PA Environment Digest

An Update On Environmental Issues In

PA
Edited By: David E. Hess, Crisci Associates

Winner 2009 PAEE Business Partner Of The Year Award

Great American Cleanup PA

Harrisburg, Pa January 24, 2011

Gov. Corbett Outlines Themes Of New Administration

Pointing to the unease of Pennsylvania's founders over "government

exploitation and excess," Gov. Corbett called on all citizens this week to
open this new chapter of the state's history by beginning a new kind of
debate which does "not confuse acrimony with passion or partisanship with
principle."
His 12 minute Inaugural Address laid out themes for the new
Administration, but was not a laundry list of "to-dos" like some previous
governors included their inaugural speeches.
Noting it wasn't only the chill of the January wind everyone feels,
he said it is the uncertain economic times when small businesses can't hire
and large employers can't invest and a "government (that) has spent beyond its means and
individual corrupt acts have eroded an essential element of leadership-- the public's trust."
He said his new course for Pennsylvania first includes being responsive to the fiscal
realities state government finds itself in and taking on, rather than passing on, the financial
burdens of government.
"Today, Pennsylvania’s tradition of character and courage carries on in the single mother
who works an extra job so she can send her children to a better school; in the researchers who
have taken a nugget of an idea and turned it into viable nanotechnology; and in the third
generation farmer who is as committed to the environmental integrity of his land as he is to
keeping the family farm going."
On government reform, Gov. Corbett said, "We must restore transparency, accountability
and fiscal discipline. But we will move forward with government and legislative reform
because, without it, there is no good government.
"I see a promising future; one that breathes new life into our existing economies such as
agriculture and manufacturing. I see a future that embraces innovation in emerging frontiers of
energy, life sciences and biotechnology. I see a future that sets free the kind of creativity and
competition that will make Pennsylvania the envy of our nation."
"All of this will take time," he said. "The challenges we face were not created overnight,
nor will they be solved in a 24-hour news cycle or an arbitrarily conceived deadline. It is more
important to lead with decisive action that is accurate and precise. This is a generational
moment. Our children’s grandchildren deserve our focused attention on doing only what is right
to bring about this generational change."
The full text of his speech is available online.
NewsClips: Corbett Vows Government Reform
Corbett Sworn In, Citing Pending Storm Of Budget Deficit
Lawmakers Praise Corbett's Thoughtful Inaugural Address
Drilling Critics Protest At Inauguration
Drilling Protesters Chant During Corbett's Speech
Column: Corbett's Silence Over Marcellus Protests
Editorial: How Will Governor Protect Environment?

Corbett Names Interim Acting Secretaries For 5 Agencies

There are now five Cabinet agencies remaining where new Secretaries have not been named by
the Corbett Administration. These agencies all have interim Acting Secretaries from the
previous Administration--
-- Department of Aging - Ray Prushnok
-- Department of Agriculture - Michael Pechart
-- Department of Conservation and Natural Resources - Cindy Dunn
-- Department of Labor & Industry - Pat Beaty
-- Adjutant General of Military & Veterans Affairs - Maj. Gen Stephen Sischo
Some other major appointments yet to be made--
-- Gaming Control Board (Chair)
-- Liquor Control Board (Chair)
-- Public Utility Commission (Chair)

Renew Growing Greener Coalition Lobby Day At The Capitol January 24

On January 24, the Renew Growing Greener Coalition will be

hosting a series of events starting at noon at the Capitol in
Harrisburg to lobby for the renewal of the Growing Greener
Program.
“It is imperative that we provide the information to our policy-makers necessary to
elevate this issue to the highest priority. Funding for Growing Greener is not a luxury, it is
essential for the future economic vitality of the state, and for the future of our rich natural
heritage,” said Andrew Heath, Executive Director of the Coalition.
The Coalition will host displays in the Capitol Rotunda starting at noon to highlight the
tremendous success of the Growing Greener Program over the last 10 years.
At 4:30 there will be a presentation for legislators and staff in the Room 60 East Wing.
From 5:00 to 6:30 p.m. there will be a reception in the Capitol Rotunda.
“Pennsylvania faces the imminent end of Growing Greener – a popular initiative that has
provided investments in farmland preservation, conservation of open space, restoring and
protecting Pennsylvania’s streams and rivers, improving and expanding state and local parks,
preserving historic resources, and developing new trails and greenways. Unless action is taken
in the near future, funds available for Growing Greener will be all but gone within a year,” said
Heath.
Even with such a comprehensive record of success, the commonwealth faces a variety of
pressing problems that threaten our communities, our rich natural and cultural heritage, and our
quality of life:
-- Pennsylvania is losing three times as much forest, wildlife habitat, farmland and other open
spaces to development as we are able to conserve;
-- The Commonwealth currently has 16,000 miles of streams that are unsafe for fishing or
swimming;
-- Abandoned mines scar almost 190,000 acres in 44 counties and are the cause of over 5,000
miles of dead streams;
-- More than 2,000 family farms remain on a statewide waiting list requesting protection from
encroaching development so that they may continue Pennsylvania’s rich agricultural legacy.
A Legislative Budget and Finance Committee report released in March 2010 reveals
Growing Greener funding is all but depleted. Soon, as much as three-fourths of the Growing
Greener I funds will be used for debt service on Growing Greener II bonds. Funding for
Growing Greener programs are expected to drop from $200 million in 2007-2008 to as little as
$15 million as soon as 2012.
The Renew Growing Greener Coalition is a coalition of the state’s leading conservation,
preservation, revitalization, recreation and environmental organizations and is working towards
the renewal of funding for Growing Greener.
For more information on the Renew Growing Greener Coalition, contact its Harrisburg
office at 717-230-8044 extension 23.

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Senate/House Agenda/Session Schedule/Bills Introduced

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

Session Schedule

Here is the Senate and House schedule--

Senate
January 24, 25, 26
February 7, 8, 9, 14, 15, 16, 28
March 1, 2, 7, 8, 9
April 5, 6, 11, 12, 13, 26, 27
May 2, 3, 4, 9, 10, 11, 23, 24
June 6, 7, 8, 13, 14, 15, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 27, 28, 29, 30

House
January 24, 25, 26
February 7, 8, 9, 14, 15, 16, 28
March 1, 2, 7, 8, and 9, Budget Hearings Weeks of 14th, 21th & 28th
April 4, 5, 6, 11, 12, 13, (25 NV), 26, and 27
May 2, 3, 4, 9. 10, 11, 23, 24, and 25
June 6, 7, 8, 13, 14, 15, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 27, 28, 29, and 30

Bill Calendars

House Click Here for full House Bill Calendar.

Senate Click Here for full Senate Bill Calendar.

Committees

House: the Tourism and Recreational Development Committee informational meeting on

DCNR's Bald Eagle State Park lodge and Elk County Visitor Center. Click Here for full House
Committee Schedule.

Senate: the Senate Republican Policy Committee holds a hearing on local impacts of Marcellus
Shale drilling. Click Here for full Senate Committee Schedule.

Other: Joint Legislative Air and Water Pollution Control and Conservation Committee
Environmental Issues Forum featuring a presentation by Marci Mowery, PA Parks and Forests
Foundation on the Goddard Legacy Project by the Joint Legislative Air and Water Pollution
Control and Conservation Committee.
Bills Introduced

The following bills of interest were introduced this week--

Mineral Rights Abandonment: House Bill 37 (J.White-D-Allegheny) providing for the

abandonment of mineral rights.

Historic Preservation Grants: House Bill 54 (Scavello-R-Monroe) establishing the Historic

Preservation Incentive Grant Program.

Fire Protection Standby Fee: House Bill 60 (Harper-R-Montgomery) prohibiting fire

protection system standby fee for fire companies, rescue squads and ambulance services.

Termination of Utility Service: House Bill 97 (Thomas-D-Philadelphia) further providing for

the termination of utility services.

Sales Tax Exemption: House Bill 101 (Preston-D-Allegheny) providing a sales tax exemption
for electric or hybrid vehicles.

Pipeline Violation Penalties: House Bill 102 (Preston-D-Allegheny) increasing civil penalties
for gas pipeline safety violations.

Wastewater DISC: House Bill 141 (Preston-D-Allegheny) providing for automatic adjustment
of rates for wastewater infrastructure improvements.

