The Allegheny Front

Some hope a shutdown of an oil refinery can be an example of a just transition that benefits workers, community and environment. A new book tells the story of a clean energy pioneer trying to get wind power to where it's needed most. We fact-checked President Trump's environmental claims. The community sounds off on a clean air settlement with U.S. Steel.

Scientists are trying to learn more about unique wetlands full of carnivorous plants, rare birds and floating sphagnum moss.  A rare butterfly has found refuge at a military base. President Trump made good on a promise to fund the sandy restoration of popular beaches on Lake Erie. Plus, how to become a watershed steward.

Ohio residents are starting their own health registry for people who live near oil and gas infrastructure.  A halted pipeline project in West Virginia has divided many in the state. Citizen scientists are helping researchers monitor firefly populations. And Monet and modern air pollution.

Families with high levels of PFAS chemicals in their well water are in limbo. We look at a landfill's effort to turn trash into fuel and a Delaware River hotdog stand. Pipeline protesters no longer face trespassing charges after reaching an agreement with prosecutors. A former Obama official and Harvard law professor gives her take on Trump's environmental efforts.

We talk with a former Obama official and Harvard law professor about President Trump's Affordable Clean Energy Rule to reduce carbon emissions from the power sector, which could actually increase CO2.  We have the latest on air violations at U.S. Steel's Clairton Coke Works and news about another polluting coke works in Erie.

An artist discusses what trees mean to her work. Citizens stepped in to protect water from fracking waste when Ohio regulators did not. Environmentalists, religious leaders, and members of indigenous communities gathered for a water rally. Parents look for deeper answers as to whether cancer cases in their community are linked to fracking.

A law in Ohio favors energy development over private property rights. A Pa. bill would offer comprehensive coverage for Lyme disease. A four-day Kiski-Conemaugh kayak trip focuses on recreation, while efforts are underway to clean up mine drainage in the watershed. News about Trump's replacement climate change plan.

A multi-part series about fracking in Ohio kicks off with a look at citizen complaints. Many feel their concerns aren't being addressed by regulators. A law professor discusses the differences between drilling oversight in Ohio and Pennsylvania. An art project brings attention to toxic dyes in blue jeans, while a multi-state agency that regulates pollution in the Ohio River just made their standards voluntary.

A rural Ohio town deals with the closure of a coal-fired power plant. We hear from our reporter about the details of a sealed agreement between a gas driller and residents of Washington County. We have tips from an expert on avoiding ticks that carry Lyme disease. Is climate change causing more tornados?

Peregrine falcons are back on the Rachel Carson Building, decades after Silent Spring. Landowners are helping endangered species by protecting their land forever. Toxic PFAS chemicals from firefighting foam have been found at two military bases at the Pittsburgh airport. Plus, news about Chesapeake Bay clean-up efforts.

This week on The Allegheny Front, reclaimed mineland gets an ecological do-over. Citizen scientists are needed to track pollinators. Plus, some say there are too many farmers markets, but for many growers, it's a reliable source of income. From our Trump on Earth podcast, we look at some of the 2020 Democratic candidates' climate plans.

This week on The Allegheny Front, saving bats from white-nose syndrome and collisions with wind turbines.  Go on a trip to a vernal pool, critical for frogs and salamanders. Pennsylvanians are waking up to the realities of climate change and an energy company has to restore streams it destroyed.

This week on The Allegheny Front, Pennsylvania goes old-school to prevent forest fires while controlled burns on game lands create habitat for a threatened songbird. The UN warns of mass extinction, a new study says the Ohio River has more fish and Three Mile Island nuclear plant will close in September.

This week on The Allegheny Front, prosecutors in Pennsylvania are looking into possible environmental crimes committed during the fracking boom. New technology aims to recycle flexible plastic like candy wrappers. Pa. commits to goals in the 2015 Paris Climate Agreement. Plus, the latest on the Clairton Coke Works, Pa. nuclear bailout and oil/gas waste.

This week on The Allegheny Front, we talk with local researchers about a fungus that's devastating frog populations across the globe and its impact locally. A citizen science project enlists nature lovers, including kids, to head to their local ponds to gather data on frogs. Plus, how the past might help us act more boldly on climate change. An update on a state investigation into a rare cancer.