Environmental Resources, Manuscript Groups 325-442

MG-325 Pine Street Presbyterian Church Photograph Collection

[ca. 1895-1925]
2 cu. ft.

The Pine Street Presbyterian Church Photograph Collection is comprised of 176 glass lantern slides and new slides in a binder made from the originals. The use of the glass slides is restricted but the new slides may be consulted by researchers. Views include various Harrisburg buildings and street including the first Pennsylvania capitol building before, during, and after the fire of 1897 and the reconstruction of the second capitol. There are also views of Bridgeport (Lemoyne); various bridges, canals, and railroads; the floods of 1899 and 1920; funeral trains of Presidents Lincoln and McKinley passing through the area; and King Albert of Belgium's visit to the state capitol. The slides were originally brought together for a 1920s nostalgia show of Harrisburg area buildings and landmarks and were donated to the State Archives in 1967 by the Pine Street Presbyterian Church. This collection consists of 176 slides of which numbers 148 through 168 are of special interest to environmental historians because they depict the flooding of the Susquehanna at and above Harrisburg in 1899 and 1920.

• #148. Cumberland Valley R. R. Bridge & flood of 1899
• #149. Unknown bridge with flood damage
• #150. Susquehanna River from Front & State Sts; high water & ice flood of March 15, 1920
• #151. 1899 Flood Stage at foot of North Street
• #152. Old ferryboat at Front & Broad Streets overturned by ice and flood, March 15, 1920
• #153. Rear of houses in "Hardscrabble" area above Broad Street, ice & flood of March 15, 1920
• #154. Front Street above Reilly Street, ice and flood of March 15, 1920
• #155. Ice jam on Susquehanna River above Harrisburg, March 15, 1920
• #156. Ice jam at Riverside, Dauphin County on March 15, 1920
• #157. Ice and water up to top of riverbank opposite Coxestown Hotel, March 15, 1920
• #158. Ice cakes floating past the Coxestown Hotel during height of flood, March 15, 1920
• #159. Ice cakes on road at Coxestown Hotel looking toward Rockville Bridge, March 15, 1920
• #160. Ice and water in street below Rockville Bridge, March 15, 1920
• #161. Ice jam on the Susquehanna River opposite Rockeville, Pa., March 15, 1920
• #162. A dead hog on ice cake under Rockville Bridge, March 15, 1920
• #163. House damaged by ice and flood at Rockville, March 15, 1920
• #164. Ice and flood at Rockville, looking north, March 15, 1920
• #165. Ice and high water on the Susquehanna above Rockville, March 15, 1920
• #166. Home of John Weaver & Rockville Post Office destroyed by flood waters, March 15, 1920
• #167. Ice and flood above Rockville Bridge, March 15, 1920
• #168. Low water stage of the Susquehanna River at Harrisburg

MG-342 George H. Earle Papers

1932-1939, 1949, 1966 and undated
23 cu. ft.

George Howard Earle III led Pennsylvania through the height of the Great Depression. He was born in Devon, Chester County, on December 5, 1890, the son of George H. Earle Jr. and Catherine Hansell French Earle. According to historians, the governor was a direct descendant of John Howland who arrived in Massachusetts on the Mayflower in 1620 and a tenth generation descendant of Ralph Earle who emigrated from his native Devon, England, to Rhode Island in 1634. Other ancestors, some of whom were Quakers, included Thomas Earle, candidate for vice president and "Father of the Convention" to revise Pennsylvania's Constitution in 1838; Gregory Clement, one of the English judges who tried King Charles I in 1648 (Clement was condemned to death by King Charles II); Captain Gabriel Wayne, father of General "Mad" Anthony Wayne; a number of prominent ancestors associated with William Penn, such as Thomas French, who joined Penn in signing "Concessions and Agreements" for New Jersey; William Buckman, Penn's neighbor and fellow passenger on the ship Welcome in 1682; Henry Baker who sat in Penn's Provincial Council and in the Assembly; and Nathaniel Newitt, a colonial assemblyman. Earle was also related to Lucretia Mott, an anti-slavery and women's rights leader.

Earle was first educated at Delancey School, Philadelphia, and at Harvard University from 1909-1911. He later received honorary law degrees in 1935, including an LL.B. from Temple University and LL.D. and LH.D. degrees from Waynesburg College. After spending some time abroad after leaving Harvard, he returned to work with his father in the sugar industry before moving to Chicago to try his hand at various business endeavors. On January 20, 1916, Earle married Huberta F. Potter of Bowling Green, Kentucky, with whom he had four sons. That same year, when Mexico's revolutionary General Pancho Villa attacked a U.S. border town, Earle enlisted in the Second Pennsylvania Infantry and was assigned to the Mexican border. When the United States entered the World War in 1917, he enlisted in the Navy, receiving the rating of boatswain's mate. Within a few months, he was promoted to command of the U.S.S. Victor, a submarine chaser, which had been his own private yacht. On February 18, 1918, while the Victor was cruising off the Atlantic coast with a cargo of depth charges and a large reserve supply of gasoline aboard, an explosion in the engine room spread fire throughout the vessel. By leading his men to safety and working side by side with them, he succeeded in saving his ship without loss of life. For this service, President Wilson conferred upon him the Navy Cross, citing Earle for his "heroic and inspiring leadership."

Returning to private life, he founded the Flamingo Sugar Mills, in Philadelphia, of which he became president. He also became a director and vice president of the Pennsylvania Sugar Company, a director of the Tradesmen's National Bank and Trust Company, and a director of the Horn and Hardart Company of New York. He was occupied with these and other business activities until 1932, when he entered political life to support the presidential candidacy of Franklin D. Roosevelt, who afterward named him Minister Plenipotentiary to the Republic of Austria. Earle was an early leader in warning Washington about the dangers of Nazism. After filling this post during the most turbulent period in the history of that country, he resigned his position in 1934 to become the Democratic candidate for governor of Pennsylvania. In accepting his resignation, President Roosevelt expressed regret that there was no decoration that could be bestowed upon him for the excellent service he had rendered. Secretary of State Cordell Hull commended him for the "admirable and efficient manner" in which he had discharged his duties.

Earle became the leading choice for Democratic leaders hoping to gain control of state government. Earle's deep family roots linked to distinguished Pennsylvanians and colonialists, his success as a businessman and war hero, and an athletic appearance appealed to voters. Earle was also known as a sportsman. He was captain of the All-Philadelphia Polo Team that won a national championship in 1930. He was also a hunter, fisherman, and a breeder of dogs.

Only one Democrat (Robert Pattison) had been elected governor between the Civil War and 1934, and that was forty-four years prior to Earle. A political newcomer, Earle ran against distinguished Philadelphia attorney William A. Schnader, who was the attorney general under Governor Pinchot. It was also true that no Democrat running for president had carried Pennsylvania since James Buchanan in 1856 and Pennsylvania was one of only six states President Franklin D. Roosevelt (FDR) failed to carry in 1932. In 1933, more than thirty-seven percent of workers in the state were unemployed. Roosevelt proposed radical new measures that appealed to voters and Democrats were able to capitalize on economic issues. Many Pennsylvanians were impatient for the arrival of the president's "New Deal" and unhappy with the state legislature blocking unemployment. Roosevelt's coattails swept many Democrats into power in 1934. Earle defeated Schnader by 66,329 votes out of 2.9 million cast.

Earle quickly went to work on his "Little New Deal" proposals. A record 3,514 bills were introduced in the state legislature in Earle's first two years and, although the state Senate blocked many bills, many were passed. The Works Progress Administration put 200,000 people back to work and 19,000 more in the Civilian Conservation Corp found work. Finally in 1936, legislation passed to provide unemployment compensation and the Bureau of Employment Security was established, with the first payments effective in January 1938. Welfare reform was also passed during Earle's term. A state Department of Public Assistance centralized relief efforts and replaced the outdated county poor boards.

The legislature also passed the state's first civil rights bill and the first gasoline and cigarette tax; approved the construction of the Pennsylvania Turnpike; passed the nation's first milk control bill; and outlawed the worker-hated coal and iron police hired by mining companies to enforce company interests. Pennsylvania's Blue laws were finally relaxed to allow people to go to the movies or enjoy fishing on Sundays, the last state in the U. S. to allow the latter. The "Little Wagner Act" improved worker rights by prohibiting unions formed by companies, company spies, strikebreakers, and blacklists. Teachers were given tenure, a stronger child labor act was put into law, and a maximum forty-four hour workweek for women was established. Pennsylvania voters rejected Earle's desire to revise the state constitution and a graduated income tax was declared unconstitutional.

Governor Earle's substantial accomplishments near the end of his term were eclipsed by political charges against other Democratic leaders who were accused of macing, graft, and corruption. Internal feuding among Democrats also did not help Earle who, although constitutionally prohibited to succeed himself, sought election to the U.S. Senate. But the pendulum swung back to the Republicans who retook the governor's office with Arthur James and defeated Earle in the election to the Senate with James J. Davis.

After leaving office, Earle continued to have a distinguished career. He had dispelled rumors that he would be a candidate for president in 1940 by solidly endorsing FDR. Earle did not run again for office, but in 1940 FDR appointed him U.S. Minister to Bulgaria. In the summer of 1941, before America entered World War II, in a private meeting Earle insulted Adolph Hitler to his face by saying, "I have nothing against the Germans, I just don't like you." In 1943, when by then the former governor was the associate Naval attache to Turkey, Earle presented a plan to FDR that Earle believed might end war in Europe early. The German ambassador and the head of the German secret service secretly proposed to Earle that German troops could surround Hitler's headquarters and turn Hitler over to the Allies as a war criminal. German troops then would be repositioned to defend against the Russian military. The plot was never approved.

Following the war, Earle became the first governor to be divorced and in 1945, he was married to Jacqueline Marthe Germine Sacre of Belgium with whom he had a daughter and a son. That same year, he was appointed assistant governor of Samoa. After that he returned to private business. George H. Earle died in Bryn Mawr, Montgomery County, on December 30, 1974, and is buried there in the Church of the Resurrection Cemetery.

Subject file, 1935-1939

Box 1, "Anthracite Coal Commission"

• Minutes:
  • Public Hearing concerning Grievance of Miners from No. 8 Level No.8 Colliery of the Lehigh Navigation Coal Company, Oct. 19, 1937, folder 4
• Reports:
  • W. Jett Lauck & James W. Angell, "Commonwealth of Pa. Ad Interim Report, Anthracite Coal Industry Commission," May 15, 1937, folder 2
  • Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Anthracite Coal Industry Commission, "Bootlegging or Illegal Mining of Anthracite Coal in Pennsylvania: A Census and Survey of the Facts," 1937, folder 3
  • Morris L. Ernst, "Anthracite Coal Industry Commission," May 17, 1937, folder 3
• Speech:
  • Earle at the Governor's Coal Conference, Sept. 27, 1937, folder 1

Box 1, "Anthracite Coal Safety Commission"

• Report:
  • "Report of the Findings of the Anthracite Coal Safety Commission Appointed by Governor George H. Earle, 1938."

Box 3, "Ohio River Valley Water Sanitation Compact, 1938-39"

• Correspondence:
  • Edith MacBride-Dexter to Earle, Jan. 12, 1939 re pollution control in the Ohio River Basin
• Proceedings:
  • "Proceedings of the Fifth Conference of Delegates Appointed to Draft an Ohio River Valley Water Sanitation Compact," Oct. 11, 1938, Cincinnati

General Correspondence, 1934-1939

Box 12

• Folder labeled "Correspondence, N-R":
  • President Franklin D. Roosevelt to Earle, Jan. 15, 1935 re collaboration between Commonwealth and federal officials to enforce the "Lumber Code"
  • Roosevelt to Earle, April 30, 1935 re acknowledgement of Earle's letter of April 16, 1935 concerning development of water resources
  • Roosevelt to Earle, Dec. 2, 1936 re acquisition of federal forest land by Pa. Dept. of Forests and Waters

MG-389 James A. Beaver Collection

1790, 1796, 1841, 1849-1915 & undated
1.5 cu. ft.

Like five previous governors, James Addams Beaver was also a hero of the Civil War. Although General Beaver lost a leg in the war in 1864, his spirit remained intact and he distinguished himself during many years of service to Pennsylvania. Beaver was born October 21, 1837, at Millerstown, Perry County, the third child of Jacob Beaver, a successful general merchant whose grandfather arrived in Chester County from Germany about 1740, and Ann Eliza Addams, from a Presbyterian family that helped settle Millerstown. One of Ann Eliza's brothers commanded two brigades of state militia in the War of 1812 and another brother was a member of the U.S. Congress.

