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Stop Gas Exports, Reduce Pollution and Lower Prices
LNG export facilities chill gas to -260℉ for storage and then reheat it for transportation. During this transition and other regular activities, up to 10% of the gas in use can leak to the atmosphere. There is also significant air pollution from the gas burned to reheat LNG. In addition to the air pollution associated with regular operations at LNG facilities, there have been fires and other air pollution incidents at LNG export facilities, like the explosion at Freeport LNG’s facility in Quintana, TX, which closed the facility for eight months. Local regulators also found that the Calcasieu Pass export facility in Louisiana broke its hourly pollution limits over 100 times in 2022, including a release of 180,000 pounds of gas the day before the facility began operation.
Please click here to tell your Senators and Congressperson that the current pause on LNG exports is absolutely necessary to reduce air pollution across the country and protect the already overburdened communities where future LNG export facilities are currently being considered.
No community can safely exist around an LNG export facility.
Protect Pennsylvania from Harmful Carbon Capture Practices
Carbon dioxide (CO2) is released when fossil fuels are burned and is the primary greenhouse gas responsible for climate change. While reducing fossil fuel consumption is the best way to prevent further climate warming, technology exists to remove CO2 from the atmosphere and store it underground. This is known as carbon capture and sequestration (CCS). However, CCS technology is unproven at scale and has been linked to potential health harming outcomes, and as a result, should only be implemented if it can be done with adequate guardrails in place.
Proposed Senate Bill 831 would open the gate for CCS in Pennsylvania without strong protections and clear responsible parties. Specifically, SB 831 would raise concerns for property owners who own land above pore spaces where CO2 would be injected and regarding the ongoing sequestration and monitoring of stored CO2.
CCS poses risks to the environment and human health. Migration of CO2 underground can contaminate groundwater; leakage of CO2 can exacerbate climate change or poison people at high concentrations; injecting CO2 underground is tied to seismic activity. Property owners should be able to decide whether they are willing to face these risks. Instead, SB 831 would lead to “forced storage” by allowing operators to inject CO2 into pore spaces with consent from just 60% of pore space owners.
Despite these risks and uncertainties, operators will also be let off the hook for monitoring storage sites in the long run. In fact, unless an operator violates regulations, provides false information, or contaminates drinking water, ongoing monitoring responsibilities fall to the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) after 10 years from the last CO2 injection. This timeline places an undue burden on DEP; operators should be responsible for monitoring stored CO2 in perpetuity because there is no realistic point in the future when stored CO2 can be safely released.
Contact your state representative to tell them to vote No on this bill.
Keep Fracking Away from Our Homes and Schools
Throughout the past decade, fracking and related infrastructure have moved dangerously close to our homes, schools and communities. As these highly industrialized operations move ever closer, they continue to pollute our air, contaminate our water, and harm our health.
Pipelines have exploded near homes, and people living near fracking and related sites have reported an array of alarming health impacts. Every day, Pennsylvania residents’ health and safety are at risk due to outdated laws. We need strong, commonsense protective buffers to better protect residents from the impacts of this infrastructure.
Reduce PFAS Pollution in Drinking Water
The adverse health effects of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) have been clearly established in numerous studies, ranging from from birth defects to cancer, and unfortunately, these chemicals are widely found in our environment, including in drinking water. Thankfully, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has proposed a National Primary Drinking Water Regulation (NPDWR) that would limit the levels of PFAS compounds and their mixtures in drinking water: Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS), perfluorohexane sulfonic acid (PFHxS), hexafluoropropylene oxide dimer acid (HFPO–DA) and its ammonium salt (also known as “GenX” chemicals), perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA), and perfluorobutane sulfonic acid (PFBS).
Clean Air Council strongly supports this proposed federal drinking water standard. The contaminant limits are adequate to protect public health based on current data, and are feasible for both testing and treatment. To maintain the public health benefits of the proposed rule as scientific knowledge and technical feasibility improves, EPA should regularly update the rule by modifying drinking water standards and adding more chemicals to the regulations.
The proposed regulation is a vital step in protecting public health from PFAS contamination. However, EPA must also separately and expeditiously facilitate solutions which address PFAS waste produced during treatment to avoid re-introduction of the contaminants into groundwater, soil, or air.
Comments are due Tuesday, May 30th.
Reduce Soot Pollution and Save Lives
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is updating important air quality standards known as the National Ambient Air Quality Standards for soot, which is particulate matter 2.5 (PM2.5) air pollution, for the first time since 2012. PM2.5 air pollution is composed of extremely small particles that can irritate your lungs and travel into your bloodstream, causing a variety of dangerous health conditions and killing tens of thousands of U.S. residents per year.
PM2.5 is one of the most widespread and dangerous air pollutants because it’s emitted by a large variety of sources while causing a variety of health problems. PM2.5 pollution is associated with respiratory problems, including lung function in children, cardiovascular disease, and overall life expectancy.
