline. For more information, visit the PUC’s Act 13 Impact Fee webpage.

NewsClip: 2014 PA Drilling Impact Fee Revenue Down Slightly

Senate Confirms John Quigley As Secretary Of DEP, Issues Raised At Hearing

The Senate Wednesday voted 44-4 to confirm John Quigley as Secretary

of the Department of Environmental Protection.

The no votes included Senators Ryan Aument (R-Lancaster),Carmera Bartolotta (R-Greene), Michele Brooks (R-Crawford) and Scott

Hutchinson (R-Venango).

Quigley is the seventh person to serve as Secretary of DEP since

it was created from the old Department of Environmental Resources in

1995.

From 2009 to 2011, Quigley served as secretary of the

Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. He was instrumental

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in creating a national model-- an advanced, collaborative, interagency approach to recreation,

conservation, and community enhancement around specific regional landscapes.

He also led the efforts to re-engineer DCNR’s grant program, creating a user-friendly,

efficient online system that emphasizes green practices.

Quigley also oversaw the completion of the country’s first high resolution digital

statewide map which is being used extensively by energy companies and other businesses, publicsafety agencies, planners, state agencies, and by the federal government in updating statewide

floodplain maps.

Most recently, Quigley was the principal of John H Quigley LLC.

Quigley has had a diverse career in the nonprofit, public, and private sectors, including

eight years as the mayor of the City of Hazleton, government relations manager with Citizens for

Pennsylvania’s Future, and management positions with industry-leading companies.

He is a graduate of Bloomsburg University with a degree in economics, and holds a

Master of Public Administration degree from Lehigh University.

Issues Raised At Confirmation Hearing

On Tuesday, the Senate Environmental Resources and Energy Committee held a hearing

on Quigley’s nominations and voted to report our his nomination to the full Senate withoutrecommendation.

Sen. John Yudichak (D-Luzerne), Minority Chair of the Committee, said he was

disappointed in the motion to report the nomination with no recommendation, but said he would

vote for the nomination so it can be moved to the full Senate.

Here’s a quick summary of the issues raised during the hearing--

-- PennFuture Connection: Sen. Gene Yaw (R-Lycoming), Majority Chair of the Committee,

asked whether Quigley saw any conflict in being a former employee of PennFuture and now

working for DEP, as well as John Hanger, the Governor’s Policy Director, and Cindy Dunn as

Acting Secretary of DCNR, and carrying out his duties. Quigley said he worked for PennFuture

for 21 months three years ago and did not see a conflict.

-- Impact Of Marcellus Shale Development:

Sen. Yaw asked Quigley to explain a statement he

made saying Marcellus Shale development will dwarf the impact of previous timber, oil and coal

resource development. Quigley said we are still dealing with the impacts of unregulated coal

development in thousands of miles of polluted streams and thousands of acres of abandoned

mine land.

Marcellus Shale development, Quigley said, covers two-thirds of the state, but the entire

state will be impacted by shale development with pipelines and other supporting facilities.

Quigley noted Pennsylvania has an opportunity to write a new chapter in helping Marcellus

Shale development “do it right,” demonstrating to the rest of the world how this resource can be

extracted safely.

Sen. Yaw said we have environmental laws and agencies we did not have before andhoped Pennsylvania is not especially targeting the Marcellus Shale industry. Quigley said the

drilling industry has gone through several generations of new technology and state government

must keep up. Quigley said continuous improvement in the industry should be the same standard

for state.

Sen. Scott Hutchinson (R-Venango) said he takes exception to the statement Quigley

made about previous environmental impacts of timber, coal and oil and gas drilling industries.

He said reluctantly there “may be” some impacts from previous coal mining, but that’s it. He

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said these areas now are thriving forests and beautiful. [See: Analysis: Myth- Conventional Oil

and Gas Drilling Is Benign .]

Quigley said timbering 100 years ago did create significant environmental impacts and

the boom and bust cycles limited economic opportunities in many communities and through

initiatives like Pennsylvania Wilds these areas are starting to come back.

[Note: The timber industry clear cut hundreds of thousands of acres of forests withoutreplanting or conservation measures that caused rivers of mud for decades in these areas. No one

wanted those lands until they were bought as State Forest lands.]

Sen. Kim Ward (R-Westmoreland) asked what he means about promoting the right kind

of natural gas development. Quigley said companies like Chevron, Shell and Consol are

certified by the Center for Sustainable Shale Development are examples of continuous

improvement and setting a higher bar.

-- Leasing Of DCNR Lands For Drilling: Sen. Yaw said only about 2 percent of DCNR lands

are impacted directly by drilling on State Forest lands and quoted Quigley as saying previously

that drilling payments and royalties was the “crack cocaine” for state government budgeting.

Quigley confirmed he did say that when he was DCNR Secretary because the

Commonwealth was in the middle of a severe recession and DCNR did the first leasing ofdrilling rights to help fill the budget gap.

Quigley said he was ordered to do two follow-on leasing opportunities at the request of

the General Assembly and Gov. Rendell, in spite of concerns expressed internally in DCNR

about more leasing because the agency did not have experience with Marcellus Shale

development.

Quigley said he was left no choice but to do the additional leasing, but directed that a

monitoring program for the impacts of leasing be developed He also said DCNR undertook an

analysis of any additional leasing opportunities which concluded the agency could not do any

additional leasing with surface disturbance without endangering the sustainability certification of

the State Forest. He noted the certification was very important to maximizing the economic

development of timber on State Forest lands.

Quigley said the companies leasing State Forest lands are meeting high environmental

standards in a good example of public-private partnership.

-- Protecting Coal: Sen. Yaw quoted Quigley as saying previously, “We must seize this

opportunity to turn off coal and take advantage of alternative energy opportunities. Sen. Yaw

asked how Quigley squares this comment with Gov. Wolf’s statement he wants to protect the

role of Pennsylvania coal.

Quigley said that statement is several years old and he now has a boss and he agrees with

Gov. Wolf’s approach to protecting coal, but also in taking a leadership position in dealing with

issues like climate change regulations in a way that is Pennsylvania-centric.

Sen. Don White (R-Indiana) said he needs to know that Quigley will stand up forPennsylvania coal like Gov. Wolf says he wants. He noted he has the coal industry, oil and gas

industry and electric power industry in his district. He said he does not believe these industries

need any more regulations.

-- Climate Change Regulations: Sen. Elder Vogel (R-Beaver) asked if Pennsylvania will get

any credit for what Pennsylvania power plants have done to reduce emissions before 2012 as part

of the EPA Clean Power Rule. Quigley said they are working with EPA on the issue and pointed

out the Clean Power Rule is not yet been finalized. He said he is working to ensure there will be

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an opportunity to develop a Pennsylvania-centric plan for meeting those requirements, including

protecting Pennsylvania coal.

