Gov. Tom Wolf announced on Thursday that the state will forge ahead with joining the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, despite pushback from Republicans who question whether Wolf can enter the multi-state emission-capping program without legislative approval.

 

Speaking at a Capitol press conference Thursday, Wolf outlined his directive to the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection to join the cap-and-trade program, also known as RGGI, which requires participating states to cap CO2 emissions at energy production plants.

To increase transparency among natural gas companies, Sen. Gene Yaw (R-Lycoming) will soon be reintroducing legislation that would give property owners more information about their royalty payments. 

Yaw, the chair of the Senate Environmental Resources and Energy Committee, says landowners are often left confused by vague deductions on their royalty check stubs. 

Amid all the floor debates, press conferences and committee hearings, the Pennsylvania General Assembly’s newest co-sponsorship memos can get lost in the shuffle. That’s why The PLS Reporter rounds up some of the most noteworthy co-sponsorship memos each week, so you can stay informed of what’s going on in the Capitol.

 

In this week’s feature are memos for proposals that would roll back PennDOT’s decision to allow gender-neutral licenses, restrict the use of PFAS-based firefighting foam and prohibit taxpayer dollars from being used to fund hormone therapy and sex reassignment surgeries for state prison inmates. 

In the southeastern portion of the state, communities are grappling with the presence of PFAS — a type of toxic chemical found in firefighting foam — in their drinking water.

 

The problem isn’t unique to Bucks and Montgomery counties, but the prevalence of PFAS in suburban Philadelphia water sources has prompted state lawmakers to search for legislative solutions to their contaminated drinking water.

The Senate Environmental Resources and Energy committee met Wednesday to review the causes and aftermath of the Philadelphia Energy Solutions fire. 
 
A leak in a containment tank led to an explosion in a butane tank on the South Philadelphia refinery June 21st, which sparked a fire that took over 24 hours to extinguish. While there were no casualties, the refinery is now closed, which has led to higher gas prices in the region. According to the mayor’s office, the closure will cost most of the over 1,000 jobs supported by the refinery’s operation.