Alex Johnson, communications and media relations manager at the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, this week commented on the recently passed state budget.
Johnson said Pennsylvania legislators passed a state budget that proposed stronger requirements for applying noxious food waste to farm fields and required data centers to report water and energy use.
Gov. Josh Shapiro signed the commonwealth’s $50.8 billion General Fund budget for fiscal year 2026-2027 last Sunday.
Johnson said included in the budget were proposed new guidelines for food processing waste management, as well as required environmental reporting for data centers.
“There is growing controversy in Pennsylvania around applying food waste as fertilizer to farm fields,” Johnson said. “This mixture of blood, meat scraps, fat, and other food waste is commonly called Food Processing Residuals (FPRs). When not properly handled, it leads to pollution and an overpowering stench.
“This substance is currently not regulated and does not require certain setbacks from streams and timely applications the way that traditional fertilizer does.”
Johnson said the budget included guidance for regulators to establish best management practices for the storage, processing and land application of food waste on agricultural lands — a set of guidelines that was last updated in 2001.
“It also requires the State Conservation Commission, in collaboration with the Department of Agriculture and Department of Environmental Protection, to create regulations to reduce harm from improper storage and use of this waste, which can create increased nutrient pollution to our local waters and harmful odors,” Johnson said.
Data centers
Johnson said data centers are already affecting Pennsylvanians by using significant quantities of public water resources, increasing electricity bills, and filling communities with noise and harmful air pollution from diesel generators.
“The budget included a provision that requires data centers to report their energy and water use annually,” Johnson said. “Reports are to be filed annually to the Department of Environmental Protection and made public.”
Johnson said there were four other bills and provisions that the Chesapeake Bay Foundation supports regarding various guardrails on data centers that have passed the House.
“None of these were passed in the budget, and they still await action on the Senate floor, as CBF advocates to get them passed,” Johnson said.
CBF Pennsylvania Executive Director Julia Krall issued the following statement:
“Guidance and regulations around applying noxious food waste to farm fields is long overdue.
“This provision helps farmers know what they are applying on their lands and adds guardrails to protect the soil, water, and health of the local communities.
“Required reporting on data centers is a step in the right direction, but we must move further. Pennsylvania needs more guardrails to ensure data centers are not an environmental and community threat. Creating reasonable rules for the responsible use of water and energy must be a priority for the General Assembly.
“Tracking and limiting water use for data centers is critical to ensuring the water in our state stays clean and available to the communities that need it. Without monitoring, risks go undetected, and our leaders cannot make informed policy decisions.
“We look forward to working with the General Assembly in the future to ensure that everyone in Pennsylvania can enjoy clean water and thriving communities, and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania stays on track to meet our commitments in the revised Chesapeake Bay Watershed Agreement.”
DEP: Air quality improving across most of Pennsylvania
Air quality is expected to improve across most of Pennsylvania as wildfire smoke continues to move out of the region.
The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) has issued a Code Orange Air Quality Alert for particulate matter (PM2.5) for Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery, and Philadelphia counties, while the rest of the commonwealth is expected to remain in the Code Yellow (moderate) range.
Conditions have improved since Friday, when much of Pennsylvania experienced Code Purple and Code Red air quality alerts due to wildfire smoke from Canada and the northern U.S.
Rain and thunderstorms from the weekend are expected to help reduce PM2.5 concentrations across much of the commonwealth.
During Code Orange Air Quality Alerts, residents should avoid long or intense outdoor activities, and sensitive groups such as children, elderly residents, and those with respiratory illnesses should avoid all outdoor activities. All residents are encouraged to move activities indoors.
Residents and businesses within the Air Quality Alert areas are strongly encouraged to voluntarily help reduce fine particulate matter air pollution by:
• Avoiding the use of gas-powered lawn and garden equipment
• Avoiding the open burning of leaves, trash, and other materials
Hunters, anglers, conservation groups urge strengthening Conservation Reserve Program in 2026 Farm Bill
Recently, 51 conservation and sportsmen’s organizations sent a letter to the U.S. Senate Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Committee expressing strong support for the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) as the Committee prepares to consider a 2026 Farm Bill.
Now in its 40th year, CRP is one of USDA’s flagship voluntary conservation programs and one of the most powerful tools available for creating and restoring the wildlife habitat that hunters and anglers depend on – while also delivering significant benefits for farmers, ranchers, wildlife, soil health, and water quality across the country.
The letter urges the Committee to increase resources in the Farm Bill’s conservation title to deliver meaningful investment and improvements to CRP. Despite the program’s proven success and widespread popularity among producers and landowners, CRP has been operating under short-term extensions since 2023 and has not received substantive policy updates or new resources since the 2018 Farm Bill — even as Congress made historic investments in all other major Farm Bill conservation programs.
Since its inception in 1985, CRP has served as a critical part of the farm safety net, helping producers and landowners manage risk, generate on-farm income, provide forage during extreme drought, and conserve environmentally sensitive lands.
BACK WOODS BASS RESULTS
Week of July 5
Bob Strunk reports results from the Back Woods Bass Harveys Lake Wednesday Night Lunker Tournament, the Back Woods Bass Harveys Lake Friday Night Tournament and the Monday Night River Tournament.
Monday Night
River Tournament
1st Place: Jake Seymour/Jared Adamski/Ryan Borton 5.94 lbs (Also won Lunker Award 1.60 lbs)
2nd Place: Ron Russo/Breandom Angley 5.14 lbs
3rd Place: Brad Glazenski/Keith Stephens 4.94 lbs
4th Place: Jerry & Jerry Vitale 4.85 lbs
5th Place: Bob & Cindy 4.40 lbs
Wednesday Night
Harveys Lake Lunker Tournament
1st Place: Andre Harris 3.92 lbs
2nd Place: Jake Seymour 3.91 lbs
3rd Place: Ryan Borton 3.34 lbs
4th Place: Duke 3.01 lbs
5th Place: Greg Mikulski Jr. 2.97 lbs
6th Place: Kevin Seymour 2.96 lbs
7th Place: Mike Borton 2.90 lbs
8th Place: Colby Roberts 2.71 lbs
9th Place: Chris Kalna 2.67 lbs
10th Place: Nate Hazeltine 2.22 lbs
Friday Night
Harveys Lake Tournament
1st Place: Jake & Kevin Seymour 13.35 lbs (Also won Lunker Award 3.70 lbs)
2nd Place: Jim Bojonny/Mitch Bailey 11.42 lbs
3rd Place: Matt Fredmonski/Marka Maros 9.70 lbs
4th Place:. Pete Sulla 9.37 lbs
5th Place: Nate Hazeltine/Rich Harris 8.26 lbs
6th Place: Tommy Smith 6.06 lbs