He noted the General Assembly passed legislation last year giving the House and Senate

the opportunity to review any plan before it is submitted to EPA.

-- Natural Gas Severance Tax: Sen. Yaw quoted Quigley from the House budget hearing

related to the Governor’s severance tax proposal as saying the Marcellus Shale industry wouldnot go anywhere, but to a state with a higher severance tax. Sen. Yaw noted a Senate hearing

Monday heard testimony from the Independent Fiscal Office that Gov. Wolf’s severance tax

would be the highest in the country.

Quigley said the Administration has differences with the IFO over how to calculate the

effective tax rate. He repeated, the Marcellus industry is not going anywhere. Quigley said he

wants to work with the Marcellus industry to maximize their economic development potential in

Pennsylvania, but in a way that protects the environment.

Sen. Vogel (R-Beaver) said he hopes the severance tax proposal will not scare away

economic opportunities like the Shell ethane plant in Beaver County. Quigley said Shell has said

a severance tax will not have an impact on their final decision. Quigley noted DEP staff beat a

deadline for having an air quality permit proposed for the ethane plant and did it correctly.-- Chapter 78 Regulations: Sen. Yaw said his Committee has asked for DEP’s responses to the

24,000 comments originally made on Chapter 78 drilling regulations, but that request has been

denied. He said the Committee cannot do its complete job in evaluating the rulemaking without

those response. This denial, he said, does not square with the mantra of “transparency” the Wolf

Administration.

Quigley said DEP started the public discussion of the Chapter 78 regulations in 2011, had

12 public meetings and 12 public hearings and have chosen to go beyond the minimum public

participation requirements with the recent advance notice of public rulemaking.

He said he views the legal responsibility of the agency is to provide responses to

comments on the differences from proposed to the final version of the regulation. “Simply,” said

Quigley, “We are not done yet.”

Quigley acknowledge a Right-To-Know request from the Senator on the issue and said

DEP will respond to that.

-- Oil & Gas Advisory Groups: Sen. Hutchinson (R-Venango) said DEP added members of the

Oil and Gas Technical Advisory Board advising on the Marcellus Shale industry and created a

related Oil and Gas Advisory Committee for conventional drilling without statutory

authorization.

Quigley said in meeting with the conventional drilling industry, he thought they deserved

their own advisory group and took action to form one. He noted Sen. Hutchinson sent DEP three

letters recommending members to the Committee.

On the Technical Advisory Board for the Marcellus industry, he said that is still a work in progress, but Quigley said he believes it is better to come down on the side of having more

participation, not less.

Sen. Hutchinson said the conventional drilling industry is telling him the new advisory

group was created to provide “cover” to continue the development of regulations holding them to

the same standards as Marcellus Shale drillers that will put them out of business.

Quigley said if DEP was not serious about hearing from the conventional well drillers,

they would have not done it. He said the regulations covering conventional drillers have not

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been updated for decades and there continues to be environmental problems with conventional

drilling. [See: Analysis: Myth- Conventional Oil and Gas Drilling Is Benign .]

Quigley said there are differences in how conventional well drillers are regulated in

Chapter 78, including onsite disposal of wastewater and drill cuttings and other examples.

-- Abandoned Mine Reclamation: Sen. Yudichak (D-Luzerne) asked what DEP’s plans are to

deal with the environmental impact of abandoned mine lands and old deep mines. Quigley said areduction of resources to DEP and an aging workforce, particularly in Deep Mine Safety that is

near retirement has been a problem in addressing these issues. Quigley said they are working

with federal partners to attract as many resources as possible for reclamation and managing

DEP’s existing resources carefully to address these issues.

-- Reuse Of Mine Drainage: Sen. Camera Bartolotta (R-Greene) said she will be introducing

legislation to promote the reuse of mine drainage to replace fracking water used in Marcellus

Shale drilling operations and asked if Quigley supported it. Quigley said conceptually, he had no

problem with it when it could be safely done.

-- Use Of Coal Refuse: Sen. Bartolotta (R-Greene) said the use and burning of coal refuse is an

environmental advantage and should be promoted. Quigley said he looks forward to meeting

with the coal refuse association in the coming weeks to go over their issues.-- Comprehensive Energy Policy: Sen. Yudichak (D-Luzerne) asked Quigley to comment on

the fact Pennsylvania has not had a comprehensive energy policy to deal with issues like natural

gas developing, pipeline infrastructure, increasing manufacturing opportunities and striking a

balance with regulating natural gas and coal industries.

Quigley said DEP meets with the Marcellus Shale industry quarterly to understand the

issues they have and partner with them in developing the e-permitting program, for example. He

said Chapter 78 is an effective response to concerns raised about drilling and is continuing to

work with stakeholders on the final version.

Quigley said Gov. Wolf has proposed a comprehensive $225 million Energy Investment

Program, including the last mile development to provide access to natural gas. [See: Summary of

House Democratic Policy hearing Monday on the program

.]

With respect to pipelines, Quigley said there are problems with getting natural gas to

markets, “we get that,” he said. At the same time, the industry will be developing 25,000 miles

or more of pipelines in the future to make these connections.

He said he intends to work with a new pipeline task force, like he did while at DCNR on

wind energy, with the pipeline companies and other stakeholders having a conversation about

how to work through the issues involved in developing and siting pipelines.

Quigley said he would like to get to the “sweetspot” of speeding up the pipeline planning

and permit process, while reducing environmental and community impacts.

-- Smart Growth: Sen. Andrew Dinniman (D-Chester) asked for Quigley’s definition of “smart

growth” to protect natural resources. Quigley said Chester County has a good model for protecting open space and attracting compatible development. He said he hopes natural gas

pipelines can be developed in the same way through the pipeline task force. He noted it is not an

easy process.

-- Differences Between Regions: Sen. Bartolotta (R-Greene) noted differences between the way

DEP’s offices in the Southwest and Northeast handle pipeline permits and asked why. Quigley

said there are differences in the volume of permits going through each of the offices. He noted

DEP has lost 14 percent of its complement over the last six years, when the average state

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agencies lost 6 percent of its staff.

Quigley said under Gov. Corbett’s Permit Decision Guarantee Program DEP meets

permit issuance deadlines 92 percent of the time, if the applications are submitted correctly.

Sen. Yaw said the Committee has not have an opportunity to discuss issues like the

Chesapeake Bay Watershed and other concerns with federal regulation during the hearing, but

made the motion to report Quigley’s nomination out of Committee without recommendation.The full Senate has until June 9 to vote on the Quigley nomination.

A video of the hearing is available on the Senate Environmental Resources and Energy

Committee webpage.

