September 12, 2014

Sept. 15 PA Environment Digest Now Available

The Sept. 15 PA Environment Digest is now available.  Click Here to print entire Digest.

Senate, House Return For 11 Voting Days Before November Election
Monday the Senate and House return to voting session and begin one of the shortest Fall sessions in recent years.  Only 11 voting days are scheduled between now and the November 4 election, 50 days away.  
Republican Senate and House Leaders have already said there will be no lame duck session after the election, so whatever gets done, or not, in the next few weeks will be all she wrote for legislation for the year.  As the schedule stands now, any bills not on the Governor’s desk by October 15 will have to start over in January.
Some of the environmental bills that could be in play in the Senate and House (which means bills that have been moving or have at least passed one chamber or are key issues) include--

Chesapeake Bay Foundation: Wyoming County Commissioners Support Clean Water!
The Chesapeake Bay Foundation-PA applauds the Wyoming County Commissioners for adopting a Clean Water Counts resolution, calling on state officials to make clean water a top priority for the Keystone State.   Wyoming County Commissioners are the first to officially join the statewide effort lead by CBF, by passing a resolution.

PEC Policy Conference Features Senate, House Environmental Committee Chairs Sept. 17
The Pennsylvania Environmental Council will be hosting an Environmental Policy Conference on September 16th and 17th in Harrisburg that will feature, among other panelists, all four Chairs of the Senate and House Environmental Resources and Energy Committees.

2014 Ohio River Watershed Celebration Sept. 18 At North Park, Allegheny County
The 2014 Ohio River Watershed Celebration will be held on September 18 at North Park, Allegheny County.  This year’s theme is-- Connected Through Our Streams, The Pine Creek Experience.

PA Audubon: Pennsylvania Bird Species Threatened By Climate Change
Global warming threatens the survival of nearly half the bird species in the continental United States and Canada, including many of Pennsylvania’s birds, warn National Audubon Society scientists in a groundbreaking new study released Tuesday.   Local birds at risk include the Ruffed Grouse, Scarlet Tanager, Wood Thrush and Baltimore Oriole.

We Remember September 11, 2001 - DEP Responds To A National Tragedy
We all remember where we were and what we were doing on September 11, 2001, but the employees of the Department of Environmental Protection remember better than most because they played a key role in the responding to the Somerset County crash site of Flight 93.