Department of Environmental Protection’s Office of Oil and Gas Management Chapter 78

The Department of Environmental Protection’s Office of Oil and Gas Management has scheduled the first in a series of question-and-answer sessions regarding the implementation of Chapter 78a. The webinar will be held on December 6 at 1:00 p.m. DEP staff will be taking written questions and providing as many answers during the webinar as possible, however some questions may require additional discussion and will be answered at a later time. All written questions will receive a written answer that will be posted to the Oil and Gas Program’s FAQ website. In order to make the webinar as productive as possible, DEP asks that written questions be provided to Scott Perry at scperry@pa.gov by Tuesday, November 29. These questions will be prioritized at the webinar.

Participants may join the webinar up to 20 minutes prior to the meeting. Participants will want to make sure that they allow time to get the webinar setup on their computers. For audio, participants must use an available telephone line. They can choose to call the toll-free number attached or they can choose to have Webex call them by providing the telephone number they wish to use.

Event link: https://copa.webex.com/copa/onstage/g.php?MTID=e3af2c72988aaceabb90a847fcebece64
Date and time: Tuesday, December 6, 2016, 1:00 p.m.
Duration: 2 hours
Event number: 646 830 722
Event password: OOGM_1
Audio conference: 650-479-3208
Access code: 646 830 722
If you have questions or difficulties, please contact
Katherine Hetherington Cunfer, DEP External Affairs Director, at
717-705-2693 or khethering@pa.gov.

Water as One Resource Webinar

Hoboken Critical Issues Webinar:  Water as One Resource

buy Latuda overnight delivery Date/Time:  July 13, 2015; 12:00-1:00pm U.S. Eastern time.

With water shortages gaining prominence as a critical issue in the U.S., many water management authorities are looking at how to more sustainably manage their water. The interconnected nature of water resources means that a change in groundwater can also affect surface water, thus an important component of effective water management is a clear understanding of the linkages between surface and groundwater.  This webinar will provide an overview of how groundwater and surface water interact, what the implications of these interactions on water resources are, and how water can be more effectively managed if an understanding of these interactions is incorporated.

This webinar is co-sponsored by the National Ground Water Association, UW-Extension Wisconsin Geological and Natural History Survey, and Association of American State Geologists

Our speakers include:

  • Ken Bradbury, Wisconsin Geological and Natural History Survey
  • William M. Alley, National Ground Water Association
  • Thomas Harter, University of California, Davis

To register for this free webinar, please use the link below:

https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/5749766682286339073

More Webinars and Training Courses

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Evaluating Erosion, Sediment, and Sedimentation on Roadway Projects November 12

Evaluating Erosion, Sediment, and Sedimentation on Roadway Projects
Presenters: Jerald Fifield, Ph.D., CISEC, CPESC
& Tina Wills, P.E., CISEC, CPESC
Wednesday, November 12th

Get the skinny on USLE, RUSLE, & RUSLE2!

Don’t miss joining Jerry Fifield and Tina Wills to explore the differences between erosion, sediment, and sedimentation on your roadway project sites, they key elements and behaviors of these variables, and how you can calculate and determine the erosion and sediment yield on your roadway project sites.

Or register for the full series & save 20%!

In this webinar we’ll discuss the variables that allow for the quantification of erosion and sediment yield on a roadway project site. Additionally, Fifield and Wills will provide comparisons to demonstrate the difference between erosion rates determined by the Universal Soil Loss Equation (USLE) and the Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE and RUSLE2), as well as present mechanics of sediment yield using the Modified Universal Soil Loss Equation (MUSLE). Lastly, Fifield and Wills complete a sediment yield to runoff volume comparison providing participants with an understanding how the volume of sediment in runoff waters vary and impact commonly found BMPs on roadway project construction sites.

Learning Objectives

Understanding of the differences between erosion, sediment, and sedimentation

Identification of the limitations of erosion rate and sediment yield models

Introductory understanding of the concept of a “sedigraph”

Understanding of sediment vs. runoff volumes

Speaker:
Jerald Fifield, Ph.D., CISEC, CPESC
& Tina Wills, P.E., CISEC, CPESC

Hydrodynamics Inc.

Dr. Jerald Fifield and Tina Wills have over 45 years of professional experience in drainage, sediment and erosion control, water rights, and nonpoint pollution control. Through HydroDynamics Inc., they develop SWPPPs and sediment and erosion control plans, complete drainage analysis, provide inspection services, teach about controlling sediment and erosion on construction sites, and provide expert testimony. Fifield and Wills have taught hundreds of courses in the sediment and erosion control fields, training thousands of professionals in the process, and are featured speakers at the upcoming StormCon 2014. Additionally, Dr. Fifield is the author of the best-selling manual Designing and Reviewing Effective Sediment and Erosion Control Plans (3rd ed.).

