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| | By Patrick McDonnell, DEP Secretary
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Happy Earth Day 2022! Earth Day is always an exciting holiday at DEP, and this year we have a lot to celebrate. The theme for Earth Day this year is “Invest in Our Planet” – and we are making investments into the future of fresh air and clean water, as well as into environmental education. Just this week we announced the awards for the 2022 Environmental Education grants; more than $600,000 into projects all across Pennsylvania.
This week also saw Pennsylvania enter the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, which will cut carbon pollution from power plants by up to 225 million tons. Climate change is one of the biggest threats to Pennsylvania’s environment, and by participating in RGGI along with 11 other states, we are taking a huge step in cutting the pollution that causes climate change.
The dividends that investing in our planet can pay can also be seen on our Falcon Cam. Peregrine falcons were once threatened by pesticides like DDT, but thanks to foresight by people like Rachel Carson (whose name adorns DEP’s headquarters) we are seeing the returns on investing into our environment in the form of the five (!) baby falcons in the nest.
- DEP Secretary Patrick McDonnell
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DEP Underscores Commitment to Environmental Justice with Policy, Newly Appointed Director of the Office of Environmental Justice
The Wolf Administration demonstrated its commitment to environmental justice when Gov. Tom Wolf signed an environmental justice executive order. That executive order strengthened the Wolf Administration’s resounding belief that all Pennsylvania communities are deserving of healthy environments, regardless of race, ethnicity, or income level.
The EJ Policy will help shape and guide DEP’s involvement in environmental justice areas. Since 2004, DEP and the Office of Environmental Justice (OEJ) have engaged with various stakeholders, including DEP staff, community residents and the Environmental Justice Advisory Board, to make sure a just and fair commitment to vulnerable communities is made.
“DEP has expanded its commitment to environmental justice in recent years, as shown in the extensive outreach that led to the draft Environmental Justice Policy currently being released for formal public comment. Though this draft policy is being released for public comment formally today, it was created with the guidance of community members through several outreach meetings over the last three years,” said DEP Secretary Patrick McDonnell.
DEP also announced the appointment of Justin Dula as the OEJ director. Dula, an environmental justice advocate, worked in OEJ as the eastern regional coordinator since 2018, and is the successor to former OEJ director Allison Acevedo, who departed from the role at the beginning of 2022. Dula was appointed to the role earlier this month and will dually function in the eastern regional coordinator position until a replacement is hired.
“I am honored to further efforts to meet the needs identified by communities facing environmental justice concerns in this new role,” said Dula. “I am excited to build on the increased outreach efforts to help continue to better understand community concerns and work to help move forward solutions.”
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Pennsylvanians Encouraged to Protect Themselves Against Tickborne Diseases When Venturing Outdoors
“Lyme disease has been present in all 67 counties for some time, and unfortunately, the prevalence of the very serious Deer Tick Virus appears to be increasing in some tick populations,” said DEP Secretary Patrick McDonnell.
DEP’s Tick Surveillance and Testing Program has detected unusually high infection rates of the dangerous and rare Deer Tick Virus in adult tick samples recently taken from three sites: Fisherman’s Paradise public fishing area on Spring Creek in Centre County; Iroquois Trail near Tunkhannock in Wyoming County; and Lawrence Township Recreational Park in Clearfield County. At each of these three locations, the infection rate exceeded 80% of ticks sampled. DTV has been detected in a total of 15 Pennsylvania counties, and the statewide infection rate outside of the three “hotspot” locations is currently 0.6% of ticks sampled.
Recommended precautions for anyone venturing outdoors include:
- Apply tick repellents containing permethrin to clothing and EPA-registered insect repellents such as DEET to exposed skin before entering the outdoors. Reapply as needed according to product label instructions.
- Wear light-colored outer clothing and tuck shirts into pants, and pants into socks.
- Walk in the centers of trails, and avoid wooded and brushy areas with low-growing vegetation and tall grasses that may harbor ticks.
- After returning home, remove all clothing, take a shower, and place clothing into the dryer on high heat to kill any lingering ticks. Examine gear such as backpacks for ticks.
- Conduct a full-body tick check using a hand or full-length mirror, including hidden areas such as the scalp, ears, armpits, belly button, and between the legs.
- Check over any pets exposed to likely tick habitats each time they return indoors.
- If a tick is found attached to your skin, use tweezers to remove it carefully, including the head. Monitor for symptoms and contact your doctor with any questions.
