New research has concluded that salty, mineral-rich fluids deep beneath Pennsylvania’s natural gas fields are likely seeping upward thousands of feet into drinking water supplies.
Though the fluids were natural and not the byproduct of drilling or hydraulic fracturing, the finding further stokes the red-hot controversy over fracking in the Marcellus Shale, suggesting that drilling waste and chemicals could migrate in ways previously thought to be impossible.
Tags: · fracking, fracking debate, ground water, Marcellus Shale, mineral migration, natural gas, Pennsylvania, shale formations
Molly Earley Callahan didn’t set out to have a green wedding. She just wanted a casual but memorable affair, a special day filled with light and color, and happy relaxed guests.
Like all brides, she wanted good memories for herself and her groom, Dan Callahan, the wedding party and guests. She also didn’t want anyone to “break the bank” trying to dress for the day.
Tags: · Ambiance Event Planning, green weddings, low impact events, Pennsylvania, reducing waste for events
Natural gas is portrayed as the “bridge fuel” that will save the US from uneven electricity supply and prices as we transition off coal and oil on our way toward using renewable biofuels, solar and wind power.
A drilling rig in Fort Worth, Texas. (Photo: Green Right Now)
Tags: · BarbaraKesslerBlog, Barnett Shale, bridge fuel, clean energy, cleaner fuels, Colorado, fracking opposition, Marcellus Shale, natural gas, New York, Pennsylvania, renewables, Sierra Club, Texas, top ten natural gas drilling states, WaterDefense.org, Wyoming
B Corps, or benefit corporations, have arrived in the state of New York.
Earlier this month, the legislature passed, and Gov. Cuomo signed, a bill (S.79-A) approving this new type of corporate structure in which companies promise to have a positive impact on the environment and watch out for the rights of workers and communities.
State officials then immediately registered 13 companies as B Corps on Feb 10, the same day the law was enacted.
Tags: · B Corps, environmental businesses, Greyston Bakery, Illinois, local businesses, New York, New York legislature, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, social responsibility
Natural gas drilling techniques have either advanced or deteriorated, depending on your viewpoint, with the increased use of hydraulic fracturing, known as fracking.
Fracking is being used to release gas from hard shale deposits in various hot spots across the U.S. and the world. It has allowed gas companies to access gas supplies that were not viable with traditional drilling methods, opening up a spigot that could supply the U.S. for years to come and launching a drumbeat for domestic natural gas to become the “bridge” fuel to the future, because it burns cleanly in combustion engines and because it has created thousands with much-needed jobs.
Tags: · France, greenrightnow.com, natural gas fracking, New Jersey ban, New York ban, opposition, Pennsylvania, proponents, Texas
The EPA has proposed examining every aspect of hydraulic fracturing, from water withdrawals to waste disposal, according to a draft plan the agency released Tuesday. If the study goes forward as planned, it would be the most comprehensive investigation of whether the drilling technique risks polluting drinking water near oil and gas wells across the nation.
The agency wants to look at the potential impacts on drinking water of each stage involved in hydraulic fracturing, where drillers mix water with chemicals and sand and inject the fluid into wells to release oil or natural gas. In addition to examining the actual injection, the study would look at withdrawals, the mixing of the chemicals, and wastewater management and disposal. The agency, under a mandate from Congress, will only look at the impact of these practices on drinking water.
Tags: · Barnett Shale, Colorado, EPA to study fracking process, fracking, greenrightnow.com, horizontal drilling Marcellus Shale, natural gas, Pennsylvania, Texas
The Environmental Protection Agency is threatening to hit five mid-Atlantic states with new rules that could raise sewer bills and limit construction in a large-scale crackdown on pollution in the Chesapeake Bay.
The move represents the most aggressive action in the 27-year history of the Chesapeake cleanup. When states previously failed to meet deadlines in 2000 and 2010, the agency did nothing. The new deadline is 2025, but the EPA served notice that it will not tolerates states lagging behind in improvements.
Virginia, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Delaware and New York are in the EPA crosshairs. Those states combine to account for more than 70 percent of the pollution that causes “dead zones” in the bay. The agency informed those states that their cleanup plans “serious deficiencies” and threatened to force them to make up the difference with costly new measures.
Tags: · Chesapeake Bay, Chesapeake Bay dead zones, Dead Zones, Delaware, Environmental Protection Agency, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia
Pennsylvania families interested in improving the energy efficiency of their home heating systems can still apply for rebates to cover a portion of the costs, although they should do so quickly while limited funds are still available, state officials say.
Tags: · American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, Pennsylvania Home Heating Equipment Rebate Program
The bald eagle’s amazing recovery from the brink of extinction in this state continues as America prepares to celebrate the birth of its independence, according to the Pennsylvania Game Commission. So far this year, 192 bald eagle nests – in 50 counties – have been recorded in Pennsylvania. As recently as 1983, only three Crawford County nests remained in the state.
Tags: · Bald Eagles, Crawford County eagle nests, Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania Game Commission, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Sue DeArment, Tamarack Wildlife Rehabilitation and Education Center, Wildlife Conservation Officer Don Chaybin
From Green Right Now Reports
As part of an initiative to plant one million trees and restore tree cover in Pennsylvania’s 14 metropolitan areas, the state’s TreeVitalize program will offering citizens classes in planting and caring for trees.
“Trees, like people, need to be nurtured to thrive,” John Quigley, Pennsylvania’s acting secretary of the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, said in a statement. “Many urban street trees die within the first seven years of planting. These classes will teach people how to help our investments in trees to survive.”
TreeVitalize is a program aimed at revitalizing urban areas by increasing tree cover with a goal of 1 million new trees planted statewide by 2012. More than 186,000 trees have been planted to date.
Tags: · Altoona, Penn State Extension Urban Foresters, Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Tree Tenders, TreeVitalize, Wilkes-Barre
From Green Right Now Reports
PECO, FirstEnergy and PPL Utilities are working together on an environmental project that will help Pennsylvania residents lower their energy usage — and get rid of clunker appliances.
Tags: · Energy Conservation, energy consumption, energy efficient appliances, FirstEnergy, PECO, Pennsylvania, PPL Utilities
From Green Right Now Reports
Image: state.pa.us
A combination of federal and private sector funding will be the basis of Pennsylvania’s $48 million Green Energy Revolving Loan Fund, providing money for energy-saving and renewable energy projects in existing, non-residential buildings around the state.
The Recovery Act will contribute $12 million to the fund, while The Reinvestment Fund, TRF, will add $36 million and will serve as the program’s manager. Governor Edward Rendell cited TRF’s track record of investing in green and sustainable energy as key elements in the selection process.
Tags: · clean energy investment, Green Energy Revolving Loan Fund, Green jobs, Pennsylvania, Recovery Act
Barbara Kessler
Andrew Winston
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