PA Environment Daily

JUNE 16, 2022

On June 14, House Bill 1467 was introduced to establish an Oil and Natural Gas Facility Health Impacts Assessment Program in the Department of Health. The Department of Health is required to establish an Oil and Natural Gas Production Health Registry to track public exposures and health impacts from oil and natural gas facilities.

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Natural Gas Radiation Environmental Protection Regulations 113

PA Environment Daily

SEPTEMBER 19, 2023

On September 18, Senators Steven Santasiero (D-Bucks) and Carolyn Comitta (D-Chester), Minority Chair of the Senate Environmental Resources and Energy Committee, announced they were introducing legislation to increase setback safety zones from shale natural gas drilling sites based on the latest science. Read more here.

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Natural Gas Air Pollution Waste 2016 117

PA Environment Daily

NOVEMBER 2, 2023

Josh Shapiro and CNX Resources Corporation President and CEO Nick Deiuliis announced a first-of-its-kind statement of mutual interests that will further heighten the company’s operational disclosures in collaboration with state environmental regulators and the public. 2020 Grand Jury Report Gov. Read more here.

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Natural Gas Air Pollution Environmental Protection Waste 119

Law Columbia

APRIL 25, 2024

Image by Maxim Tolchinskiy (Unsplash) In November of 2022, when the Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Land Management (“BLM”) proposed new rules to control venting, flaring, and leaks from oil and gas leases on federal land (the “Fossil Fuel Waste Rule”), they noted that these leasing rules would have an enormous ancillary climate benefit.

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Fossil Fuels Waste Carbon Dioxide Natural Gas 58

PA Environment Daily

SEPTEMBER 13, 2023

On September 13, the Pittsburgh-based Environmental Health Project issued a review of the University of Pittsburgh studies released on August 15 showing links between natural gas development and Lymphoma cancer, worsening asthma conditions and lower birth weights. "We

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Natural Gas Climate Change Government Regulations 122

PA Environment Daily

AUGUST 3, 2022

Wolf directed the Department of Environmental Protection to conduct an evaluation of how it regulates conventional oil and gas wells to prevent new abandoned wells, tighten review of permit transfers, review compliance with environmental safeguards and make recommendations for changes and actions, including criminal sanctions.

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Natural Gas Waste Regulations Law 98

PA Environment Daily

APRIL 19, 2024

Construction of the pipeline, which spanned through Washington, Allegheny and Beaver Counties, began in January 2019 and brings ethane feedstock from natural gas to the Shell Petrochemical Plant in Beaver County. [In Read more here.] The case will be prosecuted by the Office of Attorney General’s Environmental Crimes Section.

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Waste 2019 Natural Gas Earth Day 119

PA Environment Daily

SEPTEMBER 30, 2023

On September 5, 2023, DEP issued a notice of violation to the operator for abandoning the well without plugging it and the operator tried to plug it, but a camera inserted into the well found natural gas was still bubbling up through the well indicating it had failed. DEP issued the original notice of violation on May 3, 2023. [

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Natural Gas 2023 Atmosphere Regulations 119

PA Environment Daily

MARCH 23, 2023

Elder Vogel (R-Beaver) at the March 22 Senate Appropriations Committee hearing on DEP’s budget request , the Department of Environmental Protection said it is projecting a $1,581,000 deficit in funding for the Oil and Gas Regulation Program. In 2015, the Oil and Gas Program had an authorized complement of 226 positions.

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Regulations 2023 Natural Gas 2022 93

PA Environment Daily

OCTOBER 30, 2023

The Committee heard testimony from three citizens group representatives, including residents of Washington and Westmoreland counties, two physicians that studied health impacts of industry operations and a shale gas industry group and the PA Building and Construction Trades Council representing the industry. Read more here. Read more here.

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Natural Gas Air Pollution Regulations Law 121

PA Environment Daily

OCTOBER 19, 2023

Sandra Steingraber, Senior Scientist with the Science and Environmental Health Network , provided an overview of findings from the newly published 9th Compendium of Scientific, Medical, Media Findings Demonstrating Risk, Harms of Natural Gas Development and Infrastructure during a briefing hosted by the Better Path Coalition.

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PA Environment Daily

JANUARY 10, 2023

A January 3 DEP inspection report shows Energy Transfer reported a nine and a half hour uncontrolled release of ethane and other vapors from its Revolution Cryogenic Natural Gas Processing Plant in Smith Township, Washington County during a Christmas Day explosion and fire at the plant. on December 25 and ceased as of 4:59 p.m.