Sen. Gene Yaw (R-Lycoming) serves as Majority Chair of the Senate Environmental

Committee and Sen. John Yudichak (D-Luzerne) serves as Minority Chair.

NewsClips:

Quigley Confirmed As DEP Secretary

Quigley Confirmed As DEP Secretary

Senate Confirms Hazleton Man As DEP’s To Man

Climate Activist Praises New DEP Secretary Quigley

Quigley Nomination To DEP Advances To Full Senate Quigley Nomination Moves To Senate Without Recommendation

Senate Panel Neutral On Quigley DEP Nomination

Senate Panel Passes Along DEP Nominee With No OK

Senate Confirms Cindy Dunn As DCNR Secretary

The Senate Tuesday unanimously confirmed the nomination of Cindy

Dunn as Secretary of the Department of Conservation and Natural

Resources.

Dunn is the sixth secretary to head DCNR since it was created

from the old Department of Environmental Resources is 1995.

Prior to her appointment, Dunn served as President and CEO of

PennFuture, a statewide environmental organization. Previously, she

served as DCNR’s Deputy Secretary of Conservation and Technical

Services.

In that capacity, she led DCNR's Conservation Landscape program

and oversaw the community conservation partnerships grant program,

which provides $30-$60 million annually for conservation and recreation throughout the

Commonwealth.

Dunn's leadership posts over more than a decade at DCNR include oversight of the

Bureau of Recreation and Conservation as well as the Office of Communications, Education andPartnerships.

Prior to joining DCNR, Dunn served as the executive director of Audubon Pennsylvania

from 1997-2003, and was the Pennsylvania program director for the Alliance for the Chesapeake

Bay for 10 years.

Dunn holds a master's degree in biology from Shippensburg University.

Related Article:

Senate Committee Recommends Confirmation Of Cindy Dunn For DCNR

http://www.paenvironmentdigest.com/newsletter/default.asp?NewsletterArticleID=32234http://triblive.com/business/headlines/8481942-74/quigley-industry-environmentalhttp://thetimes-tribune.com/news/senate-panel-neutral-on-quigley-dep-nomination-1.1892056http://stateimpact.npr.org/pennsylvania/2015/06/02/panel-moves-quigley-nomination-to-full-senate-without-recommendation/http://powersource.post-gazette.com/powersource/policy-powersource/2015/06/02/Quigley-nomination-for-DEP-secretary-advances-to-full-Pennsylvania-Senate/stories/201506020193http://www.politicspa.com/tom-steyer-praises-new-dep-secretary-quigley/66776/http://thetimes-tribune.com/news/senate-confirms-hazleton-man-as-dep-s-top-man-1.1892948http://stateimpact.npr.org/pennsylvania/2015/06/03/quigley-confirmed-as-dep-secretary/http://www.pennlive.com/politics/index.ssf/2015/06/dep_secretary_john_quigley_con.html#incart_riverhttp://environmental.pasenategop.com/2015/05/28/consider-the-nomination-of-john-quigley-as-secretary-of-the-pennsylvania-department-of-environmental-protection-dep/http://environmental.pasenategop.com/2015/05/28/consider-the-nomination-of-john-quigley-as-secretary-of-the-pennsylvania-department-of-environmental-protection-dep/


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DEP Citizens Advisory Council Meets June 16 On Act 54 Deep Coal Mining Impact Report

The DEP Citizens Advisory Council will meet on June 16 and on the agenda is a discussion of

the Council’s draft comments on DEP’s report on the impact of underground mining required by

Act 54.Also on the agenda are presentations on the interim final policy for developing technical

guidance and DEP draft NPDES General Permit for stormwater discharges (PAG-13) .

DEP Secretary John Quigley will give a report to Council on agency activities in addition

to the DEP’s June written report provided to the CAC.

Council will also elect a Chair and Vice-Chair for the coming year.

The meeting will be held in Room 105 of the Rachel Carson Building starting at 10:00.

The next scheduled meeting of the CAC is July 21.

For more information, visit the DEP Citizens Advisory Council webpage.

PA Environment Digest Google+ Circle, Blogs, Twitter Feeds

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

Circle.

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

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

NewsClips and links to the weekly Digest and videos.

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

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

Capitol.

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

http://www.twitter.com/PaCapitolDigesthttp://www.crisciassociates.com/category/capitol-blog/http://www.crisciassociates.com/category/environment-blog/http://www.twitter.com/http://www.crisciassociates.com/https://plus.google.com/+DavidHessGreenWorksInPA/postshttp://www.portal.state.pa.us/portal/server.pt/community/meetings/21513http://files.dep.state.pa.us/PublicParticipation/Citizens%20Advisory%20Council/CACPortalFiles/Meetings/2015_06/FINAL_June%202015%20DEP%20Report%20to%20CAC_06042015.pdfhttp://www.pabulletin.com/secure/data/vol45/45-22/1013.htmlhttp://www.paenvironmentdigest.com/newsletter/default.asp?NewsletterArticleID=32350http://www.paenvironmentdigest.com/newsletter/default.asp?NewsletterArticleID=32350http://www.paenvironmentdigest.com/newsletter/default.asp?NewsletterArticleID=31544&SubjectID=&SearchWord=act+54http://www.portal.state.pa.us/portal/server.pt/community/meetings/21513


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Here are the Senate and House Calendars and Committee meetings showing bills of interest as

well as a list of new environmental bills introduced--

Bill Calendars

House (June 8): Senate Bill 494 (Ward-R-Westmoreland) eliminating the requirement for an

annual flood insurance report. Click Here for full House Bill Calendar.

Senate (June 8): Senate Bill 282 (Vulakovich-R-Allegheny) establishing the waterfront

development tax credit; Senate Bill 513 (McGarrigle-R-Delaware) providing for the truck

transport of landfill leachate (sponsor summary ); House Bill 188 (Sonney-R-Erie) authorizes

wind energy projects on preserved farmland (House summary and Fiscal Note ). Click

Here for full Senate Bill Calendar.

Committee Meeting Agendas This Week

House: the Appropriations Committee meets to consider House Bill 398 (Killion-R-Delaware)

authorizing the transport of landfill leachate by truck (sponsor summary ). Click Here for full

House Committee Schedule.

Senate: the Environmental Resources and Energy and Transportation Committees hold a

joint hearing on the safe transportation of crude oil by railroad; the Environmental Resources

and Energy Committee holds a hearing on anthracite coal issues in Pottsville. Click

Here for full Senate Committee Schedule.