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DEP and PennDOT Encourage Everyone to Join Litter Cleanup Events and ‘Pick Up Pennsylvania’
“Clean green spaces and waterways factor into our physical and mental health and enable the function of the ecosystem we depend on. They foster thriving communities that attract investment and support our recreation, tourism, and shopping economies. As the weather warms and we move outdoors, we benefit ourselves and our families by dedicating a morning or afternoon to Pick Up Pennsylvania,” said DEP Secretary Patrick McDonnell.
DEP Waste Management Director Ali Tarquino Morris and PennDOT Acting Deputy Secretary for Highway Administration Mike Keiser participated in a litter cleanup event in Waynesboro in Franklin County. They joined Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful, the borough council, Mainstreet Waynesboro, and Waynesboro High School National Honor Society students in picking up trash.
Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful coordinates the statewide Pick Up Pennsylvania campaign each spring and fall. Gloves, trash bags and safety vests are provided by PennDOT and DEP. In addition, DEP and the Pennsylvania Waste Industries Association sponsor no- or low-cost trash disposal for registered events at participating landfills for the month of April.
Volunteering is easy. People can organize their own local event and register it at Pick Up Pennsylvania, or can sign up to participate in an already registered event.
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DEP Announces 2022 Black Fly Season with City Island Demonstration
The program involves aerial and backpack spraying on roughly 1,700 stream miles in 36 counties in the commonwealth. The season runs April 1 through September 2022.
“Black flies are a pest and get in the way of enjoying outdoor recreation,” said DEP Secretary Patrick McDonnell. “Thanks to increased funding for the program, we are able to treat more miles of streams and rivers more often to be able to make sure that Pennsylvanians and visitors can fully enjoy our natural resources.”
This year, 48 rivers and streams spanning more than 1,700 miles will be monitored and treated as needed. Spraying activities will be performed both by helicopter and ground crews. The frequency will depend on weather and biological conditions. Treatments cannot occur during periods of heavy rain or when water levels are high as these conditions lower the effectiveness of the treatment and significantly increase the cost of the control operations.
Doug Orr, environmental group manager for DEP’s vector management program, which oversees the Black Fly Suppression Program, displayed samples of black fly larvae and Bti, the organic material used to suppress black fly populations.
Bti, a naturally occurring bacterium, targets the larval stage of four specific human pest black fly species. This bacterium degrades quickly in the environment and does not harm the aquatic ecosystem, birds, or other insects.
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Acid Mine Drainage Treatment Facilities – Reversing Hundreds of Years of Pollution to Bring Pennsylvania’s Streams and Rivers Back to Life
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Plugging Pennsylvania’s Abandoned Oil and Gas Wells
Old, decaying, abandoned wells not only act as a significant source of climate-warming methane emissions, but in certain cases, can leak oil and gas into water, soil and sometimes nearby homes, businesses, churches and schools, creating a potential explosion or exposure hazard.
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| NEWS FROM AROUND THE STATE
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DEP Showcases City of Reading’s Local Climate Action for Earth Day
DEP Secretary Patrick McDonnell joined city officials and volunteers to showcase Reading’s local climate action. The city developed a plan through the DEP Local Climate Action Program and recently launched new street lighting, trash pickup, and other measures to reduce municipal greenhouse gas emissions. Gathering at Reading City Park, Secretary McDonnell met with Dolores Martinez, special assistant to Mayor Eddie Moran; Reading Sustainability Manager Bethany Ayers-Fisher; Stephanie Anderson, founder of the “Reading for 100” initiative to transition the city to 100-percent clean renewable energy by 2050; and community volunteer Stephany Goico.
“The proactive work that Reading officials and volunteers are doing to cut the city’s energy use and transition the city to clean renewable energy will reduce greenhouse gas emissions and help lessen the impacts of climate change for their community,” said Secretary McDonnell. “As we celebrate Earth Day with a focus on the importance of investing in our environment, I’m delighted to showcase Reading’s leadership by example.”
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Wolf Administration Celebrates Driving PA Forward Grant Impact on Franklin County’s Air Quality
RMS replaced five diesel yard hostlers – semi-tractors used to move containerized cargo – with five electric yard hostlers at the CSX Intermodal terminal in Chambersburg. A $1 million Driving PA Forward grant made the replacement project possible.
“By replacing old diesel-engine trucks with zero-emission electric trucks, Rail Management Services has eliminated a source of nitrogen oxide pollution in the Chambersburg area, helping residents breathe healthier air,” said DEP Secretary Patrick McDonnell. "They're also helping to lower greenhouse gas emissions, while saving on fueling costs, two more reasons for companies’ growing interest in cleaner running vehicles for daily industrial use.”
