LEGISLATIVE ROUNDUP: DEP invests $19.6M to help businesses cut fuel costs to save money

Home News LEGISLATIVE ROUNDUP: DEP invests $19.6M to help businesses cut fuel costs to... Facebook Twitter Pinterest Linkedin ReddIt Email Print By Bill O’Boyle [email protected] The Pennsylvania State Capitol in Harrisburg. AP File Photo Shirley The grand opening of Temple’s Dental Education Center and Clinic in downtown Tamaqua marked a first-of-its-kind initiative designed to improve access to dental care and address the shortage of dental professionals in rural communities. Submitted Photo Sunday ❮ ❯ 🔊 Listen to this WILKES-BARRE — The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) is investing $19.6 million in 18 organizations across Pennsylvania to help reduce fuel costs, replace older diesel-powered equipment with cleaner transportation technologies, and improve air quality. The projects are expected to save recipients an estimated $1.16 million by reducing or eliminating diesel fuel costs. An estimated $991,000 of that will be from projects to replace diesel engines with electric alternatives. With diesel prices remaining high, transitioning to more fuel-efficient and electric equipment can help Pennsylvania businesses and organizations lower operating costs, reduce their reliance on diesel, and put more money back into their operations. The grants are being awarded through the PA Freight Innovations in Transportation (PA-FIT) Grant Program, which supports the transition to cleaner technologies in freight and cargo transportation. PA-FIT is part of DEP’s Driving PA Forward initiative. In addition to helping recipients save on fuel, the projects are expected to reduce nitrogen oxides (NOx) emissions by approximately 88 tons annually, along with a combined 34-ton annual reduction in particulate matter, hydrocarbons, and carbon monoxide. “Through this investment, we’re reducing harmful emissions while supporting cleaner transportation solutions and healthier communities,” said DEP Secretary Jessica Shirley. “These projects will help recipients save more than $1.1 million annually in fuel costs — and with diesel fuel still over $6 per gallon, these projects will keep that money from going up in smoke.” The following local organizations were awarded funds: Lackawanna County Nicholas Trucking, $163,134: Replacing diesel-powered Class 7 box trucks with new propane trucks. The project will save an estimated 3,529 gallons of diesel and $23,256 in fuel costs. Luzerne County Excel (DHL Supply Chain), $142,898: Replacing a diesel-powered Class 8 yard truck with a battery-electric powered truck. The project will save an estimated 600 gallons of diesel and $3,954 in fuel costs. DEP’s mission is to protect Pennsylvania’s air, land, and water resources and to provide for the health and safety of its residents and visitors. The agency has: • Plugged over 500 wells, more than the past two administrations combined. • Announced the first round of the RISE PA grants providing $267 million in Medium- and Large-Award Track grants, part of one of the largest federal grants received in Pennsylvania. • Eliminated historic backlog of more than 2,400 permits that were overdue and on the clock as of Nov. 1, 2023. • Launched the Streamlining Permits for Economic Expansion and Development (SPEED) program to speed up and streamline permitting process. • Had access to Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) funding to protect the health and safety of Pennsylvanians through plugging wells and reclaiming abandoned mine land through a lawsuit filed against the federal government. Grand opening held at dental clinic Sen. Dave Argall, R-Pottsville, Rep. Jamie Barton, R-Tamaqua, and U.S. Rep. Dan Meuser, R-Pa., recently joined with Temple University, state and local officials, and community partners to celebrate the grand opening of Temple’s Dental Education Center and Clinic in downtown Tamaqua — a first-of-its-kind initiative designed to improve access to dental care and address the shortage of dental professionals in rural communities. The project represents a $31 million investment from Temple University, state and federal government, the Tamaqua CRIZ Authority, and the Morgan Foundation. This total includes $14 million in federal Rural Transformation funding, announced today, which will help ensure the clinic’s long-term success and support the expansion of this innovative model to other rural communities. “When we first announced this idea, some of my critics on Facebook thought I had to be hallucinating,” Argall said. “Today, we are celebrating a remarkable facility that is already changing lives. This is what happens when people come together and work collaboratively. This is one of the largest investments in Tamaqua’s history, and it is well worth every penny.” “Rural health care, including dental care, is a major concern in the commonwealth,” Barton said. “The only way to address it is to innovate, and that’s just what Temple’s dental clinic in Tamaqua is doing.” “This clinic will fill a critical gap in rural dental care and train future dental professionals here in Schuylkill County,” Meuser said. The legislators emphasized that the clinic represents much more than a major economic investment. “Dental care can literally be a matter of life and death,” they said. “This clinic will help ensure more families have access to the care they need while training future dental professionals right here in our region.” The clinic also offers a promising solution to rural dental shortages. Research suggests students who receive their education and clinical experience in smaller communities are more likely to establish practices in similar communities. AG joins effort to pass Kids Online Safety Act Attorney General Dave Sunday this week joined a bipartisan coalition of 45 attorneys general urging Congress to pass the Senate version of the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA) — legislation aimed at strengthening online protections for children and teens. The letter calls on Congress to establish stronger nationwide protections for children online, including establishing minimum safety standards for social media and gaming platforms while preserving states’ authority to enact and enforce laws protecting children from online harms. Sunday has been committed to protecting children online from addictive platforms, bullying, harmful chatbots, and other dangerous uses of AI and modern technology. “I am well aware of the very real dangers and extreme stress children encounter online every single day, and am proud to say the great work we have done to keep them safe has only just begun,” Sunday said. “As a father, I understand why online spaces and modern tech concerns parents and families. It is well-documented — and known to social media companies — that extended use of social media is harmful. Parents deserve to know they have a strong advocate willing and able to act quickly as new threats emerge. Congress has an opportunity — and a responsibility — to put children first.” The renewed call for federal legislation follows the recently announced $17 billion multistate settlement with Meta, which requires the company to implement significant safeguards designed to protect users under 18 on Facebook and Instagram. These include daily time limits, restrictions on nighttime use, stronger protections against bullying, limits on certain potentially harmful content, and enhanced parental controls. In their letter, the attorneys general emphasized that the safeguards established through the landmark Meta settlement — while significant — cannot provide consistent protections across the entire technology industry. The attorneys general also highlighted the importance of KOSA’s Duty of Care provision, which would establish a lasting standard for all social media and gaming platforms that extends beyond the terms of the settlement. Unlike a settlement with an individual company, this legislation would adapt as technologies and plat