Pennsylvania Legacies

Curbing methane emissions from natural gas production isn't just about combating climate change. For many conservatives in Western states, it's just good business. We visit a Wyoming startup that's helping oil & gas companies save money and keep their workers safe by finding gas leaks. Also, a review of the week's PA environment news: more backlash against state budget riders, the Mariner East II...

A deal struck as part of the state budget process could hamstring the Department of Environmental Protection and put permitting decisions in the hands of unqualified private actors. One former DEP chief warns these amendments would set a disastrous precedent for every state government agency -- not just DEP.

Pennsylvania Legacies is taking a brief summer break and will return to our regular schedule next week. In the interim, we're reposting our June segment on one of the biggest environmental news stories of the summer: a major state Supreme Court decision on the state constitution's Environmental Rights Amendment.

The National Parks system is among the most beloved institutions in the U.S., more popular than every federal agency but the Postal Service. But "America's best idea" is also one of our most neglected assets... and it's about to take another budget hit. Learn how Pennsylvania sites managed by the NPS are faring on this week's show.

A look inside PEC's new white paper, Achieving Deep Carbon Reductions: Paths for Pennsylvania's Energy Future, based on our March 2017 conference of the same name. PEC President Davitt Woodwell chats with Energy & Climate Program Manager Lindsay Baxter.

Drinking water from the Delaware River is shared by Pennsylvania and three other states according to an elaborate, decades-old formula. For years, an agreement among the parties has allowed for some variability in that formula for the sake of maintaining healthy water levels and temperatures. But the recent lapse of the agreement could mean trouble -- both for the ecosystem, and for communities th...

In 2014, Colorado became the first state to regulate methane emissions from the oil and gas industry. As Pennsylvania takes similar steps, what can we learn from Colorado's experience convening diverse stakeholders to create effective and feasible rules?

From the 2017 Philadelphia Environmental Partnership dinner: conversation with Rep. Kate Harper (R-Montgomery), and keynote remarks from Steve Santarsiero, Chief Deputy for Environmental Protection in the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General.

Conversation with 2017 Winsor Award winner Carol Collier, and a crash course in the climate science and economics of methane emissions.

As Chief Counsel for the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, Alexandra Chiaruttini understands the value of meaningful public engagement in the regulatory process. Speaking at PEC's regional awards dinner last month in Pittsburgh, she called on Pennsylvanians, environmental groups, and companies to practice "varsity citizenship."

We visit the 2017 International Trails Symposium in Dayton, and get to know some of the Philadelphia-area cyclists who are raising money for PEC in the upcoming Environment Ride.

PEC opposes a state Senate bill that would expose surface water to further impacts from underground mining, and we pay tribute to two western PA environmental leaders up for Lifetime Achievement honors at our spring awards dinner.

Growing Greener Coalition members rally for funding, and DEP's Environmental Justice office hits the road in search of intersectionality across Pennsylvania's diverse communities.

The Montour Woods Conservation Area outside Pittsburgh is a time capsule, studded with remnants of the area's agricultural and industrial past. It's also part of the pathway to a future when public parks and greenspaces across the region will be linked by miles of multi-use trails. We take a hike through the Montour Woods with Sean Brady and Chris Rolinson of the Hollow Oak Land Trust.

More than 300 northeastern Pennsylvanians turned out last weekend to help PEC and DCNR plant thousands of seedlings on former mining sites. This week's show features voices from our Earth Day 2017 tree-planting event in Pinchot State Forest, Luzerne County.

Sixteen projects are being recognized for their contributions to environmental stewardship with the 2017 Governor's Award For Environmental Excellence. PEC is proud to co-host the awards dinner on April 25th along with the Department of Environmental Protection. On this Earth Day weekend, Acting DEP Secretary Patrick McDonnell joins us to highlight a few of the honorees and discuss how their ideas...

More and more states are adopting measures to limit emissions of methane from the production and distribution of natural gas. Finding and fixing methane leaks is good for the environment, but it's also good for business -- like the 20+ companies that are now employing Pennsylvanians to help gas companies boost their own bottom lines by improving efficiency.

A 250-foot gap in Carbon County has been holding back the Delaware & Lehigh Trail for years, earning a spot on DCNR's top-ten list of critical trail gaps statewide... until now. Wednesday's groundbreaking brought the 25-year planning phase of the Jim Thorpe Pedestrian Bridge to a close. We look at the effort's long history -- and its expected economic impact -- with D&L National Heritage Corridor...

Little by little, Philadelphia is building a 750-mile regional trail system. As the Circuit Trails Coalition celebrates spring with new trail openings, we get to know one of the many small groups that are accomplishing big things by working together. Plus: an update on the federal RECLAIM Act, Three Mile Island anniversary, and the latest bald eagle news from across the Commonwealth.

Reaction to the Trump administration's budget proposal, recognition for PEC's illegal dumpsite cleanup program, and a preview of Carnegie Mellon University's "Energy Week."

On March 15 & 16 PEC hosted "Achieving Deep Carbon Reductions," a regional conference devoted to the subject of deep decarbonization. This week's show is the first of several featuring highlights from the sessions and interviews with the speakers.

Watershed groups from across the Commonwealth were represented at this week's Watershed Connections conference in State College. Davitt Woodwell spoke with some of them for this week's show.

Most people in Philadelphia know Wissahickon Creek as a bucolic setting for outdoor recreation, easily accessed via the city's Fairmount Park. But the real story of the Wissahickon begins 23 miles upstream in Montgomery County, where the picture isn't always so pretty. Repairing years of damage to the stream will be a massive and complex challenge, but communities and organizations throughout the...

The campus of Pittsburgh's Phipps Conservatory is home to some of the world's greenest buildings -- in more ways than one. We learn about Phipps's 124-year evolution from public botanical gardens to R&D lab for sustainable building and design. Plus: your monthly update on bald eagle news from across PA.

The history of Pennsylvania's public lands is closely intertwined with African American history. Before they were state parks and forests, many of these areas were crisscrossed with Underground Railroad routes, and dotted with abolitionist strongholds and communities of freed slaves. This month, the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources is honoring that legacy and recognizing some of th...