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Natural Gas Air Pollution Cooling 2018 98

PA Environment Daily

NOVEMBER 30, 2022

On November 30, the Environmental Quality Board voted 15 to 2 to approve the emergency regulation setting VOC/methane emission limits for conventional oil and gas facilities. Daryl Metcalfe (R-Butler) voted no on the regulation. Representatives for Sen. Gene Yaw (R-Lycoming) and Rep. Read more here. Read more here.

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Regulations Natural Gas 2016 Waste 91

Legal Planet

DECEMBER 19, 2023

However, methane reduction efforts have not received the same financial support as CO 2 actions; in 2019 and 2020, only 2% of climate finance was devoted to methane mitigation. Jurisdictions announced new methane regulations COPs are usually the place where governments announce their recent environmental laws and regulations.

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Paris Agreement 2030 Regulations Waste 173

PA Environment Daily

APRIL 23, 2023

New Fortress Energy, which in March 2022 suspended its plan to construct a plant in Wyalusing, Bradford County, to liquefy vast amounts of Marcellus Shale natural gas, has informed the Securities and Exchange Commission that it plans to seek new permits. Those activists filled in for sleepwalking government regulators.

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Natural Gas Fossil Fuels Waste Regulations 84

PA Environment Daily

MARCH 30, 2022

John Yudichak (I-Luzerne), who Senate Republicans appointed as Majority Chair of the Senate Community, Economic and Recreational Development Committee, called opponents of natural gas infrastructure projects “radical environmentalists” and arguments by supporters of the RGGI carbon pollution reduction regulations covering power plants “hysteria.”

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Natural Gas Regulations 2018 2019 97

PA Environment Daily

MAY 9, 2024

On May 9, the Public Utility Commission voted to approve a settlement with a $250,000 civil penalty regarding the over-pressurization incident affecting the Peoples Natural Gas Company LLC distribution system in Robinson, Indiana County. The incident, which occurred on April 29, 2020, damaged both customer and utility-owned equipment.

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Natural Gas Fossil Fuels 2024 Regulations 78

PA Environment Daily

MAY 8, 2024

Proponents of a greater setback distance, like the 2,500 feet recommended in 2020 report, say nearby wells damage the quality of life, and increasing setbacks would reduce exposure to noise and other pollution. It feels like we’re going backward when we want cleaner, safer, healthier homes for families in Washington County.

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Natural Gas Fossil Fuels 2024 2020 127

PA Environment Daily

DECEMBER 13, 2021

Hess, Former Secretary Department of Environmental Protection The information submitted to DEP’s Bureau of Waste Management from eight conventional oil and gas companies to justify allowing them to dispose of millions of gallons of wastewater by spreading it on dirt roads fails to meet the requirements of DEP’s 25 Pa Code Chapter 287.8

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PA Environment Daily

SEPTEMBER 22, 2022

The study-- Hazardous Air Pollutants In Transmission Pipeline Natural Gas: An Analytic Assessment -- was accepted for publication in Environmental Research Letters journal September 16. This includes new regulations in Pennsylvania. Read more here.

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Air Pollution Natural Gas Nitrogen Oxides Carbon Monoxide 52

PA Environment Daily

AUGUST 20, 2023

This editorial first appeared in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette on August 20, 2023 -- The results of a long-awaited study of the effects of unconventional natural gas development — that is, hydraulic fracturing or “fracking” — on children’s health show that neither industry advocates nor environmental activists were exactly right.

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Natural Gas Regulations 2011 Air Pollution 52

Legal Planet

SEPTEMBER 21, 2023

Methane As has been discussed previously in Legal Planet, methane is a colorless, odorless, flammable gas. It is the main component of “natural gas” and is produced predominantly by the agriculture, energy (oil & gas and coal), and waste sectors.

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Carbon Dioxide Government 2030 Atmosphere 130

PA Environment Daily

DECEMBER 5, 2023

On December 5, DEP told the Oil and Gas Technical Advisory Board it expects to receive an estimated $44 million to plug conventional oil and gas wells leaking methane under the federal Methane Emission Reduction Program and $76 million in second-year funding for plugging abandoned conventional oil and gas wells.

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Natural Gas Regulations Waste 2023 99

PA Environment Daily

OCTOBER 25, 2023

The PA League of Women Voters and the University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health is now accepting registrations for the 11th Annual Shale Gas & Public Health Conference to be held in-person and online November 14 in Pittsburgh.

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Natural Gas Waste Air Pollution Radiation 116

PA Environment Daily

MAY 14, 2024

Major Actions Take By DEP In 2023 The enforcement actions taken by DEP against the five shale gas companies with the most penalty assessments, include-- CNX Gas Company, LLC - $92,490 -- Civil Penalty - $7,500 - Finnegan RHL8 - Greene County, Richhill Twp.