Bills Pending In Key Committees

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

each--

House

Appropriations

Education

Environmental Resources and Energy

Consumer Affairs

Gaming Oversight

Human ServicesJudiciary

Liquor Control

Transportation

Links for all other Standing House Committees

Senate

Appropriations

http://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/CteeInfo/index.cfm?Code=3&CteeBody=Shttp://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/CteeInfo/StandingCommittees.cfm?CteeBody=Hhttp://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/CteeInfo/StandingCommittees.cfm?CteeBody=Hhttp://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/CteeInfo/index.cfm?Code=38&CteeBody=Hhttp://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/CteeInfo/index.cfm?Code=28&CteeBody=Hhttp://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/CteeInfo/index.cfm?Code=24&CteeBody=Hhttp://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/CteeInfo/index.cfm?Code=56&CteeBody=Hhttp://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/CteeInfo/index.cfm?Code=54&CteeBody=Hhttp://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/CteeInfo/index.cfm?Code=10&CteeBody=Hhttp://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/CteeInfo/index.cfm?Code=8&CteeBody=Hhttp://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/CteeInfo/index.cfm?Code=12&CteeBody=Hhttp://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/CteeInfo/index.cfm?Code=4&CteeBody=Hhttp://www.legis.state.pa.us/WU01/LI/CO/SM/COSM.HTMhttp://www.legis.state.pa.us/WU01/LI/CO/SM/COSM.HTMhttp://www.legis.state.pa.us/WU01/LI/CO/HM/COHM.HTMhttp://www.legis.state.pa.us//cfdocs/Legis/CSM/showMemoPublic.cfm?chamber=H&SPick=20150&cosponId=16232http://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/billInfo/billInfo.cfm?sYear=2015&sInd=0&body=H&type=B&bn=0398http://www.legis.state.pa.us/WU01/LI/SC/SC/0/RC/CAL.HTMhttp://www.legis.state.pa.us/WU01/LI/SC/SC/0/RC/CAL.HTMhttp://www.legis.state.pa.us/WU01/LI/BI/FN/2015/0/HB0188P0180.pdfhttp://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/billInfo/billInfo.cfm?sYear=2015&sInd=0&body=H&type=B&bn=0188http://www.legis.state.pa.us//cfdocs/Legis/CSM/showMemoPublic.cfm?chamber=S&SPick=20150&cosponId=16561http://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/billinfo/billinfo.cfm?syear=2015&sInd=0&body=S&type=B&bn=513http://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/billInfo/billInfo.cfm?sYear=2015&sInd=0&body=S&type=B&bn=0282http://www.legis.state.pa.us/WU01/LI/SC/HC/0/RC/SCHC.HTMhttp://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/billInfo/billInfo.cfm?sYear=2015&sInd=0&body=S&type=B&bn=0494


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Environmental Resources and Energy

Consumer Protection and Professional Licensure

Community, Economic and Recreational Development

Education

Judiciary

Law and JusticePublic Health and Welfare

Transportation

Links for all other Standing Senate Committees

Bills Introduced

The following bills of interest were introduced this week--

Reuse Of Mine Water: Senate Bill 875 (Bartolotta-R-Greene) encourage the reuse of treated

mine water for fracking oil and gas wells ( sponsor summary ).

Sustainable Forestry: Senate Resolution 144 (Hutchinson-R-Venango) designating June 5 as

PA Sustainable Forestry Initiative Day ( sponsor summary ). (The resolution was adopted by the

Senate Wednesday.)

Plastic Bag Recycling: House Bill 1281 (Hanna-D-Centre) creating the Plastic Bag Recycling

Advisory Board (sponsor summary ).

Fracking Chemical Disclosure: House Bill 1292 (Frankel-D-Allegheny) requiring the

disclosure of chemicals use in fracking operations to physicians ( sponsor summary ).

Sustainable Forestry: House Resolution 375

(Rapp-R-Forest) designating June 5 as PA

Sustainable Forestry Initiative Day (sponsor summary ).

Session Schedule

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

Senate

June 8, 9, 10, 15, 16, 17, 18, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 29, 30

House June 8, 9, 10, 15, 16, 17, 18, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30

Governor’s Schedule

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

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

Appearances.

http://www.governor.pa.gov/Schedule/Pages/schedule.aspx#.VNVGE0K4lBxhttp://www.legis.state.pa.us//cfdocs/Legis/CSM/showMemoPublic.cfm?chamber=H&SPick=20150&cosponId=18457http://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/billInfo/billInfo.cfm?sYear=2015&sInd=0&body=H&type=R&bn=0375http://www.legis.state.pa.us//cfdocs/Legis/CSM/showMemoPublic.cfm?chamber=H&SPick=20150&cosponId=18197http://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/billInfo/billInfo.cfm?sYear=2015&sInd=0&body=H&type=B&bn=1292http://www.legis.state.pa.us//cfdocs/Legis/CSM/showMemoPublic.cfm?chamber=H&SPick=20150&cosponId=18368http://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/billInfo/billInfo.cfm?sYear=2015&sInd=0&body=H&type=B&bn=1281http://www.legis.state.pa.us//cfdocs/Legis/CSM/showMemoPublic.cfm?chamber=S&SPick=20150&cosponId=18464http://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/billinfo/billinfo.cfm?syear=2015&sind=0&body=S&type=R&bn=144http://www.legis.state.pa.us//cfdocs/Legis/CSM/showMemoPublic.cfm?chamber=S&SPick=20150&cosponId=18364http://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/billInfo/billInfo.cfm?sYear=2015&sInd=0&body=S&type=B&bn=0875http://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/CteeInfo/StandingCommittees.cfm?CteeBody=Shttp://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/CteeInfo/index.cfm?Code=19&CteeBody=Shttp://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/CteeInfo/index.cfm?Code=33&CteeBody=Shttp://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/CteeInfo/index.cfm?Code=29&CteeBody=Shttp://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/CteeInfo/index.cfm?Code=39&CteeBody=Shttp://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/CteeInfo/index.cfm?Code=23&CteeBody=Shttp://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/CteeInfo/index.cfm?Code=31&CteeBody=Shttp://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/CteeInfo/index.cfm?Code=7&CteeBody=Shttp://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/CteeInfo/index.cfm?Code=9&CteeBody=S


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Senate/House Bills Moving

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

House

General Fund Budget: House Bill 1192 (Adolph-R-Delaware) House Republican General Fund

budget bill was referred back to the House Appropriations Committee.

House Republicans took procedural steps this week to put Gov. Wolf’s budget plan up

for a House vote as the Governor wanted. Unfortunately, the votes went the wrong way for

Wolf. Democrats and the Governor immediately cried foul! Political stunt!

Here’s what happened.

Gov. Wolf’s tax package was offered by Rep. Seth Grove (R-York) Monday as an

amendment to House Bill 283 (F.Keller-R-Snyder) and when down unanimously-- 193-0.

