The Allegheny Front
Every week, our 29-minute podcast brings you all the environmental news and stories to keep you in the know in Pennsylvania and beyond.
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Episode for October 18, 2024: A small town pivots after coal
10/18/2024
Episode for October 18, 2024: A small town pivots after coal
After a coal-fired power plant closed last year, residents of the southwestern Pennsylvania community are trying to make a go of tourism by cleaning up its legacy pollution. A new environmental history book about Pennsylvania aims to include multiple perspectives. New color-correcting viewfinders in some state parks will allow people who are colorblind to enjoy the autumn leaf show. Also, new federal funds will help remove lead paint in buildings across Pennsylvania. A nonprofit is launching a pilot project in Pennsylvania to lease rooftop solar installations to low- and moderate-income residents. Pittsburgh is one of 10 U.S. cities being awarded federal funding to support urban agriculture.
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Episode for October 11, 2024: EVs and the presidential election
10/11/2024
Episode for October 11, 2024: EVs and the presidential election
Former President Trump has been claiming there is a Biden electric vehicle mandate. There isn’t one, but the rhetoric has some EV advocates concerned. A new study shows support for leasing land for solar projects in Pennsylvania farming communities. Volunteers are knocking on doors to get people who care about the environment and climate change to vote. Also, lead drinking water pipes in the U.S. must be removed within 10 years. A new survey looks at Pennsylvanians' attitudes toward fracking. A Weirton plant that makes batteries to store wind and solar energy gets a $150 million grant from the Department of Energy.
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Episode for October 4, 2024: Biogas, hydrogen buses and whitewater recreation
10/03/2024
Episode for October 4, 2024: Biogas, hydrogen buses and whitewater recreation
Even though a president couldn't ban fracking in Pennsylvania, it's still being talked about this campaign season. We fact-check what's being said. In light of the East Palestine train derailment, advocates are pushing for more inclusion in disaster planning for people with disabilities. A new theatrical production hopes to entertain and educate people about a fuel source that comes from our own food scraps and the back end of cows. Also, EPA has finalized a consent order with a hazardous waste landfill to lower its pollution discharges into a Westmoreland County stream. Two Clearfield County municipalities are taking steps toward creating whitewater recreation parks. And passengers who ride buses in the Greater Philadelphia area could find themselves on one powered by hydrogen starting this fall.
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Episode for September 27, 2024: East Palestine settlement, lessons from Bhopal and industry influence on universities
09/27/2024
Episode for September 27, 2024: East Palestine settlement, lessons from Bhopal and industry influence on universities
Support our journalism. This work doesn't happen without you. A judge signed off on a 600 million dollar settlement between Norfolk Southern and people who live near the East Palestine train derailment. But many are unhappy with the outcome. A new study looks at the influence of oil and gas industry donations on university research. Survivors of the worst industrial accident in world history in Bhopal, India visited Beaver County to talk about the multi-generational impacts of the chemical disaster and lessons for those living near chemical infrastructure in Pennsylvania. Also, there are mixed reactions from residents, environmentalists and the business community as the Three Mile Island nuclear facility plans to reopen. Allegheny County Health Department held a public hearing in the Mon Valley about an air quality permit for U.S. Steel’s Edgar Thomson Works. Wasting resources from the land has a big impact on climate change, so we have tips for cutting emissions from your food and yard.
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Episode for September 20, 2024: A controversial plastic recycling plant, fracking and public health
09/20/2024
Episode for September 20, 2024: A controversial plastic recycling plant, fracking and public health
Support our journalism. This work doesn't happen without you. A Pennsylvania-based driller is promoting its own data showing fracking poses no health risks. But public health experts are skeptical. Erie residents have questions about how a huge, proposed plastic recycling plant could impact them. We're not going to buy our way out of the climate crisis. What we can do instead. Also, some Pennsylvania lawmakers want to repeal a regulation that would charge power plants for their climate-warming emissions. New measurements show climate pollution is escaping oil and gas production hubs at an estimated 4 times the amount companies report to regulators. Allegheny County plans to award 5 million dollars in grants to projects aimed at improving the region’s air quality. But no one has applied.