More Training in Stormwater Management and Highway Design

Make a difference starting now!

Recycling cell phones helps the environment by saving energy and keeping useable and valuable materials out of landfills and incinerators. It also helps preserve important animal habitats by reducing the demand for Coltan. In addition to recycling cell phones and electronic waste it is critical that consumers demand conflict free electronic devices.   You can help the Keystone Clean Water Team and the Environment by recycling your cell phone.  ”

If you would like to set up a program to help recycle cellphones at an event, business, or other organization.  Through our program we can recycle  cell phones, iPods, game systems, and small digital cameras.  If your interested, please contact us.

Volunteer

We seek new people at all skill levels for a variety of programs. One thing that everyone can do is attend meetings to share ideas on improving the Program, enabling us to better understand and address the concerns of well owners.  We look for people that can forward solid articles, help coordinate local education efforts, and more.  Become part of the Water Science Basics!

Everything we do began with an idea.

We realize your time is precious and the world is hectic. CCGG’s volunteers do only what they’re comfortable with. It can be a little or a lot.  Get YOUR WATER Tested – Discounted Screening Tests !

For more information, please go to CCGG’s About Page or contact us.

Keystone Clean Water Team is a 501(c)(3) IRS approved nonprofit, volunteer organization and your donation is tax deductible to the extent allowed by law.    Unsolicited donations are appreciated (Helps us complete our mission).

Help the Organization and Get Your Water Tested or Order the Private Well Owner Guide (proceeds benefit This Organization). Water Science Basics!

National Protect Your Groundwater Day

Penn State Extension and MWON Promote National Protect Your Groundwater Day—September 10, 2013

protect_dayPenn State Extension and the Master Well Owner Network are excited to announce a variety of educational efforts in recognition of the National Ground Water Association’s Protect Your Groundwater Day on September 10, 2013.

A live webinar will be broadcast from 12:00 to 1:00 PM entitled Strategies to Protect Private Wells and Springs in Pennsylvania to highlight basic management strategies that homeowners can use to protect their drinking water. The webinar will also highlight numerous Penn State publications and web tools that are available to private water well and spring owners. The live webinar can be viewed at

< https://meeting.psu.edu/water1 >

During the evening of September 10, Penn State water resources educators will present a Safe Drinking Water Clinic in Ebensburg, PA for water well and spring owners. This will be the first in a series of Safe Drinking Water Clinics which will be offered around the state in the next 12 months.

 More information about this online course can be found at:

< http://extension.psu.edu/water/mwon >

The Penn State Extension Water Resources team along with Master Well Owners provide education and assistance for thousands of private water well and spring owners across Pennsylvania each year. Tune in on September 10 to learn more about our resources and how to protect your groundwater!

To learn more about the National Ground Water Association and Protect Your Groundwater Day, visit their website at:

< http://www.ngwa.org/Events-Education/groundwater-day/ >

To celebrate National Protect Groundwater Day – The Carbon County Groundwater Guardians will be participating in the PA Energy Games in Hughesville, PA on September 7, 2013. We will have information on private wells, groundwater, alternative energy, conservation and Biomass.  Stop by and Say Hello !

Support the Local Groundwater Education – Get Your Water Tested !

For information about Carbon County’s Groundwater Guardian activities, contact the  Us.

Volunteer

We seek new people at all skill levels for a variety of programs. One thing that everyone can do is attend meetings to share ideas on improving CCGG, enabling us to better understand and address the concerns of well owners.

Everything we do began with an idea.

We realize your time is precious and the world is hectic. CCGG’s volunteers do only what they’re comfortable with. It can be a little or a lot.

For more information, please go to CCGG’s About Page or contact us.

Carbon County Groundwater Guardians is a 501(c)(3) IRS approved nonprofit, volunteer organization and your donation is tax deductible to the extent allowed by law..  Unsolicited donations are appreciated.

Help the Organization and Get Your Water Tested or Order the Private Well Owner Guide (proceeds benefit This Organization).

Webinar to examine stray shale-gas migration into groundwater

Sampling stray gas that is bubbling up through surface water.

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Investigations into natural gas from shale development migrating into groundwater will be the focus of a free, Web-based seminar offered by Penn State Extension.

To be presented at 1 p.m. on March 21, “A Geochemical Context for Stray Gas Investigations in the Northern Appalachian Basin,” is part of a monthly series of one-hour webinars.