Submit an official comment now to help save thousands of lives across the country.
The EPA is proposing to reduce the allowable annual PM2.5 average concentration¹ to between 9 and 10 µg/m³ (micrograms per cubic meter) from the current limit of 12 µg/m³, even though its own internal research concluded that a stronger standard would better protect public health. EPA is also not proposing to update the current 24-hour standard² of 35 µg/m³, which has remained unchanged since 2006.
The World Health Organization recommends an annual standard of 5 µg/m³ and a 24-hour standard of 15 µg/m³ in order to best protect public health. EPA must aim to achieve these air quality goals by 2035. EPA’s own research confirms that lowering the annual limit to 5 µg/m³ would likely save 30,000 more U.S. lives per year than the 8 µg/m³ standard.
Strengthen EPA’s Proposed Fracking Pollution Standards
Earlier this month, the EPA proposed pollution standards for gas wells and compressor stations that will better protect public health and help address the climate crisis by reducing 36 million tons of methane, 9.7 millions tons of VOCs, and 390,000 tons of air toxics from 2023 to 2035.
While the EPA has taken great steps to reduce air pollution from the gas industry, we need them to improve this rule by eliminating the unnecessary flaring of fracked gas.
President Biden Can Decrease Air Pollution
Methane is fueling the climate crisis, and we need you to tell President Biden to fight back with the strongest methane rules possible for the oil and gas industry.
The Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) proposed rules to cut methane from the oil and gas industry need to be as strong as possible. Yet, the draft methane rules include a loophole that would allow half a million low-producing wells to go unchecked and leak millions of tons of methane per year. These wells make up nearly 50% of all methane pollution from the oil and gas industry.
It’s Time to Cut Climate Pollution
The Supreme Court’s decision regarding the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) ability to regulate carbon dioxide pollution from power plants was disappointing, but it does not affect the EPA’s soon-to-be-proposed standards for reducing methane and volatile organic compound (VOC) pollution from existing oil and gas infrastructure. The Supreme Court’s decision has restricted the EPA from developing standards that require industry to make emissions reductions outside of the “fenceline” of a particular pollution source.
Tell the EPA to finalize the strongest air pollution regulations possible. This includes a ban on gas flaring or venting unless in absolute emergencies, consistent methane monitoring at all oil and gas facilities (including smaller, leak-prone wells), and requiring “no-bleed” pneumatic controllers and pumps at all gas wells and compressor stations.
Improve Philly’s New Air Toxics Rules
Philadelphia’s Air Management Services (AMS) is currently updating its permitting requirements for industrial facilities that emit toxic air pollutants. Clean Air Council strongly supports AMS’ decision to better regulate toxic air pollution and reduce cancer risks from pollution emitted by large industrial facilities in Philadelphia.
The regulations must be strengthened to truly ensure they achieve meaningful health protections for Philadelphians. Making simple but important changes consistent with the current science will make a real difference in preventing cancer, birth defects, and other serious health impacts from toxic air pollution in our city – especially in neighborhoods already overburdened by industrial pollution.
Click here for more information!
Demand Protective Buffers for Fracking Sites
Throughout the past decade, fracking and related infrastructure have moved dangerously close to our homes, schools and communities. As these highly industrialized operations move ever closer, they continue to pollute our air, contaminate our water, and harm our health.
Tell Your Elected Officials “No!” to Liquified Natural Gas Trains
We need your help to stop liquified natural gas (LNG) from being carried by rail through vulnerable communities! What is LNG? LNG is formed when natural gas is chilled to -260°F, which causes it to change to a liquid that can be transported via specialty trains, trucks, or large ships. LNG is highly flammable and explosive if exposed to the air.
Contact your state elected officials and ask them to sign on to this letter to the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA). We are urging PHMSA to reject the renewal of a special permit that allows the transport of LNG using a specific kind of rail car that was designed 50 years ago and was not intended for transporting LNG. The renewal should be rejected and treated as a new permit that includes a public comment period.
Help STOP Dangerous Materials by Rail in Your Community!
We are asking for your support to sign a petition asking President Biden and the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) to take action to protect communities from the transport of dangerous liquified natural gas (LNG) by rail. LNG is natural gas that is chilled to -260°F. It is highly flammable and explosive when exposed to air and can burn the skin if it makes contact.
Urge the EPA to Strengthen Pollution Standards for Oil and Gas Sites
The EPA is projecting that its pollution standard will create $4.5 billion in climate benefits annually while reducing 41 million tons of methane pollution by 2035. Even so, Clean Air Council believes this rule could be significantly improved, and EPA is specifically requesting comment on a few key areas of the rule. Beyond methane, this rule will also reduce smog-causing VOC emissions, as well as hazardous air pollutants (HAPs) like the known carcinogen benzene. Decreasing pollution from oil and gas sites offers a unique opportunity to tackle greenhouse gases, asthma-causing ground-level-ozone (smog), and dangerous HAPs all at once.