The terminal is owned by CSX, a national leader in rail-based freight transportation. Pacific Rail Services, a division of RMS, oversees the intermodal loading and unloading operation at the facility.
The OrangeEV all-electric powered, zero-emission vehicles went into service in June 2021. On average, the five electric hostlers move a combined 500-600 shipping containers daily. The estimated emission reduction benefits from this project are:
- NOx: annual = 6.16 tons; lifetime = 73.92 tons
- PM10/2.5: annual = 1.585 tons; lifetime = 19.02 tons
- Hydrocarbons: annual 0.6 tons; lifetime = 6.0 tons
- CO: annual = 4.59 tons; lifetime = 55.08 tons
This project is expected to save approximately 50,000 gallons of diesel fuel each year.
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Driving PA Forward: Improving Air Quality in Franklin County
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Wolf Administration Announces 2022 Environmental Education Projects in Southeastern Pennsylvania
“Whether through workshops or hands on activities, environmental education can occur in many formats,” said DEP Southeast Regional Director Pat Patterson. “With approximately one-third of the Commonwealth’s population living here in Southeast Pennsylvania, these such investments in our students and communities will have lasting impacts for years to come.”
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DEP Announces $2.1 Million to Municipalities and Businesses for Electric Vehicles and More Clean Fuel Transportation Projects
“Transportation is one of the biggest sources of air pollution in Pennsylvania. That’s why investing in zero- and low-emission transportation pays off big: It helps us breathe healthier air and slow down climate change,” said DEP Executive Deputy Secretary Ramez Ziadeh. “Through Alternative Fuels Incentive Grants, DEP assists businesses and organizations of all sizes in pursuing their clean fuel transportation goals. With this round of grants, we’re excited to support 99 electric vehicles, charger installations, and more transportation upgrades that will drive better air quality in Pennsylvania.”
The Alternative Fuels Incentive Grant (AFIG) program provides funding to help municipalities, businesses, and nonprofit organizations in Pennsylvania replace older gasoline- or diesel-fueled vehicles with electric, renewable natural gas, compressed natural gas (CNG), ethanol, biodiesel, or propane gas fueled vehicles. It also funds installation of fueling equipment for these vehicles.
Switching to these zero- and low-emission fuels helps lower levels of many air pollutants, including nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxide, particulate matter, volatile organic compounds, and carbon dioxide, one of the greenhouse gases heating up our climate.
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DEP Announces Environmental Education Grants in Northeast Region, including Luzerne County Preparatory School Project
DEP recently announced a total of $632,897 in environmental grant funds have been awarded to 63 projects, 50 of which engage youth and adults living or working within environmental justice areas. Grants were awarded to schools, institutions, conservation districts, and environmental and community organizations.
In the Northeast region, DEP has awarded a total of 10 projects, including one for Wyoming Seminary College Preparatory School in Luzerne County. The school received a $20,000 Environmental Education (EE) grant for an outdoor environmental education project. The center point will be a pollinator and bird garden for students at the Kingston school to learn about biodiversity and the impacts of climate change.
The project includes a new location where students and faculty will maintain the pollinator and bird garden and provide an educational tool with guided, in-person and virtual tours, speakers and workshops addressing biodiversity. The site will implement sustainable landscaping and agricultural practices, as well as address causes and consequences of climate change. The school will also host forums on climate change and environmental issues both local and global.
“What a great way for students to learn about these environmental issues and to see for themselves how nature and the environment work,” said Dean Ritter, Acting Assistant Director of DEP’s Northeast Regional Office in Wilkes-Barre. “It is through the help of EE grants that outdoor environmental education classrooms can be built, and students can get hands-on experience in what goes on in the outdoor world.”
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DEP Visits Kulpmont Veterans Memorial Park, Announces 2022 Environmental Education Grant Awards in Northcentral Pennsylvania
DEP recently announced a total of $632,897 in environmental grant funds have been awarded to 63 projects statewide, 50 of which engage youth and adults living and/or working within environmental justice areas. Grants were awarded to schools, institutions, conservation districts, and environmental and community organizations.
Bert Myers, DEP Director of Environmental Education, announced that the Shamokin Creek Restoration Alliance (SCRA) was awarded a 2022 DEP Environmental Education grant of $2,995 for a project titled “Veteran Memorial Field Green Building Techniques and Rain Garden Build.”
