Pennsylvania Lake Erie Environmental Forum
The PA Department of Environmental Protection identified public participation and input as critical components of comprehensive policy creation for the Great Lakes and Lake Erie Basin.
The purpose of the Pennsylvania Lake Erie Environmental Forum (PA LEEF), is to present information to the public on water quality, scientific studies, policy issues, Department and partner actions on Pennsylvania Lake Erie tributaries, and larger-scale policies across the Great Lakes.
The PA LEEF venue will provide the opportunity for staff to gather comments and input from meeting attendees.
LEEF Meetings, Agendas, and Summaries
April 18, 2016 Agenda I Summary I Attendee list
The initial meeting of PA LEEF covered a broad set of topics such as water diversion in the Great Lakes; how commissions and organizations Pennsylvania DEP is involved with address environmental issues; how Pennsylvania utilizes funding it receives from federal and state sources; new methods of online interaction with spatial data; projects that evaluate and monitor erosion along Pennsylvania’s shorelines; monitoring of the health of Lake Erie, and current nutrient reduction actions.
- An Introduction to Coastal Science in Pennsylvania- Jake Moore, PA DEP
- Assessing Pennsylvania's Lake Tributaries- Nate Irwin, PA DEP
- Great Lakes Governance: Compacts and Commissions- Tim Bruno, PA DEP
- Great Lakes Integrated Services: Gathering Information, and Maximizing Data and Web Access- Sean Rafferty, Pennsylvania Sea Grant
- The Dead Zone, or... The Role of Nutrients in the Cultural Eutrophication of Lake Erie- Jim Grazio, PA DEP
September 19, 2016 Agenda I Summary I Attendee list
Status of current drafts of the Pennsylvania Domestic Action Plan to meet Lake Erie phosphorus reduction targets and timelines for implementation. The Special Focus topic will be stormwater management and the roles municipalities play in protecting Lake Erie water quality. Presentations will introduce new methods available to municipalities to sustainably fund stormwater management responsibilities and infrastructure.
- Great Lakes Roundup- Tim Bruno, PA DEP
- Great Lakes Biology Updates- Jim Grazio, PA DEP
- Stormwater Fees? Why and How to Get Started- Steven R. Halmi, P.E., Deiss & Halmi Engineering, Inc.
- Pennsylvania Lake Erie Environmental Forum Meeting- Timothy S. Wachter, Esq., Knox McLaughlin Gornall & Sennett, P.C.
December 12, 2016 AgendaI Summary I Attendee list
This third meeting of PA LEEF covered a broad set of topics such as updates on the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement; the Great Lakes Basin Compact and Agreement; the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative and the Pennsylvania State Water Plan. In addition, DEP staff highlighted upcoming grant opportunities and discussed the Pennsylvania Phosphorous Reduction Domestic Action Plan.
- Great Lakes Roundup- Tim Bruno, PA DEP
- PA VinES~ Sustainable Viticulture Practices for Concord and Niagara Production in the Lake Erie Region- Andy Muza, Penn State Extension
- VinES program- Working with Grape Growers in the Lake Erie Watershed- Tom McClure, Erie County Conservation District
- Energy from AG and Food Processing Waste- Tom Wilson, PE, Wilson Engineering Services, PC
April 24, 2017 Agenda / Summary
A number of updates were covered including Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement; Great Lakes Basin Compact Agreement; Great Lakes Restoration Initiative Update; and the State Water Plan update.
- Great Lakes Roundup - Tim Bruno, PA DEP
- 2017 E.coli Bacteria & Harmful Algae Bloom Monitoring - Amber Stillwell, Regional Science Consortium
- Small-scale Wastewater Treatment in Erie County - Ron Salisbury & Mike Chizewick, Erie County Dept. of Health
For more information or to register to attend a future PA LEEF meeting please contact Marti Martz, (814) 217-9011, x104 (mam60@psu.edu) or Tim Bruno, (814)835-1477 (tibruno@pa.gov).