October 26, 2012

Oct. 29 PA Environment Digest Now Available

The Oct. 29 PA Environment Digest is now available.  Click Here to print entire Digest.

New York City Reservoir Drawn Down To Prepare For Hurricane Sandy

The partner governments who cooperatively manage the Delaware River—Pennsylvania, Delaware, New Jersey, New York and New York City—announced Friday more than 120 million gallons of water per day are being released from the Neversink Reservoir in Sullivan County, New York.
The water is being released from the reservoir, located in the Delaware River basin about 75 miles northwest of New York City, in order to make room for rainfall from Hurricane Sandy.
“While modeling forecasts show the storm may lose strength when it makes landfall, there are still large volumes of rain that are expected to come down,” DEP Secretary Mike Krancer said. “In order to create more capacity in the reservoir to capture stormwater and prevent spilling, everyone has agreed that a release at Neversink Reservoir is in all of our best interests.
“Residents along the Delaware River may see higher than normal river volumes in the coming days in advance of the storm,” he said. “But this release now will help prevent the possibility of much higher river flows and flooding later on in the course of the storm event.”
Earlier this year, Pennsylvania and its partners signed an extension of a water management agreement that allowed for such releases in advance of storms. The agreement also includes measures to protect the habitat in the waterways and to balance the drinking water needs of millions of residents in the four states.
The two other New York City-owned reservoirs in the Delaware River watershed, Pepacton and Cannonsville, are at about 70 percent capacity. Additional releases at these reservoirs will not be conducted at this time. The Cannonsville Reservoir is along the West Branch of the Delaware River, and the Pepacton is on the East Branch.
NewsClips:
Corbett Declares State Of Emergency Ahead Of Storm
PA Residents Told To Prep As Super Storm Looms
East Coast Readies For Frankenstorm Monster
Flash Flooding Likely From Hurricane Sandy
Preparing For Hurricane Sandy In PA
Philly Region Likely To Feel Storm’s Wrath
Eastern Utilities Brace For Expected Super Storm

October 24, 2012

Wednesday NewsClips

Another Corbett Poll: A new Morning Call/Muhlenberg College poll found 32 percent of respondents said they approve of Gov. Corbett’s performance in office, with 42 percent disapproving, with 27 percent saying they don’t know.  That’s actually a slight change from the same poll last week which found 39 percent said they disapprove and 33 percent approve.
Corbett Approvals Take New Dip In Poll

Casey, Smith Battle For PA’s Blue Collar Voters
Casey: I Was Ready For Close Race
Smith Chips Away At Casey In Senate Race
Bob Casey Goes On The Attack
Kane, Freed To Take AG Race To Airwaves
Democrats Attack Freed On Sandusky
Editorial: Stop Ads For Voter ID Law
Editorial: Voter ID, Don’t Be Fooled
Unemployed Decry Jammed State Phone Lines
Hearing Looks At Problems In Filing For Jobless Aid
Tax Credit For Oracle Hailed, Decrided
Click Here for today's Environmental News

October 19, 2012

Oct. 22 PA Environment Digest Now Available

The Oct. 22 PA Environment Digest is now available.  Click Here to print entire Digest.

Good And Bad Environmental Bills Left On The Table As Legislative Session Ends

The Senate and House finished up voting on legislation for the year Wednesday leaving lots of unfinished business on environmental issues on the table.  All bills not on the Governor’s Desk will have to start over in January.
Three environment or energy-related bills did make it to the Governor before adjournment-- Senate Bill 1298 (Smucker-R-Lancaster) providing for composting facilities on Act 319 farmlands; House Bill 1813 (Tobash-R-Berks) authorizing a financial guarantee option covering mine reclamation; and House Bill 1991 (Cutler-R-Lancaster) further providing for proof of eligibility for energy conservation programs.
Two big issues-- transportation funding and paying for damage caused by Hurricane Irene and Tropical Storm Lee in 2011 were not considered. Click Here for full story.