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Episode for September 13, 2024: Fracking in the presidential race, polluted well water and spotted lanternfly research
09/13/2024
Episode for September 13, 2024: Fracking in the presidential race, polluted well water and spotted lanternfly research
There wasn't a lot of talk about the environment in Tuesday's presidential debate, except for one hot topic: fracking. We fact check the candidates' claims about the issue. Some people who live along Indian Creek in West Virginia had pristine well water, but that’s changed they say, due to mining. Researchers in western Pennsylvania are soliciting help to learn more about invasive spotted lanternflies. Plus, a new analysis finds state laws do not protect students from lead in school drinking water, and the Altoona school district responds to its failing grade on lead. Meanwhile, more than a hundred school districts across Pennsylvania will receive state funding for environmental repairs. Support our journalism. This work doesn't happen without you.
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Episode for September 6, 2024
09/06/2024
Episode for September 6, 2024
As potato chips get more expensive, is climate change part of the reason? We crunch the numbers. As more flooding, erosion and invasive plants are impacting Pennsylvania's trails, groups are working to make trail systems more climate resilient. This November, the Pennsylvania legislature could get a makeover. What are the stakes for the General Assembly in this election? We have news about why environmental groups are suing the EPA over new coke oven rules, why summertime brings more water pollution and what a new federal grant will do to improve the Delaware River watershed.
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Episode for August 30, 2024: Flood insurance, greenspace and energy workers
08/30/2024
Episode for August 30, 2024: Flood insurance, greenspace and energy workers
This week on The Allegheny Front, during the COVID pandemic, a coal-fired power plant that was a way of life for many in one community closed. We traveled there to learn how they memorialized it. As more severe storms cause downed trees and dump water on Pennsylvania, insurance premiums could rise. A Pennsylvania task force charged with figuring out how to get more homes in the state covered by flood insurance released its recommendations this summer. Plus, a study shows a racist government policy enacted decades ago has led to fewer green spaces in many communities across the country. Also, will fossil fuel workers be able to take advantage of jobs in green energy?
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Episode for August 23, 2024: Hydrogen hub rollout, IRA tax breaks and farming amid climate change
08/23/2024
Episode for August 23, 2024: Hydrogen hub rollout, IRA tax breaks and farming amid climate change
This week on The Allegheny Front, the huge, federally funded hydrogen hub based on natural gas is getting started in Appalachia. The Department of Energy has promised transparency for the project, but some were not reassured after their latest public meeting. The climate law President Biden signed two years ago can help homeowners get money back for investing in solar panels, but there are tax breaks for smaller fixes, too. Plus, how agriculture experts in West Virginia are helping farmers manage the new challenges of climate change.
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Episode for August 16, 2024: Indigenous cultures and the environment
08/16/2024
Episode for August 16, 2024: Indigenous cultures and the environment
This week, we have a special show about Indigenous people, land, water, and culture. Our first story looks at how the pawpaw, a fruit that mainly grows in the eastern US, continues to live in the memories and language of Indigenous people forced to move west. Then, we talk with an Indigenous scientist about her book that contrasts conservation science with Indigenous knowledge about the natural world. Plus, a paddler from the Seneca Nation takes a 300-mile journey down the Allegheny River to draw attention to protecting it and all waterways.
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Episode for August 9, 2024: An educator on Lake Erie and an artist on the Allegheny River
08/09/2024
Episode for August 9, 2024: An educator on Lake Erie and an artist on the Allegheny River
This week, we're headed outdoors to get a fresh perspective. A 5th-grade science teacher boards a Lake Erie research vessel to learn more about plastic pollution. And a kayak tour on the Allegheny River has a unique twist: Participants also make art together. Plus, a new nonprofit hopes to eliminate the barriers that keep people from getting outside. We have news about Asian carp in the Great Lakes, horseshoe crabs, a new solar program for schools and a fee for electric vehicles.
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Episode for August 2, 2024: How Kamala Harris can appeal to Pennsylvania climate voters and more
08/02/2024
Episode for August 2, 2024: How Kamala Harris can appeal to Pennsylvania climate voters and more
Now that Vice President Harris is on her way to becoming the Democratic nominee for president, how can she make sure people who care about climate change vote for her? Pennsylvania is looking for ways to create wildlife corridors so animals like bobcats and box turtles can safely move. Plus, a Pittsburgh environmental activist is celebrating a milestone for the grassroots lecture series she founded 12 years ago. We have stories about a new venture in Philadelphia that focuses on sustainable seafood, and how a researcher figured out lanternflies can hitch rides on vehicles, even ones going 60 miles per hour. We have news about the Appalachia hydrogen hub and planting native vegetation along Pa. highways.
