Pennsylvania Environmental Council Privacy Policy

Your privacy is important to us.

We have prepared this Privacy Policy to explain to you how we collect, use, and share information we obtain through your use of our site, newsletters, application programming interfaces (APIs), and other internet-based services (herein, “Services”) that are operated by or controlled by the Pennsylvania Environmental Council (PEC). 

This Privacy Policy does not govern our use of any information you provide to us when you call us, write to us, or communicate with us in any manner other than through the Services. Because the Internet is global, information about you that we collect or that you submit, in each case in connection with your use of the Services, may be transferred to, processed in, and held in countries (including the United States) other than the one in which you reside. By using the Services, you explicitly consent to such use of your information and agree to the terms of this Privacy Policy.

Information PEC Collects

PEC may collect two (2) types of information about you: Personal and Non-Personal.

1. Personal Information. “Personal Information” refers to information that lets PEC know the specifics of who you are and which may be used to identify, contact, or locate you (e.g., name, mailing address, telephone number, and e-mail address). PEC may collect Personal Information when you use our Services, including, without limitation, this list of options (herein, “Shared Information”):
   
   1. Registration/E-Newsletters. Registration for PEC events, activities, or e-newsletter receipt requires that you supply certain personally identifiable information, including, in most cases, a unique e-mail address or other contact information. Registration may also require you to submit payment information through our website or a third-party application, with PEC potentially collecting and storing billing and credit card information. This information will be shared only with third parties who perform tasks required to complete purchase transactions. Examples of this include credit card payments.
   2. Job, Intern, Grant, and Fellow Applicants: Applicants for employment, internship, grants, or fellowship opportunities with PEC are required to give us a name, street address, telephone number, email address, and resume, and sometimes additional information as well. We use this information to process and evaluate applications and to communicate with applicants about opportunities. 
   3. Contributions/Membership. Contributions to, or membership with, PEC requires that you supply your name, address, telephone number, e-mail address, and credit card number or other billing information. PEC has adopted a separate Donor Privacy Policy that also applies in these instances. 
   4. User-Generated Comments and Public Activities (including Comments and Social Sharing). We offer you opportunities to engage in public activities on our Services. “Public Activities” are any actions you take on Social Media Sites (e.g., Twitter and Facebook) that are designed to be visible to other users on our Services, including commenting and posting to Social Media Sites. Any information you disclose in your Public Activities, including your screen name, and any image or photo, becomes public. If you chose to engage in Public Activities, you should be aware that any personally identifiable information you choose to submit can be read, collected, and used by other readers of these areas, and could be used to send you unsolicited messages. We are not responsible for the personally identifiable information you choose to submit in these forums, and PEC has no responsibility to publish, take down, remove, or edit any Public Activities.
   5. Usage Data. PEC may collect information as you interact with the Services. For example, each time you visit the Services, we may automatically collect the Web page you came from, the URL you go to next, and the Web page(s) that you access during your visit.
2. Non-Personal Information. “Non-Personal Information” refers to information that, by itself, does not identify you as a specific individual (e.g., demographic information or website visits). PEC may collect Non-Personal Information through any of the methods discussed above, as well as automatically through use of industry standard technologies described further below. For example, each time you visit the Services, we may automatically collect your IP address, browser and computer type, and access time.

How PEC Collects Your Information

The Personal Information practices set forth apply to all users of PEC’s Services worldwide.

1. Information Collected Through Technology. PEC Services may gather the previously referenced Personal Information and Non-Personal Information by the following methods:
   