Beaver was less than three years old when his father died in 1840. Beaver's mother remarried in 1845 to a Presbyterian minister, S. H. McDonald, a classical scholar, who became Beaver's mentor, private tutor, and saw to a solid education for his stepson. The family relocated to Belleville in Mifflin County, where he began his formal schooling, although young James Beaver often returned to Millerstown to live with his grandfather and worked on neighboring farms during his summers. His mother kept a silver dollar, his first money earned, for many years as a memento of his youthful industry. After completing studies at Pine Grove Academy, Centre County, he entered Jefferson College, Canonsburg, (now Washington and Jefferson College) as a junior, graduating August 6, 1856. Beaver next studied law with Hugh N. McAllister in Bellefonte and was admitted to the bar January 24, 1859. The association with McAllister proved very important to Beaver. The elder McAllister made Beaver a law partner and, following the Civil War, McAllister became his father-in-law when Beaver married Mary Allison McAllister on December 26, 1865. Together they would have five sons.

Prior to that, Beaver's law career was interrupted on April 18, 1861, when he entered the army during the War of the Rebellion. Within three days he was assigned as first lieutenant of Company H, 2nd Regiment, made up of the former "Fencibles" volunteers of Bellefonte. Three months later on July 22, Governor Curtin appointed him lieutenant colonel of Pennsylvania's 45th Regiment, serving with that regiment until September 4, 1862. His most significant role in the Civil War took place after September 8, 1862, when Colonel Beaver took command of the of the 148th Regiment, Pennsylvania Volunteers. Between May 1863 and August 1864, Beaver was wounded four times. A nearly fatal wound suffered August 25, 1864, at Ream's Station, North Carolina, resulted in the amputation of his right leg at the hip. On September 3, close to death, Beaver scratched three words in his diary, "Commenced to die." By November 10, however, Beaver was transferred to his home and was informed that President Lincoln brevetted Beaver brigadier general, in recognition of his meritorious service, especially for his distinguished leadership at the battle of Cold Harbor, Virginia, in June 1864. With the exception of later serving as a major general and brigade commander in the Pennsylvania National Guard, 1867-1887, Beaver's military career ended and he was mustered out on December 22, 1864.

Returning to work with his law partner, H. N. McAllister, who had built a successful firm during the war, Beaver, except for becoming chief burgess of Bellefonte in 1865, was determined to avoid running for office and concentrate on a law career. He also served on the board of trustees for Pennsylvania State College (later Penn State University), Washington and Jefferson College, and Lincoln University, for the education of African American men, at Oxford, Pennsylvania. He was persuaded by Governor Curtin to submit his name for the state house in 1865 with the understanding he would not actively campaign, although he lost by only 141 votes. He continued to decline various other offers, including a run for Congress, and a nomination for governor in 1878. However, Beaver campaigned vigorously for Republican candidates and the Republican Party's eventual choice for governor, Henry Hoyt. In 1880, Beaver was unanimously elected chairman of the Pennsylvania delegation to the Republican Convention in Chicago. Beaver's name was circulated as a leading candidate for James Garfield's vice president, but again, Beaver quickly squelched the movement. However, Beaver's supporters, determined to see Beaver run for office, had succeeded in keeping the war hero prominent in political circles.

Finally, the Republican Party convinced Beaver to run for governor in 1861. However, the Republican Party, despite holding power in Harrisburg, was weakened by infighting and a poor economy, leading voters to choose Democrat Robert Pattison. However, the state Constitution of 1874 prohibited a governor from serving two successive terms, which then made Beaver the choice of the voters when he defeated Democrat Chauncey F. Black in the election of 1886.

Once in office in 1887, Governor Beaver set out to make substantial improvements in education and to the state's roads. Despite his heroic military background and often being addressed as General Beaver, the governor refused to use the state militia except for extreme emergencies. He also promoted conservation measures for forests and waterways, while advocating temperance legislation. He reduced the state debt by three million dollars and responded quickly to the victims of the disastrous 1889 Johnstown flood. Beaver's administration also helped settle the issues of reapportionment of voter districts, codified laws relating to the poor, and regulated coal to reduce waste. While governor in 1888, he also became the first layman in the history of the Presbyterian Church to serve as vice-moderator of the church's national general assembly.

After leaving office in 1891, Beaver returned to his law practice, but he continued to have a varied and publicly involved career. He served as president of the Blubaker Coal Company in Cambria County, but his final high mark was being appointed by Governor Hastings as one of seven judges to serve on the first state Superior Court, established in 1895. The court provided relief to an overburdened state Supreme Court and became a model for similar courts in the U.S. and throughout the world.

Beaver served as a Superior Court judge until he died on January 31, 1914. He is buried in Union Cemetery in Bellefonte. Beaver was one of five Pennsylvania governors and two governors of other states who resided in Bellefonte.

Box 1

• Correspondence:
  • Folder labeled "Description of Johnstown Flood," unsigned but attributed to John Bach MacMaster since the 42 page typescript corresponds to pages 4-69 in bound volume that credits MacMaster as author.
  • Folder labeled "1 volume typescript, 'A Partial Account of the Penna. Floods of 1889 by John B. MacMaster'," This is a leather bound and sewed book titled: A Partial Account of the Pennsylvania Floods of 1889 including the Conemaugh Valley and the Johnstown Disaster, the Juniata River and the West Branch of the Susquehanna. It is dated 1892. According to the prologue, MacMaster says he began the study for the state Flood Relief Commission. The Commission discontinued its support of the study for fear of lawsuits but MacMaster completed the research and published it himself.

MG 404 Dick Thornburgh Papers

1979-1987
576 cu. ft.

Richard (Dick) Thornburgh was born in Pittsburgh on July 16, 1932, the son of Charles G. and Alice Sanborn Thornburgh. He attended Pittsburgh area schools then Yale University where he earned a degree in engineering in 1954. Thornburgh completed a law degree with honors from the University of Pittsburgh in 1957 and, in 1958, became a member of the Pennsylvania Bar. He soon joined the law firm of Kirkpatrick and Lockhart.

While a practicing attorney Thornburgh was active in Pittsburgh's civic affairs and made his first attempt at public office by unsuccessfully running for the U.S. House of Representatives in 1966. He served as a delegate to Pennsylvania's constitutional convention in 1967-88 and advocated inclusion of local government home-rule provisions in the revised document. In 1969 the Nixon Administration appointed him as U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Pennsylvania when he earned a reputation as an anti-racketeering prosecutor and enforcer of the federal Organized Crime Control Act. Thornburgh held the U.S. Attorney's post until 1975 when President Ford appointed him Assistant Attorney General for the Justice Department's Criminal Division. He held the post until early 1977 when he returned to private law practice.

Thornburgh then launched a campaign for the governor's office; an open seat in 1978 as two-term governor Milton Shapp was unable to succeed himself. Thornburgh secured the primary in a race that included Philadelphian Arlen Specter, but was an underdog against Democratic opponent and Pittsburgh Mayor Peter Flaherty. Like Republicans in an earlier era, Democrats had built a solid base in Pennsylvania. Since 1960 statewide Democratic voter registration outpaced the GOP. The gap continued to widen through the 1960s and 1970s and by the time of the 1978 gubernatorial election Democrats held a 900,000-registrant edge. Added to Thornburgh's difficulties was his own polling that showed him down by thirty-two points about six months before the general election.

In an effort to gain an edge Thornburgh put together a highly organized campaign, raised money, and identified several key campaign themes; ethical and clean government leading among them. This issue resonated well with voters as over 230 officials at all levels of public service in the Keystone State had been convicted of, admitted to, or pleaded no contest to corruption charges between 1970 and 1978 including several individuals in the Shapp Administration. Thornburgh also promised fiscal integrity, another important issue in a state that faced a sliding credit rating and an insolvency approximating $100 million. The GOP candidate challenged Flaherty's record as Mayor, focused campaign efforts is the east where he was lesser known, and ran with lieutenant governor candidate William W. Scranton, III, whose well-known father had served as governor from 1963 to 1967. Thornburgh also courted non-traditional supporters including organized labor, black and Jewish voters, and Democrats dissatisfied with their party. Despite Flaherty's counter efforts, Thornburgh won the governorship by a 228,000- vote margin. He won reelection on November 2, 1982 by about 100,000 votes against Democrat Allen Ertel.

A troubled economy plagued Thornburgh from the outset as the state continued its transition away from heavy industry and manufacturing. One quip had it that "the national economy caught a cold; Pennsylvania came down with pneumonia". The steel industry was particularly hard hit by foreign imports and the relocation of domestic mills. Tens of thousands of union jobs were lost, remaining workers faced wage cuts, and in the Pittsburgh metro area alone the industry's workforce dropped from 41,500 in 1979 to 19,000 in 1983. When U.S. Steel announced the full or partial closing of 28 facilities in the United States in late 1983, thousands of people in areas like the Mon Valley faced long-term unemployment. With the closing of apparel, textile, and other manufacturing facilities, some areas saw double-digit unemployment rates.

In response Thornburgh launched the Ben Franklin Partnership, a well-received alliance between government, private industry, and research universities to foster high-tech enterprises. A Small Business Action Center was created and funding for the Pennsylvania Industrial Development Authority (PIDA) was quadrupled to attract new employers. The Commonwealth also implemented a customized job training program, a new travel and tourism initiative, and a $20 billion infrastructure improvement program. By the end of his term Thornburgh lay claim to creating 500,000 new jobs, most in service and technology. A reflection of the state's economic woes remained evident, however, in its unemployment compensation program that had incurred a record $2.7 billion deficit by the early 1980s. Gradual economic improvements and statutory amendments reversed the fund's negative cash flow by 1984, though its debt would not be eliminated until 1988.

The administration's fiscal policies resulted in balanced budgets, cuts to both personal and corporate income taxes, creation of a "rainy day" fund, and reductions to the Commonwealth's long-term indebtedness resulting in better credit ratings. Along with other cost-cutting measures about 15,000 positions were eliminated from the state bureaucracy during his tenure; a move that yielded both lean budgets and criticism from public sector workers and organized labor. There was little disagreement, however, about a new state employee's code of conduct.

Thornburgh also consolidated state-owned universities into an independent State System of Higher Education and created several "Governor's Schools" for exceptional high school students. Energy remained high on the agenda as well. In an era of gasoline lines and public skepticism about nuclear energy, the Commonwealth established an Energy Development Authority and examined alternative energy technologies. Revitalizing the coal industry was even explored, though the idea never progressed nor did Thornburgh's plan to dismantle state's liquor control system.

The most significant event during Thornburgh's tenure was the nuclear accident at Three Mile Island near Harrisburg. On March 28, 1979, equipment malfunctions and operator error resulted in a partial meltdown of Unit Two's reactor core. Several days of uncertainty about the accident's severity followed. With the guidance of the federal Nuclear Regulatory Commission Thornburgh was able to assess the situation. He ordered a limited evacuation and proved effective at calming public fear. Though the long-term consequences of the accident remain subject to debate, a complete reactor meltdown was averted. Thornburgh also oversaw the development of a comprehensive clean-up plan.

Thornburgh's lieutenant governor, William W. Scranton, III, narrowly lost the race to succeed him. Robert P. Casey of Lackawanna County took office on January 20, 1987. The former governor taught at Harvard University and directed its Institute of Politics from 1987 to1988, was appointed as U.S. attorney general and served from 1998 to 1991, and served as undersecretary general of the United Nations from 1992 to 1993. He unsuccessfully ran for U.S. Senate from Pennsylvania in 1991and currently serves as counsel to Kirkpatrick and Lockhart in Washington, D.C. Governor Thornburgh is married to the former Virginia (Ginny) Judson and has four sons; Peter, David, and John, and William.

Gubernatorial Correspondence

Three Mile Island

Cartons 6-10

(Cartons 1-5 were not presented to the Pennsylvania State Archives)

Available here is mainly incoming correspondence from the general public, government officials, and industry. There are no inter-department memos or letters documenting the Commonwealth's response to the Three Mile Island accident in 1979. In special interest are the letters from pro-environment groups.

Robert C. Wilburn, Secretary of Budget & Administration

• Correspondence
  • Documents are arranged alphabetically by subject. Within each subject there are various types of materials, i.e. correspondence, reports, news clippings, etc. Below are listed subject headings of interest to environmental historians, followed by the carton number and/or folder number.