News From The Capitol

House Names Standing Committee Members

House Republicans and Democrats this week named members of all standing Committee. Here
is a list of key committee assignments. (* means new to Committee)--

Appropriations: (R)-- Adolph - Chairman, Reichley - Vice Chairman, Gingrich* - Secretary,

Scavello* - Subcommittee on Criminal Justice, Killion* - Subcommittee on Economic Impact
and Infrastructure, Petri* - Subcommittee on Education, Denlinger* - Subcommittee on Fiscal
Policy, Millard - Subcommittee on Health and Welfare, Bear*, Causer*, Christiana*, Ellis,
Evans, J, Gingrich, Grell, Killion, O'Neill, Peifer*, Perry*, Pickett*, Pyle*, Quigley*, Sonney*
(D) --Markosek*- Chair, Bradford, Conklin, Costa*, Kula, Mahoney, O'Brien, M.*, Parker,
Sabatina*, Samuelson*, Smith, M., Vitali*, Waters*, Williams

Agriculture & Rural Affairs: (R)-- Maher - Chairman, Millard, Metzgar, Boback, Brooks,
Denlinger, Everett*, Hickernell, Keller, M, Lawrence*, Moul*, Pickett, Reese, Tobash*
(D)-- Petrarca*- Chair, Boyle*, Conklin, Haluska, Kavulich*, Kortz*, Kula*, Mirabito,
Neuman*, Smith, M.*
Consumer Affairs: (R)-- Godshall - Chairman, Delozier, DiGiroiamo, Ellis, Evans, J, Farry,
Harhart*, Kampf*, Kauffman, Payne*, Perry, Pickett, Reichley, Stephens*, Toepel*
(D)-- Preston- Chair, Brennan, Burns*, DePasquale, Hornaman*, Kotik, Matzie, Neuman*,
Parker*, White

Environmental Resources & Energy: (R)-- Hutchinson - Chairman, Bloom*, Causer*,

Christiana*, Evankovich*, Everett, Gabler, Harper, Krieger, Metzgar, Pyle, Ross, Saccone*,
Vulakovich
(D)-- George- Chair, Barbin, Carroll, Conklin, DePasquale, Harhai, Hornaman, Kortz*,
Santarsiero, Vitali

NewsClip: Lone NE Lawmaker On House Environmental Panel

Senate Names Standing Committee Members

Senate Republicans and Democrats named members of all standing Committees. Here is a list of
key committee assignments. (* means new member or new to position)--

Agriculture & Rural Affairs: (R)-- Vogel*, Chair, Waugh, Vice Chair, Brubaker, Eichelberger,
Robbins, Yaw
(D)-- Boscola*, Chair, Kitchen, Solobay*, Dinniman

Appropriations: (R)-- Corman, Chair, Tomlinson, Vice Chair, Argall, Baker, Brubaker,
Gordner, Greenleaf, Mensch*, Pippy, Rafferty, Smucker, Vance, Waugh, White, M.J.
(D)-- Hughes*, Chair, Ferlo*, Boscola, Farnese, Tartaglione, Wozniak, Blake*, Yudichak*,
Fontana*

Consumer Protection & Professional Licensure: (R)-- Tomlinson, Chair, Gordner, Vice
Chair, Erickson, Greenleaf, Piccola, Rafferty, Ward, White, M.J.
(D)-- Boscola, Chair, Solobay*, Kasunic, Ferlo, Wozniak

Environmental Resources & Energy: (R)-- White, M.J., Chair, Erickson, Vice Chair, Baker,
Vogel, White, D., Yaw
(D)-- Yudichak*, Chair, Dinniman, Solobay*, Leach*

Rep. Harper Reintroduces Energy-Efficient Building Bill

Rep. Kate Harper (R-Montgomery) is reintroducing legislation aimed at promoting the

construction of energy-efficient and environmentally friendly buildings in the Commonwealth.
Under House Bill 193, the design, construction and renovation of state-owned or leased
buildings receiving state funding would have to be built using high-performance standards.
"When we build a new government building in this Commonwealth, we expect it to serve
present and future generations," Rep. Harper said. "These are not buildings with a short shelf life,
and they should be designed for long-term efficiency and performance."
 Specifically, the bill would require the application of high-performance construction
standards to be applied where:
-- A state-owned new building construction project is larger than 10,000 gross square feet; and
-- A new construction project is larger than 10,000 square feet and a Commonwealth agency has
agreed to lease no less than 90 percent of the gross square feet.
The bill requires a minimum set of criteria for the high-performance buildings standards
to be used to ensure compliance. These would include being consensus-based, employ third-
party post construction review and verification, and have a track record of certified green
buildings in the United States. Additionally, projects would have to achieve a U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency Energy Star Program rating of 85 or above.
"Pennsylvania government must lead by example to help make green building the rule
rather than the exception," Rep. Harper said. "Green building is friendlier to the environment
because it saves energy, and saving energy saves money. This is a very worthwhile investment in
our Commonwealth's future."
A similar measure passed the House by a 180-17 vote last session, but the bill was not
taken up by the Senate.

News From Around The State

Get A Sneak Peek At The 2011 Great American Cleanup Pennsylvania Website

Get a sneak peek at the plans for the 2011 Great American Cleanup
Pennsylvania by going to the brand new website put together by
Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful and its partners.
Remember, registered events can get free cleanup supplies
like bags, gloves and vests donated by the Department of
Transportation and Keep America Beautiful.
During the special Pick It Up PA Days from April 16 to 30
sponsored by the Department of Environmental Protection,
Pennsylvania Waste Industries Association and participating landfills will also have access to
free waste disposal.
Since the inception of this event in 2004, over one million volunteers have pick up 54
million pounds of litter and waste, 93,000 miles of road have been cleaned, and 73,000 trees,
bulbs, and flowers have been planted.
Primary sponsors of the event include: Pennsylvania Food Merchants Association,
Pennsylvania Waste Industry Association, Pennsylvania Beverage Association, American
Chemistry Council, Keystone Sanitary Landfill, Steel Recycling Institute, Waste Management in
addition to the departments of Environmental Protection and Transportation.

Keeping Our Greenways Clean Grade School Publication Now Available

 Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful recently notified grade schools across
the state about a creative new anti-littering publication now
available for Grades 4 to 6.
"Open Your Eyes To Litter: Keeping Our Greenways
Clean" is 34 pages long and teaches how litter and illegal dumping
impact greenways and why it is important to keep our environment
clean.
The book highlights eight greenways across Pennsylvania, provides activities throughout,
and details the functions and benefits that greenways provide. This book can also be used to help
teach Department of Education Academic Standards for Environment and Ecology and
Geography.
Other educational resources are also available on litter prevention. Click Here to order
your classroom copies.

WREN Community Watershed, Source Water Protection Education Grants Now Available

Looking to make a difference in your community? Want to “go greener” in your town for 2011
with solutions that will help keep Pennsylvania water resources clean and healthy?
The Water Resources Education Network has funding available up to $5,000 to help
launch community projects that build awareness and educate Pennsylvania citizens and local
officials about their role as environmental stewards, encourage behavior change, and improve
public policies that will protect PA water resources.
WREN gives priority to projects that incorporate social marketing concepts and
encourage individual or public policy actions that will protect and improve local water resources.
Since 1992, LWVPA-CEF has provided over $1.8 million in funding to over 277
community partnerships working to safeguard Pennsylvania water resources.
See the terrific projects we've already funded to get some creative ideas in our online
success stories. Use these ideas to develop your own project - no need to re-invent the wheel!
For the 2011 round, WREN offers two separate funding tracks:

-- A Watershed Protection Education Project track that builds awareness, educates

Pennsylvania local officials about their role as environmental stewards and offers specific actions
that citizens can take at home, at work, and within the community to protect, improve, or
remediate the watershed from the impacts of polluted runoff, also known as nonpoint source
pollution. To encourage connection to local land use decisions, a municipality is required to be
an active partner in the project.
Nonpoint source pollution includes: drainage or runoff from resource extraction,
abandoned coal mines, oil or gas wells; inadequate erosion control practices during construction
and urban runoff; improper agricultural practices (erosion and sedimentation, nutrient
management, pesticide application); improper timber harvesting practices; failing on-lot septic
systems or other abandoned waste disposal sites; or altered hydrology (changing the way water
flows through an area) due to impervious surface area, stormwater, and floodplain management,
riparian buffers, wetlands, natural stream channels. Grant award: up to $5,000 per project.
-- The WREN Source Water Protection Education Grant Program seeks to develop a
network of Source Water Environmental Education Teams (SWEETs) to help Pennsylvania
communities and public water suppliers conduct grass roots public education and to implement
prevention actions at the local level that will reduce risks to public water sources.
The goal of the WREN Source Water Protection (SWP) Education Grant Program is to
encourage local partnerships to conduct community education and help residents and businesses
implement practical, step by step solutions to reduce risk of contamination and to protect the
rivers, steams, lakes, and aquifers Pennsylvanians rely on for their public drinking water.
Local source water protection programs helps provide an extra margin of safety to water
coming out of the tap, and offer the best line of defense to protect public health, ensure high
quality drinking water for future generations, and keep treatment costs down.

Grants of up to $5,000 per project for local source water protection projects that
concentrate on a specific community public water supply protection area. One regional project
will be awarded up to $8,000 that will focus aquifer wide (groundwater systems) and/or
watershed protection efforts (surface water), which includes multiple public water systems, and
addresses cross-jurisdictional issues.
Applications are due by March 25. Grantees to be announced by mid May 2011, with
project activities to be completed July 1, 2011 - June 30, 2012.
Guidance and application forms are available online. Get all the details, and download
the Grant Guidance and Application at the WREN website. Questions? Call Julie Kollar,
WREN Program Director at 267-468-0555 or send email to: juliekwren@verizon.net.

