Stories from The Allegheny Front archived under
Air
EPA Requires That Communities Reduce Soot By 2020
On Friday, the U-S Environmental Protection Agency set a deadline for reducing soot pollution. Communities across the country will have to reduce the amount of soot that goes into their air by 20 percent by the end of the decade.
Inside the Cloud: Data Centers and Energy Use
In a country bursting at the seams with computers, smart phones, and tablets, the need to keep data flowing is a challenge. Data centers in the United States process and store all that electronic information. These facilities consume a lot of energy: experts estimate twice the amount of electricity used each year by every household in New York City, a city of eight million people.
Counties Want Stronger Wood-Fired Boiler Regs Than PA
Within the last ten years, outdoor wood-burning boilers have gained popularity in the Northeast. But some neighborhoods oppose these heaters because dense smoke can waft onto nearby properties and into homes. The Allegheny Front's Ann Murray looks at which way the wind's blowing for wood-fired heaters in Pennsylvania.
Green Tax Credits and Agencies Saved from Fiscal Fall
The recent passage of the American Taxpayer relief Act, widely known as the fiscal cliff bill, has extended the life of some eco-friendly tax credits and budget items.
Marcellus Air Emissions: Closest to the Wells See Steep Increases
The state’s first-ever tally of air pollution from the fracking boom shows shale gas activity comprises a fraction of the overall pollution in the state. But the state’s new figures also show that the industry has brought pollution to areas that were largely free of it.
Changes at the Clairton Coke Works
The Allegheny County Health Department has called US Steel the best and worst of the county's industries, the best in terms of job...the worst in air quality. US Steel has been ordered to reduce emissions at the coke works at a cost of more than a billion dollars. But will that be enough?
Report: Biomass Pollutes Air and Harms the Vulnerable
Biomass burners are often touted as relatively clean and renewable energy sources. But a new report says the burners are sending unmonitored pollutants into the air near vulnerable groups of people, such as school children while receiving $70 million in subsidies.
In Pittsburgh, EPA Gets an Earful on Fracking and Air
Western Pennsylvanians got a rare chance this week to tell the EPA what they thought about proposed rules on fracking and emissions. The EPA's new regulations would reduce the release of Volatile Organic Compounds and other emissions during hydraulic fracturing. The hearing in Pittsburgh was one of three held across the country this week.
EPA Slams PA's Shale Industry Air Regs
A Pennsylvania DEP plan to limit the number of Marcellus shale pollution sources required to meet clean air guidelines is drawing criticism from the EPA. The Allegheny Front's Reid R. Frazier explores why the feds want Pennsylvania to tighten up its regulation of emissions from Marcellus drilling.
Cracker's Emissions Could Rank High in Region
What kinds of air pollution could the ethane cracker announced by Shell this month create? What impact would it have on the region's already poor air quality? We took a look at the numbers and found the cracker may have a large footprint in one important aspect of air quality.