Comments are due January 31, please click here to submit an official comment.
Call on Your State Legislators to Cut Carbon and Invest in Our Communities
There are no other regulatory hurdles to clear. This is the last gasp for the legislature’s obstruction. Please click here to tell your state legislators to vote NO on HB 637, SB 119, HCRRR 1, and SCRRR 1.
In addition to funding important renewable energy and energy efficiency programs, RGGI participation would create funds to invest in bill assistance for low-income ratepayers, support for environmental justice communities, and support for workers and communities transitioning to a post-coal world.
SB 119 and HB 637 would strip DEP of its existing legal authority to do anything on climate pollution, and the two specific anti-RGGI resolutions (HCRRR 1 and SCRRR 1) would indefinitely block the state from participating in RGGI.
Please tell your state legislators to support Pennsylvania’s participation in RGGI.
Stop Fracking Near Our Homes, Schools, and Streams
We are proud to announce the launch of ProtectiveBuffersPa.org, a collaboration between Clean Air Council and allied organizations working to add important protective buffers between oil, gas, and petrochemical infrastructures and the places where Pennsylvania residents live, gather, learn and heal. It’s past time for Pennsylvania to update its rules for where these industrial operations can be built.
For years, communities have raised concerns about the health risks posed by shale gas and petrochemical infrastructure – particularly those built near residential neighborhoods. Currently, these industrial projects are being built far too close to where people live, work and play and in many cases, this industrial buildout is fundamentally changing farms and neighborhoods in ways never before experienced in our Commonwealth. Research continues to show that people living and working near fracking and its supporting infrastructure are more likely to have their health negatively impacted than those who don’t. We urge Pennsylvania’s leaders to adopt protective buffers based on the most up-to-date science and health studies.
Ask Congress to Plant Trees in Low-Income Communities with Local Labor
According to the Philadelphia Tree Canopy Assessment, the city of Philadelphia lost 1,095 acres of tree canopy from 2008 to 2018, with the greatest losses because of residential development. Congresspeople in the House and Senate recently introduced the Trees for Residential Energy and Economic Savings Act of 2021 (TREES Act), which would plant 300,000 trees a year for the next five years in low-income areas with minimal tree coverage and large senior populations. The bill specifies that individual programs will hire local residents that are currently unemployed or underemployed to plant and maintain the trees.
Individual programs will target areas where tree plantings will, “provide the largest potential reduction in residential energy consumption for households with a high energy burden.” This means that this program will not only increase tree coverage nationally, improving the capacity for trees to absorb carbon dioxide – it will also conserve electricity in low-income neighborhoods, reducing utility bills and air pollution.
The U.S. Forest Service recently concluded that if Philadelphia could increase its tree coverage from 20% to 30%, approximately 403 premature deaths could be avoided annually in the city. According to the City of Philadelphia’s Community Heat Relief Plan, “there have been more deaths from heat than from all other natural disasters combined.”
Tell DEP to Stop Allowing Companies to Pollute Chester
For over 30 years, the nation’s largest waste incinerator has polluted the predominantly Black community of Chester, PA leading to high rates of asthma and other public health impacts. The facility has also contributed to Delaware County’s failure to meet federal health ground-level-ozone (smog) standards. The continued operation of this facility in a low-income community of color is widely recognized as one of the most egregious examples of environmental racism in the country. Covanta’s Title V operating permit is currently up for review by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP). DEP is accepting public comments on Covanta’s permit application until October 2, 2021.
In counties that fail to meet air pollution health standards like Delaware County, the DEP is required by the federal Clean Air Act to work to improve air quality by reducing harmful emissions. Allowing Covanta to emit 1,167.9 tons of nitrogen oxides (NOx) per year from this facility, including an increase of 137 tons from 2019 to 2020, is at odds with DEP’s requirement to improve air quality in the county. NOx and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) react with heat in the atmosphere to form asthma-causing ground-level-ozone, the main component of smog. Neither Covanta nor DEP are proposing any future NOx pollution reductions at this facility and have clearly stated they are not considering updating any pollution control equipment. DEP is ignoring its responsibility to improve air quality in Delaware County by allowing NOx emissions from this facility to increase.
Now is the time to make your voice heard.
Tell AMS to Reduce Smog-Causing Pollution from PGW’s Richmond LNG Plant
Philadelphia Gas Works (PGW) has produced liquified natural gas (LNG) at its Richmond Plant in the Port Richmond neighborhood of Philadelphia since the 1970s and Clean Air Council continues to be concerned about its air pollution. At this plant natural gas is cooled to negative 260℉ to liquify the fuel to be able to store more of it for future residential use and commercial sale. By PGW’s own admission the “two, twelve-story liquefied natural gas (LNG) storage tanks at the company’s Richmond Plant” installed in 1974 remain “among the country’s largest.”