DEP Soliciting Coastal Zone Land Conservation Grant Proposals

The Department of Environmental Protection Coastal Zone Management Program published

notice soliciting proposals for the Coastal and Estuarine Land Conservation Program. Proposals
are due March 1.
The geographic areas covered by CELCP are the designated Delaware Estuary Coastal
Zone Watershed, select Chesapeake Bay Watersheds and the Lake Erie Coastal Zone
Watershed.
Grant applications may be made for the purchase of land acquisitions or interests; these
may be in fee-simple title or as conservation easements.
A major condition of the CELCP is that the title or easement must be held by a
governmental/ public entity. Further, grant awards must be matched dollar-for-dollar (may
include in-kind match but not other Federal funds) and are capped at $3 million each (Federal
share). Land trusts may hold subeasements for management and stewardship on CELCP-funded
properties and may assist in the development of proposals, but they may not hold title to any
property acquired with CELCP funds.
Each coastal state may nominate up to three candidate projects to NOAA for this
National, competitive process. The Department will select the three candidate projects from this
Commonwealth for submission to NOAA by employing the guidelines issued by the Federal
agency. NOAA will develop a ranked list of projects eligible for funding.
Once NOAA receives final appropriations from the United States Congress, the agency
will make final determinations as to which projects are selected for funding within amounts
available. Federal funding awards, based upon the final CELCP funding appropriated, are
expected to be made between June 1, 2012, and October 1, 2012.
For more information, contact Chris Linn at the Delaware Valley Regional Planning
Commission, 215-238-2873 or send email to: clinn@dvrpc.org; Julia Donahue at the Erie
County Planning Department, 814-451-6018 or send email to:
jmcconnaughey@eriecountygov.org; or J. Samantha Burton at the Department's Water Planning
Office, 717-772-5635 or send email to: jenburton@state.pa.us.

March 11 Turtle Creek Watershed Workshop On Keeping Rain Out Of The Drain

The Pennsylvania Environmental Council and its partners are sponsoring a workshop on March
11 entitled, "Keep the Rain Out of the Drain!" in the Turtle Creek Watershed.
Participants will learn how to conduct a site evaluation, disconnect a downspout, install a
rain garden and rain barrel and create a municipal disconnection program for your community.
This is the first of several workshops to be held around Allegheny County on this topic.
Workshop presenters include: Lisa Brown, Director of Operations and Outreach, Nine
Mile Run Watershed Association, Mary Ellen Ramage, Manager, Borough of Etna, Lisa Kunst
Vavro, RLA, ASLA, Sustainable Landscape Coordinator, Penn State Center – Engaging
Pittsburgh
Don Newman, P.E., Etna Borough Engineer and Janie French, Director of Green Infrastructure
Programs, Pennsylvania Environmental Council.
Code enforcement officers, public works employees, and engineers are encouraged to
attend. This workshop is being offered by Penn State University for 1.5 CEUs for landscape
architects and professional engineers.
The workshop will be held from 8:00 to 9:30 a.m. at the Wilkins township Community
Center, 110 Peffer Road, Turtle Creek, Pa.
For more information, visit the Workshop webpage, download a registration form or
contact the PA Environmental Council at 412-481-9400 or send email to: jnovak@pecpa.org.

March 8 Dirt & Gravel Roads Workshop In McKean County

The McKean County Conservation District is hosting a workshop on Environmentally Sensitive

Maintenance of Dirt and Gravel Roads Workshop on March 8 in Smethport.
This 1-day course has been developed Pennsylvania’s Dirt and Gravel Road Maintenance
Program to promote practices that reduce maintenance costs and sediment pollution from
unpaved roads. The intent of this course is to share the lessons learned and practices developed
through Pennsylvania’s Program with other road maintenance professionals.
For more information, visit the McKean District website, call 814-887-4001 or send
email to: sdthompson@mckeancountypa.org.

Making Conservation Pay, Chesapeake Bay On-Farm Network Conference Feb. 24

With growing pressure to protect and improve water quality, there is a real need for effective
strategies and tools that deliver documentable benefits and are economically viable for growers.
The Making Conservation Pay Conference offers farmers strategies for helping to achieve
environmental goals.
The Conference will be held February 24 at the Farm & Home Center of Lancaster
County from 8:00 to 12:30 p.m.
The conference is for farmers; farm advisors and consultants; local, state, and federal
agency and conservation district staff; and other interested stakeholders. It will feature a
presentation by former Department of Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding.
The On-Farm Network offers a variety of strategies for farmers. This voluntary and well-
coordinated initiative uses a variety of tools, including remote sensing, GPS and yield monitors,
to collect data in real world conditions and use that information to help growers improve
management – benefiting the environment and their bottom line.
The program has more than 125 farmers in PA, 75 in VA, and 75 in DE, with a total of
almost 1,000 farmers participating across ten states.
On average, farmers participating for more than two years are reducing nitrogen
applications by 20-25 percent while maintaining or improving yields. This generates an
economic benefit of about $12/acre in nitrogen fertilizer savings.
The Conference will feature timely topics such as: the On-Farm Network –What it is,
where is it going; What the Data Shows: Using Strip Trials to Make Decisions; Programming for
Adaptive Management – Changes at NRCS; On-Farm Utility of Using Aerial Imagery;
Implementing PA Watershed Implementation Plan and the Role of the On-Farm Network.
For more information and to register, contact Jean Zentz at TeamAg Inc at 717-721-6795
or by sending email to: jeanz@teamaginc.com.

Penn State: Stormwater Management And the Role Of Trees, Forests Webinar Jan. 26

On January 26 the Penn State Cooperative Extension and School of Forest Resources will host a
webinar on Stormwater Management and the Role of Trees and Forests starting at 1:00 p.m. as
part of its continuing Water Resources Extension series.
As our landscapes change, it has an impact on the health of our streams and rivers. What
to do on the land, or what we cover it with, affects the quantity (volume) and quality (pollutant
levels) of the rainfall that enters our waterways - what many call stormwater.
When it rains in urban and suburban areas, rainwater washes pollutants such as nutrients,
chemicals and heavy metals off paved surfaces, lawns or bare soils into storm drains that lead to
streams and rivers.
Because of the increased amount of paved or impervious surfaces, larger quantities of
rainwater reach the streams quickly causing flash flooding, streambank scouring and
sedimentation of stream beds.
Stormwater from urban and suburban areas has become a major pollutant in Pennsylvania
impairing 4,170 miles of streams and accounting for one third of the problem facing our
waterways.
Learn how trees and forests are one of the most cost effective ways to reduce stormwater
runoff and the pollution associated with it. Explore how trees intercept, infiltrate,
evapotranspire and remove pollutants and can be incorporated into new "green" stormwater
BMPs.
Upcoming Webinars
 The next webinars in this series will be:
-- February 23 – Household Water Treatment Systems; and
-- March 30 - Management of Nuisance Aquatic Plants and Algae in Ponds and Lakes.
The live webinar will occur from noon to 1 PM and is accessible online.
To participate in the live webinar you will need to have registered and received a "Friend
of Penn State" ID and password. To learn more about registration and additional details about
the webinar series online.
Taped versions of each webinar in the series are available to anyone. A link to the
presentation video along with a PDF copy of the presentation slides, links to relevant
publications, and a copy of the question/answer session are posted online.

Spotlight

Promoting Forest Buffers In The Lower Susquehanna

By Matt Royer
Penn State Agriculture and Environment Center

Dr. Bern Sweeney, Executive Director of the Stroud Water

Research Center in Avondale, Pa, was the keynote presenter at a
Stream Ecology and Forest Riparian Buffers Workshop sponsored
by AEC (Agriculture and Environment Center) on November 15 in
Elizabethtown, Lancaster County.
Over 100 attendees learned more about the ecological
function and value of buffers, programs and incentives for
restoring buffers, and toured a buffer restoration site in the neighboring Conewago Creek
watershed.
Attendees were primarily from Lancaster, Lebanon, and Dauphin Counties, and
represented a wide variety of interests and organizations, including Penn State Cooperative
Extension, Penn State undergrad environmental majors, County Conservation Districts, state
agencies such as the Department of Environmental Protection and the Department of
Conservation and Natural Resources, federal agencies such as the U.S.D.A. Natural Resource
Conservation Service and USGS, municipalities and county planners, private environmental
consultants, engineers, landscape professionals, watershed groups, and others.
Forest riparian buffers are areas along streams where native trees and shrubs have been
protected or planted. They have long been recognized as one of the preferred best management
practices for addressing nonpoint sources of pollution to rivers and streams. Forest buffers filter
pollutants, cool water temperatures, help prevent stream bank erosion, and provide stormwater
management and flood control.
In recent years, Dr. Sweeney’s research has also shown that forest buffers increase the
instream processing of pollutants up to several times greater than grassed buffers. They do this
by creating a greatly improved instream ecological system, with increased stream widths, diverse
and higher quality substrate, and more food in the form of leaves and woody debris.
Consequently the organisms living in forested streams are far more abundant and active
than streams that do not have the benefit of a forest buffer. This instream processing means that
forest buffers can play an even greater role in addressing nonpoint source pollution, and can play
a role in addressing point source pollution as well.
After Dr. Sweeney’s presentation on the ecology of forest buffers, David Wise,
Watershed Restoration Program Manager for the Pennsylvania Office of the Chesapeake Bay
Foundation, presented information on the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program.
CREP, a highly successful program in Pennsylvania for the restoration of forest buffers,
pays 100 percent of the cost of planting forest buffers, as well as an annual financial payment to
the landowner over the life of the contract (usually up to 15 years). It also covers some of the
cost of the maintenance that is so critical in the first several years after trees are planted, so that
landowners can hire a contractor to assist with maintenance.
After lunch, attendees visited the nearby John Hertzler farm for a tour of a CREP buffer.
John talked about his project, which totals over a dozen acres along Brills Run, a tributary to the
Conewago Creek. The project was planted with the help of volunteers and a contractor, but John
has opted to do the maintenance himself.
While the maintenance keeps him busy, John really enjoys the project and has voluntarily
added several hundred trees since planting his buffer in November 2008. The trees are growing
well, and in years to come this project and many others like it will help bring cleaner water to
local Pennsylvania streams like the Conewago, and ultimately the Chesapeake Bay.

