November 2019 meeting

When: November 13, 2019 @ 6:00pm

Meeting Agenda

Two “Energize PA” Bills – HB 1106 and 1107 look to change Pennsylvania’s environmental permitting process.

Under HB 1106, the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) would be given 30 days to review a permit application regulating air quality, waste, erosion and sedimentation, and dam safety and encroachments. With such a short window of time to review a permit, the public would lose their opportunity to share comments or concerns about the proposed project. It also creates a “referee” to decide disputes that arise between the DEP and applicants over the application completeness. After 30 days all applications for oil and gas drilling default to approved.

HB 1107 terminates all employees with the DEP who are involved with the permitting process, regardless of experience and education and replaces them with a politically appointed five-member Commission. The bill would require the transfer of all equipment, files, and funds used by the DEP to review permit applications to the new Commission. The bill does not require Commission to hold any qualifications including civil service requirements. Here’s more info on the bills.

We’ll write postcards to Gov. Tom Wolf and members of the PA House.

We’ll show you how to build a $300 air filter for $50

Box fans are inexpensive if you put the right filter behind them you can make yourself a whole room air filter. We’ll discuss how to build it and the Merv, MPR, and FPR filter levels

A report that found chemicals of concern in our drinking water.

A new report came out that found bromodichloromethane in our drinking water. Here’s the Allegheny Front article.