   1. Cookies. Cookies, including local shared objects, are small pieces of information that are stored by your browser on your computer’s hard drive. They work by assigning to your computer a unique number that has no meaning outside of the PEC Services. Cookies do not generally contain any Personal Information. Most Web browsers automatically accept cookies, but you can usually configure your browser to prevent this. Not accepting cookies may make certain features of the PEC Services unavailable to you. We use cookies to help us improve the Services by analyzing and estimating our traffic and use of features on the Services. We may also use “pixel tags,” which are small graphic files that allow us to monitor the use of the Services. A pixel tag can collect information such as the IP address of the computer that downloaded the page on which the tag appears; the URL of the page on which the tag appears; the time (and length of time) the page containing the tag was viewed; the type of browser that retrieved the tag; and the identification number of any cookie previously placed by that server on your computer. We may use pixel tags to collect information about your visit-including the pages you view, the links you click, and other actions taken in connection with our Services-and use them in combination with our cookies to provide information of interest to you. We also may allow certain analytic services and providers of applications used on the Services (e.g., sharing buttons) to collect Non-Personal Information by placing cookies on the Services that will track certain performance measures, such as Web traffic, click-throughs, etc., in order to assist us and our service providers in better understanding and serving the interests of our users.
   2. IP Address. You may visit many areas of the PEC Services anonymously. Even in such cases, PEC may collect IP addresses automatically. An IP address is a number that is automatically assigned to your computer whenever you begin Services with an Internet service provider. Each time you access the PEC Services and each time you request one of PEC’s pages, the server logs your IP address.
   3. Beacons. Beacons are small pieces of data that are embedded in Web pages, applications, and e-mails. PEC may use these technical methods in HTML e-mails that PEC sends to users to determine whether they have opened those e-mails and/or clicked on links in those e-mails.

How PEC Uses Your Information

1. Generally. Except as otherwise described in this section of our Privacy Policy, we will never share your Usage Data, Personal Information, Non-Personal Information, or Shared Information (which we will refer to in this Privacy Policy collectively as “User Information”) with any third party without your permission.
2. System Administration. PEC may use Non-Personal Information for the purposes of system administration, assisting in diagnosing problems with PEC servers, monitoring PEC’s system performance and traffic on the PEC website, and gathering broad demographic information about PEC Service users.
3. E-mail. PEC complies fully with the federal CAN-SPAM Act of 2003.
   
   1. Membership and Event Related E-mails. PEC reserves the right to send you e-mail relating to your membership or registration for events. This includes confirmations, membership renewal notices, notices about credit cards problems, and other transactional e-mails and notifications about major changes to PEC Services or our Privacy Policy.
   2. Newsletters. PEC offers several e-mail newsletters. If you no longer wish to receive a specific newsletter, follow the “unsubscribe” instructions located at the bottom of each newsletter. To manage your PEC e-mail preferences, please click on the “unsubscribe” link found at the bottom of any newsletter you’ve received.
4. Contact Information. If you contact PEC by telephone, e-mail, or letter, PEC may keep a record of your contact information and correspondence. If you report a problem with the website, PEC or it’s Service Providers may collect this information in a file. You may contact PEC to request the removal of this information from PEC’s database.
5. Aggregated Data. From time to time, we may share aggregated User Information with third parties. We will not, however, share any aggregated data in manner that would enable the recipient to personally identify you.
6. Service Providers. From time to time, we may enter into relationships with third parties who provide services to us (e.g., data management and storage services or credit card processing services). In those circumstances, we disclose User Information that is necessary for such service providers to perform those services, and we require that they maintain the confidentiality of such User Information.
7. Other Disclosure Scenarios. Notwithstanding anything in this Privacy Policy to the contrary, we reserve the right, and you hereby expressly authorize us, to share any User Information: (1) in response to subpoenas, court orders, or legal process, or to establish, protect, or exercise our legal rights or defend against legal claims; (2) if we believe it is necessary in order to investigate, prevent, or take action regarding potentially illegal activities, fraud, or situations involving potential threats to the safety of any person or property; and (3) if we believe it is necessary to investigate, prevent, or take action regarding significant abuse of the Services’ infrastructure or the Internet in general (such as voluminous spamming, denial-of-service attacks, or attempts to compromise the security of information).

Public Information

If you identify any User Information as public, you are authorizing us to share such information publicly. For example, you may elect to make certain Shared Information (such as your alias, bio, e- mail or photos) publicly available. Also, there may be areas of the Services in which you are able to post information that will be available to all other users of the Services. By choosing to use these areas, you understand and agree that anyone may access, use, and disclose any information that you post to them. We are not responsible for the use or misuse by others of any such information.

Mobile and Location-Based Services

We may from time to time offer certain location- or pinpoint-based services with our applications (such as GPS-assisted instruction, wireless tower location, triangulation, or other available location technologies). If you elect to use such location-based services, we must periodically receive your location in order to provide the services to you. By using the applications’ location-based services, you authorize us to: (a) locate your hardware; (b) record, compile, and display your location; and (c) publish your location to third parties designated by you by means of location publication controls available within the applications (e.g., settings, user preferences). As part of the applications, we may also collect and store certain information about our users, such as users’ wireless mobile subscriber ISDN and/or IMEI numbers (as applicable) and users’ network access identifier information. This information will be used to provide you with the services accessed through our applications. We may use third-party providers to help provide services through mobile systems, and such providers may use the information in accordance with our Privacy Policy.