Video Blog: Streamside Forest Buffers Preserving Water Quality-GreenTreks

Matt Royer is Director, Lower Susquehanna Initiative, Agriculture and Environment Center,
Penn State Cooperative Extension. You can reach him by sending email to: mroyer@psu.edu.

Central PA Conservancy Guide To Community-Supported Forest Product Businesses

The Central Pennsylvania Conservancy this week released a new guide to South Mountain
Community-Supported Forest Businesses.
This 32-page publication has listings of forest consultants, cabinet makers, millworks,
lumber suppliers, wood working companies and many other diverse economies that utilize local
forest resources.
The publication will help people make informed decisions that improve their own well-
being and ensure clean water, viable populations of native wildlife, recreational opportunities,
attractive communities, and the sustainable production of wood and paper products.
Like small farms, small forest product operations serve a vital role in our communities.
When you buy locally, your money stays within the community, bolstering the local economy.
Community Supported Forests in the South Mountain landscape is an effort to build a
region-wide focus on forests and the role they play in our quality of life. South Mountain, the
northern terminus of the Blue Ridge Mountains, is a dominating and important feature in Adams,
Cumberland, Franklin, and York Counties.
The Mountain has played a significant role in the regions history and development.
Communities surrounding the Mountain have thrived because of the fertile limestone agricultural
lands, the timber that fed the iron furnaces, the plentiful game and wildlife, and the abundance of
pure spring water captured in the highlands and released into the valleys.
 By working together the South Mountain Landscape forests will be here for generations
to come and they too will pass on a forest that meets the needs of generations forward.
Community Supported Forests reflect a community shared land ethic. We know we want
to protect the character and quality of life that Central Pennsylvania’s scenic woodlands and
ridges provide us. Abundant, clean water, unfragmented habit for wildlife and diverse
recreational opportunities are all enjoyed in our forested landscape.
Additionally, when we connect our healthy forests and the marketplace, by harvesting
and converting wood into quality products, more value is sent back to the forest and forest
stewards, keeping local forests healthy, beautiful, and productive.
This new publication is a project of the Central Pennsylvania Conservancy in partnership
with Penn State School of Forest Resources, Department of Conservation and Natural Resources
and the Capital Resource Conservation and Development Area Council.
The publication will be available through the Cumberland Valley Visitors Bureau,
Franklin County Visitors Bureau, Appalachian Trail Office in Boiling Springs, Pine Grove
Furnace State Park, DCNR, RC&D and CPC office as well as some of the local mills and
woodworking shops.
If you would like a copy, please contact the Central PA Conservancy or download a
copy.

Grade 6-9 Entries Invited For National Write On! Wetlands Challenge

Each year Environmental Concern sponsors the national Write On! Wetlands Challenge – a
literary and arts competition that challenges youth to write and illustrate a children’s book about
wetlands.
Environmental Concern publishes the new book in May, to celebrate American Wetlands
Month.
The Writer's Challenge has begun. This year's theme is "World Wide Wetlands."
Students in grades 6-9 are welcome to enter their stories by February 1.
The Illustrator's Challenge begins in March when children are invited to illustrate a page
of the story. Illustrations are chosen from among the entries and the winning words and art are
combined to create a book whose quality, emotion and enthusiasm is truly inspiring.
Children love these books. Not only do they foster an appreciation for wetlands, they also
empower all who read them or have them read to them to create.
For more information, visit the 2011 Write On! competition webpage.

Penn State Profs To Benefit From New Product To Frack Marcellus Gas Wells

Professors Hellmann and Scheetz, who work in Penn State University’s College of Earth and
Mineral Sciences and College of Engineering, have developed an innovative process for
manufacturing proppants used to stimulate oil and gas production in the fracking process.
Proppants, which are not currently manufactured in Pennsylvania, are used to “prop”
open rock fractures that occur during the drilling process. Proppants create a pathway for the
transmission of hydrocarbons and maintain the porosity needed to allow the flow of oil and gas.
The new company plans to call its first product PennProp and is on track to be producing
commercial quantities by year end.
 Using various sources of mineral and waste-glass found in Pennsylvania, the team has
developed manufacturing processes that allow the use of low-cost, widely available industrial
and domestic waste materials in the production of high-quality proppants. The technology offers
the additional prospective benefit of diverting millions of tons of minerals from landfills.
Pennsylvania is expected to be the largest producer of natural gas via extraction from the
Marcellus Shale project, the world’s second largest natural gas deposit. The ability to
manufacture cost effective proppants here in the state represents a very significant commercial
opportunity.
“We saw this as a great opportunity to assist the Commonwealth in generating a large-
scale manufacturing opportunity, to complement the excellent work of Penn State in promoting
responsible development of the Marcellus Shale resource, and to co-invest with a group of
experienced technology developers,” said Ben Franklin President and CEO, Stephen Brawley.
The company has entered into an exclusive license with Penn State University and has
agreed to sponsor product-development research within Dr. Hellmann’s lab. The initial activities
are to scale up the manufacturing process from laboratory quantities to multi-ton lots of material.
Using the resources of an industrial partner, the company has already successfully manufactured
its first multi-ton test batch in a high-temperature processing facility.
“We still have a lot of analytical work to conduct on the resulting product,” said Dr.
Hellmann, “but the initial results appear promising.” Current activities are aimed at producing
sufficient quantities, in excess of one hundred tons, in order to conduct a pilot-scale field
demonstration in a hydrofractured gas well in Northwestern Pennsylvania.
Ben Franklin Technology Partners of Central and Northern Pennsylvania recently
invested $167,600 in a start-up company called Nittany Extraction Technologies, to
commercialize the work of Penn State University professors John Hellmann and Barry Scheetz.
An executive-in-residence from the Ben Franklin program, Martin Bradley, has signed on
to help the professors in managing their new company. Rounding out the team are Dr. Ryan
Koseski, co-inventor of the technology, and Timothy Hurley, an experienced developer of new
products and processes.
NewsClip: Professors Hope To Open Path To Success With Marcellus

Oil & Gas Industry Groups Collaborate On Marcellus Shale Education

Two major energy trade associations announced the creation of an alliance to create a better
understanding of the important issues related to the safe development of Pennsylvania’s domestic
energy resources.
The American Petroleum Institute and the Pennsylvania Independent Oil and Gas
Association have formed a partnership that will serve as a forum for factual information about
the vast energy resources found in Pennsylvania.
API and PIOGA are expanding their education campaign on the benefits being realized
through the development of Pennsylvania’s natural gas reserves in the Marcellus Shale, in new
jobs for workers, economic growth for the state and energy security for our nation. The
educational effort focuses on Pennsylvania and is part of API’s coordinated nationwide program
on oil and natural gas priority issues.
“This partnership will increase informed dialogue among Pennsylvanians and promote a
strong local economy through energy development,” said Rolf Hanson, executive director of the
Associated Petroleum Industries of Pennsylvania. “API is continuing to work with
Pennsylvanians who are committed to improving the public's understanding of, and support for,
the many opportunities presented by the Marcellus Shale natural gas reserves in the
Commonwealth.”
“This collaboration builds on the Pennsylvania Independent Oil and Gas Association’s
commitment to our members and Pennsylvanians to create an environment favorable to creating
industry jobs for our neighbors,” said PIOGA’s Executive Director Lou D’Amico. “We are a
solution-oriented organization, and working with the American Petroleum Institute will help our
members educate a larger number of Pennsylvanians.”
The partnership will serve as the educational arm of API and PIOGA regarding the
Marcellus Shale Play in Pennsylvania.
Hanson and D’Amico said that specific details on the partnership will be announced in
the coming weeks.

