Full Episode

Data centers are a hot-button voting issue in Pennsylvania, no matter the political party. At a women's prison on Ohio, incarcerated residents are learning to rehabilitate wildlife, like bunnies, with an eye towards future jobs. A new Pennsylvania law will restrict PFAS chemicals in firefighting foam. The Environmental Protection Agency Office of Inspector General plans to investigate the EPA’s response to the 2023 train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio. The newly-released Chesapeake Bay report card is out, with its highest overall grade ever issued, a C plus.       

The head of the Environmental Protection Agency plans to loosen rules for methane leaks at oil and gas wells. How Pennsylvania and other states are drafting their own methane regulations. U.S. Steel is seeking an air permit for a new hot strip mill at its Edgar Thomson Plant in near Pittsburgh. Pennsylvania officials are studying the sites of nearly two dozen retired power plants across the state to see if they can be reactivated. Archbald Borough, facing the most data center proposals in the state, denied zoning for a hyperscale data center. Some public transit riders in Pittsburgh will be treated to art installations inspired by birds. A canoe enthusiast is serious about his paddle collection, and a code of ethics around it.

Pittsburgh high school students raise money to get an abandoned gas well plugged. A retiree has also made it her mission to help fix the problem by finding the wells that others haven’t documented yet. Noise pollution from data centers is impacting the health of neighbors. A Philly company is developing equipment it hopes will support the future of the hydroelectric power industry.

There is a steep rise in black lung disease cases among coal miners in Appalachia. Gov. Josh Shapiro and state Treasurer Stacy Garrity discussed data centers and other hot-button issues facing Pennsylvanians at the first and only 2026 gubernatorial debate. Shapiro joined 21 states suing the Environmental Protection Agency for its recent repeal of limits on climate-warming pollution from power plants. Light pollution is ruining our ancient connection to the night sky. Owls are not just for Halloween. 

The Trump administration announced new rules weakening fuel efficiency standards. Appalachian farmers are producing wool that could replace less environmentally friendly insulation in homes. Heavy rain is causing stress on native paw paw trees, attracting invasive ambrosia beetles. Environmental advocates are calling for Pennsylvania lawmakers to pass new efficiency standards for certain appliances. People in Southwestern Pennsylvania can get a discount on solar energy systems through a group buying program. Rufous hummingbirds show up in late autumn and early winter in our region. 

At a conference promoting AI in Pittsburgh, Governor Shapiro said that while he still sees promise in AI technology we cannot ignore the warning signs nor downplay the risks of the industry. Meanwhile, there is a movement in communities across Pennsylvania to slow down the data center development that powers AI, including a town in Westmoreland County where the community os already dealing with fracking. Pennsylvania utility regulators say unchecked data center growth could threaten the reliability of the regional grid within the next five years. The threshold has been raised for the amount of lead in a school ’s water that Pennsylvania districts have to report.

Documentaries that are part of a film festival about Appalachia and the Rust Belt look at East Palestine after the derailment and the fight against the Mountain Valley Pipeline. In her new book, an author writes a love letter to her western Pennsylvania farm. Spetember is when birders flock to see chimney swifts roost. The U.S. Chemical Safety Board found inadequate safety and training protocols led to a 2025 explosion and fire at Shell’s Beaver County plastics plant. The Environmental Protection Agency has eliminated rules to curb greenhouse gas emissions from power plants that burn fossil fuels. Governor Shapiro says President Donald Trump must act to more closely regulate artificial intelligence.

The U.S. Forest Service wants to repeal a rule that prohibits new roads and logging in some sections of National Forest land. A grove of trees at the Flight 93 National Memorial serves as a living monument to the passengers and crew who died there on 9-11. A group of friends hiked and looked for reassurance in nature and one another on September 12th, 2001. The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection has fined Shell $15 million for air quality violations at its Beaver County plastics plant. Pittsburgh International Airport’s new terminal now has an official designation as a green building. Our Environmental Travel Guide through Pennsylvania continues with one of western Pennsylvania's most scenic forests.

A morel mushroom hunter is willing to share his expertise but not his best morel hotspots, which are a family secret that's been passed down for generations. There's an underground network between fungi and roots that allows trees to communicate in forests. Our environmental guide through Pennsylvania continues, and this time we're chasing waterfalls. There are now over 30 routes and 2,000 miles for gravel cyclists to ride in northeastern Pennsylvania.

A team of archaeologists is looking for signs of early life in the Americas at the bottom of Lake Erie. A Pennsylvania environmental group is out with a new playbook to move the state away from fossil fuels. The landmark environmental rights amendment in Pennsylvania's constitution was created by a man who grew up in coal country. An artist is donating the proceeds from a series of drawings to a central Pennsylvania watershed group. The pigment used in the artworks comes from acid mine drainage pollution in Appalachian waterways. Allegheny County Council will consider a ban on building controversial AI data centers on county property.