The SCRA’s 2022 project will include a hands-on environmental field day for local high school students to learn about green building techniques used in a newly constructed restroom and pavilion facility. These features include the use of recycled materials, rain water collection, solar power, and energy-efficient insulation. The students will complete their field day by planting a rain garden using native plant species.
“Prior to 2016, this park was underutilized; the walking track was in disrepair, and the stream channel had no vegetation,” said Steve Motyka, SCRA vice president and member of Kulpmont Borough Council. “A 2016 DEP Environmental Education mini grant sparked a resurgence for this recreational complex, and we have built on that momentum year by year with the help of subsequent grants.”
“Hundreds of trees have been planted by students at this park, instilling in them a new environmental awareness; and because of those efforts and their impact on the landscape, hundreds of people now use this facility daily,” said Motyka.
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Northwestern Organizations Benefit from DEP Environmental Education Grants
“We are excited to see all of these great projects receiving funding in northwestern Pennsylvania,” said Erin Wells, DEP’s Northwest Regional Director. “Environmental education grants are crucial to our partners who continue their environmental outreach in our local communities.”
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Wolf Administration Announces 2022 Environmental Education Projects in Southwestern Pennsylvania
DEP recently announced a total of $632,897 in environmental grant funds have been awarded to 63 projects, 50 of which engage youth and adults living or working within environmental justice areas. Grants were awarded to schools, institutions, conservation districts, and environmental and community organizations.
“Be it programs for students, teachers, residents or elected officials, DEP’s investment in environmental education provides organizations with resources to foster environmental stewardship for this generation and the next,” said DEP Southwest Regional Director Jim Miller.
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Wolf Administration Announces 2022 Environmental Education Projects in Southcentral Pennsylvania
DEP awarded the Greencastle-Antrim School District a $12,368 grant to assist in renovating an existing facility at its environmental education center into a new science lab. The change will enhance the district’s K-12 curriculum and provide students with hands-on learning opportunities to learn more and seek solutions to environmental issues such as water quality and climate change.Speaking at the district’s Tayamentasachta Environmental Center, DEP Southcentral Regional Director Rod Nesmith said, “Each year, DEP makes available to formal and informal educators funding to support a wide range of environmental education projects. This grant will help educate students, make them better informed, and better prepared to deal with environmental issues facing us today, and tomorrow.”
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DEP Visits Dries Orchards in Northumberland County to View LED Lighting Project and Discuss Agricultural Energy Efficiency Rebate
“Lighting presents one of the easiest energy-saving opportunities for farm buildings, and efficient LEDs use up to 70% less energy than traditional incandescent or high-pressure sodium lights,” said DEP Energy Program Specialist Michelle Ferguson. “DEP was pleased to support Dries Orchards’ LED lighting project through a rebate, and we encourage other agricultural producers to apply for this program to help lower their electricity costs and improve their operations.”
During the tour, Dries Orchards Manager John Bzdil explained that upgrading to LED lights has resulted in a brighter workspace, improving quality control during the apple packing process and increasing overall employee morale.
“Dries Orchards was excited to receive support from DEP to help kickstart the LED lighting upgrade to our facility, and we are already seeing a savings impact on our monthly electric bills,” said Bzdil. “We strongly encourage other farms to make the step to upgrade their lighting through this DEP rebate.”
The Agricultural Energy Efficiency Rebate Program helps agricultural producers reduce energy consumption through the use of energy efficient technologies. Rebates are available for LED lighting, fixtures and controls; energy-efficient ventilation equipment; and energy-efficient milk-pumping equipment. Rebates will pay 50% of equipment costs, up to $2,000 per technology category or $5,000 per business.
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DEP Celebrates Latest Funded Electric Vehicle DC Fast Chargers in Ribbon-Cutting Event at Wawa
"The Department of Environmental Protection has been pleased to play an early leadership role under the Wolf Administration in supporting the growth of electric vehicle charging infrastructure in Pennsylvania,” said Secretary McDonnell. “Making electric transportation an option for more drivers is a key part of a transition to clean renewable energy that will reduce our nation’s dependency on fossil fuels. It’s how we’ll become less vulnerable to international market disruption, and by eliminating tailpipe emissions, it’s how we’ll improve our air quality and slow down the warming of our climate and its negative impacts.”