Agriculture, Pa. Dept. of

Carton 408

• Correspondence:
  • Thornburgh to Richard Lyng, August 11, 1986 re emergency disaster declaration for Adams County due to drought, folder labeled "Agriculture Dept. 1979-80, 81-82"
  • Thornburgh to Lyng, July 25, 1986 re emergency disaster declaration for York County due to drought, in folder labeled "Agriculture Dept. 1979-80, 81-82"
  • Richard E. Grubb to Thornburgh, March 21, 1986 re his reply to Carmen Brutto newspaper editorial, in folder labeled "Agriculture Dept. 1979-80, 81-82"
  • 8% of state farmers caught in sticky financial quagmire," by Jane Blotzer, Pittsburgh Post Gazette, Feb. 19, 1985, in same folder
  • Thornburgh to Penrose Hallowell, Feb. 2, 1981 re Commonwealth's withdrawal from farming business in Montgomery County, in same folder
  • Hallowell to Thornburgh, March 6, 1980 re Gasohol, in same folder
• News clippings:
  • "8% of state farmers caught in sticky financial quagmire," by Jane Blotzer, Pittsburgh Post Gazette, Feb. 19, 1985, in "Agriculture Dept. 1979-80, 81-82"
  • "Bureaucracy is no match for Thornburgh's scalpel," Harrisburg Evening News, March 10, 1986, in folder labeled "Agriculture Dept. 1979-80, 81-82"
  • Amid prosperity, U.S. farmers continue to struggle," Pittsburgh Press, Dec. 3, 1984
  • "Debts drag down farming forecasts, Chicago Tribune, Dec. 3, 1984, folder labeled "Agriculture Dept., Releases, Books, Pamphlets, etc. 1979-80,81-82"
  • "Shapp distributes ag (sic) product but state refuses to license it for sale in Pennsylvania," by Steve Corbett, The Guide, vol. 11, no. 40, Oct. 3, 1979. Article is about a soil inoculant called Agrispon. In folder labeled "Agriculture Dept. 1979-80, 81-82."
• Publications:
  • Pennsylvania Farmers Association, Farmers, Dept. of Agriculture, Pennsylvania Agriculture...We're growing better! 1979
  • Business & Consumers: America's Winning Team for Prosperity, Nov. 1979; Pa.; both in folder labeled "Agriculture Dept. 1979-80, 81-82."
  • Penn State University & US Dept. of Agriculture, Farm Economics: Applying Municipal Wastewater to Farmland and Forests, undated
  • Farm Economics: Energy Conservation, Who's doing what? Undated; both in folder Agriculture Dept. 1979-80, 81-82
  • Penn State University College of Agriculture Extension Service, University Park, Shade Tree Spraying Equipment, (Leaflet no. 357) circa 1981, in folder Agriculture Dept. 1979-80, 81-82.
• Proclamations:
  • Pa. Dept. of Agriculture, Jan. 24, 1983, Pennsylvania Potato Month, February 1983, in folder Agriculture Dept. 1979-80, 81-82
  • Governor's Office, March 19, 1981, "Agriculture Day, March 19, 1981, in folder Agriculture Dept. 1979-80, 81-82
• Press releases:
  • U.S. Dept. of Agriculture, Forest Service, July 11, 1984 re "new wilderness acreage added to Eastern national forests," in folder "Agriculture Dept. Wash. DC, Books, pamphlets etc, 1979-1984"
  • Governor's Press Office, Sept. 15 and Oct. 11, 1984 re seventeen Pa. counties suffer crop damage due to drought," same folder

Air

Carton 403

• Correspondence:
  • Frank R. Romano to Thornburg, June 30, 1982 and Thornburgh to Romano, Dec. 17, 1979 re "Air and Water Pollution Control, Broad Ax, Pa"

American Oil and Gas Company

Carton 403

• Publication: American Oil & Gas Reporter, vol. 23, no. 10, Jan. 1981

Appalachian Regional Commission

Carton 411

• Correspondence:
  • Michael R. Wenger to Thornburgh, July 18, 1983 re passage of the FY 1984 Energy and Water Development Appropriation Bill
  • Thornburgh to William F. Winter, Sept. 12, 1983 re Governor to serve on board of directors of the Appalachian Foundation
  • Quentin E. Wood to Thornburgh, Oct. 26, 1979 re Quaker State Oil Refining Corporation proposal to replace oil with coal
• Speech:
  • Quentin E. Wood, "Replacing Oil with Coal (Coal Switching & Conversion)," to the conference of the Appalachian Regional Commission, Oct. 22-24, 1979
• Publication:
  • Appalachian Reporter, vol. 2, no. 8, May 1, 1980

Atlantic

Carton 413

• Correspondence:
  • Jack Moody to Thornburgh, June 29, 1983 and Thornburgh to Moody, July 27, 1983 re Atlantic Environmental Services Inc., Downingtown, Chester County
• Report:
  • Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission, "Thirty-seventh Annual Report, 1977-78"

Atlantic Richfield Corporation

Carton 413

• Publication:
  • Atlantic Richfield Corp., Chemical Company, Beaver Valley Plant, What's Happening? vo1. 4, no. 4, July 1982

Bethlehem Steel Corporation

Carton 422

• Report:
  • Bethlehem Steel Corporation, annual report for 1979
• Publication:
  • Bethlehem Steel Corporation, The goal of a healthful environment must be met and is being met, (booklet no. 3529) undated.

Delaware

Carton 462

• Correspondence:
  • Richard G. Myers to Nicholas De Benedictis, Oct. 3, 1984 re opposition of the group Del-AWARE Unlimited, Inc. to granting a National Pollution Discharge Elimination System permit to the Philadelphia Electric Company
  • James S. Lanard to Congressman Donald Bailey, May 9, 1980 re federal automobile emissions warranty
  • Lanard to Thornburgh, Dec. 3, 1979 re automobile emissions; Lanard to Douglas Costle, Oct. 2, 1979 re automobile emissions inspection and maintenance program for the Pa. Dept. of Transportation
  • Miriam Moss to Thornburgh, July 22, 1980 re the Delaware Valley Toxics Coalition's support for a Pennsylvania hazardous waste law
• Minutes:
  • Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission, meeting of July 26, 1984, Sept. 28, 1984, July 24, 1986
• Litigation:
  • U.S. Supreme Court, "Pennsylvania et al v. Delaware Valley Citizens' Council for Clean Air," case no. 85-5. Argued March 3, 1986-Decided July 2, 1986
• News clippings:
  • "No excuse on auto smog," (editorial) Philadelphia Bulletin, May 2, 1980
  • G. Christian Hill, "Lost Cause? Los Angeles's Setback in Smog Raises Doubts on Other Cities," Wall Street Journal, Nov. 20, 1979

Delaware River Basin Commission, 1979-1982

Carton 462

• Correspondence:
  • R. Timothy Weston to Thornburgh, April 16, 1985 re drought emergency in the Delaware River Basin (includes map of "drought contingency regions")
  • Gerald M. Handler to Thornburgh, Dec. 14, 1983 re "Good Faith" agreement
  • Albert N. Michael to Congressman Benjamin A. Gilman, June 15, 1981, Gilman to Gerald M. Hansler, June 29, 1981 and Hansler to Gilman, July 10, 1981 re water releases to the Delaware and Neversink Rivers
  • Hansler to State Representative Paul I. Clymer, Feb. 9, 1981 re the Nockamixon reservoir
• Minutes:
  • Meetings of March 28, May 16, July 25, August 22, Sept. 26, Oct. 16, Dec. 19, 1979; Jan. 23, 1980
• Reports:
  • "Comments of the Pa. Dept. of Environmental Resources on the Delaware River Basin Comprehensive (Level B) Study/Draft Final Report and Environmental Impact Statement," Dec. 31, 1979
  • Delaware River Basin Commission, "Preliminary Draft Final Report: The Delaware River Basin Comprehensive Study (Level B Study), February 28, 1978"

Delaware Planning Regional Commission, 1979-1982

Carton 463

• Correspondence:
  • Edmund Thelen to Thornburgh, Sept. 13, 1979 re illegal dumping of toxic wastes into the Susquehanna River
• Minutes:
  • Meetings of Dec. 20, 1979; Sept. 25, Oct. 23, 1980; Feb. 26, April 23, May 28, 1981; Feb. 28, 1985 and Sept. 25, 1986
• Reports:
  • Delaware River Port Authority, Annual Report for 1983
  • Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission, "Summary: Year 2000 Transportation Plan for the Delaware Valley region, May 1982"
  • Annual Report, 1978-1979

Duquesne Light Company

Carton 469

• Correspondence:
  • John M. Arthur to Thornburgh, Sept. 15, 1981 re clean up of the Three Mile Island nuclear accident; Arthur to Thornburgh, Jan.7, 1980 re sulfur dioxide emission
• Speech:
  • John M. Arthur, "Acid Rain: A Point of View," to the Governor's Energy Council, c. 1983

Energy Corp. of Northeast (ENCONO)

Carton 474

• Correspondence:
  • Thornburgh to Congressman Eugene V. Atkinson et al, re the Energy Corporation of the Northeast (ENCONO), Oct. 2, 1979
• Testimony:
  • Thornburgh before the U.S. Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, July 16, 1979

Energy, U.S. Dept. of, 1979-1980

Carton 474

• Correspondence:
  • Thornburgh to Charles W. Duncan Jr., Nov. 14, 1980 re anthracite-based synthetic fuel proposal
  • George W. Cunningham to Thornburgh, Oct. 6, 1980 and Thornburgh to Cunningham, Oct. 31, 1980 re radioactive waste site in granitic rock areas of the Commonwealth
  • Cunningham to Thornburgh, July 3, 1980 re management of radioactive wastes
  • Thornburgh to Duncan, July 12, 1980 re no federal support for Pennsylvania's coal-based alternative fuel projects
  • Thornburgh to Duncan, May 28, 1980 re the "Elmo Bumpy Torus-Proof of Principle" (EBT-P) power project
  • Correspondence of 1979 between Thornburgh, Ruth C. Clusen, and Clifford L. Jones re uranium tailings sites in Pennsylvania
  • William P. Dornsife to Colin A. Heath, June 29, 1979 re reaction of Pa. nuclear engineer to proposed U.S. Dept. of Energy radioactive waste management guidelines
  • Thornburgh to Clusen, March 21, 1979 re radioactivity level at Canon Industrial Park, Canonsburg, Pa.
• Reports:
  • U.S. Dept. of Energy, National Low-Level Waste Management Program, "Managing Low-Level Radioactive Wastes," August 1980
• Speech:
  • President Jimmy Carter to the U.S. Congress, Feb. 12, 1980 re proposal for a national radioactive waste management program.

Energy, U.S. Dept. of, 1981-1984

Carton 474

• Correspondence, 1983:
  • William A. Vaughan to Thornburgh, August 5, 1983 re Energy Dept. inquiry into radiation levels at Canon Industrial Park, Canonsburg, Pa. Also mentioned is Public Law 95-604, the Uranium Mill Tailings Radiation Control Act of 1978
  • William Kaplan to Thornburgh, March 16, 1983 re Institutional Energy Conservation grant awarded to Pa.
  • Mary T. Weber to Richard H. Campbell, Feb. 4, 1983 re flaws in the Energy Dept.'s "Draft Environmental Impact Statement for Remedial Actions at the former Vitro Rare Metals Plant Site, Canonsburg, Pennsylvania"
• Correspondence, 1982:
  • Thornburgh to Donald Hodel, Dec. 27, 1982 re cost-sharing plan in cleanup at Three Mile Island nuclear reactor
  • Thornburgh to Jan Mares, Dec. 13, 1982 re proposal for a northeast U.S. coal utilization project
  • Thornburgh to James B. Edwards, March 11, 1982 re Dept. of Energy to assume possession and responsibility for safe disposal of the entire core in the damaged Unit 2 reactor on Three Mile Island
• Correspondence, 1981:
  • Edwards to Thornburgh, July 17, 1981 re National Energy Plan
  • Sheldon Meyers to Thornburgh, Jan. 8, 1981 re management of radioactive wastes.

