December 26, 2013
2013 ended with a bang as the PA Supreme Court issued a landmark opinion on the Act 13
Marcellus Shale drilling law and the application of the Environmental
Rights Amendment that is likely to have implications far beyond the oil
and gas industry. But there were other major milestones,
anniversaries, changes and actions in 2013 as well covered by the PA
Environment Digest. 2013 saw a change in leadership at the
departments of Environmental Protection and Conservation and Natural
Resources with the resignation of Richard Allan at DCNR and his replacement with Ellen Ferretti. Chris Abruzzo replaced Michael Krancer
at DEP in April. Both Ferretti and Abruzzo were confirmed by the
Senate in December. The Executive Directors of both the
Susquehanna River Basin Commission and the Delaware River Basin
Commission also announced their retirements. Long-time SRBC Executive Director Paul Swartz retired and was replaced by Andrew Dehoff. DRBC’s Executive Director Carol Collier announced her retirement
in 2014. Both Commissions have a significant role in
regulating water withdrawals by the Marcellus Shale drilling industry
and in the case of DRBC, managing the drilling moratorium that has been
in place since December of 2011. Carl Roe,
who for 8 years served as Executive Director of the Game Commission,
announced he would retire in January 2014. Changes in
leadership were also announced by several non-profit environmental
groups, including Harry Campbell taking over at the Chesapeake Bay Foundation-PA, Cindy Dunn at PennFuture and the retirement of David Mazza in the PA Resources Council’s Pittsburgh office. In August, Caren Glotfelty, a long-time leader in Pennsylvania’s environmental community, Read more...http://www.northcentralpa.com/feeditem/2013-12-26_pennsylvania%E2%80%99s-environment-2013-year-review