Penn State Will Convert Power Plant To Natural Gas From Coal

Penn State's Board of Trustees this week approved the conversion of its power plants from coal
to natural gas for its East and West Campus steam plants.
"For several years the University has been focused on the issue of energy, particularly
sustainable energy, as it relates to the operation of our facilities," said Al Horvath, senior vice
president for finance and business/treasurer. "We discussed options for complying with
upcoming federal regulatory changes, the age and capacity of the East and West Campus steam
plants that heat most buildings on campus, and our commitment to meeting our sustainability
goals.
“After considering all variables, the most viable solution to continue to heat the campus
is to convert our coal-fired steam production systems to natural gas."
The coal to gas conversion will impact the operation of both the West and East Campus
steam plants. This project is part of an ongoing modernization strategy under consideration since
2005 as part of the University's Office of Physical Plant's energy master plan.
The West Campus steam plant, constructed in 1929, provides heat and power to 270
campus buildings. It houses four 1960s-era coal-fired boilers and one 1947 boiler already
converted to natural gas. The East Campus plant on Porter Road opened in 1972 and provides
steam during peak heating demands. It already operates a natural gas component.
University officials have long indicated that a decision for steam plant modifications
would be guided by reliability of the solution, cost effectiveness, compliance with new U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency regulations, and the University's commitment to
environmental sustainability. These modifications are estimated to cost $20-35 million.
In March 2010 University officials presented information to the Board of Trustees
regarding energy production and distribution at University Park.
"We will continue to evolve toward more renewable sources of energy as the technology
matures and solutions prove to be scalable for a University the size of Penn State," explained
Horvath, adding that the steam plant's modifications should be considered first steps in a long-
term move toward energy solutions that address the four criteria of reliability, cost, compliance
and sustainability.
 Burns and McDonnell of St. Louis, Mo., was retained by Penn State as the consulting
engineering firm for the design of steam production modifications at University Park. The firm
has significant experience in the design and construction of large university campus heating
systems, power plants and related emission control projects.
For frequently asked questions and answers, click here.

EPA Seeks Applications For Community-Based Environmental Grants

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is making $2 million available in 2011 to reduce
pollution at the local level through the Community Action for a Renewed Environment Program.
Applications are due March 22.
CARE is a community-based program that works with county and local governments,
tribes, non-profit organizations and universities to help the public understand and reduce toxic
risks from numerous sources to protect people’s health.
EPA will award CARE cooperative agreements in two levels. Level I awards range from
$75,000 to $100,000 and will help establish community-based partnerships to develop local
environmental priorities.
Level II awards, ranging from $150,000 to $300,000 each, will support communities that
have established broad-based partnerships, identified the priority toxic risks in their
communities, and are prepared to measure results, implement risk-reduction activities and
become self- sustaining.
In 2010, EPA’s CARE program distributed $2 million throughout 14 communities.
Among the grant recipients, projects included tackling drinking water and stormwater pollution,
solid waste, and toxics issues in Cordova, Alaska; addressing air and water pollution sources,
municipal solid waste collection and chemical releases in Ashland, Ky.; targeting pest and solid
waste issues in New York, N.Y.; tackling air pollution and land use issues in Detroit, Mich.;
focusing on threats from lead in paint, mold, and hazardous household products in Gary, Ind.;
and addressing air pollution, greenhouse gas emissions, water pollution, and poor waste
management in Kansas City, Kan.
Since 2005, 81 communities in 39 states and territories have used CARE grants to help
reduce pollution and protect people’s health. A recent evaluation by the National Association of
Public Administrators recognized the CARE program as a solid tested framework for engaging
communities and other stakeholders.
Applicant Webcasts
EPA will conduct three webcasts to answer questions from prospective applicants about
the application process on February 8, February 23, and March 2 from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.
More information about the grants and webcasts, visit EPA's CARE webpage.

PA Recreation & Park Society Annual Conference March 19-23

The PA Recreation and Park Society will hold its annual conference March 19-23 at the Valley
Forge Convention Center in Montgomery County.
This year's conference theme is "Recreation Revolution," and will feature presentations
by Barry Weiss, retired director of parks and recreation for San Carlos, CA and Torn O'Rourke,
executive director of the Charleston County, SC, Park and Recreation Commission.
 The keynote speaker Sunday evening will be former Philadelphia Flyer Bill Clement,
now a hockey commentator on NBC.
Educational sessions will cover a variety of topics, from programming to sustainability
and more. Attendees will learn about the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources'
"Get Outdoors PA" initiative and have the opportunity to participate in mobile trail workshops
and other offsite education sessions.
The conference will also include many networking opportunities and an exhibit show
with more than 80 vendors.
For more information, download the Conference brochure and registration packet or call
814-234-4272.

DCNR Proposes Land Exchange In Adams County

The Department of Conservation and Natural Resources published notice of a proposed change
of land between the Bureau of Forestry and ISP Minerals, Inc. in Adams County.
The exchange would involve 110 acres of State Forest land transfered to ISP Minerals,
Inc. and ISP will covey approximately 60 acres to DCNR.
Public comments are due February 21.

Bluebird Nest Boxes Help Connect People To Wildlife

If you are interested in connecting with wildlife in your own backyard, beginning January 24, the
Game Commission will be selling bluebird nesting boxes at its Harrisburg headquarters at 2001
Elmerton Avenue.
The boxes sell for $7, and customers can select from assembled boxes or kits that can be
assembled as a wood-working project.
“Bluebirds are early nesters, so now is the time put up new nest boxes, as well as to clean
and repair existing boxes,” said Dan Brauning, Game Commission Wildlife Diversity Division
chief. “These bluebird boxes enable Pennsylvanians to help wildlife in a natural way.
“Also, building nesting boxes is a great project for individuals, families or civic
organizations interested in connecting with wildlife. These box designs are proven to attract
bluebirds and other native species, such as tree swallows and house wrens.”
Bluebirds live in open country, and are a beautiful songbird native to Pennsylvania.
Bluebirds are cavity nesters and have become less common due to a lack of suitable nest sites.
Many nest sites have been lost through changing land-use practices, as well as to urban and
suburban sprawl.
But the introductions of house sparrows and starlings in 1851 and 1890 have been the
primary reasons for the bluebirds’ decline, as these non-native species took over native bluebird
nesting cavities.
The bluebird boxes offered by the Game Commission include an opening that is the
prescribed one-and-one-half inches in diameter. This precludes starlings from being able to enter.
However, house sparrows still may be able to enter the boxes. If this occurs, the house sparrow
nests should be removed immediately.
Boxes should be erected on a free-standing pole three to five feet above the ground –
facing south, if possible – and facing a nearby tree or fence where young birds can safely land on
their initial flights from the box. To reduce predation and competition from other species, no
perch should be placed on the box; bluebirds do not need one. Boxes placed in pairs, about 20
feet apart, may help reduce competition from swallows.
The Game Commission’s Howard Nursery has been manufacturing bluebird nest boxes
and box kits for more than a quarter century. Each year, about 9,000 boxes are manufactured
there and sold or provided to Pennsylvanians to help bluebirds. That annual influx of new nest
boxes helps ensure Pennsylvania remains a “keystone state” in bluebird conservation.
Sales will continue while supplies last, and office hours are Monday-Friday from 7:45
a.m. until 4 p.m. The Game Commission’s headquarters is at 2001 Elmerton Ave., just off the
Progress Avenue exit of Interstate 81 in Harrisburg.
To order by phone, call the Game Commission’s Harrisburg office at 1-888-888-3459. If
ordering by phone, shipping and handling costs will apply depending on how many boxes are
ordered.
For more information, visit the Game Commission bluebird webpage. Also download the
wildlife homes order form.

Game Commission Offers Tree Seedlings For Landowners

While much of Pennsylvania's landscape is frozen, now is the time for landowners to begin
making plans to help wildlife by planting tree and shrub seedlings offered by the Game
Commission's Howard Nursery, which is accepting orders until April 22.
Order forms and information are available on the agency's website.
The order form can be completed and submitted online, or printed out and faxed or
mailed. Payments are not due until the order is confirmed by Howard Nursery. For those without
internet access, order forms can be obtained at Game Commission offices or various displays or
booths at shows in which the agency participates through the spring or by sending a self-
addressed, stamped envelope to: Howard Nursery, 197 Nursery Road, Howard, PA 16841.
"Landowners may purchase seedlings for wildlife food and cover, watershed protection,
soil erosion control, and for reclamation of disturbed areas, such as surface mine site and utility
right-of-ways," said Cliff Guindon, Howard Nursery superintendent.
"The goal of the Howard Nursery is to provide the finest available tree seedlings that best
provide for the various needs of wildlife, including food and shelter. All of our stock is
inspected annually by the state Department of Agriculture and certified to be disease-free."
Guindon noted that the nursery sells seedlings in units/bundles of 25. Orders of 12 more
total units receive discounted pricing. Prices are as low as $3.75 per unit of 25 seedlings (15
cents each).
Some species have already sold out.
The following species remain available: Eastern white pine; red pine; white spruce;
Norway spruce; Douglas fir; Canada hemlock; Arborvitae/Northern white cedar; common
elderberry; red elderberry; graystem dogwood; blackhaw viburnum; American highbush
cranberry; buttonbush; scrub oak/bear oak; pin oak; Northern red oak; white oak; black walnut;
shagbark hickory; American hazelnut; Chinese chestnut; black locust; American mountain ash;
Washington hawthorne; assorted crabapple; American sweet crabapple; and assorted standard
apple.
 Those interested in red spruce, arrowwood viburnum and gobbler sawtooth oak should
call Howard Nursery 814-355-4434, as these species are in limited supply.
Guindon noted that, for evergreens, 1,000 seedlings planted at the recommended tree
spacing of eight feet by eight feet will occupy 1.5 acres. Planting space for hardwood trees
should be a minimum of eight feet by eight feet and up to 15 feet by 15 feet, depending on
species. For hardwoods, 100 trees will occupy one-quarter acre, and 1,000 seedlings will occupy
2.5 acres. The various shrub species can be planted on a six foot by six foot or eight foot by eight
foot pattern.
A description of each species available, along with size information, is available on the
website. Some of the new native shrubs are available in limited quantities and are expected to
sell out quickly. The selection of native trees and shrubs is being expanded annually. With the
exception of black locust, all of our hardwoods are grown from seed collected and processed by
Game Commission personnel from Pennsylvania sources.
The preferred method of delivery is by United Parcel Service. Shipping and handling
charges do apply. This is very efficient and most orders are received next day. Orders are
shipped only Monday through Wednesday to assure delivery for weekend planting. However,
orders also may be picked up in person at the nursery once notified the order is ready.
"Due to conditions beyond our control, such as ice and snow, wet weather, frozen
ground, we may not be able to ship trees as early as we would like," Guindon said. "We will do
everything we can at the nursery to ensure timely shipping and arrival of trees. Generally,
seedlings ship in the month of April."
For more information, contact Cliff Guindon at the Howard Nursery, 197 Nursery Road,
Howard, PA 16841, telephone 814-355-4434. Hours of operation are Monday thru Friday 7 a.m.
to 3:30 p.m.

