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SPOTLIGHT
PA's New
Oil & Gas Law
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Pennsylvania recently enacted Act 13, which made substantial changes to the Oil and Gas Act of 1984, includes new well fees on unconventional wells, made major changes to environmental protections, and placed restrictions on the authority of local governments.
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WREN Classes
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Learn How to Protect Water Supplies
 Source Water Protection: What Municipal Officials Need to Know to Safeguard Public Water Supplies
WREN offers two classes in March with PA State Association of Boroughs, PA Municipal Planning Education Institute and PA DEP to help you learn about protecting water supplies:
State College
6 - 9 pm
To Register, go to www.classes.boroughs.org
or Contact Terri Dickow at PSAB to sign up
1-800-232-7722 x42
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Webinars
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"Municipality's Roles, Water Use & Protections"
March 15, 2012
Noon to 1:15PM
Penn State Water Resources Extension
"What the Public Needs to Know about the New Shale Gas Impact Fee:
Act 13"
March 15, 2012
"What Local Officials Need to Know about the New Shale Gas Impact Fee: Act 13"
March 22, 2012
7:00 pm - 8:30 pm
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New Resource
| This report by the Chesapeake Bay Foundation outlines how clean water and other environmental regulations create great jobs.
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Grants | |
National Fish and Wildlife Foundation
DCED DCNR
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Save the Date
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National Groundwater Awareness Week:
March 11-17, 2012
Fix a Leak Week:
March 12-18, 2012
World Water Day:
March 22, 2012
Ninth Annual Watershed Workshop:
March 31, 2012
National Environmental Education Week:
April 15-21, 2012
Earth Day:
April 22, 2012
Arbor Day:
April 27, 2012
National Drug Collection Day
April 28, 2012
National Drinking Water Week:
May 6-12, 2012
PA Land Conservation Conference
May 3-5, 2012
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SPOTLIGHT:
A Look at the new PA ACT 13 Oil and Gas Act Amendments | | Act 13 of 2012 , amending the Oil and Gas Act of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes (better known as H.B. 1950) was signed into law by Governor Corbett on February 14, 2012. Some provisions went into effect immediately. Others become effective on April 14, 2012. As stated by the PA State Association of Boroughs, "This legislation will have significant impacts upon municipal land use and its regulations."
The law provides for an impact fee, completely overhauls the 1984 PA Oil and Gas Act, and provides local ordinance standards. Areas outside the 55-county Pennsylvania Marcellus Shale formation, such as suburbs of southeastern Pennsylvania, may also be affected since the law limits municipal authority over the industry's "downstream" compressor stations and pipelines that bring gas to consumers. Although the new law increases setbacks from water wells, buildings, streams, and wetlands, and generally prohibits well sites in floodplains, it also allows DEP to waive such setbacks.
Click here to read more in the Spotlight article summarizing the major environmental provisions of Act 13 of 2012 Oil and Gas Amendments.
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ON THE LIGHTER SIDE: "GOING TO THE DOGS" TO BOOST AWARENESS & WATER TOPICS SET TO SONG
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Here's a clever way to engage people with man's best friend lending a paw (sorry!) to raise human awareness and to help keep watersheds clean. Ambassadogs to the Rescue! 
The Philadelphia Water Department is looking for two eco-friendly dogs who want to help keep Philly's waterways clean . . . one in Northern Liberties and one in Queen Village which is part of a 2011-2012 WREN Watershed Education Grant Project to educate and encourage dog owners to do their part in reducing urban water pollution and create a healthier environment by properly disposing of dog waste.
Grant partners are holding a contest to select a neighborhood Spokesdog to serve as a canine steward of the environment, reminding dogs and their owners to do the right thing. Online voting opened recently in Philly Water's Best Friend Competition, and voter turnout so far has been incredible - more than 1,000 votes have already been cast online for the "canine-didates" in Queen Village and Northern Liberties.
A Jack Russell from Northern Liberties, Penny, even has a Facebook page for her campaign! Online voting is open now, ending May 1st to determine the top 15 finalists for each neighborhood. Cast your vote now.
The Queen Village Neighbors Association project is also designing and installing a "doggy loo," a receptacle that composts dog waste to make disposal more convenient, at the dog run area in Mario Lanza Park.
 | | Molson - a 2011 Spokesdog Winner |
We think Steve Anderson, Water Resources Analyst at Clean Water Services, Portland Oregon. is on to something: rather than preachy finger wagging or mind-numbing Powerpoints to educate the public about water issues, Steve has turned to music and humor.
Steve wrote and performed a parody song Dope In the Water (sung to the tune of "Smoke on the Water" by Deep Purple) to raise a timely issue since the release of the 2008 Associated Press study that claimed at least 41 million Americans may be getting a bonus of drugs and pharmaceuticals in their water supply.
 Steve's latest ditty is The Ballad of Betty Poop that kids love featuring the journey of Betty Poop, Tom TP and G.I. Joe as they journey through the far-reaches of the wastewater system.
Listen and enjoy. Thanks to the Thirsty in Suburbia Blog for bringing this to our attention!