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Episode for July 26, 2024: Climate solutions, grassland birds and the PA prairie
07/26/2024
Episode for July 26, 2024: Climate solutions, grassland birds and the PA prairie
This week on The Allegheny Front, many of us are feeling the heat this summer, and climate change is fueling the soaring temperatures. A new book by climate scientist Rob Jackson tells the stories of people who are working to reduce climate-warming emissions in novel ways. Birds, like the bobolink, that need grassland habitat to nest are losing ground. What conservationists and farmers are doing about it. Plus, Pennsylvania is home to a prairie that is just now bursting with blooms.
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Episode for July 19, 2024: Mine cleanups, chemical recycling and synchronous fireflies
07/19/2024
Episode for July 19, 2024: Mine cleanups, chemical recycling and synchronous fireflies
This week, a stream polluted by an old coal mine at a former golf club is getting cleaned up thanks to a land trust and a new pot of federal money. Plus, we have news about why it's hard for states to access other federal mine reclamation money. We also talk with an author of a new report that says chemical recycling of plastics isn't all it's cracked up to be for the economy or the planet. We head to a festival celebrating a very special population of fireflies in Pennsylvania that flash in a pattern. We have news about Pa.'s budget, heat islands in Pa. cities, and a new dark sky park in the works.
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Episode for July 12, 2024: Coal plant closure, downwind air pollution and hemlocks
07/12/2024
Episode for July 12, 2024: Coal plant closure, downwind air pollution and hemlocks
Just over a year ago, the largest coal-fired power plant in Pennsylvania closed. For some, it's been hard to accept. We'll visit Homer City to hear how it's going. A US Supreme Court decision to put a cross-state air pollution rule on hold could impact clean air in Pennsylvania. And, we tag along with a crew trying to save hemlock trees from an invasive pest. Plus a new report outlines ways to keep kids playing outside in the warmer months. As fossil fuel production has gone up in the U.S., greenhouse gas emissions have gone down as, except in the region that includes Pennsylvania. The miles of trails along Pittsburgh’s Three Rivers have a significant economic impact.
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Episode for July 5, 2024: Trout streams, coyote myths and using the whole fish
07/03/2024
Episode for July 5, 2024: Trout streams, coyote myths and using the whole fish
This week on The Allegheny Front, commercial fisheries in the Great Lakes hope to follow an example set in Iceland. It calls for using every part of the fish to increase the value of each one caught, while decreasing waste. And, central Pennsylvania is one of the best places for fly fishing, but there is a need to protect its prized streams from farm pollution. Plus, as coyotes move into cities, we have to face our myths about them.
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Episode for June 28, 2024
06/28/2024
Episode for June 28, 2024
The National Transportation Safety Board approved its investigative findings into last year’s train derailment in East Palestine. It issued recommendations on rail safety and emergency response, criticizing Norfolk Southern for keeping critical information away from responders. Former workers at an oil refinery in Philadelphia remember the fire and explosion five years ago that shuttered the plant. Plus, giant wood sculptures at a botanic garden help visitors understand the bees and other pollinators that live among us. We have news about pollution from gas stoves, another mishap at the Mountain Valley Pipeline, a new director of the Allegheny County Health Department and a debate in the state legislature about renewable energy goals.
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Episode for June 21, 2024
06/21/2024
Episode for June 21, 2024
This week, the first town in Allegheny County commits to creating a bird-friendly community as an official Bird Town. We also talk with a climate scientist about how this week’s heat wave is related to climate change. We have a preview of next week’s release of the final report of a federal investigation into last year’s Norfolk Southern train derailment in East Palestine, which will include insights into the decision to vent vinyl chloride from some of the railcars and burn it, which caused chemical contamination. We have news about toxic PFAS in school drinking water, concerns about a possible new gas pipeline and an innovative hive to encourage beekeeping.
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Episode for June 14, 2024: A community fights for clean water, Black Birders Week, PFAS
06/14/2024
Episode for June 14, 2024: A community fights for clean water, Black Birders Week, PFAS
CNX plans to use methane from coal mines to make hydrogen and clean jet fuel. To pay for it, they want to use new clean energy tax credits. Inside a brewing fight over billions of dollars in hydrogen subsidies. Some residents of Greene County want answers from EQT and state regulators about why their well water is giving them rashes after showers. They blame an event two years ago for their dirty water. Plus, we talk with a family participating in Black Birders Week for the first time. We have news about a whistleblower’s claim against EPA’s East Palestine clean-up, PFAS in Pennsylvania’s water systems and the Mountain Valley Pipeline’s approval to begin transporting gas to Virginia.