Landscaping For Wildlife Book By Marcus Schneck Offered By Game Commission

Landowners interested in developing "backyard habitats" beneficial to wildlife are encouraged to

check out the "Landscaping for Wildlife in Pennsylvania," available from the Game
Commission.
Written by Marcus Schneck, a noted outdoor and nature writer from Hamburg, Berks
County, the 160-page book comes complete with descriptions, drawings and photos of ideal
habitat for a variety of species, from hummingbirds to bats, as well as construction plans for a
number of wildlife nesting boxes.
The book also contains a chapter on nuisance wildlife and steps to address certain
situations, as well as the importance of planting native species and a listing of recommended
plants.
"While spring garden plantings may be several weeks away, now is the time to begin
drawing up plans," said Carl G. Roe, Game Commission executive director. "If you are
interested in seeing and helping wildlife on your property, then this book is a must. It can help
guide any first-time backyard habitat planner, as well as an experienced hand, in helping to
create an oasis for wildlife."
To order the book, which costs $9.43 (plus state sales tax and shipping and handling),
visit the Game Commission's website. Orders also are being accepted at 1-888-888-3459.
HACC Offers Wildlife Conservation Officer Certification Course

Outdoor enthusiasts with an interest for Pennsylvania’s wildlife and natural habitats may find a
career path starting with a new wildlife conservation certificate program.
Harrisburg Area Community College and the Game Commission have collaborated on
the two-semester, noncredit program that will be offered beginning in May at the Game
Commission headquarters at 2001 Elmerton Ave. in Harrisburg. An elective course will be
offered at Middle Creek Wildlife Management Area, 100 Museum Road, Stevens, Pa.
An information session 9 a.m.-noon January 29, at the commission headquarters. The
cost to attend is $10.
Professionals speaking at the session include Jack Hubley, host of “Outdoor Editor” on
WGAL-TV 8; Gary San Julian, Ph.D., professor of wildlife resources at Penn State; and Kermit
Henning, past president of the Pennsylvania Outdoor Writers Association.
Coursework is required in bird and mammal identification, habitat/plant identification
and wildlife conservation, management and history. Electives include hiking/orienteering,
hunter/trapper education, wildlife damage management, basic target archery and wildlife outdoor
photography, backyard habitat management and the field trip to Middle Creek.
Those who complete the program will have a better understanding of managing
Pennsylvania wildlife that can serve as a stepping stone to a career in conservation.
To register for the information session, contact HACC’s Continuing Education office at
717-780-2414.
For more information, contact Lori Coffey in Continuing Education at HACC,
717-221-1378 or send email to: lvcoffey@hacc.edu, or Bob Wesoloskie at the Game
Commission, 717-787-4250, ext. 3623 or send email to: rewesoloski@state.pa.us.

Emissions Data from Animal Feeding Operations Study Now Available

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is making data publicly available from a two-year
study of air emissions from animal feeding operations.
AFOs, which house large numbers of animals for production of meat, dairy products and
eggs, were monitored for the following air pollutants: ammonia, hydrogen sulfide, particulate
matter and volatile organic compounds.
The data available today are from the National Air Emissions Monitoring Study, which
resulted from a 2005 voluntary compliance agreement between EPA and the AFO industry. The
study was funded by industry and conducted by Purdue University researchers with EPA
oversight. Throughout the studies, participating AFOs made their operations available for
monitoring and worked closely with the researchers, industry experts and EPA.
Researchers monitored emissions at AFOs that raise pigs and broiler chickens, at egg-
laying operations, and at dairies, with a total of 24 monitoring sites in nine states. A separate
industry study monitored emissions from a broiler chicken operation in Kentucky.
EPA will use data from the studies to help develop improved methodologies for
estimating AFO emissions. Such methodologies are commonly used to estimate emissions from
industries where site-specific monitoring data are not available.
At the request of the agriculture industry, EPA also is issuing a Call for Information
seeking data from other monitoring studies of AFO emissions. Submitting this information is not
required; however, it will help the agency ensure that its emissions estimating tools are based on
the best scientific data available.
EPA is requesting quality-assured data on emissions of ammonia, hydrogen sulfide,
particulate matter and volatile organic compounds, along with information about how animals
are housed or managed, and how manure is stored and treated at the monitored operations.
The agency is asking for this information for operations that raise pigs, chickens, turkeys
and beef cattle, and for egg-laying and dairy cattle operations. Once the Call for Information is
published in the Federal Register, there will be a 45-day comment period.
EPA will make draft methodologies available for public review and comment on a rolling
basis, beginning in spring 2011.
Information on submitting data and data from the National Air Emissions Monitoring
Study is available online. Information about the voluntary air compliance agreement is also
available online.

FirstEnergy Solutions Offers Low-Cost Electric To Penn Power, Duquesne Customers

FirstEnergy Solutions, a subsidiary of FirstEnergy Corp. is now offering Pennsylvania Power

(Penn Power) residential electric customers a fixed price of 6.19 cents per kilowatt-hour (kWh)
on electric generation until December 2012.
FirstEnergy Solutions is also offering Duquesne Light's residential electric customers a
fixed price of 7.19 cents per kilowatt-hour (kWh) on electric generation through December 2012.
Penn Power
"FirstEnergy Solutions is offering the lowest price on electric generation in Penn Power's
service area," said Tony Banks, vice president of Product & Market Development for
FirstEnergy Solutions. "However, it's important for residents to act now since this price is
limited to the first 15,000 customers who respond by February 28, 2011."
The utility will continue to deliver the electricity, maintain the poles and wires, and
respond to power outages.
Residential customers interested in learning more about the FirstEnergy Solutions offer
should contact the company at 1-866-430-4410 or online. All that is needed is a recent electric
bill. Discounts and savings for small commercial and industrial businesses are also available
online.
Duquese Light
"FirstEnergy Solutions is offering the lowest price on electric generation in Duquesne's
service area," said Tony Banks, vice president of Product & Market Development for
FirstEnergy Solutions. "However, it's important for residents to act now since this price is
limited to the first 15,000 customers who respond by February 28, 2011."
The Duquesne Light price is a 15 percent savings over Duquesne's current average
generation rate of 8.87 cents per kWh. Over the two-year term of the contract, a residential
customer (using approximately 9,000 kWh a year) could save up to $275.
Residential customers interested in learning more about the FirstEnergy Solutions offer
should contact the company at 1-866-430-4409 or online. All that is needed is a recent electric
bill. Discounts and savings for small commercial and industrial businesses are also available
online.
 FirstEnergy Solutions provides competitive electric generation supply and other energy-
related products and services, and is a licensed supplier in Ohio, Pennsylvania, New Jersey,
Maryland, Michigan and Illinois.
NewsClip: FirstEnergy Seeks Duquesne Light Customers

PJM Solar Renewal Energy Certificates Auction Timeline Increases Flexibility

PJM EnviroTrade has expanded the bid and offer period in its monthly Sage auction of solar
renewable energy certificates to provide greater flexibility to market participants. Additionally,
sellers can offer currently eligible certificates from any year.
"The change results from our market participants' feedback, which we appreciate," said
Adrien Ford, president of PJM EnviroTrade. "We're affording participants more liberty regarding
placing their bids and making their offers, and we're excited to include additional products and
enhance our service offerings by adding more vintages of certificates to the Sage auction."
The Sage auction now will be executed on the third Wednesday of the month, instead of
the second Wednesday of the month, with results posted the following day at 10 a.m.
Additionally, the seller offer window will open immediately following the end of the prior
month's auction, which provides sellers with several more days to enter solar renewable energy
certificates into the upcoming auction.
The buyer bid window will open immediately following the end of the sell volume
window allowing buyers several days to post bids. The auction timeline is posted on the PJM
EnviroTrade website under Sage Auction Information.
In addition, all currently eligible vintages of SRECs now can be offered in the Sage
auction rather than just from the current year. For example, in a state where an SREC has a three-
year lifetime, any SREC that has been generated in the most recent three vintage years would be
eligible for sale in that state. SREC eligibilities will be noted so that buyers are aware of the
vintages they are purchasing.
The price and volume offer window for the auction conducted in February 2011 will be
open for sellers from 12:00 a.m. on January 20, until 11:59 p.m. February 10. Sellers may update
the price of existing offers from 11:59 p.m. February 10 until 11:59 p.m. February 15. The Sage
auction bid window for buyers will be open from 12:00 a.m. February 11 until 11:59 p.m.
February 15. The Sage auction will run on February 16 with results posted February 17.
A training session will be held on February 1. Registration is available on the PJM
EnviroTrade website.

