Fiscal Year 2020 Annual ReportThanks for making it all possible

Speedwell Forge Lake

Over the past year, Americans have mourned the loss of hundreds of thousands of loved ones, neighbors and friends to COVID-19. As the crisis altered our daily lives in ways both profound and mundane, PennEnvironment continued to work, online and safely distant, for clean air, clean water, open spaces and a livable climate.

In this report, we share the stories of that work with you: stories of researchers, advocates, attorneys, organizers and citizens striving together to protect and preserve our natural world. We thank you for helping to make that work possible, in normal and not-so-normal times.

This year, we helped convince Pennsylvania’s largest city (Philadelphia) to take a crucial step to reduce plastic pollution. We also made progress to rein in illegal pollution in Pennsylvania though our continued litigation against U.S. Steel’s Clairton Coke Works for violations under the federal Clean Air Act.

And, in a victory that was years in the making, we celebrated as America reaffirmed its commitment to public lands when the PennEnvironment-backed Great American Outdoors Act became law on Aug. 4, 2020. We also worked to ensure this popular and bipartisan law is correctly implemented.

Over the past four years, the Trump administration dismantled or weakened more than 100 critical protections for the environment. We have a chance to restore and strengthen those protections and we are working with the Biden-Harris team to see this process through.

Your action and support make it all possible. Thank you, as always, for standing with us.

From the Director

David MasurExecutive Director

Don’t Frack PennsylvaniaPennsylvania is ground zero for fracking in the U.S. And the more research that’s done, the more we learn about fracking’s harmful effects on our environment and health. PennEnvironment is working to halt this dangerous practice in Pennsylvania.

PennEnvironment, partner groups take legal steps to rein in pollution from flaringPennEnvironment joined a coalition of environmental groups led by the Environmental Integrity Project to initiate the first steps needed to take the Trump administration’s Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to court for failing to reduce toxic air pollution from flaring at petrochemical plants, gas processing facilities and other industrial sites. Industrial flares release benzene, smog-forming volatile organic compounds and other pollutants that threaten public health. Incredibly, the EPA has not updated the air pollution control standards for industrial flares since 1986, even though the federal Clean Air Act requires a review at least every eight years to ensure they adequately protect the public and incorporate improvements in technology. “While many people may look back fondly and love the ‘80s, we’d all agree that technology and the things we know about air pollution have dramatically improved over the past three decades,” said PennEnvironment Executive Director David Masur. “Health-based standards from the ‘80s are unacceptable for protecting public health, our communities and our environment today.”

Pennsylvania legislators bend to fracking industry, give $670 million tax breakAs Pennsylvania’s residents and state programs face financial uncertainty amid the pandemic, legislators in Harrisburg have fast-tracked a proposal to give the fracking industry a massive tax break. On July 14, the Pennsylvania General Assembly passed a $670 million, 25-year tax break for the fracking and petrochemical industry. Legislators quickly passed the bill without public hearing or input. To add insult to injury, the legislation passed just two weeks after Pennsylvania’s attorney general released a scathing report showing that the fracking industry has caused chronic air and water pollution in the commonwealth for more than a decade and strong-armed residents into allowing fracking on their property.

“The General Assembly’s passage of HB 732 will make it harder for Pennsylvania to tackle climate change and leave a healthy planet for future generations,” said Ashleigh Deemer, deputy director with PennEnvironment. “With all the harm fracking produces, Pennsylvanians shouldn’t subsidize this terrible practice any longer.”

For years, oil and gas companies have been fracking Pennsylvania and causing irreversible damage on our environment and public health. PennEnvironment’s advocates are continuing to raise awareness and oppose fracking in Pennsylvania.

Photo credits: (cover) cwieders via Shutterstock; (headshot left) Garen Meguerian; (spread) K Steve Cope via Shutterstock; (above) NFS.gov PennEnvironment | 2

Thanks to the continued efforts of advocates such as Ashleigh Deemer (top left), deputy director with PennEnvironment Research & Policy Center and Flora Cardoni (top right), field director with PennEnvironment Research & Policy Center, Pennsylvania is closer to becoming a member state in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative. Below: PennEnvironment Clean Air Advocate Zachary Barber joins members and allies to advocate for clean car and air standards.

Global Warming SolutionsStopping climate change is our most urgent environmental challenge. Thanks in part to PennEnvironment Research & Policy Center’s advocacy, state officials have committed to taking action.

Pennsylvania poised to join successful regional emissions reduction program Wondering how Pennsylvania can do something big on global warming? Here’s how:

Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf announced a plan to commit the commonwealth to joining the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI). RGGI is a partnership of Northeast and Mid-Atlantic states that caps carbon emissions from power plants, makes plants pay for their pollution, and invests the money in clean energy.

Even if many Pennsylvanians have never heard of RGGI, for 12 years it has been one of the most successful programs in the nation for reducing carbon pollution and helping tackle climate change.

“We applaud Gov. Wolf for working to take this important step,” said Flora Cardoni, field director with PennEnvironment Research & Policy Center. “RGGI has a successful legacy, and we’re proud that Pennsylvania plans to be part of that legacy.”