In a second step, an amendment by House Minority Appropriations Committee Chair Joe

Markosek (D-Allegheny) was offered to the General Fund budget bill-- House Bill 1192

(Adolph-R-Delaware)-- with Gov. Wolf’s spending plan. By a vote of 119 to 74 the amendment

was declared non-germane because it did not meet the requirement in House rules to be revenue

neutral.

Republicans in the House called these the votes the Governor wanted and his budget went

down.

House Minority Leader Frank Dermody (D-Allegheny) immediately objected saying the

budget included in House Bill 1192 was not paid for either. A spirited Floor debate ensued.

Leachate Transport: House Bill 398 (Killion-R-Delaware) authorizing the transport of landfill

leachate by truck (

sponsor summary

) was removed from the Table, amended on the House Floorand referred to the House Appropriations Committee.

Flood Insurance Report: Senate Bill 494 (Ward-R-Westmoreland) eliminating the requirement

for an annual flood insurance report was removed from the Table and is now on the House

Calendar for action. A summary and Senate Fiscal Note are available.

Senate

Nominations: The Senate confirmed the nominations of Cindy Dunn as Secretary of

Conservation and Natural Resources.The Senate Environmental Resources and Energy

Committee reported out of nomination of John Quigley as Secretary of EnvironmentalProtection without a recommendation.

Sustainable Forestry: Senate Resolution 144 (Hutchinson-R-Venango) designating June 5 as

PA Sustainable Forestry Initiative Day ( sponsor summary ) was adopted by the Senate.

Waterfront Development Tax Credit: Senate Bill 282 (Vulakovich-R-Allegheny) establishing

the waterfront development tax credit was amended and reported from the Senate Finance

http://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/billInfo/billInfo.cfm?sYear=2015&sInd=0&body=S&type=B&bn=0282http://www.legis.state.pa.us//cfdocs/Legis/CSM/showMemoPublic.cfm?chamber=S&SPick=20150&cosponId=18464http://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/billinfo/billinfo.cfm?syear=2015&sind=0&body=S&type=R&bn=144http://www.legis.state.pa.us/WU01/LI/BI/SFN/2015/0/SB0494P0442.pdfhttp://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/billInfo/billInfo.cfm?sYear=2015&sInd=0&body=S&type=B&bn=0494http://www.legis.state.pa.us//cfdocs/Legis/CSM/showMemoPublic.cfm?chamber=H&SPick=20150&cosponId=16232http://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/billInfo/billInfo.cfm?sYear=2015&sInd=0&body=H&type=B&bn=0398http://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/billInfo/billInfo.cfm?sYear=2015&sInd=0&body=H&type=B&bn=1192http://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/billInfo/billInfo.cfm?sYear=2015&sInd=0&body=H&type=B&bn=0283http://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/billInfo/billInfo.cfm?sYear=2015&sInd=0&body=H&type=B&bn=1192


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Committee and is now on the Senate Calendar for action.

Conservation Easements: Senate Bill 556 (McIlhinney-R-Bucks) that would exempt from the

realty transfer tax grants of conservation easements to municipalities (sponsor summary ) was

referred to the Senate Appropriations Committee.

News From The Capitol

House Democrats Hold Hearing On Wolf Energy Investment Plan

The energy investment plan contained in Gov. Tom Wolf's budget proposal would create good,

green jobs, save schools and municipalities money through reduced electric costs and help the

environment.

Those conclusions came from a panel that included representatives of energy companies,

a suburban Philadelphia school official, farmers and a high-ranking member of the Wolf

administration.

They testified before the House Democratic Policy Committee during a hearing Monday

in the Harrisburg.

"Gov. Wolf's energy investment initiative is the single-most important environmental

accomplishment that could emerge from the 2015-16 budget," said state Rep. Greg Vitali

(D-Delaware), Minority Chair of the House Environmental Resources and Energy Committee,

who organized the hearing.

John Hanger, Wolf's secretary of policy and planning, said Pennsylvania fell to 50th in

job creation during the Corbett administration.

To help bring jobs to the state, Wolf has proposed a $675 million economic development

package funded by a bond issue which would be paid off with a severance tax on natural gas

production. That package includes $225 million for his energy initiative that would help returnPennsylvania as a national leader in renewable energy, said Hanger.

"We have gone from leaders of the pack to the back of the pack with clean energy,"

Hanger said, adding that has cost the state thousands of jobs.

Hanger said solar energy presents a terrific opportunity for economic development.

"Solar is as big a deal in the energy sector as shale gas," Hanger said.

Wolf has proposed investing $50 million to re-launch the PA Sunshine Solar Program.

The program would distribute rebates to homeowners, small businesses, municipalities,

universities, schools and hospitals for qualifying solar projects.

Jim Kurtz, president of RER Energy Group , said restoring the program could lead 4,000

solar projects that would create or retain 800 jobs.

"Many people think solar in Pennsylvania is either dead or in very much pain," Kurtzsaid. "Implementing a new Sunshine Program will remind Pennsylvania's citizens that solar is

supported by our administration, there are rebates back into the program and solar is more

affordable now than ever."

Wolf also proposes a new $20 million program to help build new wind farms and connect

them to the grid that delivers electricity from suppliers to consumers.

Michael Speerschneider, speaking for the Mid-Atlantic Renewable Energy Coalition, said

the governor's proposal is an important commitment to a diversified energy portfolio.

http://www.marec.us/http://www.rerenergygroup.com/http://www.depweb.state.pa.us/pasunshinehttp://www.pahouse.com/policycommittee/http://www.paenvironmentdigest.com/newsletter/default.asp?NewsletterArticleID=31526http://www.legis.state.pa.us//cfdocs/Legis/CSM/showMemoPublic.cfm?chamber=S&SPick=20150&cosponId=16511http://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/billInfo/billInfo.cfm?sYear=2015&sInd=0&body=S&type=B&bn=0556


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"It tells us the administration is willing to work with the industry to find new ways to

promote new projects, new growth and new jobs," he said, adding the plan could provide a "kick

start" to bring renewable energy companies back to Pennsylvania.

Wolf's plan also would provide $50 million for grants to businesses, schools and

nonprofits for energy-efficiency projects,

The North Penn School District in Montgomery County has used an energy management program to reduce consumption by 37 percent from 2018 to 2012 and save $2 million per year,

said Thomas Schneider, the district's director of facilities and operations. But he said more could

be done with state aid – no matter how small the amount.

He said a $10,000 matching grant would allow the district to replace inefficient perimeter

lights around four elementary schools, saving $1,000 per year.

"Larger grants to replace gymnasium lighting could reap … greater savings," Schneider

said.

