Explosion, smoke reported at Shell plant in Beaver County
DEP said benzene and another hazardous air pollutant could have been released during an explosion at Shell’s ethane cracker in Beaver County Wednesday afternoon.
Pollution
Will Australia revisit the deal that led a Pittsburgh firm to depend on the ore beneath its trees?
Alcoa’s Western Australia division is one of the world's largest alumina producing operations. Some say its decades-old agreement puts drinking water at risk.
Alcoa’s Australian refineries drove flight from two towns, and its waste threatens a third
Some residents say toxic dust from Alcoa's three sprawling industrial facilities along the southwestern coast of Australia is making them sick.
Pa. Senate bill would cut impact fees for communities that restrict fracking
Former DEP secretary, David Hess, explains why he says a Senate bill is meant to punish communities that try to protect their health and environment from fracking impacts.
Trump’s 2-year reprieve gives coal plants ‘a free pass to pollute’
A former EPA official warns exemption for some coal-fired power plants could be the first step toward gutting pollution rules for all plants.
PA DEP OKs ‘Rustic Ridge’ coal mine expansion beneath PA Turnpike
The company will mine metallurgical coal, but an environmental group worries the project will exacerbate longstanding mine drainage problems in the Laurel Highlands.
American Lung Association gives Pittsburgh’s air quality a failing grade
The annual "State of the Air" report rated air quality in the Pittsburgh region 16th worst in the country.
Cement is a climate menace. Under Trump, fixing it just got harder.
The cement industry has set ambitious goals to cut its carbon footprint. But as federal funding dries up, its path to a greener future is less clear.
Trump grants exemptions from mercury rules for coal-fired power plants, including several in Pennsylvania
The exemptions were supported by the grid operator for the mid-Atlantic region, which is bracing for an oncoming rush of demand for artificial intelligence computing.
EPA announces commitment to protect fish in the Delaware River
Parts of the river have low dissolved oxygen levels caused by ammonia discharges from wastewater facilities. The announcement comes after environmentalists took legal action to speed up the process.
