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WILKES-BARRE — Karen Murphy, state Secretary of Health, this week announced updates about Pennsylvania’s medical marijuana program signed into law earlier this year by Gov. Tom Wolf.
The program is expected to be implemented by 2018 and will allow Pennsylvanians with serious medical conditions identified in Act 16 to have access to medical marijuana.
Here are four important updates Murphy feels people should know:
• DOH has finished drafting the temporary regulations for growers and processors and will have them available for review and feedback until Aug. 26. These temporary regulations provide details on the information and operational requirements for a grower/processor permit application.
• A survey was also released on the department’s website seeking input from the patient and caregiver community. The department will use the information from this survey to help draft the temporary regulations for patients and caregivers expected to be published by the end of 2016.
• The department has approved 53 Safe Harbor Letters to date and is processing 10 more applications. These letters enable parents, legal guardians, caregivers and spouses of minors under the age of 18 certified as having serious medical conditions to possess medical marijuana in approved form to administer to their minor within the commonwealth.
• Earlier this month, Murphy announced John Collins was named the director of the Office of Medical Marijuana. She said Collins has an impressive record of executive leadership experience that will serve him well in his new role of overseeing the commonwealth’s medical marijuana program.
Department of State steps
up voter education efforts
The Pennsylvania Department of State has launched a voter education push aimed at increasing voter registration and participation in the electoral process.
At the heart of the initiative is Everyone votesPA, the department’s comprehensive voter education program. Everyone votesPA includes a web-based educational and social media toolkit, including downloadable materials.
Secretary of State Pedro A. Cortés is asking civic organizations and educational institutions across the state for assistance in getting out the word. He said colleges and universities will be key to the effort.
There are approximately 2 million eligible Pennsylvanians not registered to vote, according to U.S. Census and Department of State statistics.
The Everyone votesPA material guides voters through all aspects of voting, from registration to the actual experience at the polling place as well as absentee voting.
The complete voter education toolkit, which includes a 2016 Voter Guide and “Top 5 Things Every Pennsylvania Voter Should Know for the 2016 Elections,” can be found at Everyone.votesPA.com. The site also features a welcome video from Secretary Cortés and a PowerPoint presentation.
The voter registration deadline for the November general election is Oct. 11.
2014 air emissions inventory released for
unconventional natural gas operations
According to the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection’s (DEP) latest inventory of air emissions for the unconventional natural gas operation industry, several categories of contaminants have increased.
The inventory represents 2014 emissions from Marcellus Shale natural gas production and processing operations as well as compressor stations that receive gas from coal gas, conventional, and unconventional well sites. Air emissions from the industry are required to be reported to DEP under Pennsylvania’s Air Pollution Control Act.
According to the recently released 2015 Annual Oil and Gas Report, production from unconventional gas wells increased significantly, from 3.1 trillion cubic feet of gas to 4.1 trillion cubic feet.
In 2014, there was a slight (1%) increase in reported methane emissions, a highly potent greenhouse gas that contributes to climate change. In January, Governor Tom Wolf announced an ambitious strategy to reduce emissions of methane from natural gas well sites, processing facilities, compressor stations and along pipelines through state-of-the-art leak detection programs, best operational practices and updated permitting requirements.
DEP began collecting emissions data from owners and operators of unconventional natural gas sources in 2011. In 2012, DEP expanded the data reporting requirement to include midstream compressor stations that support the conventional natural gas industry. DEP again expanded the reporting requirements in 2013 to include data from mid-stream compressor stations that support coal-bed methane formations.
Pennsylvania unemployment rate
remains at 5.6 percent in July
The Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry last week released its employment situation report for July 2016, showing the state’s unemployment rate is unchanged from June at 5.6 percent.
Pennsylvania’s rate remained above that of the U.S., which, at 4.9 percent, also stayed at its June level.
Pennsylvania’s civilian labor force was down 15,000 from June to 6,521,000. Resident employment declined by 18,000 while the unemployment count increased by 3,000.
Total non-farm jobs rose 7,900 to 5,891,100 in July. Six of the 11 super-sectors added jobs from June. The largest movement was a gain of 3,100 in education and health services. The largest drop was 1,600 in both financial activities and professional and business services.
Over the year, total non-farm jobs in Pennsylvania were up 58,000 (+1.0 percent). Nine of the 11 super-sectors added jobs from last July. The largest increase from last year was in education & health services (+28,000), while the largest decline was in mining & logging (-9,300).
Note: The above data are seasonally adjusted. Seasonally adjusted data provide the most valid month-to-month comparison.
