90.5 WESA, Author at The Allegheny Front

Allegheny County fines U.S. Steel nearly $2 million for air quality violations

90.5 WESAMarch 1, 2024

Allegheny County Health Department fined U.S. Steel again, this time for 362 operating permit violations at its Clairton Coke Works.

Pollution

Federal funding to grant Pa. schools clean-energy buses

90.5 WESAJanuary 11, 2024

Five Pa. school districts including Pittsburgh, will receive 120 clean energy school buses through federal grants, helping to phase out diesel engines and reduce health risks.

EnergyHealthTransportation

A farm field with green grass in the foreground

Farmland preservation efforts grow as Allegheny County protects unique crops and smaller farms

90.5 WESANovember 6, 2023

Smaller farms and those growing unique crops in Allegheny County are now eligible to be preserved as part of the Farmland Preservation Act.

ConservationFood and Agriculture

A deer in the park forest with little understory

Invasive species and deer grazing threaten Pittsburgh’s forest diversity

90.5 WESAOctober 11, 2023

Overpopulation of deer has led to overgrazing, which is wiping out native plant species and creating room for invasive species.

ConservationRecreationWild Pennsylvania

‘Pittsburgh County Fair’ covers a lot of urban farming ground

90.5 WESASeptember 21, 2023

The first-of-its-kind, county fair-themed festival in Pittsburgh aimed to promote local businesses and healthy urban agricultural lifestyles.

Food and Agriculture

Chris Kubiak stands next to an apple tree that is a little taller than him, surrounded by tall wildflowers.

Regenerative farming and soil health practices are taking root near Pittsburgh

90.5 WESASeptember 21, 2023

What is regenerative farming? For Timberwolf Orchard, it's all in the soil.

Climate ChangeFood and Agriculture

Former Pa. coal communities receive millions for renewable energy, workforce development

90.5 WESANovember 4, 2022

The package will not only support goals like net zero carbon emissions but also finance trails, aviation training, child care and broadband expansion.

Climate ChangeEconomyEnergy

Deer and invasive species threaten long-term survival of Pennsylvania’s forests

90.5 WESAOctober 15, 2021

Researchers say this double whammy is destroying biodiversity in Pa.'s forests. In a century, that could mean forests of invasive shrubs, not trees.

ConservationWild Pennsylvania

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Energy

Pa. to receive millions for solar energy projects that will benefit residents with low income

Energy Secretary visits western Pa. steel plant to tout new energy efficiency rule and union jobs

Offshore wind, a potential clean energy source for the East Coast, slowly takes shape

Climate