"Env"

Carton 475

• Correspondence:
  • Crystal Walker to Thornburgh, May 25, 1979 re Environmental Action Fund survey of litter control legislation
  • Paula M. Pennypacker to Thornburgh, Dec. 9, 1983 and Leon T. Gonshor to Pennypacker, Dec. 22, 1983 re Delaware Container Company, Valley Township, Chester County and the Environmental Action Group
• Proclamations:
  • "Environmental Education Week," Oct.14-20, 1979; Oct. 12-18, 1980; Oct. 13-19, 1985; Oct. 12-18, 1986
• Publications:
  • Environmental News Digest, issues for Jan-Feb. 1980; Nov-Dec. 1980; March-April 1981; July-August 1981
  • Environmental Coalition on Nuclear Power Newsletter, issues for Sept. 1980, Feb-March 1982, Sept. 1982, Jan-Feb. 1983;

Environmental Hearing Board (EHB)

Carton 475

• Correspondence:
  • Louise C. Dunlap to Thornburgh, April 7, 1980 re the Environmental Policy Institute and a study of the synthetic fuels industry
  • Thornburgh to William D. Ruckelshaus, Oct. 16, 1984 re acid rain caused by sulfur dioxide
• Reports:
  • F. Roger Tellefsen to Jeff Hoover, July 18, 1980, "Synthetic Fuels Development and Agricultural Resources"
• Proclamations:
  • "Environmental Resources Day, June 30, 1981
• Litigation:
  • Commonwealth of Pa. v Apollo Corporation, EHB Docket No. 81-130-G. The case involves surface mining in Grant Twp., Indiana County
  • Commonwealth of Pa. v Milan Melvin/Concerned Citizens of Garlow Heights Area Association, EHB Docket NO. 78-085-B. The case involves a permit to install a sewer line from housing site to the Plum Borough Garlow Heights Sewage Treatment Plant, Allegheny County
  • Commonwealth of Pa. v Maxwell Swatwood & Concerned Citizens of Falls Twp. EHB Docket No. 79-068-W. The case involves installing sewage lines to accommodate two large HUD-funded housing projects in Wyoming County
  • Commonwealth of Pa. v Williamsport Sanitary Authority et al, EHB Docket No. 78-011-W. The case deals with the operation of the Authority's West and Central Sewage Treatment plants.
  • Commonwealth of Pa. v William F. Bryan, EBH Docket No. 78-155-W. The appellant is a citizen who contests a sewer ban issued to the Upper Montgomery (County) Sewer Authority in 1977.
  • Commonwealth of Pa. v Helen Mining Company, EBH Docket No. 88-036-B. This case is about drilling two gas wells through an unmined portion of a deep coal mine.
  • Commonwealth of Pa. v William A. Lucas and August J. Lucas. EBH Docket No. 77-059-D. Litigation involves a permit for treatment of industrial waste allegedly resulting from sludge disposal in a strip mining pit.
  • Commonwealth of Pa. v Edward S. Swartz, EHB Docket No. 78-152-W. The case involves a permit to mine rock from a quarry on land adjacent to the Indian Echo Caverns in Lower Swatara Twp., Dauphin County.
  • Commonwealth of Pa. v Doris J. Baughman et al. EBH Docket No. 77-180-B. The case involves coal dust emissions from a coal cleaning and storage plant in Bigler, Clearfield County.
• Press releases:
  • Governor's Press Office, Oct. 12, 1984, re Pa. to join federal government in the cleanup of Chesapeake Bay
  • Governor's Press Office, Oct. 16, 1984 re Thornburgh calls for federal government to combat sulfur dioxide emissions produced by other states and deposited in Pa. in the form of acid rain
  • Governor's Press Office, July 20, 1979 re Governor signs H.B. 53, the "Environmental Radiation Protection Act"
• News clippings:
  • "Regional waste crisis requires a regional approach," by Edwin Guthman, Philadelphia Inquirer Dec. 9, 1984

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Wash DC, 1979-1984

Carton 475

• Correspondence, 1986:
  • James M. Self to Thornburgh, Jan. 13, 1986 and Nicholas DeBenedictis to Self, Feb. 28, 1986 re enforcement of the Clean Air Act
• Correspondence, 1985:
  • Thornburgh to Lee Thomas, June 25, 1985 re West Penn Power Company, Armstrong County
  • Thornburgh to Thomas, March 19, 1985 re stack height regulation, Pa.'s rugged terrain and dependency on coal
• Correspondence, 1984:
  • Thomas P. Eichler to Thornburgh, Feb. 24, 1984 and Nicholas DeBenedictis to Eichler, April 23, 1984 re Commonwealth falls short of national ambient air quality standards
• Correspondence, 1983:
  • William D. Ruckelshaus to Thornburgh June 23, 1983 re new EPA policy will not penalize states which carry out an EPA-approved implementation plan in good faith but fail to attain air quality standards by EPA deadline
  • Thornburgh to Richard D. Schmitt, c. Jan. 1983 re determining residue and use of ethylene dibromide in Pa.
  • Peter N. Bibko to Thornburgh, Jan. 12, 1983 re Commonwealth does good job in Phase I Superfund clean efforts at Lehigh Electric site in Old Forge, Lackawanna County
• Correspondence, 1982:
  • Thornburgh to Anne M. Gorsuch, Sept. 20, 1982 re Penn Electric Co. Homer City generating plant, Indiana County
  • Thornburgh to Peter N. Bibko, August 10, 1982 and Bibko to Thornburgh, Sept. 14, 1982 re ozone and carbon monoxide pollution problem
• Correspondence, 1981:
  • Clifford L. Jones to Jack J. Schramm, April 3, 1981 re water quality management plan for southeastern Pennsylvania
• Correspondence, 1980:
  • Thornburgh to Schramm, Nov. 18, 1980 re Commonwealth's state hazardous waste program
  • Schramm to Thornburgh, May 5, 1980 re EPA approval of the agricultural and construction portions of Pa.'s water quality management plan
  • Thornburgh to Douglas Costle, April 21, 1980 and Costle to Thornburgh, June 6, 1980 re acid rain problem
  • Thornburgh to Schramm, May 15, 1980 re Governor certifies a comprehensive water quality management plan for southeast Pa., Clifford L. Jones to Thornburgh, March 26, 1980 re area-wide waste treatment management plans
• Correspondence, 1979:
  • Schramm to Thornburgh, July 19, 1979 re a joint Commonwealth/EPA agreement to administer wastewater construction grants program in Pa.
  • Thornburgh to Schramm, July 2, 1979 re speedup of EPA's Environmental Photographic Interpretation Center (EPIC) air photo investigation of Pa.
  • Schramm to Thornburgh, May 3, 1979 re EPA commitment to implementing auto exhaust inspection/maintenance program in Pa.
• Reports:
  • Foundation for Applied Research and U.S. Dept. of Health & Human Services, "The Senior Environmental Employment Program, Outcomes and Prospects, May 30, 1980
  • U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, "Hazardous Waste Facility Siting: A Critical Problem," July 1980
• Legislation:
  • 99th Congress, 2nd Session, "An Act to amend the Safe Drinking Water Act."
• Speech:
  • William D. Ruckelshaus to the annual convention of the Air Pollution Control Association, June 23, 1983
• Press releases: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency:
  • Sept. 30, 1978 re new EPA standards restricting noise from newly manufactured garbage trucks
  • April 16, 1979 re expanded noise emission regulation for the nation's railroads.
  • Dec. 15, 1982 re EP standards to govern the cleanup and long-term control of tailings generated from uranium ore that was processed during and shortly after World War II including Canonsburg, Pa.
  • July 21, 1983 re Pa. is one of eleven states in violation of the Clear Air Act;
  • June 20, 1986 re President Ronald Reagan signs the 1986 amendments to the Safe Drinking Water Act
• Press releases: Governor's Press Office:
  • Feb. 29, 1980 re Pa. files federal lawsuit to stop EPA from illegally allowing uncontrolled air pollution to be released from two Ohio power plants.
  • Sept. 29, 1980 re governor says the hazardous waste program is "Pennsylvania's number one environmental priority"
  • Sept. 22, 1981 re EPA will permit coal-fired boiler in Homer City, Indiana County to temporarily exceed sulfur dioxide emission standards while phasing in an innovative air pollution control system;
  • July 23, 1982 re Drake Chemical site in Lock Haven, Clinton County and the Osborne landfill in Grove City, Mercer County are hazardous waste sites eligible for cleanup under the EPA "Superfund" program;
  • Oct. 4, 1983 re EPA funds to Pa. for sewage construction;
  • Feb. 22, 1984 re Pa. to get 4.7 million dollars in federal "Superfund" assistance

Firestone Tire and Rubber Company

Carton 481

• Reports:
  • Firestone Tire & Rubber Company, 1980 2nd & 3rd Quarter Reports; 1979 Annual Report

Fish Commission, 1979-1981

Carton 482

• Correspondence:
  • Ralph W. Abele to Thornburgh, Nov. 18, 1983 re restoration of Chesapeake Bay
  • Abele to Thornburgh, Jan. 6, 1982 re Fish Commission's recent accomplishments
  • Abele to "all supervisors and waterways patrolmen," Oct. 22, 1980 re ban on all open fires and smoking in the State Forest and State Park lands of five forest fire districts;
• Publication:
  • Pennsylvania Angler, issue of vol. 44, no 8, August 1975

Game Commission, 1979-1981

Carton 488

• Correspondence:
  • Glenn L. Bowers to Clifford L. Jones, June 11, 1979 re Exxon Corp. request to lease state game lands in northeast Pa. for uranium exploration
  • Bowers to Jones, April 24, 1979 re designation of Stony Creek [Dauphin and Lebanon Counties] as a wild river in the Scenic Rivers System.
• Proclamation:
  • "Pennsylvania Hunting and Fishing Day, Sept. 27, 1980

General Electric Company

Carton 490

• Reports:
  • General Electric Foundation, Annual reports for 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985

General Motors Corporation

Carton 490

• Report:
  • General Motors Corp., 2nd Quarter Report, 1979. Report includes article on emission standards.
• Publications:
  • GM Public Affairs Newsletter, vol. 13, no.2, Feb. 1983. Issue addresses energy conservation
  • GM Public Affairs Newsletter, vol. 12, no. 12, Dec. 1982. Issue deals with the clean air issue

Governor's Energy Council

Carton 495

• Minutes:
  • Press conference of Lt. Governor William Scranton III concerning the energy situation in Pennsylvania, May 24, 1979.
• Proclamation:
  • Governor's Office, Executive Order No. 1979-7, establishing the Governor's Energy Council, July 19, 1979.
• Reports:
  • Governor's Energy Council, "The Pennsylvania Energy Profile, 1960-1981, Second Edition, Jan. 1984
  • "The Pennsylvania Energy Profile, 1960-1979," March 1982
  • "Policy in Brief: Summary of Staff Draft Pa. Energy Choices-An Energy Policy for Pennsylvania," May 1980
• Publications:
  • Pennenergy, vol. 5, no. 1, March 1984; vol. 1, no. 1, Jan. 1980
  • Solar Energy Director, undated; Solar Primer, undated

Governor's Garden Campaign

Carton 495

• Press release:
  • Citizens for Landscape Improvement of the Governor's Residence, c. June 15, 1980. Tree planting markets the start of the Governor's Garden Campaign.

Health, Pa. Dept of, 1979-1981

Carton 507

• Publications:
  • Pennsylvania Dept. of Health: vol. 4, no. 12, Dec. 1983, Issue features article on the Three Mile Island Mother-Child Registry
  • Pennsylvania Dept. of Health: vol. 5, no. 5 May 1984. Issue devoted to environmental health

Heinz, III. U.S. Senator H. John

Carton 508

• Correspondence:
  • Heinz to Thornburgh, June 6, 1984 re Heinz support for Borough of Elverson sewage treatment plant
  • Heinz to Thornburgh, June 1, 1983 re support for Pa. Dept. of Environmental Resources' western Pa. regional water testing facility
  • Thornburgh to Heinz, July 2, 1982 re acid rain; Thornburgh to Heinz, Feb. 12, 1982 re ice jam flood in Oil City
  • Heinz to Thornburgh, Jan. 18, 1982 re Three Mile Island; Thornburgh to Heinz, Jan. 27, 1982 re Three Mile Island
  • Heinz to James N. Self, April 28, 1980 re Monongahela River Waterways Improvement Act of 1980
  • Heinz to Walter Barber, Feb. 11, 1981 re auto emissions inspection and maintenance program
  • Heinz to Thornburgh, May 24, 1979 re Appalachian Development highway in Fayette County
• Legislation:
  • U.S. Senate Bill 1606, "A Bill to establish a supplemental insurance fund administered by the Secretary of Energy to pay the costs of necessary remedial action following damage to nuclear power plants including certain remedial action at the Three Mile Island facilities in Pennsylvania." This legislation was introduced in Congress by Senator Heinz, Sept. 10, 1981.
• Press releases:
  • Office of Senator John Heinz, Feb. 11, 1981 re Heinz asks the Environmental Protection Agency to delay automobile pollution checks
• Publications:
  • People for John Heinz, PJH Insider, vol. 1, no. 2, Sept. 30, 1982. Issue cites Heinz support for road improvements and sportsmen such as hunters and fishermen
  • U.S. Senate, Senator John Heinz Reports, undated. Issue contains article headlined "TMI Core Removal Signed in Heinz Office."