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PA Environment Daily

NOVEMBER 26, 2022

The agenda for the December 1 DEP Oil & Gas Technical Advisory Board meeting includes updates on Chapter 78 regulation changes, the new federal abandoned well plugging program and more. The second draft of the second package-- dealing primarily with waste disposal, handling and similar requirements-- also was not completed.

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Regulations Natural Gas Environmental Protection 2016 52

PA Environment Daily

MAY 11, 2023

Of Agriculture: PA Senate Confirms Russell Redding To Serve As Secretary Of Agriculture -- Republicans On Senate Environmental Committee Report Out Bills To Narrow Grounds For Appealing DEP Actions, Stream Cleaning, Take ‘Protection’ Out Of The Dept.

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Natural Gas Fossil Fuels Greenhouse Environmental Protection 107

PA Environment Daily

DECEMBER 29, 2022

Overview Of Non-Compliance DEP reports between 2017 through 2021, the agency did 63,026 inspections of wells belonging to 1,512 conventional oil and gas well owners operating 34,812 wells. Five other violations involved illegal disposal or handling of liquid or solid waste.

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Waste 2017 Regulations Environmental Protection 98

PA Environment Daily

JANUARY 3, 2024

Doug Mastriano (R) For Interference In 2020 Election -- WITF: Republican Sen. Doug Mastriano Faces Ethics Complaint Over Support Of 2020 Election-Fraud Lie -- PennLive - Jan Murphy: Sen. Mastriano’s Efforts To Overturn 2020 Election Results -- WHYY/AP: Lawsuit Aims To Keep Republican Con. Haywood Calls For Probe Of Sen.

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Natural Gas 2024 2020 Politics 106

PA Environment Daily

SEPTEMBER 2, 2023

Uncontrolled Venting Of Shale Gas Well At 2:02 a.m. on August 28, 2023 , DEP received an emergency notification of an uncontrolled venting of natural gas from shale gas well 9H at the Repsol Oil and Gas USA LLC Cummings Lumber well pad in Troy Township, Bradford County. Read more here.

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Natural Gas 2023 Waste 2020 117

Law Columbia

AUGUST 23, 2022

billion for “grants, rebates, contracts, loans” and “other activities” to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from the oil and natural gas sector. Most methane emissions from the oil and natural gas sector are the result of accidental leakage and intention venting of natural gas, which is 95 to 99 percent methane.

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Carbon Dioxide Natural Gas Regulations 2016 102

PA Environment Daily

APRIL 19, 2023

The Marcellus Shale Coalition challenged DEP’s 2016 regulations setting environmental and safety standards for unconventional shale gas drilling saying the Oil and Gas Act (Act 13) did not authorize DEP to further define public resource agencies and public resources and the regulations contained a potentially overly broad definition of playgrounds.

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Natural Gas Regulations 2016 2020 98

PA Environment Daily

FEBRUARY 25, 2023

From February 18 through 24, DEP’s Oil and Gas Compliance Database shows oil and gas inspectors filed 309 inspection reports that resulted in reporting 26 violations of environmental regulations-- 13 violations by the conventional oil and gas industry and 13 violations by the unconventional shale natural gas industry.

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Waste Regulations Natural Gas 2020 86

PA Environment Daily

FEBRUARY 23, 2023

23 Webinar On The Facility's Report Card -- Pittsburgh Business Times: Shell Petrochemical Plant Receives DEP Notice Of Violation For Exceeding Air Emission Limits In Nov., NOVs For Air, Water Violations Total 10 So Far -- NextPittsburgh: Why Is The Shell Petrochemical Plant In Beaver County Being Sued By Environmental Groups?

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Natural Gas Air Pollution 2020 Waste 104

PA Environment Daily

JULY 29, 2021

In 2020, Justin Nobel wrote an expose of fracking’s radioactivity, in particular in the wastewater and other wastes produced by natural gas drilling. The Delaware RiverKeeper Network is hosting an August 18 webinar Radioactivity In Fracking - Too Hot To Handle with scientist and author Justin Nobel from 7:00 to 8:00 p.m.

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Radiation Waste Natural Gas Natural Resources 98

PA Environment Daily

DECEMBER 18, 2023

In 2018, the state Department of Health and DEP, with assistance from the federal Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, released a public health evaluation of long-term air sampling data in the vicinity of natural gas operations in Washington County. Read more here. Read more here.

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Natural Gas Air Pollution Waste 2013 109

PA Environment Daily

DECEMBER 28, 2022

The oil and gas industry had a record 2022 in many ways-- natural gas prices increased over 94.7 The industry generally had record LNG natural gas exports linking the U.S. percent and stock prices of drillers skyrocketed in Pennsylvania. to high-priced markets in Europe and Asia caused by Russia’s war in Ukraine.

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Natural Gas Waste Regulations 2022 98