For the program’s member states, the results have been promising. RGGI has cut the carbon pollution from those states in half compared to 2005 levels. The program has also raised more than $2.7 billion, enabling member states to invest more than $1 billion in energy efficiency and $270 million in clean and renewable energy. By 2030, RGGI could raise another $7 billion for energy conservation and clean energy programs.

RGGI works by capping pollution from power plants and reducing those caps each year so the air keeps getting cleaner and cleaner. Power plant owners must also pay for their pollution, which prods them to cut their emissions even faster. Each state can then invest the money raised in energy efficiency and clean energy, which cuts global warming pollution even further.

States have used RGGI funds to weatherize buildings, which reduces pollution, makes homes and businesses more comfortable, and saves residents’ money on energy bills. Funds have also gone to new solar panels and wind turbines, turbocharging the clean energy revolution.

PennEnvironment has been working to defend the program from legislative attacks and will play a crucial role mobilizing Pennsylvanians during the public input process.

Photo credits: (left, clockwise from top left): Adam M. Wilson Photography, Adam M. Wilson Photography, Staff, Adam M. Wilson Photography; (above) Staff PennEnvironment | 4

This year, we held our virtual lobby day online. Advocates and members spoke directly with their elected officials, such as state Rep. Leanne Krueger (middle row, far right). Many voiced their support of the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative.

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Across the state, we advocated for clean, renewable energy. Even when we couldn’t gather in person to champion climate action, we stayed connected through our virtual volunteer network, webinars, updates and—for the very first time—a virtual lobby day.

Clean, Green & Renewable EnergyTo avoid the worst effects of climate change, we need to move Pennsylvania toward a future powered entirely by renewable energy. PennEnvironment is leading the charge, promoting policies to get Pennsylvania to go 100 percent renewable.

The success of Pennsylvania’s virtual Lobby DayOur 2020 Climate Action Lobby Day’s main event began just as the 2019 and 2018 editions did: with all eyes on Flora Cardoni, lead organizer for PennEnvironment’s Climate Defenders campaign. The only difference, of course, was this year Flora was sitting at her laptop, not standing at a podium.

The results, however, were just as powerful—if not more so—than those of previous years. Hundreds tuned in to a virtual rally, and nearly 500 participants attended 100 meetings with their state senators and representatives. During the citizen lobby day, four new legislators signed on to PennEnvironment-backed legislation that would commit the commonwealth to 100 percent renewable energy, and dozens agreed to support Pennsylvania’s move to join the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative. The day’s action earned coverage on CBS Philly, in PennLive and in the Bucks County Herald.

Each year for the past decade, PennEnvironment’s Lobby Day has drawn residents, legislators, clean energy business owners, religious leaders and health professionals to Harrisburg to call on state leaders to support clean energy and climate action.

In past years, the day would kick off with a rally—with everyone in matching t-shirts and holding signs as they stood behind Flora. Later, attendees would meet with their representatives and senators. This year, of course, was different.

Lobby Day 2020 was all virtual but full of action. The day featured a youth climate action panel, a climate action advocacy workshop and educational sessions.

The virtual rally also hosted state Reps. Chris Rabb, Malcolm Kenyatta, Jennifer O’Mara and Wendy Ullman; state Sen. Katie Muth; Dr. Gabriel Cisneros; Dr. Maya Ragavan; Kevin Warren of Warren Energy Engineering; Pastor John Creasy; and—last but not least—Caia and Zeta, two climate activist sisters, ages 11 and 8.

After the event, participants said they loved the speakers and felt energized. Flora and the PennEnvironment team hope that we can go back to making a big noise in the capitol rotunda next year. But if we can’t be together in person, we know what to do. A virtual lobby day is the next best thing to being there—and still powerfully effective.

Photo Credits: (left, clockwise from top) Staff, Perthsnap via Shutterstock, Adam M. Wilson Photography; (above) Staff PennEnvironment | 6

Last year, PennEnvironment’s Flora Cardoni advocated for legislation that would tackle climate change at the state capitol back when it was safe to gather in person. Our staff are still working to defend our state’s environmental protections, albeit from a safe social distance.

Photo credits: (clockwise from top left) Hannah Pittel, Staff, Hannah Pittel, ludovikus via Shutterstock, drewthehobbit via Shutterstock

PennEnvironment Clean Water and Conservation Advocate Stephanie Wein (bottom, right) joined members and legislators, such as U.S. Rep. Madeleine Dean and state Reps. Melissa Shusterman, Joe Webster and Tim Briggs (top, left) to speak out for the historic Great American Outdoors Act. PennEnvironment’s Field Director Flora Cardoni (top, right) worked to promote practices that protect land and wildlife in Pennsylvania.

Pennsylvania’s lands and waters are precious beyond comparison. This year, PennEnvironment worked to defend and expand protections for our special places and the wildlife that live there, standing up for state parks, reducing plastic waste, and more. And in July, we helped win a major victory for public lands.

