The Allegheny Front

This week, we take an in-depth look at a first-of-its-kind wind energy project approved for construction in Lake Erie. But the biggest barrier to more wind projects on the Great Lakes is public opposition. Plus, residents in Dimock, a small town in northeastern Pennsylvania, will finally have clean drinking water after a fracking company pleaded no contest to polluting their private wells more than a decade ago. 

A massive leak at a natural gas storage facility in western Pennsylvania raises a lot of questions. We’ll also hear about a genetically modified American chestnut tree that can resist a deadly blight that’s on track to be deregulated by the federal government. And testing is crucial on farms and at wildlife centers to make sure that birds are not infected with a highly contagious avian flu that’s already led to the deaths of more than 4 million birds in Pennsylvania. 

We also have news about air pollution rules for conventional (not fracked) gas and oil wells, and the failure of Pennsylvania to meet its Chesapeake Bay goals. Plus, Rutgers University develops an oyster reef ecosystem to prevent beach erosion.

This week, we discuss how the $2 billion in tax credit Gov. Wolf just signed into law benefits natural gas, including creating a hydrogen hub in Pennsylvania. We'll also hear about a solar farm project that will provide electricity to the University of Pittsburgh. But students calling for the school to divest from fossil fuels aren't satisfied.  Plus, Shell's ethane cracker officially opens. And an environmental reporter blows off some steam during a solo hike.

We have news about the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative and a fine for a gas company for spills of fracking fluid.

As climate change brings more risks to traditional farming, farmers are trying to make sure their crops survive. With the COP27 talks underway, the US and other wealthier nations are working to transition countries like South Africa away from fossil fuels.

Plus, we visit an urban farm in Pittsburgh that teaches neighbors how to grow and cook seasonal veggies. And, a Philly hiking group is improving women’s wellness.

We have news about federal money for abandoned mine cleanup and for projects for monitoring air quality. Pa. Governor Tom Wolf signs a $2 billion natural gas tax credit bill.

One company is mining Bitcoin to keep two waste coal power plants in Pennsylvania running. But what's the climate impact? A new report concludes that coal plants aren't doing enough to clean up coal ash disposal sites that are contaminating groundwater.

Plus, an urban farmer in Pittsburgh had to overcome significant challenges to clean up her property to start her enterprise.

We have news about microplastics in Pennsylvania waterways and federal funding to help coal communities.

Both John Fetterman and Dr. Mehmet Oz at one time were in favor of a moratorium on fracking, but now both support it. Do voters care? Meanwhile, the Pa. legislature just passed a $2 billion package of tax breaks meant to support the natural gas industry for decades.

While the Clean Water Act regulated unchecked industrial pollution, it didn't cover contamination like pharmaceuticals, which are a danger to wildlife. Plus, as the Clean Water Act turns 50, some of its protections for wetlands and smaller bodies of water could be limited by an upcoming Supreme Court decision.

News about Shell's Falcon pipeline and the Pa. DOH study of fracking and health.

Voters in one Ohio county are deciding if wind energy will be built in their community, but experts say their views may be colored by misinformation. We'll hear how the Clean Water Act, which just turned 50, revived the Delaware River. Plus, the garden of a refugee community in Pittsburgh helps sustain its own members and the neighborhood where it grows. And, we examine how a new rule in Allegheny County didn't stop air pollution from rising this month.

Fifty years ago, parts of the Delaware River stank, and fish couldn't survive in it. We look at how the Clean Water Act helped to revive this dead river. And, we have the first installment of a new series highlighting Black urban farmers growing food to sustain their communities.

Plus, a new collection of climate fiction looks forward to a better world for the environment and for people. We have news about new Pennsylvania regulations for gas wells and PFAS in drinking water, and a petition against Ohio's injection well program.

We answer your questions about the impact of Shell's ethane cracker on the region's jobs, property values, and of course, air pollution. Meanwhile, the state health department is funding the University of Pittsburgh to study the impacts of fracking on health. But both groups pulled out of a public meeting about the work.

We'll also hear about a nature preserve in Wyoming County that's now one of three new Pennsylvania parks. Plus, we have news about air regulations on gas wells, a solar farm in Armstrong County, and a new group on outdoor recreation.

In dozens of Pennsylvania towns, underground steam systems that heat buildings could be re-vamped, so they’re powered by renewable energy. But there’s competition: cheaper natural gas. We’ll also hear from President Biden’s climate envoy about what it will take to meet global greenhouse gas reduction goals.

Plus, a new short documentary tells the story of a small, rural town trying to keep a fracking waste injection well out of their community to preserve their drinking water and save a rare salamander. We have news about PFAS in fracking wastewater in Ohio.