Episode for March 28, 2025: EPA rollbacks, coal's future and youth climate activism
The Allegheny Front
Sign up for ! President Trump is a big supporter of coal, and that’s giving some in the industry hope for a comeback. But others don’t see any future for coal. EPA employees and people retired from the agency rallied in Philadelphia to protest the Trump Administration’s efforts to reshape the agency. How environmentalists are reacting to the Environmental Protection Agency's intention to rollback 31 regulations. We talk with a young climate organizer for her tips for moving the needle on the climate crisis. Governor Josh Shapiro says Pennsylvania will appeal a decision by the U.S....
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Episode for March 21, 2025: Fracking under parks
The Allegheny Front
Sign up for ! Fracking under Ohio parks is moving forward, but park visitors have mixed reactions about the industry. The ethane cracker in Beaver County has only been operating for a few years, but its owners may be looking to sell. We talk with the lead author of a new study on the connection between infant mortality and lead exposure. In another blow to the offshore wind industry, the Environmental Protection Agency has pulled a permit for the Atlantic Shores project in New Jersey. Raystown Lake in Huntingdon County is cancelling this year’s campground reservations, citing staff...
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Episode for March 14, 2025: Nuclear microreactors, EPA rollbacks and coal ash
The Allegheny Front
Sign up for ! The future of nuclear energy might be microreactors. With new air monitors, an environmental group is publishing real-time pollution data for people who live near the ethane cracker and other industries in Beaver County. How bird flu and the price of eggs are influencing Pennsylvania consumers. And, the new head of the EPA announced sweeping plans to roll back 31 separate environmental protections. The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection and a crypto mining company have agreed to speed the cleanup of the company’s unpermitted coal ash dumping. We’re...
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Episode for March 7, 2025: Solar, hazardous waste and flying squirrels
The Allegheny Front
Sign up for ! Provisions in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law made it easier for churches and schools to install solar panels. How will the Trump administration impact the growth of solar in Pennsylvania? A hazardous waste landfill in Westmoreland County has been a thorn in the side of nearby residents for decades. To fight plastic pollution in the Great Lakes, scientists are calling for a more unified effort in the region. Residents living within a mile of a U.S. Steel plant in Braddock, near Pittsburgh, have until March 17 to opt out of a class action settlement over alleged air pollution....
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Episode for February 28, 2025: Funding freeze, federal workers, and farmers
The Allegheny Front
How word of a federal funding freeze disrupted efforts to clean up a century’s worth of abandoned mine pollution in Pennsylvania. Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro announced the state again has access to more than $2 billion of federal money that had been frozen by the Trump administration. While some federal funding to Pennsylvania has been restored, other monies, like aid for farmers, are still in limbo. The Trump administration's recent firings of staff at the U.S. Forest Service and the National Park Service have conservation organizations concerned. Faith leaders, environmental...
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Episode for February 21, 2025: Solar program in jeopardy
The Allegheny Front
Many people want to install solar panels on their homes to reduce costs and carbon pollution. Now a government program that makes solar more affordable is at risk. Environmental advocates applaud Governor Shapiro’s lawsuit against the Trump administration for freezing funds for infrastructure and climate programs. While it was very cold in much of the U.S., January was the hottest on Earth. An environmental education center in Northwestern Pennsylvania includes a distillery that makes alcohol from an unusual local product: sunflowers. Also, new research from Drexel University finds kids in...
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Episode for February 14, 2025: Trump executive orders, funding freeze and bird flu
The Allegheny Front
Pennsylvania has been expecting $171 million over 5 years to build electric vehicle charging stations across the state. However, the Trump administration has abruptly cut off the funds. Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro filed a federal lawsuit to challenge the Trump Administration’s effort to freeze federal grants. The administration is also reassigning Department of Justice employees from environmental programs. Plus, bird flu is spreading to mammals. A new report finds since the construction of Shell's ethane cracker Beaver County’s economy and population continue to decline. Pittsburgh...
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Episode for February 7, 2025: Future of green energy projects
The Allegheny Front
Several clean energy projects are already underway across the county, including a hydrogen hub that's moving forward in western Pennsylvania. But will it survive President Trump’s campaign to undo Joe Biden’s climate legacy? At the second anniversary of the East Palestine train derailment, some residents were unimpressed with the parade of politicians who made an official visit. A new campaign hopes to bring more voices to the fight against air pollution. Also, in his budget address, Governor Josh Shapiro said he plans to lower energy costs for families. Owners of the Mountain Valley...
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Episode for January 31, 2024: Two years after the East Palestine disaster
The Allegheny Front
This week on The Allegheny Front, a special report. It's been two years since the the Norfolk Southern train derailed near the Pennsylvania-Ohio border. Researchers have been looking at how the toxic chemicals released in the disaster could impact people's health, and many who lived nearby still have health questions. A Western Pennsylvania Congressman is calling on leaders in Washington to pass rail safety legislation. Also, Gov. Josh Shapiro touts an agreement to prevent spike in electricity bills. Fifteen environmental justice communities in Allegheny County are now eligible to receive...
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Episode for January 24, 2025: Green manufacturing, jobs and President Trump
The Allegheny Front
Manufacturing is cleaner and more automated than when it peaked in the Pittsburgh area in the 1950s. Federal dollars and clean energy have revolutionized manufacturing, but what happens now that President Trump is back in office? Jobs in clean energy are expanding faster in Pennsylvania than the state’s overall economy, according to a new report. A climate journalist looks at the potential consequences of President Trump's first executive orders dealing with energy development. In its last days, the Biden Administration awarded Pennsylvania money to launch rebate programs for electric...
info_outlineState regulators call out the conventional oil and gas industry for a widespread failure to comply with Pennsylvania environmental regulations. And, an art exhibit aims to give trees the legal tools to protect themselves. Plus, we go forest bathing in Frick Park to improve our mental and physical health.
We also have news about a proposed new federal limit for soot, an investigation into a Christmas Day natural gas explosion, and Pa. Governor-elect Josh Shapiro's choice for DEP secretary.