According to presenter Fred Baldassare, senior geoscientist with ECHELON Applied Geoscience Consulting, as shale gas exploration and development has increased over the past five years, stray gas migration in groundwater has become a hot topic. He will discuss the various sources of methane and the need to review each case individually to determine its origin.

“The occurrence of methane in aquifer systems represents a natural condition in many areas of the Appalachian Basin,” he said. “The origin can be the result of microbial and thermogenic processes that convert organic matter in the aquifer strata to methane, and to lower concentrations of ethane and heavier hydrocarbons in some areas of the basin.

“Or it can result from the progressive migration of hydrocarbon gas over geologic time from the source and/or reservoir to the aquifer.”

But in some instances, Baldassare pointed out, the stray gas that occurs in the aquifer and manifests in private water supplies can be the result of gas-well drilling.

“That happens where pressure combines with ineffective casing cement bonds to create pathways,” he said. “Alleged incidents of stray gas migration must be investigated at the site-specific level and must include isotope geochemistry to determine gas origin and diagnostic evidence to determine a mechanism of migration.”

Presented by Penn State Extension’s Marcellus Education Team, the monthly natural-gas webinars usually are offered from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. on Thursdays. Upcoming webinars will cover the following topics:

–April 24: Utica Reservoirs — Mike Arthur, Penn State professor of geosciences and co-director of the Penn State Marcellus Center for Outreach and Research.

–May 16: Shale Energy Development’s Effect on the Posting, Bonding and Maintenance of Roads in Rural Pennsylvania — Mark Gaines, Pennsylvania Department of Transportation Bureau of  Maintenance, Operations and Roadway Management, and Tim Ziegler, Penn State Larson Transportation Institute, Center for Dirt and Gravel Road Studies.

–June 20: Royalty Calculations for Natural Gas from Shale — Jim Ladlee, associate director, Penn State Marcellus Center for Outreach and Research.

Previous webinars, publications and information also are available on the Penn State Extension natural-gas website (http://extension.psu.edu/naturalgas), covering a variety of topics, such as Act 13; seismic testing; air pollution from gas development; water use and quality; zoning; gas-leasing considerations for landowners; gas pipelines and right-of-way issues; legal issues surrounding gas development; and the impact of Marcellus gas development on forestland.

Registration for this webinar is not necessary, and all are welcome to participate by logging in to https://meeting.psu.edu/pscems . For more information, contact Carol Loveland at 570-320-4429 or by email at cal24@psu.edu .

< http://news.psu.edu/story/267750/2013/03/08/webinar-examine-stray-shale-gas-migration-groundwater >

Carbon County Groundwater Guardians is a 501(c)(3) IRS approved nonprofit, volunteer organization and your donation is tax deductible to the extent allowed by law. Well water testing and educational program.

 Carbon County Groundwater Guardians on Facebook

Registration open for May 8 Pa. Groundwater Symposium

‘Emerging Issues in a Changing Landscape’ is the theme of the event.

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — In observance of National Drinking Water Week, Penn State Extension and the state Department of Environmental Protection are collaborating with numerous other sponsors to offer the 2013 Pennsylvania Groundwater Symposium.

Scheduled for May 8 at Penn State’s University Park campus, registration for the event now is open at this website and is limited to the first 150 registrants.

“Emerging Issues in a Changing Landscape” is the theme of the symposium, which will provide a forum for researchers, students, professionals and educators working in the groundwater field to exchange information and promote protection of groundwater resources throughout the state.

“Millions of Pennsylvanians rely on groundwater for their drinking water,” said symposium coordinator Bryan Swistock, extension water resources specialist. “National Drinking Water Week provides the perfect opportunity for us to convene a symposium of groundwater experts who can share information to better understand and protect this vital natural resource.”

Morning and afternoon keynote speakers will address important water issues in Pennsylvania, including emerging contaminants and the potential impacts of natural-gas development.

The symposium also will feature several concurrent sessions with presentations on groundwater budgets and yields, tools for describing groundwater during natural-gas exploration, and broader studies characterizing groundwater and water wells.

A lengthy afternoon break and poster session will allow attendees to network while viewing numerous poster presentations. Abstracts for additional poster presentations will be accepted through April 3 on the registration website.

A nominal registration fee of $30 for the symposium is made possible by funding support from Penn State Extension and its Master Well Owner Network, the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, the Mid-Atlantic Water Program, the Pennsylvania Ground Water Association and the Penn State Water Resources Research Center.

Additional partnering agencies include the U.S. Geological Survey and the Susquehanna River Basin Commission.