Interior, U.S. Dept. of the, 1979-1980

Carton 520

• Correspondence:
  • Thornburgh to James W. Coleman Jr., Oct. 21, 1980 re Pottstown expressway and Valley Forge National Historic Park
  • Harold J. O'Connor to Thornburgh, Sept. 16, 1980 re designation of Isotria medeoloides (small whorled porgnia) as an endangered flora
  • William C. Forrey to Robert W. McIntosh, Jr., March 11, 1980 and McIntosh to Thornburgh, Feb. 20, 1980 re the "Monroe Border Fault," Durham Twp, Bucks County as possible National Natural Landmark
  • David Hales to Robert R. Garvey Jr., July 8, 1980 re mining activity adjacent to McConnell's Mill State Park Natural Landmark
  • Clifford L. Jones to Andrew J. Ondrof, June 12, 1980 re National Forest reserve; Richard L. Stanton to Thornburgh, August 9, 1979 re Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area
  • Edward R. Miller to Lynn A. Greenwalt, August 13, 1979 re endangered species of fish, i.e. blue pike, shortnose sturgeon and longjaw cisco
  • William R. Davis to Thornburgh, June 25, 1979 re Philadelphia City/Montgomery County/Abington Township Butler Tract acquisition
  • Cecil D. Andrus to Thornburgh, June 25, 1979 re Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act
  • Andrus to Thornburgh, March 12, 1979 re oil and gas exploration on Outer Contintental Shelf
  • Bruce E. Wamsley to Joel Epstein, Feb. 28, 1979 re Exxon Corp files exploratory drilling plan for mid-Atlantic coast
  • Wamsley to Epstein, Jan. 30, 1979 re Murphy Oil Co. files amended exploratory drilling plan for mid-Atlantic coast
• Proclamation:
  • "Recreation and Parks Month," June 1980
• Press releases:
  • Interior Dept, Bureau of Land Management, BLM News Release, issue of June 19, 1979 re Outer Continental Shelf oil and gas leasing program
  • Interior Dept, Bureau of Land Management, BLM News Release, issue of July 1, 1980 re oil and gas leases on the Georges Bank off the coast of New England
  • Interior Dept, Bureau of Land Management, BLM News Release, issue of April 27, 1979 re dept. to prepare environmental impact statement for proposed oil/gas development on the Outer Continental Shelf

Interior. U.S. Dept. of the, 1981

Carton 520

• Correspondence:
  • Thornburgh to James G. Watt, Nov. 25, 1981 re mine fire in Centralia, Pa.
  • Randall R. Pope to Thornburgh, Oct. 27, 1981 re North Country National Scenic Trail
  • Thornburgh to Watt, August 5, 1981 re Centralia fire
  • Watt to Thornburgh, April 13, 1981 re draft proposed 5-year Outer Continental Shelf oil and gas leasing program
  • Clifford L. Jones to Watt, April 22, 1981 re proposed changes to the federal surface coal mining & reclamation regulations
  • Thornburgh to Watt, April 13, 1981 re Governor's visit to Centralia
  • DeWitt C. Smith Jr. to Thornburgh, April 6, 1981 re Interior Dept's response to Centralia disaster
  • J. L. Dunning to Thornburgh, Dec. 19, 1980 and Thornburgh to Dunning, Feb. 17, 1981 re North County National Scenic Trail
  • Jones to Frank Anderson, Feb. 4, 1981 re Pa. Dept. of Environment Resources favors Interior Dept. help with Centralia fire
  • Peter S. Duncan to Interior Dept., Feb. 2, 1981 re "Pennsylvania has no direct, offshore leasing potential involved in the Outer Continental Shelf"
  • Duncan to Alan Powers, Jan. 27, 1981 re Pa. commitment to its Coastal Zone Management Program
  • Paul Reeves to Thornburgh, Jan. 16, 1981 re Centralia project might be funded through Title IV of the Surface Mining Reclamation & Control Act of 1977
• Report:
  • U.S. Dept. of Interior, Office of Surface Mining, Jan. 16, 1981, "Preparation Plan: Proposed Centralia Mine Fire Control Project EIS
• Press release:
  • Governor's Press Office, March 31, 1981 re Commonwealth teams with federal government to relocate Centralia, Columbia County families who want to move.

Interstate Mining Compact Commission

Carton 521

• Correspondence:
  • Richard M. Boardman to Kenes Bowling, April 19, 1979 re Commonwealth support for minimum federal standards for coal mining

Interstate Oil Compact Commission

Carton 521

• Correspondence:
  • W. Timothy Dowd to "Governors, Official Representatives & State Regulatory Officials," March 1, 1979 re underground injection and disposal of salt water brines
• Proceedings:
  • Agenda for Interstate Oil Compact Commission midyear meeting, June 13-15, 1982, Columbus, Ohio

Nuclear Regulatory Commission, U.S.

Carton 580

• Correspondence, 1984:
  • Thornburgh to Nunzio J. Palladino, June 14, 1984 re postponement of Commission vote on restart of undamaged Unit 1 reactor, Three Mile Island because the governor is not satisfied that safety issues are resolved
  • Thornburgh to Palladino, Jan. 26, 1984
  • Thornburgh to Palladino, Jan. 24, 1984 re restart of Three Mile Island Unit 1
• Correspondence, 1983:
  • Thornburgh to Palladino, June 3, 1983 re restart of Unit 1 nuclear generating station at Three Mile Island
• Correspondence, 1982:
  • James M. Self to William J. Dircks, April 30, 1982 re Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency is to monitor transportation of certain kind of nuclear waste and shipments of irradiated reactor fuels"
• Correspondence, 1981:
  • Henry W. Kendall to Thornburgh, July 23, 1981 and Thornburgh to Palladino, Nov. 20, 1981 re cleanup of Three Mile Island Unit 2
  • William J. Dircks to Thornburgh, August 6, 1981 re Pennsylvania Power & Light Company plan to construct radioactive waste storage area at its Susquehanna Steam Electric plant
  • John J. Zogby to John F. Ahearne, Feb. 13, 1981 re transport of hazardous materials through Pa.
• Correspondence, 1980:
  • Thomas M. Gerusky to Ahearne, Nov. 10, 1980 re objection to transport of hazardous substances through Williamsport, Lycoming County
  • Thornburgh to Ahearne, Sept. 11, 1980 re request for more time for cleanup at Three Mile Island
  • Thornburgh to Ahearne, May 16 & 21, 1980 re reports about proposal to remove radioactive krypton 85 from Three Mile Island Unit 2 "by the process of venting it into the atmosphere"
  • Henry W. Kendall to Thornburgh, April 4, 1980 re the Union of Concerned Scientists and Three Mile Island
  • Thornburgh to Ahearne, Feb. 15, 1980 re pump malfunction at Three Mile Island power plant on Feb. 11, 1980
• Correspondence, 1979:
  • Joseph M. Hendrie to Thornburgh, August 15, 1979 and Thomas M. Gerusky to Clifford L. Jones, Sept. 17, 1979 re the Commonwealth's regulation of "naturally occurring and accelerator-produced radioactive materials" (NARM)
  • Thornburgh to Hendrie, June 22, 1979 re delay of restarting Unit 1 at Three Mile Island
• Publications:
  • U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Protection of Unclassified Safeguards Information, by D. J. Kasun, (Publication No. NUREG-0794) 1981
  • "Proposed Rules: Nuclear Regulatory Commission, 10 CFR Part 71, Advance Notification to States of Transportation of Certain Types of Nuclear Waste," Federal Register, vol. 45, no. 238, December 9, 1980
• Press releases:
  • Governor's Press Office, Sept. 4, 1986? Commonwealth appeals the termination without hearing of a Nuclear Regulatory Commission proceeding concerning management integrity at Three Mile Island
  • Governor's Press Office, March 13, 1985 re: Request by the Commonwealth that Commission reverse its order that "no further hearings are warranted" in the Three Mile Island Unit 1 restart proceedings
  • Governor's Press Office, August 1985 re Thornburgh asks the Commission to postpone vote on restart of Three Mile Island Unit 1 reactor

"Oh"

Carton 581

• Report:
  • Ohio River Valley Water Sanitation Commission, "1985 Report"

Ohio River Basin Commission

Carton 581

• Report:
  • Ohio River Basin Commission, 1980 Annual Report
• Publication:
  • Citizens' Advisory Council to the Ohio River Basin Commission, Registration & program for A Regional Conference Sponsored by the Citizens' Advisory Council to the Ohio River Basin Commission, Oct. 24-25, 1979, Fort Mitchell, Kentucky

Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency, 1979-1984

Carton 590

• Correspondence:
  • John L. Patton to Thornburgh, March 17, 1986 re flooding of March 15-16, 1986
  • Patton to Thornburgh, Dec. 15, 1983 re flooding within the Susquehanna River Basin
  • C. A. Williamson to Thornburgh, Oct. 21, 1983 re emergency response exercise at Three Mile Island
  • Kenneth R. Lamison to Thornburgh, June 6, 1983 re emergency response exercise at the Peach Bottom Atomic Power Station
  • Lamison to Lieutenant Governor Scranton, March 4, 1983 re directorship of the Emergency Management Agency
  • DeWitt C. Smith, Jr. to Thornburgh, Jan. 23, 1982 re emergency response exercise at the Beaver Valley Power Station (Beaver County) and the Susquehanna Steam Electric Station (Luzerne County)
  • Smith to Thornburgh, Feb. 27, 1981 re natural disaster at Matamoras, Pike County
  • S. Howard Davis to Smith, Feb. 13, 1981 re Pa. Nurseymen's Association Inc.'s concern about nonessential water use in the Delaware River Basin Drought Emergency Area
  • John L. Patton to "the Members of the General Assembly," May 16, 1986 re comparison of Chernobyl, USSR nuclear accident with Three Mile Island in 1979
• Minutes:
  • Pennsylvania Emergency Management Council meeting of Dec. 12, 1985; August 15, 1985; August 16, 1984; Dec. 15, 1983; Oct. 20, 1983; Oct. 21 1982; April 16, 1981.
• Proclamations:
  • "Declaration of Drought Emergency in Centre County," Oct. 22, 1985
  • "Fire Fighters' Day, Oct. 4, 1981
  • "Flood Awareness Week, May 17-23, 1982"
• Reports:
  • Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency, "After Action Report: Hurricane Gloria, Sept. 1985"
  • "Report of an All Hazards Exercise in Philadelphia County on Feb. 27, 1986"
  • "Annual Report on the Radiation Protection Act 147-1984," August 29, 1985
  • Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency, "1981/1982: A Report of Progress." The report gives the agency's response to floods at Brady Bend, Matamoras, Oil City and Western Pa, hazardous materials at McAdoo, Schuylkill County, Lock Haven, Clinton County, Old Forge, Lackawanna County, Stroudsburg, Monroe County, mine fire in Centralia, Columbia County and state-wide drought
  • Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency, "1979-1980 Annual Report"
• Press releases:
  • Pa. Emergency Management Agency, Dept. of Community Affairs, Press kit for "Flood Awareness Week, May 17-21, 1982
  • Governor's Press Office, June 12, 1980 re tornados in Armstrong, Westmoreland, Allegheny and Indiana Counties
• Publications:
  • Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency Newsletter, July-Aug-Sept. 1982

Pennsylvania Power & Light Company, 1979-1984

Carton 593

• Correspondence:
  • Robert K. Campbell to Thornburg, Nov. 7, 1980 and Thornburgh to Robert K. Campbell, Dec. 18, 1980 re Safe Harbor project on the Susquehanna River
  • Ray E. Semmler to Thornburg, Sept. 21, 1979 re view of Pennsylvania Power Company on burning of coal by Pa. industries
• Speech:
  • Robert K. Campbell on the Susquehanna nuclear power plant, April 6, 1979;
• Publication:
  • PP&L planner, May 1983. Issue focuses on land use policies and principles.
• News clippings:
  • "PP&L taking no chances with Berwick nuclear facility," [Allentown, Lehigh County] Evening Chronicle, April 11, 1979
  • "Stuban seeks report on shoddy work," Berwick Enterprise [Berwick, Luzerne County]

Pennsylvania Rural Electric Association

Carton 593

• Speech:
  • Thornburgh to the Pennsylvania Rural Electric Association, July 8, 1982;
• Press release:
  • Governor's Press Office, July 8, 1982 re call for national cost-sharing approach to nuclear cleanup

Reagan, Ronald W., (U. S. President)

carton 608

• Correspondence:
  • Thornburgh to Ronald W. Reagan, Oct. 2, 1985 re request to declare federal disaster in Lackawanna, Luzerne and Wayne Counties due to Hurricane Gloria's flooding
  • Thornburgh to Reagan, July 12, 1983 re Centralia underground mine fire, Columbia County
  • Thornburgh to Reagan, June 12, 1981 re request to declare federal disaster in Clarion, Crawford, Jefferson, Mercer and Venango Counties due to flash flooding during the night of June 8-9, 1981
  • Thornburgh to Reagan, May 14, 1981 re reducing flood losses in central Pa. portion of the Susquehanna River Basin.
• Reports:
  • Susquehanna River Basin and SEDA-Council of Governments, "Proposal to Study for a Comprehensive Flood Hazard Mitigation Program for the SEDA-Council of Governments in the Susquehanna River Basin, April 10, 1981"
• Press releases:
  • Governor's Press Office, Oct. 9, 1981 re Thornburgh's appreciation of the President's personal concern about Three Mile Island
  • Governor's Press Office, June 12, 1981 re declaration of major disaster area in five northwest Pa. counties because of flash flooding

Schuylkill

Carton 623

• Correspondence:
  • Edward C. P. Thomas to Thornburgh, Nov. 19, 1979 and Clifford L. Jones to Thomas, Nov. 30, 1979 re silted conditions in the Schuylkill River, Fairmount Park, Philadelphia
• Press releases:
  • Governor's Press Office, Oct. 17, 1980, re 8,000 barrels of toxic & hazardous wastes to be removed from storage site at McAdoo, Schuylkill County

Shawville Coal Company

Carton 627

• Correspondence:
  • Correspondence of 1980-1985 between Lingle-Shawville Coal Company of Clearfield County and the Pa. Dept. of Environmental Resources.
• Speech:
  • "Progress in Reclamation with Forest Trees," by Wilson H. Wheeler at the Coal Mine Spoil Reclamation Symposium, Oct. 11-14, 1965, Penn State University.