The plant primarily serves Philadelphia residents and PGW began selling gas to private customers in 2013. The plant is a major source of nitrogen oxides (NOx). NOx reacts with heat and other pollutants in the atmosphere to produce asthma-inducing ground-level-ozone or smog. The City of Philadelphia is currently in nonattainment for federal health standards for ground-level-ozone pollution and is required by the Clean Air Act to come into compliance with this public health standard.
Currently, the PGW LNG plant in Port Richmond is making a minor revision to its air pollution permit, but Clean Air Council urges you to demand that PGW establish a facility-wide NOx pollution limit at this facility while the air permit is up for comment. The Council has serious concerns about the adequacy of the city’s proposals to reduce air pollution from this large emissions source of NOx. The public comment period on PGW’s LNG’s air pollution permit is focused on removing specific technical language about three emergency generators at this facility. However, the Council is concerned about a different and more important issue with the permit: that this facility lacks a facility-wide NOx air pollution limit, including tons per year NOx limits for three of the six LNG vaporizer heaters used to heat LNG to bring it back to a gaseous state.
On a positive note, Philadelphians are using less natural gas. Given the need to reduce the continued use of fossil fuels it is deeply concerning that since 2013, PGW has been publicly exploring increased commercial sale of natural gas, specifically because there is less need for the gas from its primary customers – the residents of Philadelphia. Expanded private LNG commerce would increase harmful air pollution, exacerbate climate change, and run counter to PGW’s purpose as a public utility as well as the City of Philadelphia’s commitment to carbon neutrality by 2050.
In 2021, for the first time in three years, the Philadelphia area recorded 2 consecutive “red ozone days” last August when air quality was harmful for the public to breathe. Philadelphia’s poor air quality presents a significant risk to public health and PGW’s LNG facility is one of the largest NOx sources in the region.
Since 1997, there have been several efforts to update technology and pollution standards at the PGW LNG facility in order to come into compliance with updated federal ozone standards. In 2001, the EPA approved an individual pollution standard for this facility’s four internal combustion engines to emit a combined 1,320 tons per year of NOx pollution. This is an extremely high pollution level similar to Covanta’s trash incinerator in Chester, PA and other large industrial facilities.
AMS then proposed to further update the pollution limits and technology standards at the PGW LNG facility in 2015 and approved the operation of six LNG vaporizer heaters. These heaters were the main source of pollution at the plant. Rather than establishing actual NOx pollution limits for the site, as was previously done, AMS simply approved a limit based on the amount of natural gas those burners where allowed to combust.
AMS, by its own admission, mistakenly included an inaccurate technology requirement for three emergency generators at the site in this 2015 permit. AMS is now proposing to remove that relatively minor technology requirement. The Council urges AMS to address the more significant absence of a facility-wide NOx emissions limit. It makes no sense for AMS to enforce NOx tons per year limits at only three of the six LNG vaporizer heaters at the site.
The absence of a facility-wide NOx limit at PGW’s LNG plant, and the possible expansion of this plant to further serve private commerce poses a considerable threat to public health in the region. Additionally, increased heat because of climate change will cause NOx in the atmosphere to generate ground-level-ozone pollution at an accelerated rate. According to the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), southeastern Pennsylvania will experience the most significant warming in the state associated with climate change over the next century. Furthermore, in Philadelphia, that warming will be exacerbated by the heat-island effect. This phenomena, which occurs when buildings and streets in a city absorb and emit back the sun’s heat, causes some Philadelphia neighborhoods to be 22-degrees hotter than others according to the City’s Office of Sustainability.
Tell Governor Wolf and DEP to Oppose the PennEast Pipeline
Despite a recent disappointing Supreme Court ruling that allows PennEast to seize state-owned land in New Jersey, the PennEast pipeline still faces numerous regulatory hurdles and a tough path forward. We need your help calling on Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection’s (DEP) Secretary, Patrick McDonnell, to deny water-related permits for this destructive project, and urging Governor Wolf to oppose PennEast’s application to the Delaware River Basin Commission (DRBC).
Click here to send a letter to Governor Wolf and Secretary McDonnell.
Thanks to strong opposition from Pennsylvania residents, PennEast has yet to obtain two water-related permits from DEP and approval from the DRBC, where Governor Wolf is a voting member.
Phase 1 of this fracked gas pipeline would cut through Luzerne, Carbon, Monroe and Northampton counties in Pennsylvania, and then connect to the Adelphia Gateway pipeline through Northampton, Bucks, Montgomery, Chester, and Delaware counties. The Phase 1 portion would cross some of the state’s most pristine waterways and wetlands as well as numerous recreation and conservation areas including Hickory Run State Park, Beltzville State Park, Weiser State Forest, and the Appalachian Trail. Phase 2 of the pipeline would continue into Bucks County and then cross the Delaware River into New Jersey through Hunterdon and Mercer Counties. We cannot allow PennEast’s construction and operation to permanently degrade our land, damage our waterways and threaten the safety of our neighborhoods.