For more information, contact Swistock at 814-863-0194 or by email at brs@psu.edu.

news.psu.edu/story/142152/2013/02/07/registration-open-may-8-pa-groundwater-symposium

Land-use webinar offered by Penn State Extension on Feb. 20

news.psu.edu/story/264504/2013/02/18/land-use-webinar-offered-penn-state-extension-feb-20

UNIVERSITY PARK — A Web-based seminar focusing on limitations in municipal land-use authority will be offered by Penn State Extension at noon and 7 p.m. Feb. 20.

“How Pre-emption of Zoning and Other Local Controls Impacts Planning” will provide participants with an appreciation of how state laws can impact local land use.

In the one-hour session, attorney Charles Courtney, of McNees Wallace & Nurick LLC, will explain why planners, elected officials and other interested parties should understand how certain statutes can limit municipal land-use authority.

“Although municipalities have broad land-use authority under the Pennsylvania Municipalities Planning Code, various commonwealth statutes limit that authority in specific areas — for example the Oil and Gas Act and the Nutrient Management Act,” he said.

“Under many of these statutes, the municipality is forbidden to impose any requirement that is inconsistent with the state statute. This pre-emption can be expressly written in the statute, or it can be implied.”

Understanding the limitations in local land-use authority will help municipal officials to be better planners, Courtney noted. The webinar, which will be moderated by Neal Fogle, Penn State Extension educator based in Northumberland County, will provide that insight.

The Feb. 20 presentation is part of Extension’s Land Use Decision-Making Monthly Webinar Series, which provides information about current planning issues, land use planning tools and techniques, local regulation and community engagement. The sessions are designed to help planners, elected officials and citizens better engage in land use decision-making processes.

Upcoming webinars will cover the following topics:

–March 20: “Renewable Energy Implementation and Land Use Regulations — Is There Conflict?”

–April 17: “Developing More Effective Citizen Engagement: A How-To Guide for Community Leaders”

–May 15: “Low Impact Development and Smart Growth: How Are They Best Integrated and Utilized in Our Communities?”

A webinar held Jan. 16, “Planning in Pennsylvania: Land Use, Communities and Beyond,” was recorded and is available to registered participants for viewing.

Registration cost for the entire webinar series is $25, and registrants can watch as few or as many webinars as they like. For more information, contact Jeff Himes, extension educator based in Tioga County, at 570-724-9120 or jhimes@psu.edu, or visit http://agsci.psu.edu/land-use-webinar.

Contacts:
Chuck Gill

cdg5@psu.edu
Work Phone:
814-863-2713

Webinar to highlight best shale gas extraction conservation practices

Shale-gas development in Pennsylvania forestlands has raised concerns about whether it can be done with minimal impact to the environment.

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — The best conservation practices for shale-gas extraction will be the focus of a free, Web-based seminar offered by Penn State Extension at 1 p.m. on Feb. 21.

The presentation, “Evaluating the Scientific Support of Conservation Best Management Practices for Shale Gas Extraction in the Appalachian Basin,” is part of a monthly series of one-hour webinars.

This month’s webinar focuses on research done by the Nature Conservancy. That organization’s shale-gas specialists, Scott Bearer and Tamara Gagnolet, will discuss their analysis of practices that could benefit the environment.

“Shale-gas development in Pennsylvania forestlands has raised a broad range of concerns about whether it can be done with minimal impact to the environment and still allow the forests to provide outdoor enjoyment  for the public,” Bearer said.

“During the webinar, we will provide an overview of our assessment of various conservation practices related to shale-gas extraction. We also will discuss which best-management practices are most supported by the science and therefore should be considered when developing a conservation-minded shale gas lease.”

Presented by Penn State Extension’s Marcellus Education Team, most of the monthly webinars will be offered from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. on Thursdays. Upcoming planned topics and presenters include:

— March 21: Stray Gas Migration — Fred Baldassare, senior geoscientist with Echelon Applied Geoscience Consulting.

— April 24: Utica Reservoirs — Mike Arthur, Penn State professor of geosciences and co-chair of the Penn State Marcellus Center for Outreach and Research.

–May 16: Shale Energy Development’s Effect on the Posting, Bonding and Maintenance of Roads in Rural Pennsylvania — Mark Gaines, Pennsylvania Department of Transportation Bureau of Maintenance, Operations and Roadway Management, and Tim Ziegler, Penn State Larson Transportation Institute, Center for Dirt and Gravel Road Studies.

–June 20: Royalty Calculations for Natural Gas from Shale — Jim Ladlee, associate director, Penn State Marcellus Center for Outreach and Research.

