The Allegheny Front

We revisit some of our favorite stories about nature, food and environmental champions. 2022 was the 60th anniversary of the publication of Rachel Carson's "Silent Spring," a book that questioned the indiscriminate use of synthetic chemicals and became an instant classic. We talk with a poet whose new collection explores the damage people have done to each other and nature. Plus, we look at life along the Delaware River with an angler witnessing a changing landscape.

Lawmakers in Ohio passed a bill to make it easier to frack in state parks, raising fears of pollution and disruption of outdoor recreation. We also follow up on the massive gas leak at a Cambria County storage site where the company failed to clean up oil and gas brine spilled on the ground. Plus, If you don't know a maple tree from an oak, now is a good time to learn.

This week, we take an in-depth look at a first-of-its-kind wind energy project approved for construction in Lake Erie. We discuss why the biggest barrier to more wind projects on the Great Lakes is public opposition. Plus, residents in Dimock, a small town in northeastern Pennsylvania, will finally have clean drinking water after a fracking company pleaded no contest to polluting their private wells more than a decade ago. 

A massive leak at a natural gas storage facility in western Pennsylvania raises a lot of questions. We'll also hear about a genetically modified American chestnut tree that can resist a deadly blight that's on track to be deregulated by the federal government. And testing is crucial on farms and at wildlife centers to make sure that birds are not infected with a highly contagious avian flu.

How the $2 billion in tax credit Gov. Wolf just signed into law benefits natural gas. We'll also hear about a solar farm project for the University of Pittsburgh.  Plus, Shell's ethane cracker officially opens. And an environmental reporter blows off some steam during a solo hike. We have news about the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative and a fine for a gas company

As climate change brings more risks to traditional farming, farmers are trying to make sure their crops survive. With the COP27 talks underway, the US and other wealthier nations are working to transition countries like South Africa away from fossil fuels. Plus, we visit an urban farm in Pittsburgh that teaches neighbors how to grow and cook seasonal veggies. And, a Philly hiking group is improving women’s wellness.

One company is mining Bitcoin to keep two waste coal power plants running. But what's the climate impact? A new report concludes that coal plants aren't doing enough to clean up coal ash disposal sites that are contaminating groundwater. Plus, an urban farmer in Pittsburgh had to overcome big challenges to clean up her property to start her enterprise. We have news about microplastics in Pennsylvania waterways and funding to help coal communities.

Both John Fetterman and Dr. Mehmet Oz used to be in favor of a moratorium on fracking, but now both support it. But do voters care? The Pa. legislature just passed a $2 billion package of tax breaks meant to support the natural gas industry. Plus, as the Clean Water Act turns 50, some of its protections for wetlands and smaller bodies of water could be limited by an upcoming Supreme Court decision.

Voters in one Ohio county are deciding if wind energy will be built in their community, but experts say their views may be colored by misinformation. We'll hear how the Clean Water Act, which just turned 50, revived the Delaware River. Plus, the garden of a refugee community in Pittsburgh helps sustain its own members and the neighborhood where it grows. And, we report that a new rule in Allegheny County didn't stop air pollution from rising this month.

Fifty years ago, parts of the Delaware River stank, and fish couldn't survive in it. We look at how the Clean Water Act helped to revive this dead river. And, we have the first installment of a new series highlighting Black urban farmers growing food to sustain their communities. Plus, a new collection of climate fiction looks forward to a better world for the environment and for people.