Senate Committee Moves Marcellus Shale Bill. The Senate Environmental Resources and Energy Committee reported out the House Marcellus bill- House Bill 1950- after amending the bill to gut the existing language and insert the provisions of Senate-passed Senate Bill 1100.
Senators said they took the action to move the process along. They also said there is no agreement yet on provisions of a Marcellus bill between the Senate, House and Governor's Office.
Sen. Scarnati said the Senate would not be adding any session days in December unless there was an agreement. The Senate is set to adjourn next Wednesday for the year.

Briefing: DEP To Release Draft Chesapeake Bay Watershed Implementation Plan Dec. 15: Sen. Mike Brubaker (R-Lancaster), Chair of the interstate Chesapeake Bay Commission, hosted a briefing Tuesday for House and Senate members on the status of Pennsylvania's efforts to comply with the Chesapeake Bay Watershed cleanup mandate.

At the briefing, John Hines, Executive Deputy Secretary for Programs for the Department of Environmental Protection, announced DEP will be taking the next step in the cleanup process by releasing a draft Chesapeake Bay Watershed Implementation Plan for public comment on December 15.

Video of the briefing is available online featuring these speakers:

-- Sen. Mike Brubaker (R-Lancaster), Chair of the Chesapeake Bay Commission, provided introductory and closing remarks.

-- Jeff Corbin, Special Advisor to the Administrator, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, provided an overview of the Chesapeake Bay mandate.

-- John Hines, Executive Deputy Secretary for Programs, DEP, provided an outline of Pennsylvania's efforts to comply with the mandate.

-- Andy Zemba, Director of DEP's Interstate Waters Office, provided details on Pennsylvania's response.

-- Matthew Ehrhart, Director, Pennsylvania Office of the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, commented on both state and federal efforts to cleanup the Bay.