We’ve been able to stop the PennEast pipeline from being developed for the past seven years! We must continue to call on our state government to protect its residents and environment and urge them to stand strong against PennEast by opposing all outstanding permits and approvals for this unnecessary, unwanted and destructive pipeline
Tell the EPA to Reduce Climate-Changing Methane Pollution
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is currently seeking input on methane leakage standards for new and existing oil and gas infrastructure. Methane is 87 times more potent a greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide over a 20-year time period and leaks from every facet of the gas industry. Methane pollution from the oil and gas industry is fueling the climate crisis and threatening the health of our communities. It’s time to do something about it.
The Senate, House and President Biden recently overturned the Trump Administration’s dangerous removal of methane from Obama-era standards for new oil and gas facilities. This paves the way for stronger rules for newly-constructed air pollution sources and, importantly, rules for existing air pollution sources.
Recent studies reveal that the extent of the methane leakage problem is far more significant than EPA’s previous estimates. The Environmental Defense Fund estimates that 16 million metric tons of methane associated with the gas industry leaks into the atmosphere every year. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) just concluded a two year study that calculated methane emissions across the U.S. and estimated that methane emissions are 48%-72% higher than the EPA’s previous estimates.
Clean Air Task Force has published a report detailing how the EPA and the gas industry can reduce methane emissions by 7.8 million tons by 2025.
Tell PA Agencies to Rethink Approvals for an Enormous New Gas Power Plant
More public input needed on the Renovo power plant
In April 2021, the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) issued an air quality permit for a proposed large-scale natural gas-fired power plant in Renovo that would be a major source of air pollution for a number of harmful pollutants. However, the DEP denied Renovo residents the opportunity to learn more about this permit and raise concerns about it during a public hearing, even though dozens of Renovo residents asked for one. Tell the DEP you’re concerned about the lack of public participation in this permit and ask them to hold a public hearing before making a final decision about the permit.
Ask DCNR to revoke its approval of a gas pipeline on public land to feed the Renovo power plant
Renovo Energy is planning to construct a 16-inch pipeline through the Sproul State Forest that would provide the natural gas required for the proposed Renovo Energy Center power plant. Sproul is the largest forest in the state forest system, covering 305,450 acres. The public enjoys Sproul State Forest for hunting, fishing, wildlife viewing, camping, boating, ATV riding, horse riding, and for peace and solitude. The forest contains over 400 miles of cold-water streams, including 12 designated Wilderness Trout Streams. Ask the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources to revoke its approval to Renovo Energy to construct its pipeline on public land.
Comment a Proposed Power Plant in Allegheny Co
Allegheny County consistently fails to meet federal health-based standards for air pollution. Invenergy wants to build the Allegheny Energy Center – a natural gas-fired power plant – in Elizabeth Township in the southeastern corner of Allegheny County. Positioned close to the county line, the proposed plant would not only increase pollution for the local community within the county, but also release pollution into environmental justice areas on the other side of the county line, outside the jurisdiction of the Allegheny County Health Department (ACHD). The power plant would emit air pollutants known to be harmful to human health as well as greenhouse gases that worsen climate change.
The ACHD is accepting public comments on a proposed air permit for this power plant. Comments are due by the end of the day on Tuesday, June 8, 2021. Click here to make your voice heard!
Natural gas-fired power plants are large industrial facilities that generate electricity from burning natural gas. The Allegheny Energy Center would be a 639 MW power plant and would emit air pollutants which would cause increased risks for lung and heart diseases and cancer. The power plant would emit many air pollutants of concern, such as nitrogen oxides (NOx), fine particulates, and hazardous air pollutants such as benzene, formaldehyde, and toluene. All of these pollutants can cause adverse effects on human health and air quality.
The community will not benefit from the electricity being generated, yet will bear the health and environmental risks. The electricity would go directly into the PJM grid, which transports it in the electricity wholesale market for 13 states and Washington D.C. Click here to comment now!
Keep Tobacco Sales Away from Philly Schools
Philadelphia saw a 29% decrease in the average number of tobacco retailers within 500 feet of a school from 2016 to 2020, unfortunately there is a bill in Philadelphia City Council that could reverse this progress. Bill 210227 would allow existing tobacco retailers to relocate within the 500-foot school buffer zones, which would undermine the attrition process designed to protect our children. Prior to the tobacco retail regulations, some low-income neighborhoods historically had as many as three times the number of tobacco retailers per 1,000 residents as high-income areas of the city. This disparity means that low income children see far more tobacco ads than children growing up in wealthier parts of the city. Smokers who want to quit are less likely to be able to stop smoking and more likely to relapse if they live near a tobacco retailer.