Secretary McDonnell joined leaders from EVgo, Wawa, and the Philadelphia Office of Sustainability in cutting the ribbon on four new DC fast charging plugs at the Wawa convenience store and fuel station at 3901 Aramingo Avenue in Philadelphia.
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Wolf Administration Announces Nearly $3 Million for Water Cleanup Projects in Southwestern Pennsylvania
Representatives from DEP’s Southwest Regional Office, Loyalhanna Watershed Association, and stakeholders visited sites along Mill Creek and Fourmile Run in Cook and Ligonier townships, Westmoreland County. This visit highlights how DEP partnerships and a watershed-based planning approach not only improve water quality and aquatic habitats, but also benefit the economy through waterway recreation and tourism.
“When you’re out here and can see the streambank erosion and sediment in the channel, the need is clear,” said DEP Southwest Regional Director Jim Miller. “We’re thrilled to highlight Loyalhanna Watershed Association’s approach to watershed restoration and support each of the fantastic projects funded this round.”
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DEP Celebrates $30 Million Invested in Low-Interest Loans for High-Impact Commercial Energy Efficiency Projects
DEP Secretary Patrick McDonnell made the announcement at an event with leaders from the Leon H. Sullivan Charitable Trust and the Reinvestment Fund at the Leon H. Sullivan Human Services Center in Philadelphia.
“Energy efficiency drives positive impacts across our lives,” said Secretary McDonnell. “Every time a company or organization installs an energy-efficient heating, cooling, or lighting system, it’s another step for Pennsylvania and the nation toward independence from fossil fuels. It creates good-paying jobs in energy efficiency system manufacturing and installation. It lowers operating expenses, allowing an entity to focus more resources on its mission. It makes air quality healthier in the community. And it helps lower greenhouse gas emissions to slow climate change and its negative effects.”
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Five Hatches on Harrisburg's Peregrine Falcon Ledge
Early on Earth Day morning, the fifth egg laid on the Rachel Carson State Office Building's falcon nest box for the 2022 season hatched. This arrival completes a full week before the first and last hatch. This is the longest span in the history of the Rachel Carson State Office Building nest site. 2022 is also only the third year (2006, 2009) that five eggs have hatched!
From here on out, the young will grow remarkably fast. By the end of May, they will be featuring their first flight feathers and should be in full, juvenile plumage.
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Solar Deployment Growing On DCNR Lands
As the state’s leading conservation agency, DCNR strives to model practices that conserve and sustain our natural resources.
By 2030, the department will derive 50 percent of its electric from renewables. That will be accomplished mostly through solar installations.
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Gov. Wolf: PA GreenGov Initiative Lowers Commonwealth Energy Usage 12.3 Percent Over 3 Years
Commonwealth agencies and commissions under the governor’s jurisdiction reduced energy usage by 3.2 percent in Fiscal Year 2020-21. In the three years since the first GreenGov Council report was published, commonwealth agencies under the governor’s jurisdiction have reduced energy usage by 12.3 percent for a savings of more than $8 million.
Climate change impacts in Pennsylvania are real and are already putting Pennsylvanians at risk. In recent years, extreme weather and natural disasters have become more frequent and more intense. Like many areas of the United States, Pennsylvania is expected to experience higher temperatures, changes in precipitation, and more frequent extreme weather events and flooding because of climate change in the coming decades. Pennsylvania’s economy, health and safety, and quality of life are dependent on the careful stewardship of our natural resources.
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Trees help us mitigate climate change.
(Will Parson/Chesapeake Bay Program)
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How the Chesapeake region can slow down—and adapt to—climate change
Though not everyone sees it in their day-to-day lives, climate change has already made a big impact on the Chesapeake Bay watershed.
Whether it’s increased flooding in communities, warmer waters threatening marine life or droughts making farming more difficult, the effects are widespread and here to stay.
When it comes to combating these changes, there are two approaches that groups like the Chesapeake Bay Program take: climate change mitigation and climate change adaptation. Mitigation and adaptation efforts are both important to how our communities, states and region will tackle climate change.
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Training Opportunity: Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs) in Pennsylvania
You will discover the coordination and implementation of response activities among Commonwealth agencies to minimize the public’s exposure to HABs and reduce negative impact of HABs.
By the end of this training, you will be able to:
- Define what Harmful Algal blooms are.
- Identify HABs.
- Understand the strategies employed in HABs surveillance.
- Understand HABs sample collection procedures.
- Understand HABs response strategies.
- Understand prevention and communication strategies regarding HABs.
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Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, 400 Market Street Harrisburg, PA 17101
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