Strasburg Landfill

Carton 643

• Correspondence:
  • Correspondence of 1982 between Thornburgh, Pa. Dept. of Environmental Resources and citizens of Chester County concerning the proposed expansion of the landfill in Newlin Twp. Chester County
  • Delaware Governor Pierre S. Du Pont, IV to Thornburgh, Jan. 14, 1983 re Strasburg landfill.
• Speech:
  • Peter S. Duncan about the Strasburg Landfill in Chester County, c. 1982

Sun Company

Carton 645

• Correspondence:
  • Robert McClements, Jr. to Thornburgh, Nov. 17, 1981 and Thornburgh to McClements, Jan. 7, 1982 re oil and gas drilling offshore New Jersey's coast.
• Report:
  • Sun Company, Inc., 1982 Annual Report
• News clipping:
  • "A Sun Company Update," Washington Post, May 10, 1979. Sun Company chairman and CEO Theodore A. Burtis comments on the exploration of gas and oil.
• Publications:
  • Sun Magazine, issues of 1984, spring/summer; 1983 spring/summer, autumn 1982; summer, autumn; 1980 winter; 1979 winter.

U.S, Army, Corps of Engineers

Carton 657

• Correspondence:
  • Richard A. Rothblum to Thornburgh, Feb. 28, 1986 re Rowlesburg Lake Project; John L. Richards to Thornburgh, July 18, 1984 and Nicholas DeBenedictis to Rothblum, April 22, 1985 re Turtle Creek Local Flood Protection Project, Allegheny County; James W. Peck to Thornburgh, Jan. 31, 1980 and Thornburgh to Peck, March 17, 1980 re the National Program of the Inspection of Non-Federal Dams; Thornburgh to Peck, Sept. 10, 1979 re river bank erosion on Susquehanna River at Forty Fort, Luzerne County; William W. Combs "to all it may concern," Sept. 13, 1979 re application for a Dept. of Army permit from Allegheny Trails Council, Boy Scouts of America, Pittsburgh to construct earth-fill dam; Thorwald R. Peterson to Thornburgh, April 5, 1979 and Clifford L. Jones to Peterson, April 26, 1979 re mine drainage study on the North Branch, Potomac River; Thornburgh to James H. Higman, Dec. 17, 1980 re need for modernization of lock and dam facilities on the Ohio River and its tributaries; V. D. Stipo to Thornburgh, June 13, 1980 re disposal of U.S. Dept. of Defense stocks of DDT
• Reports:
  • U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, "Civil Works Budget Request Fiscal Year 1980," Jan. 1979. Document lists Pennsylvania projects alphabetically by name on pages 80-83
• Press releases:
  • U.S. Army Engineer District, Pittsburgh, June 6, 1979 re presentation of awards to Vernon T. Houghton Jr. "for his significant contributions and leadership in river forecasting, development of stream improvement projects, and response to emergencies;" May 17, 1979 re 18 school districts to compete in the Pittsburgh District U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Eco-Meet Finals. "An Eco-met is a one-day event for students in grades one through twelve, designed to stimulate environmental awareness in school-age children;" March 13, 1979 re flood control reservoirs prevented flooding in Pittsburgh district.

Whitehall Cement Manufacturing Company Toxic Waste

Carton 670

• Correspondence:
  • Thornburgh to State Representatives Paul McHale, Guy Kratzer, March 16, 1982 re burning and storing of toxic wastes by the company in Whitehall Township, Lehigh County

Subject Correspondence

Carton 861

The following summation is a sample of what can be found here.

Solid Waste Management Act, 1980

Thornburgh to Mr. & Mrs. Greg Yontz et al, Sept. 18, 1980 re the Pa. Solid Waste Management Act signed into law on July 7, 1980.

Water Conservation Issues, 1981

• US Dept. of the Army, Corps of Engineers, Chicago District, "Notice of Information Report on Increased Lake Michigan Diversion at Chicago," August 9, 1982. Project is designed "to alleviate shoreline damage on the Great Lakes and to improve the water quality of the Illinois Waterway."
• John L. Richards to Thornburgh, July 9, 1982 re fabrication of components for floating ice control structure, Allegheny River, Oil City, Venango County.
• James W. Peck to Thornburgh, Sept. 2, 1981 re Army inspection of the Bel-Air Lake Dam, the Rossiter Dam and the Ponderosa Pines Dam.
• G.E. Kyle to Robert Howell et al, Sept. 17, 1981 re Army inspection of Elk Lake Dam, Kellow Lake Dam, Larsen Dam, and Craft Pond Dam, all in Wayne County.
• Kyle to Marion Weinberg, Sept. 17, 1981 re Army inspection of the Pocono Highland Dam, Monroe County
• Kyle to Louise Boezi, Sept. 17, 1981 re Army inspection of the Elmcrest Dam, Lackawanna County

Water Conservation: Raystown Dam and Other Issues, 1979-1985

• Thornburgh to Bates C. Burnell, March 23, 1979 re Thornburgh's opinion versus that of Governor Raymond Shapp on the Raystown Dam
• Ralph W. Abele to Thornburgh, March 7, 1979 re opinion of the Pa. Fish Commission on Raystown Dam
• Henry J. Dominici to Thornburgh, Jan. 25, 1983 and R. Timothy Weston, March 3, 1983 re opinion of the Delaware River Shad Fishermen's Association versus that of the Commonwealth regarding the Point Pleasant Water Diversion Project.

Publications and Annual Reports

Pennsylvania Energy Development Authority

Carton 854

• Reports:
  • Annual Report for Fiscal Year 1985-1986, 3 copies
• Publications:
  • Application Package, 3 sets
  • Application Package, Program Prospectus
  • Application Package, Application Instructions
  • Application Package
  • Application Package, Personal Financial Statement
  • Application Package, Postcard Receipt
  • Energy Development Plan, 1 copy

Governor's Energy Council

Carton 857

• Reports:
  • Synergic Resources Corp., "Assessment of Industrial Cogeneration in Pennsylvania, Final Report, Vols. 1 & 2, by Barry K, Hinkle, Shahzad Qasim, Mindi Farbe and Todd D. Davis, (SRC Project No. 7121-R8) undated
  • Urban Systems Research & Engineering, Inc., "Pennsylvania Housing Stock and Energy Conservation Survey, Final Report, April 1983"
  • Roy F. Weston, Inc., "Studies of Coal Conversion Opportunities in Philadelphia," August 1983
  • Roy F. Weston, Inc., "Studies of Coal Conversion Opportunities in Pennsylvania: Final Report," August 1982
  • Leonard S. Rodberg, "Pennsylvania Jobs and Energy Project," September 1983
  • "Report to Lieutenant Governor William W. Scranton, III from the Pennsylvania Electric Utility Efficiency Task Force, Vol. 1 of II, March 1983"
• Publications:
  • Pennsylvania Coal: A Buyer's Guide, 1986
  • Blank certificates entitled "Governor's Energy Education Award"
  • Coal Conversion for Small Energy Users: Industrial, Commercial and Institutional, undated
  • Pennsylvania Coal: Our Heritage, Your Promise, undated
  • Pennsylvania Renewable Energy Resource Assessment, June 1982
  • The Pennsylvania Energy Profile, 1960-1981, Second Edition, January 1984
  • Pennsylvania Energy Policy Update, September 1984
  • Pennsylvania Energy Policy, July 1981
  • Penn Energy. Issues for vol. 3, no.1, 1983?; vol. 5 no. 1, March 1984; Vol. 6, no 3, October 1986
  • The Pennsylvania Home Energy Cost Estimator, undated
  • Coal Is Competitive! See why with ENVEST (flyer) undated

Videotapes, 1980-1986

Videotapes are identified by number, chronological date, county, and subject.

Carton 1071

• V00026T, 3/31/1981, Columbia County, Governor, Centralia Press Conference/Tour
• V00027T, 3/31/1981, Columbia County, Governor, Centralia Tour
• V00028T, 3/31/1981, Columbia County, Governor, Centralia Press Conference/Tour

Carton 1072

• V00039B, 4/25/1981, Dauphin County, Governor, Keep PA Beautiful Day

Carton 1073

• V00063T, 7/9/1981, Dauphin County, Governor, Three Mile Island Cleanup Proposal

Carton 1074

• V00078B, 8/4/1981, Forest County, Governor, Tionesta Dam Picnic

Carton 1075

• V00092T, 8/10/1981, Governor, Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Three Mile Island Statement
• V00093T, 8/10/1981, Governor, Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Three Mile Island Statement

Carton 1076

• V000112T, 10/20/1981, Governor, Three Mile Island Cleanup-US Senate Hearings
• V000113T, 10/20/1981, Governor, Three Mile Island Cleanup-US Senate Hearings
• V000114T, 10/20/1981, Governor, Three Mile Island Cleanup-US Senate Hearings

Carton 1079

• V00248T, 6/2/1983, Dauphin County, Governor, Chesapeake Bay Press Conference
• V00249T, 6/2/1983, Dauphin County, Governor, Chesapeake Bay Press Conference

MG-415 Ivor D. Fenton Papers

1939-1975
1.5 cu. ft.

Dr. Ivor David Fenton (1889 - 1986) served as a Republican United States Representative from the 76th Congressional District of Schuylkill County from 1939 to 1962. Fenton was born in Mahanoy City, Schuylkill County, graduated from Bucknell University, Lewisburg, and received his M.D. from Jefferson Medical College, Philadelphia in 1912. After serving an internship at Ashland State Hospital in 1912 and 1913, he began practicing medicine in Mahanoy City in 1914. Fenton enlisted in the Unites States Army Medical Corps and was commissioned a lieutenant on August 8, 1917, later rising to the rank of captain. He served 20 months with the 315th Infantry, 79th Division. Discharged on June 6, 1919, after the war, Fenton returned to Mahanoy City to resume his medical practice. During his twelve terms as a member of the House of Representatives, Fenton was responsible for securing funds for the construction of the Joe Zerbey Airport, the development of the Anthracite Research Laboratory at Schuylkill Haven, and the development of the wall along the Susquehanna River that spared Sunbury from flooding in 1972 and 1976.

The Fenton Papers include correspondence, memoranda, reports, texts of speeches, photographs, and news clippings relating to Dr. Fenton's career as a Representative from central Pennsylvania, 1939-1963. The topics covered reflect Dr. Fenton's involvement with the social aspects of medicine, the anthracite coal industry in particular, and government efforts to revitalize economically depressed rural areas. These include both the establishment, and subsequent closing, of the Anthracite Research Laboratory in Schuylkill Haven, 1940-1965; the successful attempt to route Interstate 83 (sometimes known as the "Anthracite Highway") through Pennsylvania's "coal region," 1958; and activities of the local Republican Party in Schuylkill County. Among other noteworthy items is a photograph album covering the tour of the United States Army Service Command General Hospitals under Army Surgeon General Norman Kirk in 1945 and an album covering a visit by members of the House Appropriations Committee to the Tennessee Valley Authority's Muscle Shoals hydroelectric facility in 1957.

As of 2007, the collection remained unprocessed. What follows below is a summary of what is in the collection.