Over 3,500 Philadelphians are killed each year by tobacco products, making tobacco the top cause of preventable death in our city. Smoking rates in Philadelphia are highest in low-income neighborhoods. According to Bill 210227, tobacco retailers who have had a tobacco retailer permit at the original permitted location for no less than 5 years can transfer their permit. In 2020, there were 2,264 permitted retailers. 83% of those—1,886 permitted retailers—had their permits for 5 or more years. There is no reason for this bill other than to expand tobacco sales in Philadelphia, particularly around schools. Bill 210227 would undermine efforts to eliminate tobacco sales within 500 feet of schools to protect our children.
Sign a letter of support for the Delaware River Fish Protection Petition
From Philadelphia and Camden down to Wilmington, the Delaware River’s water quality has tremendously improved over the past 50 years. Fish species such as the American Shad and the endangered Atlantic Sturgeon have returned to areas that were once oxygen-depleted, aquatic “dead zones.” However, the Delaware River Basin Commission (DRBC) has been slow to update its water quality standards to adequately protect these rebounding fish populations.
The Delaware River Fish Protection Petition calls on DRBC to update its water quality standards for the stretch of river extending from Philadelphia and Camden to Wilmington in order to protect aquatic life to the full extent required under the Clean Water Act.
Click here to sign the petition.
Tell FERC Landowner Rights Must Come Before Fracked Gas Pipeline Profits!
Now is your chance to tell the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to prioritize landowners rights, our environment, and environmental justice over the profits of the fossil fuel industry.
This past February, FERC, the federal agency that regulates interstate transmission of natural gas, issued a Notice of Inquiry (NOI) requesting public input on its process for reviewing and approving interstate natural gas facilities such as pipelines and compressor stations. This NOI is a revival of a prior NOI issued in 2018, at which time over 3,000 stakeholders commented on the docket (PL18-1-000), but FERC took no action. Under its new Chairperson, Richard Glick, FERC is expanding its initial inquiry and requesting additional input from landowners and stakeholders on important issues related to the gas pipeline certification process. These issues include how FERC should address: public need, eminent domain and landowner interests, environmental impacts, the efficiency of the review process and environmental justice.
Impacted landowners have consistently noted the need for reforms and this NOI presents an important opportunity for agencies, landowners, elected officials and communities to contribute recommendations, experiences and insights to FERC’s revision of its policies.
All comments are due by May 26, 2021.
Click here to sign-on to Clean Air Council’s comment to FERC.
If you would like to write and submit your own comment directly to FERC, click here follow our directions on how to use eFiling on FERC’s website.
Deny DEP’s Recommendation for “No Change” to Whetstone Run’s Status in Delaware County
Whetstone Run in Marple Township, Delaware County is one of the last remaining high quality streams in the Darby Creek Valley Watershed (DCVA). This Tuesday, April 20, 2021, the Pennsylvania Environmental Quality Board (EQB) is scheduled to vote not to protect this important stream.
We need to act now to demand the EQB withhold their vote until further studies are completed.
In 2017, DCVA petitioned the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to upgrade the designation of an unnamed tributary to Whetstone Run from Warm Water Fishery (WWF)/Migratory Fishery (MF) to High Quality – Warm Water Fishes, Migratory Fishes (HQ-WWF, MF). Such a re-designation would afford the creek additional special protections from pollution and development. DEP is currently recommending “no change” and no special protections for this important headwater forested stream. However, in its initial investigation of the stream, DEP:
- Failed to include three years of macroinvertebrate data provided by DCVA.
- Failed to use accurate local comparison streams.
- Chose “reference” sample locations in streams with significantly larger watersheds (2,432 acres) than the Southern Tributary’s watershed (166.4 acres), leading to comparisons that are technically unsound.
- Failed to address DCVA’s comments addressing these errors during the open comment period.
We have mere days to act to urge the EQB to deny DEP’s recommendation for “no change” to Whetstone Run’s status.
Whetstone Run is the highest functioning stream in the Darby Creek Valley watershed; losing it due to an incorrect Water Quality designation would be a significant loss for the watershed. The EQB should not accept the recommendation of “no change” based on the Department’s accompanying report. The review period for this petition has been relatively brief, and rulemaking action on it is premature. There is no need for a rapid decision based on questionable information. Serious technical issues remain outstanding, which the DEP needs to explain.
Speak Out Against the Adelphia Gateway Pipeline’s Water Permits
Adelphia Gateway, LLC (Adelphia) is currently seeking approval from the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to amend a water-related permit for the Adelphia Gateway pipeline project. This permit, called a Chapter 102 – Erosion and Sediment Control permit, is required for construction activities that disturb the surface of the land, including the development of pipelines and related facilities like compressor stations. Adelphia proposes to expand the area under construction for this natural gas pipeline project at nine locations along its route by a total of 4.5 acres.
