Last week, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in Sackett v. EPA that a narrow test applies when determining what constitutes a wetland under the federal Clean Water Act. The new, more stringent test determines that a wetland falls under the…
Grant Awards Will Restore Abandoned Mine Lands, Impaired Streams in Townships
The state Department of Environmental Protection is funding 16 environmental restoration projects on abandoned mine lands, totaling $7.8 million. These projects are being funded through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act’s focus on the reclamation of abandoned mine lands and…
PA State Data Center Launches New Portal
The Pennsylvania State Data Center has launched a new Census 2020 Data Portal. The portal serves as a tool to host data localized to Pennsylvania and provides guidance, overviews, and interactive reports/visualizations to help users make sense of the Census…
Shell to Pay $10 Million for Air Quality Violations
Shell Chemicals Appalachia, LLC has entered into a consent order and agreement with the Shapiro Administration that acknowledges that it exceeded total emission limitations for air contaminants, agreed to make repairs, and will pay $10 million to the state Department…
Rankin Borough Exits Distressed Status
After more than 34 years as a distressed municipality under the Act 47 program, Rankin Borough in Allegheny County has now exited from the program and is no longer considered to be distressed. The decision was made due to Rankin’s ability…
Celebrate National EMS Week!
Township officials are encouraged to celebrate EMS Week from May 21 to May 27. The week-long campaign is an ideal time to celebrate municipal first responders who always prioritize the health and safety of township residents. EMS Week is a…
Recognize Public Works Crews This Week!
Township officials can recognize their public works crews this week during National Public Works Week 2023! This week’s theme is “Connecting the World Through Public Works.” Each day this week, the APWA will host a Spirit Day on social media…
Reminder: CFA Accepting Grant Applications for Multimodal Transportation Fund
The Commonwealth Financing Authority (CFA) is accepting grant applications for its Multimodal Transportation Fund. Townships are eligible to apply through DCED’s online single application for assistance until July 31. Please note this opportunity is separate from PennDOT’s Multimodal Program. The…
U.S. Post Office Holds Mailbox Improvement Week May 21-27
The U.S. Post Office has designated May 21-27 as Mailbox Improvement Week to encourage customers to examine and, where necessary, improve the appearance of their mailboxes. This week calls attention to the need for providing mailboxes that are: Mailboxes that meet…
PA Unemployment Rate Lowest on Record
The Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry (L&I) recently released its preliminary employment situation report for April 2023. The commonwealth’s unemployment rate dropped one-tenth of a percentage point (0.1%) over the month to 4.1% in April, matching the lowest rate…