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Episode for June 7, 2024: Doctors take climate action, A community fights flooding
06/07/2024
Episode for June 7, 2024: Doctors take climate action, A community fights flooding
This week, hospitals have a big carbon footprint. We report on how local medical professionals are fighting climate change. Some politicians and advocates are calling for a ban on the longtime practice of spreading drilling wastewater on dirt and gravel roads. We talk to a former DEP secretary who says this practice should remain illegal. Flooding can be devasting for communities. We look at what one Ohio River town is doing to prevent future disasters. Plus, the latest problem for the Mountain Valley Pipeline. We have news about how a new coke oven rule will impact the Clairton Coke Works, a celebration at Raystown Lake and a water trail along the Schuylkill River.
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Episode for May 31,2024: Norfolk Southern settlement, pipeline concerns and helping mussels
05/31/2024
Episode for May 31,2024: Norfolk Southern settlement, pipeline concerns and helping mussels
This week on The Allegheny Front, Norfolk Southern will invest $200 million in rail safety as part of a settlement with the federal government over last year's train derailment in East Palestine. Earlier this month, a controversial natural gas pipeline that will soon go online failed a crucial safety test. We speak with a reporter who is following the story. Some student entrepreneurs looked for alternatives to firefighting foam and equipment which commonly contain PFAS, those forever chemicals linked to increased cancer risk. We have news about federal money for cleaner school buses, demands for transparency about the Appalachian hydrogen hub project from a coalition of community and environmental groups, and a new report about the carbon emissions of Pittsburgh buildings.
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Episode for May 24, 2024: Native plants, invasive snails and the state of fireflies
05/24/2024
Episode for May 24, 2024: Native plants, invasive snails and the state of fireflies
This week, we talk to entomologist and author Doug Tallamy, who wants people to landscape with native plants to feed bees and other pollinators. His goal is for half of the 40 million acres of lawn in the U.S. to be replanted with native species in what he calls the "Home Grown National Park." We'll also visit a special bog habitat in eastern Pennsylvania that was formed in the ice age. Plus, we join researchers at Presque Isle State Park who are looking for an invasive snail that has gained a foothold in Lake Erie. New research reveals how fireflies are faring in the eastern U.S. We have news about the Allegheny County Clean Air Fund and a new training effort for energy efficiency jobs.
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Episode for May 17, 2024: Invasives in Pa. waterways, a coastal plain forest wins an award, green weddings
05/17/2024
Episode for May 17, 2024: Invasives in Pa. waterways, a coastal plain forest wins an award, green weddings
A new film focuses on invasive species in some of Pennsylvania's pristine waters. The executive producer talks about how people can help keep invasives at bay. Also, a Superfund site in the woods of Bucks County won an environmental award. It's one of the Pennsylvania's last remaining coastal plain forests. As wedding season approaches, we look at ways to create an earth-friendly celebration. And new coke oven rules are expected to be finalized soon. We report on how they could impact U.S. Steel's Allegheny County facilities. We have news about Pittsburgh Regional Transit's climate plan, installation of lead-filtering water fountains at Pittsburgh Public Schools, problems along the Mountain Valley Pipeline and more.
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Episode for May 24, 2024: Managing deer through sterilization, and what the heck is post-natural history?
05/10/2024
Episode for May 24, 2024: Managing deer through sterilization, and what the heck is post-natural history?
This week, we have a special show about how people interact with wildlife and other animals. Our first story looks at what happens when urban and suburban deer populations get out of hand. Some cities and towns opt for bow hunting or bring in sharpshooters. But one community went another way: sterilizing female deer. Plus, a new book looks animals that can be classified as post-natural - those living things that have been intentionally altered by people, through domestication, selective breeding and genetic engineering. We have news about a bill passed by the Pennsylvania Senate that would let energy companies bypass state agencies when securing a permit to build. Critics say the move would violate federal and state laws. The Maryland National Guard dropped plans to fly fighter jets just 100 feet above the ground in an area known as the Pennsylvania Wilds.