Joe Brake Named President Of PA Beverage Association

 Lehigh Valley resident and executive Joe Brake was named president of
the Pennsylvania Beverage Association, the statewide organization
representing the non-alcoholic beverage industry in the state.
“Our organization is comprised of some of the most innovative and
well-respected companies in the world, and our members range in size
from large international companies to smaller, family-owned businesses,”
said Brake, who is the Vice-President and General Manager of Coca-Cola
Bottling Company of the Lehigh Valley. “We provide good-paying jobs to
Pennsylvanians, we’re giving back to our communities, and we’re
committed to working with policymakers on issues that are important to
them and to our industry.”
In his role as president, Brake will guide the industry’s public policy agenda, while
working to raise awareness about the industry’s positive impact in Pennsylvania.
Brake said the beverage industry in the state employs approximately 7,400
Pennsylvanians and helps support thousands more in restaurants, retail outlets and other
businesses. The industry paid approximately $852 million in state taxes, while employees and
member companies have contributed at least $38 million more to charitable causes across
Pennsylvania.
He also noted that his member companies are good stewards of the environment, using
recyclable containers for their products and launching other initiatives to reduce the companies’
and their customers’ environmental impact.
The industry also has taken a leadership role to address the complex obesity challenge,
launching “Clear on Calories” commitment to make the number of calories on its products even
clearer and more consumer-friendly. Through this voluntary initiative, the industry putting
calorie information on the front of its packaging, vending machines and fountain machines, and
taking other steps to raise awareness about the importance of consumer education about caloric
intake.
“Across the country and right here in Pennsylvania, our industry is taking bold actions
that contribute to the well being of today’s generation and generations to come,” Brake said.
“We are proud to have played a leadership role in helping solve serious challenges, and we look
forward to continuing that work in 2011.”
The Pennsylvania Beverage Association represents bottlers, franchise companies and
suppliers in the beverage industry in the Commonwealth on issues pending before the General
Assembly and executive agencies. The Association also undertakes educational programs and
builds partnerships on behalf of members on issues such as litter control, recycling and healthy
diets.
For more information visit the PA Beverage Association website.

Howard Neukrug Appointed Water Commissioner In Philadelphia

Mayor Michael A. Nutter announced the appointment of Howard Neukrug as Commissioner of

the Philadelphia Water Department effective February 2.
“I am thrilled that Howard has accepted the appointment as Water Commissioner,” said
Mayor Nutter. “He has been a key leader at the Department for decades and is recognized as a
national authority in the water industry. He is one of America’s great thinkers on environmental
policy and regulation. He founded the Water Department’s Office of Watersheds and is the
creator of its Clean Water, Green Cities initiative. I am excited to see what he will bring next to
the Department.”
As the Water Commissioner, Mr. Neukrug will be responsible for providing integrated
water, wastewater, and stormwater services to the City of Philadelphia and greater Philadelphia
region. The utility's primary mission is to plan for, operate, and maintain both the infrastructure
and the organization necessary to purvey high quality drinking water, to provide an adequate and
reliable water supply for all household, commercial, and community needs, and to sustain and
enhance the region’s watersheds and quality of life by managing wastewater and stormwater
effectively.
“I hold the deepest respect for the many dedicated PWD employees and their families
who have worked hard - even in these difficult economic times - to build great and strong
organization - one that works 24/7 to protect the health and safety of our citizens," said Howard
Neukrug.
I'd also like to express my appreciation to our many partners for their passionate
dedication to achieving clean water and a green city," said Neukrug. "Their examples give me
confidence that we can make PWD the most sustainable utility in the country -- supporting the
Mayor's vision of Philadelphia as the Greenest City in America and providing a model for
meeting the complex needs of a 21st Century water utility.
“My thanks to Mayor Nutter and Deputy Mayor Cutler for their inspirational leadership
and for this opportunity to serve the needs of our city and communities in this expanded
capacity.”
Deputy Mayor for Transportation and Utilities Rina Cutler said, “The next five years are
critical for PWD, with an ambitious capital program, the loss of experienced and talented staff,
sewer overflows and pressures to meet pending consent orders and regulations. Howard will
provide the leadership needed to develop a 21st Century utility that provides improved
environmental and energy services and delivers the quality and reliability that Philadelphians
have come to expect.”
Mr. Neukrug formerly served as Deputy Commissioner of Planning and Environmental
Services at the Philadelphia Water Department and founded the Department’s Office of
Watersheds, an organization cited as a national model in watershed planning and partnership.
He has been a Philadelphia Water Department employee for 33 years. He graduated from
the University of Pennsylvania and has a B.S. in Civil and Urban Engineering.

Scott Roberts Joins L.R. Kimball To Work On Marcellus Shale Gas Operations
 L.R. Kimball has engaged J. Scott Roberts, P.G., former Deputy Secretary
for Mineral Resources Management at the Department of Environmental
Protection as an advisor. L.R. Kimball is part of CDI Engineering
Solutions, a division of CDI Corp.
Mr. Roberts will support L.R. Kimball's efforts to continue
expansion of its service offerings to the Natural Gas Industry and the
Marcellus Shale operations currently underway in Pennsylvania, West
Virginia and New York.
"Adding Scott to our team provides our clients with direct access to
a true subject matter expert and furthers our commitment to this business
area," said L.R. Kimball President, R. Jeffrey Kimball. "He has been an industry leader in the
development of the Marcellus Shale area and the resurgence of the Natural Gas and Coal
industries in Pennsylvania. Scott's knowledge and background in regulatory matters will assist
our clients as they effectively develop this essential clean energy resource."
Mr. Roberts was employed by the Department of Environmental Protection for more than
25 years. He has vast experience in many facets of Pennsylvania's minerals industries, including
mine safety, oil and gas, abandoned mine reclamation, mining and reclamation and district
mining operations.
Mr. Roberts' career also includes notable accomplishments such as providing logistical
coordination for the successful 2002 Quecreek Mine rescue, working with Pennsylvania's
Federal Congressional delegation to secure the reauthorization of $1.4 billion in funding for
restoration of Pennsylvania's abandoned mines, negotiating the first major rewrite of
Pennsylvania's bituminous mine safety laws in over 100 years and spearheading efforts to
remove or reduce procedural roadblocks to the development of the state's unconventional shale
natural gas resources without sacrificing protection of other land, water or environmental
resources.

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.

January 31-- PHMC Historic Preservation Grants

February 1-- NEW. 2011 Write On! Wetlands Challenge
February 11-- PA American Water Stream Of Learning College Scholarships
February 15-- PennVEST Water Infrastructure Funding
February 25-- Foundation for PA Watersheds Grants
February 28-- Philadelphia Water Department Spokesdogs Contest
March 1-- NEW. DEP Coastal Zone Land Conservation Grants
March 1-- PEC-Dominion Western PA Environmental Awards
March 1-- Schuylkill Action Network Schuylkill Stories Contest
March 1-- Schuylkill Action Network Drinking Water Scholastic Award Contest
March 4-- USDA Organic Producers Conservation Practices
March 22-- NEW. EPA Community Action For A Renewed Environment Program
March 25-- NEW. WREN Watershed, Source Water Protection Education Grants
April 20-- DCNR Community Conservation Partnership Grants
June 30-- DEP Nitrogen Tire Inflation System Grants
August 26-- Foundation for PA Watersheds Grants

Other Funding Programs

-- DEP PA Sunshine Solar Energy Rebates
-- CFA High Performance Building Financing (Program Link)
-- CFA Solar Energy Financing (Program Link)
-- CFA Geothermal, Wind Energy Projects (Program Link)

-- Visit the DEP Grants and Loan Programs webpage for more ideas on how to get financial
assistance for environmental projects.

