PADEP Acting Secretary John Quigley

Katelyn Ferral and David Conti reported yesterday in the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review that:

John Quigley is one step closer to becoming Pennsylvania’s leading oil and gas regulator.


The Senate Environmental Resources and Energy Committee voted unanimously Tuesday to pass along Quigley’s nomination with no recommendation to the full Senate after about two hours of questioning that sometimes turned tense.


“We’re going to have to work together for maybe several years, but I do have questions about some of the things you said in the past,” said Chairman Gene Yaw, R-Williamsport. “I think the proof is in action.”

Quigley, a former adviser and consultant for environmental group PennFuture, was nominated by Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf to lead the Department of Environmental Protection. He was Conservation and Natural Resources secretary from 2009 to 2011 under Gov. Ed Rendell.


Lawmakers questioned Quigley on specific policy proposals and questioned whether his appointment could be a conflict of interest. Wolf has tapped two other PennFuture alums for roles in his administration.


“There’s somewhat of a revolving door at PennFuture,” Yaw said.


Quigley said he did not see any conflict, noting that he left PennFuture’s employ 11 years ago and stopped working with it as a client of his consultancy business three years ago.
“When you work in the environmental field … there are limited amounts of employment opportunities in that field,” he said. “My relationship with that organization is in the past.”


Read the full story here

Quigley also responded to questions about his role at the the DEP following a legislative budget hearing on April 2. You can watch that PCN video interview here.  




   

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Recent Blog Posts:
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Here’s a video segment of testimony presented earlier today in Harrisburg by natural gas industry representatives opposed to Governor Tom Wolfe’s proposed 5% gas severance
tax to fund education in the Commonwealth.

The speaker is Marcellus Shale Coalition President David Spigelmyer.

Later, we’ll have print coverage of the hearing which was streamed live
by the Pennsylvania Cable Network

   

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Recent Blog Posts:
A big federal land-planning effort to save a small bird
NJ energy, environment bills in committee-June 4, 2015
All 3 parts in NJ Spotlight/WHYY series on gas pipelines  
Is Christie’s Exxon enviro-settlement Paulsboro’s loss?   
Remember when EPA regs did not trigger Olympian rage?  

Here is the lineup of energy and environment bills scheduled for Assembly
committee consideration on Thursday, June 4, in Trenton.

A-1779  –  McKeon, John (D-27); Spencer, L. (D-29); Giblin, Thomas
(D-34); Caride, Marlene (D-36); O’Donnell, Jason (D-31) Clarifies
that certain types of sewage and sewage sludge do not constitute hazardous
substances under “Spill Compensation and Control Act.”
Jun 4,
2015 –
Posted: Assembly Environment and Solid Waste

A-2304  –  DeAngelo, Wayne (D-14)
Requires
construction of new buildings, facilities, and structures using State, EDA, or
NJ Schools Development Authority funds to include green or blue roofs.

Tracked
In: ENVIROPOLITICS, FARM BUREAU
Jun 4,
2015 –
Posted: Assembly Environment and Solid Waste

A-2510  –  McKeon, John (D-27)
Requires
water purveyors to develop and implement a drought interconnection
system.
Jun 4, 2015 – Posted: Assembly Environment and Solid
Waste

A-2574  –  Mukherji, Raj (D-33)
Establishes
de minimis levels for regulation of air contaminants and hazardous air
pollutants, and directs DEP to establish de minimus levels for regulation of
hazardous substances.
Jun 4, 2015 – Posted: Assembly Environment and Solid
Waste

A-3540  –  Cryan, Joseph (D-20); Singleton, Troy (D-7)

Requires
annual report on costs of projects funded by NJ Environmental Infrastructure
Trust
Jun 4,
2015 –
Posted: Assembly Environment and Solid Waste

A-4283  –  Johnson, Gordon (D-37); Eustace, Tim (D-38);
Caride, Marlene (D-36); Muoio, Elizabeth (D-15); Vainieri Huttle, Valerie
(D-37); Lagana, Joseph (D-38)
Requires
owner or operator of certain trains to have discharge response, cleanup, and
contingency plans to transport certain hazardous materials by rail.
Jun 4, 2015 – Posted: Assembly Transportation and
Independent Authorities

A-4340  –  Andrzejczak, Bob (D-1)
Directs
DEP to establish three-year pilot program to permit for-hire vessels to fish for
summer flounder in Delaware waters pursuant to Delaware regulations.
Jun 4,
2015 –
Posted: Assembly Agriculture and Natural Resources

ACR-227  –  Mazzeo, Vincent (D-2); Eustace, Tim (D-38);
Andrzejczak, Bob (D-1)
Urges
President to withdraw proposal to open portions of Atlantic Coast for oil and
natural gas drilling.
Jun 4, 2015 – Posted: Assembly Environment and Solid
Waste

SCR-162  –  Sweeney, Stephen (D-3); Van Drew, Jeff (D-1);
Whelan, Jim (D-2)
Urges
President to withdraw proposal to open portions of Atlantic Coast for oil and
natural gas drilling. Jun 4, 2015 – Posted: Assembly Environment and Solid
Waste


     

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Recent Blog
Posts:
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pipelines 
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Paulsboro’s loss?  
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changing its landscape

Paulsboro resident Natasha Lavard  fears that the Exxon settlement will leave her town with a polluted site and insufficient cleanup funds

Environmentalists have been pounding hard for
weeks on NJ Gov Chris Christie’s settlement with Exxon/Mobil over the costs of
environmental resource damages incurred over decades of pollution at the Bayway
Refinery in Linden and other petroleum installations in northern New Jersey.

The Christie settlement is for only a fraction of what the state DEP was
seeking during years of negotiations with the energy giant under previous
governors.

Recently it was discovered that the state had lumped into the settlement
(currently under a judge’s review) other contaminated sites, including a former
Exxon site in Paulsboro.

BlueJersey covered a protest yesterday over Paulsboro’s inclusion in
the pending settlement and posted six videos with environmentalists and local
residents. You can view them here


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Assembly
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Christie
Aide Took Political Trips Before Exxon Settlement