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Episode for May 3, 2024: Green hydrogen, radioactive frack waste and dam removals
05/03/2024
Episode for May 3, 2024: Green hydrogen, radioactive frack waste and dam removals
The federal government is betting big that creating hydrogen with solar and wind will be climate solution for hard to decarbonize industries. Some experts are skeptical. A shocking new book looks at radioactivity in oil and gas waste, and its impacts on workers who have experienced symptoms like their teeth falling out, strange rashes and cancer. Meanwhile, two fracking waste disposals facilities in Eastern Ohio are facing consequences for noncompliance. Residents in Westmoreland County are frustrated that a hazardous waste facility wasn't shut down despite violations. We head to a fish hatchery that is key to Pennsylvania's walleye population. We have news about the removal of small dams across the region to help fish and other aquatic life, and grants for schools to address lead, mold and asbestos.
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Episode for April 26, 2024: The scrapping of a chemical recycling plant, new power plant CO2 rules, charges for Shell
04/26/2024
Episode for April 26, 2024: The scrapping of a chemical recycling plant, new power plant CO2 rules, charges for Shell
As a coal plant winds down, its gradual closure has had ripple effects in the community, including local businesses, like restaurants. A community group rallied around stopping a chemical recycling plant in Central Pennsylvania, saying it's not the answer to slowing plastic pollution. The Energy Secretary visited the area to tout energy efficiency and union jobs. And Shell is hit with misdemeanor charges for allegedly underreporting spills along its pipeline. We have news about new EPA rules for CO2 emissions for power plants, residential solar for disadvantaged and low-income communities, and the state of the air.
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Episode for April 19, 2024: Offshore wind energy, teens & climate action, plastic on Great Lakes beaches
04/19/2024
Episode for April 19, 2024: Offshore wind energy, teens & climate action, plastic on Great Lakes beaches
This week on The Allegheny Front, as the transition to cleaner energy ramps up, a port is being built in New Jersey for the massive wind turbines headed into the Atlantic Ocean. And we talk with the author of a new report on tiny pieces of plastic litter on Great Lakes beaches. Plus, teens in Pittsburgh look to one another to solve the climate crisis. Also, the Environmental Protection Agency releases new rules to reduce cancer risk from hazardous air pollution near chemical plants. Federal mine regulators publish a long-awaited rule to the amount of toxic silica dust mine workers can legally be exposed to. And a look at a few examples from the more than 70 projects that have been funded through a plan to close a coal plant in Centralia, Washington.
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Episode for April 12, 2023: Transitioning from coal, the Farm Bill, PFAS rule
04/12/2024
Episode for April 12, 2023: Transitioning from coal, the Farm Bill, PFAS rule
Centralia, Washington, has been cited as a model for how to successfully transition away from coal. What can the Appalachian region can learn from its example? And the new Farm Bill is being held up in Congress, but conservationists are pushing legislators to get it passed. Plus, the threat of Lyme disease doesn’t mean we shouldn’t enjoy the outdoors. News about a $1 million-dollar fine for a gas leak that was called the country’s worst climate disaster in 2022, EPA’s new rule for PFAS in drinking water and a class action settlement with Norfolk Southern.
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Episode for April 5, 2024: More trails for central Pa., balancing jobs and energy efficiency, kids explore birds
04/05/2024
Episode for April 5, 2024: More trails for central Pa., balancing jobs and energy efficiency, kids explore birds
The Department of Energy just finalized a rule to make the energy grid more efficient. While local workers are cheering, energy efficiency advocates say it's investing in old technology. Pittsburgh-area students had a special day to compose songs and poems and create art all about birds. Construction on the first section of 53 miles of trails in central Pa. is set to begin. Plus, we answer questions from adults and kids about the upcoming solar eclipse. We have news about federal funds to clean up abandoned mineland and the Tioga River, how withdrawing water for fracking from a popular creek could impact a threatened fish, and a lawsuit against a crypto miner and Gov. Josh Shapiro.
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Episode for March 29, 2024: Lackawanna River, chemical recycling, solar
03/29/2024
Episode for March 29, 2024: Lackawanna River, chemical recycling, solar
The Lackawanna River in northeastern Pennsylvania was once polluted from mining and sewage. We profile the longtime leader of a conservation group who spearheaded its cleanup. Chemical recycling plants that turn plastic into fuels and other materials have been proposed in Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Ohio. Why some residents worry about pollution and safety. Plus, a Penn State professor gives us the scoop on why the upcoming solar eclipse is such a big deal. A Pennsylvania college student is developing a new technology could save one million horseshoe crabs each year. We have news about a federal grant to build the largest solar farm in Pennsylvania, why the West Virginia governor vetoed a bill expanding renewable energy, and why activists in Virginia think a fine for a major pipeline project is too small.
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