How We Safeguard Your Personal Information

1. Security Measures. PEC takes appropriate security measures to protect against unauthorized access, alteration, disclosure, or destruction of Personal Information. These include, but are not limited to, internal reviews of: (a) PEC’s data collection; (b) storage and processing practices; (c) electronic security measures; and (d) physical security measures to guard against unauthorized access to systems where PEC stores Personal Information. All PEC employees, contractors, and agents who access Personal Information are bound by confidentiality obligations and may be subject to discipline, including termination and criminal prosecution, for unauthorized use or disclosure of Personal Information.
2. Third-Party Links. PEC Services may contain links to third parties who may collect Personal Information and Non-Personal Information directly from you. Additionally, PEC may use third parties to provide components of the PEC Services. In either case, such third parties may have separate privacy policies and data collection practices, independent of PEC. PEC: (a) has no responsibility or liability for these independent policies or actions; (b) is not responsible for the privacy practices or the content of such websites; and (c) does not make any warranties or representations about the contents, products, or services offered on such websites or the security of any information you provide to them.

PEC continually strives to implement new technologies and processes to better protect you, your privacy, and your use of the PEC Services. As a result, changes to this Privacy Policy may be made by PEC from time to time. In no event will these changes result in the degradation of any of the security measures designed to protect you from unauthorized disclosure, as such measures are described in this Privacy Policy.

How to Exercise Your Data Subject Rights

If you would like to access, review, update, rectify, or delete any Personal Information we hold about you, or exercise any other data subject right available to you under the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), you can email us at [email protected]. We will examine your request and respond to you as quickly as possible.

Children’s Privacy

We are committed to protecting the privacy needs of children, and we encourage parents and guardians to take an active role in their children’s online activities and interests. The Services are not intended for and may not be used by children under the age of 13. We do not knowingly collect information from children under the age of 13, and we do not market the Services to children under the age of 13.

Links to Other Services and Websites

This Privacy Policy applies only to the PEC Services. These Services may contain links to other services and websites not operated or controlled by PEC (the “Third-Party Services”). The policies and procedures we describe here do not apply to the Third-Party Services. The links from this Service do not imply that PEC endorses or has reviewed the Third-Party Services. We suggest contacting those sites directly for information on their privacy policies.

Changes to PEC’s Privacy Policy

Our Services and our business may change from time to time. As a result, at times it may be necessary for PEC to make changes to this Privacy Policy. PEC reserves the right to update or modify this Privacy Policy at any time and from time to time without prior notice. Please review this policy periodically, and especially before you provide additional Personal Information. This Privacy Policy was last updated on the date indicated below. Your continued use of the Service after any changes or revisions to this Privacy Policy shall indicate your agreement with the terms of the revised Privacy Policy.

Jurisdiction and Cross-Border Issues

We do not represent or warrant that the Services, or any part thereof, are appropriate or available for use in any particular jurisdiction. Those who choose to access the Services do so on their own initiative and at their own risk, and are responsible for complying with all local laws, rules, and regulations. We may limit the Services’ availability, in whole or in part, to any person, geographic area, or jurisdiction we choose, at any time and at our sole discretion. By using the Services and submitting any Personal Information, you consent to the transfer of Personal Information to other countries, such as the United States, which may provide a different level of data security from your country of residence.

Special Note for Our International Visitors

Our Services are intended for and directed to users in the United States. If you are accessing our Services from the European Union, Asia, or any other region with laws or regulations governing personal data collection, use, and disclosure that differ from United States laws, please be advised that through your continued use of our Services, which are governed by U.S. law and this Privacy Notice, you are transferring your Personal Information to the United States and you consent to that transfer.

How to Access and Change Your Personal Information

To keep your Personal Information accurate, current, and complete, please contact us as specified below. We will take reasonable steps to update or correct Personal Information in our possession that you have previously submitted via this Service. Please also feel free to contact us if you have any questions about PEC’s Privacy Policy or the information practices of the Services.

You may contact us as follows:
Communications Director

Pennsylvania Environmental Council
810 River Avenue, Suite 201
Pittsburgh, PA 15212
[email protected]
T: 412.481.9400

Last updated: April 1, 2022