Pennsylvania's agriculture would benefit from the Wolf plan, which would provide $20

million in grants to make Pennsylvania farms more self-reliant through energy-efficiency

improvements, wind power and bio-digesters that turn organic waste into electricity.

Brett Reinford, owner of Reinford Farms

in Juniata County, said the business bought ananaerobic digester in 2008, but that would not have been possible without state aid. He said the

digester has greatly helped his farm.

"Our digester project produces enough electricity to power 80 homes and made our farm

more sustainable by completely reducing our need for fuel oil," Reinford said.

Wolf's plan also would provide $30 million to expand the market for clean, advanced

energy technologies, $25 million for grants to business parks and manufacturers to build the last

few miles of natural gas pipelines and $30 million for grants to businesses that employ new

technology to produce power and heat on site.

Also testifying were Michael Matotek, owner of Open Sky Energy; Andrew Sharp,

deputy director of the Philadelphia's Mayor's Office of Sustainability ; Ellen Lutz, president of

Clean Markets

, a company that grows market share clean energy technologies; and Mike

Brubaker, owner of Brubaker Farms in Lancaster County.

Click Here to read copies of testimony presented at the hearing.

NewsClips:

Solar Campaign Reaches Dozens In Allegheny County

PUC Proposal To Cap Solar Power Puzzles

Sen. Bartolotta Bill Encourages Reuse Of Treated Mine Water For Fracking Gas Wells

Sen. Camera Bartolotta (R-Greene) introduced Senate Bill 875

Thursday to help reduce the use

of fresh water in natural gas drilling operations by promoting the use of treated mine water.In recent years, drilling companies have significantly reduced their reliance on water

from Pennsylvania’s rivers and streams by adopting the environmentally responsible practice of

treating and reusing mine water for their operations.

However, uncertainties regarding liability issues have prevented some companies from

utilizing this innovative approach.

Sen. Bartolotta’s bill would help remove this uncertainty and promote the beneficial use

of treated mine water in oil and gas operations by clarifying liabilities associated with this water

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source.

“Since both of these industries require the use of millions of gallons of water, using

treated mine water in the natural gas drilling process holds the potential to substantially reduce

the withdrawal demand placed upon Pennsylvania’s waterways,” Sen. Bartolotta said.

“Questions regarding legal liability are the most serious barrier preventing more companies from

utilizing this innovative process. My legislation would help clear up any confusion relating toliability.”

Sen. Bartolotta emphasized that her legislation would not weaken environmental

safeguards designed to protect public health.

“Existing water treatment standards ensure this water source is safe to use in the natural

gas drilling process,” Sen. Bartolotta said. “Nothing in the bill would undermine existing laws

pertaining to water quality and treatment for mine operators or gas and oil companies. It only

clarifies the parties who would be financially responsible for failure to comply with the law.”

A sponsor summary is available.

NewsClips:

Legislator Wants To Encourage Reuse Of Mine Water

DEP Investigates Radioactivity In Ten Mile Creek

Senate Committees Hold June 9 Hearing On Oil Train Safety

The Senate Transportation and the Environmental Resources and Energy Committees will hold a

joint hearing from 9 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. on June 9 in Harrisburg to collect testimony on the “Safe

Transportation of Crude Oil and Other Energy Products by Rail in Pennsylvania.”

The hearing will take place in the Keystone Building, Pennsylvania Utility Commission,

Room 1, 400 North Street, Harrisburg. The hearing will be aired live online through PCN .

“Our thoughts and prayers are with those communities in the United States and abroad

that experienced derailments, accidents and disasters involving trains transporting crude oil and

other volatile materials,” remarked Sen. John. Rafferty (R-Montgomery), Majority Chair of the

Senate Transportation Committee. “We want to learn more about safely moving these products

across the state and work swiftly and proactively with the railroad companies who are charged

with such a large responsibility of maintaining a vibrant energy economy in the

Commonwealth.”

“The use of rail is the primary method for transporting crude oil to the refineries in

Southeast Pennsylvania,” said Sen. Gene Yaw (R-Lycoming), Majority Chair of the Senate

Environmental Resources and Energy Committee. “It is critically important that we have

appropriate measures in place to reduce the risk of accidents in our Commonwealth. I am

pleased to join with Sen. Rafferty for this joint committee hearing to prevent and respond to

accidents that could threaten public safety.”The Committees will hear testimony from an array of experts regarding a variety of

topics and perspectives at the federal, state and local levels since this issue is immersed

throughout transportation and energy production.

Public comments may be sent to the corresponding Senate Committee.

Sen. John Rafferty (R-Montgomery) serves as Majority Chair of the Transportation

Committee, email: [email protected] , and Sen. John Wozniak (D-Cambria) serves as Minority

Chair, email: [email protected] .

mailto:[email protected]://www.senator-wozniak.com/mailto:[email protected]://www.senatorrafferty.com/https://pcntv.com/http://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/cteeInfo/Index.cfm?CteeBody=S&Code=9http://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/cteeInfo/index.cfm?Code=19&CteeBody=Shttp://www.witf.org/news/2015/06/dep-to-investigate-creek-near-mine-discharge-for-radioactivity.phphttp://triblive.com/business/headlines/8496186-74/mine-treated-bartolotta#axzz3c4o9ULOrhttp://www.legis.state.pa.us//cfdocs/Legis/CSM/showMemoPublic.cfm?chamber=S&SPick=20150&cosponId=18364


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Sen. Gene Yaw (R-Lycoming) serves as the Majority Chair of the Environmental

Resources and Energy Committee, email: [email protected] , and Sen. John Yudichak

(D-Luzerne) serves as Minority Chair, email: [email protected].

NewsClip: Norfolk Southern Defends Oil Train Safety Measures

Senate Environmental Committee Holds June 11 Hearing On Anthracite Coal Industry

The Senate Environmental Resources and Energy Committee will hold a hearing on June 11 on

issues affecting Pennsylvania’s anthracite coal industry and coal-refuse fired alternative energy

plants.

The hearing will be held in the Pottsville City Council Chambers, 2nd Floor, City Hall,

401 N. Centre St., Pottsville starting at 11:00.

Sen. Gene Yaw (R-Lycoming) serves as the Majority Chair of the Environmental

Resources and Energy Committee, email: [email protected] , and Sen. John Yudichak

(D-Luzerne) serves as Minority Chair, email: [email protected].

NewsClips:

Anthracite Still Vital Part Of PA Economy Patriot Coal’s Woes Portend Dire Straits For Coal Industry

Colliery Still Mining, Processing Anthracite

Conference At Museum Explores Anthracite History

Op-Ed: How To Stop EPA’s War On The Poor

Op-Ed: Time To Make Fossil Fuel Handouts Extinct

News From Around The State

Paint Creek Regional Watershed Association Receives Western PA Environmental Award

The Paint Creek Regional Watershed Association in

Somerset County was recognized recently with a

Western PA Environmental Award at a May 27

ceremony sponsored by Dominion and the PA

Environmental Council in Pittsburgh.

