January 9, 2026 Tracking solid frack waste, making birds into bandmates
Release Date: 01/09/2026
Episode for July 24, 2026: U.S. Steel's new plan and AI tornado forecasting
The Allegheny Front
Never miss a story: U.S. Steel is investing big money to modernize a mill in the Pittsburgh area. Some are worried about continued air pollution from the plant, while others in the area are excited about its economic impact. The data power of AI could help weather forecasters with some of their trickiest work, like tornadoes. A new book looks at the complexities of reintroducing large wildlife species like wolves and bison back to their original habitats. Pennsylvania has renewed its Solar for Schools program for a third time. Nonprofit environmental groups are seeking crowdfunding...
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Episode for July 17, 2026: Data center roundup
The Allegheny Front
Never miss a story: There's a movement to slow down data center development in Pennsylvania, but state lawmakers weren't ready to repeal a key tax exemption. People who live near a gas processing facility in rural Pennsylvania are against its plans to expand. Operations have been stopped at four injection wells for fracking wastewater in southeastern Ohio, at the request of state regulators. Forests in Allegheny and Fayette Counties are also now part of the Old-Growth Forest Network. A new book explores the beauty of Pennsylvania's natural wonders. We’re independent and non-profit, and...
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Episode for July 10, 2026: Removing dangerous dams
The Allegheny Front
Never miss a story: How a Bedford County community benefitted when two dams were removed. A court rules in favor of a stricter ambient air pollution standard to protect public health. Republican gubernatorial candidate Stacy Garrity was in Western Pennsylvania to discuss data centers and criticize Governor Josh Shapiro. An artist provides tips for finding colorful beach glass on your next trip to Lake Erie. Pennsylvania’s elk country is featured on the season premiere of Discovery Channel show “RV There Yet?.” A week-long camp provides community, support and fun for young...
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Episode for July 3, 2026: History meets environment
The Allegheny Front
Never miss a story: As our nation celebrates its founding, we're looking at where the environment and history meet. This summer 70 paddlers in kayaks and canoes took a trip down the Delaware River, including the spot where Washington crossed in 1776. A group of Pennsylvania residents is working to revive the colonial practice of growing flax one square yard at a time. We'll hear about an effort to preserve the records of a Pennsylvania coal company. An environmental history book about Pennsylvania aims to include multiple perspectives. Plus, a bill introduced in the U.S. House could help...
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Episode for June 26, 2026: Buoys that fight toxic algae
The Allegheny Front
Never miss a story: When the Army Corps of Engineers removed a dam on the Monongahela River a couple of years ago, the water level dropped more than some businesses expected. Researchers are working on buoys that combat harmful algal blooms in Lake Erie by releasing an algaecide. Council members in a Jefferson County borough are putting a nearly six-month pause on data center development, and state lawmakers have passed three measures this week to pump the brakes on data center development. Environmental groups say recent investments announced by Nippon Steel for its US Steel plants in...
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Episode for June 19, 2026: Shapiro on data centers
The Allegheny Front
Never miss a story: Opposition to data center development has been growing in Pennsylvania. We hear from an investigative reporter on Governor Shapiro's office offer to streamline the permitting process for Amazon. The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection is accepting public comment on a proposed water pollution permit for a coal mine planned in western Pennsylvania. Researchers are bringing back a nearly extinct beetle that buries dead animals. Eastern wildfires destroy thousands of acres of land every year. We take a closer look at the 100-year old fire tower system that...
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Episode for June 12, 2026: Balcony solar, frogs and Henry David Thoreau
The Allegheny Front
Never miss a story: This week, we look at the life and legacy of Henry David Thoreau, who has been called the godfather of the environmental movement. We interview the directors of a new Ken Burns documentary about Thoreau, his evolution as a thinker, philosopher of the natural world and abolitionist. Affordable solar power could be coming to a balcony near you. That is, if Pennsylvania lawmakers legalize so-called "balcony solar." A festival celebrating frogs returns to Central Pennsylvania. Nippon Steel's new investment in U.S. Steel's Pittsburgh-area plants prompts questions....
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Bonus Episode: Thoreau documentary is a lesson for the modern era
The Allegheny Front
Never miss a story: In this special bonus episode, we're talking with the co-directors of the new Ken Burns documentary, Henry David Thoreau. Thoreau has been called the patron saint of early environmental thought in the U.S., from his transcendentalist writings of the mid-19th century to his decision to live a secluded life at a cabin on Walden Pond in Massachusetts. The three-part film, now streaming on , the PBS app, and on Prime Video, examines Thoreau not just through the lens of American history, but it also asks what his work means to us in our current era. The film was...
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Episode for June 5, 2026: The Pigeons’ Last Passage
The Allegheny Front
Never miss a story: Passenger pigeons were once the most abundant bird in North America. But in 1914, they went extinct. Most of their last nesting grounds hugged the Great Lakes. What was it like to experience these birds? And what are we left with when we lose a species? This special episode is from a podcast about the land, water, and inhabitants of the Great Lakes. We’re independent and non-profit, and we don’t receive funds from WESA, WPSU or any other radio station. So we must turn to you, our listeners, for support. Take action today so we can continue to keep you informed....
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Episode for May 29, 2026: Forever chemicals in a fishing stream
The Allegheny Front
On this week's episode: Pollution from the Pittsburgh airport has found its way into a nearby stream. Scientists are looking into how PFAS forever chemicals got there and what happens next. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced that it would give Pennsylvania nearly $40 million to address PFAS contamination in drinking water; at the same time the agency also said it would roll back PFAS regulations. Researchers have found a link between the temperature outside and kidney disease. New railroad-safety reforms have made headway in Washington D.C., three years after the...
info_outlineThis week, Inside Climate News tells us about their three-part investigation of solid fracking waste in Pennsylvania. We also look at the climate impacts of concrete, and talk with a couple that's taken their fascination with birds into the studio.
We have news about environmental groups objecting to an air quality permit for a natural gas plant at the site of the former coal plant in Homer City, Indiana County, and research shows that salt used for winter de-icing is being found in Pennsylvania waterways throughout the year.
We’re independent and non-profit, and we don’t get money from WESA, WPSU or any other radio station. So we must turn to you, our listeners, for support.
Take action today so we can continue to keep you informed.
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