The Allegheny Front

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The future of the Endangered Species Act is in question. A bill to amend it was recently introduced in Congress, and environmentalists are taking issue with it. Attacks by black bears are exceedingly rare, but they do happen. How proximity to humans and our pets could be pushing some species, like black bears, to act erratically. Pittsburgh International Airport is doubling the size of its solar field ab...

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Cement is the glue that keeps concrete together, and it has a big carbon footprint. That's a problem for a warming planet. A Johnstown-based mining company has gotten the go-ahead to expand an underground coal mine in Westmoreland County. The site of a demolished coal-fired power plant is being redeveloped to build a massive gas-fired power plant and data center. The American Lung Association gave Pittsb...

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President Trump gives coal power plants an extension on complying with new mercury pollution standards. Meanwhile, the Trump administration is looking to roll back many other climate and environmental regulations faster than the normal process of appealing these rules allows. Invasive plant species like thorny multiflora rose are damaging Pennsylvania forests. A Pittsburgh natural history museum is takin...

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The site of a recently retired coal plant in Indiana County is getting a new life as a data center. Plans have been scrapped for a controversial plastic recycling plant in Erie. President Donald Trump signed an executive order to boost coal production, but it may not do much to reverse the industry’s fortunes. A new book highlights the natural beauty of the Youghiogheny River.

Nearly 2,000 top scientists...

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Solar advocates fear a rider attached to a low-income solar bill in the PA House will upend roof-top solar. The former U.S. Secretary of the Interior, Deb Haaland, responds to the Trump administration's plans to mine public lands for more energy resources. The owners of a recently demolished coal-fired power plant in Homer City, PA announced the site will become a data center powered by the largest natur...

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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 ta...

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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 Agenc...

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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 ...

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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 r...

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...

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 Nort...

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 spr...

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 figh...

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. ...

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 ex...

As cities try to reduce emissions, getting more people to adopt solar energy is key. Community-owned solar projects could be a solution. Some operators want to extend the lives of coal plants because of increased energy demand. President-elect Trump has endorsed relaxing regulations that could help do this. Farmers are doing everything they can to prevent a bird flu outbreak in Pennsylvania.

Plus, could climate polluters face crimi...

A well pad explosion in Ohio has caused some local communities to worry about the safety of oil and gas. What does the Farm Bill have to do with climate change? A bid to sell U.S. Steel to a Japanese company gets shot down by President Biden. What does it mean for air quality in the region? A new state program that aims to save schools money through solar energy is open for applications. States have begun rolling out new federally ...

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This week's episode:

Twenty-five million people live in the Ohio River watershed, and some don't have c...