While the coal mining industry fueled the

Industrial Revolution and shaped the development of

the region, it left a legacy of pollution with black coal

refuse piles dotting the landscape and orange veins of

water snaking along valley floors.

(Photo: Thomas Clark, PCRWA Member, Melissa Reckner, PCRWA Vice-President, Richard Wargo, PCRWA President, and Davitt

Woodwell, PA Environmental Council CEO.)

Centering around the town of Windber, Somerset County, the Paint Creek Regional

Watershed Association formed in 2000 to combat abandoned mine discharges and other sources

of environmental degradation, educate the community about these issues, promote environmental

recreation, and ultimately restore a healthy aquatic community to waterways within and

downstream of its watershed.

http://pecpa.org/http://pecpa.org/http://pecpa.org/press-releases/http://www.scrippa.org/factsheet/PaintCreek.pdfhttp://www.pennlive.com/opinion/2015/06/its_time_to_make_hand-outs_to.html#incart_riverhttp://www.pennlive.com/opinion/2015/06/stop_the_epas_war_on_the_poor.html#incart_riverhttp://thetimes-tribune.com/news/conference-at-museum-explores-anthracite-history-1.1891016http://citizensvoice.com/news/colliery-still-mining-processing-anthracite-1.1890803http://powersource.post-gazette.com/powersource/companies-powersource/2015/06/02/What-happens-when-a-gigantic-coal-mining-company-goes-bankrupt/stories/201506210002http://citizensvoice.com/news/anthracite-still-a-vital-part-of-pennsylvania-s-economy-1.1890818mailto:[email protected]://www.senatoryudichak.com/mailto:[email protected]://www.senatorgeneyaw.com/http://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/cteeInfo/Index.cfm?CteeBody=S&Code=9http://powersource.post-gazette.com/powersource/companies-powersource/2015/06/01/Norfolk-Southern-responds-to-Gov-Wolf-on-crude-by-rail-issues-Pennsylvania-shale/stories/201506010147mailto:[email protected]://www.senatoryudichak.com/mailto:[email protected]://www.senatorgeneyaw.com/


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A river reassessment in 2007 highlighted the need for this work, when biological

monitoring showed a “kill-zone” in the Stonycreek River.

The Paint Creek Regional Watershed Association works to combat against abandoned

mine drainage in both Windber and Somerset county.

The 38 square-mile Paint Creek Watershed straddles the Cambria/Somerset County line

and is the fourth largest tributary to the Stonycreek River.Today, whitewater enthusiasts frequently visit Paint Creek for a thrilling 2.7 mile ride

through largely Class V rapids, and the Stonycreek Quemahoning Initiative is spearheading

development of an interpretive walking trail along lower Paint Creek that would highlight the

rich history of the area.

In 2002, the PCRWA hired a local water pollution biologist to complete the Paint Creek

Restoration Plan, which documented every abandoned mine discharge in the watershed,

prioritized the sources by stream impact, and provided recommendations and potential solutions

that would heal the watershed.

Stemming from this plan, PCRWA hosted an annual Watershed Awareness Day, sought

to treat the Jandy discharge, and created and distributed watershed fact sheets. In partnership

with the Kiski-Conemaugh Stream Team, it completed a Coldwater Conservation Plan for LittlePaint Creek, which was the only trout-stocked fishery in the watershed.

PCRWA partnered with the Stream Team to install flow measuring devices and collect

monthly water samples from the targeted discharges. They secured funds from the Department of

Environmental Protection’s Growing Greener grant program to design and construct three

treatment systems for four AMD’s along Weaver Run.

A year after treatment of a major coal company discharge, macroinvertebrates were

found colonizing the effluent of the discharge. Continued water quality monitoring supported the

theory that Weaver Run might support trout.

A stainless steel enclosure was built in which a stock of brook trout could swim and be

monitored every day to ensure they were not experiencing stress. After two weeks of monitoring,

the trout showed no negative effects and were released. The experiment was repeated in the fall

and again, the trout survived and were released.

The Windber Sportsmen’s Association added Weaver Run to its stocking schedule and in

2014 received its first official stocking of trout in more than 80 years.

Richard Wargo, Paint Creek Regional Watershed Association President, said, “This

really is like winning an Oscar. It’s tremendous receiving this recognition and spurs us to

continue our work. It’s not going to happen overnight, but we’ve made a good start.”

The award also came with $5,000 that the group will use for future projects.

If you would like to become a member of or volunteer with the Paint Creek Regional

Watershed Association, contact Richard Wargo at 814-525-0844.

NewsClips:Op-Ed: The Crab Bake You Save May Be Your Own, CBF

Op-Ed: Fate Of Chesapeake’s Famed Blue Crabs In Our Hands

Op-Ed: Singing The Blues About Chesapeake’s Crab Numbers

Save Our Susquehanna Campaign Launched By Fish & Boat

RiverFest Draws Hundreds To Lackawanna River

Editorial: EPA Clean Water Rule Not So Popular

New EPA Water Quality Rule May Impact Energy Companies

http://stateimpact.npr.org/pennsylvania/2015/06/02/new-water-quality-rule-expected-to-affect-energy-companies/http://triblive.com/opinion/editorials/8448403-74/epa-rule-agencyhttp://thetimes-tribune.com/news/riverfest-draws-hundreds-to-lackawanna-river-1.1890939http://blog.pennlive.com/pa-sportsman/2015/06/save_our_susquehanna_campaign.html#incart_riverhttp://www.ldnews.com/opinion/ci_28251120/singing-blues-about-chesapeakes-crab-numbershttp://cumberlink.com/news/opinion/columnists/guest/fate-of-chespeake-s-famed-blue-crabs-in-our-hands/article_a288453a-7164-556a-ad08-eff08ba93bd4.htmlhttp://www.pennlive.com/opinion/2015/06/this_summer_the_crab_bake_you.html#incart_riverhttp://www.conemaughvalleyconservancy.org/conservation/kcst.html


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Legislator Wants To Encourage Reuse Of Mine Water

DEP Investigates Radioactivity In Ten Mile Creek

Conservation Plan Aims To Protect Raccoon Creek

Editorial: Arctic Oil, Safety Elusive

Susquehanna U. Opens Freshwater Research Facility

Latest From The Chesapeake Bay Journal

EPA: Fracking Has Not Lead To Widespread, Systemic Impacts On Drinking Water

The Environmental Protection Agency released a draft assessment Thursday on the potential

impacts of hydraulic fracturing activities which shows that while hydraulic fracturing activities

in the U.S. are carried out in a way that have not led to widespread, systemic impacts on drinking

water resources, there are potential vulnerabilities in the water lifecycle that could impact

drinking water.