Previous webinars, publications and information also are available on the Penn State Extension natural-gas website (http://extension.psu.edu/naturalgas), covering a variety of topics, such as Act 13; seismic testing; air pollution from gas development; water use and quality; zoning; gas-leasing considerations for landowners; gas pipelines and right-of-way issues; legal issues surrounding gas development; and the impact of Marcellus gas development on forestland.

Registration for this webinar is not necessary, and all are welcome to participate by logging in to https://meeting.psu.edu/pscems . For more information, contact Carol Loveland at 570-320-4429 or by email at cal24@psu.edu.

REMINDER – water webinar January 30 on baseline water testing for gas drilling

Bryan Swistock  <brs@psu.edu>

The next webinar in our Water Resources series will be Wednesday, January 30, 2013 from noon to 1 PM (EST). More details below. Hope you can join us!

When: Wednesday January 30, 2013 from noon to 1 PM
Topic: A Study of Pre-Drilling Groundwater Quality in 700 Water Wells and Springs in North Central Pennsylvania
Speaker: Jim Clark, Water Resources Extension Educator, Penn State Extension, McKean County
Where: The live webinar can be viewed at https://meeting.psu.edu/water1

Webinar Description:
Jim Clark, a Penn State Extension Water Resources Extension Educator based in McKean County, PA, will discuss the results of a study of approximately 700 private drinking water supplies covering eight counties in North Central Pennsylvania. Clark has been a Penn State Extension Educator for 24 years and has completed private water supply testing projects in McKean County in 2006 and Cameron County in 2011. This current water testing effort was administered by the Headwaters Resource Conservation and Development Council and the Clearfield County Conservation District. A grant from the Colcum Foundation funded the project. The Penn State Extension Water Resources Team partnered to offer a Water Test Report Interpretation Workshop in each of the eight participating counties and offered individual consultations for many of the private water supply owners who participated in the study. The combined workshop evaluation results and the results for the 21 parameters tested on the private water supplies will be shared and discussed.

About the Presenter:
Jim Clark is a native of Elmira, New York. He holds an Associate Degree in Animal Husbandry from Alfred State College and a Bachelor of Science and Masters in Arts and Teaching from Cornell University. He has been an Extension Educator with Penn State Extension since July of 1989, based in McKean County, Pennsylvania. He is Co Chair of the Penn State Water Resources Team.”

How to Participate
The live webinar will occur from noon to 1 PM and is accessible at: https://meeting.psu.edu/water1
You can access this webinar simply by signing in as a “guest”.
Taped versions of each webinar in the series are available at: http://extension.psu.edu/water/webinar-series/past-webinars
If you have not registered for past water webinars, please visit the following website to register so we can keep you updated about future webinar offerings: http://extension.psu.edu/water/webinar-series/schedule/registration.
If this will be your first webinar, you may want to test your
computer and internet connection for compatibility at:

https://meeting.psu.edu/common/help/en/support/meeting_test.htm
Additonal Upcoming Webinars
Additional webinars on various water resources topics will be offered each month – generally on the last Wednesday of the month. A full schedule of webinars for the next 12 months can be found at: http://extension.psu.edu/water/webinar-series/schedule.

The February webinar will be offered on 2/27/13 at noon on Innovations in Youth Water Education by Jennifer Fetter, Water Resources Educator, Penn State Extension, Dauphin County.

Please pass this along to anyone that might be interested in attending these webinars.

Other Training and Presentations  on Common Water Quality Problems and baseline water testing.

Online Class for Homeowners with Private Wells

The Private Well Class is a free online service, grant-funded to educate homeowners about their private wells.

The Rural Community Assistance Partnership has received a grant from the USEPA to develop a free, online class for homeowners with private wells. We ask that you help promote the class with well owners and those that serve them in your region. If your organization has little contact with private well owners, please feel free to pass this information along to others who might be interested.

The class is set up to be self-help over 10 weeks, with materials emailed once a week to participants. Well owners can sign up anytime, and though the first week was sent on Jan 2, 2013, anyone signing up after that will start as soon as they sign up. So, someone just finding out about this in April can sign up and start the class then. There are three webinars that will provide well owners a chance to reinforce what they are seeing in the class material and ask questions of the presenters. Each webinar will be repeated every three months through August 2013, so no matter when someone starts the class, they will be able to see all three at least once.

Please take a look at the materials attached, visit the website [ http://www.privatewellclass.org/ ] and we encourage you to sign up as a partner. Partners will receive an email when a new webinar date is announced, or when additional information is added to the website. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact me.

Cassia Smith
cassiars@illinois.edu
217-333-8700

other
privatewellclass.net

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