Adelphia’s application fails to explain why it actually needs to impact so much more land and doesn’t show whether these proposed modifications actually meet the permit’s requirements. Additionally, Adelphia plans to expand it’s construction areas on portions of the Schuylkill River trail, but it’s unclear how these new plans will impact public access and enjoyment of the trail. Also, DEP only posted the application materials online for public review on April 6th, with just 6 days left in the designated 30-day comment period. This did not provide the public an adequate amount of time to review the necessary materials and develop meaningful comments.
Take action now by calling on DEP to require Adelphia to submit additional application materials addressing these key issues before granting any further permits. Also, urge DEP to extend the current comment period to allow the public a full and fair opportunity to participate in this review process. We encourage you to modify our sample comment to raise any additional issues or concerns. The deadline for public comments is Monday, April 13th at 11:59pm.
Tell Philadelphia City Council and Mayor Kenney to Fund Sidewalks in the Next Budget
Take our action and tell the City you believe walking and rolling are a fundamental right and all Philadelphians deserve access to safe city sidewalks. Clean Air Council/Feet First Philly calls upon Philadelphia City Council and Mayor Kenney to allocate $500,000, less than 1% of the Streets Department budget, to begin to address the more than 230 miles of sidewalks in “poor” or “very poor condition”.
Call on DRBC to Reject PennEast’s Application
Take action now by writing to DRBC and urging them to reject PennEast’s incomplete application and to require PennEast to submit an application that includes its full plans for both phases of the proposed pipeline project. Tell DRBC that PennEast’s application should also clarify how it’s interconnection with the Adelphia Gateway pipeline will affect the overall development and operation of the Adelphia Gateway pipeline so that DRBC can more accurately assess the cumulative environmental impacts of both projects.
Urge your elected officials to commit to protecting the health and safety of Pennsylvania communities
More and more research shows that people living and working near fracking infrastructure are more likely to have their health negatively impacted than those who don’t. Known health risks posed by shale gas and petrochemical site emissions affect the respiratory, cardiovascular, and reproductive systems, just to name a few. Children and the elderly are particularly vulnerable to the air pollution emitted by fracking wells, compressor stations, and processing plants. Carcinogens and toxic chemicals known to affect the central nervous system have been found in the air near shale gas infrastructure. Protective buffer distances are needed, and those distances should be based on the most up-to-date science and health studies.
Take Action to Protect Pennsylvania’s Waters!
The PA Environmental Quality Board (EQB) must ensure that the proposed revisions to state water protection regulations (known as Chapter 105 regulations) do not make it easier for project applicants to obtain waivers that would allow them to avoid the permitting process altogether. Project applicants should not be able to obtain permit waivers for Pennsylvania’s most critical streams and wetlands regardless of their size.
Additionally, the proposed regulations would change the permit application submission process for large projects, such as pipelines, which cross multiple counties, by only requiring applicants to submit one application, rather than needing to submit applications to each county the project touches. The EQB needs to make sure that any proposed revisions do not hinder the county’s role in the project review. As experts of the local environment, our communities must be involved in reviewing county-specific impacts from projects like pipelines to the fullest extent.
Please write to the EQB today.
Urge Gov. Wolf to Remove Industry Loopholes from his Proposed Oil and Gas Rule!
Pennsylvanians are experiencing the devastating impacts of climate change right now – with increased flooding, drought, extreme weather, and air pollution, and higher risks of infectious diseases like Lyme disease. Governor Wolf has committed to significantly reduce Pennsylvania’s climate pollution. Cutting climate-warming methane pollution from the oil and gas industry is one of the quickest and most cost-effective ways for Pennsylvania to reduce greenhouse gases.
Urge Gov. Wolf to Remove Industry Loopholes from his Proposed Oil and Gas Rule!
Take action now to help ensure the Aquashicola Creek earns the water quality protections it deserves!
Aquashicola Creek is in the direct path of the proposed PennEast pipeline. Phase 1 of the PennEast Pipeline would traverse 68 miles, crossing Luzerne, Carbon, Monroe and Northampton counties in Pennsylvania, and then connect to the Adelphia Pipeline through Northampton, Bucks, Montgomery, Chester, and Delaware counties. Now, more than ever, this stream needs the state’s highest level of protection.
Sign our letter of support calling on the DEP to review this redesignation application and produce a report recommending that Aquashicola Creek and its tributaries receive an Exceptional Value (EV) designation, the state’s highest level of protection.
Urge DEP to deny PennEast’s Chapter 102 and 105 permits.
The Pennsylvania-only Phase 1 of the PennEast pipeline is a last ditch effort by PennEast to try to justify an unneeded and unwanted pipeline after New Jersey denied its permits and blocked its construction. The market has shown little interest in purchasing fracked gas from Phase 1 of this pipeline. Pennsylvania cannot afford to have its natural lands and watersheds severely damaged for a failed and unnecessary pipeline project.