Quick Clips

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

Governor
Corbett Vows Government Reform
Corbett Sworn In, Citing Pending Storm Of Budget Deficit
Lawmakers Praise Corbett's Thoughtful Inaugural Address
Corbett Promises To Be Realistic About PA's Challenges
Drilling Critics Protest At Inauguration
Corbett Assembles His Team
Closer Look At 10 Campaign Promises Made By Corbett
Corbett Fills New Energy Executive Post
Column: Corbett Ushers In Striking Changes
Editorial: How Will Governor Protect Environment?
Budget
PA's New Governor Will Face A Big Deficit
Op-Ed: Ways To Close PA Budget Gap
Op-Ed: Gas Drillers Shouldn’t Get Free Ride
NE Community Projects Received Funding Commitments
Other
Valley View Students To Get Green Education
E-Waste Recycling To Be Phased In
Elizabethtown College Takes Scraps to The Farm
Court Hearing On Harrisburg Incinerator Debt Now In March
Editorial: Wind (less) Mills
Lancaster Solar Installer Reaches Out To Customers
New Testing Facility At HACC Makes Energy From Ag Leftovers
Company Hiring Brokers To Get Utility Customers To Switch
PUC Pleased With Switch Rate Among PECO Customers
FirstEnergy Seeks Duquesne Light Customers
Manufacturer Fights PPL Rate Hike
Environmental Group Plans To Sue Owner Of Cheswick Plant
Pittsburgh Air Quality Debatable
Lower Nazareth Eyes Strict Solar Ordinance
EPA Tips For Dealing With Broken CFL Light Bulbs
Onorato To Talk On Energy Efficiency
DEP Orders Cleanup Of Jeannette Glass Site
Column: Tomorrow's Eagles
This Year's Easton's Shad Fest Canceled
Emerald Ash Borers' Arrival Sounds Death Knell For City Trees
Presque Isle Committee Supports Park Visitor Study
National Park Service To Assist With Ohio River Trail Study
New Hire Leads Way For Anthracite Scenic Trails Assn.
Network Of Biking, Walking Trails Planned In Cumberland
New Park Service Region Leader Study Of History
Natural History Museum, Powdermill Reserve Combine Efforts
Carnegie, Powdermill Create Ecosystem Center
Powdermill Researchers To Study Alarming Decline Of Bees
National Aviary's Eagle Gets Top-Flight Medical Attention
Report Critical Of State Deer Management Policies
More Deer Changes Coming At Game Commission Meeting
Pennsylvania: The Sweet Spot For Syrup

Marcellus Shale NewsClips

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

Drilling Critics Protest At Inauguration

Drilling Protesters Chant During Corbett's Speech
Column: Corbett's Silence Over Marcellus Protests
Ridge Warns Against Sending Investment Away
Lackawanna Woman Honored As Activist On Drilling Issues
Program To Educate Public On Shale Drilling
Gas Drilling Poised to Transform WB/Scranton Airport
Many Favor Gas Drilling On Pittsburgh Airport Property
Primer Helps Residents Battle Shale Industry
Professors Hope To Open Path To Success With Marcellus
Drilling Firm Launches Operations At Wyoming Site
Wyoming County Businesses Benefit From Gas Industry
Drilling Biz Hikes Hires At Linde
Fracking Meeting Falls Victim To A Tie
Gas Compressor Station Discussed By Dallas Twp.
Driller Faces Crowd In Benton In Asking For Approval
Corrected: Philadelphia Utility Asked To Avoid Marcellus Gas
Schuylkill Company Plans To Extract Water For Marcellus Drilling
Gas Drilling Plan Provokes Outcry In Erie
Drilling Likely To Move Forward In North East Twp.
Marcellus Gas Firms Courted By Westmoreland
Editorial: Allegheny Airport Right To Explore Drilling
Low Natural Gas Prices No Boon For Shale
Large Crowd Debates Murrysville Gas Drilling Limits
Op-Ed: Gas Drillers Shouldn’t Get Free Ride
Editorial: Marcellus Shale Is Cold Comfort For Gas Customers
Heated Debate Over Natural Gas Exports
2nd Firm Seeks Maryland Natural Gas Drilling Permit
EPA Fracking Study Including Six PA Scientists
Financial
Range Resources Says Production Hit Record
Citrus Energy Offers Marcellus Shale Acres
Marcellus Shale Boosts WV Gas Production

Watershed NewsClips

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

Trout Unlimited Turns Focus To Water Quality

Op-Ed: Farm Bureau Lawsuit Hurts Chesapeake Bay, Farmers
Op-Ed: Flawed EPA Chesapeake Bay Plan Burdens States, Violates Federal Law
Farmers Claim They're Unfairly Targeted In Chesapeake Bay Plan
Promoting Forest Buffers In The Lower Susquehanna
Chesapeake Bay Commission Will Keep Hand In Cleanup
Mountain Watershed Assn. Helps Residents With Drilling Questions
Little Lehigh Creek Not Critical Watershed
DEP Allows Dana Mining Drainage Without Permit
Feds Order Dana Mining To Halt Work At Humphrey Mine
March 11 Keep The Rain Out Of The Drain Workshop
Turtle Creek Greenway Meeting Set For Jan. 27
Elk Officials Updated On Water Plan
Upper Delaware Council Annual Report Now Available

Regulations, Technical Guidance & Permits

The Department of Environmental Protection published an updated list of individuals and

companies certified to conduct radon-related business in the state (PA Bulletin, page 559).

Pennsylvania Bulletin - January 22, 2011

Proposed Regulations Open For Comment - DEP webpage

Proposed Regulations With Closed Comment Periods - DEP webpage

Rolling Regulatory Agenda - DEP webpage

Technical Guidance & Permits

The Department of Environmental Protection published notice of proposed technical guidance on

implementing the Total Dissolved Solids regulations.

Draft: DEP ID: 385-2100-002. Policy and Procedure for NPDES Permitting of Discharges of
Total Dissolved Solids.

Technical Guidance Comment Deadlines - DEP webpage

Copies Of Draft Technical Guidance - DEP webpage

Copies of Final Technical Guidance - DEP webpage

Calendar Of Events

Upcoming legislative meetings, conferences, workshops, plus links to other online calendars.
Meetings are in Harrisburg unless otherwise noted. NEW means new from last week. Go to the
online Calendar webpage.

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

January 24-- Environmental Issues Forum featuring a presentation by Marci Mowery, PA Parks
and Forests Foundation on the Goddard Legacy Project by the Joint Legislative Air and
Water Pollution Control and Conservation Committee. Room G-50 Irvis Building. Noon.

January 24-25-- Agenda Released. Fish and Boat Commission Board meeting. 1601 Elmerton
Ave., Harrisburg. 10:00.

January 26-- Senate Republican Policy Committee hearing on local impacts of Marcellus Shale
drilling. Hearing Room 1, North Office. 1:00.

January 26-- NEW. House Tourism and Recreational Development Committee informational
meeting on DCNR's Bald Eagle State Park lodge and Elk County Visitor Center. Room G-50
Irvis Building. 10:00.
January 26-- Agenda Released. DCNR Conservation and Natural Resources Advisory
Council meeting. 2nd Floor Training Room, Rachel Carson Building. 10:00. (formal notice)

January 26-- Agenda Released. DEP Small Business Compliance Advisory Committee meeting.
12th Floor Conference Room, Rachel Carson Building. 10:00.

January 27-- Public Utility Commission Solar Project Working Group meeting. Hearing Room
1, Keystone Building. 1:00. (formal notice page 7312)

January 30-February 1-- Agenda Released. Game Commission Board meeting. 2001 Elmerton
Ave., Harrisburg.

February 8-- NEW. House Environmental Resources and Energy Committee informational
meeting with the Forest Products industry. Room B-31 Main Capitol. 9:30.

February 8-- DEP Environmental Justice Advisory Board meeting. 16th Floor Conference
Room, Rachel Carson Building. 8:30.

February 9-- DEP Water Resources Advisory Committee meeting. Room 105 Rachel Carson
Building. 9:30.

February 15-- Environmental Quality Board meeting. Room 105 Rachel Carson Building.
9:00.

February 15-- DEP Citizens Advisory Council meeting. Room 105 Rachel Carson Building.
11:00.

February 15-- 2011 PA Recycling Industries Congress by the PA Recycling Markets Center and
PA Waste Industries Association. Email: info@parmc.org.

March 4-- CANCELED. DEP Chesapeake Bay Advisory Committee meeting. Next scheduled
meeting is May 3. (formal notice)

March 8-- Governor's Budget Address.

DEP Calendar of Events

Environmental Education Workshop/Training Calendar (PA Center for Environmental

Education)

Senate Committee Schedule House Committee Schedule

You can watch the Senate Floor Session and House Floor Session live online.
Stories Invited

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

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

of Environmental Protection and is published as a service to the clients of Crisci Associates, a
Harrisburg-based government and public affairs firm whose clients include Fortune 500
companies and non-profit organizations. For more information on Crisci Associates, call
717-234-1716.

PA Environment Digest was the winner of the PA Association of Environmental Educators'

2009 Business Partner of the Year Award.

Supporting Member PA Outdoor Writers Assn./PA Trout Unlimited

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

Association, Pennsylvania Council Trout Unlimited and the Doc Fritchey Chapter Trout
Unlimited.