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2011-2012 WREN GRANTEE DEVELOPS TOOL TO REDUCE STORMWATER POLLUTION |
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Grant partners,The Partnership for the Delaware Estuary (PDE), Philadelphia Water Department,and the Schuylkill Action Network, have completed a new Green Guide for Property Management under their 2011-2012 WREN Grant. The free 28-page guide helps large property owners become part of the stormwater solution to make Pennsylvania streams and rivers cleaner, and save money while doing it. According to Tom Davidock, Coordinator of the Schuylkill Action Network (SAN) and WREN Grant Project Leader: "Many have already gained a competitive edge by trading their mowed lawns for wildlife habitats filled with native plants, trees, and shrubs."
Given prevailing economic conditions, tools like the Green Guide show how to protect the pocketbook and the planet at the same time.
With examples of four different sites, the Guide illustrates fourteen property management practices with attractive photos and diagrams.
Examples of projects range from low-cost ponds, rain gardens or wetlands to long term investments like green roofs, porous paving, underground storage tanks and more.
A "biggest Bang for the Buck" chart shows the cost range for the fourteen management practices in the guide. Basins or ponds are the lowest cost at $0.19 - $0.41 per square foot, while green roofs are the biggest investment at $34.12 per square foot. Several considerations that affect cost are explained in the Guide on pages 16 and 17.
To help make creating educational presentations easier that showcase examples of stormwater best management practices, WREN requested that PDE offer the individual photos and graphics within the Guide under public domain as part of the project. WREN is delighted that PDE and wonderful illustrator, Frank McShane, granted permission for this purpose. Click here to access the Green Guide graphics or photo album and follow the guidance. WREN joined the initial printing and had several hundred hard copies printed to assist with water education efforts in Pennsylvania. Please let us know if you would like a hard copy while they last.
PDE has developed other popular publications including the Homeowner's Guide to Stormwater Management and a School Campus Guide for Stormwater Management available at the SAN website: http://www.schuylkillwaters.org/san_publications.cfm |
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MARCH 11-17th IS NATIONAL GROUND WATER AWARENESS WEEK |
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 The 2012 National Ground Water Awareness Week (March 11-17th) is approaching fast! Help promote public awareness about the value of groundwater. There are over one million private water wells that serve farms and rural homes throughout Pennsylvania. These residents are responsible for all aspects of their water system including routine maintenance, water testing, interpreting test results and solving water quality and quantity problems.
Unfortunately, many individual water wells have never been tested and their owners are generally uninformed about proper well management. Research has shown that more than 50% of these private water systems fail to meet at least one drinking water standard.
Pennsylvania's groundwater supplies are at risk from a variety of human activities that can negatively affect both groundwater quantity and quality. Furthermore, this threat to our groundwater comes at a time when we in Pennsylvania are becoming more dependent on this resource. When it comes to groundwater protection, the initiative and responsibility in Pennsylvania lies with local communities and their leaders, not the state or federal government. Therefore, as the threat to groundwater grows along with our dependence on it, protecting our valuable groundwater supplies must become a priority for local governments.
F eel free to share WREN's 12 page Primer, Groundwater: A Primer for Pennsylvanians that describes groundwater and the issues surrounding groundwater protection and management in Pennsylvania. Clear illustrations help make technical concepts easily understandable. It is an excellent tool for students, citizens and community leaders interested in learning more about our groundwater, and how to protect it. Another excellent tool for public education is a groundwater model (pictured above) - WREN has funded many groundwater models that help to visualize this hidden resource and how it can become polluted - many Conservation Districts have these models on hand.
The National Ground Water Association (NGWA) started National Ground Water Awareness Week twelve years ago, to educate the public about the importance of groundwater and water well stewardship. One very important reason for such stewardship is to protect public health by protecting groundwater quality and reducing risks to potable groundwater supplies.
Check out The Quick Guide to Pennsylvania Groundwater developed by the Penn State College of Agricultural Sciences or the Cooperative Extension's many water resources. Cooperative Extension also sponsors the Master Well Owner Program that offers instruction to volunteers interested in educating residents about proper location, construction, and maintenance and water testing of private water wells. An online course is also available. |
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FINAL REMINDER: WREN GRANT APPLICATIONS DUE
MARCH 23, 2012
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Apply today for Community Watershed Education & Source Water Protection Education grants!
Project Activities to take place July 1, 2012 - June 30, 2013 Download Guidance and Applications
The Water Resources Education Network (WREN), a project of the League of Women Voters of Pennsylvania Citizen Education Fund, has funding available to help launch community coalitions that raise awareness, conduct water education projects, and promote action to protect water resources now and for future generations within Pennsylvania.
To see examples of prior funded projects for creative ideas, go to http://wren.palwv.org/local.html. Resources from hundreds of successful projects are available for applicants to adapt for their own project.
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| Water Policy News is published three times a year by the Water Resources Education Network, a project of the League of Women Voters of PA - Citizen Education Fund. Please send your water education related programs and activities to WREN Communications Director. Visit www.sourcewaterpa.org to learn more about drinking water protection. Visit wren.palwv.org to learn more about WREN. |
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