Urge DEP to deny PennEast’s Chapter 102 and 105 permits.
Submit your written comment to DEP in support of Pennsylvania joining RGGI
Until recently, Pennsylvania, a major fossil state, has done little to address its contribution to climate change. However, Pennsylvania is about to take a major step to limit carbon pollution produced by in-state power plants by participating in a market-based program called the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI).
RGGI has been a big success in the 10 states that have been participating over the past decade. In those states, RGGI has cut climate pollution nearly in half while raising over $3 billion to invest in clean energy, energy efficiency, and lower consumer electricity bills. Submit your written comment to DEP in support of Pennsylvania joining RGGI.
Demand Community Solar in Pennsylvania
Community solar offers an incredible opportunity to provide an immediate boost to jobs and the economy when we need it the most. House Bill 531 would allow equal access to renewable energy to renters, those in multi-tenant buildings, and businesses and homeowners with roofs that are not suitable for installing solar panels.
Urge Governor Wolf to Oppose PennEast Pipeline
The newly proposed Pennsylvania-only Phase 1 of the PennEast pipeline is a last ditch effort by PennEast to try to justify an unneeded and unwanted pipeline after New Jersey denied its permits and blocked its construction. The market has shown little interest in purchasing fracked gas from Phase 1 of this pipeline. Call on Governor Wolf to oppose all current permits and approvals for this harmful and unnecessary pipeline.
Resist Trump’s Gutting of Oil and Gas Industry Standards
President Trump just announced the finalization of his reckless rollback of methane pollution standards for oil and gas facilities built since 2015. Methane is 87 times more potent a greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide over a 20-year time period. 25 percent of the effects of climate change we see today are caused by methane pollution. Clean Air Council believes this is an unlawful action and will be joining with partners to appeal it. Please tell your federal elected officials to publicly denounce the finalization of this dangerous backslide of public health protections and to support the lawsuit against it.
Tell Your Senator To Vote NO on Coal-Backed HB 2025 and SB 950
| We need Pennsylvania to control carbon pollution from its power sector, the fifth-dirtiest in the country, and help impacted communities transition to a post-coal world. HB 2025 and SB 950 would block both. Click here to tell your state senator to vote no on HB 2025 and SB 950. |
Call On Your PA State Senator To Support Parking Protected Bike Lanes and Pedestrian Plazas
SB565, which would allow municipalities to create parking protected bike lanes and pedestrian plazas, cleared a major hurdle last month and is one vote away from being sent to the Governor’s desk. But we need you to help get it there.
Ask your State Senator to call on their leadership to hold a floor vote and to vote yes on SB 565
Ask For A Stronger State Oil and Gas Industry Air Pollution Rule With No Loopholes!
Gov. Wolf has set important and achievable targets to cut pollution and tackle the climate crisis. The draft existing source oil and gas methane rule is critical for meeting those goals. Unfortunately, the draft rule includes a loophole for low-producing wells that are responsible for about half of all emissions that contribute to Pennsylvania’s million ton methane problem.
Take Pennsylvania’s Climate Action Survey
Pennsylvanians need to make their voices heard on the 2021 Climate Action Plan. The 2018 Climate Action Plan included clear greenhouse gas reduction goals that have been used to shape proposed policies reducing methane and carbon dioxide pollution. Your contribution could result in updated greenhouse gas reduction goals that will support necessary public health policies and regulations. Please click here for a link to the survey and sample survey responses.
Cut Methane
Carbon Dioxide emissions have fallen 12% in the U.S from 2005 to 2019, but recent studies of methane emissions have determined that oil and gas facilities are emitting methane at rates vastly underestimated by the EPA and state governments. Methane is 87 times more potent a heat-trapping gas than carbon dioxide over a 20 year time period and researchers at Cornell University recently published a study concluding that from 2014-2018 Pennsylvania officials underestimated methane leakage by 15%. Please tell your federal elected officials you are concerned that allowing methane pollution to increase will lead to the further acceleration of climate chaos.
Call on DEP to Allow Public Participation in PennEast Pipeline’s Permitting
PennEast is slated to be built through some of the most pristine and valuable natural resources in the Delaware River Watershed. It would impact multiple “exceptional value” streams and wetlands, and construction could cause contamination of waterways and drinking wells, just as the Mariner East pipelines did. The public must have an opportunity to voice concerns to DEP.
Support the Safe and Healthy Delaware River Petition
We invite everyone who lives within the Delaware River Watershed to sign the letter of support below for the Safe and Healthy Delaware River Petition, submitted to the Delaware River Basin Commission on March 2, 2020.
This petition asks DRBC to upgrade the regulatory status for the portion of the Delaware River from Philadelphia and Camden to Chester Township (Delaware County, PA). This upgrade will protect the health and safety of those who enjoy recreation activities on this stretch of the river.