• Correspondence, 1946:
  • William H. Webb to Fenton, Sept. 10, 1946 re whether Fenton is including environment issues in his campaign platform
• Correspondence, 1957:
  • H.D. Schad to Allen F. Clark, Jr., Sept. 16, 1957 re improvement of the Delaware River channel from Philadelphia to Trenton
  • Fenton to Bertram D. Tallamy, Sept. 16, 1957 and Barnett to Fenton, Sept. 25, 1957 re expressway through Schuylkill County
  • Joseph Barnett to Fenton, Sept. 25, 1957 re U.S. Route 11
  • Clark to Fenton, Sept. 26, 1957 and Fenton to Clark, Sept. 30, 1957 re flood control, Chesapeake and Delaware Canal
  • John E. Beddow to Wayne M. Breisch, Oct. 16, 1957 re opposition of the Schuylkill County Republican Committee to proposed National Highway
  • B. D. Tallamy to Lewis M. Stevens, Oct. 28, 1957 re proposal route for Anthracite Expressway
  • G. M. Williams to Fenton, Oct. 24, 1957 re Philadelphia area expressways
  • Williams to Fenton, Oct. 30, 1957 re Anthracite Expressway route proposal
  • Stanley T. B. Johnson to Fenton, Sept. 16, 1957 and Fenton to Johnson, Sept. 20, 1957 re Stillwater Flood Control Project, Forest City, Susquehanna County
• Correspondence, 1958:
  • Fenton to Clifford L. Jones, Sept. 10, 1958 re Anthracite Expressway
  • Victor C. Diehm, Sept. 12, 1958 re Anthracite Expressway
  • B. D. Tallamy to Fenton, August 14 and 24, 1958 re Anthracite Expressway
  • Jones to Fenton, Nov. 20, 1958 and Fenton to Jones, Nov. 22, 1958 re delay of expressway project
• Correspondence, 1961:
  • H. B. Barke to Fenton, June 14, 1961 re recreational boating in the Susquehanna River Basin
  • T. H. Setliffe to Fenton, Oct. 9, 1962 re ARA projects
• Correspondence, 1962:
  • Warren J. Johnson to Fenton, May 31, 1962 re Alvin R. Bush Dam on Kettle Creek, Clinton County
• Correspondence, 1965:
  • Ivor D. Fenton to Stewart L. Udall, Feb. 13, 1965 and Udall to Fenton, March 10, 1965 re closing of the Anthracite Research Laboratory Center in Schuylkill Haven
  • J.D. Jillson to James E. Van Zandt, Jan. 16, 1965 re the Anthracite Institute
  • Van Zandt to Fenton, Feb. 18, 19665 re research lab
  • Pennsylvania Governor William W. Scranton to Fenton, Feb. 18, 1965 re research lab
  • Fenton to Congressman Winfield K. Denton, Feb. 24, 1965 and Denton to Fenton, March 10, 1965 re Anthracite Laboratory closing
  • Mary M. Kersten to Fenton, Feb. 20, 1965 and Fenton to Kersten, Feb. 26, 1965 re lab closing
  • Fenton to Pennsylvania Governor William W. Scranton, March 18, 1965 and H. B. Charmbury to Fenton, April 8, 1965 re letter from Secretary of the Interior Udall
  • Van Zandt to Charmbury, April 1, 1965 re lab will not be closed
  • Fenton to Scranton, April 5, 1973 re Van Zandt letter of April 1, 1965
  • Fenton to Van Zandt, April 6, 1965 re research lab
  • Van Zandt to Scranton, May 7, 1965 re legislation
  • Scott to Fenton, May 15, 1974 re legislation
• Correspondence, 1973:
  • Fenton to U.S. Senator Richard S. Schweiker, Feb. 22, 1973 and Schweiker to Fenton, March 7, 1973 re Anthracite Laboratory
  • T. A. Henrie to Congressman Daniel J. Flood, Dec. 11, 1973 re anthracite research
• Correspondence, 1974:
  • James E. Van Zandt to Gus Yatron, Feb. 4, 1974 re proposal for Anthracite Research Laboratory
  • Congressman Daniel J. Flood to Fenton, March 5, 1974 re existing anthracite coal reserves Congressman Daniel J. Flood to Congressman Herman T. Schneebeli, March 5, 1974 re anthracite coal reserves
  • Fenton to U.S. Senator Richard S. Schweiker, Feb. 15, 1974 re Fenton speech of 1939
  • Robert H. Shatz to Fenton, May 20, 1974 re three pilot plants for gastification and liquefaction of coal
  • Shatz to Fenton, May 22, 1974 re information about the energy crisis
  • U. S. Senator Hugh Scott to Fenton, May 15, 1974 re congressional legislation establishing coal research laboratories in the U.S.
• Minutes:
  • Conference on Research and Development for the Anthracite Mining Industry," Oct. 4, 1974, Hazelton, Luzerne County
• Reports:
  • 1958: Lurgi-Gasifer Tests of Pennsylvania Anthracite," by R. E. Morgan, J. W. Eckerd, J. Ratway, and A.F. Baker (U.S. Dept. of the Interior, Bureau of Mines Investigations #5420) 1958.
  • 1961: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, "Civil and Military Construction Activities in Pennsylvania, July 1, 1959 to June 30, 1961;"
  • 1962: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers,"ARA Projects, Corps of Engineers Under Public Works Acceleration Act of 1962," Oct. 8, 1962
  • 1966: "Dept. of the Interior and Related Agencies Appropriation Bill, 1966." The report recommends continued funding of the Anthracite Research Laboratory Center.
• Speeches:
  • 1939: Fenton before the U.S. House of Representatives, March 2, 1939 in behalf of H. R. 4109, a bill introduced by Congressman Fenton to provide for the establishment of an anthracite lab
  • 1957: Fenton before the 47th annual meeting of the New York State Fuel Merchants Association, Sept. 10, 1957
  • 1958: Fenton at meeting in Hazelton, Luzerne County re Anthracite Expressway proposal, May 29, 1958;
  • 1962: Fenton at dedication of Little Schuylkill Watershed and Flood Prevention Project dam, Oct. 20, 1962
  • 1963: Fenton to the U.S. House of Representatives, May 10, 1963 from Congressional Record, May 10, 1963
  • 1974: U.S. Senator Hugh Scott to the U.S. Senate, May 2, 1974 from Congressional Record, May 2, 1974
• Legislation:
  • P. L. 812, 77th Congress, Chapter 764-2nd Session, "An Act to provide for the establishment and operation of a research laboratory in the Pennsylvania anthracite region for investigation of the mining, preparation and utilization of anthracite�" Dec. 18, 1942
  • 93rd Congress, 2nd Session, S. 3434, U.S. Senate, "A Bill to establish university coal research laboratories�" March 2, 1974, introduced by U.S. Senator Hugh Scott.
• Publication:
  • Reading Railroad Magazine, vol. 12, no. 12, May 1948. Issue contains article "New Anthracite Research Laboratory at Schuylkill Haven, Pa."
• News clippings, 1954:
  • "Anthracite's Unusual Dilemma," Sunbury Daily Item, March 19, 1954;
• News clippings, 1957:
  • "2 Factions Ask Routing of Anthracite Expressway Through Different Areas," Harrisburg Sunday Patriot-News, Sept. 28, 1957
  • Fenton Sees Research Aiding Hard Coal Industry," Pottsville Republican, April 11, 1957
  • "Fenton in Drive for New Route 11, Envisions Outlet to Region's Markets," Scranton Times [Lackawanna County] Oct. 9, 1957
  • "Dr. Fenton was alone in his warning," by Thomas D. Brennan, [Shamokin, Northumberland County] News-Item, Nov. 23, 1973
• News clippings, 1965:
  • "A Forerunner of Appalachia," (editorial) Sunbury Daily Item [Northumberland County], Feb. 6, 1965
  • "Dr. Fenton Joins In Fight To Save Research Center," Sunbury Daily Item, Feb. 19, 1965
  • Dr. Fenton Urges Continuance of Coal Laboratory," [Mahonoy City] Record-American, Feb. 18, 1965
  • "Rhodes Requests Review On Close Anthracite Center," Pottsville Republican, Feb. 5, 1965
• News clippings, 1968:
  • Fenton's Anthracite Lab Dream Evaporates in gift by Agency to Penn State," Sunbury Daily Item, Feb. 27, 1968. Article says lab building will be converted into a college dorm.
• News clippings, 1972:
  • "The Glen Burn Fire Burns On and On," Sunbury News-Item, May 24, 1972
• News clippings, 1973:
  • "Schweiker Urges Action on Energy Development," Pottsville Republican, Dec.4, 1973
  • "Coal Research," Evening Herald of Shenandoah-Ashland-Mahanoy City, Dec. 3, 1973
  • "Governor asks government to spend $5 billion on coal," Evening Herald of Shenandoah-Ashland-Mahanoy City, April 4, 1973
  • "Arabs Make Shale Oil A 'Clean' Competitor," Pottsville Republican, December 7, 1973
• Map:
  • U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Philadelphia District, "Delaware River Philadelphia Pa. to Trenton NJ," circa 1959 or 1960.
• Photographs:
  • The Fenton Collection contains numerous black and white mainly 8x10 black and white photographs of identified & unidentified persons. Photos seem to depict various meetings, trips, and organization dinners.
  • Dr. Fenton can be identified in many photographs, including one with U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower probably taken in the 1950s.
  • One photo undated shows Fenton looking at flood wall.
  • There is also a small photo "album" about the Central Valley Project in California, October 1947 taken by the US Dept. of the Interior photographers.
  • There are numerous photographs of Fenton and others in Montana, Nevada, California, and Alabama in mines, at dam sites, and in forest areas circa 1947.

MG-425 Ebasco Environmental Company Aerial Photographs

ca. 1980-1985]
(108 images)

The Ebasco Environmental Company of Sacramento, California, conducted an analysis of a utility pipeline project of the Texas Eastern Corporation in the early 1980s. The analysis included an aerial survey of counties along the southern border of Pennsylvania. Ebasco donated the images to the State Archives in 1990. The views are 108 enlarged (22 1/2 x 24") aerial images of Adams, Bedford, Chester, Fayette, Franklin, Fulton, Greene, Lancaster, Somerset and York Counties. The scale is 1 inch: 500 feet. The pipeline is delineated on each sheet with black tape. Captions giving mileposts are also affixed to the images. Arrangement is alphabetical by county.

MG-431 Stauffer Family Papers

1887-1933
1 cu. ft.

Correspondence of the Stauffer Family of Reading, Pa, 1891-1933. The Papers concern mainly A.K. Stauffer, a Reading attorney, and his son A. Keim Stauffer.

A. Keim Stauffer was in the 9th Regiment National Guard of Pennsylvania for a few months in 1898 when he contracted typhoid and had to leave. He later became editor of The Forester, a magazine published by the U.S. Department of Agriculture under Secretary Gifford Pinchot. Keim was involved with the Department during Pinchot's early career as a conservationist. Early in the 1900s, Keim was City Planner of Reading, a position comparable to mayor.

The papers consist of correspondence sent to members of the Stauffer Family of Reading, Pa, 1887-1933. The majority of the papers focus upon A. K. Stauffer and A. Keim Stauffer, with the correspondence between the two being the highlight of the collection. The correspondence between Keim and A.K. Stauffer trace the son's involvement in the military in 1898, showing Pennsylvania feeling during the Spanish-American War. One letter describes the difficulties of obtaining a uniform in Philadelphia. Additional letters detail the beginning of The Forester, Pinchot's conservationist magazine, and Keim's job as City Planner of Reading. The collection includes original franked envelopes, indicating free postage, and two Pinchot items.

The collection is arranged alphabetically according to correspondent and then chronologically. The Forester was a monthly magazine published in Washington DC by the American Forestry Association. Items of interest to environmental historians include the following:

Correspondence to Abner K. Stauffer

Box 1, folder 1-2

• John Keim Stauffer, April 5, 1889 re meeting with Gifford Pinchot.