Great American Outdoors Act passed into law, a historic step for protecting our public lands After years of work, PennEnvironment’s advocates, members, supporters and allies celebrated a massive win for our public lands. In July 2020, Congress passed the Great American Outdoors Act, and a month later, President Trump signed it into law. The act will fully fund the long-neglected, but highly effective, Land and Water Conservation Fund. That means $900 million a year for our public lands in Pennsylvania and across the nation, along with billions of dollars to clear a massive backlog of maintenance issues at our national parks. “The Great American Outdoors Act embraces what we all know to be true: Protecting and enhancing our public lands is an essential part of the American ethos,” said PennEnvironment’s Clean Water and Conservation advocate Stephanie Wein. “By locking in $900 million per year for outdoor projects, plus providing an infusion of money to address maintenance issues, Congress is reaffirming that commitment to the natural world.”

Philadelphia passes single-use plastic bag banIn Philadelphia, plans to reduce various forms of plastic waste have been floating around for years. Now, a ban on single-use plastic bags is just around the corner for city residents.

Philadelphia City Council passed legislation to ban single-use plastic bags after nearly a decade of debate on ways to address the city’s pollution and litter problems. The law sets strong standards for halting the distribution and sale of single-use plastic bags at Philadelphia grocery store, pharmacy and corner store counters.

“Plastic bags are the poster child for the environmental harm caused by single-use plastics,” said PennEnvironment Executive Director David Masur. “Nothing we use for a few minutes, such as these plastics bags, should be allowed to litter our communities, pollute our environment, and fill our landfills and incinerators for hundreds of years to come.”

The law will go into effect citywide in 2021.

Conservation

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PennEnvironment advocates and allies, such as Executive Director David Masur (top, right), Pennsylvania pollster Chris Borick (top, left), and Morgan Folger, director of our Destination: Zero Carbon campaign (bottom, right) raised awareness on the issues that threaten our environment with state Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta (right of Morgan). But that’s not all we’ve done. PennEnvironment advocated for commonsense solutions, urging our legislators, such as state Rep. Tim Briggs (bottom, left), to enact legislation that would clean up our state’s air and water.

Photo credits: (clockwise from top): Garen Meguerian, Staff, Hannah Pittel

The environmental progress we’ve made over the past few decades has faced an onslaught of rollbacks under the Trump administration. This year, PennEnvironment Research & Policy Center stood strong against attempts to unravel bedrock environmental laws.

Standing up to protect the Clean Car standardsOur national partner is going to court for clean air.

On May 27, PennEnvironment Research & Policy Center’s national partner, Environment America, joined 10 other nonprofit groups to file a lawsuit to halt the Trump administration’s action to weaken federal Clean Car standards. The petition challenges a rule by the Environmental Protection Agency and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration that violates several federal statutes, including the Clean Air Act, the Energy Procedure Act and the Administrative Procedure Act.

“Cleaning up our skies is a top priority for our region, and Pennsylvanians are ready to put our days as ‘The Smoky City’ behind us,” said Zachary Barber, clean air advocate with PennEnvironment Research & Policy Center. “There is no reason why anyone should be forced to breathe dirty air that jeopardizes their health.”

“We can’t choose whether or not to breathe the air,” added Flora Cardoni, field director with PennEnvironment Research & Policy Center. “But we can choose to fight to make the air cleaner.”

Defending our waterways from rollbacksThe Trump administration’s so-called “Dirty Water Rule” puts our rivers, streams and drinking water at risk. Our national partner is going to court to stop it.

Under the Trump administration, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Army Corps of Engineers have revoked federal protections for thousands of waterways across the country. On April 29, our national partner Environment America joined with the Southern Environmental Law Center to file suit to challenge the Dirty Water Rule. The streams and wetlands that would lose protections under this attack are crucial to the health of our waterways, providing habitat for wildlife, filtering pollutants and absorbing floodwaters.

“The Dirty Water Rule endangers waterways where millions of Americans swim, fish, boat and draw their drinking water,” said Ashleigh Deemer, deputy director with PennEnvironment. “It defies common sense, sound science and the law. Together with our national partner, we will not allow it to stand.”

Environmental Defense

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David MasurExecutive Director

Shannon Baudoin-ReaAdministrator

Ashleigh DeemerDeputy Director

Flora CardoniField Director

Stephanie WeinWater and Conservation Advocate

Kelly FlaniganGlobal Warming Solutions Campaign, Associate

Amanda LaphamClimate Defender Campaign Field Organizer

Alex LolaClimate Defender Campaign Field Organizer

Zachary BarberClean Air Advocate

Olivia PerfettiWestern Pennsylvania Field Organizer

Faran SavitzConservation Campaign Associate

Nicole BrunetPhiladelphia Field Office Director

Josh KratkaSenior Attorney, National Environmental Law Center

Photo credits: (left) PublicDomainPictures via Pixabay; (above) headshots by Staff except David Masur, Alex Lola (Garen Meguierian), Ashleigh Deemer, Zachary Barber (Adam M. Wilson Photography), Amanda Lapham, Faran Savitz (Hannah Pittel), Nicole Brunet (Kimball Nelson), Josh Kratka (Matthew Limbach); (back cover) Marilyn D. Lambertz via Shutterstock

Our staff (partial list)

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