The assessment, done at the request of Congress, follows the water used for hydraulic

fracturing from water acquisition, chemical mixing at the well pad site, well injection of fracking

fluids, the collection of hydraulic fracturing wastewater (including flowback and producedwater), and wastewater treatment and disposal.

“EPA’s draft assessment will give state regulators, tribes and local communities and

industry around the country a critical resource to identify how best to protect public health and

their drinking water resources,” said Dr. Thomas A. Burke, EPA’s Science Advisor and Deputy

Assistant Administrator of EPA’s Office of Research and Development. “It is the most complete

compilation of scientific data to date, including over 950 sources of information, published

papers, numerous technical reports, information from stakeholders and peer-reviewed EPA

scientific reports.”

EPA’s review of data sources available to the agency found specific instances where well

integrity and waste water management related to hydraulic fracturing activities impacted

drinking water resources, but they were small compared to the large number of hydraulically

fractured wells across the country.

The report provides valuable information about potential vulnerabilities, some of which

are not unique to hydraulic fracturing, to drinking water resources, but was not designed to be a

list of documented impacts.

These vulnerabilities to drinking water resources include:

— Water withdrawals in areas with low water availability;

— Hydraulic fracturing conducted directly into formations containing drinking water resources;

— Inadequately cased or cemented wells resulting in below ground migration of gases and

liquids;

— Inadequately treated wastewater discharged into drinking water resources and spills ofhydraulic fluids and hydraulic fracturing wastewater, including flowback and produced water.

Also released were nine peer-reviewed EPA scientific reports . These reports were a part

of EPA’s overall hydraulic fracturing drinking water study and contributed to the findings

outlined in the draft assessment.

Over 20 peer-reviewed articles or reports were published as part of this study.

States play a primary role in regulating most natural gas and oil development. EPA’s

authority is limited by statutory or regulatory exemptions under the Clean Water Act, Safe

http://www2.epa.gov/hfstudy/published-scientific-papershttp://www.epa.gov/hfstudyhttp://www2.epa.gov/hfstudy/hydraulic-fracturing-water-cyclehttp://www.bayjournal.com/http://www.witf.org/news/2015/06/susquehanna-university-opens-freshwater-research-facility.phphttp://thetimes-tribune.com/opinion/arctic-oil-safety-elusive-1.1892612http://www.post-gazette.com/news/environment/2015/06/05/Conservation-plan-aims-to-protect-Raccoon-Creek-Watershed/stories/201506050094http://www.witf.org/news/2015/06/dep-to-investigate-creek-near-mine-discharge-for-radioactivity.phphttp://triblive.com/business/headlines/8496186-74/mine-treated-bartolotta#axzz3c4o9ULOr


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Drinking Water Act, the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability

Act, and the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act.

Where EPA’s exemptions exist, states may have authority to regulate unconventional oil

and gas extraction activities under their own state laws.

EPA’s draft assessment benefited from extensive stakeholder engagement conducted

across the country with states, tribes, industry, non-governmental organizations, the scientificcommunity and the public to ensure that the draft assessment reflects current practices in

hydraulic fracturing and utilizes all data and information available to the agency.

The study will be finalized after review by the Science Advisory Board and public review

and comment. The Federal Register Notice with information on the SAB review and how to

comment on the draft assessment was published on June 5, 2015.

A copy of the study is available online .

NewsClips:

EPA: No Widespread, Systemic Harm To Drinking Water From Fracking

No Widespread Impact On Drinking Water From Fracking

EPA: Fracking Doesn’t Cause Widespread Water Pollution

EPA: No Widespread Harm To Drinking Water From Fracking EPA: Fracking Water Problems Not Widespread

EPA Report Leaves Questions On Fracking’s Water Risks

Susquehanna University Opens Freshwater Research Laboratory

Susquehanna University officially opened its

Freshwater Research Laboratory at a ribbon-cutting

ceremony on Tuesday.

Susquehanna received a $2.25 million grant

from the Richard King Mellon Foundation last spring to

support the Freshwater Research Initiative. Most of the

funding supported the creation of Susquehanna’s

Freshwater Research Laboratory, a centralized location

for research into the health of the river, its wildlife and

surrounding tributaries.

“We can’t separate Susquehanna University from the river that shares our name,” said

University President L. Jay Lemons. “We are committed to ensuring the good health of the river

through the Freshwater Research Initiative, its growing partnerships and this lab, which will

serve as a resource for the university and its collaborators.”

Speakers at the event included:

-- L. Jay Lemons, President, Susquehanna University-- Valerie Martin, Dean of the School of Arts and Sciences, Susquehanna University

-- Jonathan Niles, Director, Freshwater Research Initiative, Susquehanna University

-- Skip Weider, Chairman, Susquehanna River Heartland Coalition for Environmental Studies

-- Marcus Kohl, Northcentral Regional Director, Department of Environmental Protection

-- John Arway, Executive Director, Fish and Boat Commission

The laboratory, located in a renovated dairy barn just beyond Susquehanna’s athletic

fields on Sassafras Street, Selinsgrove, will serve as a home base for the research initiative.

http://www.susqu.edu/http://www.philly.com/philly/business/homepage/20150605_EPA_report_leaves_questions_on_fracking_s_risks_to_water.htmlhttp://stateimpact.npr.org/pennsylvania/2015/06/04/epa-fracking-water-problems-not-widespread/http://www.mcall.com/news/nationworld/pennsylvania/mc-pa-fracking-not-harming-drinking-water-epa-says-20150604-story.html#navtype=outfithttp://www.post-gazette.com/powersource/2015/06/04/EPA-study-shows-Marcellus-Shale-fracking-doesn-t-cause-widespread-water-polution/stories/201506040219http://www.pennlive.com/midstate/index.ssf/2015/06/epa_draft_study_shows_no_wides.htmlhttp://triblive.com/usworld/nation/8502804-74/fracking-wells-drinkinghttp://www.epa.gov/hfstudy/


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“The opening of this facility is a critical catalyst for the Freshwater Research Initiative,”

said Jonathan Niles, director of Susquehanna’s Freshwater Research Initiative. “This unique

water research facility and its equipment will allow faculty, students and our collaborators to

conduct meaningful, data-driven, peer-reviewed and publicly disseminated aquatic research that

will seek to answer the ecological problems that face the Susquehanna River.”

The grant has funded new state-of-the-art equipment, including:-- An electrofishing boat, which del