Correspondence to John Keim Stauffer

Box 1, folder 1-8

• Gifford Pinchot, March 31, 1899 re Stauffer's appointment as editor of The Forester
• Gifford Pinchot, April 18, 1899 re visit with Pinchot
• Oswald Garrison Villard, May 10, 1899 re The Forester
• J. Luebkent, July 29, 1899 re meeting of the American Forestry Association
• J. Luebkent, August 3, 1899 re American Forestry Association membership
• Abner K. Stauffer, Oct. 26, 1899 re U.S. Agriculture Dept. job & relationship with Gifford Pinchot

Correspondence to John Keim Stauffer, 1914-1917

Box 2, folder 2-1,

• Gifford Pinchot, Jan. 1, 1914, re National Conservation Congress
• J. Horace McFarland, Nov. 15, 1916, printed flyer advertisement for 12th annual convention of the American Civic Association. Ad mentions agenda items such as city and town planning, country planning, our national parks and preservation of Niagara Falls.
• Favel Shurtlett, May 1 and 17, 1917 re National Conference on City Planning
• George H. Wirt, March 15 and May 11, 1917. Wirt is chief forest fire warden with the Pa. Dept. of Forestry headed by Robert S. Conklin
• Publication: Preliminary program, National Conference on City Planning at Kansas City, Mo., May 7-9, 1917

Correspondence of John Keim Stauffer as editor of The Forester, 1899-1900

Box 2, folder 2-3

• John Gifford, June 18, 1899 re: quality of magazine
• John Keim Stauffer to Gifford, June 21, 1899 re article Gifford wrote on the Vallambrosa forest in Italy, "the seat of the Royal Italian Forestry Institute
• The Syracuse Herald, June 22, 1899 re Gifford article
• F. R. Meirer, June 22, 1899 re Meirer is consulting forester in Mahowah, New Jersey
• Joseph Thoburn, July 5, 1899 re subscription to the magazine
• Herbert Gibbons, Oct. 12, 1899 re question about tree planting
• The New Era Printing Company, Nov. 6, 1899, re printing of The Forester in Lancaster County
• M. T. Richardson Co. Dec. 22, 1899 and Jan. 12, 1900. Richardson is publisher of the monthly journal Amateur Sportsman
• Herman Collins, May 15, 1900 and Stauffer to Collins, May 19 and 21, 1900 re Stauffer to resign as editor of The Forester
• The New Era Printing Company, May 16, 1900 re magazine publishing expenses
• John Keim Stauffer to Milton Hershey? May 17, 1900 re publishing bills
• Forest & Stream Publishing Company, May 23, 1900 re editor of weekly journal Forest & Stream: Rod and Gun regrets Stauffer's resignation as Forester editor
• "Mr. Stauffer Resigns: The Editorship of 'The Forester' to return to journalism" unnamed publication, circa May 1900.

Correspondence, "undated"

Box 2, folder 2-7

• Henry S. Graves to J.B. Townsend, March 11, 1899 re US Agriculture Dept. official searches for an editor for The Forester
• John Keim Stauffer to Graves, March 21, 1899 re applying for editorship of The Forester
• John Keim Stauffer to Dr. C. O. Rich, August 16, 1899 re waiting for Gifford Pinchot
• John Keim Stauffer to George P. Rowell, April 20, 1899 re his resignation as editor

MG-440 General Public Utilities Corp. & Duquesne Light Company Transmission Line Project Collection

1 carton, 6 map folders, & 1 box

On September 11, 1991, four electric utility companies - Duquesne Light Company, Metropolitan Edison Company, Pennsylvania Electric Company, and Jersey Central Power and Light Company submitted a joint application to the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission for the construction of a proposed 268 mile, 500 kilovolt electric transmission line. The proposed transmission line would extend from outside Pittsburgh to Three Mile Island in Londonderry Township. The line would have initially been used to transfer electricity from the Duquesne Light system to General Public Utilities customers in central and eastern Pennsylvania and New Jersey.

The application, however, became one of the most controversial power-line projects in Pennsylvania state history. The proposal was met with opposition as nearly 10,000 letters of protest were sent to the utility commission. The opponents raised three primary concerns: potential health problems, lower property values, and environmental concerns. Hearing and testimonies were conducted before the Pennsylvania Utility Commission for review. The contents of the presented case conveyed the need for the proposed high volt transmission line, description of the routes to be taken, estimated cost, date and time of completion, environmental impact studies, and the names and addresses of property owners whose land would be in use. The project was terminated on December 10, 1993 after General Public Utilities filed a "Petition for Leave to Withdraw from Proceedings of Metropolitan Edison Company, Pennsylvania Electric Company, and Jersey Central Power and Light Company."

The Records contain the following types of documentation:

• Hearings and Testimonies
• Maps - 36"x24" aerial views illustrating the proposed corridor which would be used in the construction of the power line. The surveys demonstrate the lay of the land and depict farms, houses, trees, mountains, and roads
• Video tapes: "Building for the Future", 1991, "Pennsylvania Energy for Economic Revitalization"

The records were obtained from the General Public Utilities Service Corporation.

Hearings and Testimonies

Carton 1

• Volume 1
  • "Before the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission, Exhibit A: Vol. 1, HV Electric Transmission Line and Related Electric Substation Facilities, Siting/Certification Application" (in loose-leaf notebook)
  • Section A: The need for the proposed HV transmission line facilities
  • Section B: General description of proposed route, alternate route, estimated cost of product, estimated date of completion and systems maps.
  • Section C: Route selection (maps)
  • Section D: Environmental studies (topics are land use, soil & sedimentation, plant & wildlife habitat, hydrology, wilderness and natural areas, terrain & landscape etc.)
  • Section E: Names and addresses of property owners within the proposed right-of-way
  • Section F: List of governmental agencies with jurisdiction
• Volume 2
  • Before the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission, Exhibit A: Vol. 2, HV Electric Transmission Line and Related Electric Substation Facilities, Siting/Certification Application" (oversized)
  • Topographical maps of Pennsylvania showing proposed route of transmission line. Indexed. Maps produced by the Topographic and Geologic Survey, Pa. Dept. of Environmental Resources with the US Dept. of the Interior Geological Survey
  • Black and white aerial photo maps of Pennsylvania showing proposed route of transmission line. Photographs are captioned with identification of landmarks such as rivers, power stations, highways, communities etc.

Testimony

Carton 1

Transcripts are within 12 folders. The following is a list of the witnesses who testified.

1. Michael B. Roche
2. Robert C. Arnold
3. J. Michael Silver
4. Dr. Darwin R. Labrthe
5. Dr. Edward P Gelmann
6. Robert J. Houston
7. John M. Mores
8. John F. Karcher, Jr.
9. H. T. Milbourne
10. 1John G. Graham
11. Michael Weir
12. Mark H. Freise

Maps

In 6 folders in the map case.

1. Beaver & Butler Counties
2. Butler & Armstrong Counties
3. Indiana & Cambria Counties
4. Cambria, Blair, Bedford & Huntingdon Counties
5. Huntingdon, Franklin, Cumberland & Adams Counties
6. Adams, York, & Lancaster Counties

Videotapes

In 1 box

• "Building for the future," June 13, 1991 (producer, personnel?)
• "Pennsylvania Energy for Economic Revitalization," undated (need to examine container to ascertain production date, personnel, producer etc.)

Related Records

MG-441: Larew's Farm Market Records on the General Public Utilities and Duquesne Light Company Transmission Line Project

MG-442 - York County Citizens Action Group Records on the General Public Utilities and Duquesne Light Company Transmission Line Project.

MG-441 Lloyd Lerew Farm Market Records on the General Public Utilities Corp. & Duquesne Light Co. Transmission Line Project

7 cartons

On September 11, 1991 four electric companies, Duquesne Light Company, Metropolitan Edison Company, Pennsylvania Electric Company, and Jersey Central Power and Light Company submitted a joint application to the Pennsylvania Commission for the construction of a 268 mile, 500 kilovolt electric transmission line. The proposed line would have extended from outside Pittsburgh to Three Mile Island in Londonderry Township. The application was received with much opposition.

Lloyd Larew, of Dillsburg, Pennsylvania, was one of the thousands of citizens who filed a complaint before the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission in the fall of 1991 against the proposed route of the transmission line. He claimed that his property had been the subject of investigation for subdivision and residential development and was listed for sale with a realty agency. The proposed transmission line, which would cut through his property, he said, would render the property unusable for development. He proposed that the application for the transmission line be denied along the proposed right-of-way and that action be taken to remove his and adjoining property from the proposed route. On December 10, 1993 General Public Utilities pulled out of the project, terminating it.

As of June 1997, this collection remains unprocessed. The collection contains the following type of documents:

• Correspondence:
  • Correspondents include all major litigants, Ryan, Russell & McConaghy law firm of Reading, Berks County, Pennsylvania Small Business, Paul D. Huber, McManimon & Scotland law firm of Newark, New Jersey, Allegheny County Commissioners, Washington County Commissioners
• Minutes:
  • Minutes available include those of the Corporate Development Group, CAPCO planning committee meetings of Dec. 9, 1991 and June 16, 1992
• Litigation:
  • These were hearings before the Pa. Public Utilities Commission on docket case no. 1-11300F0051 involving all litigant parties, environmental groups such as the Sierra Club, Adams County Commissioners, the Pa. Public Utilities Commission
• Testimony:
  • Witnesses include the following: John F. Allison, Brenda Barrett, Dr. Julia G. Brody, Kurt Carr, Frederick V. Cluck, Tom Foerster, Gregory J. Grabowicz, Jerry D. Hassinger, Edie Klein, Marilyn Korsak, Herbert D. Limmer, Dr. Samuel Milham Jr., Daisy S. Ohrum, Roy J. Shanker, Norman H. Shelly Jr., and Ronald C. Turner.
• Reports:
  • Examples of reports include Pennsylvania Fish and Wildlife Data Base, List A: Project Area Species List/Master List; "The Economic Impact of the Proposed GPU-DQE Transmission Line on Pennsylvania, April 1991; "The Economic Impact of Duquesne Light Material Purchases in Southwestern Pennsylvania, 1992;" "The Economic Impact of Coal Purchases for Duquesne Light-GPU Project, March 1992"
• Publications:
  • Examples of publications include Line Items: A Newsletter for Neighbors of the GPU-DQE Transmission Project, vol. 1, no. 2, winter 1991-1992; vol. 1, no. 4 summer 1993 in carton 4; The Power Lines: the Newsletter of the York County Citizens' Action Group, vol. 2, no. 1, Jan. 1992; vol. 2, no. 3 May 1992; vol. 3, no.1, June 1993 in carton 4.
• News clippings:
  • "Duquesne Light Chides PUC on delay of big line," by Jim McKay, Pittsburgh Post-Gazetter, April 29, 1992; "GPU takes 'positive steps' to counter challenging year," by Ted Sherman, New Jersey? Star-Ledger, May 8, 1992
• Maps:
  • There are numerous maps of proposed routes for the GPU-DQE Transmission Project.

Related Records

MG-440: General Public Utilities Corporation and Duquesne Light Company Transmission Project Records

MG-442 - York County Citizens Action Group Records on the General Public Utilities and Duquesne Light Company Transmission Line Project.

MG-442 York County Citizens Action Group Records on the General Public Utilities Corp. & Duquesne Light Co. Transmission Line Project

2 cartons

On September 11, 1991, four electric utility companies, Duquesne Light Company, Metropolitan Edison Company, Pennsylvania Electric Company, and Jersey Central Power and Light Company submitted a joint application to the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission for the construction of a proposed 268 mile, 500 kilovolt transmission line. The proposed line would have extended from outside Pittsburgh to Three Mile Island in Londonderry Township. The application received much protest and opposition from citizens. The York County Citizens' Action Group opposed the construction of the line. In July 1991, presentations were conducted by the General Public Utilities and Duquesne Light Company indicating their plans to construct a transmission line. Then in opposition to the proposed line, the York County Citizens' Action Group held its first public meeting with an attendance of 400-500 citizens on August 19, 1991. The group was unanimous in its opposition to a line anywhere in Pennsylvania. Direct action was taken when Attorney Susan Shanaman was retained. The group became active in voicing its concerns. The opponents raised three primary concerns: potential health problems, lower property values, and environmental damage. They distributed informational pamphlets and flyers about the project, held fundraisers and rallys, and attended the Public Utility Commission meetings and hearings. The group also provided the citizens with information on measures they could take to oppose the line, such as filing complaints and attending informative meetings to discuss the issues. The group was successful in its efforts. On December 10, 1993, General Public Utilities pulled out and filed a "Petition for Leave to Withdraw from Proceedings of Metropolitan Edison Company, Pennsylvania Electric Company, and Jersey Central Power and Light Company." The project was terminated.

The collection remains unprocessed at this date, June 1997

These records, obtained from the York County Citizens Action Group, include the following.

• Videotapes:
  • Citizens Action Group Public Meeting, November 11, 1991, 1 tape
  • Network Earth CNN, June 28, 1992, 1 tape
  • Public Utility Commission Public Hearings, October 6, 1992, four tapes
  • Public Evidentiary Hearings, October 19, 1992, three tapes

Related Records

MG-440: General Public Utilities Corporation and Duquesne Light Company Transmission Project Records

MG-441: Larew's Farm Market Records on the General Public Utilities and Duquesne Light Company Transmission Line Project

Related Resources

• Environmental Resources, RG 1-6
• Environmental Resources, RG 7-13
• Environmental Resources, RG 14-34
• Environmental Resources, RG 37-43
• Environmental Resources, RG 45-75
• Environmental Resources, MG 6-156
• Environmental Resources, MG 160-190
• Environmental Resources, MG 191-207
• Environmental Resources, MG 208-209
• Environmental Resources, MG 214-308
• Environmental Resources, MG 309 pt 1
• Environmental Resources, MG 309 pt 2
• Environmental Resources, MG 325-442
• Environmental Resources, MG 450-471
• Environmental Resources, MG 472 pt 1
• Environmental Resources, MG 472 pt 2
• Environmental Resources, MG 472 pt 3 -496