April 7 PA Environment Digest Now Available

The April 7 PA Environment Digest is now available.  Click Here to print the entire Digest.

DEP Reminds Pennsylvanians April Is Earth Month - Pick It Up PA!

The Department of Environmental Protection Tuesday reminded residents that April is Earth Month. The theme for Earth Month is “Pick it up PA,” encouraging residents to take time to pick up litter around their homes and in public areas.

William Penn Foundation $35 Million Delaware River Watershed Initiative

The William Penn Foundation Tuesday announced an unprecedented $35 million multi-year Delaware River Water Initiative to protect and restore critical sources of drinking water for 15 million people.   The grants fund a collaboration of leading conservation organizations who will align their work to protect land, restore streams, test innovative approaches in ecologically significant places, and monitor results over time.

Natural Gas Price Spikes, Availability Drove Electric Rate Spikes Senate Committee Told

Frederick Bresler, Vice President of Market Operations for PJM, said Tuesday severe winter weather caused record natural gas price spikes and delivery problems that were responsible for about half the electric generation outages on the coldest day of the winter on January 7 forcing the cost of electric from an average of less than $40 per MwH to more than $1,000 per MwH for suppliers, higher than the cap PJM allows generators to charge.

PUC Expects To Collect $224.5 Million In Act 13 Drilling Impact Fees In 2014

Gov. Tom Corbett Friday announced the Public Utility Commission expects to collect $224.5 million in Act 13 drilling impact fees in 2014 bringing the total impact fees collected since 2012 to more than $630 million.

Sen. Erickson Adds Another Natural Gas Severance Tax Proposal To Mix

Sen. Ted Erickson (R-Delaware) Wednesday introduced Senate Bill 1315 imposing a 4 percent tax on natural gas production at the wellhead.  Proceeds from the tax would be deposited in the state General Fund.

Last week Sen. John Yudichak (D-Luzerne), Minority Chair of the Senate Environmental Resources and Energy Committee, proposed a 5 percent severance tax on the extraction of Marcellus shale gas and the revenue.

In December, Representatives  Gene DiGirolamo (R-Bucks) and Tom Murt (R-Montgomery) working with Representatives Harry Readshaw (D-Allegheny) and Pam DeLissio (D-Montgomery) announced a severance tax proposal that would impose a 4.9 percent severance tax on natural gas production to replace the drilling impact fee enacted in 2011.  The proposal has not yet been introduced as a bill.

Patriot-News: Franklin Kury And The 40-Year Fight For Clean Air, Water In PA

The Patriot-News Friday published a feature story written by Donald Gilliland about the history of Pennsylvania’s Environmental Rights Amendment to our Constitution and its author former Senator and House member Franklin Kury (D-Sunbury) and how it relates today to the recent PA Supreme Court decision on the Act 13 Marcellus Shale drilling law.  It’s a good read.

Share this post